Demographic characteristics influencing financial wellbeing: a multigroup analysis

PurposeThe study attempts to understand the factors impacting the financial wellbeing of IT employees in India using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). It utilizes well-established survey instruments to assess the impact of financial literacy, financial behaviour and financial stress on financial wellbeing. The study also attempts to understand the role of demographic factors (age, gender, monthly income, job category and work experience) in determining financial wellbeing through multigroup analysis.Design/methodology/approachStructured equation modelling (SEM) is used to study the link between the determinants. The study also attempts to understand the role of demographic factors (age, gender, monthly income, job category and work experience) in determining financial wellbeing through multigroup analysis. Data used for the analysis covers 237 employees working in the IT sector.FindingsWhile financial literacy and financial behaviour have a significant positive impact on financial wellbeing, financial stress has a significant negative impact. Financial behaviour and financial stress were found to have a mediating role in the relationship between financial literacy and financial wellbeing. The demographic variables significantly moderate the relationship between the factors leading to financial wellbeing.Originality/valueThe results show the need for financial wellbeing programs to focus on enhancing financial knowledge and improving financial planning. Further, it suggests offering customized financial wellbeing programs based on the employee's demographic characteristics rather than following a “one program, fits all” approach.

Determinants of Obtaining COVID-19 Vaccination among Health Care Workers with Access to Free COVID-19 Vaccination: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Despite global efforts to contain the illness, COVID-19 continues to have severe health, life, and economic repercussions; thus, maintaining vaccine development is mandatory. Different directions concerning COVID-19 vaccines have emerged as a result of the vaccine’s unpredictability. Aims: To study the determinants of the attitudes of healthcare workers (HCWs) to receiving or refusing to receive the vaccine. Methods: The current study adopted an interviewed questionnaire between June and August 2021. A total of 341 HCWs currently working at Assiut University hospitals offered to receive the vaccine were included. Results: Only half of the HCWs (42%) accepted the COVID-19 vaccine. The most common reason that motivated the HCWs was being more susceptible than others to infection (71.8%). On other hand, the common reasons for refusing included: previously contracted the virus (64.8%); did not have time (58.8%); warned by a doctor not to take it (53.8%). Nearly one-third of nonaccepting HCWs depended on television, the Internet, and friends who refused the vaccine for information (p < 0.05). In the final multivariate regression model, there were six significant predictors: sex, job category, chronic disease, being vaccinated for influenza, and using Assiut University hospital staff and the Ministry of Health as sources of information (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Misinformation and negative conceptions are still barriers against achieving the desired rate of vaccination, especially for vulnerable groups such as HCWs.

Overcoming the liability of distance? An exploratory study of the associations between social networks, sense of community and spatial colocation

Purpose This study aims to examine the associations of social networks with the sense of community (SOC) construct and spatial colocation or having an office. The study site was an institute for health-care policy research formed in 2011 by bringing together scientists from more than 20 different university units. Only 30% of the scientists were had an office or physical presence at the institute. Therefore, the institute was an ideal site to examine whether SOC was correlated with different dimensions of network position – connectedness, reachability and brokerage – even when the authors account for the lack of spatial colocation for the off-site scientists. Design/methodology/approach A two-part (sociometric and workplace) internet survey instrument was administered in 2014 to the institute’s population of 411 individuals. The sociometric data were used to create an undirected interaction network and the following dependent variables (DVs) or network centralities: normalized degree to measure connectedness; average reciprocal distance to capture reachability; and normalized betweenness to proxy brokerage. Separate node-level network regressions were then run with random permutations (N = 10,000) and listwise deletion for each of the DVs with SOC and spatial colocation as the independent variables, and variables that controlled for gender, organizational affiliation and job category. Findings SOC and spatial colocation are both positively and significantly correlated with network connectedness and reachability. The results suggest that both SOC and spatial colocation have a larger impact on reachability than connectedness. However, neither SOC nor spatial colocation are significantly associated with network brokerage. Finally, the findings show that SOC and spatial colocation are more reliable predictors of network connectedness and reachability than are key individual- and unit-level control variables, specifically the individual’s sex, job category and organizational affiliation. The controls were not significantly associated with any of the three network centralities, namely, connectedness, reachability and brokerage. Originality/value This exploratory study used social network analysis and node-level network regressions to examine the associations from SOC and spatial colocation to dimensions of network position. SOC is positively and significantly associated with network connectedness and reachability, suggesting that SOC is an important consideration when individuals are disadvantaged from the absence of spatial colocation. The findings have implications for work in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic as they imply that interventions based on the SOC construct could potentially lessen the negative effects of remote work on workplace social networks due to factors such as the reduction of social contacts.

Pergeseran Bahasa Muna dalam Ranah Pendidikan di Kabupaten Banggai

This research is aimed to describe the pattern of language shifts of Muna Language (BM) in the education domain in the Banggai Regency and explain the factors that caused those shifts. The research data was obtained using the speaking and listening method through questionnaire, interview, note-taking, and participating observation techniques. Quantitative data were processed using descriptive statistics (calculated the mean). There are four categories used to interpret the BM shift patterns, namely not yet shifted; begins to shift, but tends to persist; begins to shift; has shifted. The result of the study indicated that the shift in BM in the education aspect in the Banggai Regency, both based on age, gender, education, and occupation, showed a varied pattern of language shift. Based on age group, age 11-15 years old, BM has shifted (always use BI); 16-27 and 28-49 years, BM starts to shift (uses BI more often), and 50 years and over, BM has not shifted persists. Based on gender, both male and female, the pattern of shifting in BM are almost the same, namely starting to shift. Based on the education category, the pattern of BM shift varies: SD/TTSD BM begins to shift, but tends to persist; in SMP, SMA, and PT, BM began to shift (using BI more often). Varied patterns of BM shifts are also seen in the job category. Muna people, who are also a student, BM has shifted (always using BI); Civil servants/TNI/Polri and private employees, BM began to shift (using BI more often); self-employment, trading, and other occupations, BM began to shift, but tended to persist; farmers, have not shifted persist (using BM and BI in a balanced way). The shift in BM in the domain of education is caused by several factors, including social factors, where the Muna people live, ethnic diversity, ethnic minorities, and bilingualism. Among these factors, social factors, bilingualism, ethnic minorities, and where the Muna people live are very dominant in influencing the shift in BM in the education domain in the Banggai Regency.

Just How They Drew It Up: How In-House Reporters Fit Themselves Into the Sports Media System

This paper explores how in-house sports reporters—those who write for team- and league-branded websites—locate themselves within the sports media production complex. It builds from perspectives on professionalism that view it as a dynamic process of defining boundaries and building relationships between systemic stakeholders. The interview data presented here find that in-house reporters accentuate professional similarities to beat reporters and use this identity to build unique roles in sports organizations’ corporate structures. This push to define themselves as a distinct job category within the constellation of sports media professions speaks to the active work occupational groups engage in, and is reshaping the media system. The paper argues for a broader reconsideration of professional definitions, actors, and relationships within the sports media system as digital technology and other changes have altered preexisting relationships.

Workplace Cold and Perceived Work Ability: Paradoxically Greater Disadvantage for More vs. Less-Educated Poultry Industry Workers in Thailand

The association between worksite temperature and perceived work ability (WA) in various educational classes remains unknown. Therefore, we interviewed 286 poultry industry workers in Thailand about their WA and linked their responses to worksite temperature. WA was based on the self-assessment of current work ability compared with their lifetime best ability (scores 0–10). Education was classified as high (university or vocational school) or low (less education). Temperature was classified as cold (−22–10°C) or warm (10–23°C). WA and the occurrence of a low WA were regressed on worksite temperature, education, and their interaction with the adjustment for sex, age, job category, physical work strain, moving between cold and warm sites, thermal insulation of clothing, relative humidity, and air velocity. The average worksite temperature was 10°C for high- and 1°C for low-educated workers. The average WA score was 8.32 (SD, 1.33; range, 4–10) and classified as low (&lt;8) in 23% of the workers. In highly-educated workers, the adjusted mean WA decreased from 9.11 in the warm areas to 8.02 in the cold areas and the prevalence of a low WA increased from 11 to 30%, while no significant change was observed in less-educated workers. The WA score was estimated to decline by 10% more (95% CI, 4–16%) in the cold areas for the more vs. less-educated workers and the prevalence of a poor WA was estimated to increase 3.09 times (95% CI, 1.43–5.45) more. Highly-educated workers in this industry are a risk group that should be given customized advice.

SARS-CoV-2 PCR and antibody positivity among school staff at the beginning and end of the first school term

Background There is controversy regarding the role of in-person attendance in schools and transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Several studies have demonstrated no increase in transmission, while some have reported large outbreaks with in-person attendance. We determined the incidence and risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection among school staff after one school term. Methods Nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) for SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR and blood for SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing were obtained from staff at a large international school in Qatar at the beginning of the 2020–2021 school year and repeated at the end of the first term. Results A total of 376 staff provided samples for testing. At the beginning of the 2020–2021 school year, the PCR positivity for SARS-CoV-2 was 13%, while seropositivity was 30.1%. A majority of those who tested positive either by PCR or serologically, were non-teaching staff. At the end of the first school term four months later, only 3.5% of the initially antibody-negative staff had seroconverted. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, male gender (OR 11.48, 95%CI 4.77–27.64), non-teaching job category (OR 3.09, 95%CI 1.10–8.64), contact with a confirmed case (OR 20.81, 95%CI 2.90–149.18), and presence of symptoms in the preceding 2 weeks [1–2 symptoms OR 4.82, 95%CI 1.79–12.94); ≥3 symptoms OR 42.30, 95%CI 3.76–476.43) independently predicted SARS-CoV-2 infection in school staff before school starting. Conclusion Male gender, non-teaching job, presence of symptoms, and exposure to a confirmed case were associated with higher risk of infection. These data can help policymakers in determining the optimal strategy for school reopening.

Predictors of Burnout in Hospital Health Workers during the COVID-19 Outbreak in South Korea

This study aimed to identify the factors that influence the components of burnout—emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), and personal accomplishment (PA)—among hospital health workers, including doctors and nurses, during the COVID-19 pandemic. We analyzed 200 healthcare workers’ responses to the Employee Health Promotion Survey conducted at a general hospital in Seoul with over 200 hospital beds. The questionnaire included items about COVID-19-related burnout and its influencing factors. We performed three different multiple regression analyses using EE, DP, and PA as the dependent variables. The results show that sex, marital status, workload of treating suspected COVID-19 patients, fear of COVID-19 infection, anxiety, and depression predicted EE. The predictors of DP were job category, consecutive months of work in the current department, satisfaction with work environment, anxiety, and depression. The predictors of PA were the workload of directly interacting with patients, socioeconomic status, and job stress. For EE and DP, burnout was found to be worse in doctors and nurses than in other health workers; moreover, burnout was worse among nurses than among doctors across all three aspects of burnout. The findings can be used to establish tailored policies to address each burnout component.

Management of Low Back Pain in Primary Healthcare Settings: Physician’s Knowledge and Practices Based on Red Flags of Low Back Pain in Jazan Region – A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: This study assessed the primary healthcare physicians’ knowledge and practices toward the red flags of low back pain (LBP) and factors associated with awareness. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted between October 2020 and June 2021 in primary healthcare (PHC) settings in Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Questionnaires were electronically distributed among 261 primary physicians with a 96.1% response rate. Result: Of the 261 physicians included, 56% were male, 49.4% were aged between 35 and 44 years, and 76.9% were non-Saudi. Moreover, 49% of the physicians had one to nine years of experience and 33.1% indicated that they deal with >30 patients with back pain per month. Furthermore, it was found that 86.9% of the participants were aware of the overall red flags of LBP. Job category and the number of cases were significant factors of perceived awareness. The highest level of self-reported awareness was among consultants. The rate of referral patients with nonspecific back pain was highest among general practitioners. More than 95% of the participants would refer patients to hospital if they noticed the presence of red flags for LBP. Conclusion: Awareness of physicians practicing in PHCs through the red flags of LBP in Jazan is good, and recognition of the need for the referral of a patient with suspected critical illness is good as well.

Female American in-house counsel are no more likely to reach senior ranks than female counterparts in law firms

Purpose The authors wanted to find out if women in-house lawyers were treated more equitably than their counterparts in law firms and, therefore, reached higher ranks more often. Design/methodology/approach The authors examined 10 years of data about public companies in the ExecuComp dataset. The information includes name, age, gender, job category and numerous compensation measures. Public companies must report their top five earners. The authors narrowed their focus to 2,154 lawyers of whom 1,851 were men and 303 were women. Findings Analysis supported hypothesis 1, showing women are underrepresented in senior legal roles in large corporations. Hypothesis 2, however, was not supported. It was expected that women would be more likely to hold senior positions in female-dominated industries, but this was not the case. Finally, hypothesis 3 was not supported either. It suggested in-house women counsel would earn comparable compensation to their male counterparts. But analysis showed women earned 92.6pc of men earn and their bonuses were only 73.2pc of men’s. Originality/value The authors say the research has important practical lessons for companies. Many of the remedies for gender disparities in law firms apply also to in-house counsel, they say. A primary mechanism is to integrate more women into senior leadership positions. This will tend to lead to reductions in compensation disparities, as well as greater accountability and transparency.