scholarly journals ASSESSING THE DETERMINANTS OF SAFETY CULTURE IN THE MARITIME INDUSTRY

Author(s):  
D Andrei ◽  
M R Grech ◽  
M Griffin ◽  
A Neal

This paper presents the study approach, findings and the way forward of an Australian Linkage Council funded collaborative research project. The research was conducted by a group of researchers from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Curtin University and the University of Queensland, focusing on safety culture. More than 1,000 seafarers from 197 ships comprising 23 flag States were surveyed. The survey assessed safety culture, work demands, fatigue, mental health, and well-being and safety performance. Results show that although safety culture was viewed positively, a number of risk factors were also reported that could have a negative influence on safety. For example, the data indicates that work demands are high and negatively impact seafarers’ recovery and long term wellbeing. Similarly, the negative types of safety compliance behaviours reported by participants are an indicator of reduced levels of safety culture. The findings are being used to implement a set of recommendations to improve safety on board ships. The recommendations center on a) improving the quality of work procedures; b) introduction of effective fatigue management systems; and c) improving the quality of work design and organisational support. The findings of this study have been presented at a range of industry forums, briefings, and at the International Maritime Organization.

2020 ◽  
Vol 162 (A4) ◽  
Author(s):  
D Andrei ◽  
M R Grech ◽  
M Griffin ◽  
A Neal

This paper presents the study approach, findings and the way forward of an Australian Linkage Council funded collaborative research project. The research was conducted by a group of researchers from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Curtin University and the University of Queensland, focusing on safety culture. More than 1,000 seafarers from 197 ships comprising 23 flag States were surveyed. The survey assessed safety culture, work demands, fatigue, mental health, and well-being and safety performance. Results show that although safety culture was viewed positively, a number of risk factors were also reported that could have a negative influence on safety. For example, the data indicates that work demands are high and negatively impact seafarers’ recovery and long term wellbeing. Similarly, the negative types of safety compliance behaviours reported by participants are an indicator of reduced levels of safety culture. The findings are being used to implement a set of recommendations to improve safety on board ships. The recommendations center on a) improving the quality of work procedures; b) introduction of effective fatigue management systems; and c) improving the quality of work design and organisational support. The findings of this study have been presented at a range of industry forums, briefings, and at the International Maritime Organization.


2021 ◽  
pp. 009102602110127
Author(s):  
Min Young Kim ◽  
Hyo Joo Lee

To ensure the quality of the work done in the Korean career civil service system (which is characterized by stability, such as lifelong job security), the public sector must use methods to motivate their employees and improve their performance in the long run. In this study, we propose that grit, as a type of work motivation, can boost employee well-being (i.e., job satisfaction, job stress) and organizational outcomes (i.e., organizational commitment, performance). Therefore, the main objective of this study is to assess the validity of grit among public employees from a collectivist culture; to this end, we use the 2016 survey of Korean public officials ( N = 2,070). The results are as follows: (a) grit has a direct positive effect on quality of work life (QWL), (b) QWL can increase employee’s quality of life (QOL), and (c) professionalism and goal-oriented culture negatively and positively regulate grit and QWL. We also examined how employee motivation (e.g., grit) can enrich their QWL and QOL. Altogether, this study supports the argument that human resource (HR) managers should pay attention to grit. To achieve success, one needs not only some level of ability but also the zeal and capacity for hard labor, the latter two of which are considered to constitute grit. Given that, this research targeted grit in the Korean context—not the Western one—and examined its effects in the Korean public sector, where conscientiousness is emphasized.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1985-1990
Author(s):  
Ahmet Maslakçı ◽  
Lütfi Sürücü ◽  
Harun Sesen

This study was conducted in order to analyze the effect of the nurses’ quality of work life based on fear about COVID-19 and examine the psychological well-being as a moderating variable in this relationship. The survey questionnaire was administered among nurses between 1 November 2020 and 14 November 2020. The self-report survey comprised the nurse information survey, Fear of COVID-19 Scale, work quality of life scale, and psychological well-being scale as data collection tools. Data were obtained from 339 nurses. The findings show that fear of COVID-19 negatively affects nurses’ quality of work life. It has been determined that PWB plays a moderating role in this relationship. While the fear of COVID-19 negatively affects the quality of work life in nurses with low psychological well-being, there is not any kind of significant effect on the quality of work life in nurses with high psychological well-being. This result shows that as the psychological well-being of nurses’ increases, fear of COVID-19 effect on quality of work life decreases. The results of the study show that responses designed to enhance psychological well-being can enhance nurses' working conditions that could reduce the negative effects of the fear of COVID-19. There is an urgent need for clinical and policy strategies to help increase nurses’ PWB in order to increase the quality of work life by reducing fear and also anxiety among nurses fighting on the front line during COVID-19.


2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saira Hanif Soroya ◽  
Tehmina Sarwar ◽  
Muhammad Shahid Soroya

PurposeJob performance (JP) of employees is a key indicator of success for any organization; however, job performance is dependent on many factors including personal and organizational. The current study aims to investigate this phenomenon concerning the quality of work-life (QoWL).Design/methodology/approachThe study design was quantitative, and a questionnaire was filled by 130 professional librarians based on a convenient sampling technique. The research population was academic information professionals (IPs) serving the university libraries of Lahore, Pakistan. Data were analyzed using SPSS (20.0).FindingsJob career satisfaction is proved a key indicator of JP along with job control and general well-being (GWB). Counterproductive work behavior (CWB), which is a negative behavior, is significantly affected by poor job satisfaction (JS), stress, feelings of unhappiness and low workplace autonomy.Practical implicationsThe study suggests that if poor JS, stress, feelings of unhappiness and low workplace autonomy could be manipulated positively, CWB may be reduced and there are chances to improve the JP of IPs.Originality/valueThis is one of the first attempts that focuses on QoWL and its impact on JP of IPs. The study findings may help leaders and library administration to take employees' friendly decisions to provide a conducive work environment.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ozlem Koseoglu Ornek ◽  
Nurcan Kolac

Workaholism has been a growing issue among the labour force worldwide. However, there is no consensus between scholars about its definition yet. It might be described as “being overly concerned about work, driven by a strong and uncontrollable desire to work, and spending so much energy and effort on work that it impairs private relationships, personal hobbies/activities, and/or health”. Generally, people with specific personality traits may have an increased chance of developing workaholism. In addition, there are other factors, such as sociocultural characteristics, relationships with colleagues and significant others, and organizational culture might also play an important influence on developing workaholism. It causes many physical and psychological health problems, such as high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, and family and lifestyle dissatisfaction, and a reduction in job satisfaction, presenteeism, and motivation. Putting all of this together, it is clear that workaholism has a negative influence on employees’ quality of life and overall well-being. Therefore, this study aimed at examining a variety of approaches to define “workaholism” in related literature, defining its etiology, related factors, outcomes, prevention, and treatment. The PubMed/Medline database was also used for related studies that were published in English. “Workaholism”, “obsessive–compulsive behavior”, and “quality of health” were used as keywords. It is crucial to take action to prevent people from becoming workaholics. Early diagnoses of workaholism, using predictive factors by occupational healthcare professionals in the workplace, would help decrease its impact on workers’ health, and an effective treatment of workaholism should be applied.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Noor Irliana Mohd Rahim ◽  
Azizah Abdul Rahman ◽  
Noorminshah A. Iahad

In recent decades, working from home (WFH) method has spread their wings beyond of normal boundaries for many sectors in working organization. Work nowadays can be categorized as “unbounded activity” environment and freely conducted at anywhere and anytime. In Malaysia as a developing country, WFH approach is not being implemented widely but there are limited group who has implement WFH unofficially after having an agreement from organization. This research study will cover the important elements for implementing WFH in HEI context. The elements are not limited on HEI context but it able to be use in other field. The university itself will be an organization who involving the employees as well as the employers. To understand more about WFH requirement, current issues and required WFH approach from organization will be consider. The overview of elements consideration will be discussed and a conceptual model is derived to support WFH for HEI. At the end of the study, a framework will be developed in order to support above elements for both employees and employers in the organization itself. The aim of this study is to increase productivity, efficiency and quality of work while the organization allows a flexible working style such as WFH to the lecturers in HEI. The result of this paper is to derive a conceptual model, which are the main elements in conducting WFH for the whole research study.


GEMA PUBLICA ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Retno Sunu Astuti

Higher education is one of the key factors in the effort to improve the lives and well-being of a nation. The experience of developed countries in Asia showed that the quality of higher education correlated significantly with the increased competence of human resources as a whole which eventually forms a high competence in the global competition. Globalization proactively answered by the governments in various parts of the world through international cooperation in the form of teaching, research, and dedication to the university in the form of the internationalization program. Through descriptive qualitative method enriched by quantitative techniques with intrinsic case study design (intrinsic case study), this research found that the success of internationalization is driven by capacity building supported by horizontal and hands on leadership. Therefore, the leadership of a university is not only an academic but it must be a manager who is able to read the signs of change.


2020 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 418-436
Author(s):  
Shira Offer

Using egocentric network data from the University of California Social Networks Study (1,136 respondents; 11,536 alters), this study examines how difficult ties—an unexplored form of social negativity—are associated with well-being. Findings show that well-being is affected by the quality of the relationship rather than its presence in the network. Having a nondifficult partner is associated with lower loneliness compared to having no partner, but having no partner and having a difficult partner are related to similar levels of loneliness. Likewise, having difficult adult children and having no adult children are associated with reporting greater psychological distress than having nondifficult adult children. Consistent with the stress process model, the negative association of a difficult partner with well-being is buffered when that partner is otherwise supportive and when the other ties in the network are supportive. However, that association is amplified when the other ties are also difficult.


2012 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 992-996 ◽  
Author(s):  
MOHAMMED A. OMAIR ◽  
PETER LEE

Objective.To assess the effect of gastrointestinal (GI) manifestation on the quality of life in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).Methods.The University of California, Los Angeles Scleroderma Clinical Trial Consortium Gastrointestinal Tract 2 questionnaire was completed by 87 consecutive patients with SSc attending the scleroderma clinic at a single center. Their clinical features and current therapies were recorded; 100 patients with rheumatologic disorders other than SSc were used as controls. Individual scores were compared between SSc and controls, and between SSc subgroups.Results.Of 87 patients, 76 (90%) were women. Median age was 55 years and disease duration 105 months. Thirty-three (38%) had diffuse and 54 (62%) had limited SSc. Patients with SSc had a higher score than controls in all domains (p < 0.05). Numbers of patients who responded positively to individual questionnaire components are as follows: any GI symptom 86 (99%), reflux 77 (89%), distension 73 (84%), soilage 19 (22%), diarrhea 44 (51%), constipation 51 (59%), well-being 43 (49%), and social 43 (49%). There was no difference between the scores of patients with diffuse and limited disease subtypes. The use of calcium channel blockers did not significantly increase the constipation score (p = 0.99). Patients who responded positively to the reflux, distension, diarrhea, and constipation domains had lower scores in the well-being and social domains.Conclusion.GI manifestations, especially fecal incontinence (affecting 22% of patients), have a negative influence on the quality of life of patients with SSc. There was no difference between SSc disease subtypes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 1295-1309
Author(s):  
Amauche Ehido ◽  
Zainudin Awang ◽  
Bahyah Abdul Halim ◽  
Chukwuebuka Ibeabuchi

Purpose of the study: Quality of work life (QWL) is vital for all establishments to continue to hire and retain high-performance workers. However, from the review of previous literature on QWL, little is known about the dimensions that constitute high QWL among academics. Therefore, this study aimed at contributing to the literature by conducting a detailed validation of seven dimensions of QWL through the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) procedure. Methodology: This study employed a cross-sectional research design to establish reliable measures for the QWL construct. The items were adapted and modified to suit this study. Study data was obtained using a structured questionnaire from 100 randomly selected academics from the five Malaysian research universities. The study further conducted the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) procedure using IBM-SPSS version 21.0. Main Findings: A total of 51 items were initially developed to measure QWL construct, however, from the EFA procedure, the study found that 8 items with factor loading below the cut-off point of .60 were deleted and 48 items with a factor loading above the cut-off point of .60 were retained and deemed suitable to measure the QWL construct. Applications of this study: This study validated the dimensions that lead to improved QWL. Therefore, this study is particularly useful to the Malaysian universities' management who aim to obtain benefits from super motivated and high-performance academics by making sure that the workers' overall well-being is protected in the workplace. Novelty/Originality of this study: This study established a validated and reliable instrument for measuring the QWL construct among academics in the Malaysian research universities.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document