Evaluation and comparison of the Chinese policy context for safety-related psychological health in the workplace: Realities,gaps and challenges

Work-related psychological health problems have become a major challenge for occupational health and safety (OHS) management. Hard and soft policy systems could be employed to guarantee that this issue is taken seriously and solved effectively. However, in China, compared with the European Union (EU) and Australia, few experts have reviewed the policies related to this area. Thus, a comparative analysis was performed to investigate the hard and soft law policies associated with safety-related psychological health in the workplace based on approved criteria. A total of 21 policies (16 hard and 5 soft) were evaluated, and the current realities were discovered. Then, by comparing the actual situation in China with that of countries with well-developed policy systems in this area, extant gaps and future challenges were observed. The results showed that both hard and soft policies addressed the topic, but all of them had rather low scores. The policy system is far from perfect and is still in its infancy in China, and there are great gaps between China and countries with more developed systems related to this topic. Filling these gaps may involve encountering some challenges in the future. Based on the analysis, some specific suggestions are recommended to promote the policy system and improve OHS management from the perspective of psychological health related to work.     

Cynicism in the workplace: some causes and effects

A scenario-based experiment was employed to test seven hypotheses concerning several causes and consequences of cynicism in the workplace. The results of a 2×2×2 MANOVA revealed that high levels of executive compensation, poor organizational performance, and harsh, immediate layoffs generate cynicism in white-collar workers. Furthermore, regression analyses showed that cynicism relates negatively to intentions to perform organizational citizenship behaviors and intentions to comply with requests to engage in unethical behaviors. The study provides a first experimental investigation of an important employee attitude and indicates directions for further research. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Presenteeism in the workplace: A review and research agenda

Presenteeism refers to attending work while ill. Although it is a subject of intense interest to scholars in occupational medicine, relatively few organizational scholars are familiar with the concept. This article traces the development of interest in presenteeism, considers its various conceptualizations, and explains how presenteeism is typically measured. Organizational and occupational correlates of attending work when ill are reviewed, as are medical correlates of resulting productivity loss. It is argued that presenteeism has important implications for organizational theory and practice, and a research agenda for organizational scholars is presented. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Communication in the workplace: Defining the conversations of supervisors

Background: Communications plays a central role in promoting the health and wellbeing of workers. Although much literature has shown the positive benefits of safety communication in the workplace, research has yet to explore the nature of these communication practices within supervisor–worker relationships. This study overcomes this gap in the literature through objectively monitoring communication within the daily working lives of work-group supervisors in one organization. Aims: The aims of the research were to: (a) categorize communication in the workplace into three categories, namely task-related communication, relationship-related communication, and safety-related communication; and (b) explore the frequency of these dialogs. Method: We periodically recorded brief snippets of ambient (acoustic) sounds in supervisors' workplace environment by using an Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR). The EAR was run on an Apple iPod, with an application downloaded for free on iTunes (i.e., iEAR). The EAR was programmed to record for 30 s every three minutes for eight working hours a day of a five-day working week. Results: A total of 12.38 h of acoustic sounds from five workgroup supervisors was useable for coding. The results found examples of task-related (productivity, efficiency, workflow, and human resources) communication, as well as relationship-related (greetings, personal life discussions, workplace relations), and safety-related communication. We also found that the majority of the communication recorded was task-related communication compared with relationship-related and safety-related communication. Practical applications: This research provides preliminary insights into communication practices in the workplace and avenues for future research.     

Emotions in the workplace: the neglect of organizational behavior

This paper addresses itself to a long‐neglected topic in organizational behavior: emotions in the workplace. Possible reasons for this neglect are presented, as well as emerging reasons for its consideration. It is proposed that the workplace is a rich arena for the manifestation of human emotions, both positive and negative. An examination of emotions in the workplace has both a theoretical and practical appeal, and may serve to help bridge the scientist–practitioner gap. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Psychological health and involvement in interpersonally demanding occupations: A longitudinal perspective

This longitudinal study examined relations among interpersonal demands of jobs and the psychological health, job and work involvements, and job satisfaction of workers. Two samples of archival data were collected between the 1940s and 1971. Workers of both sexes who were psychologically healthier in adolescence and earlier adulthood manifested greater involvement and (for men only) satisfaction later in adulthood. People in interpersonally demanding jobs showed greater involvement and satisfaction; men were more involved, but not more satisfied, than women. Older cohort members who were more psychologically healthy were more likely to enter, and remain in, interpersonally demanding jobs. However, this relationship was moderated by both chronological age and historical period, which are cohort variables that are often ignored in the occupational literature. The common practice of presuming generalizability across these dimensions may not be warranted.     

Hazard communication in the workplace

Hazard communication is made up of several basic concepts and key elements. The concepts of risk management, product information, documentation, employee training and compliance are individually discussed providing a basis for developing a program. An important part of any program is effective implementation. One key element, the Material Safety DAta Sheet (MSDS), is used to illustrate the preparation, review, and distribution of hazard communication information. Guidance is given to adapting the MSDS model to the other key elements of purchased products information, special warnings, toxicology summaries and technical bulletins.     

Women in the workplace.

The greatly increased number of women in the U.S. work force calls for greater attention to and emphasis on their safety and health. The author explores the history, demography, employment experiences and occupational safety and health considerations of working women.     

Religious harassment in the workplace: An examination of observer intervention

Religious harassment claims in the United States have risen sharply over the past decade. However, victims of religious harassment may not always report harassment, and true rates may be higher. Hence, actions taken by third parties present (observers) are important in combating harassment in the workplace. The purpose of this paper is to extend a previous model of observer intervention and related research by testing it empirically in the context of religious harassment and identify factors that influence observers' decision to intervene (intervention), when they intervene (level of immediacy), and how much they intervene (level of involvement). Across two studies, we find evidence that verbal harassment, ambiguity of intent, relationship to target/harasser, recurrence belief, religious commitment, pro‐social orientation, and the interactive effect of shared religion and religious commitment predict intervention. Furthermore, individuals show higher levels of involvement and immediacy in intervention when costs are low and emotional reactions are high. Implications of these findings for engaging observers in combatting harassment are discussed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Process and outcome: gender differences in the assessment of justice

We studied the importance that women and men place on distributive and procedural justice. The relationship between distributive justice and several organizational outcomes (e.g. commitment, intent to stay) was stronger for men than women. The relationship between procedural justice and those same outcomes, however, was stronger among women than men. The relation of our findings in justice perceptions are related to other research on gender differences in interpersonal styles and perceptions. Future research ideas are discussed. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

When and how personality predicts workplace safety: Evaluating a moderated mediation model

Introduction: Though previous research has linked personality and workplace safety, results have been inconsistent. Aims of the present study were to understand when and how personality factors predict safety performance. Methods: With 492 working adults, a moderated mediation model was tested whereby the relationship between personality and safety behavior was mediated by safety motivation and moderated by situation strength (i.e., safety climate perceptions). Results: Findings indicate that, aside from extraversion, safety motivation mediated all relationships between FFM personality traits and safety behavior. The mediated relationship between conscientiousness and safety motivation was attenuated by safety climate perceptions. However, relationships between all other personality traits and safety motivation, and ultimately safety behavior, remained consistent or, in the case of extraversion, was augmented at higher levels of safety climate perceptions. Conclusion: Results demonstrate an empirical basis for how and when personality translates into safety behavior at work. Additionally, findings provide a theoretical explanation for the mixed results among previous studies of personality’s relationship with safety outcomes. Implications are discussed for employee selection and training practices in safety-intensive industries.     

Attraction in organizations: A model of workplace romance

Antecedents and consequences of participating in a romantic relationship in the workplace are critically examined. These factors are derived from social-psychological theories of interpersonal attraction, romantic attraction, love, emotion, and social exchange, as well as from previous research addressing romance in the workplace. The antecedent factors explain the processes by which romantic relationships develop between two members of the same organization, and the consequent factors highlight both the beneficial and detrimental effects that such relationships have on the participants, coworkers, and the host organization. Based on these formation and impact factors, a conceptual model of workplace romance is developed along with a series of testable propositions in order to facilitate and direct future research on romantic organizational behavior.     

The multiple ways of behaving creatively in the workplace: A typology and model

Evidence in the literature suggests that employees can engage in other types of creative behavior at work beyond producing something new and useful for their organization. This paper seeks to advance our understanding of these “atypical” creative behaviors. We conceptualize a typology that encompasses both the commonly studied form of employee creativity (conventional steward‐type) and three other types of employee creativity that have not been previously theorized (critical steward‐type, cunning agent‐type, and innocent agent‐type). We then advance a conceptual model to identify situations that may lead employees to use their creative potential one way versus another. Further, we examine the different implications of these creative behaviors for the organization, employee, and society. Our conceptual framework provides a broader perspective of workplace creativity in which a wider range of behaviors, mechanisms, and outcomes must be considered. It provides new directions for future research as well as implications for managing creativity in different organizational and cultural contexts.     

The perceived compatibility of safety and production expectations in hazardous occupations

INTRODUCTION: Safety hazards are unavoidable in many work environments. Employees must be both productive and safe, however, conflicting safety and production demands can negatively affect safety, production, or both. The employee's perception of the compatibility of management's safety and production expectations is a possible predictor of such consequences. This paper defines "safety-production compatibility" and describes how measures of safety-production compatibility, as well as safety pressure and production pressure, were developed. METHOD: We used LISREL structural equation modeling to test the influences of safety-production compatibility, safety pressure, and production pressure on safe work behavior and interference with performing other work tasks. The 239 study participants were workers employed in diverse but hazardous occupations. RESULTS: Pressure to work safely was positively associated with safe work behavior. The perceived compatibility of safety and production demands positively influenced safe work behavior and reduced the interference of safety hazards performing other tasks. Safety-production compatibility was also found to mediate the relationship between trust in management and safe work behavior. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this field study suggest increased compatibility, and thus less conflict, between safety and production demands influences safe work behavior and the interference of safety hazards with performing other work tasks. More broadly, the worker's reaction to multiple work demands is a safety and performance influence. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: Safety management efforts that focus only on the hazards fail to eliminate many accidents because accidents arise from many factors including technology, safety climate, social influences, production, and safety demands. This study suggests that workers differ in their perception of the compatibility of safety and production demands. These differences will show up in safe work behavior, influencing the effectiveness of safety management efforts and the trust workers have in management's concern for safety.     

Temporary jobs and the severity of workplace accidents

Introduction. From the point of view of workplace safety, it is important to know whether having a temporary job has an effect on the severity of workplace accidents. We present an empirical analysis on the severity of workplace accidents by type of contract. Method. We used microdata collected by the Italian national institute managing the mandatory insurance against work related accidents. We estimated linear models for a measure of the severity of the workplace accident. We controlled for time-invariant fixed effects at worker and firm levels to disentangle the impact of the type of contract from the spurious one induced by unobservables at worker and firm levels. Results. Workers with a temporary contract, if subject to a workplace accident, were more likely to be confronted with severe injuries than permanent workers. When correcting the statistical analysis for injury under-reporting of temporary workers, we found that most of, but not all, the effect is driven by the under-reporting bias. Conclusions. The effect of temporary contracts on the injury severity survived the inclusion of worker and firm fixed effects and the correction for temporary workers' injury under-reporting. This, however, does not exclude the possibility that, within firms, the nature of the work may vary between different categories of workers. For example, temporary workers might be more likely to be assigned dangerous tasks because they might have less bargaining power. Practical implications. The findings will help in designing public policy effective in increasing temporary workers' safety at work and limiting their injury under-reporting.     

For the sake of my family: Understanding unethical pro-family behavior in the workplace

Unethical behaviors are prevalent and costly in organizations, and much recent research attention has been paid to different forms of workplace unethical behaviors. We contend that the extant research has overlooked an important form of workplace-related unethical behaviors: unethical behaviors that are conducted to benefit one's family but which violate societal and organizational moral rules, a construct we label as “unethical pro-family behavior” (UPFB). Our paper systematically conceptualizes UPFB and develops a scale for it. Drawing upon social cognitive theory, we argue that employees with stronger family financial pressure are more likely to employ moral disengagement mechanisms to deactivate moral self-regulation, resulting in higher levels of UPFB. Additionally, we argue that the proposed relationship is more pronounced when employees have high family motivation but is mitigated when employees have high organizational identification. Two studies are conducted for this paper. In Study 1 (N = 328 for Sample 1; N = 243 for Sample 2; N = 279 for Sample 3; N = 267 for Sample 4), we demonstrate that our UPFB scale has good construct validity and that our construct is differentiable from relevant constructs. In two time-lagged survey samples in Study 2 (N = 255 for Sample 1; N = 233 for Sample 2), we find support for our hypotheses. Theoretical and practical implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.     

Identity salience: a moderator of the relationship between group gender composition and work group conflict

This study proposes and tests models in which the salience of gender serves as a moderator of the relationship between group gender composition and work group conflict. The numerical distinctiveness of gender group composition was found to trigger the salience of group members' gender identities for men in the group. Identity salience was found to affect work group conflict beyond what one would predict on the basis of gender diversity alone. Support was found for gender identity salience as a moderator variable with respect to the linkage between numerical distinctiveness in gender work group composition and relationship conflict in work groups for men. This study offers an explanation for the differing effects found across studies regarding the effect of group composition on work group conflict: the extent to which gender is relied upon by group members in describing those in their group. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Globalization and workplace hazards in developing nations

Multinational corporations are rapidly introducing hazardous technological activities into less-developed nations. There is considerable evidence that this feature of global commerce poses risks to health, safety and natural resources, and most immediately endangers the workers involved. The less-developed nations hosting these activities are vulnerable to exploitation of their human resources because they lack the safeguards, expertise, and public pressures that prevent harms to workers in developed nations. This paper presents an evaluation of approaches taken by international and industrial organizations to address workplace hazards by soft law, hard law, codes of conduct, and voluntary self-regulation. Finding that these approaches have repeatedly failed, a new approach is presented for the purpose of assuring that the transfer of technology will be accompanied by the transference of practices for using it safely. The key features of this approach are then considered: defining a standard of care which aims to provide equivalent treatment of worker health and safety across all nations, irrespective of their level of development, and establishing contractual relationships between multinational companies and host countries as a feasible means of implementing the standard and achieving equivalent treatment.