Showing papers on "Workforce published in 2001"

Nurses' Reports On Hospital Care In Five Countriese ways in which nurses' work is structured have left nurses

Abstract: The current nursing shortage, high hospital nurse job dissatisfac- tion, and reports of uneven quality of hospital care are not uniquely American phenomena. This paper presents reports from 43,000 nurses from more than 700 hospitals in the United States, Canada, England, Scotland, and Germany in 1998-1999. Nurses in countries with distinctly different health care systems report similar shortcomings in their work environments and the quality of hospital care. While the competence of and relation between nurses and physi- cians appear satisfactory, core problems in work design and workforce manage- ment threaten the provision of care. Resolving these issues, which are amena- ble to managerial intervention, is essential to preserving patient safety and care of consistently high quality.

Well‐being and occupational health in the 21st century workplace

Abstract: Over the last 40 years, major changes have taken place in the workplace. The growth in the use of information technology at work, the globalization of many industries, organizational restructuring, changes in work contracts and worktime scheduling have radically transformed the nature of work in many organizations. The workforce itself is also diversifying, with an increase in female participation, a growing number of dual-earner couples and older workers. The present paper discusses the impact of these workplace transitions on employee well-being. We focus on four issues that are current concerns for organizations and the workforce; job insecurity, work hours, control at work, and managerial style. For each topic, recent research is presented, with suggestions for future research and recommendations for practitioners working in the organizations of today. The paper concludes with some final considerations for researchers and practitioners that may benefit both employee well-being and organizational effectiveness.

Young workers' work values, attitudes, and behaviours.

Abstract: Young workers represent the workforce of the future. We discuss research on two major influences on young people's work-related values, attitudes, and behaviours, namely family influences and work experiences. Particular emphasis is given to the role of young people's work experiences in shaping their future work-related attitudes, values, and behaviours (an under-researched area in occupational/ organizational psychology). To begin outlining a research agenda based on young workers, changes in the world of work and emerging areas of importance for the future generation of workers and their organizations are also highlighted (i.e. the rise in non-standard employment, leadership, workplace health and safety and unions).

The effects of exercise on self-perceptions and self-esteem.

Abstract: Volumes of research have been generated on the topic of self-esteem and self-concept to the point where it is difficult to find a psychological construct that has attracted more academic attention. Self-esteem is also one of the few psychological terms that has acquired a meaning among the general public. It regularly crops up in informal conversations, usually in the context of explaining particular mental states and behaviours. Reference to self-esteem also features in formal policy documents of a range of organisations and institutions. The National Curriculum for schools in England and Wales, for example, places enhancement of selfesteem as a major curricular goal. Corporations include improvement in mental well-being and self-esteem as an important target for the welfare of their workforce. Health interventions, particularly programmes to facilitate rehabilitation from substance abuse, acute and chronic injury and disease, often focus on improved self-esteem as a primary objective. More recently, self-esteem has been considered as an important aspect of quality of life and mental well-being and as such has been considered as a possible target for public health campaigns.

Barriers to Employment for Welfare Recipients: The Role of Race/Ethnicity.

Abstract: With the passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, there has been an increase in research attention devoted to barriers to workforce participation for welfare recipients However, much research conducted to this point tends to view the welfare population as a homogeneous group This study examined eight commonly identified work related barriers in an ethnically diverse sample of 4014 active TANF cases The results indicated that different ethnic groups face different barriers to workforce entry, with ethnic minorities facing the greatest number of barriers In this sample, the Asian sub-population, comprised largely of Laotian and Hmong refugees, were at the greatest risk for failure Implications for service delivery and intervention strategies are discussed

Workers' Perceptions of How Jobs Affect Health: A Social Ecological Perspective

Abstract: A national sample of 2,048 workers was asked to rate the impact of their job on their physical and mental health. Ordered logistic regression analyses based on social ecology theory showed that the workers' responses were significantly correlated with objective and subjective features of their jobs, in addition to personality characteristics. Workers who had higher levels of perceived constraints and neuroticism, worked nights or overtime, or reported serious ongoing stress at work or higher job pressure reported more negative effects. Respondents who had a higher level of extraversion, were self-employed, or worked part time or reported greater decision latitude or use of skills on the job reported more positive effects. These findings suggest that malleable features of the work environment are associated with perceived effects of work on health, even after controlling for personality traits and other sources of reporting bias. Work and health are intimately connected, yet the complex association between multiple features of employment arrangements and workers' health is not well understood. Given the dramatic labor supply and demand changes in the past decade, better identification of the employment characteristics that underlie the health of workers is of profound practical importance. As outlined by the National Occupational Research Agenda (National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health [NIOSH], 1996), the changing nature of jobs (e.g., shift from manufacturing to services) as well as the aging and growing diversity of the workforce suggests that the threats to worker

The End of Lifetime Employment in Japan?: Evidence from National Surveys and Field Research

Abstract: Using both quantitative data from national surveys and qualitative data from our recent field research, this paper provides evidence on the recent transformation of Japan's celebrated practice of lifetime employment (or implicit long-term employment contracts for the regular workforce). Overall, contrary to the popular rhetoric of the end of lifetime employment, evidence points to the enduring nature of this practice in Japan. Specifically, we find little evidence for any major decline in the job retention rates of Japanese employees from the period prior to the burst of the bubble economy in the late 1980s to the post-bubble period. In general, our field research corroborates the main finding from the job retention rates by describing vividly that large firms in Japan have been trying to accomplish their restructuring and downsizing targets by relying heavily on transfers of their employees to their subsidiaries and related firms and hiring cuts, thus avoiding layoffs. Last, the burden of downsizing appears to fall disproportionately on young workers and middle-age workers with shorter tenure. J. Japan. Int. Econ., December 2001, 15(4), pp. 489–514. Department of Economics, Colgate University, Hamilton, New York 13346; Center on Japanese Economy and Business, Columbia Business School, New York; and TCER. © 2001 Elsevier Science (USA). Journal of Economic Literature Classification Numbers: J63, J64, J41, O53.

People Capability Maturity Model (P-CMM) Version 2.0

Abstract: The People Capability Maturity Model is a tool that helps you successfully address the critical people issues in your organization. The People CMM employs the process maturity framework of the highly successful Capability Maturity Model for Software (SW-CMM) as a foundation for a model of best practices for managing and developing an organization's workforce. The Software CMM has been used by software organizations around the world for guiding dramatic improvements in their ability to improve productivity and quality, reduce costs and time to market, and increase customer satisfaction. Based on the best current practices in fields such as human resources, knowledge management, and organizational development, the People CMM guides organizations in improving their processes for managing and developing their workforce. The People CMM helps organizations characterize the maturity of their workforce practices, establish a program of continuous workforce development, set priorities for improvement actions, integrate workforce development with process improvement, and establish a culture of excellence. Since its release in 1995, thousands of copies of the People CMM have been distributed, and it is used world-wide by organizations, small and large, such as IBM, Boeing, BAESystems, Tata Consultancy Services, Ericsson, Lockheed Martin and QAI (India) Ltd.

The global expansion of precarious employment, work disorganization, and consequences for occupational health: placing the debate in a comparative historical context.

Abstract: Mounting research evidence suggests that the shift to contingent work arrangements in industrialized countries is having serious adverse effects on the health of workers, both directly and indirectly (by undermining regulatory and other protections). The authors place this research, and the issues surrounding it, in a comparative historical context. Extensive use of precarious employment is not essentially new. It was a characteristic feature of most if not all industrialized societies in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Though the two phases are not identical, historical comparisons are instructive for understanding recent experiences and ways of addressing them. The authors also make comparisons with the developing world, where the informal sector typically accounts for over half the workforce. Such comparisons are instructive in indicating the consequences of a shift to more precarious patterns of employment and disorganized work settings. There is also good evidence that precarious employment is expanding in the developing world. The growing precarious employment in both industrialized and developing countries is interconnected, and the authors identify a number of the mechanisms affecting workers' health.

International Policies toward Parental Leave and Child Care. (Caring for Infants and Toddlers)

Abstract: SUMMARY The pleasures and pressures of parenting a newborn are universal, but the supports surrounding parents vary widely from country to country In many nations, decades of attention to benefits and services for new parents offer lessons worthy of attention in this country This article describes policies regarding parental leave, child care, and early childhood benefits here and in 10 industrial nations in North America and Europe The sharpest contrast separates the United States from the other countries, although differences among the others also are instructive: * The right to parental leave is new to American workers; it covers one-half of the private-sector workforce and is relatively short and unpaid By contrast, other nations offer universal, paid leaves of 10 months or more * Child care assistance in Europe is usually provided through publicly funded programs, whereas the United States relies more on subsidies and tax credits to reimburse parents for part of their child care expenses * Nations vary in the emphasis they place on parental leave versus child care supports for families with children under age three Each approach creates incentives that influence parents' decisions about employment and child care * Several European nations, seeking flexible solutions for parents, are testing "early childhood benefits" that can be used to supplement income or pay for private child care Based on this review, the author urges that the United States adopt universal, paid parental leave of at least 10 months; help parents cover more child care costs; and improve the quality of child care She finds policy packages that support different parental choices promising, because the right mix of leave and care will vary from family to family, and child to child The birth of a new child, and the first few weeks, months, and years of the child's life, are a time when the tensions between the obligations of work and child rearing are particularly acute Infants and toddlers need constant adult attention, whether it comes from a parent or from another caregiver, and that constant attention comes at a price, whether in foregone earnings for the parent or in the cost of alternative care Moreover, the cost of caring for a child comes at exactly the time when families are incurring other costs--buying all the gear that babies need, plus food, diapers, and so on Having an extra mouth to feed means that families find themselves having to stretch their incomes further when a new baby arrives, and this stretch plunges some families into poverty, or perilously close to it Recent estimates suggest that one quarter of all poverty spells in the United States begin with the birth of a new child (1) The pressures of caring for a new child are not all financial either With the ar rival of a new child, the mother must recover from childbirth, adults in the household must adapt to disrupted sleeping patterns, and everyone experiences changes in their daily routines The responsibilities associated with parenting an infant and toddler are exhilarating, but also exhausting Although the pressures of caring for a new child are universal, there is a good deal of variation across countries in the types of policies that governments use to support new parents (and all parents in general) Thus, there is value in looking beyond the borders of this country to observe what other countries do Although the policies of other countries must be viewed in the context of how surrounding conditions support or challenge particular policy approaches, there is nevertheless much that the United States can learn from other countries about the range of policy options that might be used to support families as they arrange the day-to-day care of their young children This article provides an overview of the approaches that 10 peer countries take on the three major types of policies for infant and toddler care--parental leave, child care, and early childhood benefits--and it contrasts those approaches to the policy choices the United States has made to date …

Insecurity and Long-Term Employment:

Abstract: There is a widespread view that `jobs for life' and stable employment have been consigned to the past. The impact of technological and institutional changes are said to have eradicated traditional labour market patterns, brought about the destandardisation and individualisation of work and ushered in a new `age of insecurity'. The transformation of work, according to Sennet (1998), has witnessed the advent of a `New Capitalism' in which there is `no long term'. This paper is concerned with explanations for the paradox of pervasive insecurity and the rise in long-term employment in the 1990s in the UK. The analysis of long-term employment in the UK suggests that insecurity is not explained by compositional changes in the workforce or in terms of labour market restructuring. Instead insecurity is best understood in its institutional and ideological contexts, as the `manufactured uncertainty' that attends the greater exposure of the state sector to market forces, corporate restructuring in the private sector...

A coincidence of needs?: Employers and full‐time students

Abstract: Employers’ demands for cheap and flexible labour which can multi‐task, make decisions and act responsibly are being met by an increasing supply of students to the part‐time labour market who are having to work due to financial necessity during term‐time. This article details the results of a survey and focus group study conducted at Manchester Metropolitan University in February 1999 addressing the nature of this employment relationship. Students’ employment provides them with advantages other than money – valuable work experience, the opportunity to meet people and to take on responsibility. Employers benefit from an easily recruited workforce of intelligent, articulate young people who are numerically and functionally flexible, conscientious, accepting relatively low pay, and who are easy to control. Potential conflict is indicated as students do articulate dislikes about their work and employment conditions, yet they feel unable to challenge their employers about them.

The nursing shortage: solutions for the short and long term.

Abstract: With predictions that this nursing shortage will be more severe and have a longer duration than has been previously experienced, traditional strategies implemented by employers will have limited success. The aging nursing workforce, low unemployment, and the global nature of this shortage compound the usual factors that contribute to nursing shortages. For sustained change and assurance of an adequate supply of nurses, solutions must be developed in several areas: education, healthcare deliver systems, policy and regulations, and image. This shortage is not solely nursing's issue and requires a collaborative effort among nursing leaders in practice and education, health care executives, government, and the media. This paper poses several ideas of solutions, some already underway in the United States, as a catalyst for readers to initiate local programs.

Depression in the Workplace: Costs and Barriers to Treatment

Abstract: Surveys estimate that 1.8 to 3.6 percent of workers in the U.S. labor force suffer from major depression. Depression has a significant impact on vocational functioning. Seventeen to 21 percent of the workforce experiences short-term disability during any given year, and 37 to 48 percent of workers with depression experience short-term disability. Studies indicate that treating workplace depression provides favorable cost offsets for employers, although a number of methodological issues have influenced the interpretation of these findings. In addition to disability costs, cost analyses need to include lost wages and indirect costs to employers, such as the costs of hiring and training new employees. In general, employers are not aware of the extent of the indirect costs of untreated depression. They have mistaken assumptions about the availability of effective treatment, and they are unaware of how often depression contributes to worker disability. The workers' compensation system and the courts have been ...

Nationals and expatriates : population and labour dilemmas of the Gulf Cooperation Council States

Abstract: Population growth - nationals and expatriates Non-indigenous citizens and "stateless" residents The national composition of expatriate populations Nationals and expatriates in the workforce Illegal workers Women In the population and In the workforce Expatriates and Shi'Ites In the GCC countries - security concerns, political, social and cultural Implications "We" and "they" - relations between nationals and expatriates Foreign labour - a temporary or permanent migration? Restructuring the labour market

Quality of care in private sector and NHS facilities for people with dementia: cross sectional survey

Abstract: Editorial by Marshall Residential and nursing homes provide an essential contribution towards the care of people with dementia. It is a challenge to provide good care within tight budgets and often with a workforce that has little formal training. Most people are cared for within the private sector, although a limited number of NHS beds provide continuing care for people with severe dementia and intractable behaviour problems. Dementia care mapping1 is a direct, standardised assessment with good interrater reliability.2 Activities are coded according to category of behaviour, and they are recorded every five minutes. Wellbeing is measured using the dementia care index, which indicates the overall quality of care within a particular environment extrapolated from dementia care mapping evaluations of half of the residents.1 We used dementia care mapping to evaluate the quality of care in 10 private sector and seven NHS …

Working in America: A Blueprint for the New Labor Market

Abstract: The American labor market faces many deep-rooted problems, including persistence of a large low-wage sector, worsening inequality in earnings, employees' lack of voice in the workplace, and the need of employers to maximize flexibility if they are to survive in an increasingly competitive market. The impetus for this book is the absence of a serious national debate about these issues.The book represents nearly three years of deliberation by more than 250 people drawn from business, labor, community groups, academia, and government. It traces today's labor-market policy and laws back to the New Deal and to a second wave of social regulation that began in the 1960s. Underlying the current system are assumptions about who is working, what workers do, and how much job security workers enjoy. Economic and social changes have rendered those assumptions invalid and have resulted in mismatches between labor institutions and efficient and equitable deployment of the workforce, as well as between commitments to the labor market and family responsibilities. This book should launch a national dialogue on how to update our policies and institutions to catch up with the changes in the nature of work, in the workforce, and in the economy.

International policies toward parental leave and child care.

Abstract: The pleasures and pressures of parenting a newborn are universal, but the supports surrounding parents vary widely from country to country. In many nations, decades of attention to benefits and services for new parents offer lessons worthy of attention in this country. This article describes policies regarding parental leave, child care, and early childhood benefits here and in 10 industrial nations in North America and Europe. The sharpest contrast separates the United States from the other countries, although differences among the others also are instructive: The right to parental leave is new to American workers; it covers one-half of the private-sector workforce and is relatively short and unpaid. By contrast, other nations offer universal, paid leaves of 10 months or more. Child care assistance in Europe is usually provided through publicly funded programs, whereas the United States relies more on subsidies and tax credits to reimburse parents for part of their child care expenses. Nations vary in the emphasis they place on parental leave versus child care supports for families with children under age three. Each approach creates incentives that influence parents' decisions about employment and child care. Several European nations, seeking flexible solutions for parents, are testing "early childhood benefits" that can be used to supplement income or pay for private child care. Based on this review, the author urges that the United States adopt universal, paid parental leave of at least 10 months; help parents cover more child care costs; and improve the quality of child care. She finds policy packages that support different parental choices promising, because the right mix of leave and care will vary from family to family, and child to child.

Women and Paid Work

Abstract: A productive workforce is a prime goal of the Decade of Behavior initiative. Thanks to the women's movement that started in the 1960s, the majority of adult women today are a part of that productive workforce, demonstrating their knowledge, skills and abilities, and earning a livelihood through paid employment. Nevertheless, real equal opportunity in paid work remains an elusive goal. In this paper, two major reviews of the literature on women and paid work written 20 years apart (Cleveland, Stockdale, & Murphy, 2000; Nieva & Gutek, 1981) serve to structure a discussion of what we know about women's experiences in paid work. Selective areas of research are reviewed under four kinds of topics: (1) topics that have disappeared over the past 20 years, (2) important topics that were not studied or could not be studied 20 years ago but are now (women as leaders), (3) previously neglected topics (stereotyping), and (4) rapidly emerging topics (mentoring, effects of preferential selection, sexual harassment). It...

Continuing-Education Needs of the Currently Employed Public Health Education Workforce

Abstract: Objectives. This study examined the continuing-education needs of the currently employed public health education workforce.Methods. A national consensus panel of leading health educators from public health agencies, academic institutions, and professional organizations was convened to examine the forces creating the context for the work of public health educators and the competencies they need to practice effectively.Results. Advocacy; business management and finance; communication; community health planning and development, coalition building, and leadership; computing and technology; cultural competency; evaluation; and strategic planning were identified as areas of critical competence.Conclusions. Continuing education must strengthen a broad range of critical competencies and skills if we are to ensure the further development and effectiveness of the public health education workforce.

A Company of Leaders: Five Disciplines for Unleashing the Power in Your Workforce

Abstract: To be successful in today's business environment, organizations need the knowledge, ideas, energy, and creativity of every employee. The best companies accomplish this by turning themselves into a company of leaders--an organization in which employees at every level take the initiative and act as though the business where their own. Gretchen M. Spreitzer and Robert E. Quinn draw on ten years of empirical research to show how employee empowerment can transform a workforce and create a very real competitive advantage. They describe five key disciplines that help empower employees to take initiative, be more innovative, engage in transformational change, and act as leaders. And they provide real-life examples specific tools and strategies that will help you to put those disciplines to work in your own organization. A Book in the University of Michigan Business School Series

Learning, not litigating: Managing employee development and avoiding claims of age discrimination

Abstract: Executive Overview Is there age discrimination in training and development within your organization? Are older employees being left behind when it comes to continuous learning? The increasing importance of continuous learning and development for employees, combined with a graying of the workforce, makes these questions serious ones for administrators striving both to maintain competitive human resources and stay out of court. Comparing behavioral and legal perspectives, this article explores the possibility that age may explain differences in treatment of workers, and whether this could affect terms, conditions, or privileges of employment in a significant way. From a behavioral perspective, differences in treatment in this area could be a detriment to older workers. From a legal perspective, differences in treatment by age could be used as evidence of discrimination: however, older employees asserting legal claims based solely on inadequate learning opportunities may face an uphill battle. Could age-rela...

Adolescent Transitions to Young Adulthood: Antecedents, Correlates, and Consequences of Adolescent Employment

Abstract: The antecedents, correlates, and consequences of adolescent employment were investigated in a sample of 251 low-income, African American youth that were followed since birth. The youth (age: M at preschool = 4.89, SD= .70; M at adolescence = 16.44, SD= .66; M at transition to adulthood = 19.36, SD= .76; and M at early adulthood = 27.67, SD= .75) were the firstborn children of African American teenage mothers who gave birth in Baltimore in the 1960s. Analyses examined the antecedents and correlates of age of entry into employment and stability of employment during adolescence. The associations of adolescent work experiences with subsequent adult education and employment outcomes also were considered. Findings indicate that among this sample of low-income, African American youth, those who repeated a grade in school during middle childhood were more likely to enter the workforce at later ages than their peers who did not repeat a grade. The small subset of adolescents who never worked (n= 12) appear to be markedly more disadvantaged than their peers who worked. At the transition to adulthood, adolescents who entered the workforce earlier were more likely to complete high school than their peers. In addition, stable employment during the adolescent years had more beneficial effects on young men's chances of attending college than young women's postsecondary education. This pattern of findings is consistent with ethnographic accounts of adolescent employment among poor, minority, urban youth.

A critical review of rural medical workforce retention in Australia.

Abstract: The problem of how best to recruit and retain doctors in rural and remote communities has led governments to adopt a range of medical workforce incentives, including retention grants A comprehensive literature survey suggests that medical workforce retention has been poorly distinguished from other supply issues such as recruitment, and that its determinants and the process leading to retention are poorly understood Such a knowledge gap is likely to limit the effectiveness of retention incentives This article reports the results of this literature review, and advances a conceptual framework as the basis for ongoing research and evaluating how best to deliver effective retention interventions

Sweet charity!Managing employee commitment in the UK voluntary sector

Abstract: Presents results from an exploratory study of 143 voluntary organisations Aims to evaluate management employee relations policies in the voluntary sector in the era of contracting Reveals evidence of employee relations policies being influenced by the funding priorities of the state Provides evidence to suggest that these policies may be leading to discontent among the workforce Concludes with a discussion regarding the implications such policies may have on employee commitment in the sector, and suggests several possible avenues for continued research