Effects of vacation from work on health and well-being: Lots of fun,quickly gone

Abstract

Although vacation from work provides a valuable opportunity for recovery, few studies have met the requirements for assessing its effects. These include taking measurements well ahead of the vacation, during the vacation and at several points in time afterwards. Our study on vacation (after-) effects focused on two related questions: (1) Do health and well-being of working individuals improve during a vacation? and (2) How long does a vacation effect last after resumption of work? In a longitudinal study covering seven weeks, 96 Dutch workers reported their health and well-being levels two weeks before a winter sports vacation, during vacation and one week, two weeks and four weeks after vacation on seven indicators. Participants' health and well-being improved during vacation on five indicators: health status, mood, tension, energy level and satisfaction. However, during the first week of work resumption, health and well-being had generally returned to pre-vacation levels. In conclusion, a winter sports vacation is associated with improvements in self-reported health and well-being among working individuals. However, these effects fade out rapidly after work resumption. We propose a framework for future vacation research and suggest investigating the role of vacation type, duration and means to prolong vacation relief.     

Dimensions of work–home culture and their relations with the use of work–home arrangements and work–home interaction

Abstract

This study examined the associations of work–home culture with (a) demographic and organizational characteristics, (b) the use of work–home arrangements, and (c) negative and positive work–home interaction, among 1,179 employees from one public and two private organizations. Substantial support was found for a 2-factor structure of a work–home culture measure differentiating between “support” (employees’ perceptions of organization's, supervisors’, and colleagues’ responsiveness to work–family issues and to the use of work–home arrangements) and “hindrance” (employees’ perceptions of career consequences and time demands that may prevent them from using work–home arrangements). This 2-factor structure appeared to be invariant across organizations, gender, and parental status. Significant relationships with organizational characteristics, the use of work–home arrangements, and work–home interaction supported the validity of these two cultural dimensions. It is concluded that if employers want to minimize work–home interference, to optimize positive work–home interaction, and to boost the use of work–home arrangements, they should create a work–home culture that is characterized by high support and low hindrance.     

From parental engagement to the engagement of social work services: discussing reductionist and democratic forms of partnership with families

Social work has moved from a child protection discourse towards a child welfare discourse that views the relationship between social workers and families as a partnership. Partnership with families in the field of child protection and child welfare, however, mirrors diverse ideological motives of social policy, civil society and practice. We engage in a theoretical discussion of different interpretations of partnership. We draw a primary distinction between reductionist and democratic forms of partnership with families. In a reductionist approach, social workers activate parents in order to realize the goals set by social work. A democratic approach to partnership refers to a shared responsibility between social workers, parents and children. In this approach, effective partnership is not something to be realized as an outcome, but a point of departure that implies a joint search for meaning and an experiment with which social workers engage. This engagement presents ‘non‐participation’ not as problematic but as an essential element of participation. The focus then shifts from a methodical approach to partnership – how to activate people to participate in the care process – to the question of how the engagement of social workers can be constructed together with families.     

Vom Tool zur Tugend

Coaches are currently coming under enhanced competitive pressure. As a result, an increasing number of tools is emerging which are intended to serve as indicators of augmented professional expertise. Facing this development, a contrary assumption is submitted: tools are indicative of, but not necessarily equivalent to quality. Tools therefore need to be involved in a broader frame of reference. The present paper describes and explains this frame of reference and the related classifications. The first step is to consider the question of whether obtaining knowledge of as many tools as possible is sufficient to perform successful coaching. Secondly, guiding principles for the coach are outlined which may serve as a code of conduct while representing the frame of reference at the same time. Thirdly, this approach is directly linked to the model of the four cardinal virtues (prudence, fortitude, justice and temperance) and scrutinized for the results that might be obtained by the coach at work. Finally, supplements to current professional trainings are proposed.     

Diversity Trouble

In line with Judith Butler’s famous “Gender Trouble”, this article starts by challenging some basic assumptions. What are the conceptual premises of diversity and its management? How do these concepts define identities? How do they decide and influence the entrepreneurial management of these identities? And what patterns of action are typical for diversity conscious organizations? Following these questions by focusing on the discussion of diversity in the German-speaking world, the authors discuss three distinct issues they have had with current diversity management concepts: first, the personalization of social systems; second, the monolithic construction of organizational cultures; and third, an understanding of change that follows a rather mechanistic logic. Trying to light up different blind spots, the article argues for a different approach to diversity management, paying more respect towards organizational dynamics, coping with complexity in a mindful manner, and a sense of ambivalence that should be at the heart of diversity leadership.     

Countering accusations with inoculation: The moderating role of consumer-company identification

Accusations of wrongdoing, baseless or justified, can severely tarnish a company's reputation. Once disseminated, even baseless accusations can persist and cause considerable damage for a company. This study examines the proactive crisis communication strategy of inoculating individuals against invalid accusations before they go viral. An experiment was conducted in a real world consumer context among members of an online consumer panel using an electronics discounter as the research stimulus. Expanding previous inoculation research on the role of value-relevant involvement for inoculation and the effectiveness of inoculation in the case of different preexisting attitudes, we find that consumers’ identification with a company moderates inoculation effectiveness. Consumers strongly opposing or disidentifying with the company under attack reported fewer negative beliefs and attitude change as well as fewer intentions to spread the accusation after being exposed to an inoculation message refuting the claim against the company. Consumers strongly identifying with the company, on the other hand, did not profit from such an inoculation. Their level of identification alone was sufficient to prevent attitude slippage. Implications for public relations research and practice are discussed.     

Aufstiegsf?rderliche Führung – gut für den Aufstieg, schlecht für die Gesundheit?

The present study introduces the concept of career-supportive leadership within the contradictory context of career success and psychological strain. We describe four dimensions of career-supportive leadership: delegation, feedback, trust and promotion. In addition to positive relationships with career success, we expected negative relationships with psychological strain and work-home-interference because career-supportive leadership provides resources which might buffer the effects of career-related demands. In a longitudinal questionnaire study with 581 participants of different organizations we found mainly delegation and promotion to be positively related to different indicators of career success. Referring to psychological strain and work-home-interference, feedback was found to be protective. We discuss research prospects as well as practical implications.