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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Occupational Safety and Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2022) | Viewed by 61461

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Dr. Silvia Pignata

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STEM Unit, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
Interests: work stress; academic stress; university interventions; psychosocial safety; workplace digitalization; digital communication; organizational stress and well-being interventions; aviation psychology; human factors
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Across the globe in 2020, the significant public health and economic impacts of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been associated with increasing levels of stress and reduced physical and mental well-being. Within this challenging context and the growing realization of the importance of people’s well-being both at work and at home, it is timely to investigate new and emerging psychosocial risks within organizations to offset their adverse effects on workers’ health and on organizational performance (Leiter et al., 2014). Within recent years, a growing body of longitudinal, multi-level and meta-analytic research has highlighted the need for comprehensive and evaluative studies examining the risks to psychosocial health and safety at the organizational and sector levels. This Special Issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH) invites research papers, reviews, case reports, commentaries and conference papers to help understand the following issues: challenges of globalization and increased competition; impact of Industry 4.0 and technological change; gig economy and temporary online work platforms; increase in workplace digitalization; growth of remote work; role of surveillance; growth of digital communication; intensification of work; increase of service work and associated emotional demands (bullying, violence); intrusion of work into non-work time; conflict between family and work; impact of worker burnout, recovery or engagement; role of organizational culture or cross-cultural impacts; importance of psychosocial safety climate; and the need to design health and well-being promotion policies to address the wide-ranging and diverse occupational changes that are likely to increase in the coming years. Papers addressing these and related topics are invited for this Special Issue, especially those with an applied focus on providing optimal organizational solutions.

Dr. Silvia Pignata
Guest Editor

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Keywords

stress
well-being
psychosocial risks
globalization
workplace digitalization
remote work
surveillance
digital communication
intensification of work
non-work time
psychosocial safety
occupational changes

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Published Papers (14 papers)

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Editorial

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4 pages, 270 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Psychosocial Factors That Influence the Health of Workers in Contemporary Workplaces

by Silvia Pignata

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(21), 14016; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192114016 - 27 Oct 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1438

Abstract

This Special Issue of the IJERPH examines various psychosocial factors that influence the health of workers in contemporary workplaces [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Psychosocial Issues in Occupational Disease and Occupational Health)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Other

22 pages, 3488 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A New Academic Quality at Work Tool (AQ@workT) to Assess the Quality of Life at Work in the Italian Academic Context

by Margherita Brondino, Fulvio Signore, Agnese Zambelli, Emanuela Ingusci, Silvia Pignata, Amelia Manuti, Maria Luisa Giancaspro, Alessandra Falco, Damiano Girardi, Dina Guglielmi, Marco Depolo, Barbara Loera, Daniela Converso, Sara Viotti, Andreina Bruno, Silvia Gilardi, Michela Cortini, Francesco Pace, Vincenza Capone, Silvia Platania, Margherita Zito, Margherita Pasini, Massimo Miglioretti, Giuseppina Dell’Aversana, Giuseppe Carrus and Paola Spagnoli Show full author list Hide full author list

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(6), 3724; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063724 - 21 Mar 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3811

Abstract

The present study provides evidence for a valid and reliable tool, the Academic Quality at Work Tool (AQ@workT), to investigate the quality of life at work in academics within the Italian university sector. The AQ@workT was developed by the QoL@Work research team, namely a group of expert academics in the field of work and organizational psychology affiliated with the Italian Association of Psychologists. The tool is grounded in the job demands-resources model and its psychometric properties were assessed in three studies comprising a wide sample of lecturers, researchers, and professors: a pilot study (N = 120), a calibration study (N = 1084), and a validation study (N = 1481). Reliability and content, construct, and nomological validity were supported, as well as measurement invariance across work role (researchers, associate professors, and full professors) and gender. Evidence from the present study shows that the AQ@workT represents a useful and reliable tool to assist university management to enhance quality of life, to manage work-related stress, and to mitigate the potential for harm to academics, particularly during a pandemic. Future studies, such as longitudinal tests of the AQ@workT, should test predictive validity among the variables in the tool. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Psychosocial Issues in Occupational Disease and Occupational Health)

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10 pages, 331 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sickness Presenteeism in Prison Officers: Risk Factors and Implications for Wellbeing and Productivity

by Gail Kinman and Andrew J. Clements

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(6), 3389; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063389 - 13 Mar 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3162

Abstract

Sickness presenteeism involves employees continuing to work while unwell. As presenteeism is influenced by contextual and individual difference factors, it is important to assess its prevalence and implications for wellbeing and productivity in different occupational groups. This study examines these issues in a sample of prison officers working in UK institutions. Data were obtained from a survey of 1956 prison officers. Measures assessed the prevalence of and reasons for presenteeism and the perceived impact on job performance, along with mental health and perceptions of workplace safety climate. More than nine respondents out of ten (92%) reported working while unwell at least sometimes, with 43% reporting that they always did so. Presenteeism frequency was significantly related to mental health symptoms, impaired job performance and a poorer workplace safety climate. The reasons provided for presenteeism explained 31% of the variance in self-reported mental health, 34% in job performance and 17% in workplace safety climate, but the pattern of predictors varied according to the outcome. The findings can be used to inform interventions at the organisational and individual levels to encourage a ‘healthier’ approach to sickness absence, with likely benefits for staff wellbeing, job performance and workplace safety climate. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Psychosocial Issues in Occupational Disease and Occupational Health)

20 pages, 752 KiB

Open AccessArticle

In Whom Do We Trust? A Multifoci Person-Centered Perspective on Institutional Trust during COVID-19

by Lixin Jiang, Erica L. Bettac, Hyun Jung Lee and Tahira M. Probst

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(3), 1815; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031815 - 5 Feb 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 5068

Abstract

Institutional trust plays a crucial role when a nation is facing mega crises (e.g., the COVID-19 pandemic) and has implications for employee work experiences and well-being. To date, researchers largely consider how institutional trust or trust in government may predict variables of interest in isolation. However, this variable-centered perspective ignores the possibility that there are subpopulations of employees who may differ in their trust in different institutions (i.e., the state government, the federal government). To address this, we examined institutional trust with two foci (i.e., trust in state government and trust in federal government) from a person-centered perspective. Using latent profile analysis and data from 492 U.S.-based employees, we identified five trust profiles: high trustors, federal trustors, state trustors, the ambivalent, and distrusters, and found that these profiles differentially predicted attitudes towards and behavioral compliance with CDC recommended COVID-19 prevention practices, job insecurity, affective commitment, helping behavior, and psychological well-being. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Psychosocial Issues in Occupational Disease and Occupational Health)

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15 pages, 880 KiB

Open AccessArticle

When and Why Demands Reveal Their Challenging Potential during Change

by Charlotte Blum and Thomas Rigotti

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(24), 13076; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182413076 - 11 Dec 2021

Viewed by 1838

Abstract

This study contributes to a better understanding of the complexity of the demands that arise during organisational change. We investigated classic and change-specific demands in relation to emotional exhaustion and work engagement within the challenge–hindrance framework. We focused on workload and individual job impact and tested trust and autonomy as moderators. Data were collected via a cross-sectional online questionnaire. The convenience sample consisted of 388 employees experiencing organisational change at the time of responding. We conducted regression analyses to test for both direct and moderating effects. The results indicate that workload and individual job impact exhibit challenge and hindrance qualities. We also identified the significant moderating effects of trust and autonomy on individual job impact. This study integrates the challenge–hindrance framework into the job demands–resources model and offers a new perspective by applying this framework in the context of organisational change. We examined the specific roles of autonomy and trust regarding demands during change processes, and their potential in channelling challenging qualities is examined, offering new perspectives on the buffering of change demands. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Psychosocial Issues in Occupational Disease and Occupational Health)

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18 pages, 3312 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Family-to-Work Interface and Workplace Injuries: The Mediating Roles of Burnout, Work Engagement, and Safety Violations

by Oi Ling Siu and Ting Kin Ng

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(22), 11760; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182211760 - 9 Nov 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2946

Abstract

Past research has primarily investigated the role of the negative side (family-to-work conflict; FWC) of the family-to-work interface in workplace safety outcomes and neglected the positive side (family-to-work enrichment; FWE). Moreover, the mechanism underlying the relation between the family-to-work interface and workplace safety has not been well studied. From the perspectives of the job demands-resources model as well as conservation of resources theory, this study endeavors to extend the current literature on workplace safety by evaluating the mediating roles of burnout, work engagement, and safety violations in the associations of FWC and FWE with workplace injuries. Two-wave longitudinal survey data were obtained from 233 Chinese employees in two high-risk industries (nursing and railways). The hypothesized longitudinal mediation model was analyzed with the structural equation modeling technique. It was revealed that the association of FWE with workplace injuries was mediated by work engagement and then safety violations. Burnout was found to mediate the association of FWC with workplace injuries. Safety violations were also found to mediate the association of FWC with workplace injuries. The present findings offer insights into the underlying mechanisms by which the family-to-work interface influences workplace injuries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Psychosocial Issues in Occupational Disease and Occupational Health)

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12 pages, 1436 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Power of Family Support: The Long-Term Effect of Pre-COVID-19 Family Support on Mid-COVID-19 Work Outcomes

by Yuhyung Shin, Won-Moo Hur and Kyungdo Park

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(19), 10524; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph181910524 - 7 Oct 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2830

Abstract

While COVID-19 has triggered a vast amount of research on the effect of the pandemic on employee outcomes, little information is known about how the family-to-work interface affects long-term work outcomes during the pandemic. Drawing on the work–home resources model, this study proposes that family support provided before the onset of COVID-19 has a positive indirect effect on job performance and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) after the onset, by decreasing emotional exhaustion. To test this proposition, we collected two-wave data from 211 South Korean employees over a 17-month period. As predicted, after controlling for employees’ pre-COVID-19 emotional exhaustion, job performance, and OCB, pre-COVID-19 family support was found to exert a significant indirect effect on mid-COVID-19 job performance (b = 0.024, 95% CI = [0.003, 0.071], ab_cs = 0.027) and OCB (b = 0.031, 95% CI = [0.001, 0.084], ab_cs = 0.033), through mid-COVID-19 emotional exhaustion. This finding suggests that family support has a positive longitudinal effect on work outcomes for employees during the pandemic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Psychosocial Issues in Occupational Disease and Occupational Health)

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17 pages, 1260 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Do Gender and Gender Role Orientation Make a Difference in the Link between Role Demands and Family Interference with Work for Taiwanese Workers?

by Luo Lu, Ting-Ting Chang, Shu-Fang Kao and Cary L. Cooper

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(18), 9807; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18189807 - 17 Sep 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2980

Abstract

Based on the gender role orientation perspective, this study extends the resource depletion mechanism that links role demands to family interference with work by testing the moderating effects of gender and gender role orientation (egalitarian vs. traditional) on the relationships. Analysis of the data from 251 employees in Taiwan revealed two significant three-way interactive effects. Specifically, for men, the positive relationship between work demands and family-to-work conflict (FWC) was stronger for egalitarian than traditional individuals. For women, the positive relationship between family demands and FWC was stronger for egalitarian than traditional individuals. We also found a significant two-way interactive effect; that is, within the egalitarian group, the positive relationship between work demands and FWC was stronger for women than men. Our findings, thus, suggest both within-gender and between-gender variations in the links between work-to-family demands and conflict, jointly affected by the individual’s gender and gender role orientation. Contextualized within the cultural traditions of a Chinese society, we highlight the precarious position that egalitarian men and women (especially women) find for themselves in fulfilling work duties and family roles. The theoretical and managerial implications are also discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Psychosocial Issues in Occupational Disease and Occupational Health)

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20 pages, 1157 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Safety Culture on Safety Performance; Mediating Role of Psychosocial Hazard: An Integrated Modelling Approach

by Gehad Mohammed Ahmed Naji, Ahmad Shahrul Nizam Isha, Mysara Eissa Mohyaldinn, Stavroula Leka, Muhammad Shoaib Saleem, Syed Mohamed Nasir Bin Syed Abd Rahman and Mohammed Alzoraiki

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(16), 8568; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18168568 - 13 Aug 2021

Cited by 38 | Viewed by 10562

Abstract

We conceptualize that safety culture (SC) has a positive impact on employee’s safety performance by reducing their psychosocial hazards. A higher level of safety culture environment reduces psychosocial hazards by improving employee’s performance toward safety concerns. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how psychosocial hazard mediates the relationship between safety culture and safety performance. Data were collected from 380 production employees in three states of Malaysia from the upstream oil and gas sector. Structural equation modeling was implemented to test the suggested hypotheses. The proposed model was evaluated using structural equation modeling. A stratified sampling with a Likert 5-point scale was used to distribute the questionnaires. Furthermore, the proposed model was tested using the simulation of the structural equation and partial. According to our findings, all hypotheses were significant. A review of prior studies was used to select the items of the dimension for the data collection. Safety culture was assessed with psychosocial hazard to determine its direct and indirect impact on safety performance. Results suggest that to enhance safety performance (leading and lagging), psychosocial concerns in the workplace environments should be taken into consideration by employees. In addition, the findings showed that the psychosocial hazard fully mediates the relationship between safety culture and safety performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Psychosocial Issues in Occupational Disease and Occupational Health)

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13 pages, 498 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Demand–Control Model as a Predictor of Depressive Symptoms—Interaction and Differential Subscale Effects: Prospective Analyses of 2212 German Employees

by Hermann Burr, Grit Müller, Uwe Rose, Maren Formazin, Thomas Clausen, Anika Schulz, Hanne Berthelsen, Guy Potter, Angelo d’Errico and Anne Pohrt

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(16), 8328; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18168328 - 6 Aug 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2333

Abstract

Testing assumptions of the widely used demand–control (DC) model in occupational psychosocial epidemiology, we investigated (a) interaction, i.e., whether the combined effect of low job control and high psychological demands on depressive symptoms was stronger than the sum of their single effects (i.e., superadditivity) and (b) whether subscales of psychological demands and job control had similar associations with depressive symptoms. Logistic longitudinal regression analyses of the 5-year cohort of the German Study of Mental Health at Work (S-MGA) 2011/12–2017 of 2212 employees were conducted. The observed combined effect of low job control and high psychological demands on depressive symptoms did not indicate interaction (RERI = −0.26, 95% CI = −0.91; 0.40). When dichotomizing subscales at the median, differential effects of subscales were not found. When dividing subscales into categories based on value ranges, differential effects for job control subscales (namely, decision authority and skill discretion) were found (p = 0.04). This study does not support all assumptions of the DC model: (1) it corroborates previous studies not finding an interaction of psychological demands and job control; and (2) signs of differential subscale effects were found regarding job control. Too few prospective studies have been carried out regarding differential subscale effects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Psychosocial Issues in Occupational Disease and Occupational Health)

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18 pages, 519 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Post-Pandemic Patient Safety Culture: A Case from a Large Metropolitan Hospital Group in Taiwan

by Hsing Yu Chen, Luo Lu, Yi Ming Ko, Jui Wen Chueh, Shu Ya Hsiao, Pa Chun Wang and Cary L. Cooper

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(9), 4537; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094537 - 24 Apr 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3989

Abstract

Patient safety is the core goal of medical institutions. The present study focuses on the patient safety culture and staff well-being admit the COVID-19 pandemic. In a large metropolitan hospital group, 337 employees who had participated in the quality improvement interventions completed an anonymous questionnaire of patient safety culture and personal well-being. The multiple regression analyses indicated that managerial role, seniority, female gender and direct contact with a patient were significantly related to the positive attitude on overall or certain dimensions of safety culture. Multivariate analysis also found that dimensions of teamwork climate, safety climate, job satisfaction and stress recognition as patient safety culture predicted staff exhaustion. Finally, comparing with the available institutional historic data in 2018, the COVID group scored higher on the working condition dimension of patient safety culture, but lower on the stress recognition dimension. The COVID group also scored higher on exhaustion. In the post-pandemic era, there seems to be an improvement on certain aspect of the patient safety culture among hospital staff, and the improvement is more prevalent for managers. However, exhaustion is also a poignant problem for all employees. These findings can inform hospital decision-makers in planning and implementing future improvements of patient safety culture and promoting employee well-being and resilience. Our findings also reveal directions for future research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Psychosocial Issues in Occupational Disease and Occupational Health)

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12 pages, 734 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Are Job Demands Necessary in the Influence of a Transformational Leader? The Moderating Effect of Role Conflict

by Pedro A. Díaz-Fúnez, Carmen M. Salvador-Ferrer, Natalia García-Tortosa and Miguel A. Mañas-Rodríguez

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(7), 3630; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18073630 - 31 Mar 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3199

Abstract

(1) Background: The objective of this manuscript is to propose the necessity of job demands to ensure the positive influence of policies in stimulating employees’ engagement and performance. If the policies related to the intellectual stimulation of employees implemented by team leaders are to have positive effects on employee performance, they must induce emotional engagement in the employees. Furthermore, to achieve this positive influence on emotions, the organization must offer an environment that challenges the employees in the organization. Here, we analyze a moderate mediation model to examine the moderating, positive effect of role conflict on the intellectual engagement and performance of employees. (2) Methods: This study involved 705 employees of a multinational private company based in Spain. (3) Results: We confirm the positive moderating effect of role conflict between the intellectual stimulation of employees and intellectual engagement, and the mediating effect of intellectual engagement between leadership behavior and employee performance. (4) Conclusions: Organizational leader stimulation practices necessitate an environment of moderate job demands in order to improve the intellectual engagement of employees, thereby increasing their performance. The implications of the findings in terms of theory, research and practice are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Psychosocial Issues in Occupational Disease and Occupational Health)

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10 pages, 1177 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Telecommuting, Off-Time Work, and Intrusive Leadership in Workers’ Well-Being

by Nicola Magnavita, Giovanni Tripepi and Carlo Chiorri

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(7), 3330; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18073330 - 24 Mar 2021

Cited by 60 | Viewed by 10533

Abstract

Telecommuting is a flexible form of work that has progressively spread over the last 40 years and which has been strongly encouraged by the measures to limit the COVID-19 pandemic. There is still limited evidence on the effects it has on workers’ health. In this survey we invited 905 workers of companies that made a limited use of telecommuting to fill out a questionnaire to evaluate intrusive leadership of managers (IL), the request for work outside traditional hours (OFF-TAJD), workaholism (Bergen Work Addiction Scale (BWAS)), effort/reward imbalance (ERI), happiness, and common mental issues (CMIs), anxiety and depression, assessed by the Goldberg scale (GADS). The interaction between these variables has been studied by structural equation modeling (SEM). Intrusive leadership and working after hours were significantly associated with occupational stress. Workaholism is a relevant moderator of this interaction: intrusive leadership significantly increased the stress of workaholic workers. Intrusive leadership and overtime work were associated with reduced happiness, anxiety, and depression. These results indicate the need to guarantee the right to disconnect to limit the effect of the OFF-TAJD. In addition to this, companies should implement policies to prevent intrusive leadership and workaholism. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Psychosocial Issues in Occupational Disease and Occupational Health)

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9 pages, 298 KiB

Open AccessCommentary

Remote Work in a Changing World: A Nod to Personal Space, Self-Regulation and Other Health and Wellness Strategies

by Sybil Geldart

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(8), 4873; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19084873 - 17 Apr 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 5215

Abstract

Remote work has escalated as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, and citizens have been doing their part to mitigate the spread of viral infection. The downside of quickly switching from a workplace office to remote work is that neither employees nor employers have had time to consciously process the new work environment and formally evaluate health and safety concerns. The aim of this commentary was to make suggestions on how to make remote work more satisfying, safe, and healthy for employees. First, I explored existing research on disease outbreaks and mental stress as the backdrop for discussing health-related strategies. To determine which types of strategies or measures would help, next I examined existing organizational research, including a qualitative study by my colleagues on workers’ perceptions about what makes a healthy workplace. Themes that emerged from the qualitative study align with three broad recommendations discussed in this commentary: cultivating personal space, building in ergonomics, and boosting self-regulation (self-learning) skills. Finally, I suggested that future research should explore the joint roles of the worker and his/her management team in recognition of organizational commitment to occupational health and safety alongside each worker’s need for autonomy in their personal workspace. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Psychosocial Issues in Occupational Disease and Occupational Health)

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