Go Greener, Less Risk: Access to Nature Is Associated with Lower Risk Taking in Different Domains during the COVID-19 Lockdown

Objective greenness, connectedness to nature and sunlight levels towards perceived restorativeness in urban nature

The beneficial effect of exposure to nature and immersion in natural environments on perceived well-being is well established. Nevertheless, we acknowledge an emerging need to disentangle the role of specific environmental features from individual factors that encourage a positive person-environment interaction. This study aimed at evaluating the associations between four buffer distances of greenness and dimensions of perceived restorativeness, with connectedness towards nature (CTN) as a confounder variable, in a sample of 312 visitors to a large urban park. Variables investigating ecosystem services (ES, e.g., thermal comfort) were included as covariates. Results revealed differentiated effects of greenness level, sunlight intensity, and connectedness to nature in the pathways towards dimensions of restorativeness. Greenness level at 300 m was associated with Fascination, Scope, and Being Away, while at 500 m was associated with Coherence, Scope, and Being Away. ES was found to be associated with Coherence, while CTN with the other three dimensions of restorativeness. The moderating effect of sunlight level in the relationship between NDVI buffer distances and the total score of perceived restorativeness was also confirmed. The present work is intended to offer insights on the interplay between environmental features and individual differences for implications in several contexts, including the opportunity to develop tailor-made planning for urban forestry.

The psychological impact of the COVID-19 lockdown in Italy: The moderating role of gender and emotion regulation

Many researchers suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic may have more negative effects on women than men. Accordingly, we hypothesized that women would experience greater COVID-19 related distress and more psychopathological symptoms than men during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Italy. Moreover, we expected emotion regulation strategies (cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression, as protective and risk factors respectively) to interact with gender in shaping psychological health. We administered an online questionnaire to 1519 participants during the first national COVID-19 lockdown in Italy. As predicted, women reported greater COVID-19 related distress and more psychopathological symptoms than men. Furthermore, women who made greater use of reappraisal reported lower levels of distress and fewer psychopathological symptoms. Suppression was associated with more psychopathological symptoms, but there were no interaction effects with gender. Our findings have implications for policymakers wishing to sustain women's health during stressful situations such as the COVID-19 outbreak and beyond.

A study to explore the linkage between green training and sustainable organizational performance through emotional intelligence and green work life balance

Purpose

This study aims to review the role of green training and green work life balance (GWLB) on sustainable organizational performance (SOP) with a moderating variable “Emotional Intelligence” (EI).

Design/methodology/approach

For the development of the construct of the present study, a Scopus database was selected and research papers published in indexed journals were considered. Relevant keywords were selected and literature was searched on green training, EI, SOP, GWLB. The literature was reviewed to find out the linkage and possibility of development of integrated model. The main focus was on highlighting the relevance of green training on GWLB and its influence on SOP.

Findings

SOP can be achieved with the intervention of EI and GWLB; further green training is one of the influential practices of human resource development (HRD) which helps to develop the green behavior.

Research limitations/implications

It can give new insight to the organization for application of green human resource practices for SOP. Development and designing the cohesive environmental work culture and willingness to protect environment through green training can be implemented by HRD. Perhaps, the application of green training encourages GWLB.

Practical implications

Quantitative research and cross sectional study is required to find out the intervening role of EI and work–life balance between green training and SOP across a broader range of sectors.

Originality/value

This research extends the literature review and developed a new integrated model which shows the link between green training and SOP.