Digitizing Social Counseling—Insights for Workplace Health Management

Working digitally can lead to changes in work organization and social interactions, as well as work pace and workload. Online counseling is more and more integrated in social counseling. Research exists on employees’ and users’ attitudes towards online counseling as well as on the advantages and disadvantages of online counseling. There is a lack of studies on the stressors and strains caused by the increasing digitalization and the associated health consequences in this context. With an interview study, we investigated the general work situation of counselors, with a focus on stressors, strain, and resources caused by online counseling. Consecutively, we discuss the results in relation to their impact on workplace health management. Twenty-two explorative interviews with counselors from a German welfare organization were conducted in 2019 and 2020. Qualitative content analysis according to Mayring was used for analysis. Counselors’ use of online devices depends on their own digital affinity and is likely to be used when advantages for clients are seen. Difficulties were mentioned in establishing a relationship of trust with the clients. Good teamwork and regular informal exchanges among colleagues contribute to job satisfaction. Overall, we found only few health-related effects. Results of the study suggest that digitization can have positive effects on the job satisfaction of counselors, if the associated changes are supported by organizational measures.

Loneliness, Complaining and Professional Burnout of Medical Personnel of Psychiatric Wards during COVID-19 Pandemic—Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Professional burnout in the medical community has been present for a long time, also among mental health professionals. The aim of the study was to examine the links between loneliness, complaining and professional burnout among medical personnel in psychiatric care during a pandemic. Loneliness and complaining of the medical staff are not documented in the literature well enough. Methods: Oldenburg Burnout Questionnaire, the Loneliness Scale, the Complaint Questionnaire and author’s questionnaire. The respondents: 265 medical employees—doctors (19.2%), nurses (69.8%), paramedics (4.9%), medical caregivers (5.7%). Results: Loneliness and complaining are significant predictors of exhaustion. The model explains 18% of exhaustion variance. Loneliness, complaining and job seniority are also predictors of disengagement; the model allows to predict 10% of the variance of disengagement. Women are more prone to complain. Complaining significantly correlates with direct support from management. A high rate of loneliness correlates, in a statistically significant way, with worse work organization, less management support, worse atmosphere in the team and with more irresponsible attitudes of colleagues. Conclusions: Loneliness and complaining can be used to predict occupational burnout. Women and people without management support complain more often. Loneliness is connected with bad work organization and bad cooperation in a team.

Biomechanical Exposure to Upper Extremity Musculoskeletal Disorder Risk Factors in Hospital Laboratories

Exposure to ergonomic risk factors has been reported for laboratory workers over decades. However, these exposures are not well characterized with respect to the type of laboratory or work organization. This study compared biomechanical exposure to upper extremity (UE) postures and hand activity levels (HALs) in general hospital laboratories by job, work, and laboratory type. The study used observational data gathered using a revised version of the Posture, Activity, Tools, and Handling (PATH) method, generating frequencies of categorized exposures. Eighteen workers were observed in 11 job titles (seven laboratories) in a single hospital by two investigators over a 7 month period. A taxonomy was constructed to categorize the extent to which the laboratory operations were automated. Overall, there were markedly high exposures to postural strain for the distal UE, especially wrist/forearm deviation (73% of observations), gross grasp (71%), and pinch grip (49%). For the HAL categories, 61% of the observations were in the moderate range (3.3–<6.7). Shoulders and elbows tended to remain in the neutral postural range. Posture frequencies were similar among the job categories studied and laboratory types. HAL was higher when the hand was in a pinch grip. Manual operations represented a higher proportion of work time than semi-automated or automated operations. Biomechanical exposure can be documented more extensively and diversely when using the revised PATH approach along with the taxonomy, with respect to exposure variables, such as the type of job, work, or organization in the industry including the hospital laboratories.

Building perspective awareness as a workplace practice

Purpose The present study aims to describe the implementation of a facilitated dialogue model intended to improve communication across professional logics and knowledge boundaries in two units of a large health-care organization in Sweden. Design/methodology/approach This is a mixed-methods study with interviews, field observations and follow- up questionnaires that were conducted during the implementation process. Findings The conclusion drawn in this study is that it is possible to change and improve the dialogue between health-care professionals with the help of a tailored, facilitated dialogue model. The authors found that different professional logics can indeed meet and share perspectives if the right conditions are provided. Moreover, an improved dialogue between different professional groups may contribute to work satisfaction, engagement, social cohesion and communication between professionals. Practical implications This study shows that the right organizational conditions, such as support from managers, must exist if the model’s inherent possibilities are to be used. Inhouse facilitation may be a sustainable model for facilitated workplace dialogue when its implementation is supported by the overall organization. Originality/value The contribution is an empirically based analysis of a new form of model for mediating perspectives within an organization with distinct professional roles. This study shows how, under the right conditions, the model can contribute to a perspective awareness and thus a more mature work organization.

WORK IN GROUP OR PERSONAL MAINTENANCE OF CORPORATE SOCIAL MEDIA

Objective. Social media have become one of the main technologies for promoting the university library. The purpose of the work is to characterize the main stages of organizing work in social media for librarians (SMM specialists and a working group) of the Scientific Library of the Belarusian National Technical University (BNTU). Methods. Statistical analysis tools made it possible to study in detail the corporate networks of the BNTU Library. A comparative analysis of the experience of maintaining BNTU accounts in social media by an SMM specialist and a working group of employees from various library departments was carried out. Results. The advantages and risks in the work of the group are summarized. The following areas highlighted: Team building; Communication and work organization; Creativity and creative power; Overcoming the challenges of group work; Content formation techniques; Potential. Conclusions. Working in a group produces creative and interesting content in large volumes. The experience of managing the process of forming a content policy in 2020 proves that the process has become more flexible and independent of the personality of an SMM specialist.

Automotive Wiring Harness development with the use of „Follow the Sun” – teams located in different time zones

Demands of automotive industry is especially focused on new solutions. Nowadays, these needs are stronger than have ever been. Manufacturers are constantly looking for new ways to release their products in the shortest possible time. The research described in the paper concerns work organization and project management in automotive industry. It is a part of PhD project, dedicated to the implementation of remote team collaboration, and is focused on wiring harness development. The first part of the paper is devoted to the review of different forms of work organization with special attention paid to Follow The Sun approach. In the second part of the paper, the characteristic of the wiring harness production was described. Especially, the methodology and design processes. The third part of the article presents a proposition of transforming the currently existing development process with the use of remote teamwork solutions. The article concludes with a description of the implementation of the test projects. Selected indicators were introduced to determine the profitability of this implementation.

METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO IMPROVING THE REGULATORY AND METHODOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK IN THE FIELD OF DESIGN AND CAPITAL REPAIR OF APARTMENT BUILDINGS

The design and execution of works on capital repair of apartment buildings are regulated by the current normative legal and normative-technical documents. Their actualization is conditioned by the development of technologies, new forms of work organization in repair-construction production as well as by the necessity to remove administrative barriers to intensify the processes of designing and execution of works on major repair in specific conditions without residents' resettlement in order to provide safety conditions, comfortable living environment and, as a result, to prolong the periods between repairs in the process of buildings operation.

BLENDED LEARNING AS AN INNOVATIVE FORM OF THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS ORGANIZATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

The article actualizes the problem of introduction blended learning in higher education institutions during the quarantine period caused by the spread of corona virus infection COVID-19. Today, the whole world is in the conditions of strict quarantine measures, and learning in isolation has become a challenge for all participants in the educational process.The authors reveal the essence of the concept "blended learning". It is proved that blended learning is an innovative form of the educational process organization in HEI, a qualitatively new approach that transforms the structure and content of education, changing the traditional roles of a teacher and applicants of higher education. It is noted that blended learning due to its versatility and availability of a wide range of learning tools forms different models. That’s why, to solve the problem of using a certain model in the educational process, the educational opportunities of each of them are considered. In addition, the authors note that blended learning makes it possible to combine digital educational resources with a variety of online services for the implementation of educational activities in higher education institutions. It is concluded that an important aspect of blended learning is the separation of educational material studied in the classroom with that which will be studied in the electronic informative-educational environment. It is also necessary clearly defined the activities that a student will perform, teaching methods in various forms of educational work organization, the system of monitoring, control and self-control. Blended learning combines two important components - knowledge, teacher skills and technological tools that allow you to organize learning at a high level.