WELL-BEING AT WORK IN PROCESSES OF ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE: THE ROLE OF INFORMAL SOCIAL NETWORKS

ABSTRACT Purpose: This study evaluates the role of social networks of support, information, and trust in well-being at work, regarding the positive and negative affects and professional fulfillment of workers immersed in processes of organizational change. Originality/value: Organizational change is characterized as a dynamic process, constituted through relationships, immersed in a context of uncertainties. The mapping of relationships can help in understanding the information flows and the assessment of resource availability. Design/methodology/approach: 151 professionals from a holding participated. This company undergoes changes in the scope of services offered and the organizational design. Links of support, information, and trust established according to the change processes were mapped. Associated with the network, the Well-Being at Work Scale was used. For data analysis, multiple regressions were used to construct explanatory models for well-being factors: fulfillment, positive and negative affects. Findings: Variables in support and information social network analysis (SNA) composed the predictive model of well-being in the three models. Among the researched ties, the support and information ties were part of the predictive model of well-being. The metrics that reveal how many times the employee is indicated and indicates others, proximity to highly cited neighbors, degree of participation in cohesive subgroups, the degree to which they assume a central position in the subgroups are indicators of actors’ positions capable of predicting well-being. The influence of the pattern of interaction between managers and employees should be considered in promoting well-being in organizations in the process of change.

Burnout Syndrome in public school teachers in Sorocaba, São Paulo, Brazil

Objective: To identify the prevalence of Burnout Syndrome (BS) in a sample of 107 elementary school teachers (cycle II and high school) in Sorocaba/SP and analyze possible associations of psychosocial and organizational factors at work with the dimensions of burnout. Methods: Cross-sectional epidemiological study, conducted through a selection of a convenience sample, which included 107 teachers from state schools in Sorocaba using the following criteria: having entered the public teaching career for at least one year and working predominantly as a teacher, that is, not having more hours in administrative positions. Data collection was conducted in eight schools in the city, and two forms were used, the “Maslach Burnout Inventarie-Educators Survey” (MBI-ES) and a biopsychosocial form. Pearson's chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were performed for data analysis, adopting a significance level of 5%. Results: There was a prevalence of BS in 4.7% of teachers, with 29% of teachers showing high Emotional Exhaustion, 33.6% high Depersonalization and 18.7% low Professional Fulfillment. Positive associations were found between factors such as lack of recognition, dissatisfaction with work and situations of harassment with the dimensions of the BS. Conclusion: The results suggest a warning sign for illness characterized by burnout in the sample of teachers studied.

Gendered Glissandos

Chapter 7 explores how worldwide women writers have adopted new approaches to feminist concerns. They find inspiration in their own heterogeneity, their diverse backgrounds and proclivities, as well as their familiarity with the experiences of many others to create literary compositions that weigh questions of undeniable importance to women, ranging from professional fulfillment to sexual harassment. Gendered requirements for women in various countries and cultures are evoked in literary compositions that portray the complexity of choices that women who have come to France from elsewhere often face on a regular basis. These authors explore in vivid terms the pressures to conform that so many women experience in this country, regardless of their origin, with a special focus on the seemingly inflexible expectation that women will become mothers. They also delve into conceptions of femininity in a variety of contexts, and extol malleable, multiple, even musical models of behavior that transcend gender-based stereotypes. While they give voice to a wide range of viewpoints in their texts, in my interviews they exhibit an almost unanimous reluctance to accept the label “feminist,” due in large part to the pejorative connotations the term took acquired in many circles in France in the years following the women’s movements of the 1970s. Just as their spoken comments reveal judicious reconsiderations of the term, their written work hints that it isn’t wise to dismiss it altogether; they urge instead the creation of expressions that promote women’s human rights in ways that vary according to context.

An Assessment of Physician Well-Being and Burnout Among Army Obstetricians and Gynecologists

ABSTRACT Introduction Physician burnout is associated with unsafe patient care and poor patient satisfaction. Civilian studies show burnout rates of 46% among obstetricians/gynecologists (OB/GYNs). Army Active Duty (A-AD) physician burnout rates range from 7.7% to 26% across specialties, but no studies have assessed A-AD OB/GYN burnout. The objective of this study was to quantify well-being of A-AD OB/GYNs by determining rates of professional fulfillment (wellness) and burnout and detect factors of potential protective or risk for wellness and burnout. Methods A cross-sectional survey-based study was designed to determine well-being of A-AD OB/GYNs. This Institutional Review Board–approved study used the validated Professional Fulfillment Index. The survey was shared anonymously via email to 197 A-AD OB/GYNs. Additional questions asked as possible risk factors for burnout include location, training status, fellowship training, and remaining active duty service obligation (ADSO). Wellness and burnout rates were determined using published scales. Mean rates of wellness and burnout were reported, and chi-square tests detected associations between wellness/burnout and other variables. Results Eighty-three A-AD OB/GYNs responded to the survey (42%), with 73 available for full analysis. 26.5% had positive wellness, and 50% reported burnout. Completing fellowship training and shorter ADSO (of 0-2 years compared to >5 years) had higher rates of wellness. There were no differences in burnout among groups. Conclusions Burnout rates in A-AD OB/GYNs appear higher than A-AD physicians of other specialties but are similar to civilian OB/GYNs. Fellowship training may confer higher rates of wellness. Further research is needed regarding improvements in A-AD OB/GYN well-being and burnout.

Evolution of the Profile of a Polish Paralympian from Heidelberg to Tokyo Paralympic Games: A Study Protocol for a Prospective Longitudinal Study

The observation of sociodemographic characteristics is important for the characterization of Paralympic athletes and the identification of determinants of their athletic performance. The aim of this study is to present the changes that have occurred in the profile of the Polish Paralympian in the period from Heidelberg to Tokyo Paralympic Games based on basic demographic characteristics and selected social and sport-related features. The study included n=646 Polish Paralympic athletes, accounting for 96.6% of the population from the 1972-2021 Games. The research was conducted with the method of direct participant observation using a diagnostic survey. Analysis of the data showed that gender was not a differentiating factor among Polish Paralympic athletes, and the proportion of women was lower than men. Age, on the other hand, was a significant differentiating factor at (p<0.05). Furthermore, a significant differentiation of athletes in terms of the structure of education was observed, with a tendency to a steady increase in its level in subsequent years (chi2 = 68.83; df = 8; p<0.01). However, this did not have a significant effect on their professional fulfillment. The proportion of multiple participants of the Paralympic Games increased significantly (chi2 = 21.43; df = 8; p<0.01), while the proportion of athletes who won a Paralympic medal decreased (also significantly, chi2 = 59.11; df = 8; p<0.01).

Assessment of Burnout, Professional Fulfillment, and Strategies for Improvement in Veterinary Faculty at a Large Academic Department

Retention and recruitment of clinical faculty is crucial for the success of quality veterinary education. Clinical faculty in busy teaching hospital environments have the potential to experience significant burnout, though few studies have focused on identifying stressors in this group. The objective of this study was to measure burnout and professional fulfillment in clinical faculty using a recently validated instrument, the Stanford Professional Fulfillment Index (PFI). The survey was distributed to faculty in July 2020, a time that coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey was completed by 80% (52/65) of survey recipients. Scores for Overall Burnout were significantly higher ( p = .027) and Professional Fulfillment scores significantly lower ( p < .001) for veterinary faculty when compared to a reference group of academic physicians. 61.7% (29/47) of the faculty met the criteria for burnout, and 20.4% (10/49) met the criteria for professional fulfillment. Overall Burnout and Professional Fulfillment scores were not affected by faculty rank or gender, although interpersonal disengagement was greater in faculty who had worked > 6 years at the institution ( p = .032). Responses indicated that faculty valued their work and their patients but faced an excessive workload and lacked autonomy to make changes. Faculty proposed improving efficiency, increasing staffing, and distributing work to technical staff. The PFI is a brief, no-cost instrument validated for measuring burnout and fulfillment in health care workers that can be used to assess well-being among veterinary faculty. Involving faculty in suggesting interventions may yield a variety of creative and actionable options.

The Gratitude Mediates the Relationship Between Self-Esteem and Empathy Among Medical Students

Background: One of the important parts of medical students' competence is empathy, which is believed to significantly influence patient satisfaction, clinical outcomes, and the sense of professional fulfillment. Objective: This study explored the potential mediating effect of gratitude on the relationship between self-esteem, cognitive empathy, and affective empathy, which may provide fundamental data for educational programs aiming to promote cognitive empathy and affective empathy. Design: The paper surveyed a total of 344 medical students with the Self-Esteem Scale, Gratitude Questionnaire-6, and the Chinese version of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index Scale. It uses descriptive analysis to determine the levels of self-esteem, gratitude, and empathy, and Pearson’s correlation to analyze correlations between them. It also conducts the pathway analysis with the equipment of structured equation modeling to test the mediating effect of gratitude on the association between self-esteem and empathy. Results: A total of 306 (88.95%) medical students completed the survey. It finds that, first, the levels of self-esteem, gratitude, cognitive empathy, and affective empathy are significantly correlated. Second, self-esteem has a direct, positive effect on cognitive empathy and affective empathy. Third, gratitude has a mediating role between self-esteem, cognitive empathy [b self-esteem - gratitude - cognitive empathy = 0.072, 95% CI = (0.013 to 0.131), p< 0.05], and affective empathy [bself-esteem - gratitude - affective empathy = 0.241, 95% CI = (0.018 to 0.134), p< 0.001]. Conclusion: Based on the role of self-esteem and gratitude in predicting cognitive empathy and affective empathy, this model can be used in the practice of clinical education to promote cognitive empathy and affective empathy in medical students.

Physician wellness in orthopaedic surgery

Aims Physician burnout and its consequences have been recognized as increasingly prevalent and important issues for both organizations and individuals involved in healthcare delivery. The purpose of this study was to describe and compare the patterns of self-reported wellness in orthopaedic surgeons and trainees from multiple nations with varying health systems. Methods A cross-sectional survey of 774 orthopaedic surgeons and trainees in five countries (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK, and USA) was conducted in 2019. Respondents were asked to complete the Mayo Clinic Well-Being Index and the Stanford Professional Fulfillment Index in addition to 31 personal/demographic questions and 27 employment-related questions via an anonymous online survey. Results A total of 684 participants from five countries (Australia (n = 74), Canada (n = 90), New Zealand (n = 69), UK (n = 105), and USA (n = 346)) completed both of the risk assessment questionnaires (Mayo and Stanford). Of these, 42.8% (n = 293) were trainees and 57.2% (n = 391) were attending surgeons. On the Mayo Clinic Well-Being Index, 58.6% of the overall sample reported feeling burned out (n = 401). Significant differences were found between nations with regards to the proportion categorized as being at risk for poor outcomes (27.5% for New Zealand (19/69) vs 54.4% for Canada (49/90) ; p = 0.001). On the Stanford Professional Fulfillment Index, 38.9% of the respondents were classified as being burned out (266/684). Prevalence of burnout ranged from 27% for Australia (20/74 up to 47.8% for Canadian respondents (43/90; p = 0.010). Younger age groups (20 to 29: RR 2.52 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.39 to 4.58; p = 0.002); 30 to 39: RR 2.40 (95% CI 1.36 to 4.24; p = 0.003); 40 to 49: RR 2.30 (95% CI 1.35 to 3.9; p = 0.002)) and trainee status (RR 1.53 (95% CI 1.15 to 2.03 p = 0.004)) were independently associated with increased relative risk of having a ‘at-risk’ or ‘burnout’ score. Conclusions The rate of self-reported burnout and risk for poor outcomes among orthopaedic surgeons and trainees varies between countries but remains unacceptably high throughout. Both individual and health system characteristics contribute to physician wellness and should be considered in the development of strategies to improve surgeon wellbeing. Level of Evidence: III Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2021;2(11):932–939.