Moderating Effects of Organizational Climate on the Relationship between Emotional Labor and Burnout among Korean Firefighters

The impact of environmental stimuli on the psychological and behavioral compliance of international construction employees

Introduction

This study explores the overlooked psychological and behavioral dynamics of employees in compliance management, applying the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) framework to assess environmental stimuli's impact on employees in international construction projects.

Methods

A scenario-based survey involving 270 international construction employees was analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA), focusing on the relationship between environmental stimuli and compliance intentions.

Results

Findings categorize environmental influences on compliance into internal and external organizational dimensions, highlighting the significant impact of internal factors on compliance intentions. Key determinants identified for high compliance intention include individual traits and organizational climate, while project pressures, rules and regulations, and cultural differences show variable influence.

Conclusion

This study enhances the understanding of the psychological factors driving non-compliant behaviors and introduces a binary micro-ecological approach to compliance management, effectively integrating individual and project organizational elements. In contrast to traditional corporate governance approaches, this strategy emphasizes the role of project organizational micro-ecology in the management of international construction projects. The strategy aims to improve compliance management among international contractors by influencing the psychological and behavioral compliance of frontline employees.

Efficacy of a program in increasing coping strategies in firefighters: randomized clinical trial

OBJECTIVE

to evaluate the effectiveness of a program in increasing coping strategies focused on military firefighters' problems and emotions.

METHOD

randomized, parallel, single-masked clinical trial. The sample consisted of 51 participants in the intervention group and 49 in the control group. The intervention group received the intervention program including coping strategies based on the Nursing Interventions Classification, lasting six consecutive weeks, one day a week. The control group followed the Service Unit routine. Descriptive statistics, Student's T test with Welch's correction and the Mann-Whitney test were used for the analyses. The magnitude of the intervention effect was calculated using Cohen's d index. A p-value of ≤0.05% was considered.

RESULTS

in the analysis of the mean difference between the scores in the groups, the means of the intervention group increased significantly for the coping strategies: social support (p = 0.009), acceptance of responsibility (p = 0.03), problem solving (p = 0.05) and positive reappraisal (p = 0.05). The impact of the intervention was moderate in magnitude for social support (d = 0.54).

CONCLUSION

the intervention program enabled the increase of coping strategies focused on military firefighters' problems and emotions. ReBEC: RBR-8dmbzc. (1) The intervention program increases coping strategies. (2) The study included military firefighters. (3) Social support was the main strategy of the study. (4) Intervention group presented better results than the control group. (5) The use of the Nursing Intervention Classification was effective.

Preventing Job Burnout: Could Workplace Support Protect Maternal and Child Health Professionals Who Are Doing Public Health Equity Work?

PURPOSE

To assess the potential of workplace support to protect public health equity workers against job burnout and to identify key workplace support components.

DESCRIPTION

This mixed-methods, explanatory sequential study analyzed survey and interview data collected between August 2020 and June 2021. Participants included governmental and non-governmental public health employees whose programs largely focus on Maternal and Child Health populations and who reported that their jobs involved working to reduce health inequities ("equity work"). Regression analysis tested the effect of emotional labor on job burnout, and whether workplace support modified that effect. Qualitative analysis of interview transcripts explored possible components of needed workplace support.

ASSESSMENT

Emotional labor was positively associated with job burnout (p < .001), and there was a significant negative interaction between emotional labor and workplace support, meaning workplace support appeared to reduce the effect of emotional labor on burnout (p = .036). Qualitative analysis identified four support components: peer-to-peer mentoring connections, workplace accommodations, engaged and empathetic supervision, and mental health resources.

CONCLUSION

Workplace support is associated with reduced job burnout for public health equity workers, especially those whose jobs involve high levels of emotional labor. Few public health employers are providing needed emotional supports for their equity workers, but certain supports appear to be helpful in reducing job burnout.

Association of the Length of Service of 24/48 Firefighters with the Quality of Their Diet and Selected Anthropometric Parameters

The aim of the study was to examine the association of lengths of service (LS) ≤ 10 years and >10 years in 24/48 shifts with the quality of the observed diet based on the Nutrient Rich Food Index (NRF9.3) and selected anthropometric parameters of 130 firefighters of the State Fire Service (SFS) in Wroclaw, Poland. The study also analysed the individual components of the men's diets required to calculate the NRF9.3 index in both seniority groups. Men with LS > 10 years had statistically significant higher body weight (89.00 kg vs. 81.59 kg), body-fat level (22.80 kg vs. 17.95 kg), waist circumference (96.50 cm vs. 89.00 cm), body-fat percentage (21.94 ± 4.06% vs. 25.00 ± 5.45%), body mass index (BMI) (28.10 kg/m2 vs. 25.40 kg/m2) and waist-hip ratio (WHR) (0.84 0.92 vs. 0.84), compared to the LF ≤ 10 years group. In contrast, the quality of the men's dietary adherence, based on the calculated NRF9.3 index, did not differ between the study groups, and was 662.50 ± 103.1 and 664.78 for the LS ≤ 10 years and LS > 10 years groups, respectively. Based on a statistical analysis using the NRF9.3 diet quality index by tertile (NRF9.3-C), a leading and statistically significant association of LS > 10 years vs. ≤10 years was observed as to most of the anthropometric parameters studied. In contrast, the association of participants' diet quality, as assessed by the NRF9.3 index value, was insignificant for all anthropometric parameters studied.

Trauma Exposure and Suicidal Ideation among Korean Male Firefighters: Examining the Moderating Roles of Organizational Climate

Background

This study investigated the relationship between trauma exposure and suicidal ideation. Moreover, this study examines the moderating roles of organizational climate on the association between trauma exposure and suicidal ideation in Korean male firefighters.

Methods

A total of 15,104 male firefighters who completed a questionnaire were analyzed. The data were obtained using an online self-administered questionnaire from the Firefighter Research on Enhancement of Safety and Health Study. Poisson regression analysis was performed to determine the effects of trauma exposure on suicidal ideation and the moderating effect of organizational climate.

Results

The results showed that 389 firefighters (2.6%) responded that they had experienced suicidal ideation. In the final model, trauma exposure was positively related to suicidal ideation (adjusted risk ratio [aRR], 1.076; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.051-1.103), and organizational climate was negatively associated with suicidal ideation (aRR, 0.772; 95% CI: 0.739-0.806). Additionally, the interaction term (trauma exposure × organizational climate) was related to suicidal ideation (aRR, 1.016; 95% CI: 1.009-1.023).

Conclusions

This study suggests that trauma exposure might play a significant role in developing suicidal ideation and that positive organizational climate moderates the negative effects of trauma exposure on suicidal ideation among firefighters. It is necessary to perform a follow-up study of various intervention strategies to maintain a healthy organizational climate or work environment. Such interventions should promote lasting trust within teams, provide social support and belonging, and nurture job value.

Exploring the Effect of Emotional Labor on Turnover Intention and the Moderating Role of Perceived Organizational Support: Evidence from Korean Firefighters

Synthesizing the conservation of resource theory, proximal withdrawal state theory, and job demands-resources theory, the present study examined the relationships between two dimensions of emotional labor (i.e., surface and deep acting) and turnover intention, as well as the moderating role of perceived organizational support in these relationships, such as the context of Korean firefighters. Using survey data drawn from fire organizations in Gyeonggi-do, the largest province of South Korea, we found that both surface and deep acting are positively related to firefighter turnover intentions. Further analysis indicates that the perceived organizational support of firefighters, vital for public health and safety, attenuates the positive relationship between surface acting and turnover intention but has no significant moderating effect on the relationship between deep acting and turnover intention. Our results suggest that perceived organizational support acts through essential psychological resources to recover the loss of emotional resources and contributes to the retention of firefighter personnel who primarily perform challenging and stressful work, including firefighting and offering emergency medical services. Thus, this study examines a crucial tool to ensure firefighters' public mental health.

Why Employees Experience Burnout: An Explanation of Illegitimate Tasks

Among the many workplace stressors, a new type of stressor has been identified: illegitimate tasks. This newly identified type of stressor refers to work tasks that do not meet employee role expectations and constitute a violation of professional identity. To investigate illegitimate tasks’ mediating mechanisms and boundary conditions on job burnout, we examined a cross-level first-stage moderated mediation model with the collective climate as a moderator and psychological entitlement as a mediator. Grounded in the job demands–resources model (JD-R) and justice theory, the current study uniquely posits that illegitimate tasks can lead to burnout by way of psychological entitlement; however, this effect is less where collective climate is higher. Data were collected from 459 employees on 89 teams at enterprises in China. The results of the analysis, using HLM, MPLUS and SPSS revealed that illegitimate tasks stimulated employees’ psychological entitlement and led to job burnout. While employees’ psychological entitlement played a partially mediating role between illegitimate tasks and job burnout, a collective climate could weaken the stimulating effect of illegitimate tasks on employees’ psychological entitlement and then negatively affect the mediating effect of psychological entitlement between illegitimate tasks and burnout. The study reveals the antecedents of burnout from the perspective of job tasks and psychological entitlement, offers practical insight into the mechanism of illegitimate tasks on employee job burnout and recommends that organizations develop a collective climate to reduce employees’ psychological entitlement and job burnout for steady development of the enterprise.

Effects of Emergency Duties on Cardiovascular Diseases in Firefighters: A 13-Year Retrospective Cohort Study

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to examine the effects of firefighters' emergency duties on the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

METHODS

We used a 13-year follow-up in a nationwide retrospective cohort study. A total of 363,137 employees were recruited. The sex-and age-specific incidence of CVD (hypertension, angina pectoris, and acutemyocardial infarction [AMI]) in firefighters and public officials was estimated.

RESULTS

The overall age-specific sex-based incidence of CVD, except for hypertension, was higher in firefighters than in public officials. The age-stratified hazard ratios for the three types of CVD in male firefighters were also higher. AMI was more common in younger firefighters, whereas angina pectoris and hypertension were common in older firefighters.

CONCLUSIONS

Firefighters' duties are more likely to increase the risk of CVD, and preventive strategies with proven benefits are required.

Understanding the Emotional Labor of Public Health Equity Work: a Mixed Methods Study

Background

Rectifying historic race-based health inequities depends on a resilient public health workforce to implement change and dismantle systemic racism in varied organizations and community contexts. Yet, public health equity workers may be vulnerable to job burnout because personal investment in the continual struggle against inequality exacts an emotional toll. Our study sought to quantify the presence of emotional labor in public health equity work and better understand its dimensions.

Methods

We conducted a mixed methods study of public health equity workers focused on maternal and child health in the USA. Participants completed a survey on the emotional demands of their public health equity work. A subset of survey respondents was interviewed to gain a better understanding of the emotional toll and support received to cope.

Results

Public health equity work was found to involve high levels of emotional labor (M = 5.61, range = 1–7). A positive association was noted between personal efficacy (i.e., belief in one’s ability to do equity work well) and increased job satisfaction. However, burnout increased when equity workers did not receive adequate support for their emotional labor. Qualitative analysis revealed eight themes depicting the emotional burden, benefits and drawbacks, and coping strategies of public health equity work.

Conclusions

Public health equity workers report high degrees of emotional labor and inadequate workplace support to cope with the demands. In our study, workplace support was associated with higher job satisfaction and lower burnout. Research is urgently needed to develop and scale an effective model to support public health equity workers.

Size matters: How safety climate and downstream outcomes vary by fire department organization type

BACKGROUND

Safety climate is an upstream predictor of safety behaviors (e.g., safety compliance), organizational outcomes (e.g., burnout, engagement), and safety outcomes (e.g., injuries). The Fire Service Organizational Culture of Safety (FOCUS) survey, which was psychometrically validated, measures the industry-specific safety climate of the US fire and rescue service. It is expressed by two factors, Management Commitment to Safety and Supervisor Support for Safety.

METHODS

The FOCUS beta-test included a random sample of 132 fire departments stratified by Federal Emergency Management Agency region and organization type (career, combination, volunteer). We conducted descriptive analysis with the responses from 8414 firefighters nested within 611 stations in 125 fire departments. We reported descriptive statistics to assess the distribution of all continuous [mean ± standard deviation (SD)] and categorical variables (counts, percentages) stratified by organization type. Regression analyses were conducted to investigate the associations between safety climate, safety behaviors, organizational outcomes, and safety outcomes stratified by organization type.

RESULTS

The mean age of the analytic sample was 40.2 years, and the mean years of experience was 16.1 years. This sample included 53.6% career, 27.2% combination (career and volunteer), and 19.2% volunteer fire departments. The mean Management Commitment score was 71.4 (SD =  ± 10.4), and the mean Supervisor Support score was 81.7 (± 5.2). The mean Management Commitment scores were 67.1 (± 8.4), 72.2 (± 10.7), and 82.1 (± 6.1), respectively, for career, combination, and volunteer fire departments. The mean Supervisor Support scores were not notably different by organization type. Regression analyses generally supported the beneficial role of safety climate, while suggesting organization type as a potential effect modifier. Specifically, we observed a more negative association between Management Commitment as departments became more career.

CONCLUSIONS

Analysis of nationally representative data from the US fire and rescue service indicates safety climate is positively associated with safety behavior, organizational outcomes, and safety outcomes reflecting employee well-being. The findings also suggest that this association varies by organization type. In fact, a dose-response relationship was observed, with Management Commitment to safety lowest among career departments. Thus, our results suggest that it is not just being busy that decreases Management Commitment.

The Importance of an Emotional Expression Guide to Prevent Work-Related Health Problems in Emotional Laborers

BACKGROUND

As the service industry develops, the proportion of emotional laborers is gradually increasing, and their occupational health problems are gradually becoming serious social problems. Researchers must consider various factors, from the personal to the organizational levels, to prevent health problems from arising in the workplace. Many intervention studies have investigated the health and wellbeing of workers, but mainly at the individual level, even though an organization's interest and efforts are essential for addressing work-related health problems. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to verify the importance of organizations' interests to protect emotional laborers from work-related health problems.

METHODS

We used data obtained through the 4th Korean Working Condition Survey of 2014. The study cohort comprised 5857 survey participants over the age of 18 years. Employers, self-employed persons and professional soldiers were excluded. Logistic regression was employed to identify associations between an emotional expression guide and work-related health problems using SPSS 22.0 statistical software.

RESULTS

In the absence of an emotional expression guide, the risk of work-related physical and psychological health problems was increased. Even after adjusting for confounding variables, the risks were statistically maintained, particularly headache (odds ratio (OR) 1.798; 95% confidence interval 95% CI: 1.288-2.508), lower limb muscular pain (OR: 1.627; 95% CI: 1.130-2.342), general fatigue (OR: 1.582; 95% CI: 1.077-2.326) and depressive symptom (OR: 6.149; 95% CI: 1.198-31.563).

CONCLUSION

This study showed that organizations' interests and efforts to prevent workers from being harmed by the effects of emotional labor are important in the prevention of psychosocial and physical health problems; therefore, a national interest in supporting emotional laborers and in introducing policies to support these workers should be established.