Work - Volume 33, issue 1

Article Type: Other

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2009-0837

Citation: Work, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 1-1, 2009

Authors: Cahalin, Lawrence P.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Job strain is the psychological and physiological response to a lack of control or support in the work environment. It appears to be an important risk factor for continued employment throughout the lifespan. Reducing job strain earlier in a workers life has the potential to have substantial beneficial health effects throughout a workers life. Early screening for job strain should be implemented in known high risk or high strain jobs. This is particularly important since there …a fewer younger workers entering the labor force and there will be a growing need for older workers to remain in the workforce. Furthermore, healthier workers will require less medical care and are likely to work longer if they are willing and able. Healthier older workers who are willing and able to work longer will defer receipt of retirement benefits while continuing to pay into the Social Security System. Further investigation of older individuals (1) willingness and motivation to work past the normal retirement age, (2) career and employment security, skills development, and reconciliation of working and non-working life, and (3) job strain and effects of reducing job strain is needed. The current job strain literature has been expanded to the Social Security System arena and suggests that reducing job strain has the potential to help eliminate the Social Security drain by increasing older worker labor force retention. Show more

Keywords: Work, aging, health, social security system, job strain, normal retirement age

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2009-0838

Citation: Work, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 3-12, 2009

Authors: Hauck, Katelyn | Chard, Gill

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Background: The impact of depression in the workplace is significant. If managers and employees understood depression better they could assist those with depression to achieve optimal work performance. Method: The case study was a medium-sized, privately owned forest products company located in western Canada. Individual interviews were used to explore the views of employees and managers about depression and its impact on work performance. Findings: Suggest that how one perceives workplace support for …depression is influenced by the interaction of the following factors: a) knowledge and understanding of depression, b) roles and responsibilities within the work environment, and c) perceptions of work role boundaries. Conclusion: Better links are needed between employees and managers to enhance workplace collaborations and achieve optimal work performance. The implementation of mental health support programs and the vocational role of occupational therapy in addressing the impact of depression in the workplace are discussed. Show more

Keywords: Attitudes, depression, workplace, mental health literacy, case study, occupational therapy

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2009-0839

Citation: Work, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 13-22, 2009

Authors: Shuping, Eric | Canham-Chervak, Michelle | Amoroso, Paul J. | Jones, Bruce H.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Details on fall-related circumstances, a leading cause of occupational injury, are scarce. This study aimed to identify modifiable causes of falls using data from safety reports. Coded and narrative data on injured persons, event locations, and circumstances associated with falls sustained by U.S. Army personnel were obtained from safety reports dated September 1994–September 2002. Descriptive statistics are presented for injury outcomes and risk factors, with a focus on falls from elevation. On average, 59 …fall-related injuries/100,000 person-years were reported. Higher rates occurred among whites, single persons, and 20–24 year-olds. Falls from elevation resulted in more severe outcomes, longer hospitalizations, and more lost work time compared to falls from the same level. Most falls from elevation occurred in training (32%) and housing (18%) areas. Leading causes included routine activities (e.g., walking, entering/exiting vehicles) (35%), physical training (12%), and sports (12%). Interventions to prevent falls from elevation in this population should focus on reducing risks from routine activities, specifically in training and housing areas. Safety reports provided details necessary for prioritizing and planning fall prevention efforts that are not available from other sources. Show more

Keywords: Injury, epidemiology, occupational, falls, elevation, height, military, safety

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2009-0840

Citation: Work, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 23-34, 2009

Authors: Negri, Laura

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Being fired can be perceived as a form of unfair treatment and as a personal and social defeat. It can generate feelings of anger, outrage and resentment that can elicit a desire for retribution. This qualitative study focuses on a case of failed integration of a person with a mental illness at the workplace. Texts were analysed from a rhetorical perspective, considering how the company leaders and the employee re-constructed and gave meaning to the events …that lead to the firing, trying to justify them. Policies dealing with workplace diversity and the hiring of people with disabilities, power relations, fit between organizational goals and ideal models of behaviour in the company on one hand, and personal needs of the employee on the other, seem to be determinant in influencing the perception the parties have of interactional and procedural justice. Show more

Keywords: Diversity management, mental illness, equity

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2009-0841

Citation: Work, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 35-42, 2009

Authors: Liljegren, Mats | Ekberg, Kerstin

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Aim: The aim of the present study was to examine the cross-sectional and 2-year longitudinal associations between perceived organizational justice, self-rated health and burnout. Metods: The study used questionnaire data from 428 Swedish employment officers and the data was analyzed with Structural Equation Modeling, SEM. Two different models were tested: a global organizational justice model (with and without correlated measurement errors) and a differentiated (distributive, procedural and interactional organizational justice) …justice model (with and without correlated measurement errors). Results: The global justice model with autocorrelations had the most satisfactory goodness-of-fit indices. Global justice showed statistically significant (p < 0.01) cross-sectional (0.80 ⩽ {mle ⩽ 0.84) and longitudinal positive associations (0.76 ⩽ mle ⩽ 0.82) between organizational justice and self-rated health, and significant (p < 0.01) negative associations between organizational justice and burnout (cross-sectional: mle = −0.85, longitudinal −0.83 ⩾ mle ⩾ −0.84). Conclusion: The global justice construct showed better goodness-of-fit indices than the threefold justice construct but a differentiated organizational justice concept could give valuable information about health related risk factors: if they are structural (distributive justice), procedural (procedural justice) or inter-personal (interactional justice). The two approaches to study organizational justice should therefore be regarded as complementary rather than exclusive. Show more

Keywords: Organizational justice, self-rated health, burnout

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2009-0842

Citation: Work, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 43-51, 2009

Authors: Hansson, Ann-Sophie | Anderzén, Ingrid

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Lack of goal clarity is known to have negative effects on organizational as well as individual wellbeing. This study assesses effects of goal clarity on organizational wellbeing in the Church of Sweden. Data was based on questionnaires from a random sample of 501 parishes and 1002 individuals from the upper parish management. The response rate was 62%. The results showed significantly more positive experiences of effects of goal clarity on organizational wellbeing for those having former …experience with of this type of work and among those representing larger parishes. Older employees reported a higher degree of engagement in the work while younger employees expressed a higher degree of influence. The results suggest that work with goal clarity has a positive impact on organizational wellbeing, which in turn is expected to have positive effects on employee wellbeing. Further research is required to examine the relationships between goal clarity work and organizational as well as individual wellbeing. Show more

Keywords: Goal clarity work, organizational wellbeing, the Church

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2009-0843

Citation: Work, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 53-58, 2009

Authors: Tschopp, Molly K. | Frain, Michael P. | Bishop, Malachy

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: This article describes and presents an initial analysis of variables generally associated with empowerment towards perceived beliefs concerning quality of life work domains for individuals with disabilities. The model examines the domains of importance, satisfaction, control and degree of interference of disability that an individual feels towards work. The internet based study used results from 70 individuals with disabilities in varying aspects of work. The variables composing empowerment that correlated strongly with …the work domains include: self-advocacy, self-efficacy, perceived stigma, and family resiliency as measured through coping. Quality of Life concerning work was measured through the DSC-C a domain specific QOL instrument. Show more

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2009-0844

Citation: Work, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 59-65, 2009

Authors: Pack, Tresvil G. | Szirony, Gary M.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Persons with physical and sensory disabilities continue to face difficulty securing and maintaining employment. Despite all of the efforts of individuals providing assistance to job seekers, family members, friends and colleagues, the employment deficit of people with disabilities has remained nearly static for years. This study examined factors salient to the attainment of competitive employment among people with physical and sensory disabilities served by the state-federal rehabilitation system. Employing a series of …logistic regression analyses measured against national rehabilitation data, the results support the need for provision of job placement services to improve potential for competitive employment. Predictors of competitive employment, job placement service provision implications, the need for vocational evaluation and appropriate planning are discussed. An evidence-based service model designed to address the predictors of competitive employment among persons with physical and sensory disabilities is presented. Show more

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2009-0845

Citation: Work, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 67-79, 2009

Authors: Corbière, Marc | Shen, Jie | Rouleau, Marc | Dewa, Carolyn S.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: The most recent review of the workplace prevention literature was published two decades ago. Since then, interest has been growing in the business and research communities in preventive workplace interventions. At the same time, there has been an increasing recognition of the complexity of developing workplace interventions. This study's purpose is to assess the literature from 2001 to 2006 using Cottrell's conceptualization to: 1) conduct a systematic review of the most recent literature, 2) describe the …preventive psychological interventions for workers, 3) summarize the significant work- and health-related outcomes associated with these interventions, and 4) identify where the significant gaps still exist. Twenty-four studies on primary and secondary interventions regarding mental health issues in organizations were included and analyzed in this systematic review. Eight studies were identified as primary interventions, 14 were identified as secondary interventions, and 2 included both. There was a predominance of studies utilizing skills training. One-third of studies used a combination of individual, group and organization level interventions, most often supported by psychosocial intervention or participatory research. These components brought positive and significant results with regard to work and mental health outcomes to workers. Show more

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2009-0846

Citation: Work, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 81-116, 2009

Authors: Schoenfisch, Ashley L. | Lipscomb, Hester J.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to explore the association of worker characteristics and work organization factors with prevalence of patient-handling injury among nursing personnel in an acute-care inpatient setting. Self-administered questionnaires (n = 585) captured worker characteristics and patient-handling injuries within the previous 6 months. Karasek's Job Content Questionnaire measured work organization factors, including job strain (high psychological demand, low decision latitude). We created a novel measure (job strain_{PHYSICAL} …) reflecting high physical demand and low decision latitude, providing a more direct physiologic link to our outcome. Log-binomial regression was used to calculate prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Patient-handling injuries were prevalent (35%), and incident reports were filed infrequently for injuries receiving medical care. Prevalence of injury was higher among aides compared to nurses [adjusted PR 1.4, 95%CI (1.1–1.8)] as well as among those with high [adjusted PR 1.6, 95%CI (1.2–2.4)] or mid [adjusted PR 1.9, 95%CI (1.4–2.7)] levels of job dissatisfaction. The novel definition of job strain (job strain_{PHYSICAL} : high physical demand, low decision latitude) was more strongly associated with patient-handling injury than the traditional definition of job strain (high psychological demand, low decision latitude). These findings add to a growing body of literature on the highly contextual nature of work organization factors. Show more

Keywords: Patient handling, musculoskeletal injury, nurses, nurses' aides, job strain, log-binomial regression

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2009-0847

Citation: Work, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 117-128, 2009

Authors: Shivji, Munirah Jasmine

Article Type: Research Article

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2009-0869

Citation: Work, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 129-131, 2009