The political and economic sanctions, coupled with the COVID‐19 pandemic, have made work and life difficult for Iranians. In this adverse external work environment, this study aims to understand how ...internal adverse working conditions such as workplace bullying and a hostile work climate may affect workers' emotional exhaustion and socially responsible behaviors, both inside and outside the workplace. Data were collected longitudinally from 304 full‐time employees in Iran using four survey waves over 12 months. To deepen our understanding of the variables and context of the study, we conducted supplementary interviews with 12 participants. The results show that overall workplace bullying increases emotional exhaustion, which, in turn, decreases two types of socially responsible behaviors among workers: (a) sustainability‐oriented behaviors within the workplace and (b) societal behaviors outside of the workplace. Furthermore, we found that a hostile workplace climate increases workers' emotional exhaustion, which, in turn, reduces their sustainability‐oriented behaviors but not their societal behaviors. We have discussed the managerial implications of these results.
Acts of violence are the fifth leading cause of nonfatal occupational injuries in the United States. Experiencing a traumatic event at work can have serious mental health consequences, including the ...development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study aimed to quantify the prevalence of PTSD caused by workplace violence (WPV) in a statewide workers’ compensation system and compare the outcomes and treatment of WPV cases versus those caused by other traumatic events. Using a retrospective cohort study design, workers who reported PTSD as the primary reason for a workers’ compensation claim and had no coexisting physical injuries were found in California during 2009–2018. A total of 3,772 PTSD cases were identified, 48.9% of which were attributed to WPV. Demographic risk factors associated with WPV PTSD included lower income, younger age, female gender, and employment in retail or finance, p < .001–p = .007. For individuals who returned to work, claims due to WPV resulted in longer medically approved time away from work than non‐WPV causes (Mdn = 132.5 days vs. Mdn = 91 days, respectively), p < .001. Three of the top 10 most frequently prescribed medications were administered against evidence‐based guidelines. This study found that many treatments prescribed to PTSD patients are based on insufficient evidence, and the provision of existing empirically supported treatments is needed, particularly in generalized populations. The findings support the need for additional recognition of the cause of workplace PTSD to facilitate appropriate referrals to WPV or PTSD specialists to support return‐to‐work efforts.
The leader role is demanding and depleting, explaining why many leaders struggle to remain engaged while doing their job. In this study, we present theory and an intervention focused on improving ...leader energy. Integrating cognitive energetics theory (Kruglanski et al., 2012) with leader identity theory and expressive writing research, we develop and test a positive leader self-reflection intervention, which asks leaders to reflect on aspects of their selves that make them good leaders. We expected that this intervention would improve leaders' access to and application of their energy in ways that would make them more influential at work. We tested these theoretical expectations in an experimental experience sampling study where, as expected, we found that leaders experienced less depletion and through it heightened work engagement on intervention versus control days. Work engagement, in turn, improved perceived prosocial impact and clout, two markers of leaders' influence at work. We conceptually replicated the depletion-reducing effect of the intervention in a second study and showed that its effectiveness was specific to those who held leadership roles within their organizations. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of the intervention and of our findings.
The measurement properties of indices about workplace aggression initiated by the public, referred to as external workplace aggression, are under-researched. This study addressed how exposure to ...external workplace aggression is best measured and modeled in three types of emergency responders. The study inspected the factor structure and explored the addition of severity to an existing measure of frequency of exposure to workplace aggression, which addresses forms of physical aggression, threats, and verbal and nonverbal/nonphysical aggression (gestures) by people outside the organization directed toward employees. Self-reported data from 1,499 emergency responders, including emergency medical workers, firefighters, and police officers in the Netherlands, were analyzed using factor analyses in Mplus. In addition, the relationships between workplace aggression indices and a measure of the situational risk for violence were tested. Results show that the frequency index measured exposure to external workplace aggression better than the index combining the frequency and severity, and that factor structures of indices differed, regarding number and content of factors, between the three groups of emergency responders. An important implication is that researchers and policy employees can use a relatively simple measure to examine exposure to aggression in organizations.
Aims and objectives
To identify common catalysts of worker‐to‐worker violence and incivility in hospital settings.
Background
Worker‐to‐worker violence and incivility are prevalent forms of ...mistreatment in healthcare workplaces. These are forms of counterproductive work behaviour that can lead to negative outcomes for employees, patients and the organisation overall. Identifying the factors that lead to co‐worker mistreatment is a critical first step in the development of interventions targeting these behaviours.
Design
Retrospective descriptive study.
Methods
Qualitative content analysis was conducted on the total sample (n = 141) of employee incident reports of worker‐to‐worker violence and incivility that were documented in 2011 at a large American hospital system.
Results
More than 50% of the incidents involved nurses, and the majority of incidents did not involve physical violence. Two primary themes emerged from the analysis: Work Behaviour and Work Organisation. Incidents in the Work Behaviour category were often sparked by unprofessional behaviour, disagreement over responsibilities for work tasks or methods of patient care, and dissatisfaction with a co‐worker's performance. Incidents in the Work Organisation category involved conflicts or aggression arising from failure to following protocol, patient assignments, limited resources and high workload.
Conclusion
Incidents of worker‐to‐worker violence and incivility stemmed from dissatisfaction with employee behaviour or from organisational practices or work constraints. These incident descriptions reflect worker dissatisfaction and frustration, resulting from poor communication and collaboration between employees, all of which threaten work productivity.
Relevance to clinical practice
Violence and incivility between hospital employees can contribute to turnover of top performers, hinder effective teamwork and jeopardise the quality of patient care. Identification of common catalysts for worker‐to‐worker violence and incivility informs the development of mistreatment prevention programmes that can be used to educate hospital staff.
ObjectivesTo investigate patterns of alcohol use within the coal mining industry, and associations with the personal, social, workplace and employment characteristics.Design8 mine sites across 3 ...eastern Australian states were surveyed, selected to encompass key geographic characteristics (accessibility and remoteness) and mine type (open cut and underground). Problematic alcohol use was measured using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) to determine: (1) overall risky or hazardous drinking behaviour; and (2) frequency of single-occasion drinking (6 or more drinks on 1 occasion).ResultsA total of 1457 employees completed the survey, of which 45.7% of male and 17.0% of female participants reported levels of alcohol use within the range considered as risky or hazardous, considerably higher than the national average. Hierarchical linear regression revealed a significant contribution of many individual level factors associated with AUDIT scores: younger age, male, current smoking status; illicit substance use; previous alcohol and other drug use (AOD) problems; and higher psychological distress. Workplace factors associated with alcohol use included working in mining primarily for the high remuneration, and the type of mining, with underground miners reporting higher alcohol use than open-cut miners.ConclusionsOur findings provide support for the need to address alcohol use in the coal mining industry over and above routine on-site testing for alcohol use.
Workplace loneliness has an adverse effect on both the employees and the organizations. Despite it being a pervasive issue, workplace loneliness has received scant attention in the domain of human ...resource management. To address the gap, we investigated the antecedent (core self-evaluation) and consequence (emotional exhaustion) of workplace loneliness. Results from 1247 professionals from two different occupational groups revealed that workplace loneliness mediates the relationship between core self-evaluation and emotional exhaustion. In addition, we tested the linkage between loneliness and emotional exhaustion among employees having different levels of leader-member exchange (LMX). Contrary to general belief, we found support to our assertion that the relationship between loneliness and emotional exhaustion is severe for employees having higher levels of LMX, compared to their counterparts having lower levels of LMX. Our study offers important implications for theory and practice.
Work-related violence committed by clients, patients, and customers represents a major occupational health risk for employees that needs to be reduced.
We tested a comprehensive violence prevention ...intervention involving active participation of both employees and managers in the Prison and Probation Service (PPS) and on psychiatric wards in Denmark. We used a stepped wedge cluster randomised controlled trial design. We measured the degree of implementation of the intervention by registration of fidelity, reach, and dose and used a mixed-effects regression analysis to estimate the effects of the intervention.
We recruited 16 work units for the intervention, but three work units dropped out. The average implementation rate was 73%. In the psychiatric wards, the intervention led to statistically significant improvements in the primary outcome (an increase in the degree to which managers and employees continuously work on violence prevention practices based on their registration and experiences), but none statistically significant improvements in any of the secondary outcomes. In the PPS units, the intervention did not lead to a statistically significant improvement in the primary outcome, but to statistically significant improvements in three secondary outcomes.
Most work units were able to carry out the intervention as planned. The intervention showed mixed results regarding the primary outcome. Nevertheless, the results indicate improvements also in the sector where a change in the primary outcome was not achieved. The results point at that a participatory and comprehensive approach could be a viable way of working with violence prevention in high-risk workplaces.
ISRCTN86993466: 20/12/2017.
Workplace violence against medical staff in China is a widespread problem that has negative impacts on medical service delivery. The study aimed to contribute to the prevention of workplace violence ...against medical staff in China by identifying patterns of workplace violence, key risk factors, and the interplay of risk factors that result in workplace violence.
Ninety-seven publicly reported Chinese healthcare violent incidents from late 2013 to 2017 were retrospectively collected from the internet and analysed using content analysis. A modified socio-ecological model guided analysis of the violent incidents focusing on risk.
Physical violence, yinao, or a combination of physical and verbal violence were the typical forms of violence reported. The findings identified risk at all levels. Individual level risk factors included service users' unreasonable expectations, limited health literacy, mistrust towards medical staff, and inadequacy of medical staff's communication during the medical encounter. Organisational level risk factors under the purview of hospital management included problems with job design and service provision system, inadequacies with environmental design, security measures, and violence response mechanisms within hospitals. Societal level risk factors included lack of established medical dispute-handling mechanisms, problems in legislation, lack of trust and basic health literacy among service users. Situational level risks were contingent on risk factors on the other levels: individual, organisational, and societal.
Interventions at individual, situational, organisational, and societal levels are needed to systematically address workplace violence against medical staff in China. Specifically, improving health literacy can empower patients, increase trust in medical staff and lead to more positive user experiences. Organizational-level interventions include improving human resource management and service delivery systems, as well as providing training on de-escalation and violence response for medical staff. Addressing risks at the societal level through legislative changes and health reforms is also necessary to ensure medical staff safety and improve medical care in China.
Organizational justice refers to perceived fairness at the workplace. Individual perceptions of injustice have been linked to reduced mental and physical health. However, perceptions of injustice ...also exist at the aggregate level of departments, reflecting a shared perception, denoted as justice climate. There is evidence that this shared perception independently predicts individual distress levels (e.g., anxiety, depression), which might negatively affect somatic symptom perception and reporting. Hence, the objective of this study was to examine whether individual perceptions of poor justice as well as a poor justice climate are related to elevated somatic complaints. In addition, this study examined if justice climate moderates the relationship between individual-level justice perceptions and somatic symptom reporting.
Cross-sectional data from a large industrial manufacturing company was used, involving 1,102 employees in 31 departments. A validated scale covering interactional and procedural justice assessed individual-level organizational justice. A 19-item symptom checklist measured somatic complaints. Multilevel analyses estimated individual-level associations (within-department effects) with somatic complaints, department-level associations (between-department effects), and the cross-level interaction of both.
Individual-level justice perceptions were negatively associated with somatic complaints. Collective justice climate was likewise significantly associated with somatic complaints. There was no indication for a moderation effect of justice climate.
A poor justice climate correlated positively with individual somatic complaints while controlling for individual perceptions, i.e., above and beyond individual justice perceptions. These findings may imply that interventions targeting department-level perceptions of justice may have the potential to reduce individual somatic complaints beyond the effects of individual-level interventions.
•Organizational justice emerges at the individual- but also at a collective-level.•Individual-level justice is associated with somatic symptom reporting.•Collective justice climate exerts effects independently of individual justice perceptions.•Interventions targeting also collective perceptions of injustice appear promising
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