Work-family culture and job satisfaction: does gender and parenting status alter the relationship?

Previous studies on work-family culture have examined its relationship with different employee outcomes (e.g., work-family conflict, job satisfaction, commitment) but neglected one important question; namely, who are most likely to benefit from a supportive work-family culture in terms of positive employee outcomes? The aim of this study was to shed new light on the work-family culture–job satisfaction linkage by examining the moderator effects of gender and parenting status in this relationship. Specifically, we asked whether gender and parenting status would alter the association between work-family culture and job satisfaction. We hypothesized – on the basis of traditional gender roles – that women, and especially mothers, would benefit most from a family supportive organizational culture. We utilized three divergent samples gathered from male (N=768) and female (N=1364) employees in Finland: (1) a female-dominated sample from social and health care; (2) a male-dominated sample from paper industry; and (3) more gender-mixed sample from the ICT company. Work-family culture was described through its positive (work-family support) and negative facets (work-family barriers), whereas job satisfaction was operationalized via a facet-based scale. Hierarchical moderated regression analyses performed separately for the three different organizations revealed that the results for mothers and fathers under the condition of high work-family support differed in the paper mill and the information and communication technology (ICT) company. Thus, in addition to gender, the type of organization also moderated the relationship. Specifically, in the paper mill, mothers benefited more from high work-family support than fathers, whereas in the ICT company the reverse situation held: fathers benefited more than mothers. Thus, high work-family support was associated with higher job satisfaction among mothers in the paper mill and among fathers in the ICT company.     

Reciprocal relationships between psychosocial work characteristics and sleep problems: A two-wave study

Sleep problems are common and impair the health and productivity of employees. Work characteristics constitute one possible cause of sleep problems, and sleeping poorly might influence wellbeing and performance at work. This study examines the reciprocal associations between sleep problems and psychosocial work characteristics. The participants were 1744 full-time employed individuals (56% women; mean age 38 years in 2007) from the Young Finns study who responded to questionnaires on work characteristics (conceptualised by the demand–control model and effort–reward imbalance model) and sleep problems (Jenkins Sleep Scale) in 2007 and 2012. Cross-lagged structural equation models are used to examine the associations. The results show that low control and low rewards at baseline predicted sleep problems. Baseline sleep problems predicted higher effort, higher effort–reward imbalance, and lower reward. Sleep problems also predicted lower odds for belonging to the low (rather than high) job strain group and active jobs group. The association between work characteristics and sleep problems appears to be reciprocal, with a stressful work environment increasing sleep problems, and sleep problems influencing future work characteristics. The results emphasise the importance of interventions aimed at both enhancing sleep quality and reducing psychosocial risks at work.     

Aspects of guilt and self-reported substance use in adolescence

The use of addictive substances is undergoing moralization in American society-behaviors once viewed as personal preferences now carry moral significance. Research has shown that sociomoral emotions like guilt, thought to be reflective of one's internalized standards and societal mores, can be an important influence on behavior. The present study explored the relationship between college students' self-reports of adolescent substance use (cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana) and scores on indices tapping different aspects of guilt (Standards, Situational, and Chronic Guilt). Participants were 230 undergraduate students (mean age = 19; 55 percent female; 69 percent White). Substance users had lower scores on Standards and Situational Guilt than non-users, but no difference was observed in Chronic Guilt. The present results suggest that a stronger internalization of societal standards, as reflected by higher scores on Standards and Situational Guilt, may prove a useful tool in the prevention of substance use.     

Socio-demographic Differences in Self-reported Psychological Distress Among 25- to 64-Year-Old Finns

Background Mental health problems are a major public health issue worldwide. The aim of this study was to assess the relative importance of socio-demographic characteristics associated with different domains of psychological distress in Finland. Methods Data source was a nationwide survey “Health Behaviour and Health among the Finnish Adult Population” (AVTK), from years 2002 to 2003 (N = 5425; response rate 66%). Psychological distress was measured by self-reported questions of general mental health (MHI-5), depression, insomnia and stress. Socio-demographic factors included education, employment status, partnership and children living in the household. Main analyses were conducted by multivariate logistic regression. Results Education, employment and partnership were associated with most of the psychological distress outcomes. Respondents with a lower educational level had poor mental health in both genders but less insomnia and stress in men. Those with an intermediate education had the least stress in women. The unemployed and retired were at a higher risk for poor mental health and depression. Moreover, employment status was associated with insomnia and stress in men. Respondents not having a partner showed a higher risk of psychological distress according to all measures. Not having children living in the household was associated with insomnia in women and with less stress in men. Conclusions Socio-demographic factors, such as having a partner and employment status, are associated with several measures of psychological distress indicating the importance of social and economic factors to psychological well-being. The association of education and of having children living at home varies by the domain of psychological distress measure.     

Dual-earner families in Finland: Differences between and within families in relation to work and family experiences

The aims of the study were to create a typology of dual-earner families, based on mothers' and fathers' reports on vocational education, job involvement, and job exhaustion, and to investigate differences between the groups in family functioning, and work-family interface experiences. The study was carried out by means of questionnaires among 133 dual-earner couples with children under 18 years of age living at home. In creating the typology cluster analysis was used as a statistical procedure. In the analysis five groups emerged that were distinguished by both between-group and within-parent differences in the clustering variables: (1) low-status dual-earner families, (2) low-job-exhausted and low-job-involved dual-earner families, (3) dual-earner families with high-status and highly job-exhausted mothers, (4) dual-earner families with highly job-exhausted fathers, and (5) dual-earner families with high-status and highly job-involved fathers. Group membership was related to the characteristics of family life, and to the evaluations of work-family interaction as well as other job characteristics, thus indicating ecological validity for the family typology created. It seemed that a high level of job exhaustion, in particular, was linked to problems in family functioning. Les objectifs poursuivis dans l'analyse qui suit ont été de créer une typologie des familles à double revenu, typologie basée sur les rapports des mères et des pères concernant la formation professionnelle, l'importance accordée au métier et le degré d'épuisement causé par ce dernier, et d'enquêter sur les différences entre les groupes dans les expériences vécues du fonctionnement familial et de l'interaction emploi-famille. L'étude a été menée à l'aide de questionnaires distribués à 133 couples appartenant à cette classe de double revenu et dont les enfants de moins de 18 ans vivaient àla maison. Pour rassembler la typologie, une analyse agglomérée a été employée en tant que procédure de statistique. Au cours de cette analyse, les cinq groupes qui ont émergé se distinguaient par des différences qui touchaient à la fois les domaines inter-groupes et interparentaux selon ces variables d'agglomération: (1) les familles à double revenu à bas statut, (2) les familles àdouble revenu dans des emplois peu épuisants et peu motivants, (3) les familles à double revenu au statut élevé avec des mères épuisées par un emploi de niveau élevé, (4) les familles à double revenu avec des pères épuisés par un emploi de niveau élevé, et (5) les familles à double revenu au statut élevé avec des pères motivés par un emploi de niveau élevé. L'appartenance aux groupes était en rapport avec les caracteéristiques de la vie familiale et avec les évaluations concernant l'interaction emploi-famille ainsi que diverses caractéristiques de l'emploi, afin d'indiquer la validité écologique pour la typologie familiale créée. Il semblait ainsi qu'un important niveau d'épuisement au travail en particulier soit liéaux problèmes du fonctionnement familial.     

Local Understanding of Fish Consumption Advisory Risks in Michigan's Upper Peninsula: The Role of Structure,Culture, and Agency*

Abstract Fish consumption advisories fail to adequately help communities address the benefits and risks of eating potentially contaminated fish. We engaged community members and relevant institutions in identifying and implementing more effective risk communication in Michigan's rural Upper Peninsula. In 2004–2005, we collected data in four Michigan counties through focus groups, community dinners, public meetings and angler interviews. Residents express a strong affinity toward eating Great Lakes fish, though a minority of participants have read the official fish advisory. Participants lack an understanding of how bioaccumulation affects consumption risk depending on the type of contaminant. We attribute the situation to conditions of post‐normal risk that emerge through interaction of the structural dimensions of science and bureaucracy with a strong natural resource‐based culture that affects the agency of residents. The implications loom large as Michigan's Department of Community Health no longer distributes hard copies of the Michigan Fish Advisory.     

Structural invariance and stability of sense of coherence: A longitudinal analysis of two groups with different employment experiences

This 5-year follow-up study investigated the structure and the factorial invariance of the 13-item sense of coherence (SOC) scale (Antonovsky, ) in two employment groups (unemployment/lay-off experiences vs. continuous full-time employment) and across two measurement times. In addition, the stability of SOC between these two employment groups was compared. The postal questionnaire data was collected twice, in 1992 and in 1997. The participants were Finnish technical designers (N=352) aged between 25 and 40 years in 1992. A total of 51% of the investigated participants had been employed full-time during the 5-year follow-up period and 49% had been unemployed and/or laid off for a total period of at least one month during the follow-up. The confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the SOC scale measured one general second-order SOC factor consisting of three, first-order factors of meaningfulness, comprehensibility, and manageability. The results also indicated that the scale was best used as an 11-item measure. The factorial invariance of the scale across time and across the two employment groups was supported by the data. Unexpectedly, the stability of SOC did not differ between the two employment groups. However, those participants who had experienced unemployment and/or been laid off during the follow-up period had a weaker SOC at both measurement times than those who had been employed throughout the follow-up.     

Improving the Well-Being and Safety of Children with Sensors and Mobile Technology

The well-being and safety of children and young people are important aspects in all contexts of everyday life. In particular, a feeling of insecurity might be a problem when being alone. Bullying is also common among school-age children and teenagers. Hence, there is a great need for personalized support systems to resolve these problems. This article describes a new area of research in sensor and social web development to help indicate children’s insecurity in their daily environment. Deeper integration of sensors and the social web would allow us to foresee drastic changes in communities and new social–ethical scenarios will emerge.     

The algorithmic imaginary: exploring the ordinary affects of Facebook algorithms

ABSTRACT

This article reflects the kinds of situations and spaces where people and algorithms meet. In what situations do people become aware of algorithms? How do they experience and make sense of these algorithms, given their often hidden and invisible nature? To what extent does an awareness of algorithms affect people's use of these platforms, if at all? To help answer these questions, this article examines people's personal stories about the Facebook algorithm through tweets and interviews with 25 ordinary users. To understand the spaces where people and algorithms meet, this article develops the notion of the algorithmic imaginary. It is argued that the algorithmic imaginary – ways of thinking about what algorithms are, what they should be and how they function – is not just productive of different moods and sensations but plays a generative role in moulding the Facebook algorithm itself. Examining how algorithms make people feel, then, seems crucial if we want to understand their social power.     

Long-term profiles of work-related rumination associated with leadership,job demands,and exhaustion: A three-wave study

This study extends previous research on recovery from work stress by investigating the role of qualitative job demands and leadership in employees’ work-related rumination (WRR). The long-term development of WRR was examined from a person-centred approach across 22 months. Drawing on the stressor-detachment framework and conservation of resources theory, we investigated whether different WRR profiles could be understood in terms of levels of and changes in quantitative, cognitive, and emotional job demands, several aspects of supervisory leadership, and exhaustion that was expected to result from the impeded energy restoration process. A three-wave questionnaire study was conducted among Finnish municipal employees in heterogeneous occupations. Factor mixture modelling was used to identify latent classes (i.e. subgroups of participants with similar mean levels and mean-level changes) of WRR. The results indicated five distinct classes of WRR. Participants in the higher WRR classes reported higher levels of job demands, less supervisor fairness, and more abusive supervision. In the decreasing class, WRR decreased concurrently with decreasing job demands. Exhaustion showed considerable congruence with WRR both between and within persons. The findings are discussed from the point of view of a loss cycle concerning energetic psychological resources and difficulties in goal attainment.