The reliability, validity, and accuracy of self-reported absenteeism from work: a meta-analysis

Because of a variety of access limitations, self-reported absenteeism from work is often employed in research concerning health, organizational behavior, and economics, and it is ubiquitous in large scale population surveys in these domains. Several well established cognitive and social-motivational biases suggest that self-reports of absence will exhibit convergent validity with records-based measures but that people will tend to underreport the behavior. We used meta-analysis to summarize the reliability, validity, and accuracy of absence self-reports. The results suggested that self-reports of absenteeism offer adequate test–retest reliability and that they exhibit reasonably good rank order convergence with organizational records. However, people have a decided tendency to underreport their absenteeism, although such underreporting has decreased over time. Also, self-reports were more accurate when sickness absence rather than absence for any reason was probed. It is concluded that self-reported absenteeism might serve as a valid measure in some correlational research designs. However, when accurate knowledge of absolute absenteeism levels is essential, the tendency to underreport could result in flawed policy decisions

Going to work ill: a meta-analysis of the correlates of presenteeism and a dual-path model

Interest in presenteeism, attending work while ill, has flourished in light of its consequences for individual well-being and organizational productivity. Our goal was to identify its most significant causes and correlates by quantitatively summarizing the extant research. Additionally, we built an empirical model of some key correlates and compared the etiology of presenteeism versus absenteeism. We used meta-analysis (in total, K = 109 samples, N = 175,965) to investigate the correlates of presenteeism and meta-analytic structural equation modeling to test the empirical model. Salient correlates of working while ill included general ill health, constraints on absenteeism (e.g., strict absence policies, job insecurity), elevated job demands and felt stress, lack of job and personal resources (e.g., low support and low optimism), negative relational experiences (e.g., perceived discrimination), and positive attitudes (satisfaction, engagement, and commitment). Moreover, our dual process model clarified how job demands and job and personal resources elicit presenteeism via both health impairment and motivational paths, and they explained more variation in presenteeism than absenteeism. The study sheds light on the controversial act of presenteeism, uncovering both positive and negative underlying mechanisms. The greater variance explained in presenteeism as opposed to absenteeism underlines the opportunities for researchers to meaningfully investigate the behavior and for organizations to manage it

On Minimum Spanning Subgraphs of Graphs With Proper Connection Number 2

An edge coloring of a connected graph G is a proper-path coloring if every two vertices of G are connected by a properly colored path. The minimum number of colors required of a proper-path coloring of G is called the proper connection number pc(G) of G. For a connected graph G with proper connection number 2, the minimum size of a connected spanning subgraph H of G with pc(H) = 2 is denoted by μ(G). It is shown that if s and t are integers such that t ≥ s + 2 ≥ 5, then μ(K_{s,t} ) = 2t − 2. We also determine μ(G) for several classes of complete multipartite graphs G. In particular, it is shown that if G = K_{n_1, n_2, ..., n_k} is a complete k-partite graph, where k ≥ 3, r = \sum^{k−1}_{i=1} n_i ≥ 3 and t = n_k ≥ r^2 + r, then μ(G) = 2t − 2r + 2

The Social and Relational Dynamics of Absenteeism from Work: A Multi-Level Review and Integration

Absenteeism from work is disruptive and expensive for organizations and may be indicative of poor work adjustment for employees. It is therefore important to understand the causes of absenteeism. However, traditional individual-centric explanations for absence are inadequate, particularly given the rise of contemporary relational, team-focused, and customer-driven work designs and in growing recognition of the permeable boundary between work and nonwork. Although there has been considerable, if fragmented, research interest in the social and relational causation of absenteeism, limited effort has been spent systematizing the evidence and formulating an overall model of the social dynamics of the behavior. Our review integrates this multidisciplinary body of research, explicating the social and relational determinants of absenteeism. We propose a multi-level model that identifies the social factors shaping absence that stem from the work (organization, occupation) and non-work (family, community, nation/society) domains. The model establishes six primary paths and related theories through which these social factors operate, including normative influence, social exchange, job resources, work attitudes, emotions, and ethics. The review offers extensive evidence for the influence of the social context and provides insights concerning how team dynamics, occupational norms, gender composition, family demands, community forces, and cultural context affect absenteeism. We conclude with future research directions and social implications for attendance management, bridging the absenteeism and presenteeism literatures

A rapid, chromatography-free route to substituted acridine–isoalloxazine conjugates under microwave irradiation

Microwave irradiation was applied to a sequence of condensation reactions from readily available 9-chloroacridines to provide a range of novel acridine–isoalloxazine conjugates. The combination of these two moieties, both of biological interest, was achieved by a chromatography free route

Prevention, screening and treatment of colorectal cancer: a global and regional generalized cost effectiveness analysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Regional generalized cost-effectiveness estimates of prevention, screening and treatment interventions for colorectal cancer are presented.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Standardised WHO-CHOICE methodology was used. A colorectal cancer model was employed to provide estimates of screening and treatment effectiveness. Intervention effectiveness was determined via a population state-transition model (PopMod) that simulates the evolution of a sub-regional population accounting for births, deaths and disease epidemiology. Economic costs of procedures and treatment were estimated, including programme overhead and training costs.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In regions characterised by high income, low mortality and high existing treatment coverage, the addition of screening to the current high treatment levels is very cost-effective, although no particular intervention stands out in cost-effectiveness terms relative to the others.</p> <p>In regions characterised by low income, low mortality with existing treatment coverage around 50%, expanding treatment with or without screening is cost-effective or very cost-effective. Abandoning treatment in favour of screening (no treatment scenario) would not be cost effective.</p> <p>In regions characterised by low income, high mortality and low treatment levels, the most cost-effective intervention is expanding treatment.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>From a cost-effectiveness standpoint, screening programmes should be expanded in developed regions and treatment programmes should be established for colorectal cancer in regions with low treatment coverage.</p