scholarly journals Gender and Workplace Bullying in Lao Organisations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Vanhsana Sayaseng
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Social Constructionism ◽  
Workplace Bullying ◽  
Safety Issue ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
Public Organisations

<p>Workplace bullying has gained more attention in many Western countries and in some Asian countries than in Laos. It is a serious workplace health and safety issue for both individuals and organisations. In order to understand workplace bullying experienced by individuals, it is important to put bullying in a gendered context. This will help people better understand the perceptions and coping tactics of individuals who have experienced workplace bullying. Where existing studies consider gender, they mainly focus on statistical differences in patterns of bullying experienced between women and men and only a few discuss the gendered processes of workplace bullying. This is an exploratory study addressing gender and workplace bullying in a distinctive non-Western context, taking specific cultural factors into account. This thesis studies the perceptions of ten Laotian women, including myself, of bullying in their current and previous workplaces. These include NGOs, private and public organisations. In this national context, the concept of workplace bullying is not well recognised and understood, and gendered and workplace bullying has not been studied at all. The topic is seen as an extremely sensitive one. Snowball sampling techniques were used to recruit participants. Selected key concepts of workplace bullying from Western-based studies were adapted in order to identify and explore bullying in the Laotian context. In addition, a qualitative epistemology, in which social constructionism and interpretivism were employed, was used to understand and interpret the forms of workplace bullying as experienced by the Laotian women in the study. Semi-structured interviews were developed to help identify experiences of bullying in relation to gender and culture. The analysis of gender and workplace bullying is based on gendered organisation theory and social dominance theory.  The findings indicate a number of risk factors that I have identified associated with workplace bullying in Laos. These include gender and culture factors such as marital status, power distance, ethnocentrism, Westerner privilege and religion. These risk factors give more context to the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised (NAQ-R) framework when understanding and interpreting the nature of workplace bullying. Importantly, gender and culture have a strong relationship and cannot be separated from each other when understanding workplace bullying. Various forms of workplace bullying appear to be different from that found in many Western studies and are based on the risk factors. Remedies are also different because of the lack of support systems available, and the fact that participants often have to cope with the bullying by themselves.  I hope that my findings can inform the Lao government to pay more attention in developing policies to address and prevent the phenomenon of workplace bullying in Lao organisations, and also can educate women’s organisations about the nature of this problem so that they can find effective ways to better address and prevent the problems associate with workplace bullying.</p>

scholarly journals Gender and Workplace Bullying in Lao Organisations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Vanhsana Sayaseng
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Social Constructionism ◽  
Workplace Bullying ◽  
Safety Issue ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
Public Organisations

<p>Workplace bullying has gained more attention in many Western countries and in some Asian countries than in Laos. It is a serious workplace health and safety issue for both individuals and organisations. In order to understand workplace bullying experienced by individuals, it is important to put bullying in a gendered context. This will help people better understand the perceptions and coping tactics of individuals who have experienced workplace bullying. Where existing studies consider gender, they mainly focus on statistical differences in patterns of bullying experienced between women and men and only a few discuss the gendered processes of workplace bullying. This is an exploratory study addressing gender and workplace bullying in a distinctive non-Western context, taking specific cultural factors into account. This thesis studies the perceptions of ten Laotian women, including myself, of bullying in their current and previous workplaces. These include NGOs, private and public organisations. In this national context, the concept of workplace bullying is not well recognised and understood, and gendered and workplace bullying has not been studied at all. The topic is seen as an extremely sensitive one. Snowball sampling techniques were used to recruit participants. Selected key concepts of workplace bullying from Western-based studies were adapted in order to identify and explore bullying in the Laotian context. In addition, a qualitative epistemology, in which social constructionism and interpretivism were employed, was used to understand and interpret the forms of workplace bullying as experienced by the Laotian women in the study. Semi-structured interviews were developed to help identify experiences of bullying in relation to gender and culture. The analysis of gender and workplace bullying is based on gendered organisation theory and social dominance theory.  The findings indicate a number of risk factors that I have identified associated with workplace bullying in Laos. These include gender and culture factors such as marital status, power distance, ethnocentrism, Westerner privilege and religion. These risk factors give more context to the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised (NAQ-R) framework when understanding and interpreting the nature of workplace bullying. Importantly, gender and culture have a strong relationship and cannot be separated from each other when understanding workplace bullying. Various forms of workplace bullying appear to be different from that found in many Western studies and are based on the risk factors. Remedies are also different because of the lack of support systems available, and the fact that participants often have to cope with the bullying by themselves.  I hope that my findings can inform the Lao government to pay more attention in developing policies to address and prevent the phenomenon of workplace bullying in Lao organisations, and also can educate women’s organisations about the nature of this problem so that they can find effective ways to better address and prevent the problems associate with workplace bullying.</p>

scholarly journals Protective and Risk Factors of Italian Healthcare Professionals during the COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak: A Qualitative Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 453
Author(s):  
Amalia De Leo ◽  
Eloisa Cianci ◽  
Paolo Mastore ◽  
Caterina Gozzoli
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Extrinsic Motivation ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Emotional Impact ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Interpersonal Level

The COVID-19 pandemic put the Italian health system under great stress. The sudden reorganization of work practices and the emotional impact of the large number of the victims had many consequences on the well-being of the healthcare professionals (HCPs) involved in managing the crisis. In the available literature, most studies have focused on the risk aspects while only few studies also take into account protective factors. For this reason, it was decided to conduct, within psycho-sociological perspective, a qualitative study with the aim to explore in depth the protective and risk factors as experienced by HCPs who worked in the Italian healthcare system during the COVID-19 outbreak. A total of 19 semi-structured interviews were conducted with HCPs–9 nurses and 10 physicians (7M and 12F) with an average age of 43 (SD = 13.4)–selected using snowball sampling. Considering three different levels of analysis the results highlight the protective and risk factors: personal history level (intrinsic/ethical motivation and flexible role versus extrinsic motivation and static role), interpersonal level (perception of supportive relationships with colleagues, patients, and family versus bad relationships), and organizational level (good leadership and sustainable work purpose versus absence of support from management and undefined or confused tasks).

Perceptions of an online ‘train-the-champion’ approach to increase workplace movement

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 1179-1190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana D Goode ◽  
Nyssa T Hadgraft ◽  
Maike Neuhaus ◽  
Genevieve N Healy
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Climate ◽  
Safety Issue ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Sitting Time ◽  
Management Support ◽  
Perceived Fit ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Intervention Delivery ◽  
Team Culture

Abstract Prolonged sitting is now recognized as an emergent work health and safety issue. To address the need for a scalable sitting-reduction intervention for workplaces, the BeUpstanding™ Champion Toolkit was developed. This free, online toolkit uses a ‘train-the-champion’ approach, providing a step-by-step guide and resources to workplace champions to assist them in raising awareness and building a supportive culture to reduce sitting time in their team. This qualitative study explored champion and staff perceptions of the beta (test) version of the toolkit. Seven work teams, from a range of workplace sectors (blue-/white-collar), sizes (small/medium/large) and locations (urban/regional) participated; all team members were exposed to the program (n = 603). Approximately 4 months after program initiation, semi-structured interviews were conducted with all champions (n = 7); focus groups were conducted with a random sample of staff (n = 40). Champions were followed-up again at 12 months (n = 5). Transcripts were coded by two researchers, with codes organized into overarching themes. All champions found the ‘train-the-champion’ approach, and the toolkit acceptable. Common enablers for intervention delivery included: champion passion for staff health and wellbeing; perceived fit of the program within existing practice; and, management support. Champions and staff reported improvements in knowledge/awareness about sitting, cultural norms, perceived stress, productivity and resilience. Facilitators for sustained change over time included a stable organizational climate and ongoing management support; barriers included workload intensification. The beta version of the BeUpstanding™ Champion Toolkit was highly acceptable to workplace champions and staff, and was perceived to have benefits for team culture and staff knowledge and wellbeing.

scholarly journals “A farmer’s time is expensive”: A qualitative study exploring the knowledge attitudes and perceptions of farmers regrading health and safety in Northern Ireland

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-53
Author(s):  
Aoife Girvan ◽  
Graeme Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Value Judgements ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The agricultural sector is important to Northern Ireland (NI) as it accounts for almost 10% of all jobs and 75% of all land usage. Despite a reduction in fatalities in other sectors, the number of fatalities in the agricultural sector in NI has remained stubbornly consistent. This research looked to use qualitative data to explore the knowledge, attitudes, perceptions and factors that influence health and safety measures and controls. Using a snowball sampling technique, a number of semi structure interviews were undertaken with participants to explore these areas. The findings of these semi-structured interviews identified six key themes: the importance of health and safety; the impact of poor health and safety; different generational attitudes; fear; time management and finance. This revealed that although participants feel they have some level of knowledge around health and safety, they felt this was lacking. However, a lack of knowledge did not mean they were unaware of the importance of health and safety and its potential impacts, although they perceived that farmers of a different generation to themselves were more at risk. Participants also indicated they were willing to make value judgements, where the need for action and cost of health and safety outweighs the importance implementing appropriate measures and control. Therefore, despite understanding the importance of health and safety, until the cost benefit equation is rebalanced for farmers in NI they still face significant risks to their health and safety.

Cytisine as an alternative smoking cessation product for Pacific smokers in New Zealand

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-95
Author(s):  
Vili Nosa ◽  
Kotalo Leau ◽  
Natalie Walker
Keyword(s):  
Smoking Cessation ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Partial Agonist ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Liquid Form ◽  
Pacific People ◽  
The Pacific

ABSTRACT Introduction: Pacific people in New Zealand have one of the highest rates of smoking.  Cytisine is a plant-based alkaloid that has proven efficacy, effectiveness and safety compared to a placebo and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for smoking cessation.  Cytisine, like varenicline, is a partial agonist of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, and blocks the rewarding effects of nicotine. Cytisine is naturally found in some plants in the Pacific region, and so may appeal to Pacific smokers wanting to quit. This paper investigates the acceptability of cytisine as a smoking cessation product for Pacific smokers in New Zealand, using a qualitative study design. Methods: In December 2015, advertisements and snowball sampling was used to recruit four Pacific smokers and three Pacific smoking cessation specialists in Auckland, New Zealand. Semi-structured interviews where undertaken, whereby participants were asked about motivations to quit and their views on smoking cessation products, including cytisine (which is currently unavailable in New Zealand). Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim, with thematic analysis conducted manually. Findings: Pacific smokers reported wanting to quit for loved ones and family, but did not find currently available smoking cessation products effective. Almost all participants had not previously heard of cytisine, but many of the Pacific smokers were keen to try it. Participants identified with cytisine on a cultural basis (given its natural status), but noted that their use would be determined by the efficacy of the medicine, its cost, side-effects, and accessibility. They were particularly interested in cytisine being made available in liquid form, which could be added to a “smoothie” or drunk as a “traditional tea”.  Participants thought cytisine should be promoted in a culturally-appropriate way, with packaging and advertising designed to appeal to Pacific smokers. Conclusions: Cytisine is more acceptable to Pacific smokers than other smoking cessation products, because of their cultural practices of traditional medicine and the natural product status of cytisine.

scholarly journals Analysis of Stress Factors for Female Professors at Online Universities

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (8) ◽  
pp. 2958 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marialuz Arántzazu García-González ◽  
Fermín Torrano ◽  
Guillermo García-González
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Time Pressure ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Stress Factors ◽  
University Teaching ◽  
Psychosocial Risks ◽  
Primary Stress ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
The University ◽  
Mental Overload

The aim of this paper is to analyze the primary stress factors female professors at online universities are exposed to. The technique used for the prospective and exploratory analysis was the Delphi method. Two rounds of consultations were done with fourteen judges with broad experience in health and safety at work and university teaching who reached a consensus of opinion regarding a list of nine psychosocial risk factors. Among the most important risk factors, mental overload, time pressure, the lack of a schedule, and emotional exhaustion were highlighted. These risk factors are related to the usage and expansion of information and communication technology (ICT) and to the university system itself, which requires initiating more research in the future in order to develop the intervention programs needed to fortify the health of the affected teachers and protect them from stress and other psychosocial risks.

Ethical Issues in Private Practice: A Phenomenological Investigation of Music Therapy Business Owners

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle Wilhelm ◽  
Lindsey Wilhelm
Keyword(s):  
Music Therapy ◽  
Private Practice ◽  
Phenomenological Study ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Ethical Dilemmas ◽  
The United States ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Music Therapists

Abstract As a music therapy private practice is both a business and a healthcare service, it should adhere to ethical standards from both disciplines. However, this topic has rarely been examined in the music therapy literature. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore ethical dilemmas experienced by music therapy business owners (MTBOs) in their private practice and how MTBOs avoid or address ethical dilemmas. Utilizing convenience and snowball sampling techniques, 21 MTBOs in the United States were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. To answer the two areas of inquiry, we identified three themes and 12 subthemes: (1) Ethical issues related to client welfare, (2) Ethical issues related to business relationships and operation, and (3) Strategies to address or avoid ethical dilemmas. MTBOs also shared how they ensure ethical behavior in themselves, with their employees or independent contractors, and when interacting with professionals outside the private practice. These findings provide a better understanding of MTBOs’ lived experiences of ethics in their private practice and may benefit other music therapists who are in private practice or are wanting to go into private practice. Limitations and recommendations for further research are provided.

scholarly journals Designing Age-Friendly Communities: Exploring Qualitative Perspectives on Urban Green Spaces and Ageing in Two Indian Megacities

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1491
Author(s):  
Deepti Adlakha ◽  
Mina Chandra ◽  
Murali Krishna ◽  
Lee Smith ◽  
Mark A. Tully
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Healthy Ageing ◽  
World Health ◽  
Social Resilience ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Activity Promotion

The World Health Organization and the United Nations have increasingly acknowledged the importance of urban green space (UGS) for healthy ageing. However, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) like India with exponential ageing populations have inadequate UGS. This qualitative study examined the relationships between UGS and healthy ageing in two megacities in India. Participants were recruited using snowball sampling in New Delhi and Chennai and semi-structured interviews were conducted with consenting participants (N = 60, female = 51%; age > 60 years; fluent in English, Hindi, or Tamil). Interviews were recorded, transcribed, translated, and analysed using inductive and thematic analysis. Benefits of UGS included community building and social capital, improved health and social resilience, physical activity promotion, reduced exposure to noise, air pollution, and heat. Poorly maintained UGS and lack of safe, age-friendly pedestrian infrastructure were identified as barriers to health promotion in later life. Neighbourhood disorder and crime constrained older adults’ use of UGS in low-income neighbourhoods. This study underscores the role of UGS in the design of age-friendly communities in India. The findings highlight the benefits of UGS for older adults, particularly those living in socially disadvantaged or underserved communities, which often have least access to high-quality parks and green areas.

scholarly journals Identifying Risk Factors Affecting the Usage of Digital and Social Media: A Preliminary Qualitative Study in the Dental Profession and Dental Education

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 53
Author(s):  
Rayan Sharka ◽  
Jonathan P. San Diego ◽  
Melanie Nasseripour ◽  
Avijit Banerjee
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Dental Education ◽  
Dental Students ◽  
General Context ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Dental Professionals

Aims: This study aimed to identify the risk factors of using DSM to provide an insight into the inherent implications this has on dental professionals in practice and trainee professionals’ education. Materials and methods: Twenty-one participants (10 dental professionals and 11 undergraduate and postgraduate dental students) participated in this qualitative study using semi-structured interviews in a dental school in the UK. The interviews were analysed and categorised into themes, some of which were identified from previous literature (e.g., privacy and psychological risks) and others emerged from the data (e.g., deceptive and misleading information). Results: The thematic analysis of interview transcripts identified nine perceived risk themes. Three themes were associated with the use of DSM in the general context, and six themes were related to the use of DSM in professional and education context. Conclusions: This study provided evidence to understand the risk factors of using DSM in dental education and the profession, but the magnitude of these risks on the uptake and usefulness of DSM needs to be assessed.

scholarly journals Burnout amongst neurosurgical trainees in the UK and Ireland

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadia Liber Salloum ◽  
Phillip Correia Copley ◽  
Marco Mancuso-Marcello ◽  
John Emelifeonwu ◽  
Chandrasekaran Kaliaperumal
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Workplace Bullying ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Medical Profession ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Attrition Rates ◽  
Workplace Stressors ◽  
Potential Risk Factors ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Enhance Patient Care

Abstract Introduction Burnout is becoming an increasingly recognised phenomenon within the medical profession. This study aims to investigate the presence of burnout amongst neurosurgical trainees in the UK and Ireland as well as investigating potential exacerbating and protective factors. Method An online survey was sent to all neurosurgical trainees in the UK and Ireland via the British Neurosurgical Trainees’ Association (BNTA) mailing list. Responding participants anonymously completed the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) and answered questions about known risk factors for burnout including workplace environment, workplace bullying, time spent on leisure activities and sleep and reported likelihood of leaving neurosurgery. We also collated data on responders’ demographics. We compared CBI scores for participants with and without risk factors to determine correlation with CBI. Results There were 75 respondents (response rate 42%) from a range of ages and all training grades, 72% of whom were male. The median CBI score was 38.85 (IQR 17.76). Participants showed a higher degree of personal and workplace burnout (median CBIs of 47.02, IQR 25.00; and 49.14, IQR 19.64, respectively) compared with patient-related burnout (median CBI 18.67, IQR 25.00). Participants with the following self-reported risk factors were significantly more likely to have higher CBIs: workplace bullying (p = 0.01), getting on less well with colleagues (p < 0.05), working longer hours (p < 0.05) and insufficient sleep, exercise and leisure time (all p < 0.01). Those with higher CBI scores were more likely to consider leaving neurosurgical training (p = 0.01). Conclusion We identified a high burnout incidence in a cohort representative of UK neurosurgical trainees, although our results may have been skewed somewhat by selection bias. We determined potential risk factors for burnout related to specific workplace stressors and time for non-work activities. In the future, changes to training curricula should address these issues, aiming to improve training, enhance patient care and reduce attrition rates.

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