Work stress and problem alcohol behavior: a test of the spillover model

Although previous research has found weak support for the model of stressful work ‘spilling over’ to negative coping responses during nonwork hours, we argue that a variety of conceptual and methodological problems may partially explain the weak and inconsistent findings. Two important shortcomings are inadequately specified models and a failure to consider nonescapist responses to job-related stress. We therefore propose that there may be escapist (i.e. increased drinking, working through job dissatisfaction for those who believe that alcohol consumption is an effective means to reduce stress) and nonescapist (i.e. decreased drinking for those who are dissatisfied with their jobs but do not believe alcohol is an effective coping strategy) responses to work stress. These hypotheses were tested on a sample of 972 production workers in the Pacific northwest. Results show moderate support for the existence of both escapist and nonescapist responses to job-related stresses. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Facilitating and inhibiting effects of job control and social support on stress outcomes and role behavior: a contingency model

High levels of job control and social support are often related to effective job performance and coping with work stressors. However, support may have more positive effects on role behavior when job control is low. In addition, despite theoretical expectations, simple demands–control and demands–support interactions are infrequently found to predict health and psychological strain outcomes. The ‘demands–control–support’ model (Johnson and Hall, 1988) of stress coping integrates these ‘stress buffering’ and ‘decision latitude’ models and observes more consistent findings. This model posits that social support buffers the adverse effects of high demand, low control jobs. However, explicit tests of the interaction of these variables suggest that control can have positive or negative effects on strain, depending on the level of social support. In this study, supervisor consideration was positively related to subordinate job performance, extra-role behavior, and in-role prosocial behavior (conscientiousness) among subordinates perceiving low job control. The relationship between consideration and performance and extra-role behavior was negative among high control subordinates. The demands×control×support interaction predicted health symptoms, organizational commitment, supervisor satisfaction, and absence due to illness, but the interaction plots do not support the prevailing perspective that support buffers the effects of ‘high strain’ (i.e. low control, high demand) jobs. Patterns were similar for different demands and different social support loci (i.e. supervisor, co-workers). An alternative theoretical process of the demands–control–support interaction is proffered, and implications for organizational intervention are discussed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Relationship of work-family conflict,gender, and alcohol expectancies to alcohol use/abuse

Numerous studies have documented a positive relationship between work-family conflict and both psychological distress and somatic symptoms. Little research, however, has explored the relationship of work-family conflict to alcohol use/abuse. Consequently, this study investigated the relationship of work-family conflict to several indicators of abusive alcohol consumption. In addition, the moderating influence of gender and tension-reduction expectancies was examined. Data were obtained through household interviews with a random sample of 473 employed adults. As hypothesized, work-family conflict was positively related to abusive alcohol consumption. In addition, there was strong support for the moderating influence of tension-reduction expectancies. As anticipated, the positive relationship between work-family conflict and abusive alcohol consumption was found almost exclusively among individuals who believe that alcohol use promotes relaxation and tension reduction. In contrast, the hypothesis that gender moderates the relationship between work-family conflict and alcohol use/abuse was not supported. Implications for future research and intervention efforts aimed at reducing alcohol abuse in the workforce are discussed.     

The relationship of beer consumption and state alcohol and motor vehicle policies to fatal accidents

Fatal accident data from 50 states and the District of Columbia were examined in order to determine the relationship between alcohol availability and fatal motor vehicle accidents. This relationship was analyzed for both fatal accidents and motor vehicle fatalities (potentially more than one per accident) using multiple regression. The independent variables were: (1) driving age (percent of drivers under 21); (2) beverage purchase age; (3) average beer consumption; (4) number of outlets per million population selling alcohol for on-premise consumption; (5) percentage of metropolitan residents; (6) percentage of male drivers; and (7) mileage per driver per year. It was found that the regression analyses for fatal accidents and for fatalities were highly similar. Driving age was the strongest predictor of highway mortality. On-premise availability of alcohol was significantly and inversely associated with motor vehicle fatalities. This suggests that when on-premise outlets are fewer and more geographically spread out, the chances of drinking and driving are greater. Finally, average beer consumption was significantly and positively associated with highway fatalities perhaps because many drivers consider it a “soft” alcoholic beverage that will not impair their ability to drive.     

Using a psychological contract of safety to predict safety climate on construction sites

Introduction: The fact that safety climate impacts safety behavior and delivers better safety outcomes is well established in construction. However, the way workers safety perception is inclined and developed is still unclear. Method: In this research, the influence of supervisors' developing safety climate and its impact on workers' safety behavior and their conceptualization of safety is explored through the lens of the ‘Psychological Contract’ (PC). More specifically, it is argued that ‘Psychological Contract of Safety’ (PCS) is a vital factor in explaining how workers attach meaning to a supervisor behavior. Extant research suggests: (a) safety climate is based on the perception of workers regarding safety; and (b) PCS is based on perceived mutual obligations between workers and supervisors. As a result, this research argues that if PCS or mutual obligations between workers and supervisors are fulfilled, then safety climate of the workers will be positively influenced. A model is presented depicting PCS as an alternative intervention in understanding how safety climate could be influenced and predicted by the level of fulfillment of mutual safety obligations. Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) the model of the PCS is validated with data collected from a mega-construction project in Australia. Results: The results suggest that to have a positive and strong safety climate, top-level managers must ensure that mutual safety obligations between supervisor and workers are fulfilled. This enables the PCS to be introduced as a new ‘predictor’ of safety climate. Practical applications: The novel outcome of the research could be considered as a management intervention to modify supervisors' behavior to produce better safety outcomes.     

The job satisfaction of older workers

Older workers re-entering the workforce and those changing jobs are coming to play an increasingly important role in the labor force, especially as part-time workers. Yet the work orientation and job satisfaction of these workers has not been studied. Do ‘situational’ factors such as skill and pay matter for this subgroup of workers, and if so, which ones? If significant factors exist, can their effect be explained by the mediating influence of ‘dispositional’ factors like work values? This paper explores these questions in a study of 198 older workers who had begun new, mostly part-time jobs. Regression analysis shows that the intrinsic indicators for skill and autonomy have a positive effect on job satisfaction. No extrinsic factor was significantly related to satisfaction, indicating that these workers are more than ‘instrumentally’ oriented. This support for a ‘situational’ interpretation of the impact of work, especially intrinsic features, was sustained in analyses which incorporated work values. To the extent that the growing number of part-time jobs are relatively low-skilled, and to the extent that older workers in new jobs are influenced most by intrinsically rewarding work, there appears to be a growing mismatch between an occupational niche and those who are being sought to fill it.     

Young people driving after drinking and riding with drinking drivers: drinking locations--what do they tell us?

OBJECTIVE: The present study investigated the extent to which drinking in specific locations and heavy drinking mediated the effects of overall alcohol use on driving after drinking (DD) and riding with drinking drivers (RWDD) among young people. Additionally, this study examined the relationships among ethnicity, gender, drinking in specific locations, and DD and RWDD. METHOD: Using random-digit dialing procedures, participants were recruited to take part in a telephone survey in California, United States of America. Participants were 1,534 youth, ages 15-20 years (mean age = 17.6). Latinos, African Americans, and Asian Americans were over-sampled to allow cross-group comparisons. Along with background characteristics, overall alcohol use, heavy drinking, drinking in specific locations, DD, and RWDD were measured. RESULTS: Latent variable structural equation modeling showed that European Americans, males, older adolescents, those who have a driver license, and those who drive more often were more likely to report drinking alcohol in the past year. Heavy episodic drinking and drinking in cars increased both DD and RWDD. Drinking in restaurants also increased DD. The effects of overall alcohol consumption on DD were entirely mediated through heavy episodic drinking and drinking in restaurants and cars. Alcohol consumption had both direct and indirect effects on RWDD. With the exception of being Latino and frequency of driving, the effects of the background variables on RWDD were all entirely mediated through alcohol consumption. CONCLUSIONS: Heavy drinking and drinking in specific locations appeared to be important unique predictors of both DD and RWDD. In light of the relationship between drinking in restaurants and in cars, and DD, prevention programs and policies aimed at underage drinking should focus on developing more effective responsible beverage service programs, increasing compliance with laws limiting alcohol sales to youth, and enforcing graduated driver licensing and zero tolerance laws.     

Early impacts of alcoholic beverage warning labels: national study findings relevant to drinking and driving behavior

After November, 1989 Federal law required a standard health warning label on all alcoholic beverage containers sold for consumption in the U.S. Results are reported from a cross-sectional national household telephone interview survey of adults, occurring approximately 6 months after implementation of the warning labels (N=2000). Implications for health warnings with respect to information processing theory, the Health Belief Model, and other theories relevant to precaution adoption are briefly reviewed and two derivative hypotheses are tested using log-linear analysis. Relationships between various personal characteristics and (a) seeing the label and (b) recalling the driving impairment message are examined for consistency with theoretical expectations. We also examine associations between message recall, drinking style, and two precautionary behaviors undertaken to avoid drinking and driving. Adjusting for apparent false positives, approximately a quarter of the sample have noticed the label 6 months after its introduction; 16% recalled the specific driving impairment message. As hypothesized, exposure to the warning was predicted primarily by consumption pattern but also was associated with a personal salience factor, that is, ever having drunk alcohol so as to be at risk when driving. About a quarter of the heavy drinkers (5 drinks or more per occasion sometime and drinking at least weekly) who ever drank and drove saw the specific warning. Of two self-regulation strategies — limiting driving after drinking and limiting drinking when about to drive — the latter was the more prevalent. Both strategies were reported more by those who were heavy drinkers, those recalling the driving impairment message, and those perceiving driving after drinking to be very dangerous, than by other individuals.     

Unintended consequences of management strategies for improving labor productivity in construction industry

Introduction: Labor productivity and safety are important topics in the construction industry. Even so, the literature provides little information for project managers trying to determine how management strategies designed to improve labor productivity impact safety. Method: This research addresses the gap by measuring the impact of two groups of management strategies that involve human resource related management strategies and construction related management strategies related to safety performance in construction projects. Data were collected from 111 general construction projects through the survey. Results: The results show that the relationship between the implemented management strategies and safety performance is nuanced with ‘Communication’ harming safety performance while implementation of ‘Labor Management,’ ‘Supervision and Leadership,’ ‘Planning’ and ‘Management of Construction’ strategies improve the level of safety performance. This study took a further step by measuring the impact of the interactions between the two groups of management strategies on safety performance. The results show that the interactions of construction and human related management strategies are not always in the favor of safety. Practical Applications: This paper adds to the literature on the relationship between productivity and safety in the construction industry. The research findings can assist project managers to improve labor productivity without harming the safety of laborers unintentionally.     

Perceptions and experiences of random breath testing in Queensland and the self-reported deterrent impact on drunk driving

OBJECTIVE: The present study explored the impact of random breath testing (RBT) on the attitudes, perceptions, and self-reported behavior of motorists in the Australian state of Queensland. Particular attention was given to how exposure to RBT impacted motorists' perceived risk of apprehension and self-reported behavior, relative to other variables of interest such as alcohol consumption. METHODS: The study involved a telephone survey of 780 motorists drawn from throughout the state of Queensland. Participants were volunteers recruited from a random sample of all listed telephone numbers in the state, adjusted according to district population figures. The survey questionnaire collected information relating to the participants' socio-demographic characteristics, drinking and drunk driving behaviors, attitudes toward drunk driving and RBT, and experiences and perceptions of RBT. RESULTS: The analysis indicated that a large proportion of the sample had both observed RBT and been breath tested within the last six months and believed the practice served an important role in improving road safety. However, a considerable percentage also reported drunk driving at least once in the last six months without being detected, with further analysis indicating that the threat of apprehension associated with RBT did not appear to greatly influence their offending behavior. Rather, a higher frequency of alcohol consumption, combined with more favorable attitudes to drunk driving and lower levels of support for RBT, appeared to be associated with offending behavior. CONCLUSIONS: While the results confirm the high levels of exposure to RBT achieved in Queensland, the direct impact of recent exposure on drunk driving behavior appears less important than other factors such as alcohol consumption and attitudes to drunk driving and RBT. Further research is required to better understand how recent and lifetime exposure to RBT impacts on motorists' perceived risk of apprehension and subsequent drunk driving behavior.     

Issues with using police citations to assign responsibility in quasi-induced exposure

Crash fault determination is one of the most critical issues in applications of quasi-induced exposure. Traditionally, the driver citation issued by the investigating police officer is the primary source to assign responsibility for motor vehicle crashes. Such citations are based on the “evidence” or observation of a moving violation (such as engaged hazardous actions) in combination with non-moving violations (such as suspended driver license) prior to the crash. The objective here is to identify the contributing factors that may lead to driver citations in two-vehicle crashes in addition to the hazardous action. Multivariate binary logistic regression modeling is employed to explore the behavior of the investigating police officer in terms of issuing citation at the crash scene. A series of explanatory parameters including roadway characteristics, environmental factors, and driver and vehicle attributes is assessed. The results show that whether the crash type was a hit-and-run, alcohol and illegal drug use, driver gender, driver age, and injury severity all appear to have significant impacts on the investigating officer’s decision-making. Specific examples are given to demonstrate how two factors hit-and-run and drinking status can skew the exposure estimates in the context of quasi-induced exposure. The findings will help to serve as a basis to select appropriate parameters in assigning crash responsibility in quasi-induced exposure applications; and we make recommendations to modify existing crash database for better safety research in the future.     

人口统计学特征与不安全行为及其意向的关系研究

为分析人口统计学特征与不安全行为意向和不安全行为的关系,收集了7个煤矿的735名一线作业人员有效调查问卷,采用多因变量、多自变量析因方差分析方法,分析了年龄、工龄与经验、工作岗位、婚姻状况、吸烟、饮酒、家庭经济压力等变量与不安全行为意向及不安全行为的关系。结果表明:不同婚姻状况员工在不安全行为表现上有显著差异,有婚史现单身的员工更易发生不安全行为;不同工作岗位、不同饮酒状况和不同经济压力的员工在不安全行为意向上有显著差异。其中开拓掘进岗位员工、经常喝酒并常喝醉员工、承担家庭费用少于1/4的员工,以及不饮酒且承担家庭费用少于1/2的员工,较其他组员工在不安全行为意向方面有显著统计差异     

Spatial relationships between alcohol outlet densities and drunk driving crashes: An empirical study of Tianjin in China

Introduction: Numerous studies have demonstrated the close relationship between alcohol availability and alcohol-related crashes. However, there is still a lack of spatial empirical analysis regarding this relationship, particularly in large cities of developing countries. Differences in alcohol outlets and drinking patterns in these cities may lead to quite different patterns of crash outcomes. Method: 3356 alcohol-related crashes were collected from the blood-alcohol test report of a forensic institution in Tianjin, China. Density of alcohol outlets such as retail locations, entertainment venues, restaurants, hotels, and companies were extracted based on 2114 Traffic Analysis Zones (TAZ) together with the residential and demographic characteristics. After applying the exploratory spatial data analysis, this research developed and compared the traditional Ordinary Least Square model (OLS), Spatial Lag Model (SLM), Spatial Error Model (SEM) and Spatial Durbin Model (SDM) to explore spatial effects of all the variables. Results: The results of incremental spatial autocorrelation show that the most significant distance threshold of alcohol-related roadway traffic crashes is 3 km. The SDM is found to be the optimal spatial model to characterize the relationship between alcohol outlets and crashes. The number of alcohol-involved traffic crashes is positively related to population density and retail density, but negatively related to the company density, hotel density, and residential density within the same TAZ. Meanwhile, dense population and hotels have reverse spillover effects in adjacent zones. Conclusions: The significant spatial direct effect and spillover effect of alcohol outlet densities on drunk driving crashes should not be neglected. These findings could help improve transportation planning, traffic law enforcement and traffic management for large cities in developing countries.     

Factors affecting the musculoskeletal disorders of workers in the frozen food manufacturing factories in Thailand

The purpose of this research was to study factors affecting musculoskeletal disorders. The sample population of the study was 528 factory workers from the frozen food industry, as well as a controlled group of 255 office workers. The samples were collected during interviews using the Nordic questionnaire to assess musculoskeletal disorders, and to assess the risk by the rapid upper limb assessment and rapid entire body assessment techniques. The findings of the study were that most symptoms were found in the dissecting department, higher than in the controlled group. The details of the symptoms were, accordingly: elbow pain (adjusted odds ratio, 35.1; 95% CI [17.4, 70.9]). Regarding the risk of alcohol drinking, workers were exposed to more risks when alcohol was consumed. It is suggested that workers’ health should be monitored regularly. People who work in a cold environment should be encouraged to wear body protection and to avoid drinking.     

The effects of minimum legal drinking age 21 laws on alcohol-related driving in the United States

Objective

To examine trends in alcohol consumption and alcohol-related crashes among people younger than 21 in the United States and to review evidence on the effects of minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) laws.

Methods

Trends in alcohol-related crashes and alcohol consumption among young people were examined, and studies on the effects of lowering and raising the drinking age were reviewed.

Results

MLDA laws underwent many changes during the 20th century in the United States. Since July 1988, the MLDA has been 21 in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Surveys tracking alcohol consumption among high school students and young adults found that drinking declined since the late 1970 s, and most of the decline occurred by the early 1990 s. These were the years when states were establishing, or reinstating, a MLDA-21. Among fatally injured drivers ages 16-20, the percentage with positive BACs declined from 61% in 1982 to 31% in 1995, a bigger decline than for older age groups; declines occurred among the ages directly affected by raising MLDAs (ages 18-20) and among young teenagers not directly affected (ages 16-17). Almost all studies designed specifically to gauge the effects of drinking age changes show MLDAs of 21 reduce drinking, problematic drinking, drinking and driving, and alcohol-related crashes among young people. Yet many underage people still drink, many drink and drive, and alcohol remains an important risk factor in serious crashes of young drivers, especially as they progress through the teenage years. Stepped-up enforcement of MLDA and drinking and driving laws can reduce underage drinking. Recent efforts to lower MLDAs to 18 and issue licenses to drink upon completion of alcohol education have gained local and national media attention. There is no evidence that alcohol education can even partially replace the effect of MLDA-21.

Conclusions

The cause and effect relationship between MLDAs of 21 and reductions in highway crashes is clear. Initiatives to lower the drinking age to 18 ignore the demonstrated public health benefits of MLDAs of 21.

Impact on Industry

Lowering the drinking age to 18 will increase highway crash deaths among young people.     

Survival versus traditional methodologies for studying employee turnover: differences,divergences and directions for future research

Despite initial enthusiasm for using survival analysis techniques to gain new insights into employee turnover, nearly one decade later hardly any studies based on survival methodologies are evident in the literature. Consequently, the potential for survival analysis to open new avenues in turnover research remains unassessed, and the need for research on this topic is readily apparent. In this study, survival analysis methods were compared with those inherent in ‘traditional’ turnover research. Results indicated significant divergences between these two methods. The traditional turnover methodology reproduced findings characteristic of the vast majority of research on this topic—job withdrawal intentions emerged as the sole predictor of employee turnover behavior. In contrast, continuance commitment and ethnicity were directly predictive of turnover behavior using survival analysis methods. Implications of these results and directions for future research are discussed. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The contribution of burnout to work performance

While the notion that ‘burnout’ is related to a decline in work performance is widely recognized, empirical support for this relationship is lacking. The present study, composed of human services personnel, is the first to empirically test the relationships among Maslach's three dimensions of burnout and work performance. A negative relationship was established between one dimension of burnout, emotional exhaustion, and subsequent work performance. However, the results failed to establish relationships among work performance, depersonalization and diminished personal accomplishment. These results provide further support for emotional exhaustion as a key component of the burnout experience. Future directions and implications of these findings are introduced. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The impact of technology characteristics and job control on worker mental health

Recent research suggests that the occurrence of operational problems in advanced manufacturing technology (AMT) places stressful demands on operators. Applying Karasek's demand–control model, we predict that two properties of operational problems, namely technological uncertainty and abstractness, interact with timing and method control to predict operator strain. The results failed to confirm ordinal effects for timing or method control, but showed a dis-ordinal (crossover) interaction for timing control. While these findings provide little support for the demand–control model, they suggest that two new processes, namely ‘traction–distraction’ and ‘passivity–challenge’, are critical to understanding the nature of the relationship between operational problems and operator strain in AMT systems. We describe these processes and examine the implications for future research. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The effect of motorcyclists’ age on injury severities in single-motorcycle crashes with unobserved heterogeneity

Introduction: Due to the myriad of unique characteristics associated with motorcycle operation, motorcycle safety is a public health concern as complex as it is serious. National crash data suggest motorcyclists are 28 times more likely to be killed when compared to passenger car occupants. In the state of Florida, motorcycle crashes are 1.5 times more likely to result in the death of the rider, placing Florida among the top deadliest states for motorcyclists in the nation. Using police-reported data from 2016, this study addresses the complex and interconnected nature of the many characteristics associated with motorcycle operation by investigating the effect of age on motorcyclists’ riding behavior as it relates to injury severity for single-motorcycle crashes in the state of Florida. Method: To account for unobserved heterogeneity in the crash data, mixed logit models with heterogeneity in means and variances were estimated to model three injury severity outcomes (non-visible, severe, and fatal) for three age groups (under 30, 30–49, and 50 and above). Results: Model results indicate that age affects motorcyclists’ safety perception and ability to assess risks, thereby influencing their involvement in risky behaviors. Characteristics unique to motorcycle operation—spatial characteristics, speed, motorcycle type, time of day, helmet usage, alcohol consumption, ejection from motorcycle, passenger presence, endorsement status, and lighting—are further complicated by their dependency on the characteristics of the individual motorcyclist. Age of motorcyclist indicates a relationship between motorcyclists’ behavior and perceived safety. Conclusion: The model results indicated that statistically significant parameters constituted different models and they were not equal across the age groups of motorcyclists: aged under 30, aged 30–49, and aged 50 and above. Through advanced econometric modeling, this study fills a gap in the existing literature and assists the safety professionals, motorcycle trainers, policymakers, law enforcement agencies, and roadway designers in developing countermeasures.     

Perceived intra-organizational mobility: Reliable versus exceptional performance as means to getting ahead

‘Work hard and get ahead’ is a fundamental tenet of modern organizations, but employees have different interpretations of what it means to ‘work hard’ and perceive that there are multiple channels to ‘get ahead’. The current research explores employees' perceptions of the factors affecting their intra-organizational upward mobility. Results using a survey instrument in a large American medical college show that employees can distinguish among intra-organizational mobility channels based on reliable role performance, on exceptional role performance, and on non-performance factors such as personal characteristics (e.g. race and gender), or luck and favoritism. Perceptions of mobility channels are related to such organizationally relevant outcomes as employee satisfaction and turnover intentions. Occupational sub-groups, however, perceive different structures for upward mobility.