Examining the predictive validity of a managerial coaching scale: a longitudinal study

Managerial coaching remains a widespread and popular organizational development intervention applied across numerous industries to enhance critical workplace outcomes and employee attitudes, yet no studies to date have evaluated the temporal precedence within these relationships. This study sought to assess the predictive validity of the widely used Employee Perceptions of Supervisor/Line Manager Coaching Behavior Measure managerial coaching scale (CBI), employing a longitudinal design and following the testing of the causal hypothesized relationship framework. Three hypotheses were evaluated using three commonly associated variables with managerial coaching (role clarity, job satisfaction, and organization commitment), using longitudinal data collected over two waves from full-time US employees (n = 313). The study followed a two-wave design, collecting data over two time points to test for longitudinal measurement invariance and three reciprocal cross-lagged models. Results detected statistically significant cross-lagged and reciprocal cross-lagged effects in the role clarity and organization commitment models, highlighting a reciprocal relationship between managerial coaching behaviors and the two variables. However, only the reciprocal cross-lagged effect was statistically significant in the job satisfaction model. Findings suggest the predictive validity of the CBI scale for role clarity and organization commitment. Moreover, results indicate employee attitudes influenced managerial coaching behaviors over time across all three models, emphasizing the potential impact of employee attitudes on leadership effectiveness. This study highlights the complex relationships between managerial coaching and workplace outcomes, offering nuanced insights for improved understanding.

Exploring provider roles, continuity, and mental models in cirrhosis care: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND: Advanced cirrhosis results in frequent emergency department visits, hospital admissions and readmissions, and a high risk of premature death. We previously identified and compared differences in the mental models of cirrhosis care held by primary and specialty care physicians and nurse practitioners that may be addressed to improve coordination and transitions in care. The aim of this paper is to further explore how challenges to continuity and coordination of care influence how health care providers adapt in their approaches to and development of mental models of cirrhosis care. METHODS: Cross-sectional formal elicitation of mental models using Cognitive Task Analysis. Purposive and chain-referral sampling took place over 6 months across Alberta for a total of 19 participants, made up of family physicians (n = 8), specialists (n = 9), and cirrhosis nurse practitioners (n = 2). RESULTS: Lack of continuity in cirrhosis care, particularly informational and management continuity, not only hinders health care providers' ability to develop rich mental models of cirrhosis care but may also determine whether they form a patient-centred or task-based mental model, and whether they develop shared mental models with other providers. CONCLUSIONS: The system barriers and gaps that prevent the level of continuity needed to coordinate care for people with cirrhosis lead providers to create and work under mental models that perpetuate those barriers, in a vicious cycle. Understanding how providers approach cirrhosis care, adapt to the challenges facing them, and develop mental models offers insights into how to break that cycle and improve continuity and coordination.

Better self-care through co-care? A latent profile analysis of primary care patients' experiences of e-health-supported chronic care management

Background

Efficient self-care of chronic conditions requires that an individual's resources be optimally combined with healthcare's resources, sometimes supported by e-health services (i.e., co-care). This calls for a system perspective of self-care to determine to what extent it involves demanding or unnecessary tasks and whether role clarity, needs support, and goal orientation are sufficient. This study aims to explore typical configurations of how the co-care system is experienced by individuals with chronic conditions who used an e-health service supporting self-monitoring and digital communication with primary care.

Method

We performed a latent profile analysis using questionnaire data from two waves (7 months apart) involving 180 of 308 eligible patients who pilot-tested an e-health service for co-care at a Swedish primary care center. The five subscales of the Distribution of Co-Care Activities (DoCCA) scale were used to create profiles at Time 1 (T1) and Time 2 (T2). Profiles were described based on sociodemographic variables (age, gender, education level, and health condition) and compared based on exogenous variables (self-rated health, satisfaction with healthcare, self-efficacy in self-care, and perceptions of the e-health service).

Results

We identified four typical configurations of co-care experiences at T1: strained, neutral, supportive, and optimal. Patients with optimal and supportive profiles had higher self-rated health, self-efficacy in self-care, and satisfaction with healthcare than patients with strained and neutral profiles. Slightly more than half transitioned to a similar or more positive profile at T2, for which we identified five profiles: unsupportive, strained, neutral, supportive, and optimal. Patients with optimal and supportive profiles at T2 had higher self-efficacy in self-care and satisfaction with healthcare than the other profiles. The optimal profiles also had higher self-rated health than all other profiles. Members of the optimal and supportive profiles perceived the effectiveness of the e-health service as more positive than the unsupportive and strained profile members.

Discussion

Primary care patients' co-care profiles were primarily distinguished by their experiences of needs support, goal orientation, and role clarity. Patients with more positive co-care experiences also reported higher self-rated health, self-efficacy in self-care, and satisfaction with healthcare, as well as more positive experiences of the e-health service.

Effects of a co-created occupational health intervention on stress and psychosocial working conditions within the construction industry: A controlled trial

Background

Work-related stress problems, i.e., burnout, depression, and anxiety, is a rising global health challenge. Poor mental health also appears to be a challenge for the construction industry, even though the occupational health focus has traditionally been on the physical work environment and musculoskeletal disorders. Yet, studies targeting the organisational level (i.e., work environment, policy) to enhance mental health within the construction industry are scant. Therefore, our first objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of a co-created occupational health intervention on stress and psychosocial working conditions within the construction industry in Sweden. The second objective was to evaluate whether the intervention was implemented as intended, i.e., implementation fidelity. The trial is registered in the ISRCTN clinical trial registry (ISRCTN16548039, http://isrctn.com/).

Methods

This is a controlled trial with one intervention and one matched control group. We co-created the program logic with stakeholders from the intervention group. The essence of the chosen intervention components, duties clarification, and structured roundmaking was enhanced planning and role clarification. We assessed adherence to the intervention and dose delivered (i.e., fidelity). We collected data on the outcomes (role clarity, team effectiveness, planning, staffing, quantitative demands, and the psychosocial safety climate) with online questionnaires at baseline, 12, and 24 months. Marginal means models adjusting for missing data patterns were applied to estimate potential differences in outcomes between groups over time.

Results

Fidelity was considered reasonably high. Yet, we found no intervention effects on the primary outcome stress. All outcomes, except role clarity deteriorated during the trial in the intervention and control group. However, the results indicate a positive effect of the intervention components on professionals' role clarity. The pandemic appears to have negatively affected stress and psychosocial working conditions.

Conclusion

The study's results suggest that co-creating occupational health interventions could be one solution for improved implementation fidelity. More studies are needed to evaluate these intervention components. Also, we recommend researchers of future intervention studies consider using missing not at random, sensitivity analysis.

Commitment is the key: a moderated mediation model linking leaders' resources, work engagement, and transformational leadership behavior

The present study aims at gaining insights into the underlying mechanisms leading from leaders' resources to their transformational behavior. Based on the Job Demands-Resources theory, we hypothesized that leaders' personal (self-efficacy) and job (role clarity) resources eventually enhance their performance, more specifically their transformational leadership, through fostering work engagement. Further, we proposed that the link between work engagement and transformational behavior is moderated by leaders' affective commitment, drawing on Social Identity Theory. Data was collected from N = 216 German leaders in 2020 via an online survey. Hypotheses were tested by applying a moderated mediation model linking resources, engagement, commitment, and leadership behavior. The problem of potential endogeneity was further addressed. As predicted, both self-efficacy and role clarity enhanced leaders' transformational behavior, mediated through work engagement. The relationship between leaders' work engagement and performance was stronger when they felt a strong belonging and emotional attachment to their organization, that is, high affective commitment.

The Impact of a Workplace Terrorist Attack on the Psychosocial Work Environment: A Longitudinal Study From Pre- to Post-disaster

The psychosocial work environment is of great importance for regaining health and productivity after a workplace disaster. Still, there is a lack of knowledge about the impact of a disaster on the psychosocial work environment. The purpose of this study was to examine whether employees' perceptions of role clarity, role conflicts, and predictability in their work situation changed from before to after a workplace terrorist attack. We combined data from two prospective work environment surveys of employees in three governmental ministries that were the target of the 2011 Oslo terrorist attack. A first two-wave survey was conducted 4-5 years and 2-3 years before the attack, and a second three-wave survey took place 10 months, 2 years, and 3 years after the attack. Of 504 individuals who were employed at the time of the bombing, 220 were employed in both pre- and post-disaster periods, participated in both the first and the second survey, and consented to the linking of data from the two surveys. We found no significant changes in levels of role clarity, role conflict, and predictability from before to after the terrorist attack. Adjusting for sex, age and education had no effect on the results. The findings suggest that perceptions of the psychosocial working environment are likely to be maintained at previous levels in the aftermath of a workplace disaster. Considering the importance of the psychosocial work environment for regaining health and productivity, the findings are important for the preparation for, and management of, future crises.

Factors that affect quality of care among mental health providers: Focusing on job stress and resources

Objective: High-quality, person-centered care is a priority for mental health services. The current study conducted secondary data analysis to examine the impact of job stress (i.e., interaction with high-risk consumer cases, increased caseload, emotional exhaustion) and resources (i.e., increased organizational and supervisory support, autonomy, role clarity) on providers' perceived quality of care. Methods: Data consisted of 145 direct care providers from an urban community mental health center. Structural equation modeling was used for testing the hierarchical regression model, sequentially adding job stress and resource variables in the prediction models for the quality of care (i.e., person-centered care, discordant care [conflict with consumers and tardiness]). Results: Person-centered care was positively associated with increased role clarity, organizational support, and larger caseload size, while a lower level of discordant care was associated with lower emotional exhaustion, smaller caseload size, less interaction with high-risk consumer cases, and with increased role clarity. Conclusions and Implications for Practice: Resources on the job may be particularly important for improved person-centered care, and lowering job stress may help reduce discordant care. The current study suggests the need for the mental health organizations to attend to both job stress and resources for providers to improve the quality of care. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Mental Health Problems as a Risk Factor for Workplace Bullying: The Protective Effect of a Well-Functioning Organization

This study examined a strain-stressor association, when mental health problems may lead to subsequent workplace bullying, and a mechanism of how this can happen. I hypothesized that the association between mental health problems and bullying depends on the perceived role clarity and order in the organization, and that sickness presenteeism (SP) mediates this association. The study is based on a longitudinal probability sample drawn from the total number of employees in Sweden. Workplace bullying, mental health, SP, and role clarity and order in the organization were assessed using a questionnaire. The results showed that mental health problems are associated with an increased risk for subsequent bullying, consistent with previous findings. However, this risk depends on the level of role clarity and order in the organization. The results also show a partial indirect effect via SP. This means that if one has mental health problems and persists in coming to work although one should have stayed at home, the risk of bullying increases. The indirect effect depends also on the level of order in the organization. The findings suggest that individual deficits, such as mental health problems, are associated with subsequent bullying only if organizational deficits are also present.

Does positive workplace gossip help socialize newcomers? A dual-pathway model based on network ties

Researchers have been interested in discussing negative workplace gossip and its consequences, but have paid little attention to positive workplace gossip and its positive aspects in the workplace. Based on the perspective of social network, this study explores the two-path mediating mechanisms between positive workplace gossip and the socialization outcomes of newcomers. The data were collected in a multitime and multisource manner. The results show that information ties and friendship ties mediated the relationship between positive workplace gossip and the socialization outcomes of newcomers. Specifically, positive workplace gossip helped newcomers form instrumental and expressive social relationships (viz., informational ties and friendship ties), which in turn contributed to socialization outcomes (viz., role clarity and social integration). Theoretical and management implications are discussed as well.

Interprofessional collaboration between nurses and doctors for treating patients in surgical wards

Interprofessional collaboration will be one of the main factors in the effort to increase patient safety in the coming years. Research has identified several challenges to interprofessional collaboration between nurses and doctors, where fragmentation of both education and clinical practice contributes to a strong affiliation to one's own profession with little emphasis on collaboration. The aim of this study was to generate more knowledge about how nurses and doctors experience interprofessional collaboration in observation and treatment of patients on a surgical ward. The study was conducted in 2018 and used an explorative qualitative design that was based on four semi-structured focus group interviews. The respondents were 11 nurses and seven doctors with experience from different surgical specialties and employed in three different surgical wards in a Norwegian hospital. The data were analyzed using systematic text-condensation. The following three main categories, each with two subcategories, emerged: 1) Organization and culture: a lack of interprofessional meeting places and experience-based hierarchy; 2) Communication: use of communication tools and little room for professional discussions; and 3) Trust and respect: dependence and recognition and a blurred distribution of responsibility. Both nurses and doctors wished for closer interprofessional collaboration in observation and treatment in the surgical ward; however, organizational limitations with few interprofessional meeting places and time pressure made this difficult.

Designing, implementing and sustaining IPE within an authentic clinical environment: the impact on student learning

Interprofessional education (IPE), as preparation for interprofessional practice (IPP), is essential for quality, coordinated, outcome-focussed patient care. To develop capacity for IPP in future healthcare practitioners, IPE needs to be developed within curriculum and applied within authentic settings. The study aims were threefold: (a) determine if an established type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) exercise and healthy lifestyle program could be replicated and delivered at a satellite health precinct; (b) report on changes in students' attitudes to IPP in response to involvement in the program; (c) explore the perceptions of students in response to participation in the program whilst on placement. This paper reports on the quantitative changes in perceptions of IPE as measured by the SPICE-R2 instrument and a qualitative analysis of the student reflection of participating in IPP. Thirty-five students, from 4 health professions, participated in the study. The quantitative outcomes showed significant improvement in the perceptions of IPE (p <.01), including significant improvements understanding of roles and responsibilities, teamwork, and patient outcomes (p <.01). The qualitative analysis included a subset of 18 students who participated across two focus groups, highlighting four key themes: (a) health students reported varied initial experience with, and understanding of IPE; (b) the IPE program enabled students to see the value of teamwork for patient care; (c) IPE enhanced role clarity amongst the students, and (d) the IPE program provided an authentic learning experience, best suited to final year students. Our findings reinforced the value of a partnership between higher education and health services to deliver IPP care and learning, student valuing of the importance of IPE as part of authentic learning, and need for a scaffolded approach toward IPE is needed across health curriculums, and clinical placement to ensure all students can develop IPE capabilities that will enable them to work together to deliver the best healthcare to clients.

Locus of Control and Leader-Member Exchange: A Dimensional, Contextualized, and Prospective Analysis

Since the relationship between leaders and subordinates has important implications for organizations, exploring how high-quality leader–member exchange (LMX) relationships develop over time is a critical research objective. However, LMX research has essentially focused on leader-centric approaches to describe how leaders develop differential relationships with subordinates and has devoted little attention to the influence of subordinate characteristics. This study contends that subordinates’ individual differences may act as drivers of LMX relationships. Specifically, we posited that individuals with an internal work locus of control, owing to their sense of control over the work environment, are more prone to develop high LMX relationships over time. Moreover, we expected this effect to be enhanced when these individuals are given clear expectations about their work role because such conditions would ease their sense of agency. Further, we suggested that these effects may partly depend on the dimension of LMX (i.e., affect, loyalty, contribution, and professional respect) under consideration. We argued that the effect of internal work locus of control would generalize to all LMX dimensions but that its interaction with role clarity would primarily impact the loyalty and contribution dimensions of LMX as their behavioral orientation would result in valued outcomes for internals. Data were collected through questionnaires among a sample of 424 employees working in various industries. Through a two-wave study and controlling for the autoregressive effects of LMX, subordinates’ internal work locus of control was found to enhance LMX relationships over time. Using a multidimensional approach to LMX, our results further show that the effect of internal work locus of control generalized to all dimensions of LMX. Using a contextualized view of the development of LMX, we also found that role clarity moderated the positive relationship between internal work locus of control and LMX over time such that the relationship was stronger when role clarity was high. However, from a dimensional perspective, role clarity only accentuated the relationship between work locus of control and LMX’s loyalty dimension. The implications of these findings for LMX research are discussed.

The Relationship Between Authentic Leadership, Psychological Empowerment, Role Clarity, and Work Engagement: Evidence From South Africa

Employees in the mining sector are faced with a demanding work environment due to external challenges impacting on the organization. Optimizing their engagement is vital in weathering a demanding environment. The aim of this study was to (a) position authentic leadership (AL) and psychological empowerment (PE) as enablers of work engagement (WE); (b) to investigate the processes (i.e., PE) through which AL exerts its effect on WE, and (c) to determine whether contextual factors [i.e., role clarity (RC)] influenced this process. A cross-sectional research design was employed to collect data from 236 employees employed by a coal-mining organization within South Africa. The AL inventory, PE questionnaire, measures of role conflict and ambiguity questionnaire, and UWES-9 was administered to collect data. A moderated-mediation investigation was employed to test the hypotheses. Results supported the value of AL to enhance WE, both directly and indirectly via PE. Results also concluded that AL exerts its influence on WE through PE, regardless of employees’ levels of RC. AL literature is limited, not only in the South African context but also in the mining sector. The study not only extends AL literature by investigating its outcomes in a South African mining organization, but it also does so by investigating the boundary conditions under which AL exerts its influence. The boundaries (i.e., moderation) within which leadership-subordinate relationships (i.e. mediation) function are often neglected in favor of simplified investigations of mediation processes only.

A pilot evaluation of simulation-based interprofessional education for occupational therapy, speech pathology and dietetic students: improvements in attitudes and confidence

Many higher education institutions struggle to provide interprofessional practice opportunities for their pre-licensure students due to demanding workloads, difficulties with timetabling, and problems with sourcing suitable placements that provide appropriate practice opportunities. A series of complex unfolding video-based simulation scenarios involving a patient who had experienced a stroke was utilized as a case study for a three-hour interprofessional practice workshop. 69 occupational therapy (OT), speech pathology (SP) and dietetics (DT) students participated in a mixed-methods study comparing interprofessional attitudes before and after the workshop. Attitudes toward interprofessional practice improved pre- vs. post-workshop and overall. Students were highly satisfied with the workshops contribution toward learning, although OT and SP students were more satisfied than DT students. Focus groups confirmed students liked the format and structure of the workshop, suggested that students better understood the role of other professions and improved role clarification, increased their confidence to practice in interprofessional practice settings, but noted the experience could have been improved with the incorporation of nursing and smaller groups to better facilitate participation. There is widespread support for implementing interprofessional education (IPE) in the health sciences, yet widespread implementation is not yet a reality. This research suggests that a simulation-based, three-hour IPE workshop can have an immediate benefit on confidence and attitudes toward interprofessional practice for allied health students.

Role clarity, role conflict, and vitality at work: The role of the basic needs

This study aimed to provide new information on the relationships between vitality at work and role clarity, role conflict, and psychological basic need satisfaction. Participants of the cross-sectional study were 110 employees in a preventive intervention program. Associations between the focal constructs were examined with regression and bootstrapping analyses. The results suggest that the role clarity is associated with subjective vitality at work through higher autonomy and higher competence, and that role conflict is negatively associated with subjective vitality at work through lower autonomy and lower relatedness. Additionally, an interaction between the role characteristics was observed, suggesting that the strength of the association between role clarity and competence, and the strength of the indirect association between role clarity and vitality through competence may vary depending on the level of role conflict. The findings are consistent with the notion that that managers and co-workers may affect the opportunities of individuals to achieve need satisfaction and feel energized by delineating and negotiating role-related factors at work. Need satisfaction, in turn, is an antecedent of well-being and motivation. Employees should feel able to clarify role ambiguities with their supervisor or co-workers and thus reduce the role conflicts imposed by the expectations of various stakeholders. Limitations of the study include the self-rating methodology, cross-sectional design, and properties of the sample restricting generalizability.

Pharmacy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and physician assistant professional students' perspectives on interprofessional roles and responsibilities

Understanding roles and responsibilities within the interprofessional practice is a key competency of interprofessional education (IPE). Students in health professions programs can have limited understanding and perceptions of health professions, including their own and other professions. The purpose of this study was to understand students' perceptions of the roles and responsibilities of other health-care professionals. Students enrolled in occupational therapy, pharmacy, physical therapy, and physician assistant programs at a university participated in a three-hour IPE workshop. Throughout this workshop, they worked in small interprofessional teams to identify unique and shared roles and responsibilities of health professions. Students used a "dream catcher" graphic organizer to compare and contrast these roles and responsibilities. Researchers used thematic analysis of completed graphic organizers to identify themes in students' perceptions. Students identified many shared and unique characteristics about their professions' values and expertise, patient care process, practice settings, patient populations, education, and regulations. While students correctly identified many aspects of their professions, there were some inaccuracies that were addressed by small group faculty facilitators.

Medical managers' managerial self-efficacy and role clarity: How do they bridge the budgetary participation-performance link?

This study explains the process ''how'' organizational accounting practices, such as budgetary participation, influence medical doctors' perceptions and beliefs associated with their hybrid role and what the consequences are on their performance. Building on social cognitive theory, we hypothesize a structural model in which managerial self-efficacy and role clarity mediate the effects of budgetary participation on performance. The data were collected by a survey conducted in an Italian hospital. The research hypotheses were tested employing a path model. The results suggest that role clarity and managerial self-efficacy fully mediate the link between budgetary participation and performance. From a managerial viewpoint results suggest that organizations that invest in budgetary participation will also affect individual beliefs about the perceived benefits of participation itself, since an information-rich internal environment allows employees to experience a clearer sense of direction through organizational goals. According to our results, organizations that seek self-directed employees should pay attention to the experience the medical managers acquire through budgetary participation. In fact, this event influences the employees' mental states-and specifically provides them with information needed to perform in the role and enhance their judgment of their own capabilities to organize and execute the required course of actions-which take on internal psychological motivation to reach performance levels.

Social Workers' Perceived Role Clarity as Members of an Interdisciplinary Team in Brain Injury Settings

This study investigated social workers' role clarity as members of an interdisciplinary team in traumatic and acquired brain injury treatment settings. A total of 37 social workers from 7 Western countries completed an anonymous online survey questionnaire. The majority of participants have more than 10 years of experience working in brain injury treatment settings (59.5%), and about 54% have been in their current employment for more than 10 years. Findings revealed that there were significant positive correlations between perceived respect, team collaboration, and perceived value of self for team with role clarity. Multiple regression analysis revealed that perceived value of self for team was a significant predictor of role clarity (p < .05).

Interprofessional collaboration and integration as experienced by social workers in health care

Interprofessional collaboration in health care is gaining popularity. This secondary analysis focuses on social workers' experiences on interprofessional teams. The data revealed that social workers perceived overall collaboration as positive. However, concerns were made apparent regarding not having the opportunity to work to full scope and a lack of understanding of social work ideology from other professionals. Both factors seem to impede integration of and collaboration with social workers on health care teams. This study confirms the need to encourage and support health care providers to more fully understand the foundation, role, and efficacy of social work on interprofessional teams.

Using a real-life case scenario to integrate additional health professions students into an existing interprofessional team seminar

The World Health Organization stated that the goal of interprofessional education (IPE) is to prepare students as collaboration-ready members of interprofessional care teams. Educators try to create meaningful and relevant learning experiences for multiple health professions students. A longitudinal Interprofessional Team Seminar (IPTS) course includes over 650 students from seven health professions at the professional training level. Recommendations from the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) promote the inclusion of athletic training (AT) students in IPE initiatives. A new IPTS module included AT students focusing on the attributes of rapidly forming and different care teams as the patient transitions from an on-field injury, to acute care, inpatient care, and rehabilitative care, and back to activities of daily living. Qualitative review of reflections from the students assessed the impact of these IPTS modules. The intentional design of this course, focusing on behaviours of collaborative practice and supporting students to be collaboration ready, effectively introduced and highlighted profession-specific strengths and unique contributions to team-based care.

Increasing medical students' understanding of the role of occupational therapists

Understanding the roles and responsibilities of different healthcare professionals allows for collaborative care to occur. This article describes the evaluation of a student-designed, case-based educational module about the roles and responsibilities of occupational therapists (OTs) designed to increase the knowledge of occupational therapy among medical students. The study used a quasi-experimental, pre-/post-test design. Independent paired t-tests showed medical students' mean score on the OT Awareness Education Module at post-test was significantly greater than their mean score at pre-test. Results demonstrated how using an evidence-based approach to design an educational strategy can increase the knowledge of one member of the healthcare team about the role of another within a short period. This study documented an effective approach for educating future physicians about the roles and responsibilities of occupational therapy as they prepare to make decisions affecting patient care outcomes.

Shared vision promotes family firm performance

A clear picture of the influential drivers of private family firm performance has proven to be an elusive target. The unique characteristics of private family owned firms necessitate a broader, non-financial approach to reveal firm performance drivers. This research study sought to specify and evaluate the themes that distinguish successful family firms from less successful family firms. In addition, this study explored the possibility that these themes collectively form an effective organizational culture that improves longer-term firm performance. At an organizational level of analysis, research findings identified four significant variables: Shared Vision (PNS), Role Clarity (RCL), Confidence in Management (CON), and Professional Networking (OLN) that positively impacted family firm financial performance. Shared Vision exhibited the strongest positive influence among the significant factors. In addition, Family Functionality (APGAR), the functional integrity of the family itself, exhibited a significant supporting role. Taken together, the variables collectively represent an effective family business culture (EFBC) that positively impacted the long-term financial sustainability of family owned firms. The index of effective family business culture also exhibited potential as a predictive non-financial model of family firm performance.

Antecedents of the expectation of remaining in nursing until retirement age

AIMS

To identify job-related resources which strengthen nurses' expectation of remaining in the same job until retirement age.

BACKGROUND

The dramatic shortage of qualified nurses in industrialized countries makes it necessary to take steps to retain nurses at work at all career stages. The study introduces to the nursing literature the construct 'expectation of remaining in the same job until retirement age' as an early indicator of attitudes responsible for employees leaving the job prematurely.

DESIGN

Longitudinal questionnaire survey.

METHODS

In 2010, a longitudinal study was carried out and data were collected from 387 nurses aged 21-63 years. To ensure predictive validity, the dependent variable was assessed again in 2011 after a time lag of 6 months. Data were analysed applying multiple regression analyses.

FINDINGS

The expectation of remaining in the same job until retirement age is positively related to work-time control, role clarity and colleague support. Supervisor support exerts an indirect effect via job resources. Vitality partially mediates the relationship between job resources and the expectation of remaining in the same job until retirement age. Most importantly, as hypothesized, the analysed relationships are different for younger (<30 years), middle-aged (30-50 years) and older (>50 years) nurses.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that interventions that seek to retain nurses should promote different job resources along the working life span to strengthen nurses' vitality in all age groups. Future research should apply age-differentiated measures to unveil work conditions that improve the retention of nurses.

Sustaining secondary school nursing practice in Australia: a qualitative study

This interpretive descriptive, qualitative study explored secondary school nurses' perceptions of factors that impact on their role and their views on how their role can be best supported. Nine secondary school nurses from four Department of Human Services regions in Victoria, Australia, participated in semistructured, in-depth interviews. Purposive sampling was used, with participants required to have a minimum of 2 years' experience as secondary school nurses. Data were thematically analyzed, revealing a complex and challenging role. The findings identified key factors necessary to support quality practice. All stakeholders need a shared understanding of the purpose and principles underpinning the secondary school nurse role and the nurse's professional obligations. Knowledge and experience are required that recognize the breadth and depth necessary for secondary school nurses to work effectively within their scope of practice. The adoption of a model of critical companionship is recommended to provide facilitated reflection on practice as a support mechanism for the role.