Job Resignation in Nursing Homes During COVID-19: The Role of Employer Communication and Worker Preparedness

Although research on factors mitigating the negative impact of strain/stress experienced by nursing home (NH) workers during the pandemic is emerging, there is no research on how COVID-19-related work stress and employer supports influence NH workers decision to resign. The purpose of this study was to investigate if high quality communication related to COVID-19 by the employer – a form of job support - can mitigate the impact of work stress on NH employees (N=1,730) decision to resign by optimizing employees’ preparedness to care for residents with COVID-19. Guided by the Job-Demands-Control-Support Model and employing path analyses, results indicate that higher stress was associated with greater likelihood of resigning, which operated through the paths of communication quality and preparedness. While higher stress was associated with less optimal quality of communication, good quality of communication was associated with more optimal preparedness which was associated with reduced likelihood of leaving one’s job.

Informal learning behaviors and the role of workplace support: preliminary findings from an India-USA workforce

Purpose (mandatory) The purpose of this paper is to study engagement of employees in informal learning behaviors (ILBs) and to understand the role of workplace support (organizational support, supervisor support and job support) in facilitating such behaviors. Design/methodology/approach (mandatory) The study uses descriptive design with data collected through voluntary non-probability sampling method of 58 employees from India and the USA through Amazon Mechanical Turk. Findings (mandatory) Preliminary findings suggest that 81% of the employees are likely to engage in ILBs and 65.5% agreed to have received workplace support. Employees from India rate their workplace support as higher and are more likely to engage in ILBs than those from the USA. Originality/value (mandatory) This study contributes to workplace informal learning literature and highlights the need for more studies on workforce ILBs across multiple countries and job role variations.

Perception of work among managers: a cross-sectional study (Preprint)

BACKGROUND The Job-Demand-Control-Support model of Karasek is the gold standard to assess perception of work, however this has been poorly studied among managers. OBJECTIVE We aimed to explore the perception of work (job demand, control and support) in managers, and to quantify their risk of job strain and isostrain. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study on workers using the Wittyfit software. Job demand, control, and support were evaluated by self-reported questionnaires, as well as sociodemographic data. RESULTS We included 9257 workers: 8488 employees (median age of 45 years old and median seniority of 10 years, 39.4% of women) and 769 managers (463 with more than 45 years old, 343 with more than 10 years of service, 33.3% of women). Managers had higher levels than employees in job control (79.1±15.9 vs 75.5±17.6) and job support (25.1±5.6 vs 23.9±6.4) (p<0.001). Compared to employees, managers had a 40% decreased risk of job strain (high job demand and low job control) (OR=0.60, 95%CI 0.49 to 0.73), and a 46% decreased risk of isostrain (job strain with low job support) (0.54, 0.42 to 0.71) (p<0.001). Oldest workers (1.32, 1.18 to 1.48, p<0.001) and women (1.12, 1.01 to 1. 24, p=0.03) were at greater risk of job strain. Also, oldest workers (1.77, 1.52 to 2.06), and women (1.15, 1.00 to 1.31) were at greater risk of isostrain, as well as most senior workers (1.25, 1.08 to 1.45). CONCLUSIONS Managers seem to have higher autonomy and social support, and therefore are less at risk of job or isostrain than employees. Other factors such as age, seniority and gender may influence this relationship. CLINICALTRIAL Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02596737; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02596737.

IMPACT OF ENVIRONMENT CONGRUENCY ON ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE: THE MEDIATING EFFECT OF CULTURE AND STRATEGY

This research has been aimed at evaluating the effect on the performance of workers of the Finance Management Institute. Descriptive research approach has been utilized for this. Simple random sampling technique was used to select the respondents for this study. The sample consisted of 25 senior employees and 25 younger employees (thus 50 in total). For data gathering, structured questionnaires have been utilized. The results of the research show that workplace organization has an effect on the respondents. The study has also shown that if management addresses the issues that have been discovered throughout research, the workers would enhance their performance. Such problems include flexibility in the workplace, noise distractions, personal connection of supervisors with workers, the availability of job support, the use of feedback for promotion and incentives. The results of our research also indicated that in order to resolve employee complaints, the company must have regular meetings with its workers as part of the motivating element. Management should develop methods and means of informing its workers of its objectives and plans so as to accomplish its mission, vision and business.

Workplace violence among healthcare workers in the emergency departments in Malaysia

PurposeThis study was conducted to determine the percentage and associated factors of workplace violence (WPV) among healthcare workers (HCW) working in the Emergency Departments (ED).Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional study was conducted among 231 HCW using proportionate stratified random sampling. A validated and reliable self-administered questionnaire was distributed among respondents who fulfilled the eligibility criteria. Only Malaysians with a minimum employment of six months in the ED were included. The data was analysed through Multiple Logistic Regression using International Business Machines Statistical Package for Social Sciences software version 24 to determine the association between the independent variables and WPV. Significance level was set at 0.05 (p = 0.05) at 95% confidence interval (CI).FindingsThe percentage of WPV was 38%, of which 88.9% were psychological violence and were mostly perpetrated by combinations of perpetrator types (51.9%). Those aged 40 years and below, with low job support, and working in a secondary hospital have 5.4 (AOR = 5.366, 95% CI: 1.51–19.05), 2.9 (AOR = 2.871, 95% CI: 1.44–5.73) and 2.7 (AOR = 2.737, 95% CI: 1.50–5.01) times higher odds, respectively, of experiencing WPV.Originality/valueThe findings revealed a relatively high percentage of WPV among the HCW working at the ED with those of younger age with low job support and working in secondary hospitals being more at risk. Early interventions to reduce WPV are necessary in targeting those with identified risks.

Evaluation of the ACE employment programme: helping employers to make tailored adjustments for their autistic employees

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore the views of autistic people, carers and practitioners regarding the barriers autistic employees face at work (Study 1) and to use these views to inform the design of an employment programme for autistic employees without learning disabilities (Study 2). Design/methodology/approach In Study 1, 16 (20%) carers, 17 (21%) practitioners and 47 (59%) autistic adults who had been or were currently employed, answered a survey regarding barriers at work. Study 2 evaluates the efficacy of a set of profiling assessment tools (PA) developed to help employers make individually-tailored adjustments for their autistic employees by delivering an employment programme consisting of 15, 8-week work placements. Findings In Study 1, only 25% of autistic adults reported having had adjustments in the workplace and all groups reported this as the main barrier – alongside employers’ lack of understanding. Two sets of results demonstrate the efficacy of the PA tools in addressing this barrier. First, a comparative cost simulation revealed a cost-saving in terms of on-job support of £6.67 per participant per hour worked relative to published data from another programme. Second, 83% of autistic employees reported having had the right adjustments at work. Research limitations/implications This is an exploratory study that did not include a comparison group. Hence, it was not possible to evaluate the efficacy of the PA tools relative to a standard employment programme intervention, nor to assess cost reduction, which currently is only estimated from already available published data. Practical implications Overall the findings from these studies demonstrate that the time invested in the high-quality assessment of the profile of autistic employees results in saving costs over time and better outcomes. Originality/value The originality of the Autism Centre for Employment programme resides in that, unlike other programmes, it shifts the focus from helping autistic employees to helping their employers.

Unemployment prevention: The role of Human Resource Management in job-to-job transitions in the event of redundancy

In downsizing organisations, redundant workers suffer from insecurities about work and income. Social security provides income security to the unemployed in the event of job loss. The role played by employers in unemployment prevention for redundant workers, and the effects on unemployment spells and transitions on the labour market, are neglected in both the social policy and HRM literatures. This article addresses the following question: Which factors play a role in the decision to offer job-to-job support and in determining its effect? This article provides the context for the theoretical assumptions regarding why employers initiate job-to-job measures for redundant employees and distinguishes the different types of measures based on a literature review. Secondly, this article contributes to empirical knowledge in the field of unemployment prevention among employers and the effects of job-to-job activities facilitated by employers on redundant workers’ unemployment spells. A two-wave study was conducted on a sample of 2,258 Dutch redundant workers. The study shows that age, breadwinner status and gender are important predictors of unemployment duration after involuntary dismissal. The findings show that investing in the human capital of redundant workers by providing training and education and individual coaching, for example, are associated with a reduced unemployment spell. In our model, in which we controlled for other variables, we found that when one received training, education or individual coaching shortly before or after the dismissal, one was unemployed for an average of almost three months less.

Moderating effect of career planning on job support and motivational process of training transfer

Purpose This study aims to examine the direct effects of job support and the indirect effects of individual career planning on the motivational process of training transfer, which consists of the structural relationship between learning goal orientation, learning motivation, transfer motivation and training transfer. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was administered to 255 respondents in South Korea, and 252 valid responses were used for analysis. A hypothetical model was examined using a structural equation model and multi-group analysis. Findings This study found that the synchronous process model of training transfer was well validated in the Korean context; moreover, job support promoted employee motivations that led to their training transfer. In addition, career planning was found to have a moderating role in the relationships explored in this study. That is, when the level of career planning was high, job support directly affected the motivation to transfer, and the link between intrinsic learning orientation and motivation to learn was highly activated compared to the group with a low level of career planning. Research limitations/implications This study is limited by the single-dimensional measurement of its constructs, including job support, goal orientation and motivation to transfer. This limitation should be considered when interpreting the study’s results. In terms of implications, the study suggests that organizations should help individuals identify their career interests and establish a strategy to achieve their career goals by providing information about specific areas of interest. Originality/value This study proposes that the motivational mechanisms leading to training transfer are affected by trainees’ level of career planning. In addition, the study findings emphasize the importance of organizations’ role in guiding individual employees’ career planning to facilitate performance through training transfer.