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1 – 10 of over 8000Tomas Backström and Rachael Tripney Berglund
The study objectives were to (1) identify if providing solution-focused interaction training enables managers and employees to develop and implement actions to improve their…
Abstract
Purpose
The study objectives were to (1) identify if providing solution-focused interaction training enables managers and employees to develop and implement actions to improve their psychosocial work environment and (2) test a recontextualization of the psychosocial work environment as social structures affecting members of the workplace and verify if social interactions effectively change the local psychosocial work environment.
Design/methodology/approach
The intervention involved training managers, supervisors and employees in solution-focused interaction. This study used a controlled interrupted time-series design, with an intervention and control group (CG) and pre- and post-measurements.
Findings
The psychosocial work environment improved, indicating that the training led to better social interactions, contributing to changes in the social structures within the intervention group (IG). Collective reflection between participants in the take action phase was the key to success. The recontextualization uncovered these mechanisms.
Research limitations/implications
The present study supports a recontextualization of the psychosocial work environment as primarily decided by social structures that emerge in recurrent interactions within work teams. The same social structures also seem to be important for other features of the production system, like job performance.
Practical implications
Training designed to enable high-quality social interactions, like dialogue and collective reflection, has proven to be effective in changing social structures. Moreover, managers may need training in facilitating the collective reflection between participants. Increased focus on social interactions within work teams is suggested for future study of organizational change processes, psychosocial work environment and practical psychosocial work environment management.
Originality/value
The intervention was delivered in the preparation phase to enable an effective take action phase. Both phases are less studied in psychosocial risk assessments research. The recontextualization has never been fully used in psychosocial research.
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Óscar Gallo, Diego René Gonzales–Miranda, Juan Pablo Roman-Calderon and Gustavo A. García
The purpose of this article is to show how a group of Colombian millennials perceive different aspects of working life and how their ideas about job satisfaction, professional…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this article is to show how a group of Colombian millennials perceive different aspects of working life and how their ideas about job satisfaction, professional expectations and levels of autonomy are related to contemporary demands about inclusion, diversity, equity, autonomy and control.
Design/methodology/approach
With this objective, 167 semi-structured interviews were conducted with millennials who work at 10 Colombian companies from the manufacturing and service sectors, located in the five main cities of the country. With a qualitative approach, in the interviews, the research team used a strategy inspired by the technique of generating visual structures associated with grounded theory.
Findings
It is concluded that new generations of Colombian workers know of the importance of rewards and autonomy in work and are more critical and less passive in the face of unhealthy working conditions. At the same time, their conduct and speeches are the consequence of the characteristics of the Colombian labour market. The document responds to the need to deepen the debates on welfare and happiness in organizations and to include the demands of millennials in the reflective and political horizon of the ideas of healthy employment and decent work. In practice, this article seeks to demystify ideas about millennials in Colombia and critically contribute to reflection on intergenerational relations in organizations and salary and welfare models. As a Latin American case, it is an original contribution that avoids the common places and the frivolity with which the insertion of the new generations into the working world has been analysed.
Practical implications
In practice, this paper seeks to demystify ideas about millennials in Colombia and critically contribute to reflection on intergenerational relations in organizations and salary and welfare models.
Originality/value
As a Latin American case, it is an original contribution that avoids the common places and the frivolity with which the insertion of the new generations into the working world has been analysed.
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Rubal Rathi, Sheetal Jain and Ruchi Garg
This study explores reasons for and against secondhand luxury (SHL) fashion adoption among young consumers in an emerging nation, India. As a trend, SHL has witnessed tremendous…
Abstract
Purpose
This study explores reasons for and against secondhand luxury (SHL) fashion adoption among young consumers in an emerging nation, India. As a trend, SHL has witnessed tremendous growth in the past few years, but scholarly interest remains scant.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing from an interpretivist paradigm, this study uses an exploratory qualitative approach with 26 semi-structured interviews with SHL buyers, analyzed using NVivo software.
Findings
The findings shed significant light on value drivers and find support for status value, uniqueness value, quality value and monetary value, while adding the role of emotional value in reasons for SHL adoption. The results reveal an interesting trait of Indian consumers: price, fashion and celebrity association outweigh sustainability concerns, where an attitude–behavior gap is observed. Also, the findings add depth to risk perceptions as a major reason against SHL adoption.
Originality/value
While most existing studies have only focused on the motivational drivers, this study offers in-depth insights into the growing SHL literature by drawing attention to the enablers and equally important inhibitors by applying the novel Behavioral Reasoning Theory. It also intends to enhance practitioner knowledge in understanding a culturally diverse market and developing strategies relevant to a new set of consumers. The study calls for SHL retailers to sensitize young consumers in India about the sustainability aspect of SHL consumption, which is currently less appreciated.
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This study aims to examine the role of mental health disorders (anxiety and depression) underlying the relationship between bullying and absenteeism. Moreover, the author tested…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the role of mental health disorders (anxiety and depression) underlying the relationship between bullying and absenteeism. Moreover, the author tested the potentially moderating role that job autonomy, supervisor and colleagues’ support may play in the relationship between bullying and mental health disorders.
Design/methodology/approach
A moderated mediation analysis was conducted with a sample of French workers, controlling for their individual characteristics and their working conditions. The sample comprised 22,661 employees. This sample is representative of the French working population.
Findings
The results showed that the positive relationship between workplace bullying and absenteeism was partially mediated by anxiety and depression. In addition, job autonomy and supervisor support appear to be moderators of bullying effects. Regarding the moderating role of colleagues support, the study’s results are more nuanced.
Originality/value
Many studies show that exposure to workplace bullying increases the risk of developing mental health problems and sickness absence. This study extends previous studies by proposing a more comprehensive understanding of how and when bullying results in absenteeism. In particular, this study identified some moderators that can mitigate the harmful effects of workplace bullying on mental health and absenteeism. This study contributes to the literature on this subject by showing that organizations can reduce the potentially negative effects of workplace bullying. Organizational resources can help make individuals capable of coping with aggression. They thus contribute to their resilience.
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Due to the “European Union Framework Directive on Safety and Health at work” (Directive 89/391/EEC, 1989), every employer is obliged to avoid psychosocial hazards when designing…
Abstract
Purpose
Due to the “European Union Framework Directive on Safety and Health at work” (Directive 89/391/EEC, 1989), every employer is obliged to avoid psychosocial hazards when designing work. Little is known empirically about the barriers that workplace actors experience while developing and implementing OSH measures that prevent psychosocial hazards. The purpose of this paper is to explore barriers, causes and attempts to overcome them and discusses them with reference to relevant theoretical concepts and models that help to explain how these barriers hinder the development and implementation of OSH measures.
Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews with workplace actors in charge of psychosocial risk assessment (PRA) were conducted in 41 business cases, and transcripts were analysed using a thematic analysis approach. Barriers, causes and attempts to overcome them were extracted inductively and discussed with reference to relevant theories and explanatory models.
Findings
The complex nature of psychosocial risks, hindering general beliefs, lack of a perceived scope for risk avoidance, lack of assumptions of responsibility among players on all hierarchical levels, discrepancies between formal responsibility and decision authority, and low reflexivity on processes of development and implementation of interventions were described as barriers. Causes and attempts to overcome these barriers were reflected upon by workplace actors.
Practical implications
Recommendations on the organisation of PRA will be given with respect to the reported results and relevant research in this field.
Originality/value
This qualitative study explores the barriers to developing and implementing OSH measures to eliminate psychosocial hazards, from the perspective of actors in charge of PRA, and why they might fail.
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Hulusi Karabiber, Sena Kurt and Yonca Deniz Gürol
Psychosocial risks in the workplace include occupational risks such as stress, harassment, burnout, and workplace violence that affect the physical integrity and mental health of…
Abstract
Psychosocial risks in the workplace include occupational risks such as stress, harassment, burnout, and workplace violence that affect the physical integrity and mental health of employees (Bunker et al., 2003). Work-related psychosocial risks are relevant to the design and management of the job and its social and organizational contexts (Leka, Griffiths, & Cox, 2003). In this study, it was investigated which factors are effective in the psychosocial risk assessments of blue-collar workers in Turkey and whether there is a significant effect of gender in these assessments. The sample of the research consists of 663 employees working in a production facility in Tekirdag. The results showed that cognitive demands, the meaning of work, and development opportunity variables differed by gender from psychosocial risks. Women evaluate lower scores than men in expressions related to cognitive demands, the meaning of work, and development opportunities. Quantitative demands, emotional demands, burnout, and job satisfaction did not differ significantly by gender. The findings provide an understanding of the potential risks in the working conditions of blue workers in Turkey and provide the basis for future research.
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Examines the behaviour of the industrial buyer, and studies the purchasing of reprographic equipment. Looks at straight replacement purchases, first time purchases, rebuys…
Abstract
Examines the behaviour of the industrial buyer, and studies the purchasing of reprographic equipment. Looks at straight replacement purchases, first time purchases, rebuys involving high cost equipment and rebuys due to dissatisfaction, in terms of a perceived risk model. Accepts that the industrial communications practitioner receives much less planning guidance than his consumer‐based counterpart. States current research is founded on the belief that a theory of communication appropriate to industrial buying must take on 6 main points – these are itemised and discussed. Discusses research design; research methodology; the determinants of perceived risk in industrial buying; risk handling behaviour in industrial buying; and a perceived risk model of buyer behaviour and its implications for competitive industrial marketing policy – all these are examined in great depth and each one given individual conclusions. Concludes that these examples by no means exhaust all the possible empirical bases from which industrial marketing policies may be devised, they serve to illustrate the way in which the model can be realistically applied to derive such competitive policies.
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Olga Gjerald, Trude Furunes and Gro Ellen Mathisen
The purpose of this study is to identify new psychosocial risk factors in the assessment of job demands and job resources in hospitality employment and to initiate the development…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to identify new psychosocial risk factors in the assessment of job demands and job resources in hospitality employment and to initiate the development of a psychosocial hospitality risk indicator (PHRI). The argument is underpinned by the findings from an exploratory study of health and safety representatives (HSE) in the hospitality sector.
Design/methodology/approach
Using focus-group interviews with 15 HSE representatives from 13 hospitality companies in lodging, housekeeping, and food and beverage segments, this research explored perceived psychosocial risks in different hospitality jobs through the lens of the JD-R (job demands-job resources) model.
Findings
This study suggests that factors such as conditioned flexibility, technological requirements, multicultural workforce interactions, lack of support from customers and lack of emotion ventilation represent new risk factors in the psychosocial work environment if not properly managed. A list of items to assess these new psychosocial risks is provided, and a model of different knowledge sources for the further development of the PHRI is suggested.
Originality/value
This is the first paper to identify new psychosocial risks in hospitality employment through the lens of a health and safety work perspective. A key theoretical contribution of this research is the extension of the JD-R model with new variables representing service-specific job demands and resources and the development of items for future risk assessment in hospitality jobs.
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Hanna Janetzke and Michael Ertel
Although efforts have been made to specify the concept and the process of psychosocial risk management (PSRM), there is still a lack of knowledge on overcoming initiation and…
Abstract
Purpose
Although efforts have been made to specify the concept and the process of psychosocial risk management (PSRM), there is still a lack of knowledge on overcoming initiation and implementation barriers. The purpose of this paper is to explore how PSRM was implemented in different work contexts (under difficult and favourable conditions concerning the extent of management’s commitment and participative practices). Success factors are derived from the different work contexts.
Design/methodology/approach
This study compares PSRM approaches across organizations in four European countries. A total of 41 interviews with 60 organizational stakeholders were carried out and supplemented with a corporate documents analysis. Commonalities and differences within and between ten organizational case studies were analysed from which good practice and lessons learnt could be extracted.
Findings
The authors found different approaches based on the extent to which organizational capacity (management commitment and participative practices to prevent psychosocial risks) was taken into account. Where capacity was restricted, external support was necessary to initiate and to implement the process. Where capacity was high, integration of PSRM into routine processes and connection with already existing processes was a dominating topic.
Originality/value
Currently, enabling and hindering factors are not systematically prioritized according to the specific context in which PSRM takes place and often they are not differentiated according to the level (e.g. personal, processual, structural and cultural) where they are situated. This study identifies PSRM versions at those different levels which can help in tailoring specific measures to the workplace conditions.
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Carol K.H. Hon, Chenjunyan Sun, Kïrsten A. Way, Nerina L. Jimmieson, Bo Xia and Herbert C. Biggs
Mental health problems are a grave concern in construction. Although the distinction between high job demands and low job resources, as reflected in the Job Demands-Resources…
Abstract
Purpose
Mental health problems are a grave concern in construction. Although the distinction between high job demands and low job resources, as reflected in the Job Demands-Resources (JD–R) model, has been used to examine the extent to which psychosocial hazards influence mental health for construction practitioners, limited research has reflected on the nature of these psychosocial hazards by exploring experiences of site-based construction practitioners.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopted a phenomenological approach to examine people’ experiences and thoughts of the complex phenomena of psychosocial hazards and mental health in construction. In total, 33 semi-structured interviews were undertaken with site-based construction practitioners in Australia to unveil construction-focused psychosocial hazards and their effects on mental health. The data were analysed via content analysis, employing an interpretation-focused coding strategy to code text and an individual-based sorting strategy to cluster codes.
Findings
Eighteen psychosocial hazards were identified based on the JD–R model. Six of these represented a new contribution, describing salient characteristics inherent to the construction context (i.e. safety concerns, exposure to traumatic events, job insecurity, task interdependency, client demand and contract pressure). Of particular importance, a number of interrelationships among psychosocial hazards emerged.
Originality/value
The significance of this qualitative research lies in elucidating psychosocial hazards and their complex interrelatedness in the context of the mental health of construction practitioners, enriching the understanding of this central health and safety issue in the high-risk setting of construction work. The findings contribute to addressing mental health issues in the Australian construction industry by identifying higher order control measures, thereby creating a mentally healthy workplace.
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