My job is to hide it! A role strain perspective

Purpose The study presents a framework of knowledge hiding (KH) driven by positive and negative intentions. The study also highlights the impact of KH on the employee’s role-related responsibility to engage in KH. Design/methodology/approach We review the literature on KH from the perspective of role strain theory and propose a conceptual framework. Findings The study proposes a conceptual framework of KH practices driven by positive and negative intent, further segregated into organizational and personal causes of KH. The framework also depicts the positive and negative impact of KH on the employees and highlights the impact of role-related responsibility of KH. Originality/value This paper provides a framework to understand how role-related KH responsibilities (organization driven) and personal motives map to employee outcomes.

Student Perspectives on Distraction and Engagement in the Synchronous Remote Classroom

Synchronous remote learning was adopted widely due to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. To many educators and students, this was a new medium through which distraction could take place. The research described in this chapter investigates students' perceptions surrounding their engagement and distraction in the synchronous remote learning environment long after the chaos of the 2020 shutdown had eased. Drawing on 32 one-hour interviews conducted during the 2020-21 academic year of undergraduate students in remote classes, data were grouped into three major themes: social presence, cognitive load, and virtual and physical environments. These themes are described in depth in this chapter through discussion of interviewees' quotations. This study provides a nuanced view of students' experiences with synchronous remote learning and contributes to the theory of role strain.

A comparison of caregiver burden between long-term care and developmental disability family caregivers

Background As the United States’ population ages and health concerns rise, the family caregiver occupation will continue to be an integral part of the health care system. Aims It is important to examine the burden that family caregivers experience so they can seek out additional training and services to maintain their own well-being. The researchers examined caregiver burden from a perspective of developmentally disabled and long-term care. Methods The researchers examined difference in Zarit scores, guilt, burden and personal strain for 72 caregivers of people with developmental disability (DD) or people with long-term care (LTC) needs. The researchers also examined differences in these based on whether the individual was caregiving for family or “others”. Results For DD, there were significant differences in Zarit, role strain and personal strain; caring for others has significantly lower scores on these. Role strain was significantly higher than personal strain, which was significantly higher than guilt for both LTC and DD groups. Conclusions Given these findings, it is important to support family caregivers first and foremost with role strain, especially for those caring for family members with DD. This support could be given through personal counselling, caregiver training, non-profit social service resources, and support groups for family caregivers.

Exploring English Youth Academy Footballers’ Experiences through Role Strain Theory

Throughout adolescence and early adulthood, talented athletes must dedicate increasing personal resources to their sport. Recent empirical research found that applying Role Strain Theory (RST) was useful to contextualise international junior golfers’, acrobats’, gymnasts’ and Australian Rules footballers’ experiences of how they combined and coped with the competing role demands of sport and education. Findings demonstrated how role strain (RS) severity and regularity fluctuated during their youth careers but subsided during the latter teenage years. Surprisingly, limited research exploring how youth academy footballers simultaneously combine sport, education and social demands exists. This study determined the extent to which RS was experienced by six high performing male youth footballers who each had between four and five consecutive years’ experience within the foundation and youth development stage squads at an English professional football academy. Implications for most effectively supporting elite level youth players during crucial developmental and transitional career stages are provided.

Parenting Stress in the Early Years – A Survey of the Impact of Breastfeeding and Social Support for Women in Finland and the UK

BackgroundBeing a new parent can be both joyful and stressful. Parenting stress is associated with poorer health and well-being for parents and infant, and increased psychological distress.For new mothers, physical and hormonal changes, expectations of mothering and demands of a new baby may cause additional stress. Breastfeeding is promoted as optimal for maternal and infant health, but can have both positive and negative psychological impacts. Formal and informal social support can offset parenting and breastfeeding stress. Source, content and context of support for new parents are important considerations. This study compares two countries with different parenting and breastfeeding contexts, Finland (more supportive) and the UK (less supportive), investigating the role of breastfeeding stress, self-efficacy and social support as predictors of stress and role strain for new mothers..MethodsA cross-sectional online survey was completed by 1550 breastfeeding mothers of infants up to 2 years old, recruited via social media platforms in Finland and the UK. Predictors of parenting stress and strain, including demograpic factors, childbirth experiences, breastfeeding and social support were investigated. Results We found fewer differences between countries than expected, perhaps due to demographic and contextual differences. Women in Finland reported better childbirth experiences, more positive breastfeeding attitudes, and more self-efficacy than in the UK. Levels of parenting stress were similar in both countries. Women in the UK reported more parental role strain, but fewer breastfeeding stressors. Participants accessed more informal than formal supports, including their partner for parenting, and facebook groups and family for breastfeeding. Analysis suggested breastfeeding stress and social support had significant direct effects – respectively increasing and reducing parenting stress and role strain, but no moderating effects of social supportsuggesting support did not change the relationship between breastfeeding and parenting stress. ConclusionsResults have important implications for the provision of breastfeeding and parenting support for new mothers.Simple interventions to manage stress for mothers in the postnatal period could be beneficial and are easily delivered by supporters. As shown elsewhere, socio-economic and cultural factors are crucial influences on parenting experiences.

Role strain: a duo-ethnography of fathers in online doctoral education in the United States

Purpose Within the USA, current trends in higher education show more women than men achieving graduate degrees. Among the potential reasons for this disparity is that fathers are reporting challenges in balancing their additional responsibilities while increasing their housework and childcare investment. Many fathers are turning to online graduate education to more effectively balance home and school responsibilities. However, limited portrayals of fathers' experiences in online education exist. Design/methodology/approach In this duoethnography of two online doctoral student fathers, the authors add to the limited literature on both fathers and online students in navigating home, school and work responsibilities. The authors use Goode’s role strain theory to examine the challenges to achieving a balance between each sphere of responsibility and explore strategies for managing these tensions. Findings The authors discuss the need for ongoing flexibility and change, the process of navigating feelings of guilt and self-doubt and the ability to engage in daily role bargains. They argue that online education is generally not a panacea for easing role conflict and find that integration is an effective strategy to aid online students' persistence in their programs. Practical implications The authors conclude with policy and practice recommendations for future online doctoral student fathers and doctoral program designers. Originality/value Little research has been conducted from the online doctoral student father lens. This research fills in this gap and lends a voice to fathers who are navigating the doctoral journey.