The paradox of the contented female worker

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 800-814 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Niaz Asadullah ◽  
Fahema Talukder
Keyword(s):  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Assessment ◽  
Work Conditions ◽  
Work Place ◽  
Female Worker ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Absolute Income ◽  
Low Pay

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the determinants of subjective and emotional well-being of workers in Bangladesh’s female-intensive export-oriented ready-made garments (RMG) factories based on a function of demographic, economic and psychological factors and work-place characteristics. Design/methodology/approach Employee-level data are obtained from a purposefully designed survey conducted in 2014 on 50 RMG factories located outside the country’s export processing zones. Dependent variables include domain-specific as well as overall life satisfaction. The analysis is quantitative in nature and based on ordered probit and (factory) fixed-effect regression models. Findings Compared to men, female workers are found to be more satisfied with life and financial situations and less depressed, a finding that is robust to controls for workplace characteristics and policies (e.g. provisions for childcare; higher presence of female supervisors; and management’s attitude toward work life balance) and factory fixed effects. This suggests that despite various compliance-related problems, employment in the RMG sector is intrinsically valued by female employees. Among other findings, although absolute income does not appear to affect well-being, relative income effect is statistically significant. Originality/value Although there is a sizable literature on the importance of decent jobs and women’s employment in low-pay manufacturing jobs in developing countries, studies on whether women intrinsically value such jobs are limited. Our study is unique in the sense that it draws on a purposefully designed survey conducted a year after the deadly collapse of RMG factory buildings in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The incident exposed unsafe work conditions in which millions of women work in manufacturing sector around the developing world. To our knowledge, this is also the first paper on subjective assessment of work and non-work aspects of lives of women employed in Bangladesh’s RMG sector. The study also contributes to the international literature on the paradox of the contented female worker in low-pay jobs. Therefore, the paper will be of significant interest to readers from other countries that rely on apparel exports and depend on female labor.

scholarly journals Hand-arm vibration management: an operational health and safety strategy framework

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
David John Edwards ◽  
Igor Martek ◽  
Obuks Ejohwomu ◽  
Clinton Aigbavboa ◽  
M. Reza Hosseini
Keyword(s):  
Critical Realism ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Opportunity To Learn ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Work Place ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Philosophical Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Action Research Approach

PurposeHuman vibration exposure from hand-operated equipment emissions can lead to irreparable and debilitating hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). While work-place health and well-being (H&WB) policies, strategies and procedures have been extensively researched and documented, little has been done to develop a specific strategic framework tailored to the management of hand-arm vibration (HAV). This study fills that gap.Design/methodology/approachA mixed philosophical approach of interpretivism and critical realism is adopted within a case study of a utilities contractor. Within this overarching epistemological design, action research approach is implemented via a three-stage investigation, namely, relevant company H&WB documents and procedures were examined, leading to the formulation of semi-structured interview questioning of the H&WB team. Their responses informed the next line of questions, delivered to middle-management responsible for overseeing H&S.FindingsThe findings are instructive in revealing that while substantial documentation management (augmented with protocols and checks) was in place, the system fell short of implementation within the workforce and thus failed to preserve worker H&WB. The investigation generated recommendations for shoring up H&WB deficiencies observed and developed a theoretical model to represent these. Though these recommendations were developed in response to a specific case, they form the core of a HAV operational H&WB strategy framework with applicability over a broader context.Originality/valueThis research provides unique insight into contemporary industry practices employed to manage HAV in the workplace and represents an invaluable opportunity to learn from prevailing practices and rectify deficiencies observed.

Relative supervisor education and worker well-being

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 731-745
Author(s):  
Benjamin Artz
Keyword(s):  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Longitudinal Survey ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Omitted Variable Bias ◽  
Worker Education ◽  
Education Levels ◽  
Variable Bias ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose Less educated supervisors create worker status incongruence, a violation of social norms that signals advancement uncertainty and job ambiguity for workers, and leads to negative behavioral and well-being outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to compare education levels of supervisors with their workers and measure the correlation between relative supervisor education and worker job satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach Using the only wave of the 1979 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth that identifies education levels of both supervisor and worker, a series of ordered probit estimates describe the relationship between supervisor education levels and subordinate worker well-being. Extensive controls, sub-sample estimates and a control for sorting confirm the estimates. Findings Worker well-being is negatively correlated with having a less educated supervisor and positively correlated with having a more educated supervisor. This result is robust to a number of alternative specifications. In sub-sample estimates, workers highly placed in an organization’s hierarchy do not exhibit reduced well-being with less educated supervisors. Research limitations/implications A limitation is the inability to control for worker fixed effects, which may introduce omitted variable bias into the estimates. Originality/value The paper is the first to introduce relative supervisor–worker education level as a determinant of worker well-being.

Does precarious employment ruin youth health and marriage? Evidence from Egypt using longitudinal data

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 391-406
Author(s):  
Mesbah Fathy Sharaf ◽  
Ahmed Shoukry Rashad
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Longitudinal Data ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Job Insecurity ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Youth Workers ◽  
Fixed Effects Model ◽  
Precarious Employment ◽  
Content Type

Purpose This study aims to analyze whether precarious employment is associated with youth mental health, self-rated health and happiness in marriage and whether this association differs by sex. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses longitudinal data from the Survey of Young People in Egypt conducted in 2009 and 2014 and estimates a fixed-effects model to control for time-invariant unobserved individual heterogeneity. The analysis is segregated by sex. Findings The results indicate that precarious employment is significantly associated with poor mental health and less happiness in marriage for males and is positively associated with poor self-reported health for females. The adverse impact of precarious work is likely to be mediated through poor working conditions such as low salary, maltreatment at work, job insecurity and harassment from colleagues. Social implications Governmental policies that tackle job precariousness are expected to improve population health and marital welfare. Originality/value Egypt has witnessed a significant increase in the prevalence of precarious employment, particularly among youth, in recent decades, yet the evidence on its effect on the health and well-being of youth workers is sparse. This paper adds to the extant literature by providing new evidence on the social and health repercussions of job precariousness from an understudied region.

Influence of ethnic values on public sector performance management

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 234-250
Author(s):  
Newman M.K. Lam ◽  
James MacGregor
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Performance Management ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Human Resources Management ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Work Place ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Administrative Culture ◽  
Foreign Influence ◽  
Research Findings

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine whether deeply rooted ethnic values persist in public administration in spite of strong foreign influence in education and administrative culture. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents the theories and concepts on ethnic values, in particular Chinese and Canadian administrative values in order to examine their differences. Victoria of Canada and Hong Kong of China, both former British colonies, have been selected as the study sites due to their similarity in British education and administrative culture. Comparable samples of human subjects were drawn from the public sectors of Hong Kong and Victoria, who were either students or graduates of a master of public administration program. A questionnaire containing questions on program evaluation and staff promotion was administered to participants. Findings The survey results show that, while organizations may have similar administrative systems and cultures, employees revert to their ethnic values for matters concerning their immediate well-being – staff promotion in this case. The findings also suggest that employees endorse good practices and reject bad ones more often than they believe their organizations do. Research limitations/implications The purpose of this study is to examine whether lengthy foreign influence can change deeply rooted ethnic culture. The research results are not aimed at and may not be relevant to explaining a current situation. Practical implications The research findings may help improve public administration, in particular regarding issues of human resources management. Social implications The research findings may provide a better understanding of social behavior in the work place. Originality/value This paper contains original data for a comparative analysis that appears to have never been done before. It provides empirical proof that deeply rooted ethnics values are very difficult to change in spite of a long history of foreign influence.

Implementing health promotion programs in the Australian construction industry

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 260-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Loudoun ◽  
Keith Townsend
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Work Performance ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Construction Workers ◽  
Work Place ◽  
Unhealthy Lifestyle ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health Promotion Programs ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify possible agents and levers to trigger the development and implementation of work place health promotion programs (WHPPs) in the Australian construction industry. Unlike most large workplaces and most high-risk workplaces, these programs are rarely found in the construction sector. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative interviews with 80 trades workers and site-based and off-site construction managers are used to reveal perceptions of the impact of WHPPs and ill-health and poor health behaviors on site activities with a view to identifying leverage points to introduce WHPPs in construction. Findings Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors are seen as impacting on sites in three main ways: productivity (broadly defined), safety and interpersonal relations. Results also reveal specific roles and levers for different actors in the supply chain and a clear desire for a collective, industry-based response to identified health problems. Practical implications High levels of chronic diseases in the construction industry means firms within the sector must make a concerted attempt to change patterns of behavior or face significant long-term health implications for their workforce. Reducing levels of health and longevity of the workforce, mean work performance, productivity and participation is likely to decline. Originality/value Although construction workers are recognized as one of the workforces at most risk for life limiting diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, relatively little work has investigated health and well-being considerations for construction workers. This study contributes by investigating possible levers and agents to create healthier workplaces in construction.

scholarly journals Improving health in the military and beyond using salutogenic design

Facilities ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Brick
Keyword(s):  
Design Theory ◽  
High Stress ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Work Conditions ◽  
Stress Disorders ◽  
Security Requirements ◽  
Service Members ◽  
Concept Design ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Service members of the US Department of Defense (DoD) have alarmingly high rates of depression, anxiety, probable stress disorders and suicidality, all of which are negative health conditions exacerbated by various external stressors. High-stress work conditions – to include shift work, hazardous territories, high-stakes mission sets and generally disconnected sites – require a work environment that facilitates, rather than inhibits, stress reduction and mental well-being. This paper aims to present “salutogenic design” as an innovative approach: Salutogenic design offers demonstrated architectural solutions that improve health and well-being. Design/methodology/approach This paper describes salutogenic design strategies beginning with the need for such an approach, the call to action to implement strategic and tactical solutions and the challenges and financial impacts of such a broad and innovative strategy to improve workplace health, well-being and performance in the DoD and beyond. Examples of these strategies, via biophilic design solutions, are presented in the central Table 1 as an easy-to-reference tool and supported by the voluminous literature as referenced, in part, through this research paper. Findings Salutogenic design strategies offer innovative, financially viable solutions to help mitigate stress and improve workforce well-being while maintaining the highest level of building security requirements in access-controlled spaces and disconnected sites, such as military installations and government compounds. Research limitations/implications Issues of mental and physical health are complex and multi-faceted, and they require complex and multi-faceted solutions. Salutogenic design is presented as one facet of that solution: a tangible solution to an often-intangible issue. Further, as a novel approach to address a critical DoD issue, Table 1 bridges the common gap between high-concept design theory and practical construction-application solutions, with positive value to the health, performance, quality-of-life and well-being of service members. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, this paper is the first to approach the DoD’s imperative to reduce service members’ mental stress with “salutogenic design.”

Stemming the tide of work-related stress: it’s not rocket science, it’s neuroscience

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 16-19
Author(s):  
Maria Alexis Chase
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Work Place ◽  
Cultural Perceptions ◽  
Work Related Stress ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Related Stress ◽  
Global Work

Purpose This paper aims to illuminate how the findings from neuroscience, translate into simple, elegant, and easily applied tools which offer highly effective strategies to help stem the rising tide of stress in global work-forces. Design/methodology/approach Focusing on how current working practices inadvertently activate the brains primal survival mechanism, this paper details the brain’s main organizing principle and the negative effect this has on performance and productivity. Findings Exemplifying why, how, and when this automated stress response is triggered, the paper suggests practical, real-world solutions to overcome the primal fight, flight, and freeze mechanism. As this mechanism is responsible for the majority of work-related stress, it discusses the brains capacity to re-wire and change behavioral responses to stress at an individual and organizational level Originality/value This study seeks to introduce the concept of aligning work place practices with biological processes. Hoping to open a debate around shifting cultural perceptions of what constitutes the real well-being of work forces, it offers a unique and fresh perspective into the machinery of the mind.

Supervisor support and turnover in hotels

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 496-512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Gordon ◽  
Chun-Hung (Hugo) Tang ◽  
Jonathon Day ◽  
Howard Adler
Keyword(s):  
Turnover Intention ◽  
Supervisor Support ◽  
Management Training ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Work Place ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Perceived Supervisor Support ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This paper aims to examine whether employee subjective well-being acts as a mediator in the relationship between perceived supervisor support and turnover intention within the context of select-service hotels. Design/methodology/approach The sample included hourly employees in select-service hotels in the Midwest USA. The significance of the relationships was assessed using regression, and both the Sobel test and bootstrapping methods were performed to test the mediating effect of subjective well-being on the relationship between perceived supervisor support and turnover intention. Findings The results confirm subjective well-being acted as a partial mediator in the relationship between supervisor support and turnover intention. Employees who perceive higher levels of support from their supervisors are less likely to leave their organizations. At the same time, supervisor support also positively affects subjective well-being, which reduces turnover intention. Practical implications Actions by supervisors’ impact the well-being of their employees, which in turn may influence whether an employee stays with the organization. Organizations could use management training and employee feedback on supervisor support to improve employee support mechanisms. Organizations should also pay attention to improving employee subjective well-being beyond the work place. Improving the well-being of employees and supporting employees can help reduce turnover and may increase employee satisfaction, guest satisfaction and profits. Originality/value This study is the first to show that subjective well-being mediates the relationship between supervisor support and turnover intention; and one of the few within the hospitality context to examine the constructs of subjective well-being, supervisor support and turnover together.

Exposure to air pollution and crime in the neighbourhood

2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (12) ◽  
pp. 1233-1253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oznur Ozdamar
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Blow Up ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Ordered Logit ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the determinants of life satisfaction in Turkey. Moreover, this study explores the effects of air pollution and crime problems on well-being. Design/methodology/approach The estimates are based on cross-sectional data from the health survey in Turkey during the years 2010 and 2012. Various econometric models are applied such as the ordered logit and the random-effects generalized latent class ordered logit. Moreover, using pseudo panel data created based on age and region cohorts adapted probit fixed effects and the “blow-up and cluster” estimators are applied. In addition, various estimates by sex, age group, urban and rural areas as well as between individuals with good and poor health status are followed. Findings The results show that the individuals who self-reported who are exposed to air pollution and crimes present on average 0.2-0.5 less satisfaction scores than those who are not exposed to air pollution and crimes. In terms of monetary values, they are willing to pay more than those who are not exposed to air pollution and crimes by 13-19 Turkish Liras per month. Moreover, the generalized latent class ordered logit shows that there is considerable heterogeneity among the most satisfied and least satisfied individuals. Originality/value The originality of the paper lies in the fact that this is the first study to provide an analysis of life satisfaction using micro-level data from Turkey. Moreover, various econometric approaches are applied to compare the results. In addition, examining the heterogeneous effects among individuals with different life satisfaction rankings, it is possible to examine the effects of various factors on well-being and how they differ among individuals. Finally, by examining exposure to air pollution and crimes in the neighbourhood and their effects on well-being, it is possible to control for characteristics of the deprived areas.

scholarly journals Hard/heart worker: work intensification in purpose-driven organizations

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katia Dupret ◽  
Sabina Pultz
Keyword(s):  
Social Sustainability ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Work Conditions ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Organizational Sustainability ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The World ◽  
Work Intensification ◽  
Greater Good ◽  
Governmentality Studies

PurposeThe paper seeks to illuminate the intersection between doing greater good in the world and the self-disciplining that comes along with it. The paper raises a discussion on how purpose-driven organizations with a sustainability focus should be concerned about internal social sustainability in order to maintain consistency between external purpose and internal well-being of employees.Design/methodology/approachThis article investigates the interrelations between purpose-driven organizations' quest for social sustainability and internal work conditions exemplified through experiences with work intensification. A governmentality studies approach is applied to investigate how employees' perceptions of doing greater good in the world also become a productive self-disciplining strategy that potentially increases work intensification and simultaneously result in an instrumentalization of working for greater sustainability.FindingsWorking with an organizational sustainability purpose can, in some situations, create dilemmas that may decrease employee well-being as it demands continuous negotiation of boundaries between paid work and free time, meaningfulness and work devotion, self-management and work intensification.Originality/valueThe paper raises a discussion on how purpose-driven organizations with a sustainability focus should be concerned about internal (social) sustainability in order to maintain consistency between external purpose and internal well-being of employees.

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