Cross-cultural adaptation, and factor structure of the decision styles scale for Brazil

Occupational self-efficacy scale: Validity in teachers

Occupational self-efficacy has gained attention because of its importance in understanding the effects of psychosocial factors at work, but because of its relevance, it is necessary to study it in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Occupational Self-Efficacy Short Scale Form (OSS-SF) is a measure of individual variability in self-efficacy within the work context and has been used in some studies in Latin America. The aim of this study was to obtain evidence of the validity of the OSS-SF for 214 Peruvian teachers and to evaluate its internal structure and associations with other constructs. The sample, composed of 214 teachers (Mage = 44, SDage = 10), was selected using nonprobabilistic convenience sampling and evaluated via online forms. Nonparametric item response theory was used. Among the results, a unidimensional structure and high scalability at the item and scale levels were obtained (>0.70). The reliability was approximately 0.90. There was moderate convergence with job satisfaction (0.39) and slight convergence with the perception of the management of virtual tools (0.18). The OSS-SF is a scale with adequate evidence of validity and reliability for Peruvian teachers who work remotely. Therefore, it can be used as a diagnostic measure of intervention and training needs to benefit teachers and students.

Decision-making styles during stressful scenarios: The role of anxiety in COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction

Decision-making is not purely rational but highlighted by the influence of intuitive and emotional processes. Recently, researchers have focused more attention on understanding which environmental and personal features influence decision-making processes, and how.

Objective and methods

On this study, we investigate whether Trait Anxiety moderates the impact of Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) symptoms reported during COVID-19 pandemic on decision-making styles.

Results

The study included 1,358 Brazilian participants (80% women) aged between 20 and 74 (M = 41.11; SD = 11.23) who responded to an online survey between May and August of the year 2021 of COVID-19 pandemic to The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, The Decisions Styles Scale, The Impact of Event Scale - Revised and questions related to COVID-19. Through moderation analysis, we observed that experiencing PTS is associated with a higher tendency to biased/heuristic decision-making processes.

Discussion

Trait Anxiety seems to influence how people respond to PTS symptoms on decision-making related processes. Subjects with higher Trait Anxiety reported lower tendency to appeal to rationality, especially under higher reported levels of PTS. Meanwhile, lower Trait Anxiety subjects exhibited more reason-based decision-making under higher rates of PTS. This work contributes to a deeper understanding of the interplay among environmental and individual differences on decision-making styles and helps to identify factors of vulnerability for poorer cognitive functioning on stressful scenarios.

Impact of organization decision making styles and safety accountability on occupational health and safety implementation: The moderating role of mimetic motives

The agriculture sector is a traditional economic pillar of many emerging economies. However, it is facing greater occupational health and safety (OHS) challenges in Pakistan, and its performance is continuously decreasing. An effective OHS implementation provides better control over OHS challenges and may help to restore its former glory. Therefore, this study aims to explore different organizational decision-making styles and safety accountability to put OHS into practice in this sector. Based on institutional theory, a theoretical framework was developed. Two hundred and eighty-seven agriculture farms in Punjab, Pakistan were surveyed and analyzed using SmartPLS 3.3.7. The findings revealed that implementation styles (rational and incremental) and safety accountability positively impact OHS implementation. Similarly, the moderating role of mimetic motives was found positively significant in the relationship between rational style and OHS implementation, and negatively significant in the relationship between incremental style and OHS implementation. While no moderating effect of mimetic motive was found between safety accountability and OHS implementation. This study suggested that OHS implementation should not be viewed as a social or technical issue alone. Strategic arrangements should be made at the organizational level to gain better control over OHS challenges by considering the institutional environment in which the organization operates.