Effort-reward imbalance at work and the co-occurrence of lifestyle risk factors: cross-sectional survey in a sample of 36,127 public sector employees

Background In occupational life, a mismatch between high expenditure of effort and receiving few rewards may promote the co-occurrence of lifestyle risk factors, however, there is insufficient evidence to support or refute this hypothesis. The aim of this study is to examine the extent to which the dimensions of the Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) model – effort, rewards and ERI – are associated with the co-occurrence of lifestyle risk factors. Methods Based on data from the Finnish Public Sector Study, cross-sectional analyses were performed for 28,894 women and 7233 men. ERI was conceptualized as a ratio of effort and rewards. To control for individual differences in response styles, such as a personal disposition to answer negatively to questionnaires, occupational and organizational -level ecological ERI scores were constructed in addition to individual-level ERI scores. Risk factors included current smoking, heavy drinking, body mass index ≥25 kg/m2, and physical inactivity. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to estimate the likelihood of having one risk factor, two risk factors, and three or four risk factors. The associations between ERI and single risk factors were explored using binary logistic regression models. Results After adjustment for age, socioeconomic position, marital status, and type of job contract, women and men with high ecological ERI were 40% more likely to have simultaneously ≥3 lifestyle risk factors (vs. 0 risk factors) compared with their counterparts with low ERI. When examined separately, both low ecological effort and low ecological rewards were also associated with an elevated prevalence of risk factor co-occurrence. The results obtained with the individual-level scores were in the same direction. The associations of ecological ERI with single risk factors were generally less marked than the associations with the co-occurrence of risk factors. Conclusion This study suggests that a high ratio of occupational efforts relative to rewards may be associated with an elevated risk of having multiple lifestyle risk factors. However, an unexpected association between low effort and a higher likelihood of risk factor co-occurrence as well as the absence of data on overcommitment (and thereby a lack of full test of the ERI model) warrant caution in regard to the extent to which the entire ERI model is supported by our evidence.

Communities of practice as professional and organizational development strategy in local public health organizations in Québec, Canada : an evaluation model

Communities of practice (CoPs) are among the professional development strategies most widely used in such fields as management and education. Though the approach has elicited keen interest, knowledge pertaining to its conceptual underpinnings is still limited, thus hindering proper assessment of CoPs' effects and the processes generating the latter. To address this shortcoming, this paper presents a conceptual model that was developed to evaluate an initiative based on a CoP strategy: Health Promotion Laboratories are a professional development intervention that was implemented in local public health organizations in Montreal (Quebec, Canada). The model is based on latest theories on work-group effectiveness and organizational learning and can be usefully adopted by evaluators who are increasingly called upon to illuminate decision-making about CoPs. Ultimately, validation of this conceptual model will help advance knowledge and practice pertaining to CoPs as well as professional and organizational development strategies in public health.

The dynamics of professions and development of new roles in public services organizations: the case of modern matrons in the English NHS

This study contributes to research examining how professional autonomy and hierarchy impacts upon the implementation of policy designed to improve the quality of public services delivery through the introduction of new managerial roles. It is based on an empirical examination of a new role for nurses – modern matrons – who are expected by policy-makers to drive organizational change aimed at tackling health care acquired infections (HCAI) in the National Health Service (NHS) within England. First, we show that the changing role of nurses associated with their ongoing professionalization limits the influence of modern matrons over their own ranks in tackling HCAI. Second, the influence of modern matrons over doctors is limited. Third, government policy itself appears inconsistent in its support for the role of modern matrons. The attempts of modern matrons to tackle HCAI appear more effective where infection control activity is situated in professional practice and where modern matrons integrate aspirations for improved infection control within mainstream audit mechanisms in a health care organization.

Recursos humanos como fonte de vantagem competitiva numa instituição de ensino superior

Neste trabalho discute-se a importância da performance das organizações, com especial incidência nas organizações do sector público e mais particularmente nas Instituições de Ensino Superior, à medida que se multiplicam as exigências em tomo da eficiência, quantidade e qualidade dos seus serviços e maior flexibilidade para assegurar a competitividade frente às necessidades impostas pelo mercado que, em breve, incorporará estratégias de competitividade de nível mundial. Uma boa gestão dos recursos humanos toma-se assim imprescindível como ferramenta organizacional de gestão estratégica para fazer face à reforma administrativa da administração pública portuguesa traduzida em diversos projetos de mudança, alguns já suportados por legislação - PRACE, Simplex, SIADAP 123, Mobilidade, QREN, POPH, QUAR, Estatuto de Carreiras e Remunerações. Com este trabalho pretende-se chamar a atenção para a importância dos recursos humanos dentro das organizações, fazendo um diagnóstico do funcionamento da área de Recursos Humanos do Instituto Politécnico de Tomar e propondo um plano de intervenção/reorganização destes mesmos serviços. Este trabalho desenvolve-se através de um estágio na Área de Recursos Humanos e a metodologia adotada foi numa primeira etapa o enquadramento teórico da problemática a nível geral e depois a nível mais específico, ou seja, ao nível da Administração Pública, posteriormente passamos ao estudo da realidade concreta através da análise documental de um conjunto de documentos de importância estratégica assim como a realização de entrevistas a informantes-chave da Instituição. ABSTRACT: This work discusses the importance of the performance of organizations, with particular emphasis on public sector organizations and more particularly in Institutions of Higher Education, as we are increasing the demands on the efficiency, quantity and quality of its services and greater flexibility to ensure the competitiveness related to the needs imposed by the market that we will soon incorporate strategies of competitiveness worldwide. A good human resources management becomes essential as a tool organizational management structure to deal with the administrative reform of public administration Portuguese translated into various projects of change, some already supported by law - PRACE, Simplex, SIADAP, mobility, QREN, POPH, QUAR, Status of Careers and Compensation. This work aims to draw attention to the importance of human resources within organizations, making a diagnosis of the functioning of the area of Human Resources of the Polytechnic Institute of Tomar and proposing a plan of action I reorganization of these services. This work develops through a stage in the Field of Human Resources and the methodology adopted was a first step the theoretical framework of the problem in general and then the more specific level, or at the Administration, subsequently passed to the study of reality through the documentary analysis of a set of documents of strategic importance as well as the conduct of interviews with key informants of the institution.

Human resources management, citizenship behavior, and turnover intention in the portuguese public administration

Framed by a social exchange perspective, this study address the issue of whether positive employees’ perceptions about human resource management practices influence positive attitudes and behaviour. We hypothesize that human resource management practices (HRMP) have a significant negative effect on intention to voluntary leave the organization and a positive effect on organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB), and that OCB could mediate the relationship between HRMP and turnover intention. A sample of 165 employees from the Portuguese public administration participated in the study. Data was analysed through descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis and hypotheses were tested using single and multiple linear regressions. Results indicate that HRMP is positively associated with OCB, but only internal communication practice is highly valued by Portuguese public employees and successfully predicts OCB. HRMP also show a positive association with turnover intention but only celebration and recognition practices are predictors of turnover intention. Contrary to our hypothesis OCB did not acted as mediator between HRMP and turnover intention. Some suggestions on managerial human resource practices were proposed as well as some main questions raised in the Portuguese public administration context.

One Hundred and First Annual Report of the Public Service Commission of South Carolina 1978-1979

Each year the South Carolina Public Service Commission reports to the Office of State Budget that includes the agency's mission, goals and objectives to accomplish the mission, and performance measures regarding the goals and objectives.

One Hundred and Second Annual Report of the Public Service Commission of South Carolina 1979-1980

Each year the South Carolina Public Service Commission reports to the Office of State Budget that includes the agency's mission, goals and objectives to accomplish the mission, and performance measures regarding the goals and objectives.

One Hundred and Third Annual Report of the Public Service Commission of South Carolina 1980-1981

Each year the South Carolina Public Service Commission reports to the Office of State Budget that includes the agency's mission, goals and objectives to accomplish the mission, and performance measures regarding the goals and objectives.

One Hundred and Fourth Annual Report of the Public Service Commission of South Carolina 1981-1982

Each year the South Carolina Public Service Commission reports to the Office of State Budget that includes the agency's mission, goals and objectives to accomplish the mission, and performance measures regarding the goals and objectives.

One Hundred and Fifth Annual Report of the Public Service Commission of South Carolina 1982-1983

Each year the South Carolina Public Service Commission reports to the Office of State Budget that includes the agency's mission, goals and objectives to accomplish the mission, and performance measures regarding the goals and objectives.

One Hundred and Sixth Annual Report of the Public Service Commission of South Carolina

Each year the South Carolina Public Service Commission reports to the Office of State Budget that includes the agency's mission, goals and objectives to accomplish the mission, and performance measures regarding the goals and objectives.

One Hundred and Seventh Annual Report of the Public Service Commission of South Carolina

Each year the South Carolina Public Service Commission reports to the Office of State Budget that includes the agency's mission, goals and objectives to accomplish the mission, and performance measures regarding the goals and objectives.

Determinants of the Design and Use of PMS in Portuguese Government Agencies: A Complementary Theoretical Approach

Performance measurement is seen as a main pillar of public management reforms. However, prior research did not mitigate the level of ambiguity on PMS development and use and many questions left unanswered. Our findings provide knowledge on the design and use of PMS in the public sector answer- ing to calls for a complementary approach among institutional and contingency factors. The authors find that the design of PMS and the use of performance information for external purposes are increased to legitimate the organizational’ work and to obtain external support. Moreover, structural variables such as type of agency and management autonomy are also determinants on the organizational responses. Finally, the authors find some coupling between the design of PMS and outcomes. So, both contingent and institutional approaches play an important role on the empirical model.

“Productivity and Employment in Firm’s Acess to Public Funding to Support Innovation”

Innovation is at the heart of the Europe 2020 Strategy, in order to promote higher levels of employment and productivity. Special attention is given to increasing the effectiveness of innovation policy instruments, mainly as some authors found evidence that productivity could be negatively affected by subsidies. The aim of the study is to assess how the expected impact on firm productivity and employment is taken into account, when firms apply for public funding for innovation. The analysis is based on the case study of the Portuguese Innovation Incentive System in the Alentejo region. In order to understand which factors influence the public decision to financially support private investment, we estimated a logit model based on firms’ and applications’ characteristics, controlling for the macroeconomic environment. The results indicate that government preferences for promoting exports, exploiting firms R&D results and stimulating the level of qualified employment are shown to be more relevant than the impact on firm productivity. Furthermore, the cost to the government of new jobs created, measured at least by exemption of interest and financial charges on the loan, is almost twice as much for non-SMEs as for SMEs.