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The rise of generative AI presents both opportunities and challenges for organizations as they navigate unprecedented societal, political, and technological transformations. AI's growing influence brings fundamental questions about work, expertise, decision-making, and organizational behavior. This Special Forum on "What AI Knows: Shaping Work and Pushing Ideas on Changing Organizations", explores the transformative influence of AI on the organization of change and organizations that change. Through a collection of thought-provoking contributions, it explores how organizations can navigate these challenges, balancing the risks and opportunities presented by AI. Ultimately, the forum aims to push the boundaries of understanding how AI will shape the future of work, organizational change, and leadership practices, and urges ongoing inquiry into AI's future impact on organizations, pushing boundaries for innovation and strategic thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To explore healthcare workers' experiences of the changed caring reality during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Sweden. Design: An online fully mixed‐methods design. Methods: A web‐based self‐reported questionnaire with fixed and open‐ended answers collected data from March to April 2021, analysed in three steps. First, free‐text questions were analysed by qualitative content analysis. Then quantitative linear regression analyses using models covering stress and coping mechanisms were conducted. Finally, a meta‐inference of qualitative and quantitative data emerged a new comprehensive understanding. The COREQ guidelines were used for reporting. Results: Meta‐inferenced results of quantitative and qualitative findings show the pandemic was a traumatic experience for healthcare workers. Main theme; When work became a frightening experience in a dehumanized reality, comprised four themes: Entering unprepared into a frightful, incomprehensible world; Sacrificing moral values and harbouring dilemmas in isolation; Lack of clear management; and Reorient in togetherness and find meaning in a changed reality. Qualitative results comprised four categories; Working in a dehumanized world; Living in betrayal of ones' own conscience; Lack of structure in a chaotic time and Regaining vitality together. Subdimensions comprehensibility and meaningfulness were associated significantly with post‐traumatic stress disorder in multiple regression analysis. In multiple regression analysis, sense of coherence was the most prominent coping strategy. Conclusions: Forcing oneself to perform beyond one's limit, sacrificing moral values and lacking management was a traumatic experience to healthcare workers during the pandemic. Reorienting as a way of coping was possible in togetherness with colleagues. There is an urgency of interventions to meet the needs among healthcare workers who took on a frontline role during the COVID‐19 pandemic and to prevent mental health illness in future crisis. Patient or Public Contribution: No patient or public contribution. Summary: The pandemic outbreak exposed frontline healthcare workers to unparallelled stress shown as negative for their mental health in several meta‐analyses and systematic reviews. In‐depth understanding on experiences and how symptoms of post‐traumatic stress disorder relate to coping mechanisms have been scarcely explored. This study contributes to understanding on healthcare workers' experiences and the relation between lower sense of coherence and increased risk of developing symptoms of post‐traumatic stress disorder. Implications for Practice/Policy: This study might guide how to prepare for resilience in future emergencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The list of standard abbreviations for JDS is available at adsa.org/jds-abbreviations-24. Nonstandard abbreviations are available in the Notes. Herd size expansion, combined with the reduced availability of people to work on farms, has led to an increased focus on techniques that can improve dairy farm social sustainability. Effective work organization is one such entity, which could influence farm social sustainability, and focuses on having a productive, flexible, and standardized farm workload. The objective of this study was to examine the factors that contribute to better workplaces for the farmer using a survey of representative pasture-based dairy farms in Ireland. Potential contributing factors to better workplaces for farmers were identified, namely farm and farmer characteristics, working day structure, farmer attitudes, farm facilities, labor-efficient practices, and human resource management practices. A survey was completed by 313 Irish dairy farmers between November 20 and January 3, 2019, to capture relevant information. One proxy indicator was selected to represent productivity, flexibility, and standardization within the workplace, and each of the 313 farms were categorized into quartiles based on their ranking for these 3 indicators (1 = most effective quartile to 4 = least effective quartile). The average farmer that completed the survey was 51 yr old, milked 125 cows, reported to work 69.6 h/wk, took 10.3 d of holidays per year, and had a finish time of 19:52 (h:min) in the spring. The quartile of farms with the most effective farmer workplace reported reduced hours worked per week (58.6 vs. 82.6 h/wk), more holiday days (16.6 vs. 5.1 d) and weekends off (8.3 vs. 2.4) per year, and earlier finish times (18:41 vs. 21:14 [h:min] in the spring) compared with the least effective quartile. Similarly, the most effective farms reported better facilities and greater implementation of labor-efficient and human resource management practices compared with the least effective farms. The most effective quartile for farmer workplace effectiveness was more positive about the industry's potential to offer an effective work-life balance, would be more likely to encourage young people to pursue careers in dairy, and had more positive attitudes toward attracting and retaining workers compared with the least effective quartile. This study highlighted the range of factors contributing to more effective workplaces for farmers, indicating scope for improvement on many farms and challenges across all farms when compared with other industries in the case of some indicators (e.g., time off). The results can support the continued extension of concepts regarding work organization to assist farms in alleviating social sustainability challenges, highlighting the differentiating factors between the most and least effective farmer workplaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How work is organised is a critical component of firms' learning process. Because of that, the relationship between firms' work organisation and their innovative effort is endogenous in nature and, in turn, causal effects are hardly identifiable. This paper aims to contribute by analysing the effects of organisational work practices oriented toward knowledge sharing and innovative efforts in Uruguayan firms between 2009 and 2015. Our research design allows us to test both the endogenous relationship and the potential causal effects, using econometric panel data techniques and instrumental variables. The results corroborate the endogenous relationship between these variables. Moreover, a positive and significant effect of communication practices on the innovative effort is identified in low-tech manufacturing firms but not in high-tech firms. This result offers valuable implications for public policy and industrial practices in developing countries since it reflects the main features of an innovation pattern that mostly relies on modernisation strategies rather than on high-tech innovations based on R&D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Work organization and psychosocial factors influencing sleep patterns may be significant risk factors for developing obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, the impact on the health of working patterns in the fishing sector is not well characterized. The aim of the study is to determine the prevalence of MetS and its components in fishermen and to analyze occupational-specific risk factors contributing to metabolic alterations. Methods: One hundred forty-three male fishermen from Apulia (Southern Italy) and 93 male university workers age-matched and from the same geographical area were included in this cross-sectional study. A questionnaire was administered to investigate socio-demographic variables, work activity, health status, and dietary habits. All subjects underwent clinical evaluation and blood sampling to depict their metabolic profile. Results: A higher body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-hip ratio (p

ABSTRACT: Herd size expansion, combined with the reduced availability of people to work on farms, has led to an increased focus on techniques that can improve dairy farm social sustainability. Effective work organization is one such entity, which could influence farm social sustainability, and focuses on having a productive, flexible, and standardized farm workload. The objective of this study was to examine the factors that contribute to better workplaces for the farmer using a survey of representative pasture-based dairy farms in Ireland. Potential contributing factors to better workplaces for farmers were identified, namely farm and farmer characteristics, working day structure, farmer attitudes, farm facilities, labor-efficient practices, and human resource management practices. A survey was completed by 313 Irish dairy farmers between November 20 and January 3, 2019, to capture relevant information. One proxy indicator was selected to represent productivity, flexibility, and standardization within the workplace, and each of the 313 farms were categorized into quartiles based on their ranking for these 3 indicators (1 = most effective quartile to 4 = least effective quartile). The average farmer that completed the survey was 51 yr old, milked 125 cows, reported to work 69.6 h/wk, took 10.3 d of holidays per year, and had a finish time of 19:52 (h:min) in the spring. The quartile of farms with the most effective farmer workplace reported reduced hours worked per week (58.6 vs. 82.6 h/wk), more holiday days (16.6 vs. 5.1 d) and weekends off (8.3 vs. 2.4) per year, and earlier finish times (18:41 vs. 21:14 [h:min] in the spring) compared with the least effective quartile. Similarly, the most effective farms reported better facilities and greater implementation of labor-efficient and human resource management practices compared with the least effective farms. The most effective quartile for farmer workplace effectiveness was more positive about the industry's potential to offer an effective work-life balance, would be more likely to encourage young people to pursue careers in dairy, and had more positive attitudes toward attracting and retaining workers compared with the least effective quartile. This study highlighted the range of factors contributing to more effective workplaces for farmers, indicating scope for improvement on many farms and challenges across all farms when compared with other industries in the case of some indicators (e.g., time off). The results can support the continued extension of concepts regarding work organization to assist farms in alleviating social sustainability challenges, highlighting the differentiating factors between the most and least effective farmer workplaces.

Digitalization and globalization have radically affected work organization and interaction between workers in the course of performing job duties. Co-creation activity on digital labour platforms is a new phenomenon that has been little studied. The paper aims to explore collaboration as a driving force in the evolution of work organization patterns and investigates its main effects on the labour market. Theory of cooperation and organizational theory constitute the methodological basis of the study. The research methods used are evolutionary analysis, statistical and regression analysis. The empirical evidence is comprised of open data from the European Social Survey (ESS) Round 10 (2020/23). The study identifies the directions for altering the forms of collaborative activities: the key ones are associated with the enhancement of individual value, accumulation of human capital and a rise in worker autonomy. It is shown that organization of work, which is also undergoing significant changes, promotes flexible working practices. The empirical analysis indicates that high-frequency Internet use among self-employed workers significantly increases the probability of engaging in co-creation activities, particularly as education levels rise. The growing intrinsic motivation of participants to such activities leads to higher labour productivity. The findings highlight a critical issue regarding the lack of human resource management practices in platform employment. Designing a new (flexible) model of work organization aligned with the characteristics and effects of co-creation activities can serve as a promising direction for further research.

Background: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, inpatient nurses faced various work stressors. Little is known about organizational interventions that can mitigate the negative consequences of pandemic-related stressors. Objective: The aim was to provide a synopsis of the literature concerning the types and outcomes of organizational interventions performed during the COVID-19 pandemic that directly (re)organized the work structures of inpatient nurses to address pandemic-related work stressors or to increase nurses' ability to cope. Methods: Within this preregistered systematic literature review, we searched four databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, CINAHL) and two preprint databases (MedRxiv, PsyArXiv) for interventional studies of organizational interventions published between 01/2020 and 03/2023 (k = 990 records). We included 12 primary studies after title-abstract and full-text screening. A synthesis of results without meta-analysis was conducted. Risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials – version 2 (RoB-2) and Risk Of Bias In Non-randomized Studies - of Interventions (ROBINS-I) tool. Results: All interventions were implemented in hospitals. The reasons given for implementation included pandemic-related work stressors such as a high workload, understaffing, and a lack of medical resources. To respond to the various work stressors, half of the studies took a multilevel approach combining organizational and person-oriented interventions (k = 6). Most studies (k = 8) took a secondary prevention approach, focusing on the organization of rest breaks (k = 5). With respect to outcomes, the studies examined nurse-related stress and resilience, turnover intention, job satisfaction, and other factors. Risk-of-bias analyses revealed that conclusions about the effectiveness of the interventions are limited due to confounding factors and self-selection. Conclusions: The identified interventions provide a basis for future research to draw conclusions on the effectiveness of organizational interventions during pandemics. The promotion of adequate work breaks could be useful if the work stressors associated with strain and negative consequences cannot be changed directly. However, the same stressors (e.g., high workload) can hinder nurses from participating in offered interventions. This emphasizes the importance of directly addressing inpatient nurses' work stressors. Registration: Prospero-ID CRD42023364807 (March 2023). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insect societies, which are at a high risk of disease outbreaks, have evolved sanitary strategies that contribute to their social immunity. Here, we investigated in the red ant Myrmica rubra, how the discarding of nestmate cadavers is socially organized depending on the associated pathogenicity. We examined whether necrophoresis is carried out by a specific functional group of workers or by any nestmates that may become short-term specialists. By observing the behavioural profiles of tagged individuals, we assigned half of the colony members to functional groups (foragers, intermittent-foragers, domestics, nurses and inactives). Following the introduction of uninfected or sporulating corpses into the nest, intermittent-foragers were the functional group most involved in necrophoresis, as they touched, moved and discarded more cadavers. Interestingly, sporulating corpses induced a more generalized response in workers from all functional groups, thereby accelerating their rejection from the nest. The individuals contacting corpses were also prophylactically engaged in more grooming behaviour, suggesting the existence of hygienist workers within ant colonies. These findings raise questions about a trade-off existing between concentrating health risks on a few workers who are highly specialized in necrophoresis and exposing a larger population of nestmates who cooperate to speed up nest sanitization.

The purpose of the study is to determine the impact of hazardous psychosocial factors on stress among employees when performing production tasks to develop recommendations for reducing their impact. Based on the recommendations of the ISO 45003:2021 standard, a special questionnaire was developed to determine hazardous psychosocial factors that lead to the appearance of worker’s stress, the answers to which were evaluated on a Likert scale with points from 0 to 4. 68 workers (23 men and 45 women) aged 20 to 45 took part in the survey conducted at industrial enterprises of the Dnipro region in May–June 2023. A questionnaire was developed to identify significant psychosocial hazardous factors in personnel at an industrial enterprise, which includes three groups of psychosocial hazardous factors and consists of thirty questions. A ten-step process for managing significant hazardous psychosocial risks is proposed. It was established that women pay more attention to challenges (psychosocial hazardous factors) that are associated with the organization of work (uncertainty at work, lack of breaks due to workload) and social problems (disrespect, disrespect and inattention to employees, unreasonable behavior towards you by leadership); for men, a significant group of hazardous psychosocial factors is—equipment, working environment, hazardous tasks (fear of performing hazardous work; work is associated with a significant risk to life). The novelty consists in the justification of the process of identifying essential psychosocial factors, which will allow managers to systematically monitor the state of mental health of employees, the psychological climate in the organization and respond in a timely manner to expected problems and develop corrective actions to normalize the situation. The process of managing significant hazardous psychosocial risks has been developed, which consists of ten steps and differs from the known procedure of identifying significant hazardous psychosocial factors on a Likert scale, considering the answers of women and men.

Aim Design Methods Results Conclusion Impact Patient or Public Contribution Implications for Practice/Policy Reporting Method Identify and analyse literature investigating nurses' and midwives' use of early warning tools during the care of adult inpatients.An integrative literature review.Whittemore and Knafl's (2005) framework guided this integrative review. PubMed, CINAHL, EMCARE and Google Scholar were systematically searched. The authors assessed the methodological quality of 21 papers meeting inclusion criteria and thematically analysed key data.Three main themes were identified, each with further sub‐themes.Early warning tools operate within various systems and cultural contexts. However, their potential for improved patient safety may be hindered. Protocols influencing tool usage may make nurses and midwives distanced from patients and their expertise. For early warning tools to enhance patient safety, assessing their integration into practice is crucial to maximizing effectiveness.This review emphasizes the importance of integrating human relationships with early warning tools for patient safety.This integrative literature review does not include patient or public input.Adapting early warning tools to balance standardization for safety and efficiency and promoting nurses' and midwives' expertise and autonomy is required to optimize delivery of quality care and uphold patient safety.The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐analyses guidelines were used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Work‐related psychosocial hazards are on the verge of surpassing many other occupational hazards in their contribution to ill‐health, injury, disability, direct and indirect costs, and impact on business and national productivity. The risks associated with exposure to psychosocial hazards at work are compounded by the increasing background prevalence of mental health disorders in the working‐age population. The extensive and cumulative impacts of these exposures represent an alarming public health problem that merits immediate, increased attention. In this paper, we review the linkage between work‐related psychosocial hazards and adverse effects, their economic burden, and interventions to prevent and control these hazards. We identify six crucial societal actions: (1) increase awareness of this critical issue through a comprehensive public campaign; (2) increase etiologic, intervention, and implementation research; (3) initiate or augment surveillance efforts; (4) increase translation of research findings into guidance for employers and workers; (5) increase the number and diversity of professionals skilled in preventing and addressing psychosocial hazards; and (6) develop a national regulatory or consensus standard to prevent and control work‐related psychosocial hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A surge of research interest in platform work and the gig economy has seen debates around worker resistance and algorithmic management frequently come to the forefront. Many researchers will now be accustomed to reviewing journal submissions and taking in conference papers that cover these issues. The breadth of the emerging literature means that it builds upon various starting points, theoretical approaches, and histories. Pleasingly, research on work over the past decade has transformed from a relatively marginal pursuit to a highly popular focus across many disciplines, deepening and extending our collective understanding of the topic. This has the potential to introduce fresh ideas and new approaches. However, it does risk research failing to relate to and build upon historical debates in the field. This short article first presents some of the key arguments that have emerged in the research on algorithmic management and considers how knowledge has developed in relation to platform work. It examines some of the strengths and weaknesses of the literature in this area, especially the lack of theoretical debate in an exponentially expanding body of literature. The article finishes by suggesting some key areas in which future research needs to be directed, particularly interrogating the production, practice, and limits of algorithmic management.

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to analyze and evaluate the remote work of public sector employees during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, taking into account the evaluation of the efficiency of the tasks performed, taking into account the type of position held, the experience of the employees, technical and organizational aspects, the inconvenience of the work and the level of digital competence. Design/methodology/approach: Providing remote work is becoming increasingly common, especially in the context of the Sars-CoV2 pandemic. Both employees and employers recognize the benefits of a flexible work model, as well as several limitations and challenges. The findings of past research on remote work and the study's results indicate the relevance of this research area. This is particularly important concerning the public sector, which is not the subject of as much interest as the private sector. The problem of remote work is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon, hence the need for research using various research methods and techniques. Therefore, our research is based on a mixed approach. They took advantage of the literature analysis and legal regulations on remote work in the public sector and applied a diagnostic survey using a survey questionnaire. In turn, statistical methods such as the chi-square test, p-value, and Pearson's coefficient were used for analysis. Findings: The results of our study showed that the evaluation of the effectiveness of remote work by public sector employees varies. In addition, of the seven hypotheses posed, three were positively verified: (1) the effectiveness of remote work depends on organizational conditions; (2) the effectiveness of remote work depends on the support of supervisors; (3) The effectiveness of remote work is related to perceptions of changes in the quality of services during the e pandemic. The results also suggest the need to develop management training programs that consider the role of support and communication with employees in the context of remote work. Research limitations/implications: The study provided valuable information on evaluating remote work in the public sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the study has some limitations. On the one hand, confirmation of three of the seven hypotheses indicates the existence of relationships between the variables studied, but at the same time, highlights the need for further research. The analysis focuses on the public sector, which may not be entirely representative of other sectors, and the focus on employee perceptions may affect the subjectivity of the results obtained. Practical implications: The study's results highlight several critical recommendations for organizations in the public sector. First, there is a need to develop training programs that focus on support and communication in the context of remote work to ensure higher efficiency. Second, there is a need to implement a communication strategy to ensure that information flows effectively when working remotely. In addition, organizations should regularly monitor and analyze employee satisfaction and performance to identify areas for improvement. Finally, analyzing the impact of remote work on the quality of services provided is essential to identify and provide the necessary resources or support in relevant areas. Originality/value: The article addresses the timely and relevant topic of the impact of pandemic on remote work, which represents a research gap. From the literature, the issue has been analyzed in the context of the commercial sector, while limited research exists for the government sector. Our research fills a gap in the literature on remote work in the public sector in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing valuable information on the effectiveness and factors affecting the quality of remote work in this sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The globalization of technological advancement has significantly changed the organization of work. The availability of an instrument that characterizes new forms of work can help identify essential information that makes it possible to understand the characteristics of work and its forms of organization. This study reports the construction, evidence of validity, and reliability of evidence of a checklist to characterize new ways of working. Five judges participated in the validation stage, and reliability was tested with 23 entrepreneurs and managers. The analysis was carried out using Kendall’s, Kappa and intraclass correlation coefficients, as well as Bland-Altman graph analyses. The evaluation of the judges showed the need of adapting all items regarding their face (W = 0.536, p = 0.000) and content validity (W = 0.275; p = 0.027). Both inter-evaluator (ICC = 0.95; p= 0.000) and test-retest (ICC = 0.90; p = 0.000) reliability were very high, with most items showing almost perfect (kw > 0.81) or strong (0.61 < kw > 0.80) reliability. Graphical analyses did not indicate systematic differences. The final version of the checklist presented excellent reliability and can be used to characterize new forms of work.

The main purpose of the research and analysis was to show how the global pandemic affected the labor market in Poland. Selected labor market data before and during the global pandemic were analysed. The subjective scope of the surveys covered working people and those who lost their jobs during the pandemic (205 people). Data from the Central Statistical Office (CSO) were also analyzed. The pandemic caused many changes on the labor market, including: a decrease by over 204,000 the number of newly created jobs and an increase in the number of liquidated jobs by over 15,000 in 2020 compared to 2019. According to the respondents’ answers, in the face of the pandemic, over 73% of people were not afraid of losing their jobs, while almost 90% of people actually did not lose their jobs. Despite the difficult situation, almost 25% of respondents planned to change jobs, and almost 15% participated in recruitment during the pandemic. Most respondents expected stable employment, salary increase and development opportunities. In the place of employment, the scope of the company’s activity was changed, limited, suspended or closed in almost 2/3 of the respondents. Despite the barriers encountered when performing remote or hybrid work in this form, the employees decided that they also see the benefits of being able to perform part of their work at home.

This article analyses how implementation and use of digital technologies involve changes in work content, organization, and management in the petroleum industry. This is important, given that the industry is in a phase with mature technology and heavy pressure on efficiency and cost-effectiveness, at the same time as older systems and work processes prevail. The article draws on data acquired through interviews in a number of companies, organizations and specialist teams. The results show that far-reaching digitalization will mean radical changes to the way employees and managers work. The level of success in using digital technologies can be related to the ability to alter the content and form of work and expertise requirements, while retaining trust in technology and coping with uncertainty. A key conclusion is that clarifications related to work processes, roles, and responsibilities between the various actors in the supply chain are the most significant obstacles to successful technology adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work aims at describing the psychometric characteristics of the assessment instruments MBI-HSS (Maslach Burnout Inventory—Human Services Survey) and NAQ-R (Negative Act Questionnaire—Revised). In addition, it seeks to evaluate burnout prevalence, and its correlation with bullying, among nurses working in Portuguese health institutions. The study presents a descriptive, correlational and cross-sectional nature. A questionnaire elaborated in digital format, was employed as data collection instrument. It included the social-demographic and professional components, both assessed using the MBI-HSS and NAQ-R scales. The total sample comprised 2015 nurses. It was found that 2.68% of the nurses were already experiencing burnout, while 23.37% were in high risk, and 42.68% were in medium risk, of developing burnout. Furthermore, those who had suffered workplace bullying reported having greater emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. The chosen evaluation instruments exhibited good reliability and validity index. Nurses who suffered workplace bullying presented an enhanced risk of developing burnout. In this scope, it is fundamental the nurse managers' involvement in the prevention of harmful behaviors at work, as well as in the promotion of interpersonal relationships based on respect and cooperation. Workplace bullying is considered a harmful phenomenon, responsible for numerous consequences that affect workers and organizations alike. Burnout is one of the reported adversities. This phenomenon has negative effects on the nurses mental and physical health and deterioration of patient care. Prevention increase the number of healthy nurses and the quality of patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harry Braverman's "degradation thesis" is only one aspect of Marx's analysis of the labor process. A close reading of Chapters 13 to 15 of Capital Vol. 1, based on English and Japanese preceding studies, shows a dual system of work organization under the capitalist mode of production: concentrated and dispersed. Today's information and communications (ICT)-based work organization could be seen as an example of the latter, i.e., an online-controlled putting-out system. The concentrated work organization has two types: the automation-oriented model consists of mechanized processes maintained by unskilled labor. In contrast, the craft-oriented model is a set of mechanized work that requires different kinds of skilled labor. These definitions urge us to reconsider the general law of capitalist accumulation and the traditional strategy regarding class struggle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing variety of contingent work raises the question of how employers choose between various types of contractual arrangements. The authors review relevant Employment Relations and Strategic HRM literature and distinguish four types of contingent contracts along the dimensions of costs and control. They argue that employers are making choices based on cost and control constraints but are able to reshape these constraints through "institutional toying." Their case study of a German manufacturing plant and R&D center illustrates the mechanisms of institutional toying, which are consistent with the literature on institutional loopholes and exit options. The article develops propositions that explain the diversity of contingent work arrangements and show how toying strategies enlarge the range of options available to employers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, I conducted an integrative literature review proposing a conceptualization of hybrid careers from the synthesis of existing literature, analyzing its conceptual potential and practical applications. Studies on hybrid careers were extracted from Brazilian (Pepsic, Scielo, Banco de Teses USP, and CAPES) and international (Scopus, Web of Science, and Proquest) electronic databases and were organized and analyzed in an exploratory and descriptive fashion. Nineteen international and nine national publications were identified and analyzed. Findings showed that a hybrid career is an emergent investigation issue. A synthesis concept of a hybrid career would articulate the homogeneity of traditional careers with the heterogeneity of contemporary careers, generating a new configuration potentially able to deal with the heterogeneity and complexity of the multiple roles, tasks, and competencies demanded by working in present times. It configures a helpful strategy for career management to conciliate interests between workers and organizations.

Currently, work efficiency becomes the most important concept in the work environment. Nevertheless, without exception, every company faces risks that could threat its success and sustainability in the absence of effective management of its activities and work processes, working conditions, relational and organizational factors: all the companies are badly managed, ‘’the health of the company is the health of the company’’. This research focused on the evaluation of the life quality at work, new philosophy of life adopted by the company to improve the working conditions, relational and organizational factors, the staff in the university environment, as perceived by the employees of science faculty and technology. A survey was conducted among 178 employees. The results show that the majority of employees were dissatisfied with the general situation. These results are of great importance for improving the quality of life and working conditions in the university. Using those results decisionmakers can identify the main problems; develop strategies to address and improve the quality of working at university and to engage in a process of continuous improvement, while attaching a great importance to priority actions to improve the life quality at work. The survey results are very important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common invasive cancer in the world. Most BC survivors (BCSs) continue working while dealing with cancer-related disabilities. BCSs' return-to-work (RTW) after cancer treatment is an important stage of their recovery and is associated with a higher survival rate. In this study, we addressed the RTW of BCSs with the intention of facilitating this process through direct action in the workplace. Thirty-two women who requested assistance from January to December 2022 were enrolled in the study. Semi-structured interviews and medical examinations were conducted by a team of three physicians. Interviews were analyzed using Thematic Analysis. Moreover, a quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted to compare the health status of BCSs with that of a control group of 160 working women, using standardized questionnaires on work ability, fatigue, sleep problems, anxiety, depression, and happiness. BCSs were also asked to rate the level of organizational justice they perceived at work prior to their illness. From the qualitative analysis emerged three facilitating/hindering themes: (1) person-related factors, (2) company-related factors, and (3) society-related factors. In the quantitative analysis, BCSs had significantly higher scores for anxiety, depression, sleep problems and fatigue, and lower levels of happiness than controls. The RTW of BCSs entails adapting working conditions and providing adequate support. The work-related analysis of each case made it possible to highlight the measures that need to be taken in the workplace to promote RTW. The treatment of cancer should be paired with advice on the best way to regain the ability to work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New models of collective agriculture have been developing in France over the past 10 years that could encourage the emergence of more diversified and sustainable systems. However, as such production systems are relatively more complex to manage, the involvement of more people may be required. This raises renewed questions concerning the collective organization of work. Our study's main hypothesis is that the collective organization of work could encourage crop-livestock integration and underlying agroecological processes. To test this hypothesis, we implemented a participatory design approach in a case study in Camargue (France). We first used ecological network analysis to characterize flows of material between production units and assess associated biotechnical performances, namely, efficiency, resilience, productivity, and dependence. In a second step, we drew from the QuaeWork method, which we adapted to the study of collective farms, to characterize the organizational dimension. These two methods allowed us to generate quantitative indicators related to the performance of the system (expressed in kgN.ha−1.yr−1) and to calculate and estimate the time spent on various types of work (h.yr−1). Using a participatory design approach, we then developed and assessed three scenarios with varying levels of integration between activities. The results indicate that the gradual substitution of external resources by internal resources leads to a broader range of flows within the system, generating performances that vary depending on the scenario. The design of the scenarios revealed the repercussions of the organization of work within production units. The two most integrated scenarios are more efficient and resilient than the scenario without integration between units, but they are less productive. Our research contributes novel insights into the impact of agroecological practices on the organization of work on collective farms. Our findings enable a deeper understanding of the complex link between the collective organization of production and the articulation of activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the effects of time pressure, reward, and information involvement on individual fact-checking behavior within a social media platform. We used a four-factor mixed-design experiment to examine fact-checking performances of 144 participants for 36 ambiguous social platform statements, all of which were news statements of social events or of common-sense knowledge collected from the internet and selected through pre-test screening. We measured the participants' total number of fact-checked statements and their judgment accuracy of those statements. We also measured participants' decision time for making judgments, and their judgment confidence levels. Participants' social presence, time pressure, and information involvement were significantly related to the number of statements they fact-checked. Their perceived social presence on a social media platform reduced their fact-checking. Time pressure increased the frequency of fact-checking and weakened the impact of social presence. Participants were less likely to fact-check statements when they had high involvement with the information, due to overconfidence. Statements with high information involvement had longer decision-making times. These findings provide a basis for designing ways to display and push information to increase an individual's awareness of a need to fact-check ambiguous information in a new social media environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study analyses the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on work models and explores managerial perspectives on remote work compared to stationary work. A survey was conducted among companies, resulting in a sample of respondents. An additional research methodology used to validate the hypotheses was a market basket analysis. The findings indicate a significant change in work models, with a majority of companies adopting fully remote work or hybrid models with remote work as the predominant mode. Managers generally perceive remote work as having a significantly worse outcome compared to stationary work. Concerns about remote work include difficulties in supervising remote workers, maintaining effective communication with the team, and potential negative effects on employee motivation and well-being due to limited interaction. Preferences for work models varied, with a notable proportion favoring fully remote work or hybrid models. Reasons for considering a long-term change to stationary or remote work include coordination needs, control and supervision requirements, physical presence demands, and impacts on organizational culture and atmosphere. Benefits of remote work include employee flexibility, talent attraction, and alignment with employee demands and the labor market. This study provides insights into the evolving work landscape and informs strategies for effectively managing remote work environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the member states of the European Union where telework was successfully implemented before the pandemic, policies were adopted to balance teleworkers' work and rest time by guaranteeing the teleworkers' right to disconnect. In Romania, the right to disconnection is not provided by the legislation in force, and even if there is a strict formal delimitation between working time and rest time, in practice, however, this delimitation is rarely respected. The recognition of the employee's right to disconnect by adopting legal provisions must be equally applicable to all workers, regardless of their professional status, sector of activity, work location, position and responsibilities, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the beginning of 2020, the world as we knew it changed and it is quite certain that no one could have predicted the extent of those changes and how long they would last. The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed ad-hoc operations on business organizations in a challenging environment in all fields. The tasks of human resource management were to adapt and respond to radical changes that occurred both in the workplace and on the social level. On the other hand, the employees were worried about the uncertainty that was omnipresent. The aim of the conducted research and the results presented in the paper refer to the importance of flexibility in the choice and manner of working hours, as well as the willingness of employees to change jobs after the pandemic. An overview of the situation on the market in Serbia is given, all with the aim of adapting and benefiting employees in the current working environment.

BackgroundFurniture manufacturing is one of the typical labor-intensive industries, and workers in this industry face a high risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs), which seriously affect the physical and mental health of workers.ObjectiveTo explore the prevalence and potential risk factors of WMSDs among workers in a large-scale furniture manufacturing factory.MethodsA cross-sectional study of 3431 workers in a furniture factory in Guangdong Province was conducted from September to December 2019. Information including reported WMSDs in various body parts in the past year, demographic characteristics, work organization factors, job characteristics, and work postures was collected by an electronic version of Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire. Pearson χ2 test and binary logistic regression were used to analyze the risk factors leading to WMSDs.ResultsThe overall prevalence rate of WMSDs was 32.12% (1102/3431). The most common WMSDs symptoms occurred in the neck (16.85%), followed by the feet (15.27%), shoulders (14.81%), and hands (14.25%). The prevalence rates of WMSDs in the neck, shoulders, elbows, hands, legs, and feet were significantly different among different types of work (P

BackgroundWork-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are one of the major occupational health problems in the world. Pharmaceutical industry is an important part of China's national economy. At present, there are few related studies reported at home and abroad. ObjectiveTo investigate the status and influencing factors of WMSDs in chemical pharmaceutical industry. MethodsA cross-sectional epidemiological survey was conducted among all workers from three chemical pharmaceutical enterprises in Guangzhou. The Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire was used to collect information on demographic characteristics, symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders, types of work, work organization, and and work postures. Multiple logistic regression method was used to analyze the risk factors of WMSDs in chemical pharmaceutical workers. ResultsIn this study, 563 workers were selected as subjects. The total prevalence rate of WMSDs symptoms in the chemical pharmaceutical workers was 43.9% (247/563), and the leading body part-specific prevalence rate from high to low was 34.3% in the lower back, 24.3% in the upper back, 24.0% in the shoulders, and 23.8% in the neck. The prevalence rate of WMSDs symptoms in multiple body parts (30.0%) was 2.16 times higher than that in single body part (13.9%), and the prevalence rate of WMSDs symptoms in four body parts was the highest (11.4%). The results of multiple logistic regression analysis showed that age ≥50 years (reference age

The Healthy Work Survey is a short, standardized online tool to assess the level of work-related psychosocial risk based on distributions from a U.S. national working population. Occupational medicine professionals can easily access this free tool and report to evaluate individual and workplace psychosocial hazards impacting worker health and safety. Objectives: Work-related psychosocial stressors have been recognized as occupational hazards and assessed in workplaces in many countries for decades. Identifying tools to measure work-related psychosocial hazards to increase awareness in the United States about the impact on employees' health and safety is critical (J Occup Environ Med. 2021;63:e245–e249). Methods: We describe the development and psychometric validation of an online tool, the Healthy Work Survey, utilizing items from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Quality of Work Life questionnaire. Results: There are 55 items in the final core work section of the HWS. Factor analyses confirmed nine factors, and the subsequent multi-item scales had acceptable internal consistency. A user-friendly, online system and automated report compares individual's and organization's scores to distributions from a representative US working population (General Social Survey Quality of Work Life). Discussion: The HWS is a reliable, valid tool for organizations and individuals to assess psychosocial work hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demographic change in Germany, combined with a shortage of skilled workers, leads to difficulties for companies to attract potential employees. Especially future talents from Generation Z are known to set different requirements for their jobs than earlier generations, e.g., regarding personal responsibility in the execution of tasks and flexibility regarding work hours. This poses challenges for companies in the manufacturing industry with monotonous tasks such as work in manual assembly lines. Hence, improving workplaces and tasks is a strategic challenge for companies in the manufacturing industry to increase the attractiveness of their jobs for future talents. Factors like the workers' motivation will play a significant role in achieving the goal of an improved attractiveness of companies' jobs. So far, research has focused on work motivation and single organizational measures to improve intrinsic work motivation and affective commitment. However, no concept has been developed to strategically choose improvement measures specifically for workplaces in companies that use manual assembly lines. Therefore, this article presents the concept of a methodology to be developed for managers who strive to improve the intrinsic motivation and the affective commitment of their employees. The concept presented in this contribution contains three steps: analyzing the actual work organization to point out deficits, identifying and choosing potential measures from a catalog, and evaluating those measures regarding strategic and economic aspects. The concept aims at the improvement of work motivation and affective commitment of the workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The general objective of the study was to compare the analysis of the perception of Quality of Work Life of workers from two federal entities in the infrastructure area based on the Activity-centered Ergonomics Applied to QWL. A total of 3.136 workers participated in this research. As an instrument it was used an electronic version of the QWL Valuating Inventory. The result presents no significant differences in perception of the two groups of works in relation to the quality of life at work. The element work organization was the worst evaluated indicating alertness and risk of illness. The research indicates issues that deserve attention during the elaboration of QWL Policy and Program in the evaluated organizations.

Influenced by the trend for “liberated companies” and “agile mode”, over recent years companies have formulated “empowerment” projects to make their employees more autonomous. These new forms of organization target improved performance, adaptation to the environment and increased individual well-being. The affirmation of such projects invites us to rethink company guidance and the mission of managers. They are accompanied by tensions linked to the permanence of control and the paradoxical injunction to autonomy.For its part, ergonomics is interested in autonomy as a means of responding to various health problems by seeking, through its interventions, to (re)give the operator and the organization the ability to question instructions, based on the requirements of the work activity. With an enabling objective, the intervention aims to lay down the principles of greater subsidiarity within the organization. To achieve this, it is necessary to understand the manager’s activity and his/her decision-making process and cooperation in order to be able to transform, discuss and co-build the source of authority.The examples of two interventions describe the ergonomist’s posture, methods, and participation in the autonomy expansion project. The main results show the difficulty of taking the manager into account and of repositioning him/her, the activity to be deployed to make autonomy possible and the persistence of structural obstacles linked to the difficulties of cooperation and time reconciliation. The ergonomist’s posture supports these trajectories without managing them, by classically seeking to build the conditions for a collective activity that includes the manager.

In 2018, an NHS Trust (UK) implemented an innovative Nursing System Framework (NSF). The NSF formalized a two‐year strategy, which provided teams with clear aims and measurable objectives to deliver care. Failures of coordination of nursing services are well‐recognized threats to the quality, safety and sustainability of care provision. Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of introducing a NSF in an NHS Trust, using nursing sensitive indicators and pre‐selected mortality, data outcome measures. Design: A before and after implementation, observational study. Methods: 105,437 admissions were extracted at an admission record level. Data was extracted from 1st September 2018 through to the 31st August 2019. Results: Using SQUIRE guidelines to report the study, insufficient evidence was found to reject a null hypothesis with a chi‐squared test of association between in‐hospital death and the NSF intervention period, with a p‐value of.091. However, trends were seen in the data, which suggested a positive association. Conclusion: The NSF is a complex intervention, which provides direction for improvements but requires further research to understand the benefits for nurses, Midwives, Health Visitors and patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of the study was to rate the employee’s productivity on different work day organization and to indicate the most optimal work schedule. Design/methodology/approach: For the research presented in this paper, strong literature review was done. We showed why human workforce is so important in tissue culture laboratory and why proper work organization is essential for increasing competitiveness of companies. Literature in the field of overtime work and short, elastic hours of work was also presented. Our research design checked effectiveness of work of ten employees of tissue culture laboratory in five different workday schedules. First combination was control and four other investigated influence of six hour work on main task in different arrangements on productivity. Data was statistically analysed with Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA. Productivity Index and Labour Productivity Index were also used for better results processing. Findings: The highest employees productivity is concentrated in the middle of work day. In conventional eight hour workday, the highest productivity is just after fifteen minute break. Six hour workday has big potential in increasing work, especially when main task is not interrupted by other activities and when work starts at the beginning of workday. Research limitations/implications: In future, research should be expanded on employees efficiency in work with bioreactor and costs analysis of plant production in such system. Practical implications: Our results are directed to plant tissue culture companies and others where employees are essential and their work requires concentration during repetitive activities. We suggest solutions increasing work efficiency. Originality/value: Our work presents hour after hour analysis of work efficiency in different workday organization in plant tissue culture company. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The general objective of the study was to compare the analysis of the perception of Quality of Work Life of workers from two federal entities in the infrastructure area based on the Activity-centered Ergonomics Applied to QWL. A total of 3.136 workers participated in this research. As an instrument it was used an electronic version of the QWL Valuating Inventory. The result presents no significant differences in perception of the two groups of works in relation to the quality of life at work. The element work organization was the worst evaluated indicating alertness and risk of illness. The research indicates issues that deserve attention during the elaboration of QWL Policy and Program in the evaluated organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The health crisis linked to Covid-19 has had the effect of strongly increasing the activity of certain trades or, on the contrary, decreasing it to the point of stopping. It has also disrupted the organization of work in companies: remote work, physical distancing, etc. The question that now arises is to know the sustainability of these developments, their influence on working conditions, and the associated occupational risks. To do this, a prospective study was conducted involving the reference body for occupational risk prevention in France (INRS), a prospective think tank (Futuribles), representatives of a dozen French companies, and a number of experts on these issues.

The Day Reconstruction Method (DRM) is a time-diary, in which respondents record how they spent their time during the previous day and how they felt during these activities. We propose an adaptation of this interrogation technique to the work setting and call this adaptation the Work Day Reconstruction Method (W-DRM). The W-DRM is designed to focus on work activities, and to be adapted to the specific work activities of any worker. As time means money for firms, the W-DRM is designed to take less time to respond to, and can be used by firms and consulting firms to improve the workday of their workers. The W-DRM includes a U-Index at work, U stands for "unpleasant" or "undesirable", a U-Index at work is used to measure the proportion of time a worker spends in an unpleasant state during a workday. A French insurance company sales representatives case study is used to demonstrate what information this method can yield. For example, we see that positive affects tend to decrease during the work day, while negative affects tend to increase, and the best work activity is... the meal break. Researchers can develop new forms of W-DRM and study new jobs. Researchers can also hybridize a W-DRM with a DRM, and they can adapt the DRM to new contexts, for example it would be possible to develop a School Day Reconstruction Method (S-DRM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Während zu den Anforderungen an Interaktionsarbeit in Handel, Pflege und anderen sozialen Diensten zahlreiche Erkenntnisse vorliegen, ist über deren Stellenwert bei produktionsbezogenen Dienstleistungen wie den Technischen Services noch relativ wenig bekannt. Digitalisierung, neue Geschäftsmodelle und komplexere Kundenanforderungen begründen einen Wandel, der sich auf die Arbeit der Fachkräfte in den Technischen Services auswirkt: Zwar kennzeichnen dieses Feld eindeutig Dispositionsbeziehungen, bei denen fachlich geführte Auseinandersetzungen dominieren. Die Beschäftigten müssen mit den Kund:innen jedoch mehr und intensiver kommunizieren – die Interaktion gewinnt als Arbeitsinhalt an Bedeutung. An einem Fallbeispiel wird diese Entwicklung präsentiert und es werden Ansätze der Gestaltung guter Interaktionsarbeit diskutiert. While there are numerous findings on the requirements for interaction work in retail, care and other social services, relatively little is known about their significance in production-related services such as technical services. Digitalization, new business models and more complex customer requirements are creating a change that affects the work of professionals in technical services: Although this field is clearly characterized by dispositional relationships in which professional disputes dominate, the employees have to communicate more and more intensively with the customers – interaction is gaining in importance as a work content. This development is presented in a case study and approaches to designing good interaction work are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mental workload and ergonomic aspects in the world of work have often not been considered. Although in past literature it has been stated that mental workload and ergonomic aspects have a direct impact on worker productivity. The main objective of this research is to evaluate the ergonomics aspect and measure the mental workload of the UNISBA Faculty of Engineering education staff. The method used in this study is an ergonomics evaluation questionnaire (ergonomic checklist) and a mental workload questionnaire (Nasa-TLX). The stages carried out include problem formulation, preliminary study by observing the research object, literature study, preparing questionnaires, distributing questionnaires, data processing, and analysis. The results showed that there was educational staff who were included in the category of having a very high mental workload and needed attention to ergonomic aspects, especially related to buildings (ventilation) and work organization (attention to pregnant and lactating women). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nurses' harm prevention practices during the admission of older persons to hospital have important consequences for patient safety, preventable patient harm and length of hospital stay. Novel solutions are needed to assist nurses to balance complexity, high workload burden and patient safety during admission processes. Aim: Explore the nurses' experiences of harm prevention practices during the admission of an older person to the hospital. Design: A multi‐method qualitative study informed by frameworks of behaviour change and human‐centred co‐design. Methods: The purposive sample included 44 nurses, 5 clinicians from other disciplines and 3 consumers recruited from five general medicine wards across three hospitals of a large public health service in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia. Data were collected over 12 h of naturalistic observations of nurses during eight patient admissions, and during four participatory human‐centred co‐design workshops between August 2019 and January 2020. Observation, field notes and workshop artefact data were integrated for qualitative content and thematic analysis. Results: Analysis revealed a 5‐step journey map, with a temporal logic, that captured nurses' experiences, as well as the enablers and barriers to harm prevention practices when admitting an older person to the hospital. The consensus was reached on three priority features to assist nurses to implement harm prevention practices when they admit an older person to the hospital: (1) prioritize important care; (2) tailor care to the individual and (3) see the big picture for the patient. Conclusion: The novel research approach identified five steps in nurses' activities and harm prevention practices during admission of an older person to the hospital, and key features for a solution to assist nurses to keep patients safe. The findings provide the foundation for further research to develop interventions to assist nurses to manage high workloads during this complex activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite the growing number of studies on direct participation labor‐management practices, little is known about the role of their different discretionary degrees (delegation or consultation) and topics in their relationship with the psychosocial work environment by occupational groups. Methods: Cross‐sectional study on the relationship between direct participation and work‐related psychosocial risks (using COPSOQ‐ISTAS21 v3) on a representative sample of the salaried and wage‐earning employees in Spain (n = 1807). Prevalence ratios were calculated using adjusted Poisson regression models, controlling for 10 other labor‐management practices, sex, and age, and stratified by occupational group. Results: The use of direct participation was either associated consistently with a healthier psychosocial work environment (mostly in manual occupations, which presented twice as many positive associations as nonmanual occupations, and of greater strength, mostly in the control and social support dimensions) or there were no significant associations (mostly among nonmanual occupations and in relation to work pace). More frequent and stronger associations were observed when consultation and delegation were used in combination. If used separately, consultation achieved better results among manual occupations and delegation among nonmanual occupations. Direct participation topics were not important for results in manual occupations whereas results were better on tactical (vs. operational) issues in nonmanual occupations. Conclusions: Direct participation does not change power structure, but it may be a useful intervention at the company level to reduce work‐related psychosocial exposures and associated diseases among workers in manual occupations, and consequently for decreasing occupational exposures and health inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insect societies, which are at a high risk of disease outbreaks, have evolved sanitary strategies that contribute to their social immunity. Here, we investigated in the red ant Myrmica rubra, how the discarding of nestmate cadavers is socially organized depending on the associated pathogenicity. We examined whether necrophoresis is carried out by a specific functional group of workers or by any nestmates that may become short-term specialists. By observing the behavioural profiles of tagged individuals, we assigned half of the colony members to functional groups (foragers, intermittent-foragers, domestics, nurses and inactives). Following the introduction of uninfected or sporulating corpses into the nest, intermittent-foragers were the functional group most involved in necrophoresis, as they touched, moved and discarded more cadavers. Interestingly, sporulating corpses induced a more generalized response in workers from all functional groups, thereby accelerating their rejection from the nest. The individuals contacting corpses were also prophylactically engaged in more grooming behaviour, suggesting the existence of hygienist workers within ant colonies. These findings raise questions about a trade-off existing between concentrating health risks on a few workers who are highly specialized in necrophoresis and exposing a larger population of nestmates who cooperate to speed up nest sanitization., Competing Interests: We declare we have no competing interests., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Background/objectives: The nursing work environment is a critical element in healthcare delivery and a strong predictor of both patient and nurse outcomes. Understanding the complexity and multifaceted nature of this environment is essential for improving nursing practices and optimizing healthcare systems. This study aimed to gain insights into the perceived characteristics of the nursing work environment, considering it as a complex and multifaceted system., Methods: A qualitative research approach was employed, involving 42 semi-structured interviews with 43 nurses and managers from academic, teaching, and general hospitals in The Netherlands. Data were collected between July 2020 and August 2021 through convenience sampling. Thematic coding was conducted to identify key patterns and themes., Results: The findings revealed that nurses demonstrated flexibility and a strong commitment to high-quality care, despite grappling with rigorous organizational tasks and processes. Four key themes emerged: (1) direct patient care as a standard feature of nursing work; (2) nurses' flexibility for hospital productivity; (3) interdependencies, which decrease autonomous nursing practices; and (4) organizational structures that determine how nurses can shape their work. Nurses found it difficult to balance direct care with broader tasks due to organizational rigidity, revealing a gap between ideal nursing practices and daily reality., Conclusions: This study highlighted the challenges within the nursing work environment, particularly in balancing direct care with organizational demands. Addressing this gap between ideal nursing practice and reality requires a systems approach. This includes autonomous practices, supportive management, and flexible structures, allowing nurses to shape their work and enhance job satisfaction and care quality.

Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the objectives of the health care system had to be adapted to the changing circumstances, in order to meet the health needs of patients, but also the expectations of medical workers related to ensuring safe working conditions in the crisis situation. The activities of medical staff are greatly affected by organizational and financial changes in health care systems, which affect both the health care systems all over the world and the functioning of all forms of health care. The article examines the organizational and financial changes resulting from the introduction of regulations affecting the conditions of primary health care (PHC) workers in Poland from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to May 8, 2021. The findings regarding measures taken to ensure the stability of PHC functioning during the pandemic highlight that the public health emergency exposed a significant need to introduce organizational and financial changes in PHC. The changes arising from legislation and good practices of medical, organizational and financial character resulted in health care system modernizations in Poland. It is worth stressing, however, that there is a great need to maintain coherence when implementing organizational and financial changes affecting the fluidity and effectiveness of the actions taken by PHC personnel, and thus their working conditions, when implementing future responses to public health emergencies. Such changes should be based on an analysis of the solutions introduced since the beginning of the pandemic in Poland: these include organizational changes such as housing conditions, organization of work and workplaces, flow of information and way of supplying the patient, and financial changes involving mobilization of additional financial resources. The article presents a list of future research questions that merit consideration when setting problems and priorities: these can be used to guide the introduction of permanent modifications to the functioning of PHC in Poland and to facilitate possible future adaptation in times of emergency. Med Pr. 2021;72(5):591–604

This article contributes to better understanding the relations between innovation and the evolution of working conditions and employment quality. Most studies on employment and innovation focus on the impacts of innovation on employment variation and turnover. However, few empirical works explicitly study the transformative role of new technology adoption in the qualitative dimensions of jobs. This article investigates the effect of new technology adoption on job quality and working conditions. Based on the European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) (2010), econometrics models identify at employee-level the combined influence of innovation with work organization practises on several job quality dimensions. We observe that new technology adoption is generally associated with better employment quality for workers in some ways, but, simultaneously, it leads to higher physical constraints and work-time intensity. Furthermore, our study highlights the heterogeneity of innovation diffusion effects according to work organization's practices. Our results suggest that more consideration should be given to the impact of technology diffusion on job quality. The increasing constraints on working conditions from innovation and information and communication technology use call for regulation setting. This article is an original contribution in answering the claims for more in-depth research on the links between employment variation and work transformations due to technological change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]