Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Industrial sociology Work'

As organizations become increasingly complex, research into the sources and effects of employee stress is increasingly warranted. The present study examined the relationship between personal life stress, work stress, and job performance. In addition, the role of conscientiousness as a possible moderating variable was analyzed. Several studies regarding the relationship between stress and work performance were reviewed. In the present study, participants completed measures of life stress, job stress, and personality. Supervisors rated the job performance of participants. A significant relationship was found between personal life stress and job stress such that each type of stress was higher when the other was present. Neither personal life stress nor job stress were related to job performance. Conscientiousness was not found to moderate the stress-job performance relationships. Implications of the study and future directions are explored.

The present study investigated the employment experiences of adults with mild developmental disabilities. The study's sample consisted of 45 participants with developmental disabilities who were over the age of 18. Participants were recruited from two Regional Centers in Southern California and either phone interviews or in-person interviews were conducted.

A structured interview protocol examined each participant's current work experience, along with several items exploring facilitators and obstacles to employment. Data from this qualitative investigation were organized into categories using inductive content analysis. Descriptive statistics were computed for quantitative items. Overall, it was discovered that: participants found money as the most rewarding aspect of employment, relied on outside support in obtaining and maintaining employment and found few obstacles of which to overcome, worked with others with developmental disabilities, and utilized workplace supports in entry level positions making an average wage of $8.92 a hour during a 20.72 hour work week.

Human service workers have a history of working with our neediest populations, and their work often entails long hours, challenging situations, and limited resources. When the focus of the work is on human strengths and positive approaches, more positive results emerge. In order to determine the process of how human services workers maintain a positive perspective in their work, 15 human service workers from a diverse spectrum were interviewed. A narrative analysis was applied to elicit the participants' insights, revealing common themes and strategies. The findings indicated that having a fundamental belief in human potential, seeing the client's positive attributes, and having inherent capacities of caring were fundamental. Participants believed their work was meaningful and made a difference, and that they were a part of something bigger. They felt empathy and compassion toward clients, and generally believed that their temperament and upbringing also influenced their capacity to maintain a positive perspective. Aside from their beliefs, workers depended on receiving support from like-minded people, colleagues, and others in their environment. They utilized self-care, self-monitoring techniques, and demonstrated self-awareness and a mature capacity to adapt to the unexpected. They were able to apply their learning from past experiences in support of the services they offer to others.

Participation of colorectal cancer survivors (CRC) in the workforce has been described by clinicians, survivors, and researchers as a way to improve mood, quality of life (QOL), and survival. Maintaining self-esteem and financial independence have also been attributed to continued employment of the CRC survivor. The purpose of this cross-sectional survey was to describe patterns of employment of the CRC survivor and to examine the individual, disease, and work-related factors that influence presenteeism and perceived adequacy of sick pay (ASP) policy. The Conceptual Model of Nursing and Health Policy and the Pathways to Work Life Recovery guided the design, selection of variables, and specification of the relationship between variables. The study included 97 CRC survivors who were employed at the time of diagnosis and who had completed treatment ≥6 months and < 7 years to survey. Among working subjects, at-work limitations ("presenteeism") were measured by the Work Limitations Questionnaire (WLQ) consisting of four scales: Time Management, Physical Tasks, Mental-Interpersonal Tasks, and Output Tasks scales. The EORTC QLQ-C30 V3 was used to measure quality of life and the PHQ-9 for depression. The majority of gaps in employment occurred within the first year of diagnosis (21%) and attributed to poor health (56%), having been fired or laid off due to cancer (11%) or retirement (33%). A total of 27% had gaps in employment by 3 years; 13% were intermittent. The unemployment rate for cancer survivors in this study was 18.6% at the time of survey. Slightly over 25% of those who experienced a gap in employment did so involuntarily. Higher education (OR = 0.346, p=.006) was the only variable that significantly associated with a gap in employment. Having insurance (p=.03), QOL (p=.01), and depression (p=.003) significantly contributed to increased presenteeism. Earlier stage (OR=0.330, p=.050) and professional occupation (OR=3.281, p=.040) significantly contributed to perceptions of having an ASP policy. The importance of measuring continued employment of CRC survivors is supported in this study. The provision of an ASP policy may avoid disruption of work and create an easier transition for continued employment of the CRC survivor.

We are facing an unprecedented level of interconnectedness that has engendered a level of complexity that defies our historical reasoning capacity. Building off of the literature on sensemaking, this action research study proposed and investigated a new concept in leadership to respond to the growing complexity: sensecrafting. Sensecrafting refers to deliberate, collective sensemaking, while sensemaking refers to "how [people] construct what they construct, why, and with what effects . . . " (Weick, 1995, p. 4). The study answered the research question: How can individuals develop their capacity for sensecrafting in order to cultivate a more generative relationship with the organizations to which they belong? Employing Herda's hermeneutic participatory research, the study consisted of three, 1-hour conversations with six research participants which were recorded via Skype and transcribed. The purpose of the study was to see how participants employed nine traits of sensecrafting (learning, tolerating ambiguity, discernment, openness, framing, mindfulness, envisioning, action and reflection) in the workplace. Additionally, the study investigated how participants worked with stories to create a generative working environment. In the study, participants worked with a set of 18 cards that presented techniques for enhancing their sensecrafting skills. A thematic analysis of the study found that participants made frequent use of the sensecrafting traits at a personal level, and less frequent use of the traits at a collective level. The findings suggest that participants' possessed a high degree of potential to further develop their skills. Participants' exhibition of the sensecrafting traits generated value both for the individuals in the study and for their organizations. Benefits that accrued to individuals included improved relationships with key personnel and insights into how to cope with changes in the workplace. Implications from the study included the observation that a useful way to work with the sensecrafting traits would be through an instrument that measures participants on each of the dimensions of sensecrafting and that provides feedback to individuals about how they can capitalize on strengths and develop areas of opportunity.

Community college student support services are an important aspect of success among community college students. Theoretical and empirical models of organizational politics and withdrawal guided the expectation that community college employees who perceive their organizations as political may withdrawal from their organization, diminishing the services delivered to students at the institution. A multisite cross-sectional survey design was utilized to gather quantitative data via Survey Monkey from national professional organizations. Two-hundred seventeen usable surveys from community college administrators (executive, mid-level managers, and administrators) were gathered. Data were analyzed via correlation and regression models to examine if political skill reduced or moderated the relationship between perception of organizational politics and work withdrawal behaviors. Employee political skill was a partial antidote, reducing the effect of organizational politics on withdrawal behaviors, but there was not a significant interaction moderating effect. Recommendations include political skill training for community college administrators as part of their professional development program, as well as including graduate education components and new employee orientation programs. Such training could lead to positive social change in community college settings by increasing levels of service and job satisfaction and reducing attrition among community college administrators, leading to higher levels of community college student satisfaction and graduation rates.

Gregory (2003) demonstrated that for the past thirty-five years small steps of progress have been made towards women's equality. However, he stated that sex discrimination is still blatant, subtle and covert and it continues to plague working women. He continued to argue that nearly all the population of women in the U.S. encounter obstacles in job advancement, whether the obstacles are glass or cement ceilings or ordinary brick walls. (p.5). The researcher will attempt to elaborate on disparate treatment women have endured for generations. With the current pay scale between women and men, women receive 23 cents less than their male colleagues out of every dollar earned. Because this system exist, it impedes a woman's holistic growth and functionality. For example, there are some women who are trapped in abusive relationships but cannot leave because they lack adequate financial resources.

Gregory (2003) pointed out that employer retaliation comes in various forms, although employers tend to favor discharge over other options. (p.162). He also stated that other forms of retaliation employers use to punish their employees for having engaged in protected activities include denials of promotion and demotions (p.163). The fear of retaliation prevents a woman from reporting the perpetrator. In addition, some of the political realm is working night and day against the improvement and progress of the women's population. With the above argument made about the disparate treatments towards women, the researcher will apply the qualitative method in this thesis to breakdown problems women face. Plus, the researcher makes suggestions how the nation can be involved in resolving and eliminating these issues, individually and collectively, to moving women's rights and progress forward and permanently.

There are currently 4 different generations in the workplace, and the newest generation, Generation Y, has caused leaders within organizations to rethink their management and workplace cultural approach to leading this emerging generation. This qualitative phenomenological dissertation examines the work environment preferences of Generation Y contract managers who work in the Los Angeles area in the defense and aerospace industry by interviewing 11 participants from both the public and private sectors. The research indicates that this new generation, Generation Y or Millennials, prefer to have autonomy over their workload and schedule, but prefer to have their direct manager active in a mentoring and coaching role, rather than acting as a task-master. In addition, the participants in this study preferred a healthy amount of pressure, but not too much of a workload that would cause them to fail. Lastly, this dissertation found that Millennials have a high preference for innovation and using innovative technology in the workplace to increase efficiency.

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of public child welfare social workers focusing on the relatively new law The Fostering Connections to Success Act, otherwise known as AB-12. A questionnaire was designed to investigate research questions regarding workers perceptions on caseload, training, supervision, court, and ability to work with youth from 18 to 21 years old. The researcher distributed the questionnaire in two Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services regional offices where 38 respondents participated.

The study found the respondents reported positive attitudes regarding the AB-12 program and about their new role. Most respondents agreed that AB-12 was a much needed program and that it will increase life outcomes for youth. In addition, most workers reported that they were confident in their abilities to engage with the AB-12 population and agreed that they are confident in their abilities to meet the needs of nonminor dependents and find it rewarding.

The U.S. workforce is not prepared for the demands of today's workplace (Conference Board, 2006), Previously, workplace employers emphasized environments where the main thrust was expertise in technical skills of employees. However, a shift occurred that caused employers to realize the importance of soft skills in order to maximize business relationships. One major soft skill emphasized is the importance of a positive work ethic, which is a necessary attribute for any successful worker (R. Hill, 1996). Not only has there been a shift regarding the importance and implementation of soft skills in the business environment, but employers who once relied heavily upon adults as employees also now rely upon adolescents as employees. These adolescents are expected to provide the same positive work ethic as adults. Some of these adolescent employees are students in a co-op program in their local high schools where they obtain training in work ethic. The primary purpose of this study was to determine the perception of employers and supervisors regarding the work ethic of employed high school co-op and employed high school non-co-op students. Work ethic descriptors within this study that were examined included interpersonal skills, initiative, and dependability. The descriptors mentioned were statistically examined to ascertain differences in employer/supervisor perceptions among the two groups of students.

This action research study examined the impact of participation in an appreciative inquiry (AI) intervention on social service workers' level of compassion fatigue. Five workers plus two of their managers took part in the study. A 6-hour AI intervention was held and participants completed pre- and post-tests of the Professional Quality of Life Scale to measure their compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, and burnout. A focus group also was held to gather qualitative data about the impact of the intervention. Results indicated that the intervention was highly valuable for strengthening working relationships, underscoring the positives in otherwise emotionally difficult work, and learning how to avoid or reduce compassion fatigue. Based on these findings, periodic AI interventions are advised to reduce social service workers' compassion fatigue by sharing their experiences and focusing on the positive. Future research should eliminate the limitations of the present study by expanding the sample and gathering multiple forms of data.