Work - Volume 76, issue 4

Authors: Hameed, Rizwana | Rehaman, Nabeel | Shoaib, Muhammad | Ibtsam, Muhammad

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The realization of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has opened up new horizons for economic development along with threats to climate change in Pakistan. It has intended to change the social and corporate landscape, which necessitates investigation regarding corporate green HRM practices and employee behaviors of the firms involved. OBJECTIVE: This study developed a theoretical framework and investigated the mediating impact of pro-environmental psychological climate (PEPC) between green human resource management (GHRM) and pro-environmental behavior (PEB) of the employees working under CPEC in Pakistan. Therefore, the core intent lies in recognizing those aspects of manipulating the pro-environmental …behavior of the employees of the firms involved. METHODS: Based on the simple random sampling technique, data was collected from 388 employees using a quantitative approach. SmartPLS was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: The findings suggest that GHRM practices have an impact on organizations’ pro-environmental psychological climate and employees’ pro-environmental behavior. Furthermore, the pro-environmental psychological climate encourages employees to engage in environmentally friendly behaviors within Pakistani organizations working under CPEC. CONCLUSION: GHRM has proved to be a vital instrument for attaining organizational sustainability and pro-environmental behavior. The original study results are particularly valuable for employees of the firms working under CPEC as they motivate them to engage in more sustainability solutions. The study findings add to the body of GHRM practices and strategic management, and thus policymakers can better postulate, align, and exercise GHRM practices. Show more

Keywords: Pro-environmental psychological climate, China-Pakistan economic corridor, sustainability, environmental management

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-211442

Citation: Work, vol. 76, no. 4, pp. 1373-1384, 2023

Authors: Ghanbari, Zahra | Nami, Mohammad | Choobineh, Alireza | Zakerian, Seyed Abolfazl | Gharagozlou, Faramarz | Kamali, Ali-Mohammad | Kazemiha, Milad

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Human emotions vary on a contextual basis. The significance of emotions becomes even more salient in Control Room Operators (CROs) in power plants. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the effects of emotionally loaded pictures on over/underestimating neutral situations. METHODS: Twenty CROs voluntarily enrolled in the present study. Twenty-one blocks were considered, including ten emotionally loaded and 11 neutral blocks. The stimuli were alternatively submitted to subjects in random order. Each block comprised 13 images from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS), which were shown for 5 seconds. Subjects were required to complete the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) …after exposure to the first and the last neutral blocks, which were identical. RESULTS: Our analyses showed significant differences between IAPS arousal and SAM1 and SAM2 arousal ratings (p SAM1&IAPS = 0.00, p SAM2&IAPS = 0.02). There was no significant relationship between the first and the second arousals, and emotionally loaded images corresponded to no significant difference in terms of valence. CONCLUSION: The findings suggested that the participants overestimated neutral situations compared with IAPS only in arousal level. Furthermore, CROs can still retain their ability to assess neutral situations in the case of viewing emotional stimuli, especially in valence level, at least half an hour after the first rating. A study design with pure negative/positive and high arousal levels may still provide even more significant results. Show more

Keywords: Emotion, performance, IAPS, SAM, CROs

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-220162

Citation: Work, vol. 76, no. 4, pp. 1385-1394, 2023

Authors: Idrees, Ayesha | Kashif, Muhammad | Kompal, Rabab | Umar, Aneela | Nadeem, Iqra | Fatima, Raees

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Street sweepers are reported to suffer from high rates of work-related musculoskeletal discomfort worldwide, especially in their wrists. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to 1) determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and 2) specifically determine the prevalence of wrist flexor tendonitis and its associated risk factors among street sweepers. METHODS: Three hundred and eighty-five sweepers employed by the Faisalabad Waste Management Company (FWMC) participated in this cross-sectional study. A self-structured questionnaire was used to collect data: the first section provided demographic information, the second assessed musculoskeletal disorders, and the third section assessed the wrist flexor tendonitis …among street sweepers. RESULTS: The mean age of the sweepers was 38.34 years. Out of 385 street sweepers, the prevalence of musculoskeletal discomfort was reported in 265 (68.83%). The prevalence of musculoskeletal discomfort in sweepers reported during COVID-19 according to the past 12 months, the highest three prevalence rates were 46.5% in the wrists/hands, 37.9% in the shoulders and 35.1% in the lower back. The three highest prevalence rates of musculoskeletal discomfort in sweepers according to the last 7 days were 29.6% in the wrists/hands, 24.4% in the lower back and 24.2% in the shoulders. Out of total 385 participants, prevalence of wrist flexor tendonitis was reported in 103 (26.8%) sweepers. Significant association was found (p  < 0.05) between wrist flexor tendonitis and gender (p  < 0.003), age (p  < 0.05), working experience (p  < 0.003), street sweeping distance (p  < 0.01), number of brooms used per month (p  < 0.002) and getting tired at the end of work (p  < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of musculoskeletal discomfort and wrist flexor tendonitis seen during COVID-19 is high among sweepers, with wrist/hand being the most commonly reported region for pain. This study emphasizes the importance of providing guidelines about effective precautionary healthcare measures for street sweepers. Show more

Keywords: Prevalence, musculoskeletal pain, occupational, risk factors, Faisalabad

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-220253

Citation: Work, vol. 76, no. 4, pp. 1395-1405, 2023

Authors: Selander, John | Wall, Erika

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: People with disabilities are employed at lower rates than non-disabled individuals and, among people with disabilities, those with intellectual disabilities have most difficulty finding and keeping employment. The reasons for the low labour participation among people with intellectual disabilities are many. Sport participation has a number of positive effects for the individual, and it is reasonable to hypothesise that sport participation favours labour-force participation for individuals with intellectual disabilities. OBJECTIVE: The dual aim of the current study was to investigate labour market participation among Swedish athletes with intellectual disabilities attending Special Olympics Invitational Games, and to investigate …these athletes’ experiences regarding the effect of sport participation on finding and keeping a job. METHOD: The study design includes two parallel data collections, a survey and an interview study. The survey was analysed using descriptive statistics and the interviews were analysed using content analysis. RESULTS: The major result of the survey was the large number of individuals with intellectual disabilities who were in work: among men, 72% and, among women, 44%. This result was encouraging and differs from previous statistics on employment among Swedes with intellectual disabilities. The content analysis resulted in a first step in the categories manual work , individual sports and team sports , and in a second step, where the relation between sports and work was analysed, in two categories, namely indirect and direct relations between sport and work . CONCLUSION: To improve chances for individuals with intellectual disabilities to find and keep a job, sports participation should be encouraged. Show more

Keywords: Sports, interview, surveys and questionnaires

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-220330

Citation: Work, vol. 76, no. 4, pp. 1407-1417, 2023

Authors: Bourquin, Céline | Orsini, Sandy | Stiefel, Friedrich

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Physicians’ narratives are means to approach and comprehend the practice of medicine, and physicians’ embedment in their work and the healthcare context. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore physicians’ professional experiences and to examine how they are affected by factors related to their inner (psychological) and outer (institutional and social) worlds. METHODS: The study was designed as an exploratory qualitative study based on “narrative facilitators” (NF). Their goal is to encourage storytelling and to support the narrative process. The analytic approach was specific for each NF. RESULTS: Thirty-three physicians participated in the study. …The findings showed a focus on the transformations of a profession, the need for physicians to adapt in terms of role and status, and their withstanding of conflicting projections from the public and patients (NF: press articles). The institutional context was described as not welcoming and impersonal (NF: photo-based story). When reacting to the quotes from their peers, participants showed a variety of un-patterned stances with respect to different aspects of medicine and the medical profession, illustrating heterogeneity with regard to professional attitudes and identities (NF: quotes from biographies/narrative accounts). Finally, findings also indicated that physicians often limited their narratives to a description of the materiality of the elements put into play (NF: blurred video sequences). CONCLUSION: Disenchanted physicians are not beneficial, neither for the patient nor for the health care system, and their feeling of being worn out may do harm and negatively affect themselves and their families. Show more

Keywords: Physicians, stories, medicine, narrative inquiry

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-220343

Citation: Work, vol. 76, no. 4, pp. 1419-1427, 2023

Authors: Mohammad-Ghasemi, Mostafa | Dehghani-Bidgoli, Sedighe | Ahmadi, Thelma | Nikbakht, Neda | Heidarifar, Shima | Sadeghi-Yarandi, Mohsen

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Occupational noise exposure is a significant health problem. In addition to hearing impairments, noise as a stressor may cause cardiovascular problems. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effect of exposure to workplace noise on cardiovascular disease risk factors. METHODS: This case-control study was conducted in 2021 in a power plant in Iran. In this study, the health status of 406 employees in both exposed (n  = 203) and non-exposed (n  = 203) to noise groups was examined for cardiovascular disease risk factors. Also, the trend of changes in the studied variables from 2012 to 2020 in …exposed employees was examined. Data were collected from participants’ annual physical examinations and occupational noise exposure measurements. To measure the noise in the present study, the KIMO-DB300 noise level meter was used. Data were analyzed in SPSS-26 software. RESULTS: The results revealed that mean fasting blood sugar (FBS), triglyceride, liver enzyme (SGOT), blood pressure, and body mass index were significantly different in the two groups (p -value<0.05). There was no significant difference in the mean of creatinine, cholesterol, and liver enzyme (SGPT) between the two groups (p -value>0.05). In the exposed group, the mean of all studied variables except diastolic blood pressure was statistically different during the study years (p -value<0.05). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that exposure to noise above the permissible level can affect the cardiovascular disease risk factors, so it is recommended to apply engineering and management measures like using Hearing Conservation Programme (HCP) to reduce the risk of these diseases with periodically assessing the health status of employees and timely diagnosis. Show more

Keywords: Occupational exposure, physical agents, occupational disease, blood pressure, heart rate

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-220396

Citation: Work, vol. 76, no. 4, pp. 1429-1440, 2023

Authors: Alacahan, Ömer Faruk | Güllüoğlu, Arif Nihat | Karagöz, Naim

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Prehospital emergency health services ambulance workers are in the risky class in terms of occupational health and safety, and they are faced with more risks due to the fact that they are the first responders to the events, especially regarding COVID-19. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study is to determine the occupational risk perceptions of health care workers and their relations with demographic variables. METHODS: A literature review was performed to develop a questionnaire. This questionnaire was used in a survey with 250 respondents. The collected data was analysed through factor analysis. Cronbach’s Alpha …was calculated to verify the reliability of the data. RESULTS: The risk perceptions of the employees (Factor 1 and Factor 3) differ significantly according to gender. Another important point is that 60.3% of the participants stated that they “agree” with the statement that health workers “experience violence” during work. CONCLUSION: The risk perception of women was found to be higher, and the reason for this is that women are less physically strong than men along with social gender roles and gender discrimination. Show more

Keywords: EMS, paramedic, ambulance services, risk perception, questionnaire

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-220425

Citation: Work, vol. 76, no. 4, pp. 1441-1453, 2023

Authors: Hu, Chia Jung | Chen, Yen Ju | Hong, Rei Mei

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Sleep and mental health are very important in the aviation industry. Reports show that gender is one of the risk factors of insomnia, and most Asian flight attendants are female. Therefore, it is necessary to understand insomnia, and the correction to mental health among female flight attendants. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of insomnia in female flight attendants and its association with mental health. METHODS: We used a cross-sectional design. We recruited 412 female flight attendants with more than 3 months of working experience. We collected the socio-demographic and work-related data, measured insomnia and mental …health by the Athens Insomnia and Brief Symptom Rating Scales. Descriptive statistics, single-factor analysis of variance, Pearson’s correlation analysis, and structural equation modeling were performed to analyze the relationships. RESULTS: There are 45.4% of female flight attendants having insomnia, and 24.8% had suspicious insomnia. The most considerable and serious insomnia problem was falling asleep (15.3%, 4.9%). Factors related to insomnia include smoking, drinking, family load (e.g., housekeeping and caring for family), economic stress and late-night/early morning workdays during last month. Also, insomnia had a direct association with mental health (T  = 17.11, p  < 0.001). CONCLUSION: We found that insomnia is negatively correlated with the above factors and mental health. We recommend that airline industries can run their sleep-education programs and provide relevant mental-health-promotion programs for flight attendants. Show more

Keywords: Sleep, work, mental hygiene, health promotion

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-220431

Citation: Work, vol. 76, no. 4, pp. 1455-1463, 2023

Authors: Zhang, Defa | Lyu, Bei | Wu, Jingtao | Li, Wangze | Zhang, Kaiyuan

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Athletic fatigue is an inescapable issue in competitive sports. It belongs to a physiological response that is triggered when competitive athletes are trained to a critical point. OBJECTIVE: The study aims to explore the relationships involving boxers’ social support, mental fatigue, coach leadership behaviors and psychological resilience. METHODS: 1050 boxers were selected in several provinces across China and investigated on the basis of the Social Support Questionnaire for Athletes, Mental Fatigue Scale, Psychological Resilience Scale, and Leadership Scale for Sport. RESULTS: Boxers’ social support was negatively correlated with mental fatigue and psychological resilience, …while it was positively correlated with coach leadership behaviors. Apart from direct effects on mental fatigue, other impacts are imposed by boxers’ social support via mediating effects such as coach leadership behaviors and psychological resilience. The total effect value was -0.18, the direct effect value was -0.08, and the indirect effect value was -0.12; furthermore, coach leadership behaviors and psychological resilience play a mediating role, accounting for 65.57% of the total. CONCLUSION: In order to alleviate the stress from intense competitive training and abate mental fatigue, competitive athletes may be encouraged in subsequent training to seek all-sided social support for social interpersonal relationships. While clarifying the mechanism how the external environment affects individuals, this paper explains the principle of social support on athletes’ psychological fatigue and identifies mutual influences between coaches and athletes. Show more

Keywords: Internal mechanism, investigation, mental fatigue, social support, training environment

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-220478

Citation: Work, vol. 76, no. 4, pp. 1465-1479, 2023

Authors: Bjuhr, Marie | Engström, Maria | Welmer, Anna-Karin | Elmståhl, Sölve | Sjölund, Britt-Marie

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Health and work environment are known factors in being active in working life beyond legal retirement. OBJECTIVE: To investigate sociodemographic, health and work environment factors as possible predictors of being active in working life at ages 66 and 72. Secondly, investigate eventual changes over time, shortly after a major reform in the Swedish pension system, and predictors of still being active in working life at age 66. METHODS: We used a longitudinal design with two separate cohorts of people at age 60. One baseline assessment was made in 2001–2003 with two 6 years follow-ups, and …one in 2007–2009 with one 6 years follow-up. Data were accessed through a Swedish national population-based study and analysed using logistic regression. To examine possible differences between the two cohorts, interaction terms with each independent variable were analysed. RESULTS: Being a man and working in a profession that requires at least three years of university education predicted that the person would still be active in working life at age 66 and 72. Additionally, having a light level of physical activity at work and being diagnosed with fewer than two diseases, also predicted still being active in working life at age 66. Only physical activity at work showed significant changes over time. CONCLUSION: Shortly after a major reform of the public pension system, there was an increase in participation in working life after age 66 and 72. However, gender, profession, and health factors are still important considerations regarding older people’s participation in working life. Show more

Keywords: Extended working life, healthy ageing, older people

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-220480

Citation: Work, vol. 76, no. 4, pp. 1481-1492, 2023