Low-Wage Women’s Experiences of Workplace Incivilities

2021 ◽  
pp. 193672442110147
Author(s):  
Katherine Tindell ◽  
Irene Padavic
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Food Service ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Income Loss ◽  
Service Workers ◽  
Bank Teller ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Service Representative ◽  
Research And Policy

Workplace incivility, also called bullying, mobbing, and harassment, is pervasive and takes a high toll on employees. This study draws on 18 in-depth interviews with women in the precarious, low-wage, service sector in jobs such as customer service representative, retail sales, food service, pharmacy technician, and bank teller. Women service workers are a particularly vulnerable group, and yet most research on workplace problems of this type focus on professional women’s experience. We find that in this sample, most incivilities came from supervisors, followed by customers and then coworkers. Among supervisors, women were the most common perpetrators, while customer and coworker perpetrators were largely men. The type of incivility varied depending on role: Disparagement was common on the part of supervisors and customers, while coworkers were far more likely to engage in sexual harassment, which was virtually nonexistent among supervisors. Consequences for targets of these incivilities included anxiety, which most had experienced, and income loss. We offer suggestions for future research and policy.

Chelsea Bank: Scans and Workplace Knowledge

1997 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 357-369
Author(s):  
Larry Mikulecky ◽  
Paul Lloyd ◽  
Jennifer M. Conner
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
School To Work ◽  
Traditional Classrooms ◽  
Workplace Skills ◽  
Student Groups ◽  
Bank Teller ◽  
Work Transition ◽  
Customer Service Representative ◽  
Service Representative

This study examines the extent to which student groups working with the Chelsea Bank computer simulation were able to use school-to-work transition skills. Chelsea Bank is a workplace simulation for schools in which groups of students at a computer play the role of a bank teller or customer service representative, dealing with customers who appear on their screen. Data consists of videos of students working on the simulation scenarios. Results show that students using this simulation demonstrated substantial involvement with workplace skills as defined by SCANS (U.S. Department of Labor's Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills). Students were also considerably more actively engaged with learning than students in studies of traditional classrooms.

scholarly journals No Choice but to Be Essential: Expanding Dimensions of Precarity During COVID-19

2021 ◽  
pp. 073112142110054
Author(s):  
Lola Loustaunau ◽  
Lina Stepick ◽  
Ellen Scott ◽  
Larissa Petrucci ◽  
Miriam Henifin
Keyword(s):  
Working Conditions ◽  
Emotional Labor ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Bodily Integrity ◽  
Service Workers ◽  
Core Components ◽  
Fear And Anxiety ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Conditions Of Work

Under COVID-19, low-wage service sector workers found themselves as essential workers vulnerable to intensified precarity. Based on in-depth interviews with a sample of 52 low-wage service workers interviewed first in Summer 2019 and then in the last two weeks of April 2020, we argue that COVID-19 has created new and heightened dimensions of precarity for low-wage workers. They experience (1) moments of what we call precarious stability, in which an increase in hours and predictable schedules is accompanied by unpredictability in the tasks workers are assigned, (2) increased threats to bodily integrity, and (3) experiences of fear and anxiety as background conditions of work and intensified emotional labor. The impacts of COVID-19 on workers’ lives warrant an expanded conceptualization of precarity that captures the dynamic and shifting nature of precarious stability and must incorporate workers’ limited control over their bodily integrity and emotions as core components of precarious working conditions.

scholarly journals The Use of Life Cycle-Based Approaches in the Food Service Sector to Improve Sustainability: A Systematic Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 3504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Berill Takacs ◽  
Aiduan Borrion
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Food Service ◽  
Food Storage ◽  
Life Cycle Thinking ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Impact Reduction

With the prevalence of eating out increasing, the food service sector has an increasing role in accelerating the transition towards more sustainable and healthy food systems. While life cycle-based approaches are recommended to be used as reference methods for assessing the environmental sustainability of food systems and supply chains, their application in the food service sector is still relatively scarce. In this study, a systematic review was conducted to examine the use and effectiveness of life-cycle based interventions in improving the sustainability of food services. This review found that life-cycle based approaches are not only useful for identifying hotspots for impact reduction, but also for comparing the performance of different sustainability interventions. In particular, interventions targeting the production phase, such as promoting dietary change through menu planning in which high-impact ingredients (e.g., animal products) are replaced with low-impact ingredients (e.g., plant foods), had the highest improvement potential. Interventions targeting other phases of the catering supply chain (e.g., food storage, meal preparation, waste management) had considerably lower improvement potentials. This review article provides valuable insights on how the sustainability of the food service sector can be improved without the burden shifting of impacts, which interventions to prioritise, and where knowledge gaps in research exist. A key recommendation for future research is to focus on combined life cycle thinking approaches that are capable of addressing sustainability holistically in the food service sector by integrating and assessing the environmental, social and economic dimensions of interventions.

Pooling Raw Shell Eggs: Salmonella Contamination and High Risk Practices in the United Kingdom Food Service Sector

2010 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 574-578 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. J. GORMLEY ◽  
C. L. LITTLE ◽  
N. MURPHY ◽  
E. de PINNA ◽  
J. MCLAUCHLIN
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Food Safety ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Safety Management ◽  
Food Service ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Hygiene Practices ◽  
Risk Practices ◽  
Handling Practices

Salmonella contamination of pooled raw shelled egg mix (RSEM) used as an ingredient in lightly cooked or uncooked foods and high-risk kitchen hygiene practices in United Kingdom food service establishments using RSEM were investigated. Samples were collected from 934 premises. Salmonella was found in 1 (0.13%) of 764 RSEM samples, 2 (0.3%) of 726 samples from surfaces where ready-to-eat foods were prepared, and 7 (1.3%) of 550 cleaning cloths. Poor RSEM storage and handling practices were highlighted. Workers in 40% of the premises sampled failed to use designated utensils when RSEM was added to other ingredients, workers in 17% of the premises did not clean surfaces and utensils thoroughly after use with RSEM and before preparing other foods, only 42% of workers washed and dried their hands after handling eggs or RSEM, workers in 41% of the premises did not store RSEM at refrigeration temperature before use, and workers in 8% of the premises added RSEM to cooked rice at the end of cooking when preparing egg fried rice. Take-away premises, especially those serving Chinese cuisine, were least likely to have a documented food safety management system and awareness of the key food safety points concerning the use of RSEM compared with other food service premises (P < 0.0001). Food service businesses using RSEM must be aware of the continuing hazard from Salmonella, must adopt appropriate control measures, and must follow advice provided by national food agencies to reduce the risk of Salmonella infection.

scholarly journals Staying Home, Staying Alive: Campus Food Pantry Student Clients’ Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 193672442110356
Author(s):  
Elmira Jangjou
Keyword(s):  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Postsecondary Students ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Income Loss ◽  
Food Pantry ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Seeking Help

In response to students’ food insecurity, a number of colleges and universities have taken action and established campus food pantries as part of their intervention plans. However, many of these pantries ceased operation due to COVID-19 campus shutdowns. The purpose of this study is to illustrate the short-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on postsecondary students, who use a university-provided food pantry. Drawing from semi-structured interviews with 12 participants, the thematic analysis explored the initial coping strategies these students used to endure the pandemic. Findings revealed that many students experienced the immediate effects of the pandemic in the form of income loss, self-isolation, anxiety, and appetite change. Although the pandemic interrupted these students’ journeys to continue their studies and become independent in various ways, the affected students implemented various coping strategies, including seeking help from family or friends, using available resources, cooking at home, and even trying to save money. However, considering that the targeted population in this study was already at risk because of their basic needs insecurity, these postsecondary students require extra attention from their higher education institutions in the case of emergencies, such as a global pandemic. In addition to its timely and relevant findings, this study provides important avenues for future research and intervention efforts.

scholarly journals 115 The Beef Industry in a Post-Pandemic World

2021 ◽  
Vol 99 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 40-40
Author(s):  
Derrell S Peel
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chains ◽  
Inventory Management ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Food Service ◽  
Consumer Products ◽  
Labor Management ◽  
Beef Industry ◽  
Design Changes ◽  
The Face ◽  
Retail Grocery

Abstract The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 caused unprecedented shocks and disruptions in the cattle and beef industry. The shutdown of food service in March 2020 caused an unparalleled stacking of food demand on the retail grocery sector. The rigidity and specialized nature of food service and retail grocery supply chains, compounded by a surge in consumer demand at retail grocery, resulted in temporary shortages of meat in other consumer products in supermarkets. The food service sector recovered somewhat over many weeks but remained diminished through the balance of 2020 and beyond. In April 2020, COVID-19 infections affected the labor forces of many meat packing and processing facilities and resulted in significant reductions in beef packing and further processing for eight to twelve weeks. This caused additional product shortages in retail grocery and food service sectors. These impacts have raised many questions about how the beef industry might adapt to be more resilient in the face of such profound disruptions. Possible changes include more use of multi-purpose facilities (less specialized for food service or retail grocery supply chains); design changes in new plants and retrofitting existing facilities to reduce human health impacts; changes in labor management; changes in inventory management; and changes in business supply chain management and risk assessment practices.

The Entrepreneurship Educator: Understanding Role Identity

2020 ◽  
pp. 251512742097966
Author(s):  
Birgitte Wraae ◽  
Candida Brush ◽  
Shahrokh Nikou
Keyword(s):  
Role Identity ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Analysis Tool ◽  
Perceptions Of Students ◽  
Significant Research ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Role Identity Theory ◽  
Depth Interviews

Significant research explores effectiveness of entrepreneurial curriculum, teaching innovations and programs, but less often studied is the role of entrepreneurship educators. The way that the educator sees his or her role relative to the students is of critical importance because this directly influences pedagogy choices, expectations for students and learning outcomes, as well as job satisfaction. While recent studies propose typologies characterizing pedagogical approaches of educators, few of these are based on the data from entrepreneurship educators. Framed within role identity theory, we conducted 13 in–depth interviews to examine how entrepreneurship educators perceive their role. Using the qualitative data analysis tool (NVivo), we analyzed how the relationship between their perceptions of their role and core value orientation is connected to teaching approaches. Results show that these educators view their roles as teacher-focused, network-focused, or student-focused and that these perspectives are associated with different perceptions of students’ role and learning objectives. Further, we find different levels of emphasis on roles and that personal core values are differentially linked to these roles. Implications and future research directions are discussed.

scholarly journals Hard Times: Routine Schedule Unpredictability and Material Hardship among Service Sector Workers

Social Forces ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Schneider ◽  
Kristen Harknett
Keyword(s):  
Service Sector ◽  
Food Service ◽  
The United States ◽  
Economic Security ◽  
Work Schedules ◽  
Material Hardship ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Hard Times ◽  
Advance Notice ◽  
Food Service Workers

Abstract American policymakers have long focused on work as a key means to improve economic wellbeing. Yet, work has become increasingly precarious and polarized. This precarity is manifest in low wages but also in unstable and unpredictable work schedules that often vary significantly week to week with little advance notice. We draw on new survey data from The Shift Project on 37,263 hourly retail and food service workers in the United States. We assess the association between routine unpredictability in work schedules and household material hardship. Using both cross-sectional models and panel models, we find that workers who receive shorter advanced notice, those who work on-call, those who experience last minute shift cancellation and timing changes, and those with more volatile work hours are more likely to experience hunger, residential, medical, and utility hardships as well as more overall hardship. Just-in-time work schedules afford employers a great deal of flexibility but at a heavy cost to workers’ economic security.

Haunted by the past: transformations and daily challenges of China's prosthetics

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-124
Author(s):  
Chunchun Wang
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Institutional Pressures ◽  
Rehabilitation Center ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
Daily Experiences ◽  
History Of ◽  
Depth Interviews

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the transformations of prosthetic practices in China, as well as the daily experiences and dilemmas arising from the everchanging practices since 1949. On the basis of materials, this paper explores an everyday perspective to review the history of technology.Design/methodology/approachEthnography was collected with the application of participant observations, informal interviews and in-depth interviews during a 13-months study at a rehabilitation center in Chengdu, China. The literature on prosthetic manufacturing was also reviewed for this paper.FindingsChina's prosthetic technology seems to evolve from traditional to modern. However, this progressive narrative – innovation-based timeline (Edgerton, 2006, xi) – has been challenged by daily practices. Due to institutional pressures, prosthetists are in a dilemma of selectively using their knowledge to create one kind of device for all prosthesis users with a certain kind of disability, thereby regulating the physical and social experiences of prosthesis users. Besides, prosthesis users are accustomed to prostheses made with old techniques, and must correct themselves from old experiences to the daily practices recognized by the selected techniques.Originality/valueThis paper provides a cross-cultural case to reexamine Edgerton's criticism of the progressive and orderly innovation-centric technological narrative. More importantly, it reviews the history and practices of China's prosthetics from daily experiences rather than Edgerton's concentration on technology; therefore, it provides an everyday perspective for future research on technological transformations.

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