Working Relationships Research Articles

The Impact of Social Work Relationships on Preschool Teachers' Social and Emotional Competence

In recent years, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) initiated a survey focused on the social and emotional competence (SEC) of educators, garnering significant attention across the educational community. Despite this interest, there remains a notable gap in research concerning the development of SEC among preschool teachers within the context of various social relationships. Addressing this gap, our study examines the influence of leadership trust, collegial relationships, pro-teacher relationships, teacher-child interactions, and self-efficacy on the SEC of preschool educators. This investigation aims to elucidate the role these social relationships play in shaping the SEC of preschool teachers. The study sample consisted of 223 Chinese preschool teachers, with data analyzed through hierarchical regression techniques. Findings reveal that leadership trust, pro-teacher relationships, and self-efficacy are significant predictors of teachers' SEC. These results underscore the importance of fostering a positive, trust-based, and supportive social work environment as a pivotal strategy for enhancing preschool teachers' SEC, thereby contributing to the broader understanding of how social relationships influence educators' emotional and social capabilities.

Impacts of social media use on occupations of youths with hearing disability in a special education school in upper northern Thailand

Background: Social media have been used increasingly in the daily lives of the global population. Youths with hearing disability participate in many activities through social media, as do those in general. However, due to their hearing loss, they may experience different impacts, particularly in the special education context. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impacts of social media use on occupations of youths with hearing disability, and the relationship of activity limitation and participation restriction in the special education school context. Materials and methods: The participants comprised 92 youths with hearing disability, who were studying in a special education school. The research instrument was a questionnaire in two forms: paper-based and a sign language video clip. It was presented with acceptable content validity (IOC=0.60-1.00), good internal consistency reliability (α=0.88) and moderate stability reliability (ICC=0.70). Results: Results showed that most of the participants had their own smart phone and used a hearing aid for access to social media. Frequency of social media use was daily for 1-3 hour(s) per day. Overall, most of the participants had no activity limitation or participation restriction in their occupations, but they showed a minimal level of limitation and restriction in education. In terms of social media use, most of the youths presented a positive impact on occupations, particularly in social participation. The overall results indicated the relationship between activity limitation and participation restriction and impacts of social media use on occupations (r= -0.293, p=0.005). When considering each type of occupation, the results indicated the relationships of education, work, and social participation significantly. Conclusion: The findings of this study revealed the relationship between activity limitation and participation restriction and overall impacts of social media use on occupations. These findings were applied to social media use, particularly in parts of the text and virtual networks, as an optional channel for providing occupational therapy services and accessing meaningful occupations for youths with hearing disability.

Nurses’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic: A secondary data analysis examining interdisciplinary and peer communication

BackgroundCommunication with interdisciplinary team members was impacted during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bedside nurses managed communication challenges with interdisciplinary team members while working under extremely stressful conditions created by a new and unknown infectious disease. This study examined data collected from a pre-existing qualitative study to answer the question: What communication challenges occurred among nurses and interdisciplinary team members during the beginning months of the COVID-19 pandemic? MethodsA qualitative secondary analysis of an existing dataset was undertaken. The original data were collected using semi-structured interviews conducted with a purposive sample of bedside nurses (n = 17). ResultsUsing thematic analysis, five themes related to communication among nurses and the interdisciplinary team emerged: 1) acknowledging PPE as a communication barrier, 2) questioning how to perform nursing tasks along with increasing workload, 3) developing innovative ways to deliver safe care, 4) experiencing frustrations about lack of communication with interdisciplinary team members, and 5) experiencing both support and criticism that affect working relationships. ConclusionsChallenges associated with communication during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic became opportunities to build policies and procedures to support collaboration within the healthcare team. Support is necessary to prepare team members to collaborate efficiently during crisis situations. Developing a strategic plan to improve communication, lessen nurse burden, provide mental health support for nurses, while maintaining safe care are priorities in managing future emergency situations.

Guidance on the Effective Collaboration With Interpreters and Translators in Speech-Language Pathology

Purpose: The purpose of this literature review is to guide speech-language pathologists (SLPs) on how to increase effective collaboration with interpreters and translators in order to enhance communication with clients and significant others from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Method: A review of definitions of interpretation and translations and practical guidance on certifications and collaborative practices within a health literacy framework approach is described. Strategies to build effective and ethical SLP–interpreter/translator working relationships are reviewed. Results: Findings emphasize the importance of interprofessional collaboration between SLPs and interpreters/translators. When working with professional interpreters/translators, SLPs application of a brief–intervention–debrief framework, use of plain language, and knowledge of local and national training and practice requirements, are identified as mechanisms to enhance effective and ethical collaboration. Conclusion: Effective collaboration with interpretation and translation services should be a key component of clinical practice to ensure that health information is clearly understood by clients and families.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) syndrome across ages

AbstractAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that significantly impacts various aspects of life, including school, work, family, and social relationships. The disorder has a prevalence of 6–7% in children and 4–5% in adults and commonly manifests before the age of 12. Symptoms can be categorised into two groups: attention deficit; and hyperactivity/impulsivity. As individuals age, hyperactivity symptoms generally decrease, while attention deficit symptoms exhibit less change. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is associated with numerous adverse outcomes, such as comorbid psychiatric disorders, academic difficulties, accidents, injuries, and increased economic burdens on society and individuals. Children and adults with ADHD have a high rate of psychiatric comorbidity, including learning disorders, autism spectrum disorder, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, tic disorders, adolescent substance abuse, and antisocial personality disorder in adulthood. Timely detection, enhanced intervention strategies, and consistent care may alleviate the clinical and economic burden of ADHD.

Guidance for a deprescribing approach that can be implemented in care homes: STOPPING study findings and lessons

Abstract Introduction Care home residents often have multiple long-term conditions and experience polypharmacy. Deprescribing is the reduction or stopping of prescription medicines that may no longer be providing benefit. Deprescribing is generally safe but it is unknown how to make it work well in practice, like care homes. Current tools and approaches often overlook the specific contextual factors and various stakeholder views within care homes. Aim To inform the development of a deprescribing approach that can be implemented in care homes. Methods The findings from two qualitative work packages of the STOPPING project[1,2] were synthesised to develop a better deprescribing practice approach within care homes, considering different views and environments, and recommendations for designing a deprescribing approach for care homes. In total, 42 interviews were conducted with 36 participants (residents and their family members/friends, care home staff, and healthcare professionals) from 15 different care homes. A framework analysis approach, informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), was used to analyse data from both work packages. Similar and divergent determinants spanning all CFIR domains were aggregated. Then how and why key these factors operated were considered from generating relationships using conceptual mapping. Researchers and a family carer representative met regularly to discuss discrepancies and refine the themes. Results Key considerations for a deprescribing approach for care homes are: engaging multiple individuals and organisations; recognising their various roles, responsibilities, expertise, and beliefs; information access and sharing; and active monitoring of the impact of deprescribing. The guidance is presented as a cycle to illustrate deprescribing as a process, which then works through four implementation aspects: (1) Plan and coordinate, (2) Communicate and collaborate, (3) Access and share information, and (4) Monitor and evaluate. They are a guide rather than a rigid set of steps, as some activities overlap and feed into each other, and demonstrate how deprescribing for residents should be ongoing and iterative. Proposed actions to encourage deprescribing in care homes are provided for each implementation aspect and presented as questions for consideration. For example, in Plan and coordinate, one of the questions is ‘Are the goals of care with respect to medicine optimisation and deprescribing for residents established?’. The key factor influencing this guidance is the quality of local working relationships between care homes and primary care, which was more crucial than the type of care home organisation management structure. Conclusion Communication and collaboration between care homes and healthcare professionals (such as GPs, nurses, and pharmacists) are essential to ensure deprescribing is done well. A strength of the work is the use of a comprehensive, well-recognised implementation science framework; however, a limitation is that most participants were care home staff, so the findings reflect their perspectives and experiences. Further work is needed to develop tools and approaches that address how this can be achieved within current structures and limited resources of health and social care. The guidance, developed from the STOPPING project findings, suggests several courses of action for how to improve future deprescribing in care homes.

Antecedents of subjective well-being at work – the case of French permanent employees

PurposeWe empirically assessed the antecedents of subjective well-being at work for French permanent employees.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology includes qualitative and quantitative data analyses. In the first phase, interviews elicited the antecedents of subjective well-being at work among permanent French employees. In the second phase, a questionnaire survey was used to confirm the relevance of the antecedents uncovered in the first phase.FindingsWe found 14 distinct elements that influence French employees’ subjective well-being at work: corporate culture, job dissonance, relationships with colleagues, achievement, professional development, relationships with superiors, status, workload, perks, feedback, workspace, diversity and pay. Moreover, we identified discrete antecedents for the three components of subjective well-being at work: work achievement and relationships with superiors and colleagues for positive emotions at work, job dissonance and workload for negative emotions at work and organizational culture and professional development for satisfaction with one’s work.Originality/valueThe original contribution of this study is to have unpacked the black box of the antecedents of subjective well-being in the French workplace and to have uncovered discriminant predictors for each of the three components of subjective well-being at work. Furthermore, we specifically linked each of these three components with their most significant antecedents.

Hospital corridors as lived spaces: The reconfiguration of social boundaries during the early stages of the Covid pandemic.

This article explores the meanings and uses of a hospital corridor through 98 diary entries produced by the staff of an English specialist hospital during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on Lefebvre's (1991, The production of space. Blackwell) threefold theorisation of space, corridors are seen as conceived, perceived and lived spaces, produced through and enabling the reconfiguration and reinterpretation of social interactions. The diaries depict two distinct versions of the central hospital corridor: its 'normal' operation prior to the pandemic when it was perceived as a social and symbolic space for collective sensemaking and the 'COVID-19 empty corridor' described as a haunting place that divided hospital staff along ostensibly new social and moral boundaries that impacted negatively on lived work experiences and staff relationships. The mobilisation of the central hospital corridor in the daily social construction of meaning and experience during a period of organisational and societal crisis suggests that corridors should not be only seen as a material backdrop for work relationships but as social entities that come into being and are maintained and reproduced through the (lack of) performance of social relations.

Devoted but Disconnected: Managing Role Conflict Through Interactional Control

The ideal worker is represented as constantly available for work. However, an increasing number and variety of workers experience conflict between work and family demands. Research has identified numerous practices to manage this conflict with positive implications for non-work relationships, but the implications of these practices for work relationships remain unclear. How do efforts to manage role conflict affect workplace relationships? To examine this question, we draw on ethnographic data from 72 STEM workers across three organizations. We find that workers who experienced role conflict interpreted interactions in the workplace—often unpredictable in timing, frequency, and length—as a threat to fulfilling both their work and family roles on a daily basis. Thus, they controlled work interactions to make time for both work and non-work roles. However, interactional control limited their sense of workplace belonging and opportunities for resource exchange. In contrast, workers who did not experience daily role conflict encouraged interactions, allowing these encounters to expand across time. As a result, their work extended into evenings and weekends, and they experienced a sense of belonging and more regular resource exchange. We identify how interactional control practices manage role conflict but limit the development of workplace relationships. We also expand the repertoire of how devotion to work can be performed, identifying the occupied worker who expresses devotion through focused and efficient work and interactions rather than availability for work and interactions.

Conflict Management Strategies in Human Resources Management Work Teams

This research aims to investigate effective conflict management strategies in the context of human resource management (HR) work teams. Conflict in the workplace, especially in HR teams, can be a significant challenge that affects productivity and harmony among team members. This research uses a qualitative approach with descriptive methods. The research results show that the implementation of conflict management strategies in human resource management work teams has a significant positive impact in improving harmonious and productive working relationships in the workplace. By implementing an open communication approach, teams can easily share information, express opinions, and resolve conflicts more effectively. Collaborative conflict resolution also allows team members to work together to find a solution that is satisfactory for all parties involved, thereby reducing the possibility of larger conflicts arising in the future. Additionally, through developing communication skills, team members can improve their ability to listen, express thoughts clearly, and understand others' perspectives, all of which are important aspects of managing conflict wisely.

A phenomenological study of resident and faculty experiences with learner engagement in the normalization of workplace-based assessment

Background: Workplace-based assessments (WPBA) have become integral to learner-centred medical education. As previous research has linked learner engagement to WPBA implementation, this study explores residents’ and faculty members’ experiences with learner engagement in the normalisation of WPBA practice. Methods: Transcendental phenomenology was used as the qualitative approach, focusing on the participants’ lived experiences. A semi-structured interview guide was used to interview five faculty members and five residents who had conducted WPBA. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using phenomenological data analysis. Results: Three themes were identified between learner engagement and WPBA conduct: (a) work environment, (b) roles and relationships, and (c) mutually beneficial teaching and learning. WPBA learner engagement occurred when participants interacted with each other and with the clinical setting to facilitate teaching and learning. Both participant groups reported a desire to participate in WPBA, but time constraints at times hindered participation. The residents indicated that WPBA improved their knowledge and admitted to experiencing negative emotions during the assessment. Overall, participants recognised the reciprocal benefits of WPBA participation for their professional development. Conclusion: The findings of the study suggest that learner engagement influences the use of WPBA. Consequently, it may be beneficial to consider the role of learner engagement to normalise WPBA application for teaching and learning in the clinical context.

The role of Qatar's first forensic community team in reducing recidivism and re-admission of mentally unwell offenders.

Introduction: Qatar established its Community Forensic Mental Health Team (CFMHT) in 2019 as part of the region's first comprehensive forensic psychiatry service. We present here the data on clinical and offending outcomes since its establishment and compare this with data from before the service was established. Objectives: To compare clinical and offending outcomes in mental health patients with criminal offending histories in Qatar before and after the establishment of CFMHT. Methods: This is a retrospective study comparing the socio-demographical characteristics, clinical outcome and recidivism measures of forensic patients, under the CFMHT for the last 2 years with data from a similar period before the services were in place. Results: Data for 85 patients under the active care of forensic community team were matched with a comparable group before the establishment of the services. The re-admission and reoffending rates after the establishment of the service over 2-year follow-up were 17.6% and 12.9%, respectively, compared with 40% and 32% before the service. Conclusions: Since its inception, the CFMHT has made a significant positive impact on quality of life, mental well-being and safety of patients under its care. Close working relationships with the criminal justice system, families and carers have helped fight stigma and promote safer communities.

Employers Feedback on the Performance of the College of Computing Studies, Information and Communication Technology (CCSICT) Graduates

This study is an assessment of the employer’s feedback on the performance of College of Computing Studies, Information and Communication Technology (CCSICT) graduates in the workplace with respect to quality and quantity of work, job knowledge, and working relationships.
 The study used a descriptive research method utilizing the employers of employed graduates as key informants. The respondents were purposely chosen who are managers or supervisors of companies and institutions of the graduates. Data from the 98 employers were gathered using a survey questionnaire. Weighted mean, frequency count, percentage, and rank were used to interpret the result of the survey.
 Results showed that graduates are employed in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry. This means that the graduates have jobs related to their course. The majority of employers who participated in the survey are from the private sector. Employers were very satisfied with the graduate's quality and quantity of work, job knowledge, and work relationship. The top attributes used to evaluate the graduates' performance were the quantity of work and the working relationships. The findings suggested putting emphasis on written and oral communication skills and improving networking, troubleshooting skills, and graphics and design skills.

The More You Know: The Impact of Personal Knowledge on Interpersonal Treatment at Work

Employees often receive conflicting advice about sharing personal information in the workplace. They are told to “bring your whole self to work” but also to keep it professional and not share too much personal information with colleagues. Research has been equivocal in its overall guidance about sharing personal information at work: it may be either beneficial or harmful for work relationships. These inconsistencies are likely driven by the types of questions posed. Specifically, existing research has studied the impact of a particular piece of personal information and the specific details of what is learned, not what all of these pieces of personal information amount to. Instead, this paper takes a new vantage point to understand how the amount of personal knowledge (the quantity of information that one person knows across many aspects of a colleague’s personal life) influences positive interpersonal dynamics at work by humanizing the known colleague. Through a full-cycle research approach, I establish causal support experimentally and then replicate support for my hypotheses in the field, demonstrating a positive, persistent effect: having more personal knowledge—regardless of whether that knowledge conveys value incongruence or life-to-work interference—leads to a more humanized perception of the known colleague, resulting in increased responsiveness toward that colleague. These findings resolve an existing puzzle in the literature and also contribute to a more nuanced understanding of work relationships and interpersonal learning at work. Funding: This work was supported by Washington University in St. Louis (faculty research funds) and the University of Michigan (doctoral research funds). Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2021.15606 .

Implementation of Step-Down Intermediate Care (IC) in Buckinghamshire, UK: A Qualitative Evaluation Study of Healthcare Professionals’ Experiences and Perspectives

Step-down intermediate care aims to offer short-term care for people who are medically optimised for discharge but needing a period for further assessment and/or rehabilitation. The aim of this study, which was nested in a larger evaluation project, was to explore the experiences and perspectives of healthcare professionals to understand the implementation of a step-down IC service in Buckinghamshire, UK. The evidence is used to inform the service providers of what elements worked well and what areas require improvement. A qualitative study using semistructured interviews was conducted in May 2022. Ten healthcare professionals participated. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The following five core themes were developed: (1) the developmental period of step-down IC, (2) providing care together, (3) perceived functions of the integrated hub, (4) communication, and (5) resources. Findings from the interviews highlighted the excellent working relationships among healthcare professionals from different disciplines, which contributed to their job satisfaction and the efficiency of the service. In addition, healthcare professionals stressed the importance of the integrated hub, as it facilitated the communication between the teams and speeded up the decision-making. Several organisational challenges, such as communication issues, healthcare professionals’ capacity, and the need for further funding were also voiced. Involving staff in the evaluation of a step-down intermediate care service has provided useful information on the service’s implementation process and will inform the development of a long-term strategy for intermediate care.

Education and structural racism: teachers’ views on racial discrimination experienced in the workplace

The research in question was developed together with the Center for Research and Extension in Human Rights (NUPEDH) and the Research Group Law, Gender and Plural Identities (DGIPLUS), both linked to the Postgraduate Program in Law and Social Justice at the Faculty of Law (FADIR) from the Federal University of Rio Grande (FURG/Brazil). We sought to investigate, analyze, and understand how structural racism – a phenomenon understood as systematic racial discrimination present in sociopolitical structures – is experienced by teachers who self-identify as black and who work in the public and private primary and secondary education network in the city of Canguçu located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil. Aiming to achieve the proposed objective, the deductive research method was adopted, comprising bibliographical research (scientific articles, theses, and books) and critical-reflective analysis of the collected material. As the aim was also to understand the reality of black teachers, empirical research was carried out through semi-structured interviews with all 41 black teachers out of a total of 775 teachers who work in the educational system in the city of Canguçu. Among the obtained results, the fact that the majority, that is, 99% of the teachers interviewed, stated that they had experienced situations of prejudice in work relationships and when teaching in the classroom stands out. Both the number of black teachers in the city of Canguçu and the testimonies of the interviewees corroborate the existence of structural racism in the educational sphere, since, as the authors who underlie the research emphasize, racial discrimination is one of the elements that make up the sociopolitical organization and economic aspects of Brazilian society.

New Graduate Nurses' Experiences by Generation in South Korea: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis.

As the nursing organization environment evolves into one in which several generations work together, there are concerns about generational differences leading to conflicts. A synthesis of qualitative studies was used to gain insight into the experiences and perceptions of new nurses working in South Korean hospitals and identify generational differences between nurses of Generations X and Y. Eight databases were searched systematically for qualitative studies published up to June 2020. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Checklist for Qualitative Research was used to evaluate the quality of the retrieved studies, and the data were synthesized thematically using the Thomas and Harden method. Of the 2,482 studies retrieved, 19 were included in this meta-synthesis. The experience of new nurses were presented in the three analytical themes of work experience, interpersonal relationships, and adaptation, from which eight descriptive themes were derived: (a) dissatisfied with own work performance, (b) negative feedback on work outcomes, (c) irregular daily life, (d) colleagues who help adapt to work life or make work life harder, (e) feelings of sympathy toward peers, (f) disrespectful patients or caregivers, (g) effective reactions, and (h) ineffective reactions. Although the new nurses from Generations X and Y reported similar experiences during their first year of nursing, differences were found in their values and tendencies regarding work and interpersonal relationships. Compared with new Generation X nurses, new Generation Y nurses placed more value on the meaning of individual work contributions, intimacy with colleagues, and appropriate feedback. The findings of this study support nursing administrators implementing strategies that both acknowledge and reduce the impact of generational category on nursing teams. Furthermore, emphasizing communication and acknowledging ongoing change as generations progress may strengthen bonds that lead nurses to value each other and their work.

Evaluation of student internship programs to support the sustainability of vocational education institutions and industrial cooperation programs

The internship program is an annual routine activity in all faculties at Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY). This program implements a link and match between educational institutions and industry but has not been evaluated comprehensively. Therefore, conducting program evaluation research using the Context, Input, Process, and Product (CIPP) model is important. The type of research used is program evaluation research with the CIPP model. Data collection techniques in this research used questionnaires, interviews, and focus group discussions. The research subjects were UNY students who were grouped into four groups. Data were analyzed descriptively and quantitatively. The results showed that the context aspect of the internship program (goals and objectives) was in accordance with the graduate profile set at UNY. However, the general policy for organizing internships during the pandemic still needs to be developed. The systems and procedures of the academic community support the internship program, but there is still a need to improve cooperation documents and internship information systems for all faculties. The implementation of the internship program is in accordance with the activity plan set at UNY, but SIPKL needs to be developed to equalize the perception of field supervisors. The product of the internship program is in accordance with the goals and objectives set at UNY, but some students (34.16%) still have not received a job offer from the internship site. The results of this research can contribute to developing a quality-oriented internship program, which will then positively impact the cooperation relationship between universities and industry. Thus, a good working relationship will benefit both parties and potentially develop cooperation in other programs.

Mindfulness and creative process engagement: the mediating role of workplace relational systems

PurposeDespite widespread recognition of the importance of mindfulness in organizational science literature, little is known about how mindfulness motivates individuals to configure information processing and team member exchange relationships to increase creative process engagement. Drawing on motivated information processing theory, this study conceptualizes and empirically examines whether and how mindfulness motivates individuals toward creative process engagement.Design/methodology/approachThe authors collected data through an online survey from 311 respondents working in the Research and Development (R&D) departments of organizations in multiple industries in Pakistan. For analytical purposes, the authors have applied the structural equation modeling technique.FindingsThis study advances a different view of individual mindfulness on the creative process engagement in the following ways. First, mindfulness enables individuals to self-regulate in specific situations and become effective in fostering creative process engagement. Second, this study extends research on relational information processing by linking it to mindfulness and creative process engagement. Relational information processing partially mediates the relationship between mindfulness and creative process engagement. Third, this study highlights that mindfulness motivates individuals to focus more on developing quality working relationships, but they seem less willing to participate in idea generation and problem-solving solutions.Originality/valueThe study findings provide implications for research on mindfulness, creativity and motivated information processing to enhance individuals’ creative process engagements. The authors also discuss the implications for executives on the relational and creative benefits of mindfulness.

Implementasi Kebijakan Pemerintah Tentang Tenaga Bongkar Muat (TKBM) dan Peningkatan Kesejahteraan di Pelabuhan Yos Sudarso Ambon Provinsi Maluku

The research was conducted to examine the implementation of government policy on charging frame energy (TCBM) as well as improving the well-being of staff at Yos Sudarso Ambon port. The results of the researchers' observations that the implementation of employee welfare standards has not been optimized in accordance with the regulations in force. Furthermore, wages paid to officials on the basis of boarding are not on the amount of income so it is still weak in the administration of financial administration. As for the research method used, it is qualitative descriptive by conducting in-depth interviews with the chosen informants. As for the findings of the research, (1). There's still recruitment of port workers based on the family system. Besides, there's still a weak motivation to do the hard work itself. (2). That the reality of a balanced and harmonious social life between the working groups in the port of Ambon can be used as an example of a good working relationship.