scholarly journals Perceptions of Working Conditions and Work-related Stress in Iceland

Author(s):  
Arelia Eydis Gudmundsdottir ◽  
Inga Minelgaite ◽  
Svala Gudmundsdottir ◽  
Christopher R Leupold ◽  
Thelma Kristín Snorradóttir

Research Question: This study examines the attitudes of 106 of Iceland’s highest-level public officials towards their current work conditions and the constraints around them. Motivation: Rapidly changing internal and external environments create pressure on organizations to perform, which in turn place heightened demands and expectations on individuals who lead them. This situation demands to continuously revisit empirical evidence on perceived working conditions and work-related stress of top management. Furthermore, specific contexts, e.g., organization or country, might provide new insights and contribute to the existing body of knowledge. Idea: The aim of this study was to assess work conditions that could potentially contribute to work-related stress among top leaders in public agencies. In addition, gender differences regarding perceptions of workload, work-stress, and work-family conflict were examined. Data: A 10-item questionnaire was sent electronically to all 154 leaders of the highest government institutions in Iceland. The response rate was 69.2% (n=107). Tools: The items were selected and adapted from the QPS Nordic Questionnaire. All items were in five-point Likert-type format (1=very rarely to 5=very often/always), where participants indicated the extent to which they experienced a variety of work-related stressors. Findings: Results indicated that these leaders are potentially at risk of elevated work stress due to insufficient budgets and flexibility to control workflows. Likewise, there are strong patterns that indicate that, despite often feeling overworked and stressed, these leaders are given little feedback on their performance. Compared to men, women appear to feel that their workloads are more burdensome, and statistically significant findings support this. There were no significant gender effects for overall work-family conflict or overall work stress, although patterns suggest that in women they are slightly higher on both. Contribution: This paper provides information about public leaders’ attitudes in Iceland towards stress-inducing work conditions, giving future researchers and practitioners a platform to better pinpoint how to provide necessary support.

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily M. Lyle ◽  
Gary A. Adams ◽  
Steve M. Jex ◽  
Simon Moon

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon M. Jachimowicz ◽  
Julia Lee Cunningham ◽  
Bradley R. Staats ◽  
Francesca Gino ◽  
Jochen I. Menges

Across the globe, every workday people commute an average of 38 minutes each way, yet surprisingly little research has examined the implications of this daily routine for work-related outcomes. Integrating theories of boundary work, self-control, and work-family conflict, we propose that the commute to work serves as a liminal role transition between home and work roles, prompting employees to engage in boundary management strategies. Across three field studies (n = 1,736), including a four-week-long intervention study, we find that lengthy morning commutes are more aversive for employees with lower trait self-control and greater work-family conflict, leading to decreased job satisfaction and increased turnover. In addition, we find that employees who engage in a specific boundary management strategy we term role-clarifying prospection (i.e., thinking about the upcoming work role) are less likely to be negatively affected by lengthy commutes to work. Results further show that employees with higher levels of trait self-control are more likely to engage in role-clarifying prospection, and employees who experience higher levels of work-family conflict are more likely to benefit from role-clarifying prospection. Although the commute to work is typically seen as an undesirable part of the workday, our theory and results point to the benefits of using it as an opportunity to transition into one’s work role.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 95
Author(s):  
Nurul Imani Kurniawati ◽  
Riandhita Eri Werdani ◽  
Robetmi Jumpakita Pinem

The purpose of this research is to investigate the effects of work family conflict, work stress, work load and turnover intention. The study was conducted at women workers in the PT. Bank BNI Tbk Semarang. The data is processed using the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) by the application program of Analysis of Moment Structure (AMOS) version 18.0. According to the analysis, it is concluded as the followings: work family conflict has a positive effect on work stress (CR = 2.347); work load has a positive effect on work stress (CR = 4.472); work family conflict has a effect on turnover intention (CR = 2.084); work load has a positive effect on turnover intention (CR = 2.208) and work stress has a not effect on turnover intention (CR = 1.616) Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui pengaruh konflik keluarga kerja, stres kerja, beban kerja dan intensi turnover. Penelitian ini dilakukan pada pekerja wanita di PT. Bank BNI Tbk Semarang. Data diolah menggunakan Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) dibantu oleh program aplikasi Analysis of Moment Structure (AMOS) versi 18.0. Menurut analisis, disimpulkan sebagai berikut: work family conflict memiliki efek positif pada stres kerja (CR = 2,347); beban kerja memiliki efek positif pada stres kerja (CR = 4.472); work family conflict berpengaruh pada intensi turnover (CR = 2.084); beban kerja berpengaruh positif terhadap intensi turnover (CR = 2.208) dan stres kerja tidak berpengaruh terhadap intensi turnover (CR = 1.616)


2020 ◽  
Vol 68 (7) ◽  
pp. 346-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan Zhang ◽  
Mazen ElGhaziri ◽  
Sarah Nasuti ◽  
Jeanne F. Duffy

Background: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are the leading cause of pain and disability among nurses and are frequently accompanied by depression. However, the association between the comorbidity of MSDs and depression and working conditions has not been studied, which was the aim of this study. Methods: In 2015, all nurses ( n = 1,102) employed at a community hospital in the Northeast United States were invited to participate in this cross-sectional study. A survey was distributed in which participants were asked to report on MSDs, depressive symptoms, as well as subjective working conditions assessed including physical demands, psychological demands, decision authority, social support, and work–family conflict. Findings: 397 nurses responded (36%), and the prevalence of the comorbidity of MSDs and depression was 14.5%. Poisson regression (PR) models suggested that work–family conflict was associated with increased risk of the comorbidity (PR = 2.18; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.33–3.58), as was 8-hour night shift (PR = 2.77; 95% CI = [1.22, 6.31]) or 12-hour day shift (PR = 2.20; 95% CI = [1.07, 4.50]). Other working conditions were not directly associated with the comorbidity. Conclusions/Application to Practice: The comorbidity of MSDs and depression is prevalent among hospital nurses, and work–family conflict and working night shift or longer shifts were significantly associated with this. Effective workplace programs are needed to address nurses’ working conditions to reduce their work–family conflict, thereby improving their musculoskeletal and mental health.


BMJ Open ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. e006871-e006871 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Mache ◽  
M. Bernburg ◽  
K. Vitzthum ◽  
D. A. Groneberg ◽  
B. F. Klapp ◽  
...  

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