Use of employee assistance programs to manage stress in policing: the effects of perceived adequacy of assistance and opportunity for promotion

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Erica Ceka ◽  
Natalia Ermasova
Keyword(s):  
Police Officers ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Employee Assistance Program ◽  
Employee Assistance ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Stressors ◽  
Female Police Officers ◽  
Willingness To Use ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis study investigates the relationship between police officer's willingness to use Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and their perceptions about stress and help-seeking in policing, considering the effect of gender and ethnicity in this association.Design/methodology/approachA survey of 431 Illinois police officers is used to measure officer's perceptions about help-seeking and organizational stressors. The conditional PROCESS modeling (Hayes, 2012) was employed to analyze the hypothesized mediation model. The ANOVA test was used to determent the effect of gender and ethnicity on organizational stressors in policing.FindingsFindings suggest police officer's willingness to use EAP is shaped by the perceived negative effect of stress on promotion through the mediator, confidence in their departments to receive adequate assistance, with noticeable gender and ethnic differences. The analysis demonstrated that female police officers feel stressed because of unfair promotional opportunities and poor relationships with supervisors. Female police officers are less willing to apply for the EAP services to mitigate stress than male police officers. The findings reveal that ethnicity is a significant predictor of the police officers' willingness to apply for EAP services to mitigate stress.Research limitations/implicationsThe current study is limited by its focus on only one police department located in the Illinois, USA. This may limit the generalizability of the results. The cross-sectional nature of data used to draw conclusions and variation in departments' characteristics and compositions could influence results.Practical implicationsThe research has practical implications for those who are interested to understand organizational stressors and perceptions on help-seeking in policing. This study provides suggestions for police administrators to make effort in creating more sensitive working environment to reduce stressors for female police officers and representatives of ethnic groups.Originality/valueThe research unveils the significance of officer's confidence in their departments in modifying their willingness to use EAP, revealing the effect of organizational stressors on confidence. The study adds empirical evidence to existing research on impact of gender and ethnicity on their willingness to use EAP.

Perceptions of an Employee Assistance Program and Employees' Willingness to Participate

1988 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 423-438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael M. Harris ◽  
Mary L. Fennell
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Employee Assistance Program ◽  
Willingness To Participate ◽  
Employee Assistance ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
Assistance Programs ◽  
Reasons For Drinking ◽  
Related Stress ◽  
Willingness To Use ◽  
Job Related Stress

Little empirical research has examined employees' perceptions of employee assistance programs (EAPs) and their willingness to participate in them. A sample of 150 employees of a white collar firm was surveyed to determine the responden' attitudes, perceptions, and willingness to use various resources for help with alcohol abuse and dependence, their beliefs about the causes and stigma of alcoholism and reasons for drinking, and their levels of alcohol consumption. The results indicate that men and women appear equally willing to use EAPs, although they differ somewhat in their perceptions of and attitudes toward them. The authors also found that willingness to obtain help from an EAP was greatly influenced by a respondent's familiarity with the program, perceptions of its trustworthiness and opportunities for personal attention, level of alcohol consumption, and beliefs about drinking to reduce job-related stress.

Living and Dying in an Employee Assistance Program

1995 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 363-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norman K. Denzin
Keyword(s):  
Natural History ◽  
Personal Narratives ◽  
Employee Assistance Program ◽  
Study Analysis ◽  
Employee Assistance ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
Case Study Analysis ◽  
Midwestern University

A contextual natural history, case study analysis of what happened to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) at Midwestern University is offered. Personal narratives depicting the consequences of this change are presented and analyzed.

Analyzing the effects of incivility beyond workplaces

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 1069-1093 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anselmo Ferreira Vasconcelos
Keyword(s):  
Social Constructivism ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Public Management ◽  
Complex Dynamics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hierarchical Coding ◽  
Public Managers ◽  
Template Analysis ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to peruse a strike enacted by the police force (PF) from a southeast state of Brazil and its consequences to the population through the lens of workplace incivility (WI) theory. Design/methodology/approach This study draws on a qualitative research design and social constructivism paradigm. In addition, it uses the template analysis, a peculiar form of thematic analysis, which is grounded on the hierarchical coding. Accordingly, it allows the researcher to yield a broad structure (obviously through the task of analyzing textual data, i.e. published texts) as well as providing enough flexibility to comply with the needs of a study. Findings Overall, there was a slightly shift between the initial template and the second one. Rather, the initial thematic assumptions were largely confirmed, namely, antecedents, strike strategy, reactions and consequences; yet, findings also showed other theme, i.e. mitigating decisions. The template analysis used here turned to be a consistent path given that it allowed finding a range of categories related to the themes, which substantiated the results. On the other hand, this investigation shows that even society, as a whole, may be seriously affected by WI. Research limitations/implications This investigation has some limitations regarding that it is a qualitative endeavor. Therefore, the outcomes cannot be generalized, and it constitutes the chief limitation of this study. Practical implications In terms of practical implications, findings suggest that public managers, mayors and governors must pay strong attention to the task of motivating their workforce. Robust human resource policies and fair salary may avoid job dissatisfaction. Social implications Data also indicated that incivility may be related to complex dynamics whose negative impacts may go beyond the workplaces. Originality/value This study expands the theory of WI by paying attention to a generally neglected group (police officers). In addition, it focuses on an emergent economy, which is at odds with robust problems of finance and public management nature. In doing so, it provides evidence of other consequences of WI. Broadly speaking, citizens and businesses are consumers of public services, including safety. Finally, it suggests that WI may be associated with two instigators simultaneously. In this case, it was intertwined with governor’s weak human resources policies and the civil servants’ irresponsibility.

University Employee Assistance Program Response to Traumas on Campus

2007 ◽  
Vol 22 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 91-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Silberman ◽  
James W. Kendall ◽  
Amanda L. Price ◽  
Theodore A. Rice
Keyword(s):  
Employee Assistance Program ◽  
Employee Assistance ◽  
Assistance Program
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document