Relationship at work as a cause of occupational stress: the case of academic women in Vietnam

BACKGROUND

The present research paper aims to bring deeper understanding and insight to perceptions and experiences of occupational stress from relationships at work in the cultural context of Vietnam. The paper also examines differences in perceptions, experiences of occupational stress from this problem and makes a comparison with perspectives in other cultures.

METHODS

Grounded theory approach is used to study occupational stress by collecting data from in-depth interviews with 42 academic women employed at Vietnamese higher education institutions to understand the meaning, the nature and source of the occupational stress from relationships at work they experience and the impact of occupational stress on their lives.

RESULTS

Cultural factors play an important role in occupational stress. Cultural factors such as power distance and hierarchy influence perception, experiences of occupational stress and the ways occupational stress is responded to. The Vietnamese context differs from other cultural contexts in the range of factors perceived as stressors for Vietnamese women.

CONCLUSION

This paper is the first grounded theory study of occupational stress among women academics in Vietnam that determines that the natural of the relationship at work play an important role in how women understand and respond to occupational stress and supports the growing evidence that occupational stress is common, global but different in other cultures.

BNST and amygdala activation to threat: Effects of temporal predictability and threat mode

Recent animal and human studies highlight the uncertainty about the onset of an aversive event as a crucial factor for the involvement of the centromedial amygdala (CM) and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) activity. However, studies investigating temporally predictable or unpredictable threat anticipation and confrontation processes are rare. Furthermore, the few existing fMRI studies analyzing temporally predictable and unpredictable threat processes used small sample sizes or limited fMRI paradigms. Therefore, we measured functional brain activity in 109 predominantly female healthy participants during a temporally predictable-unpredictable threat paradigm, which aimed to solve limited aspects of recent studies. Results showed higher BNST activity compared to the CM during the cue indicating that the upcoming confrontation is aversive relative to the cue indicating an upcoming neutral confrontation. Both the CM and BNST showed higher activity during the confrontation with unpredictable and aversive stimuli, but the reaction to aversive confrontation relative to neutral confrontation was stronger in the CM compared to the BNST. Additional modulation analyses by NPSR1 rs324981 genotype revealed higher BNST activity relative to the CM in unpredictable anticipation relative to predictable anticipation in T-carriers compared to AA carriers. Our results indicate that during the confrontation with aversive or neutral stimuli, temporal unpredictability modulates CM and BNST activity. Further, there is a differential activity concerning threat processing, as BNST is more involved when focussing on fear-related anticipation processes and CM is more involved when focussing on threat confrontation.

He drove forward with a yell: anger in medicine and Homer

We use Homer and Sun Tzu as a background to better understand and reformulate confrontation, anger and violence in medicine, contrasting an unproductive 'love of war' with a productive 'art of war' or 'art of strategy'. At first glance, it is a paradox that the healing art is not pacific, but riddled with militaristic language and practices. On closer inspection, we find good reasons for this cultural paradox yet regret its presence. Drawing on insights from Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey, we argue for better understanding of confrontation, anger, bullying, intimidation and violence in medicine in order to change the culture. For example, equating medicine with war is not a given condition of medicine but a convenient metaphor with historical origins and a historical trajectory. Other, non-martial metaphors, such as medicine as collaboration, may be more appropriate in an age of team-based care. Taking lessons from Homer, we suggest three key ways in which cold-hearted confrontation and anger in medicine can be transformed into productive, warm-hearted engagement: the transformation of angry impulse into (1) reflection, (2) moral courage and (3) empathy. Thinking with Homer can offer an aesthetically and morally charged alternative to the current body of literature on topics, such as anger in doctors, and how this may be 'managed', without recourse to an instrumental economy where emotions are viewed as commodities, and emotional responses can be 'trained' through communication skills courses.

Fight or flight? Effects of vaginal oestrus on cortisol, testosterone, and behaviour in guinea pig female-female interaction

It is accepted that social stress in relation to confrontation and competition can elicit behavioural and hormonal changes in social mammals. These effects have, however, been less frequently studied among female-female interactions. In the present study female-female confrontation experiments were carried out to monitor socio-positive and agonistic behaviour by controlling for the oestrus cycles of 12 individuals. Additionally, plasma cortisol (CORT) and testosterone (T) levels were determined before and after the experiments. During non-oestrus conditions a significant increase in CORT levels from pre- to post confrontation was registered and females spent more time to sit side by side. During vaginal oestrus the confrontation experiments revealed avoiding of a conspecific female by showing increased flight behaviour. However, during that period no changes in CORT levels were found. But, a non-significant increase in T was measured from pre- to post confrontation in both cycle phases, while no differences in the display of aggressive behaviours were found. These findings indicate considerable influences of different oestrus cycle phases on social stress-induced CORT secretion and the modulation of socio-positive and agonistic behaviour in female guinea pigs.

You gotta fight! - Why norm-violations and outgroup criticism lead to confrontational reactions

Group members frequently face group-related discrepancies, such as other group members violating group norms or outgroup members criticising the ingroup. In response, they often engage in confrontational reactions like expressing disapproval or excluding the person causing the discrepancy. The present work tests the often voiced but rarely studied idea that group-related discrepancies are met with such confrontational responses because discrepancies elicit feelings of threat. Our approach is inspired by research on threat-regulation, which links certain negative emotions to the activation of specific threat-regulatory systems. Three experiments (N_total = 680) provide evidence suggesting that group-related discrepancies foster emotions consistent with an activation of the Fight-Flight-Freeze-System (especially anger-related emotions tied to fight-tendencies), emotions consistent with an activation of the Behavioural Inhibition System (i.e. anxiety-related emotions), and confrontational intentions. The effect of discrepancies on confrontational intentions was mediated by heightened anger-related emotions. This supports the idea that confrontational reactions are driven by experienced threat and that these reactions are rightfully called confrontational. We discuss our results in relation to research on ingroup norm-violations, outgroup criticism, and threat perception.

How do confronters want perpetrators to respond? Defining successful confrontation as the match between desired and actual outcomes

Research on confronting prejudice frequently defines an effective confrontation as one that induces change in the perpetrator's prejudicial beliefs or actions. We argue for a broader definition, defining successful confrontation as one that elicits the confronter's desired response. Using a community sample of 152 adults, we conducted an exploratory study in which participants recalled a time when they had confronted racism or sexism. Results revealed a frequent mismatch between what confronters desired and what they received from the perpetrator. Path analysis showed that a perceived match between desired and actual perpetrator responses to confrontation predicted greater positive and lower negative emotion among confronters, across a range of perpetrator responses. We argue that researchers need to expand definitions of successful confrontation to better understand the ways in which confronters' and perpetrators' behaviors intersect within lived experiences of prejudice.

A theory based study on diabetes self-management in older Chinese adults

Approximately 1 in 3 (or 80 million) Chinese age 60 years or older are living with type 2 diabetes in China. New perspectives are needed to understand the intricate phenomenon of diabetes self-management (DSM) in older Chinese adults. Guided by the expanded Tripartite Model of Self-Management, this study aimed to identify the inter-relationships between the tripartite components simultaneously and their influencing factors. This cross-sectional study included a stratified random sample of 98 community-dwelling adults age 60 or older with type 2 diabetes. Findings revealed distinct predictors for knowledge about DSM, DSM behaviors and coping. There were significant inter-relationships among the tripartite components. The theoretical model was a good fit for the data. This study provides valuable insights into the complex relationships between knowledge about DSM, DSM behaviors, and coping strategies, offering direct implications for improving the health outcomes of older adults with diabetes.

Confronting, collaborating, withdrawing? A psychiatric evaluation of three strategies to promote political climate action

This qualitative study analyzes the lack of political action to address climate change using a psychiatric lens, and frames that ambivalence lies at the core of inaction. While most politicians understand that climate action is absolutely necessary, any significant action is stalled by a number of important barriers they have to overcome. Using clinical analogies from eating disorders and the scientific literature on motivational change, this paper analyzes three current strategies that push for political action. First, using force and emotions (like confronting activists) is equivalent to playing a power struggle, which risks increasing politicians' resistance to change. Second, collaborative discussions in multilateral conferences and debates risk feeding verbal manifestos without enacting behavioural change. Withdrawal from the manifestos of politicians is a third strategy to push for change discussed in this paper. However, even after bypassing manifestos, this strategy is unlikely to succeed because the benefits of greenhouse gas emissions, linked to our current social norms, seriously outweigh the benefits of climate action. Overall, all three methods present severe flaws and are not viable solutions to help politicians implement climate action. Other enhanced options are likely to be necessary.

Perceptions of women who confront hostile and benevolent sexism

Little is known about the differences between confronting explicitly negative (hostile) vs. subjectively positive (benevolent) forms of sexism. Across three studies (N = 1315), we test a) whether confronting benevolent sexism is more costly for women than confronting hostile sexism and b) whether confronting some subtypes of benevolent sexism are more costly than others. We compared confrontations and non-confrontations of hostile sexism, benevolent sexism involving complementary gender differentiation (CGD), and benevolent sexism involving protective paternalism (PP). Surprisingly, confronting benevolent sexism was not more costly than confronting hostile sexism; a finding that replicated across studies and in two different contexts. Confronters of PP were evaluated more positively than confronters of CGD, but only when CGD embodied themes of gender essentialism (i.e., beliefs that men and women are naturally different). Confronters were mostly evaluated favorably relative to non-confronters and especially among women. Results imply that confronting benevolent sexism may have fewer consequences than anticipated.

From confrontation to co-production: How China's ENGOs facilitate residents' waste management systems

Waste management has emerged as a critical challenge in multiple countries, where governance structures frequently exhibit insufficient robustness. Environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs), as pivotal stakeholders in this domain, must assume a more substantial role. However, their contributions have historically been perceived as limited. Whether and how ENGOs can play an important role deserves the attention of researchers. This paper investigates the evolving role of China's ENGOs through a longitudinal case study of nine organizations, examining their transition from adversarial to co-productive strategies, thereby fostering a tripartite collaboration system among government, enterprises, and residents. The findings reveal a three-phase evolution in organizational structure, issue focus, and tactical approaches, culminating in a three-cycle co-production framework for waste management. This study not only enriches co-production theory but also provides valuable insights into the critical role of ENGOs, offering practical guidance for sustainable waste governance.