Showing papers on "Workforce published in 2012"

Patient safety, satisfaction, and quality of hospital care: cross sectional surveys of nurses and patients in 12 countries in Europe and the United States.

Abstract: Objective To determine whether hospitals with a good organisation of care (such as improved nurse staffing and work environments) can affect patient care and nurse workforce stability in European countries. Design Cross sectional surveys of patients and nurses. Setting Nurses were surveyed in general acute care hospitals (488 in 12 European countries; 617 in the United States); patients were surveyed in 210 European hospitals and 430 US hospitals. Participants 33 659 nurses and 11 318 patients in Europe; 27 509 nurses and more than 120 000 patients in the US. Main outcome measures Nurse outcomes (hospital staffing, work environments, burnout, dissatisfaction, intention to leave job in the next year, patient safety, quality of care), patient outcomes (satisfaction overall and with nursing care, willingness to recommend hospitals). Results The percentage of nurses reporting poor or fair quality of patient care varied substantially by country (from 11% (Ireland) to 47% (Greece)), as did rates for nurses who gave their hospital a poor or failing safety grade (4% (Switzerland) to 18% (Poland)). We found high rates of nurse burnout (10% (Netherlands) to 78% (Greece)), job dissatisfaction (11% (Netherlands) to 56% (Greece)), and intention to leave (14% (US) to 49% (Finland, Greece)). Patients’ high ratings of their hospitals also varied considerably (35% (Spain) to 61% (Finland, Ireland)), as did rates of patients willing to recommend their hospital (53% (Greece) to 78% (Switzerland)). Improved work environments and reduced ratios of patients to nurses were associated with increased care quality and patient satisfaction. In European hospitals, after adjusting for hospital and nurse characteristics, nurses with better work environments were half as likely to report poor or fair care quality (adjusted odds ratio 0.56, 95% confidence interval 0.51 to 0.61) and give their hospitals poor or failing grades on patient safety (0.50, 0.44 to 0.56). Each additional patient per nurse increased the odds of nurses reporting poor or fair quality care (1.11, 1.07 to 1.15) and poor or failing safety grades (1.10, 1.05 to 1.16). Patients in hospitals with better work environments were more likely to rate their hospital highly (1.16, 1.03 to 1.32) and recommend their hospitals (1.20, 1.05 to 1.37), whereas those with higher ratios of patients to nurses were less likely to rate them highly (0.94, 0.91 to 0.97) or recommend them (0.95, 0.91 to 0.98). Results were similar in the US. Nurses and patients agreed on which hospitals provided good care and could be recommended. Conclusions Deficits in hospital care quality were common in all countries. Improvement of hospital work environments might be a relatively low cost strategy to improve safety and quality in hospital care and to increase patient satisfaction.

A Female Style in Corporate Leadership? Evidence from Quotas

Abstract: This paper studies the impact of gender quotas for corporate board seats on corporate decisions. We examine the introduction of Norway’s 2006 quota, comparing affected firms to other Nordic companies, public and private, that were unaffected by the rule. We find that affected firms undertook fewer workforce reductions than comparison firms, increasing relative labor costs and employment levels and reducing short-term profits. The effects are strongest among firms without female board members beforehand and are present even for boards with older and more experienced members afterward. The boards appear to be affecting corporate strategy in part by selecting likeminded executives.

Projecting US Primary Care Physician Workforce Needs: 2010-2025

Abstract: PURPOSE We sought to project the number of primary care physicians required to meet US health care utilization needs through 2025 after passage of the Affordable Care Act. METHODS In this projection of workforce needs, we used the Medical Expendi- ture Panel Survey to calculate the use of offi ce-based primary care in 2008. We used US Census Bureau projections to account for demographic changes and the American Medical Association's Masterfi le to calculate the number of primary care physicians and determine the number of visits per physician. The main out- comes were the projected number of primary care visits through 2025 and the number of primary care physicians needed to conduct those visits. RESULTS Driven by population growth and aging, the total number of offi ce vis- its to primary care physicians is projected to increase from 462 million in 2008 to 565 million in 2025. After incorporating insurance expansion, the United States will require nearly 52,000 additional primary care physicians by 2025. Population growth will be the largest driver, accounting for 33,000 additional physicians, while 10,000 additional physicians will be needed to accommodate population aging. Insurance expansion will require more than 8,000 additional physicians, a 3% increase in the current workforce.

How helpful is nanotechnology in agriculture

Abstract: Nanotechnology has great potential, as it can enhance the quality of life through its applications in various fields like agriculture and the food system. Around the world it has become the future of any nation. But we must be very careful with any new technology to be introduced regarding its possible unforeseen related risks that may come through its positive potential. However, it is also critical for the future of a nation to produce a trained future workforce in nanotechnology. In this process, to inform the public at large about its advantages is the first step; it will result in a tremendous increase in interest and new applications in all the domains will be discovered. With this idea, the present review has been written. There is great potential in nanoscience and technology in the provision of state-of-the-art solutions for various challenges faced by agriculture and society today and in the future. Climate change, urbanization, sustainable use of natural resources and environmental issues like runoff and accumulation of pesticides and fertilizers are the hot issues for today’s agriculture. This paper reviews some of the potential applications of nanotechnology in the field of agriculture and recommends many strategies for the advancement of scientific and technological knowledge currently being examined.

Building a High-Quality Teaching Profession. Lessons from around the world

Abstract: Andreas Schleicher, Head of the Indicators and Analysis Division, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Paris, France. Email: andreas.schleicher@oecd.org Address: 2, rue Andre Pascal, 75775 Paris Cedex 16, France.These are the final chapters of the OECD report. International experience is used to describe possible methods to increase status of the teaching profession and the caliber of its recruits.Successful reform of education system cannot wait for a new generation of teachers; it requires investment in the present teacher workforce, providing quality professional development, adequate career structures and diversification, and enlisting the commitment of teachers to reform. The analysis looks at how individual development of teachers can be improved and how greater collaboration among teachers can improve the quality of teaching. School systems should provide a careful coordination between training, evaluation and compensation of teachers.Methods of successful staff management and criteria for teacher appraisal applied in different countries are described. Teacher evaluation is essential for improving the individual performance of teachers and the collective performance of education systems. Criteria for teacher appraisal need to be aligned with the objectives of the system and the schools. Improved appraisal and feedback can have beneficial effects on teachers, improving their job satisfaction and personal development as well as their effectiveness in implementing priorities for improvement. Moreover, appraisals can help teachers build confidence in themselves.Teacher engagement in the development and implementation of educational reform is crucial. The paper describes how collaboration among teachers, politicians and ministry officials is achieved in different countries to make the reform happen.DOI: 10.17323/1814-9545-2012-2-5-62

Labor Force Projections to 2020: A More Slowly Growing Workforce

Abstract: The projected labor force growth over the next 10 years will be affected by the aging of the baby-boom generation; as a result, the labor force is projected to grow at a slower rate than in the last several decades Mitra Toossi Mitra Toossi is an economist in the Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections , Bureau of Labor Statistics. T he recession of 2007–2009, a sluggish labor market, crises in the financial and credit markets, and weakness in the housing sector have combined to create great uncertainty about the future of the U.S. economy and labor market. However, despite all these problems, a positive force in the economy is the size and demographic composition of the U.S. population, which together determine the growth and composition of the labor force. As suggested by the saying \" Demography is destiny, \" 1 demography is a key driving force in the growth of the U.S. economy, the growth of the labor force, and almost all social and economic trends. Compared with the labor force of the past decades, today's labor force is older, more racially and ethnically diverse, and composed of more women. 2 These trends are expected to continue to shape the future of the workforce; however, the U.S. labor force is expected to grow at a slightly slower rate than in previous decades. The annual growth rate of the U.S. labor force over the 2010–2020 period is projected to be 0.7 percent, lower than the 0.8-percent growth rate exhibited in the previous decade. The labor force is projected to increase by 10.5 million in the next decade, reaching 164.4 million in 2020. This 6.8-percent increase in the size of the labor force is lower than the 7.9-percent increase posted over the previous 10-year period, 2000–2010, when the labor force grew by 11.3 million. (See table 1.) The slower growth of the labor force is primarily the result of a slower rate of growth in the U.S. population and a noticeable decrease in the labor force participation rate. The civilian noninstitutional population 16 years and older had an annual growth rate of 1.1 percent from 2000 to 2010, but is projected to grow by a lesser 1.0 percent during 2010–2020. (See table 2.) In addition, the labor force participation rate started a downward trend in 2000, and the decrease accelerated during the 2007– 2009 recession and its aftermath. As a …

How should the higher education workforce adapt to advancements in technology for teaching and learning

Abstract: In a time of change, higher education is in the position of having to adapt to external conditions created by widespread adoption of popular technologies such as social media, social networking services and mobile devices. For faculty members, there must be opportunities for concrete experiences capable of generating a personal conviction that a given technology is worth using and an understanding of the contexts in which it is best used. The paper examines approaches to educational professional development at The Open University, including recent initiatives related to faculty development in relation to mobile learning. The paper reflects on what can be learnt from these experiences and proposes a lifelong learning perspective which can help the higher education workforce to adapt. Faculty members have to commit to lifelong learning, remembering that ‘professional role model’ to students is one of the main roles of the teacher.

Does India's Employment Guarantee Scheme Guarantee Employment?

Abstract: In 2005 India introduced an ambitious national anti-poverty program, now called the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. The program offers up to 100 days of unskilled manual labor per year on public works projects for any rural household member who wants such work at the stipulated minimum wage rate. The aim is to dramatically reduce poverty by providing extra earnings for poor families, as well as empowerment and insurance. If the program worked in practice the way it is designed, then anyone who wanted work on the scheme would get it. However, analysis of data from India's National Sample Survey for 2009/10 reveals considerable un-met demand for work in all states. The authors confirm expectations that poorer families tend to have more demand for work on the scheme, and that (despite the un-met demand) the self-targeting mechanism allows it to reach relatively poor families and backward castes. The extent of the un-met demand is greater in the poorest states -- ironically where the scheme is needed most. Labor-market responses to the scheme are likely to be weak. The scheme is attracting poor women into the workforce, although the local-level rationing processes favor men.

A Multi-Generational Workforce: Managing and Understanding Millennials

Abstract: Generational diversity has become the norm in many organizations. As baby boomers retire and millennials enter and take over the workforce, it becomes imperative for managers to learn more about their job satisfaction and organizational commitment levels. The authors of this study surveyed 148 millennials who work in the I.T. industry. A total of 74 males and 74 females were surveyed. Results show that males have higher job satisfaction levels than their female counterparts and females have higher organizational commitment levels than their male counterparts. Furthermore, millennials with a graduate degree are more likely to stay at their organization than millennials without a graduate degree. Recommendations and implications are discussed for managers hiring, leading, and managing millennials in the workforce.

Physician Workforce Projections in an Era of Health Care Reform

Abstract: In 2020, the United States may face shortages of 45,400 primary care physicians and 46,100 medical specialists-a total of 91,500 too few doctors. Unfortunately, health workforce shortages like these are being advanced as cause for repealing or "defunding" the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The extension of health insurance coverage to millions of Americans is a critical first step toward a healthier America. It would be a national failure to leave millions of Americans without health insurance coverage because they will generate additional demand. Rather, the solution is to find ways to meet that demand. Workforce projections utilizing real data and carefully formulated assumptions to assess how and why supply and demand change over time can greatly assist policy makers in finding those solutions. With implementation of the ACA under way, it is time to understand what lessons such projections can teach, and to begin to heed those lessons.

2012 ACR Commission on Human Resources Workforce Survey

Abstract: Purpose The ACR Commission on Human Resources continues to conduct its annual electronic survey to better understand the present workforce scenario for radiologists. Methods The Practice of Radiology Environment Database was used to identify group leads, who were asked to complete an electronic survey developed by the Commission on Human Resources. The survey asked group leaders to report the number of radiologists they currently employ or supervise, the number hired in 2014, and the numbers they plan to hire in 2015 and 2018. The leaders were asked to report the subspecialty area used as the main reason for hiring each physician, as well as the ages and genders of their current workforce. Results Thirty-two percent of group leaders responded to the survey, corresponding to 12,079 radiologists or 39% of all practicing radiologists. Twenty-one percent of the workforce is female and 79% is male. Ten percent of radiologists older than 65 years are women, while 32% younger than 35 are women. Twelve percent of radiologists work part-time, corresponding to a breakdown of 10% of men and 24% of women working part-time. The current workforce is 13% general radiologists and 87% subspecialists. In 2015, a projected 1,131 to 1,484 jobs will be available for radiologists. Conclusions Job opportunities for radiologists seem to be increasing compared with 2013 and are relatively similar to 2014. Radiologists continue to subspecialize in greater numbers, but only 39% of radiologists practice more than 50% of the time in their subspecialties.

Developing resilient children and families when parents have mental illness: A family-focused approach

Abstract: There is substantial evidence supporting the need for effective intervention for children and families living with parental mental illness. However, translation of this knowledge into mental health workforce practice remains variable, with a range of clinical practices and models of care evident. Nurses, who constitute the majority of the mental health workforce, are in prime positions to support children and families and provide preventative measures, identify those at risk, and intervene early. In this paper, we provide a framework for practice for nurses working with consumer parents. We contend that traditional models of nursing practice concentrating on the consumer are insufficient in meeting the needs of children and families living with parental mental illness. A focus on families needs to be core business for mental health nurses. A family-focused approach can be used to prevent problems for children and their families, and identify their strengths as well as vulnerabilities. Family-focused care is a useful framework from which to support families and address the challenges that might arise from parental mental illness, and to build individual and family resilience.

Will the NP workforce grow in the future? New forecasts and implications for healthcare delivery.

Abstract: Background:The nurse practitioner (NP) workforce has been a focus of considerable policy interest recently, particularly as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act may place additional demands on the healthcare professional workforce. The NP workforce has been growing rapidly in recent years,

Stewards, Mediators, and Catalysts: Toward a Model of Collaborative Leadership1

Abstract: Leadership is widely recognized as an important ingredient in successful collaboration. Collaborative leaders typically play a facilitative role, encouraging and enabling stakeholders to work together effectively. Building on the existing literature on collaborative governance and interviews with leaders of U.S. Workforce Investment Boards, we identify three facilitative roles for collaborative leaders. Stewards facilitate collaboration by helping to convene collaboration and maintain its integrity. Mediators facilitate collaboration by managing conflict and arbitrating exchange between stakeholders. Catalysts facilitate collaboration by helping to identify and realize value-creating opportunities. Although collaborative leaders are called upon to play multiple roles, the salience of these roles may vary with the circumstances and goals of collaboration. In situations of high conflict and low trust, for example, collaborative leaders may be called upon to emphasize steward and mediator roles. In situations where creative problem-solving is the primary goal, the catalyst role may become much more central. Distinguishing these three collaborative leadership roles is an important step toward building a contingency model of collaborative leadership.Keywords: collaboration, collaborative governance, stakeholder, contingency, leadership, workforce development.IntroductionIn 1998, President Clinton signed into law the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). Much like the welfare reform, enacted only two years earlier, WIA promised to revolutionize the work of workforce development. Although the federal government had long been a supplier of workforce training programs under programs enacted through the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) or the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA), these programs offered a patchwork approach to job training. According to former Labor Secretary Alexis Herman, these programs were -never fully brought into alignment with other components of the system'. Consequently, federally funded job training programs were largely scattered - offering clients limited access to services, career advice, quality job information data, and skills training.2 It was hoped that through coordination and co-location at the servicedelivery level (e.g., one stop shops), consumers would have easier access to every element of the workforce development system, from simple job searches to receiving advice on career planning, to enrolling in basic more advanced skills training. However, coordination of service delivery was only one of the problems plaguing an increasingly dysfunctional workforce system, so policymakers also mandated a more comprehensive strategy of collaboration. The WIA placed control of each local workforce area (established by governors) in Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs), which would be jointly governed by labor unions, community colleges, training providers, locally elected officials, industry leaders, and social service providers. These stakeholders were to develop collaborative strategies to create a more effective workforce system.Despite this mandated collaborative framework, large variations developed in the degree, scope, type, and breadth of collaboration among workforce development areas. Some workforce development areas practiced pro forma collaborative governance - presenting only enough of a veneer of collaboration to please local and federal officials. Others surpassed this by implementing micro-collaboratives- supplementing the WIB's governance with smaller project-based forms of collaborative governance. A small but growing number of WIBs engaged in more extensive collaborative governance. In each of these cases, leaders played a critical role in shaping the depth and extent of WIB collaboration. Leaders of the most collaborative WIBs, for example, have begun to reassess what one referred to as the little fiefdoms' established by governors under WIA - workforce areas established along political rather than economic lines. …

Interaction of occupational and personal risk factors in workforce health and safety.

Abstract: Most diseases, injuries, and other health conditions experienced by working people are multifactorial, especially as the workforce ages. Evidence supporting the role of work and personal risk factors in the health of working people is frequently underused in developing interventions. Achieving a longer, healthy working life requires a comprehensive preventive approach. To help develop such an approach, we evaluated the influence of both occupational and personal risk factors on workforce health. We present 32 examples illustrating 4 combinatorial models of occupational hazards and personal risk factors (genetics, age, gender, chronic disease, obesity, smoking, alcohol use, prescription drug use). Models that address occupational and personal risk factors and their interactions can improve our understanding of health hazards and guide research and interventions.

Tanzania's health system and workforce crisis.

Abstract: This introduction to Tanzania's health system and acute workforce shortage familiarizes readers with the context in which health professions education takes place. The paper touches on poverty rates, population growth, and characteristics of the health system. The critical shortage of trained health staff is a major challenge facing the health sector, aggravated by low motivation of the few available staff. Other challenges facing the health sector include lack of effective staff supervision, poor transport and communication infrastructure and shortage of drugs and medical equipment. We recommend appropriate action be taken by the government and other stakeholders to provide more financial and human resources for the sector while ensuring their efficient and effective utilization to improve services delivery.

A Study of Green HR Practices and Its Effective Implementation in the Organization: A Review

Abstract: There is a great deal of increase in the adoption of environment management systems by the corporate sector. Literature has given importance to adoption of environmental practices as a key objective of organizational functioning making it important to identify with the support of human resource management practices. Today there is debate and uncertainty associated with how green management principles can be implemented effectively amongst the workforce of the organization. This review article identifies how corporations today develop human resource policies for promoting environment management initiatives.

An Aging Workforce and Injury in the Construction Industry

Abstract: The relatively large birth cohort between 1946 and 1964, combined with the economic recession in the first decade of the 21st century, have led to an increase in the proportion of older workers in the US workplace. Understanding the health and safety needs of an aging workforce will be critical, especially in the construction industry, where physical job demands are high. This paper reviews the epidemiologic literature on the impact of age on injury among workers in the construction industry in terms of cause, type, and cost. PubMed was searched by using the following terms: older workers, construction, construction industry, injury, and age. The available studies reported that, among the construction industry workforce, older age at injury was related to higher injury costs but not to number of injuries. The higher injury costs associated with worker age are likely due in part to the severity of the injuries sustained by older workers. Identification of injury trends and subsequent analytical research efforts designed to ascertain factors associated with injury among older construction workers are needed for employers to effectively manage a health and safety program that addresses the needs of the aging worker. Language: en

Rural origin plus a rural clinical school placement is a significant predictor of medical students' intentions to practice rurally: a multi-university study.

Abstract: INTRODUCTION Health workforce shortages are a major problem in rural areas. Australian medical schools have implemented a number of rural education and training interventions aimed at increasing medical graduates' willingness to work in rural areas. These initiatives include recruiting students from rural backgrounds, delivering training in rural areas, and providing all students with some rural exposure during their medical training. However there is little evidence regarding the impact of rural exposure versus rural origin on workforce outcomes. The aim of this study is to identify and assess factors affecting preference for future rural practice among medical students participating in the Australian Rural Clinical Schools (RCS) Program. METHODS Questionnaires were distributed to 166 medical students who had completed their RCS term in 2006; 125 (75%) responded. Medical students were asked about their preferred location and specialty for future practice, their beliefs about rural work and life, and the impact of the RCS experience on their future rural training and practice preferences. RESULTS Almost half the students (47%; n=58) self-reported a 'rural background'. Significantly, students from rural backgrounds were 10 times more likely to prefer to work in rural areas when compared with other students (p<0.001). For those preferring general practice, 80% (n=24) wished to do so rurally. Eighty-five per cent (n=105) of students agreed that their RCS experience increased their interest in rural training and practice with 62% (n=75) of students indicating a preference for rural internship/basic training after their RCS experience. A substantial percentage (86%; n=108) agreed they would consider rural practice after their RCS experience. CONCLUSIONS This baseline study provides significant evidence to support rural medical recruitment and retention through education and training, with important insights into the factors affecting preference for future rural practice. By far the most significant predictor of rural practice intention is recruitment of students with a rural background who also undertake an RCS placement. This research also demonstrates significant demand for post-graduate rural training places, including specialty places, as RCS graduates become junior doctors and vocational trainees.

Employers’ attitudes and actions towards the extension of working lives in Europe

Abstract: Purpose – Although policymakers have put great efforts into the promotion of older workers’ labour force participation, quantitative empirical knowledge about employers’ views towards extension of working lives is limited. The purpose of this paper is to improve the understanding of employers’ attitudes and actions towards extension of working lives, by examining recruitment and retention behaviour towards older workers, employers’ views on the consequences of an ageing workforce, organisational policies, and what governments can do to extend working lives.Design/methodology/approach – The authors analyse surveys administered to employers in Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and the UK in 2009.Findings – It is found that a minority of employers have applied measures to recruit or retain older workers, and employers rather retain than hire older workers. A considerable share of employers, albeit to different degrees per country, associate the ageing of their staff with a grow...

The Oxford handbook of work and aging

Abstract: This handbook examines the aging workforce from the perspectives of the individual worker, organisations and society Comprising six core sections, the handbook covers the following areas: international demographic trends, retirement projections, and retirement policies; contemporary work perspectives and person-environment fit for the older worker; physical capabilities, cognitive abilities, and occupational health of an aging worker; organisational strategies for an older workforce, including research regarding retirement, training and retention; and individual, organisational and societal perspectives on work and retirement

Optimizing health worker roles to improve access to key maternal and newborn health interventions through task shifting. WHO recommendations.

Abstract: The World Health Organization’s recommendations on optimizing the roles of health workers aim to help address critical health workforce shortages that slow down progress towards the health-related Millennium Development Goals. A more rational distribution of tasks and responsibilities among cadres of health workers can significantly improve both access and cost-effectiveness -- for example by training and enabling ‘mid-level’ and ‘lay’ health workers to perform specific interventions otherwise provided only by cadres with longer (and sometimes more specialized) training. These recommendations are intended for health policy-makers managers and other stakeholders at a regional national and international level. WHO hopes that countries will adapt and implement them to meet local needs. The recommendations were developed through a formal structured process including a thorough review of available evidence. The process and the recommendations are described in the related documents.

Evidence of Persistent and Pervasive Workplace Discrimination Against LGBT People: The Need for Federal Legislation Prohibiting Discrimination and Providing for Equal Employment Benefits

Abstract: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people have experienced a long and pervasive history of employment discrimination. Today, more than eight million people in the American workforce identify as LGBT, but there still is no federal law that explicitly prohibits sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination against them.This Article begins by surveying the social science research and other evidence illustrating the nature and scope of the discrimination against LGBT workers and the harmful effects of this discrimination on both employees and employers. It then analyzes the existing legal protections against this discrimination, which include constitutional protections for public sector workers, court interpretations of Title VII’s ban on sex discrimination, state and local antidiscrimination laws, and corporate policies. This Article determines that, while these laws and policies provide important protection, the current system is incomplete, confusing, and inadequate. This Article next considers empirical research showing that employers do not offer employees with a same-sex spouse or partner the same access to family benefits that they offer to employees with a different-sex spouse, and it examines court decisions finding that a denial of equal benefits is unlawful employment discrimination.Based on this research and legal analysis, the Article concludes that a federal law like the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), a bill pending in Congress that would prohibit sexual orientation and gender identity employment discrimination, is needed. To serve its purpose consistently, however, the bill’s current exemption of employee benefits should be removed. To be sure, ending all forms of unequal treatment based on sexual orientation or gender identity is warranted and feasible, and doing so will have positive effects for both employees and employers.

The influence of workplace environment on workers' welfare, performance and productivity

Abstract: The study analyzed the influence of workplace environment on workers welfare and productivity in government parastatals of Ondo State, Nigeria. Two research questions are raised to assist the research. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design of the ex-post facto type. The random sampling technique was used to select 350 respondents. A structured questionnaire with three sub-sections was used to collect data that were analyzed with mean values and simple percentages. The results showed that workplace features and good communication network at workplace have effect on worker’s welfare, health, morale, efficiency, and productivity. It was recommended that industrial social workers should advocate with management to create a conducive workplace environment and good communication network that will attract, keep, and motivate its workforce for healthy living and improved productivity and guarantee virile employees, enthusiastic employers and sustenance of the organization.

Staying in nursing: what factors determine whether nurses intend to remain employed?

Abstract: Aim To test a model of eight thematic determinants of whether nurses intend to remain in nursing roles Background Despite the dramatic increase in the supply of nurses in England over the past decade, a combination of the economic downturn, funding constraints and more generally an ageing nursing population means that healthcare organizations are likely to encounter long-term problems in the recruitment and retention of nursing staff Design Survey Method Data were collected from a large staff survey conducted in the National Health Service in England between September-December 2009 A multi-level model was tested using MPlus statistical software on a sub-sample of 16,707 nurses drawn from 167 healthcare organizations Results Findings were generally supportive of the proposed model Nurses who reported being psychologically engaged with their jobs reported a lower intention to leave their current job The perceived availability of developmental opportunities, being able to achieve a good work-life balance and whether nurses' encountered work pressures were also influencing factors on their turnover intentions However, relationships formed with colleagues and patients displayed comparatively small relationships with turnover intentions Conclusion The focus at the local level needs to be on promoting employee engagement by equipping staff with the resources (physical and monetary) and control to enable them to perform their tasks to standards they aspire to and creating a work environment where staff are fully involved in the wider running of their organizations, communicating to staff that patient care is important and the top priority of the organization

Work-home conflicts have a substantial impact on career decisions that affect the adequacy of the surgical workforce

Abstract: Objective To evaluate factors associated with work-home conflicts (W-HCs) of US surgeons and their potential personal and professional consequences. Design Cross-sectional study. Participants Members of the American College of Surgeons. Main Outcome Measures Burnout, depression, quality of life, alcohol use, career satisfaction, and career decisions (ie, reduce work hours or leave current practice). Results Of 7197 participating surgeons, 3754 (52.5%) had experienced a W-HC in the previous 3 weeks. On multivariate analysis, hours worked per week, having children, sex, and work location (Veterans Administration or academic center) were independently associated with an increased risk for W-HC (all P Conclusions Integrating personal and professional lives is a substantial challenge for US surgeons. Conflict in this balance appears to be a major factor in their decision to reduce work hours and/or move to a new practice, with potential substantive manpower implications for the surgical workforce.

Multi Generations in the Workforce: Building Collaboration

Abstract: Organisations the world over in today's rapid growth context are faced with the challenge of understanding a multi-generational workforce and devising policies and processes to build collaboration between them. In its first part, this article synthesises the literature on generational studies, with emphasis on the definition of generations and the characteristics of the generational cohorts. It emphasises that such studies are embedded in the socio-economic-cultural-context and India-specific scholarship must take into account the demographic and economic variations across the country. It then discusses the challenges of multi-generations in the Indian workforce, their impact on leadership styles and managerial practices, and the task of building inter-generational collaboration with an eminent panel of practitioners and researchers.