Trabajo profesional y conflicto trabajo-escuela en estudiantes-trabajadores: El papel mediador de distanciamiento psicológico del trabajo

In recent years there Portuguese higher education institutions have been aiming to attract more people to the educational system that are either in the labor market by offering evening and weekend graduate academic programs. Blending work and school is a demanding task and, so far, at the country level this phenomenon has received relatively little empirical attention. The purpose of the study is to build on existing work-to-school conflict literature and to explore a possible relationship between professional work load on work-to-school conflicts among working students enrolled in a master program. Moreover we test the role of psychological detachment from work as mediator in this process. This model was tested, through path analysis, using 152 working students, 88 women and 64 men, enrolled as fulltime students in evening and weekend master programs.. The model showed an adequate fit to the data, suggesting that the influence of professional work load on work-to-school conflict is fully mediated by psychological detachment from work. These findings unveil a new perspective on working students enrolled in postgraduate school, pointing out the importance of psychological detachment from work to a better understand the impact of blending work and school. Contributions to the work-school literature, future research directions, and limitations of the study are discussed. En los últimos años, las instituciones de enseñanza superior portuguesas han intentado atraer a más personas al sistema educativo que se encuentran en el mercado laboral ofreciendo programas académicos de posgrado nocturnos y de fin de semana. La combinación del trabajo y la escuela es una tarea exigente y, hasta ahora, a nivel de país este fenómeno ha recibido relativamente poca atención empírica. El propósito del estudio es basarse en la literatura sobre conflictos de trabajo a escuela existentes y explorar una posible relación entre la carga de trabajo profesional en los conflictos entre el trabajo y la escuela entre los estudiantes que trabajan matriculados en un programa de maestría. Además, probamos el papel del desapego psicológico del trabajo como mediador en este proceso. Este modelo fue probado, a través de análisis de trayectoria, utilizando 152 estudiantes de trabajo, 88 mujeres y 64 hombres, matriculados como estudiantes de tiempo completo en programas de posgrado de tarde y fin de semana. El modelo mostró un ajuste adecuado a los datos, sugiriendo que la influencia de la carga de trabajo profesional en el conflicto entre el trabajo y la escuela está plenamente mediado por el desapego psicológico del trabajo. Estos resultados revelan una nueva perspectiva sobre los estudiantes que trabajan y que frecuentan la escuela de posgrado, señalando la importancia del desapego psicológico del trabajo para comprender mejor el impacto de la mezcla de trabajo y la escuela. Se discuten las contribuciones a la literatura de la escuela de trabajo, las direcciones futuras de la investigación y las limitaciones del estudio

Gender differences in work-to-family facilitation in portuguese employees

Apesar da maioria dos estudos sobre as relações trabalho-família centrar a sua análise nas interferências negativas entre o papel profissional e o papel familiar, cada vez mais estudos têm vindo a focar os aspectos positivos que podem advir da participação nas duas esferas. Este estudo, de carácter exploratório, procura analisar em que medida os aspectos associados ao papel profissional (flexibilidade na supervisão, ameaça de perda de emprego e satisfação profissional) contribuem para a ocorrência da facilitação trabalhofamília. Procura-se também analisar em que medida a facilitação trabalho-família tem um impacto no indivíduo ao nível do exercício do seu papel familiar (capacidade de resolução construtiva de problemas no casal e redução do stress familiar). Partindo dos dados da amostra portuguesa (n=306, profissionais a tempo inteiro com filhos em idade escolar) do Projecto Europeu Famwork este estudo analisou, separadamente para homens e mulheres, os modelos de facilitação trabalho-família. Os resultados indicam que tanto para homens como para mulheres, a flexibilidade na supervisão tem um efeito directo na facilitação trabalho-família e que a ameaça de perda de emprego tem um efeito indirecto (via satisfação profissional), embora apenas para o grupo feminino. Os resultados também apoiam a relação entre a facilitação trabalhofamília e efeitos positivos ao nível familiar, mas apenas para o grupo feminino. O modelo masculino apresenta resultados bastante modestos: por um lado, a flexibilidade na supervisão é o único antecedente da facilitação trabalho-família; por outro lado, a facilitação não está associada a qualquer efeito nas variáveis familiares. Não obstante, as variações em função do género nos modelos de facilitação trabalho-família reforçam a importância de se considerar esta variável na investigação sobre as relações positivas entre papéis profissionais e familiares.Challenging the assumption that work and family are incompatible, a growing body of studies focuses the positive relationships between these two roles. The present research is an exploratory study aimed at examining whether work characteristics (flexible supervision, job-loss risk and work satisfaction) are associated with workfamily facilitation (WFF) and enable positive family outcomes (couple constructive problem solving and lower levels of family stress). Using data from the EU FamWork Project (Portuguese Employees N = 306), this study examined work-family facilitation models in male and female full-time employees with young children. Results indicated that flexible supervision has a direct effect on work-family facilitation and job security has an indirect effect (via work satisfaction) on work-family facilitation, only for female employees. Results also offered support for the relation between work-family facilitation and positive familial outcomes (couple constructive problem solving and lower levels of family stress) for women. Men´s model was very modest and only flexible supervision was a predictor of work-to-family facilitation. Furthermore, no relations between work-to-family facilitation and positive individual outcomes were found in men´s group. Gender variations in the models suggest the importance of this variable for future work-to-family facilitation research agenda

Where healthcare takes place: A route to patients well-being

Tem-se acumulado evidência de que as características objectivas do ambiente físico hospitalar têm impacto sobre o bem-estar dos doentes. Argumentamos que o conhecimento acerca do papel do ambiente físico hospitalar está incompleto se não se considerarem os mecanismos psicológicos subjacentes, e se não se determinar a sua contribuição específica. O Estudo 1 apresenta a adaptação e validação de uma medida da percepção da qualidade do ambiente hospitalar. O Estudo 2 mostra que a relação entre a qualidade objectiva do ambiente físico e o bem-estar dos doentes é mediada através das suas percepções acerca do ambiente físico e social, estando estas altamente correlacionadas; e que este processo é moderado pela condição do doente. Embora não se tenham encontrado diferenças na relação entre a qualidade objectiva do ambiente físico e as percepções do ambiente físico e social; a satisfação dos doentes internados é explicada pela percepção do ambiente social, enquanto a dos doentes na consulta é explicada pela percepção do ambiente físico. O Estudo 3 revela que as pessoas associam a qualidade do ambiente físico à do social e que ambas comunicam uma mensagem sobre o bem-estar que pode ser esperado. Finalmente, o Estudo 4 mostra que, controlando o efeito do ambiente social, o ambiente físico tem um efeito independente sobre o bem-estar, mas apenas quando é inadequado. Globalmente, estes resultados demonstram a relevância do ambiente físico para a experiência dos doentes e sugerem a necessidade de uma abordagem mais abrangente na compreensão da influência do ambiente físico hospitalar.Evidence has been accumulated showing that the objective features of hospital physical environment have an impact on patients’ well-being. We argue that our understanding the role of the hospital physical environment is incomplete without an account for the underlying psychological mechanisms involved, and without determining its specific contribution. Four studies are presented. Study 1 presents the adaptation and validation of a measure of hospital environmental quality. Study 2 showed that the link between the objective physical environment and patients’ well-being is mediated through perceptions of hospital physical and social environments, highly correlated; and that this process is moderated by patients’ status. For both inpatients and outpatients, objective environmental quality predicts the perceptions of the hospital physical and social environments. However, it is the perceived quality of the physical environment that predicts outpatients’ satisfaction, whereas inpatients’ satisfaction predicted by the quality of the social environment. Study 3 revealed that the quality of the hospital physical and social environments are associated in people’s minds, and communicate a message about the well-being that can be expected. Finally, Study 4 showed that the physical environment has a significant effect on expected well-being, regardless of, and over and above, the quality of the social environment, but only when it is inadequate. This set of results substantiates the relevance of the physical environment to patients’ experience. All together, our work suggests the need of a more comprehensive approach to improve the understanding of the influence of hospital physical environment

Hopes and fears of first-year freshman college students during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic made the experience of being a first-year freshman college student unique. This study aims to analyze the hopes and fears of these students concerning their current life and future goals. Participating students completed the Hopes & Fears questionnaire. Results showed that students’ hopes and fears were mainly connected with domains of education and the global/collective dimension, followed by personal and family members’ health. Two new categories emerged, self-fulfillment and solidarity, reflecting the importance of the contextual dimension that these students were navigating. The findings of the current study contribute to the research of college students’ hopes and fears towards their future and accounts for the analyses of this topic as we progress to a post-pandemic phase

Un estudio cualitativo sobre el trabajo emocional y el conflicto trabajo-familia en cuidadores que trabajan en residencias de anciano

Despite evidence suggesting that care work involves the performance of emotional labor an experience of work-family conflict, the relation of these two work experiences remain under-examined. The present study aims to fill this gap by exploring the experiences of performing emotional labor and work-family conflict and their links among caregivers working in nursing homes. To address the research question, we used semi-structured interviews with a sample of 24 female caregivers working full-time in nursing homes in the center and north of Portugal. The results revealed the presence of emotional labor, work-family conflict, and an im-pact of emotional labor in strain-based work-family conflict. Overall, the results suggested that emotional labor has effects on work-family conflict, pointing to the need that directors of elderly care institutions should con-sider ways of reducing these harmful effects on workersA pesar de la evidencia que sugiere que el trabajo de cuidado implica la realización de trabajo emocional y experiencias de conflicto trabajo-familia, la relación de estas dos experiencias de trabajo sigue sin ser examinada. El presente estudio tiene como objetivo explorar las experiencias de desempeño del trabajo emocional y el conflicto trabajo-familia y sus vínculos entre los cuidadores que trabajan en hogares de ancianos. Para abordar la pregunta de investigación, utilizamos entrevistas semiestructura-das con una muestra de 24 mujeres cuidadoras que trabajan a tiempo completo en residencias de ancianos en el centro y norte de Portugal. Los resultados revelaron la presencia de trabajo emocional, Conflicto Trabajo-Familia y un impacto del trabajo emocional en Conflicto Trabajo-Familia basado en la tensión. En general, los resultados sugirieron que el trabajo emocional tiene efectos en Conflicto Trabajo-Familia, lo que apunta a la necesidad de que los directores de las instituciones de cuidado de ancianos consideren formas de reducir estos efectos nocivos en los trabajadores

Role boundary management during Covid-19 pandemic: a qualitative analysis of focus group data with working-student mothers

This qualitative study explores the experiences of role boundary management of workingstudent mothers during COVID-19 pandemic shelter in place order. A thematic analysis was used to examine the experiences and consequences of role blurring due to remote work, school closures, and remote learning and the strategies used to cope with the demands of three roles – being a mother, a worker, and a student. Eight participants enrolled in higher education programs participated in a focus group using Zoom technology. Several experiences of role blurring and barriers to satisfactorily manage all the roles emerged from the analysis. Strategies to cope with permanent demands seemed to have had only a small effect on working-student mothers' adjustment and well-being as they navigated through the days of shelter in place order. Implications for a better understanding of the experience and impacts of role boundary management during COVID-19 are discussed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Telework and work-family conflict during COVID-19 lockdown in Portugal: the influence of job-related factors

Even though research has been showing that telework, under regular circumstances, could benefit the integration of work and family life, mandatory telework during the COVID-19 lockdown brought additional challenges, with potential to create conflicts between work and family spheres. Using regression analysis, this study examined the contribution of demographic and job-related variables to the prediction of work–family conflict among a sample of 213 workers who were involved in mandatory telework during the first lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The results revealed that role overload, after-hours work-related technology use, and low job autonomy accounted for the prediction of work–family conflict. Support from the supervisors and coworkers did not have an impact in easing the perception of work–family conflict but presented a moderation effect between after-hours work-related technology use and work–family conflict. Implications of the study for management practices related to telework, limitations of the study, and directions for future research are discussed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Perceived organizational support, coworkers' conflict and organizational citizenship behavior: the mediation role of work-family conflict

The aim of the present study is to investigate the extent to which perceived organizational support and coworkers’ conflict and work-family conflict play a role in the performance of three types of organizational citizenship behaviors. A cross-sectional design was used comprising a sample of 164 health support workers working in Portuguese elderly care facilities. Using structural equation model findings showed that perceived organizational support is linked with organizational citizenship behaviors, directly and indirectly, via work-family conflict. Furthermore, coworkers’ conflict was also related with organizational citizenship behaviors, directly and indirectly via work-family conflict. The linkage between perceived organizational support and coworkers’ conflict through work-family conflict can offer new insights into how to enhance organizational citizenship behaviors by active management. These findings can help elderly care organizations and their managers to design better workplace conditions where organizational support and coworkers’ conflict can be better managed allowing workers to have more control over work-family conflict and promoting organizational citizenship behaviors