Extensive Evaluation of the Overall Workplace Experience and Job Satisfaction of Dentists in Saudi Arabia

Background. Working conditions, job satisfaction, and their overall impact on a dentist’s job satisfaction are critical for future employment and retaining of dentists. Objectives. This study is aimed at determining the factors influencing the job satisfaction level among dentists. It is also aimed at evaluating how personal (age, gender) and professional (type, type of qualification, and year of practice) characteristics influence overall job satisfaction. Methods. For data collection, a structured self-administered questionnaire was used, in which one part collected information on personal characteristics. At the same time, the other contained a questionnaire related to job satisfaction. The German validated version of the questionnaire had a 10-point Warr-Cook-Wall (WCW) scale developed by Warr et al. in 1979. Each item was rated on a 5-point Likert scale, with 5 representing excessive satisfaction and 1 representing extreme dissatisfaction. Results. The results revealed that dentists in Saudi Arabia have a higher satisfaction level with “colleagues and fellow workers” (26.5%). The relation between the years of practice was highly significant. However, they were dissatisfied with their “income” (22.6%), and when compared with concerning age, gender, profession, and their practice years, this finding was highly significant. Conclusion. A higher percentage of satisfaction was seen with the “fellow and colleague’s workers” dimension. At the same time, “income” was the aspect with which the dentists showed extreme dissatisfaction.

Evaluation of an Online Training for Supervisors of Young Agricultural Workers

Adolescents and young adults (<25 years) working in agriculture are at greater risk of injury than youth working in other industries. Supervisors play an important role in protecting these young workers who lack workplace experience and whose bodies and brains are still developing. A theoretically based approach was used to develop an online training for supervisors of young agricultural workers. The training addresses an expanded view of occupational safety that not only addresses injury prevention, but also focuses on health promotion and worker well-being using a Total Worker Health approach. A pre-post/post study design was used to evaluate the training. Questionnaires included demographics, workplace characteristics, knowledge, beliefs about protecting young workers, and supervisors’ communication behaviors. One-hundred-eighty-two participants completed all parts of the efficacy trial. A post-test administered immediately after completing the training, indicated that supervisors had greater understanding of the risks to young workers and at 3-month follow-up were more likely to engage in communication behaviors to protect the safety and health of young workers. Positive changes in when, how, and under what circumstances supervisors talk about safety and health occurred. Establishing patterns of protective behaviors in the workplace can have lifelong impact, particularly among young workers.

The effect of CDED diet on the development of remission in a patient with persistent Crohn’s disease activity – a case report and workplace experience

The CDED diet (Crohn‘s disease exclusion diet) is the first elimination diet that induces and maintains remission in adult patients with mild to moderate Crohn‘s disease. It is based on mandatory, recommended and prohibited foods. In our article we present our workplace experience, that is still limited, as well as the case report of a patient with a long history of Crohn‘s disease in ileocecal localization on immunosuppressive therapy with azathioprine. He has benefited significantly from the CDED diet, his abdominal symptomatology and laboratory parameters have improved. There has also been a significant improvement in the quality of his life. Key words: CDED – Crohn’s disease – diet – alternative nutrition – relapse of the disease

Exploring workplace experiences of transgender individuals in the USA

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of the workplace experiences and access to career-enhancing opportunities of transgender employees and to apprise organization leaders of opportunities to create an all-inclusive workplace environment. Design/methodology/approach This phenomenological study used semi-structured interviews with transgender and gender non-conforming individuals in the US. Study participants (n = 12) varied slightly in racial and ethnic identities, the highest level of formal education completed and the industry sector they were employed at the time of interviews. Findings The data reveals a lingering presence of dominant narrative (cissexism) in US organizations and its adverse impact on workplace experience and access to career-enhancing opportunities of transgender and gender non-conforming individuals. The participants’ narratives reveal recommendations for effective organizational practices for a transgender-inclusive workplace. Research limitations/implications The challenge of recruiting qualified participants from the marginalized group along with the selection criteria of English proficiency and legally adult age resulted in a relatively limited sample (n = 12) nevertheless adequate for the study. Practical implications Results of this study point at the urgent need to increase visibility and acceptance of the represented population and expand workplace diversity policies to create inclusive, just and equitable organizations for all individuals that will translate into job satisfaction and improved productivity. Social implications This study contributes to developing a culture of inclusion and prevention of discrimination in the workplace thus ensuring respect, safety and agency for gender minority employees. Originality/value This study contributes to a better understanding of workplace experiences, access to career-enhancing opportunities of transgender and gender non-conforming individuals and best practices for a transgender-inclusive workplace.

How medical students’ early workplace experience could benefit the NHS

As senior medical students who have had the privilege of undergoing early year clinical workplace experience, we believe that this opportunity medical students have through experiencing the ‘frontline’ could be utilised advantageously by the National Health Service (NHS). A system under pressure with depleting resources seemingly persists to be a constant theme that surrounds the NHS. Due to such issues, improvements in all sectors are sought, including costs, patient experience and communication between healthcare professionals. Through this article we highlight and analyse how medical students’ early workplace experience, as presented by Leedham-Green et al., could benefit the NHS through tackling some of the challenges mentioned prior.

Workplace experience of parents coping with perinatal loss: A scoping review

BACKGROUND: Perinatal loss affects many parents in the workforce. Yet, current knowledge about their workplace experience while facing this difficult event is sparse. OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to review and synthesize the extent of scientific literature on the specific experiences of workers coping with perinatal loss and the resulting bereavement. METHODS: A scoping review was carried out using eight different databases. A total of 15 references, all using a qualitative methodology, were identified. Most of the references focused on the experience of mothers and on late perinatal loss (from the 20th week of pregnancy). RESULTS: All references highlighted the taboo and the non-recognition of perinatal grief and bereavement in both organizational practices and interpersonal relationships with colleagues and immediate supervisors. They also emphasized the difficulties associated with returning to work after the loss and the significant changes in the meaning attributed to work. CONCLUSIONS: While the studies included in this review clearly indicate that perinatal loss can affect working life, larger, quantitative studies are needed to quantify this phenomenon and its impact on employees and their organizations.

Navigating Depression at Work: Identity Management Strategies Along the Disclosure Continuum

For employees with stigmatized concealable identities, the decision to disclose or not disclose represents a critical workplace experience. Moreover, employees enact their disclosure decisions by engaging in identity management (IM) strategies. Although multiple conceptual frameworks exist related to disclosure decisions and IM strategies, none of these frameworks consider the relationship between these two phenomena. In addition, empirical work surrounding disclosure decisions often positions disclosure as a dichotomous decision, rather than considering disclosure as occurring along a continuum. In this study, we use in-depth interviews to investigate the nuances of concealable IM using a sample of stigmatized employees, namely, those with depression. Through inductive thematic analysis, a continuum of disclosure decisions emerged (non-disclosure, partial disclosure, and full disclosure) as well as eight distinct IM strategies that participants used to enact their disclosure decisions. Our results extend the knowledge of concealable IM in multiple ways. First, we map specific IM strategies onto the disclosure continuum to provide a more robust understanding of the IM process for employees with depression. Second, we identify specific IM strategies related to partial disclosure and full disclosure, thereby extending existing conceptual frameworks. Additionally, we expand the definitions of the concealing and signaling IM strategies. Lastly, our study exposes the lived experiences of a group of employees that have traditionally been underrepresented in applied organizational research, those with depression.

Individual- and party-level determinants of far-right support among women in Western Europe

Support for Western Europe’s far-right is majority-male. However, given the sweeping success of the party family, literature on this ‘gender gap’ belies support given to the radical right by millions of women. We examine differences between men and women’s support for far-right parties, focusing on workplace experience, positions on economic and cultural issues, and features of far-right parties themselves. We find that the received scholarship on blue-collar support for far-right populists is a largely male phenomenon, and women in routine nonmanual (i.e. service, sales, and clerical) work are more likely than those in blue-collar work to support the far-right. Moreover, while men who support the far-right tend to be conservative on other moral issues, certain liberal positions predict far-right support among women, at both the voter and party level. Our analysis suggests that gender differences may obscure the socio-structural and attitudinal bases of support for far-right parties and have broader implications for comparative political behavior and gender and politics.