Working under a black cloud:how to sustain organizational identification after a merger

This article argues against the merger folklore that maintains that a merger negatively affects well-being and work attitudes primarily through the threat of job insecurity. We hold that the workplace is not only a resource for fulfilling a person's financial needs, but that it is an important component of the self-concept in terms of identification with the organization, as explained by social identity theory. We unravel the key concepts of the social identity approach relevant to the analysis of mergers and review evidence from previous studies. Then, we present a study conducted during a merger to substantiate our ideas about the effects of post-merger organizational identification above and beyond the effects of perceived job insecurity. We recommend that managers should account for these psychological effects through the provision of continuity and specific types of communication. © 2006 British Academy of Management.

Étude des relations entre le développement professionnel des enseignants du postsecondaire et leur bien-être psychologique au travail

Réalisé en milieu collégial (cégep)

Étude des relations entre le développement professionnel des enseignants du postsecondaire et leur bien-être psychologique au travail

Réalisé en milieu collégial (cégep)

Contribuições da inserção musical para a qualidade de vida no trabalho em ambiente laboral fabril

The present thesis aimed at understanding how the insertion of music in the work environment contributes to achieving Quality of Work Life. - QWL, under the perspective of biopsychosocial and organizational well-being. As to music insertion we considered the theoretical-empirical perception about how music is inserted at work and its functions on such place. The context where the study was taken was the manufacturing area of a major textile company, located in Natal, state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, in which music is used during labor activities. The only study case was the research strategy adopted, with exploratory and descriptive purposes. The primary data were collected through the focus group technique, applied to the collaborator in the manufacturing sector. The semi-structured interview was done as a complementary tool, directed to the supervisor in that sector. Respecting the theoretical saturation criterion, we formed four focus groups, each one composed of eight members randomly selected, among the seventy-six collaborators in the sector. The data were analyzed qualitatively, through the content analysis technique, more specifically the category analysis. We identified twenty-eight QWL attributes. Six of them were found present in the four focus groups and in the interview. Among these ones, the attribute of Interpersonal Relationship at Work, contemplating the Psychological and Organizational dimensions, was the only one anticipated in four out of fifteen theoretical models here listed. The attribute Music at Work Environment could be inserted in the four QWL dimensions, highlighting the power and relevance of this attribute for the research participants. The way music has been inserted in the labor environment contributes to promoting well-being at work, which goes against theoretical conceptions, especially when it comes to musical genre. We identified nine functions of music at work, among which, Improving Work Conditions, Improving Interpersonal Relationship at Work and Favoring Motivation for Work had to be emphasized for being associated to three QWL attributes. In the total, we highlighted seven associations. The most affected QWL dimension through the insertion of music at work was the Psychological one, followed by the Organizational one. We conclude that music insertion provides biological, social and, above all, psychological and organizational well-being to the contributors, thus contributing to obtaining QWL at the labor environment researched. However, we should consider the context and proceed to periodical plans and adjustments in the way of music insertion so as to avoid health and well-being problems to those people at work

Ser Professor

As escolas sofreram várias mudanças, ao longo dos anos, as quais geraram consequências a nível das condições de trabalho dos professores. Assim, os professores trabalham a um ritmo intenso, com uma enorme sobrecarga de trabalho, o que os leva a queixarem-se de dores de garganta, dores de pernas, dores de costas, rouquidão e cansaço. Enfrentam vários riscos psicossociais e profissionais, na sua profissão, e estes agrupam-se em seis dimensões, de acordo com Gollac & Bodier (2011), a saber: a intensificação de trabalho e tempo de trabalho, exigências emocionais, falta de autonomia, qualidade das relações sociais, conflito de valores e insegurança no trabalho. Esta investigação teve como objetivo a identificação dos riscos psicossociais e profissionais dos professores do 3.ºciclo e do ensino secundário, nela participando 89 professores. A identificação dos riscos psicossociais realizou-se através do INSAT e a entrevista aos docentes permitiu completar e comprovar estes mesmos dados. Esta investigação pretende alertar sobre as condições de trabalho dos professores e as consequências das mesmas para a saúde e bem-estar no trabalho.

Contribuições da inserção musical para a qualidade de vida no trabalho em ambiente laboral fabril

The present thesis aimed at understanding how the insertion of music in the work environment contributes to achieving Quality of Work Life. - QWL, under the perspective of biopsychosocial and organizational well-being. As to music insertion we considered the theoretical-empirical perception about how music is inserted at work and its functions on such place. The context where the study was taken was the manufacturing area of a major textile company, located in Natal, state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, in which music is used during labor activities. The only study case was the research strategy adopted, with exploratory and descriptive purposes. The primary data were collected through the focus group technique, applied to the collaborator in the manufacturing sector. The semi-structured interview was done as a complementary tool, directed to the supervisor in that sector. Respecting the theoretical saturation criterion, we formed four focus groups, each one composed of eight members randomly selected, among the seventy-six collaborators in the sector. The data were analyzed qualitatively, through the content analysis technique, more specifically the category analysis. We identified twenty-eight QWL attributes. Six of them were found present in the four focus groups and in the interview. Among these ones, the attribute of Interpersonal Relationship at Work, contemplating the Psychological and Organizational dimensions, was the only one anticipated in four out of fifteen theoretical models here listed. The attribute Music at Work Environment could be inserted in the four QWL dimensions, highlighting the power and relevance of this attribute for the research participants. The way music has been inserted in the labor environment contributes to promoting well-being at work, which goes against theoretical conceptions, especially when it comes to musical genre. We identified nine functions of music at work, among which, Improving Work Conditions, Improving Interpersonal Relationship at Work and Favoring Motivation for Work had to be emphasized for being associated to three QWL attributes. In the total, we highlighted seven associations. The most affected QWL dimension through the insertion of music at work was the Psychological one, followed by the Organizational one. We conclude that music insertion provides biological, social and, above all, psychological and organizational well-being to the contributors, thus contributing to obtaining QWL at the labor environment researched. However, we should consider the context and proceed to periodical plans and adjustments in the way of music insertion so as to avoid health and well-being problems to those people at work

Liderazgo y autoeficacia en el comportamiento organizacional positivo

El objetivo que tiene este proyecto es revisar los conceptos básicos acerca de las relaciones que crean los líderes con sus colaboradores dentro de las organizaciones, dichas relaciones y vínculos pueden afectar positiva o negativamente el desempeño de sus actividades diarias dentro de una organización. Para darle inicio a la investigación se estudió como primer paso el concepto de liderazgo transformacional, capital psicológico y que componentes hacían parte de este factor. El desarrollo de la investigación se enfatizó entre el liderazgo transformacional y la autoeficacia ya que son factores claves dentro del desarrollo de las actividades organizacionales debido a que afectan claramente el capital humano de las compañías y están directamente relacionados con el crecimiento de las mismas, lo que nos llevó a preguntarnos ¿qué relación tendrá el liderazgo transformacional y la autoeficacia en la productividad de las empresas? Es aquí donde radica la importancia de esta investigación ya que el cambio de pensamiento de las organizaciones hacia un liderazgo transformacional podría lograr una maximización del desempeño del personal de trabajo en relación al objetivo de la compañía. Como conclusión llegamos a que efectivamente hay un efecto positivo en los individuos que desarrollan un capital psicológico específicamente en el factor de autoeficacia para lograr un desempeño destacable, productivo y eficiente dentro de las organizaciones.

Cultura e bem estar no trabalho: o papel do ajustamento pessoa-organização num estudo experimental

Com a crescente importância da vida laboral torna-se necessário o estudo de variáveis que aprimorem o trabalho individual e das empresas. Adotando um design experimental, com a manipulação de quatro orientações culturais e com uma amostra de 150 trabalhadores de uma empresa multinacional, este estudo foi realizado com o objetivo de avaliar o impacto da cultura organizacional no bem-estar (afetivo e cognitivo) laboral, o impacto do ajustamento pessoa-organização no bem-estar do trabalhador e a forma como a relação entre a cultura organizacional e o bem-estar é moderada pelo ajustamento pessoa-organização. Os resultados revelaram que quanto mais elevados os níveis de ajustamento pessoa-organização, maior o conforto, entusiasmo, bem-estar geral e satisfação. Quanto à cultura organizacional, embora não se tenham verificado efeitos de interação significativos, as culturas de apoio e inovação revelam níveis superiores de conforto, entusiasmo, bem-estar afetivo geral, e satisfação laboral dos indivíduos, ao contrário das culturas de regras e objetivos; Culture and Well-Being at Work: the role of person - organization fit in an experimental study Abstract: With the growing importance of working life it is necessary to study the variables to improve individual work and business. Adopting an experimental design, handling four cultural orientations and a sample of 150 employees of a multinational company, this study was designed in order to explore the impact of organizational culture on well-being (affective and cognitive) labor, the impact of person-organization fit in the worker's well-being and how the relationship between organizational culture and well-being is moderated by person-organization fit. The results revealed that the higher the adjustment levels of person-organization, the greater comfort, enthusiasm, general well-being and satisfaction will be. As for the organizational culture, although there were not verified significant interaction effects, cultures of support and innovation promote comfort, enthusiasm, general emotional well-being and job satisfaction of individuals, unlike the cultures of rules and objectives.

Working in IT projects – Options and Limits of Work Design

Flexible forms of work like project work are gaining importance in industry and services. Looking at the research on project work, the vast majority of present literature is on project management, but increasingly, problems concerning the quality of work and the efficiency of project teams become visible. The question now is how project work can be structured in order to simultaneously provide efficient and flexible work and healthy working conditions ensuring the development of human resources for a long time. Selected results of publicly funded research into project work will be presented based on case studies in 7 software development /IT consulting project teams (N=34). A set of different methods was applied: interviews with management/project managers, group interviews on work constraints, a monthly diary about well-being and critical incidences in the course of the project, and a final evaluation questionnaire on project outcomes focusing on economic and health aspects. Findings reveal that different types of projects exist with varying degree of team members’ autonomy and influence on work structuring. An effect of self-regulation on mental strain could not be found. The results emphasize, that contradicting requirements and insufficient organizational resources with respect to the work requirements lead to an increased work intensity or work obstruction. These contradicting requirements are identified as main drivers for generating stress. Finally, employees with high values on stress for more than 2 months have significantly higher exhaustion rates than those with only one month peaks. Structuring project work and taking into account the dynamics of project work, there is a need for an active role of the project team in contract negotiation or the detailed definition of work – this is not only a question of individual autonomy but of negotiation the range of option for work structuring. Therefore, along with the sequential definition of the (software) product, the working conditions need to be re-defined.

Exposure to psychosocial risk factors in the context of work: a systematic review

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To analyze the scientific literature about the effects of exposure to psychosocial risk factors in work contexts. METHODS A systematic review was performed using the terms “psychosocial factors” AND “COPSOQ” in the databases PubMed, Medline, and Scopus. The period analyzed was from January 1, 2004 to June 30, 2012. We have included articles that used the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) as a measuring instrument of the psychosocial factors and the presentation of quantitative or qualitative results. German articles, psychometric studies or studies that did not analyze individual or work factors were excluded. RESULTS We included 22 articles in the analysis. Individual factors, such as gender, age, and socioeconomic status, were analyzed along with work-related factors such as labor demands, work organization and content, social relationships and leadership, work-individual interface, workplace values, justice and respect, personality, health and well-being, and offensive behaviors. We analyzed the sample type and the applied experimental designs. Some population groups, such as young people and migrants, are more vulnerable. The deteriorated working psychosocial environment is associated with physical health indicators and weak mental health. This environment is also a risk factor for the development of moderate to severe clinical conditions, predicting absenteeism or intention of leaving the job. CONCLUSIONS The literature shows the contribution of exposure to psychosocial risk factors in work environments and their impact on mental health and well-being of workers. It allows the design of practical interventions in the work context to be based on scientific evidences. Investigations in specific populations, such as industry, and studies with more robust designs are lacking.

A promoção do capital psicológico,work engagement e saúde mental de trabalhadores

Dissertação de Mestrado em Políticas de Desenvolvimento de Recursos Humanos

“All work and no play … ?” : a critical investigation of an emerging public health discourse on children’s play.

Dans de nombreuses sociétés industrialisées, une grande valeur est attribuée au jeu des enfants, principalement parce que le jeu est considéré comme étant une composante essentielle de leur développement et qu’il contribue à leur bonheur et à leur bien-être. Toutefois, des inquiétudes ont récemment été exprimées au regard des transformations qui s’opèrent dans le jeu des enfants, notamment en ce qui a trait à la réduction du temps de jeu en plein air. Ces transformations ont été attribuées, en grande partie, à une perception de risques accrus associés au jeu en plein air et à des changements sociaux qui favorisent des activités de loisirs plus structurées et organisées. L’inquiétude concernant la diminution de l’espace-temps accordé au jeu des enfants est d’ailleurs clairement exprimée dans le discours de la santé publique qui, de plus, témoigne d’un redoublement de préoccupations vis-à-vis du mode de vie sédentaire des enfants et d’une volonté affirmée de prévention de l'obésité infantile. Ainsi, les organisations de santé publique sont désormais engagées dans la promotion du jeu actif pour accroître l'activité physique des enfants. Nous assistons à l’émergence d’un discours de santé publique portant sur le jeu des enfants. À travers quatre articles, cette thèse explore le discours émergeant en santé publique sur le jeu des enfants et analyse certains de ses effets potentiels. L'article 1 présente une prise de position sur le sujet du jeu en santé publique. J’y définis le cadre d'analyse de cette thèse en présentant l'argument central de la recherche, les positions que les organisations de santé publique adoptent vis-à-vis le jeu des enfants et les répercussions potentielles que ces positions peuvent avoir sur les enfants et leurs jeux. La thèse permet ensuite d’examiner comment la notion de jeu est abordée par le discours de santé publique. L'article 2 présente ainsi une analyse de discours de santé publique à travers 150 documents portant sur la santé, l'activité physique, l'obésité, les loisirs et le jeu des enfants. Cette étude considère les valeurs et les postulats qui sous-tendent la promotion du jeu comme moyen d’améliorer la santé physique des enfants et permet de discerner comment le jeu est façonné, discipliné et normalisé dans le discours de santé publique. Notre propos révèle que le discours de santé publique représente le jeu des enfants comme une activité pouvant améliorer leur santé; que le plaisir sert de véhicule à la promotion de l’activité physique ; et que les enfants seraient encouragés à organiser leur temps libre de manière à optimiser leur santé. Étant donné l’influence potentielle du discours de santé publique sur la signification et l’expérience vécue du jeu parmi les enfants, cette thèse présente ensuite une analyse des représentations qu’ont 25 enfants âgés de 7 à 11 ans au regard du jeu. L’article 3 suggère que le jeu est une fin en soi pour les enfants de cette étude; qu'il revêt une importance au niveau émotionnel; et qu'il s’avère intrinsèquement motivé, sans but particulier. De plus, l’amusement que procure le jeu relève autant d’activités engagées que d’activités sédentaires. Enfin, certains enfants expriment un sentiment d'ambivalence concernant les jeux organisés; tandis que d’autres considèrent parfois le risque comme une composante particulièrement agréable du jeu. De tels résultats signalent une dissonance entre les formes de jeux promues en santé publique et le sens attribué au jeu par les enfants. Prenant appui sur le concept de « biopédagogies » inspiré des écrits de Michel Foucault, le quatrième article de cette thèse propose un croisement des deux volets de cette étude, soit le discours de santé publique sur le jeu et les constructions du jeu par les enfants. Bien que le discours de la santé publique exhortant au «jeu actif» soit reproduit par certains enfants, d'autres soulignent que le jeu sédentaire est important pour leur bien-être social et affectif. D’autre part, tandis que le « jeu actif » apparait, dans le discours de santé publique, comme une solution permettant de limiter le risque d'obésité, il comporte néanmoins des contradictions concernant la notion de risque, dans la mesure où les enfants ont à négocier avec les risques inhérents à l’activité accrue. À terme, cet article suggère que le discours de santé publique met de l’avant certaines représentations du jeu (actifs) tandis qu’il en néglige d’autres (sédentaires). Cette situation pourrait donner lieu à des conséquences inattendues, dans la mesure où les enfants pourraient éventuellement reconfigurer leurs pratiques de jeu et les significations qu’ils y accordent. Cette thèse n'a pas pour but de fournir des recommandations particulières pour la santé publique au regard du jeu des enfants. Prenant appui sur la perspective théorique de Michel Foucault, nous présentons plutôt une analyse d’un discours émergeant en santé publique ainsi que des pistes pour la poursuite de recherches sur le jeu dans le domaine de l’enfance. Enfin, compte tenu des effets potentiels du discours de la santé publique sur le jeu des enfants, et les perspectives contemporaines sur le jeu et les enfants, la conclusion offre des pistes de réflexion critique.

Workforce Issues in the Greater Boston Health Care Industry: Implications for Work and Family

Interviews with more than 40 leaders in the Boston area health care industry have identified a range of broadly-felt critical problems. This document synthesizes these problems and places them in the context of work and family issues implicit in the organization of health care workplaces. It concludes with questions about possible ways to address such issues. The defining circumstance for the health care industry nationally as well as regionally at present is an extraordinary reorganization, not yet fully negotiated, in the provision and financing of health care. Hoped-for controls on increased costs of medical care – specifically the widespread replacement of indemnity insurance by market-based managed care and business models of operation--have fallen far short of their promise. Pressures to limit expenditures have produced dispiriting conditions for the entire healthcare workforce, from technicians and aides to nurses and physicians. Under such strains, relations between managers and workers providing care are uneasy, ranging from determined efforts to maintain respectful cooperation to adversarial negotiation. Taken together, the interviews identify five key issues affecting a broad cross-section of occupational groups, albeit in different ways: Staffing shortages of various kinds throughout the health care workforce create problems for managers and workers and also for the quality of patient care. Long work hours and inflexible schedules place pressure on virtually every part of the healthcare workforce, including physicians. Degraded and unsupportive working conditions, often the result of workplace "deskilling" and "speed up," undercut previous modes of clinical practice. Lack of opportunities for training and advancement exacerbate workforce problems in an industry where occupational categories and terms of work are in a constant state of flux. Professional and employee voices are insufficiently heard in conditions of rapid institutional reorganization and consolidation. Interviewees describe multiple impacts of these issues--on the operation of health care workplaces, on the well being of the health care workforce, and on the quality of patient care. Also apparent in the interviews, but not clearly named and defined, is the impact of these issues on the ability of workers to attend well to the needs of their families--and the reciprocal impact of workers' family tensions on workplace performance. In other words, the same things that affect patient care also affect families, and vice versa. Some workers describe feeling both guilty about raising their own family issues when their patients' needs are at stake, and resentful about the exploitation of these feelings by administrators making workplace policy. The different institutions making up the health care system have responded to their most pressing issues with a variety of specific stratagems but few that address the complexities connecting relations between work and family. The MIT Workplace Center proposes a collaborative exploration of next steps to probe these complications and to identify possible locations within the health care system for workplace experimentation with outcomes benefiting all parties.

Forgotten children: work-family reconciliation in the EU

At the core of this article is a discussion of how, why and with what implications, considerations of children’s needs are missing from the EU’s work-family reconciliation framework. Part I demonstrates how the EU has failed to properly identify, let alone acknowledge or promote, children’s interests in relation to work-family reconciliation. An examination of relevant legislation and case law shows how children are ‘missing’ from this policy area, which has huge implications for their day to day lives. Part II then considers the reasons behind, and consequences of, this reluctance to engage with children’s interests in reconciliation laws and shows how children’s well-being could be better incorporated into relevant policies and within the jurisprudence of the Court of Justice. This section highlights, for example, how the EU has been willing and able to promote children’s interests in other legal fields and suggests that changes in the Treaty, post Lisbon, offer a means to improve the current approach.