scholarly journals Extreme work/normal work: Intensification, storytelling and hypermediation in the (re)construction of ‘the New Normal’

Organization ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 443-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Granter ◽  
Leo McCann ◽  
Maree Boyle
Keyword(s):  
Work Conditions ◽  
Risk Exposure ◽  
Work Intensity ◽  
Dirty Work ◽  
Socially Constructed ◽  
Work Tasks ◽  
Military Healthcare ◽  
Work Intensification ◽  
Threat To Life ◽  
Normal Work

The label ‘extreme’ has traditionally been used to describe out-of-the-ordinary and quasi-deviant leisure subcultures which aim at an escape from commercialized and over-rationalized modernity or for occupations involving high risk, exposure to ‘dirty work’ and a threat to life (such as military, healthcare or policing). In recent years, however, the notion of ‘extreme’ is starting to define more ‘normal’ and mainstream realms of work and organization. Even in occupations not known for intense, dirty or risky work tasks, there is a growing sense in which ‘normal’ workplaces are becoming ‘extreme’, especially in relation to work intensity, long-hours cultures and the normalizing of extreme work behaviours and cultures. This article explores extreme work via a broader discussion of related notions of ‘edgework’ and ‘extreme jobs’ and suggests two main reasons why extremity is moving into everyday organizational domains; the first relates to the acceleration and intensification of work conditions and the second to the hypermediation of, and increased appetite for, extreme storytelling. Definitions of extreme and normal remain socially constructed and widely contested, but as social and organizational realities take on ever more extreme features, we argue that theoretical and scholarly engagement with the extreme is both relevant and timely.

Job demands amid work intensity: British Columbia school administrators’ perceptions

2020 ◽  
pp. 174114322095733
Author(s):  
Fei Wang
Keyword(s):  
School Administrators ◽  
Job Demands ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Work Conditions ◽  
Work Demands ◽  
Work Intensity ◽  
Vice Principals ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Work Intensification ◽  
Job Challenges

Job demands overburden school administrators’ personal and professional capacity and affect their performance and well-being. However, studies on principals and vice-principals’ work intensification fail to highlight how their work demands and challenges are manifested, and how work demands contribute to the changing nature of their work. This qualitative study explores in what ways job demands are manifested in school administers’ intensified work conditions and how their perceptions of job demands help them create a sense of control. The study utilizes the job demands model as a framework to help closely examine two types of job demands: job challenges; and job hindrances though principals’ accounts. The results show that job challenges tend to be transitory and are more likely to be overcome; job hindrances however tend to be more institutional and less temporary and harder to overcome. Attempting to deal with job challenges the same as dealing with job hindrances may become challenging itself and build up rather than alleviate work-related stress among school principals.

scholarly journals Occupations and exposure events in acute and subacute irritant-induced asthma

2021 ◽  
pp. oemed-2020-107323
Author(s):  
Irmeli Lindström ◽  
Jussi Lantto ◽  
Kirsi Karvala ◽  
Satu Soini ◽  
Katriina Ylinen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acute Onset ◽  
High Exposure ◽  
Root Cause ◽  
Multiple Exposures ◽  
Lack Of Information ◽  
Hygiene Measures ◽  
Work Tasks ◽  
Causative Agents ◽  
Strong Acids ◽  
Normal Work

BackgroundExposures leading to irritant-induced asthma (IIA) are poorly documented.MethodsWe retrospectively screened the medical records of patients with IIA diagnosed in an occupational medicine clinic during 2000–2018. We classified the cases into acute (onset after single exposure) and subacute (onset after multiple exposures) IIA. We analysed in detail, occupations, causative agents and their air levels in the workplace, exposure events and the root causes of high exposure.ResultsAltogether 69 patients were diagnosed with IIA, 30 with acute and 39 with subacute IIA. The most common occupational groups were industrial operators (n=23, 33%), metal and machinery workers (n=16, 11%) and construction workers (n=12, 8%). Among industrial operators significantly more cases had subacute IIA than acute IIA (p=0.002). Forty cases (57%) were attributable to some type of corrosive acidic or alkaline chemical. Acute IIA followed accidents at work in different types of occupation, while subacute IIA was typical among industrial operators performing their normal work tasks under poor work hygiene conditions. The most common root cause was lack of information or false guidance in acute IIA (n=11, 36%) and neglect of workplace hygiene measures in subacute IIA (n=29, 74%).ConclusionsAccidents are the main causes of acute IIA, whereas subacute IIA can develop in normal work in risk trades with poor work hygiene. Airborne strong acids or bases seem to be the most important causative agents of acute and subacute IIA. The different risk profiles of acute and subacute IIA should be considered in the prevention and identification of the cases.

scholarly journals Mental Adaptation to Capsule Work During COVID-19 Outbreak: The Case of Israeli Air Force Career Personnel

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shirley Gordon ◽  
Dror Garbi ◽  
Shahar Ben Bassat ◽  
Shachar Shapira ◽  
Leah Shelef
Keyword(s):  
Air Force ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Work Conditions ◽  
Stress Factors ◽  
Psychological Help ◽  
Military Career ◽  
Personal Variables ◽  
Rapid Adjustment ◽  
The Military ◽  
Normal Work

ABSTRACT Objective Dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak required a rapid adjustment to an unfamiliar and unique situation. The current study aimed to identify the challenges faced by Israeli Air Force (IAF) career personnel. Method A survey was conducted on 550 participants during the first wave of the COVID-19 outbreak. The participants completed a questionnaire that dealt with unique challenges (personal, family, and command). Results Of 550 respondents, 54% reported low mood and irritability, 44% reported a constant feeling of anxiety, and 29% reported having sleep problems. Most of them (66%) were mainly concerned about infecting their family. The shift from normal work conditions to an unfamiliar capsule configuration concerned 58% of respondents. Functional continuity concerned 55% of respondents. Managing subordinates concerned 50% of the participants. Of the three types of challenges analyzed (personal, family, and command), the command challenge was the only one where the personal variables (military role, rank, and marital status) made no difference. Finally, about 30% of all respondents reported they needed professional support in dealing with the new circumstances. Their preferred platform was an easily accessible hotline. Conclusions Life under the COVID-19 threat increased stress factors in the military career population. While reporting greater challenges and higher levels of stress, most of the respondents preferred a brief, focused consultation adjusted to the situation rather than conventional psychological help. The command challenge and the perceived responsibility stood above and beyond all variables examined in the present study.

scholarly journals Beyond work intensification: The contradictions and ironies of the changing nature of ‘unskilled’ work in a context of austerity and organisational change

2020 ◽  
pp. 030981682092441
Author(s):  
Jo McBride ◽  
Miguel Martínez Lucio
Keyword(s):  
Social Stigma ◽  
Organisational Change ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Social Perceptions ◽  
Dirty Work ◽  
Four Dimensions ◽  
The Public ◽  
Work Intensification ◽  
Spatial Isolation

This article argues, through a study of cleaning workers, a need to reconsider the changing nature of unskilled work. In particular, how it has, ironically, become more complex and challenging in some cases due to economic and political developments. For example, in relation to questions of dirty work, stigma and issues of dignity, aspects of this literature recognise the difficulty of the work and its ‘distribution’. However, we argue a need to draw further attention to the ‘mechanics’, processes and complexities of this work and the way it is subject to significant contextual changes (e.g. the role of austerity) that create new complexities and challenges just as that work is being undermined and intensified. We use the voices of cleaning workers to reflect, in a rich detailed manner, the changes to their working environment and focus on the broader social perceptions of the work – from the public, employers and the workers themselves. Our analysis demonstrates a clear recognition of the complexity of that work through four dimensions – the changing spatial isolation of work; the growing context of violence due to the changing operational features of the job; the ongoing impact of state led austerity policies and limited resources, and the ongoing role of social stigma. We end the article discussing how workers’ control emerges as an important issue in a curious manner within this changing context.

Work performance of Chinese cycle haulers: Controlled field experiments in normal work conditions

1995 ◽  
Vol 98 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Theodore Steegmann ◽  
Tian Lin Li ◽  
Daniel W. Emmer ◽  
Sharon J. Hewner ◽  
Xiufen Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Work Performance ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Work Conditions ◽  
Normal Work

The Taint of The Other: Prison Work as ‘Dirty Work’ In Australia

2021 ◽  
pp. 146247452110475
Author(s):  
Anna Eriksson
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Social Construction ◽  
Cultural Change ◽  
The Other ◽  
Dirty Work ◽  
Prison Staff ◽  
Daily Work ◽  
Work Tasks ◽  
Case Work ◽  
First Time

This article explores how prison staff in Australia view their work and how their work is viewed by others, by applying a theoretical framework of ‘dirty work’. ‘Dirty work’ is a social construction that refers to tasks that are ‘physically, socially or morally tainted’ ( Ashforth and Kreiner, 1999 ; Hughes, 1958 ) and this article will apply this concept to prison staff in Australia for the first time. The discussion is based on qualitative research in seven different Australian prisons, ranging from high to low security. The article illustrates how staff responds to working in a ‘dirty’ profession by reframing, refocusing, and recalibrating their daily work tasks; how the staff uniform can be utilised as a status shield and protector from taint; and how the stigma of ‘dirtiness’ tends to foster strong occupational and workgroup cultures which in turn makes cultural change of a profession difficult. The consequences of the dirty work stigma for staff and prisoners are discussed, with a focus on informal interactions, case work and dynamic security.

scholarly journals Contextualizing dirty work: The neglected role of cultural, historical, and demographic context

2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 423-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Blake E Ashforth ◽  
Glen E Kreiner
Keyword(s):  
Social Acceptance ◽  
Technological Development ◽  
Power Distance ◽  
Dirty Work ◽  
Socially Constructed ◽  
The Social ◽  
Context Shapes ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Demographic Context

AbstractAlthough perceptions of physically, socially, and morally stigmatized occupations – ‘dirty work’ – are socially constructed, very little attention has been paid to how the context shapes those constructions. We explore the impact of historical trends (when), macro and micro cultures (where), and demographic characteristics (who) on the social construction of dirty work.Historically, the rise of hygiene, along with economic and technological development, resulted in greater societal distancing from dirty work, while the rise of liberalism has resulted in greater social acceptance of some morally stigmatized occupations.Culturally, masculinity tends to be preferred over femininity as an ideological discourse for dirty work, unless the occupation is female-dominated; members of collectivist cultures are generally better able than members of individualist cultures to combat the collective-level threat that stigma inherently represents; and members of high power-distance cultures tend to view dirty work more negatively than members of low power-distance cultures.Demographically, marginalized work tends to devolve to marginalized socioeconomic, gender, and racioethnic categories, creating a pernicious and entrapping recursive loop between ‘dirty work’ and being labeled as ‘dirty people.’

scholarly journals The Human Sustainability of ICT and Management Changes: Evidence for the French Public and Private Sectors

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 3570 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maëlezig Bigi ◽  
Nathalie Greenan ◽  
Sylvie Hamon-Cholet ◽  
Joseph Lanfranchi
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Trade Unions ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Work Intensity ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Employee Survey ◽  
Work Intensification ◽  
Management Changes

We investigate the human sustainability of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and management changes using a French linked employer-employee survey on organizational changes and computerization. We approach the human sustainability of changes through the evolutions of work intensity, skills utilization, and the subjective relationship to work. We compare in the private sector and the state civil service the impacts of ICT and management changes on the evolution of these three dimensions of work experience. We find that intense ICT and management changes are associated, in the public sector, with work intensification and knowledge increase. In the private sector, ICT and management changes increase the use of skills, but at a rate decreasing with their intensity and without favoring the accumulation of new knowledge. However, their impacts on the subjective relationship to work are much stronger, with public sector employees expressing discouragement, as well as the feeling of an increased effort-reward imbalance when private sector employees become more committed. We find that this divergence is neither explained by the self-selection of employees in the two sectors nor by implementation of performance pay. We identify two partial explanations: one is related to employee turnover in the private sector, the other to the role of trade unions. These results suggest that the human sustainability of ICT and management changes depends on their intensity and on how their implementation takes into account the institutional context of the organization.

scholarly journals Cardiorespiratory fitness, occupational aerobic workload and age: workplace measurements among blue-collar workers

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Leigh Stevens ◽  
Patrick Crowley ◽  
Andreas Holtermann ◽  
Ole Steen Mortensen ◽  
Mette Korshøj
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Cardiorespiratory Fitness ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Blue Collar ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Work Intensity ◽  
Daily Work ◽  
Average Percentage ◽  
Blue Collar Workers ◽  
Normal Work

Abstract Background The knowledge, from laboratory studies dating back to the 1950s on the importance of the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and aerobic workload for workers health, is fundamental for promoting sustainable healthy employability among ageing blue-collar workers today. However, the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and aerobic workload has not yet been documented during daily work, and we do not know if it applies to the normal work of blue-collar workers in different age groups. We aim to investigate the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and aerobic workload among blue-collar workers using measurements of 24-h heart rate collected over consecutive working days. Methods We analyzed baseline cardiorespiratory fitness, assessed using a sub-maximal cycle ergometer test, and 1–4 days of 24-h heart rate measurement from 497 blue-collar workers participating in the DPHACTO study. We investigated the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and aerobic workload defined as the average percentage of heart rate reserve (%HRR), maximum %HRR and the duration time spent at a high HRR (> 30%) during working hours. The association was assessed using multivariate linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, self-rated health, shift-work, prescription medication and occupation, as well as for different age strata. Results Higher cardiorespiratory fitness was significantly associated with decreased mean %HRR −0.32 [95% CI −0.39 to −0.25], maximum %HRR −0.35 [95% CI −0.45 to −0.25] and time spent at  ≥ 30% HRR; −1.8% [95% CI −2.2 to −1.5%]. These associations were evident across age groups, with slightly stronger associations for workers aged 46–51 (total range 18–68). Conclusions Higher cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with the decreased aerobic workload during normal work across all age groups and levels of work intensity. Our findings highlight the importance of cardiorespiratory fitness when considering the workload and its relevance in the promotion of healthy sustainable employment.

scholarly journals Work organization and the health of bank employees

2012 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 226-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliana Lemos Silva ◽  
Vera Lucia Navarro
Keyword(s):  
Banking Sector ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Work Organization ◽  
Work Conditions ◽  
Dialectical Materialism ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Work Intensification ◽  
Psychological Pressure ◽  
Leading Position ◽  
Bank Employees

The Brazilian banking sector has undergone an intense restructuring process and taken a leading position in the incorporation of new technologies and organizational innovations. Computerization in the industry, in association with forms of work organization, has resulted in changes that reflect on the workers' health. Based on the theoretical and methodological frameworks of historical and dialectical materialism, this qualitative study investigates the work conditions of bank employees in order to identify the extent to which changes in work organization interfere with these workers' health. Data were collected through interviews held with 11 bank employees. In addition to physical sickening due to occupational diseases directly related to work intensification, the results also show an increased incidence of mental suffering and a feeling of loss of professional identity. Work-related frustration, instability and concerns related to psychological pressure resulting from the need to achieve goals predominated in the reports.

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