Measurement of the subjective work environment

Abstract

This paper considers the various issues that frame the development and use of measures of the subjective work environment. It begins by questioning the role of the work environment in determining occupational health, and explores the possible mechanisms by which that environment might exert its influence. It concludes that one of the important final common pathways is psycho-physiological in nature, and is rooted in individual perception and cognition and the experience of stress. Important for this model are the concepts of mediation and moderation. The measurement of the subjective work environment has often been idiosyncratic to the study in hand, and there are few well-established measures in common use. It is argued that researchers should be careful when deciding not to use established measures and effectively ‘invent’ their own. In developing new measures, decisions have to be made concerning the nature of the measure along with its ‘granularity’ and complexity. It is also argued that it is important that researchers should follow good psychometric practice in the development of those measures. Suggestions for ‘good practice’ are discussed. Attention is drawn to the issues of reliability and validity, and this paper discusses the role of triangulation in the planning and execution of data collection and analysis. The paper ends by reviewing the recommendations made towards the development and use of measures of the subjective work environment.     

Influence of Late Life Stressors on the Decisions of Older Women to Relocate into Congregate Senior Housing

Late-life stressors often require individuals to make substantial alterations in behavior and lifestyle and can affect their overall health and well-being. Relocation is a significant life stress, regardless of age. The primary aim of this study is to elucidate the push-pull factors associated with moving into congregate senior housing. The secondary aim is to investigate the decision-making processes and stresses associated with moving into a congregate living environment. Interviews were conducted with 26 women who were new residents in congregate senior housing. Relocation, as expected, was considered to be stressful, although individual differences were found among perceptions of relocation stresses. Women who had made the decision to relocate on their own showed evidence of better psychosocial well-being at the time of the move. One-quarter of the sample chose to move to provide care to another person. As the options for senior housing continue to evolve and the number of adults reaching advanced age continues to increase, it is important to understand the factors that contribute to successful adaptation. This knowledge will enable facility administrators to implement programs and procedures to assist incoming residents with acclimating to their new homes.     

行业特色大学人文社科类教师职业压力及缓解对策

作为高等教育重要的构成部分,行业特色大学具有自己特殊的地位。随着行业特色大学分配制度、人事制度等相关改革的深入,行业特色大学中的人文社科类教师面临着一些特定的职业压力。这种压力往往与行业特色大学特殊的工作环境以及学校对人文社科类教师采取的政策相关。对于行业特色大学而言,应该立足于学校自身的行业特色,了解和分析人文社科类教师的职业压力情况,采取有针对性的措施,缓解或消除其职业压力,使之更好地从事教学与研究工作。同时,对人文社科类教师自身而言,寻找适当的职业压力自我疏解通道也是必要的。     

立体标签自动贴标机结构设计

为了减少在产品包装环节中的人员参与,提高包装环节的自动化程度,研制了一种用于立体标签的自动贴标机。 根据产品贴标的流程,采用Pro/E软件进行三维建模和零部件的优化设计,包括传送机构、标签推进机构和折弯机构。 折弯机构中采用了折弯翻板实现对标签的折弯控制;自动贴标机各机构均采用了独立的电机控制,控制系统采用PLC 技术和变频器调速控制,设计了电动机正反转的控制电路图。通过对机械结构和电气控制系统优化设计,得到了满足设 计要求的自动贴标机机构设计参数,实现了对厚度为0.5 mm纸质标签纸的2次折弯并实现贴标过程。该自动标签机的 使用实现了包装过程的自动化,提高产品的包装效率。     

Estimation for Birnbaum–Saunders Distribution in Simple Step Stress–accelerated Life Test with Type-II Censoring

This paper develops the Bayesian estimation for the Birnbaum–Saunders distribution based on Type-II censoring in the simple step stress–accelerated life test with power law accelerated form. Maximum likelihood estimates are obtained and Gibbs sampling procedure is used to get the Bayesian estimates for shape parameter of Birnbaum–Saunders distribution and parameters of power law–accelerated model. Asymptotic normality method and Markov Chain Monte Carlo method are employed to construct the corresponding confidence interval and highest posterior density interval at different confidence level, respectively. At last, the results are compared by using Monte Carlo simulations, and a numerical example is analyzed for illustration.     

Different Effects of Acculturative Stress and Family Life Stress on Depressive Symptoms among Married Vietnamese Immigrant Women in South Korea

Married Vietnamese immigrant women often face multiple stressors related to sociocultural adaptation and new family lives in South Korea. The purpose of this paper is to identify the different influences of acculturative and family life stress on depressive symptoms among Vietnamese immigrant wives. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey of 301 married Vietnamese immigrant women residing in South Korea. The study utilized linear regression analysis to test the relationships between the variables. The findings show that both acculturative and family life stress are positively related to depressive symptoms. Family life stress influences depressive symptoms to a greater extent than acculturative stress. The study emphasizes the significance of family‐related stress on mental health among married Vietnamese immigrant women in Korea and provides some implications for research, clinical practice, and policy.     

Status inconsistency in groups: How discrepancies between instrumental and expressive status result in symptoms of stress

This study examines whether a mismatch between the positions that individuals hold in different status hierarchies results in symptoms of stress. Prior research has focused on inconsistencies between socioeconomic status dimensions (e.g., education and income) and did not find a significant relation between status inconsistency and stress. In this paper, we build on research on role differentiation and propose to study the effect of inconsistencies between instrumental status and expressive status in group contexts. We hypothesize that people with an inconsistency between these status dimensions experience feelings of uncertainty and frustration in their interactions with others and this manifests in stress-related symptoms. We test this hypothesis with data collected in a medium-sized Dutch childcare organization (N = 93). Polynomial regression analysis, visualized in response surface plots, suggests that status inconsistent employees report higher levels of stress.     

浅析大学生心理压力的现状与对策

以自编大学生心理压力调查问卷为工具,从大学生对自身心理压力的认知、大学生心理压力产生的根源、大学生心理压力缓解的途径、大学生对心理压力产生原因的认识、大学生对心理压力的归因等方面揭示大学生心理压力的现状,并提出相应的应对策略。     

The Effects of Nursing Home Placement on the Perceived Levels of Caregiver Burden

Providing care for an aging parent can be one of the most fulfilling life experiences for an adult child. It can also be one of the most exhausting physically, emotionally, and financially. A caregiver experiences psychological and emotional changes when their dependent parent or spouse is placed into formal care. This research project uses the Montgomery Borgatta Caregiver Burden Scale, amended with a questionnaire, in a self-administered, anonymous survey to explore perceptions of caregiving burden before and after the nursing home placement periods. This research showed that numerous factors influence caregivers' perceptions of burden and the quality of relationships among family members.     

欧洲主权债务危机与欧元的前景

由美国次贷危机引发的全球性金融危机对欧洲大陆的冲击使欧洲长期积累的财政和债务问题逐步转变为主权债务危机。欧债危机的持续发酵主要是由欧元区内货币政策与财政政策脱节、高社会福利与低经济增长矛盾以及危机爆发后救助迟缓、乏力等因素导致的,同时它也是欧元区在建立之初就一直存在的严重的结构性缺陷所带来危害的集中体现。欧债危机对欧元区的稳定造成了极大冲击,给欧元未来的命运蒙上了一层阴影。欧元区未来的结局可能是促使欧债危机国家退出欧元区,而这对欧洲一体化进程则是沉重的打击。