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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to apply the concept of power imbalance to explain workplace and demographic characteristics associated with bullying by different perpetrators in the healthcare sector. Design/methodology/approach All 69,927 members of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (Victoria) were invited to participate in an online survey in 2014; 4,891 responses were received (7 per cent response rate). Participants were asked about their exposure to workplace bullying (WPB) by different perpetrators. The questionnaire addressed demographic characteristics and perceptions of workplace characteristics (workplace type, leading indicators of occupational health and safety (OHS), prioritisation of OHS, supervisor support for safety and bureaucracy). Analysis involved descriptive statistics and regression analyses. Findings The study found that the exposure of nurses and health workers to bullying is relatively high (with 42 per cent of respondents experiencing WPB in the past 12 months) and there are multiple perpetrators of bullying. The research revealed several demographic predictors associated with the different types of perpetrators. Downward and horizontal bullying were the most prevalent forms. Workplace characteristics were more important predictors of bullying by different perpetrators than were demographic characteristics. Research limitations/implications There are limitations to the study due to a low response rate and the cross-sectional survey. Practical implications Practical implications of this study emphasise the importance of focussed human resource strategies to prevent bullying. Originality/value The key contribution of this research is to draw from theoretical explanations of power to inform understanding of the differences between perpetrators of bullying. The study highlights the workplace characteristics that influence bullying.

Purpose To investigate the relative contributions of workplace type, occupational violence and aggression (OVA) strategies and interventions along with perceptions of the occupational health and safety (OHS) environment on the likelihood of receiving postincident support following the experience of OVA. Design We used a cross-sectional study design with an online survey to collect data from employees in nursing and midwifery in Victoria, Australia. Methods Survey data collected from 3,072 members of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (Victorian branch) were analyzed using logistic regression. Findings Of the 3,072 respondents who had experienced OVA in the preceding 12 months, 1,287 (42%) reported that they had received postincident support. Hierarchical logistic regression revealed that the OHS environment was the dominant factor that predicted the likelihood of workers receiving postincident support. Working in a positive OHS environment characterized by higher levels of leading indicators of OHS, prioritization of OHS, supervisor support for safety, and team psychological safety was the stronger predictor of postincident support. Being employed in a workplace that offered training in the management and prevention of OVA also increased the likelihood of receiving postincident support. Conclusions While training in the management and prevention of OVA contributed to the likelihood of receiving postincident support, a greater emphasis on the OHS environment was more important in predicting the likelihood that workers received support. Clinical relevance This study identifies workplace practices that facilitate the provision of postincident support for healthcare workers. Facilitating effective postincident support could improve outcomes for workers, their patients and workplaces, and society in general.

Safety climate is central to scholarship in workplace safety, yet there is a lack of clarity and consensus in the way safety climate has been conceptualized and measured. Since Zohar’s (1980) pivotal work on safety climate, there has been a proliferation of scales to measure this construct. This is the first review and critical evaluation of safety climate measures. We searched several databases from January 1980 to December 2019 for studies relating to safety climate with the aim of capturing all publicly available generic measures of safety climate. Our search identified 1665 peer reviewed journal articles. After removing duplicates and applying our exclusion criteria, we reviewed 44 articles containing 49 measures of safety climate. The results of this review identified deficiencies and inconsistencies in the way safety climate has been conceptualized and measured. Our review found that the scale validation process has been skewed towards scale development rather than scale evaluation and, despite the inherently multilevel nature of safety climate, the psychometric evaluation of safety climate as a multilevel construct has rarely been examined. Our findings hold important implications and we offer guidance for future research. Clarity, consensus and rigor in measurement are imperative for the advancement of safety climate research and critical to any understanding of the impact of safety climate on safety outcomes.

Purpose To examine the relative impact of work-related stressors and the personal resource of mindfulness on employees' mental and physical health. Design A cross-sectional survey design with nursing and healthcare workers in Victoria, Australia. Methods Data were collected from 702 respondents. Mean scores for work-related stressors and employee mental and physical health were compared with population norms. We used hierarchical linear regressions to examine the relative impact of demographics, work-related stressors, and mindfulness on employee mental and physical health. Findings Employees in this sample reported higher levels of work-related stress and poorer mental health compared to available norms, while their levels of physical health were within the normal range. Regression analyses showed that work-related stressors were important predictors of employee mental health, but mindfulness was the stronger predictor. There was a slightly stronger relationship between employee physical health and work-related stress compared to mindfulness. Furthermore, being younger and employed in a non-nursing role were associated with better physical health. Clinical relevance Encouraging mindfulness as a health behavior practice among nurses and other healthcare workers could improve employee well-being and potentially enable them to more effectively fulfill the requirements of their demanding roles.

Occupational violence and aggression (OVA) is an increasing global phenomenon, with healthcare workers being a particularly vulnerable group (Cashmore, Indig, Hampton, Hegney, & Jalaludin, 2012; Opie et al., 2010). While there is no consensus on what constitutes OVA (Victorian Auditor General's Office, 2015), the definition we use is: "any incident where an employee is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances arising out of, or in the course of, their employment" (Department of Health, 2011, p. 8). Healthcare workers play a critical role in community care, but the nature of this community role exposes them to considerable risk of OVA (Victorian Auditor General's Office, 2015). A review by Spector, Zhou, and Che (2014) reported that worldwide 36% of nurses had been exposed to physical violence at work and 66% had been exposed to nonphysical violence. Among the 13 occupations studied by LeBlanc and Kelloway (2002), the second highest risk exposure and second highest violence prevalence rates occurred for nurses; police officers were the only occupational group found to experience higher levels of OVA.OVA is an important area of research in the field of occupational health and safety (OHS), not only because of societal expectations of safety and dignity at work, but also because OVA has been reported to have flow on effects beyond the initial physical or emotional impact of a violent or aggressive incident. Individual responses to exposure to physical violence and verbal aggression include increased absenteeism and turnover and reduced productivity (Schat & Kelloway, 2005). Lanctot and Guay's (2014) systematic review identified several categories of detrimental consequences of OVA, including physical, psychological, emotional, and work functioning, as well as social and financial well-being and diminished patient care. These consequences highlight the direct and indirect costs of OVA to individuals, patients, workplaces, and society in general.Comparisons across world regions undertaken by Spector et al. (2014) showed that the highest rate of exposure to OVA among nurses was in the Anglo region (i.e., Australia, New Zealand, England, Ireland, Scotland, Canada, and United States), where patients were the dominant source of physical violence. Within Australia, several studies have reported high rates of exposure to OVA in the healthcare sector (e.g., Farrell, Shafiei, & Chan, 2014; Roche, Diers, Duffield, & Catling-Paull, 2010) and, consistent with other countries, patients were the main perpetrators of violence towards nurses. However, the prevalence of OVA in the healthcare industry is unclear and requires clarification (Victorian Auditor General's Office, 2015). In response, the first aim of our study is to determine the extent and source of OVA experienced by nursing and caring professionals in the healthcare industry.Along with the call for greater understanding of the extent of the problem, Farrell et al. (2014) emphasized the need to understand the factors that protect staff and reduce risk. Research has focused on the workplace context and has shown that factors such as role overload, work demands or job strain (Magnavita, 2014; Rodwell, Demir, & Flower, 2013), poor staffing levels (Farrell & Shafiei, 2012), lack of leadership (Roche et al., 2010), and lack of social support (Magnavita, 2014) increase the likelihood of OVA.Viewing the OVA research in the context of the broader safety literature and consistent with Clissold, Buttigieg, and De Cieri (2012), we apply Bandura's (1986) social cognitive theory to understand the context for OVA. The premise of social cognitive theory is that people are considered to be completely driven by neither external stimuli nor internal factors, but rather a combination of the environment, the person, and his or her behavior. Clissold et al. (2012) argued that a triadic framework encompassing the environment, the person, and the behavior could guide research in workplace safety. …

In response to the call for empirical evidence of a connection between leading and lagging indicators of occupational health and safety (OHS), the first aim of the current research is to consider the association between leading and lagging indicators of OHS. Our second aim is to investigate the moderating effect of safety leadership on the association between leading and lagging indicators. Data were collected from 3578 employees nested within 66 workplaces. Multi-level modelling was used to test the two hypotheses. The results confirm an association between leading and lagging indicators of OHS as well as the moderating impact of middle management safety leadership on the direct association. The association between leading and lagging indicators provides OHS practitioners with useful information to substantiate efforts within organisations to move away from a traditional focus on lagging indicators towards a preventative focus on leading indicators. The research also highlights the important role played by middle managers and the value of OHS leadership development and investment at the middle management level.

There is growing interest in advancing knowledge and practice on the use of leading indicators to measure occupational health and safety (OHS) performance in organizations. In response we present psychometric analysis of the Organizational Performance Metric - Monash University (OPM-MU), which is a recently developed measure of leading indicators of OHS with several adaptations made as part of our investigation. Based on a national survey conducted with 3605 employees in 66 workplaces from several major organizations in Australia, we applied classical test (exploratory factor analysis) and item response (Rasch model analysis) theories to conduct a psychometric evaluation of the OPM-MU. RESULTS revealed that the OPM-MU displayed good psychometric properties and evidence for both construct and criterion validity at employee and workplace levels. The OPM-MU could be used as an initial 'flag' of the leading indicators of OHS and has the potential to be a benchmarking tool for workplaces both within and across organizations. This paper represents an important advancement in the field of leading indicators of OHS performance and demonstrates that the OPM-MU is a promising new tool with demonstrated reliability and validity. Language: en

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to consider the impact of human resource (HR) role overload and HR role conflict on the HR function’s involvement in strategic decision making and to examine whether conditions of environmental dynamism moderate the impact of HR role conflict and HR role overload in that relationship. Design/methodology/approach – The authors collected data from two sources, senior HR and top management team (TMT) executives. A total of 180 HR executives and 109 TMT members completed the survey. In all, 102 organisations were included in the sample with matched HR executive and TMT responses. Findings – Results did not support hypothesised negative relationships between HR role management and involvement in strategic decision making but did establish the moderating effect of environmental dynamism, such that these associations were more negative at higher levels of dynamism. Research limitations/implications – The cross-sectional nature of the study precludes making inferences about causality and would need to be replicated with a longitudinal design before stronger inferences could be drawn with regard to the relationships between the variables. A strength of the study however is the use of two sources of data to address the issue of common method variance. Practical implications – The research has implications for the potential value that HR provides in dynamic environments and the risk that HR role conflict and overload pose to the contribution that HR can make during these periods. Originality/value – The research shifts the focus away from the definition of HR roles to considering how these roles are enacted and kept in balance.

To investigate the relative contributions of workplace type, occupational violence and aggression (OVA) strategies and interventions along with perceptions of the occupational health and safety (OHS) environment on the likelihood of receiving postincident support following the experience of OVA.We used a cross-sectional study design with an online survey to collect data from employees in nursing and midwifery in Victoria, Australia.Survey data collected from 3,072 members of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (Victorian branch) were analyzed using logistic regression.Of the 3,072 respondents who had experienced OVA in the preceding 12 months, 1,287 (42%) reported that they had received postincident support. Hierarchical logistic regression revealed that the OHS environment was the dominant factor that predicted the likelihood of workers receiving postincident support. Working in a positive OHS environment characterized by higher levels of leading indicators of OHS, prioritization of OHS, supervisor support for safety, and team psychological safety was the stronger predictor of postincident support. Being employed in a workplace that offered training in the management and prevention of OVA also increased the likelihood of receiving postincident support.While training in the management and prevention of OVA contributed to the likelihood of receiving postincident support, a greater emphasis on the OHS environment was more important in predicting the likelihood that workers received support.This study identifies workplace practices that facilitate the provision of postincident support for healthcare workers. Facilitating effective postincident support could improve outcomes for workers, their patients and workplaces, and society in general.

To examine the extent and source of occupational violence and aggression (OVA) experienced by nursing and caring professionals. This study also examines the relative contributions of demographic characteristics and workplace and individual safety factors in predicting OVA.A cross-sectional study design with data collected using an online survey of employees in the nursing and caring professions in Victoria, Australia.Survey data collected from 4,891 members of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (Victorian branch) were analyzed using logistic regression.Sixty-seven percent of respondents reported experiencing OVA in the preceding 12 months, with nearly 20% experiencing OVA on a weekly or daily basis. The dominant sources of OVA were patients (79%) or relatives of patients (48%). Logistic regression analysis revealed that respondents working in public hospitals and aged care facilities were more likely to experience OVA, compared to those working in other workplaces. While higher levels of safety compliance reduced the likelihood of experiencing OVA, role overload and workplace safety factors such as prioritization of employee safety and leading indicators of occupational health and safety were stronger predictors.The likelihood of healthcare workers experiencing OVA varies across demographic and workplace characteristics. While some demographic characteristics and individual safety factors were significant predictors, our results suggest that a greater reduction in OVA could be achieved by improving workplace safety.The study's outcomes identify workforce segments that are most vulnerable to OVA. The study also highlights workplace safety factors such as the prioritization of employee safety that might assist in the reduction of OVA.

Increasingly, researchers are using perceptual or subjective measures of organisational performance, but our review of the literature reveals that these measures are rarely validated. We introduce Rasch model analysis to the management field and apply it to a psychometric analysis of an organisational performance scale developed in 1996 by Delaney and Huselid. Although this scale has been widely used, the present work is the first substantial investigation of its psychometric properties. The results of Rasch model analysis reveal that the original hypothesised two-factor structure was not supported but a revised three-factor structure with good psychometric properties that reflect internal, external and market performance was supported. Evidence for construct validity was found for internal and market performance subscales but not for external performance. This paper presents an important methodological advance for management research by demonstrating the evaluation of the psychometric properties of this scale through Rasch model analysis. The findings expand our understanding of the underlying structure of organisational performance and have implications for a wider application of Rasch model analysis in the management field.

Central auditory processing in schizophrenia patients with a history of auditory hallucinations has been reported to be impaired, and abnormalities of interhemispheric transfer have been implicated in these patients. This study examined interhemispheric functional connectivity between auditory cortical regions, using temporal information obtained from latency measures of the auditory N1 evoked potential. Interhemispheric Transfer Times (IHTTs) were compared across 3 subject groups: schizophrenia patients who had experienced auditory hallucinations, schizophrenia patients without a history of auditory hallucinations, and normal controls. Pure tones and single-syllable words were presented monaurally to each ear, while EEG was recorded continuously. IHTT was calculated for each stimulus type by comparing the latencies of the auditory N1 evoked potential recorded contralaterally and ipsilaterally to the ear of stimulation. The IHTTs for pure tones did not differ between groups. For word stimuli, the IHTT was significantly different across the 3 groups: the IHTT was close to zero in normal controls, was highest in the AH group, and was negative (shorter latencies ipsilaterally) in the nonAH group. Differences in IHTTs may be attributed to transcallosal dysfunction in the AH group, but altered or reversed cerebral lateralization in nonAH participants is also possible.

This article presents findings from a survey conducted in the Australian resources sector in 2009 exploring human resource (HR) managers’ perceptions of how their organizational practices and external contextual changes in industrial relations legislation present challenges for the sector and influence attraction and retention of highly skilled employees. The research makes an important contribution to the literature on good employment/high involvement work practices by investigating organizational practices within the politico-legislative context of this economically significant sector. Our findings indicate that organizations have implemented a range of ‘good’ employment practices, while dealing with concerns about skills shortages, employee turnover, an aging workforce and changes in legislation. We identify a need for employers to give greater attention to diversity and work—life balance issues. Further, there is a need for strategies to increase the attractiveness of work in remote locations.

BackgroundPrevious research has reported auditory processing deficits that are specific to schizophrenia patients with a history of auditory hallucinations (AH). One explanation for these findings is that there are abnormalities in the interhemispheric connectivity of auditory cortex pathways in AH patients; as yet this explanation has not been experimentally investigated. We assessed the interhemispheric connectivity of both primary (A1) and secondary (A2) auditory cortices in n=13 AH patients, n=13 schizophrenia patients without auditory hallucinations (non-AH) and n=16 healthy controls using functional connectivity measures from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data.MethodFunctional connectivity was estimated from resting state fMRI data using regions of interest defined for each participant based on functional activation maps in response to passive listening to words. Additionally, stimulus-induced responses were regressed out of the stimulus data and the functional connectivity was estimated for the same regions to investigate the reliability of the estimates.ResultsAH patients had significantly reduced interhemispheric connectivity in both A1 and A2 when compared with non-AH patients and healthy controls. The latter two groups did not show any differences in functional connectivity. Further, this pattern of findings was similar across the two datasets, indicating the reliability of our estimates.ConclusionsThese data have identified a trait deficit specific to AH patients. Since this deficit was characterized within both A1 and A2 it is expected to result in the disruption of multiple auditory functions, for example, the integration of basic auditory information between hemispheres (via A1) and higher-order language processing abilities (via A2).

The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) has been frequently employed as a measure of depression in studies of obesity, with the majority of studies reporting an improvement in scores following weight loss. Given the potential similarity in obesity-related and depressive symptoms, it is uncertain whether all components of depression would improve equally with weight loss. The study included obese patients who had undergone laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) surgery and had completed BDIs at baseline and 1 year after surgery. Two groups of patients were included, a general background group (N = 191, mean age = 41 ± 9, mean BMI = 43 ± 8) and a group identified as experiencing elevated depressive symptoms based on BDI scores ≥23 (EDS group; (N = 67, mean age = 40 ± 9, mean BMI = 45 ± 7). Overall, BDI scores fell for both groups, background group at baseline 17 ± 9–8 ± 7 at 1 year and for the EDS group at baseline 30 ± 5–14 ± 10 at 1 year. Patient scores on the negative self-attitude subscale were significantly greater than the two other subscales and showed the greatest improvement 1 year following LAGB. Preexisting antidepressant therapy had little or no association on the BDI scores or on its change following weight loss. High rates of depression are continually reported in obesity, as is a remarkable decrease in depressive symptoms following weight loss. Negative attitudes towards one’s self appears to be driving elevated BDI scores rather than the overlap in physical symptoms between obesity and depression.

Deficits in emotional prosodic processing, the expression of emotions in voice, have been widely reported in patients with schizophrenia, not only in comprehending emotional prosody but also expressing it. Given that prosodic cues are important in memory for voice and speaker identity, Cutting has proposed that prosodic deficits may contribute to the misattribution that appears to occur in auditory hallucinations in psychosis. The present study compared hallucinating patients with schizophrenia, nonhallucinating patients and normal controls on an emotional prosodic processing task. It was hypothesised that hallucinators would demonstrate greater deficits in emotional prosodic processing than non-hallucinators and normal controls. Participants were 67 patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (hallucinating=38, non-hallucinating=29) and 31 normal controls. The prosodic processing task used in this study comprised a series of semantically neutral sentences expressed in happy, sad and neutral voices which were rated on a 7-point Likert scale from sad (�3) through neutral (0) to happy (+3). Significant deficits in the prosodic processing tasks were found in hallucinating patients compared to non-hallucinating patients and normal controls. No significant differences were observed between non-hallucinating patients and normal controls. In the present study, patients experiencing auditory hallucinations were not as successful in recognising and using prosodic cues as the nonhallucinating patients. These results are consistent with Cutting's hypothesis, that prosodic dysfunction may mediate the misattribution of auditory hallucinations. © 2006 Published by Elsevier B.V.