Benefits of Older Volunteering on Wellbeing: An International Comparison

Healthier aging implies lower health service expenditure and the possibility for individuals to make a longer and more valuable contribution to society. Lifestyles, including volunteering, affect our health. The policy implications of the present study are that it aims to broaden the state of knowledge and be useful to public decision-makers: if voluntary activities enhance the integration of older people into society, their participation will help to generate economic resources and improve their own welfare; if, however, health and participation do not show positive synergies, then policymakers must act independently in each of these fields. In this work, we focus on the societies of Chile, Mexico, and Spain because they have significantly aging populations and share common traits but also exhibit important differences. The empirical study employs micro-data from the World Value Survey (1994–1998, 2005–2009, and 2010–2014) and macro-data from the statistics of the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development). Micro- and macro-data are merged by national and temporal identifiers. Our main results provide empirical evidence that volunteering might improve every indicator of wellbeing except happiness. Different kinds of activities have different impacts on individual wellbeing. For example, volunteering in activities related to social awareness is positive for male life satisfaction, whereas volunteering in activities related to religious issues is positive for male life satisfaction but also female happiness. In general, voluntary activities have a stronger impact on male wellbeing than female wellbeing

Gender gap in self-rated health: a cohort perspective in eastern European countries

Background: The relationship between self-rated health and gender differs across countries and generations. The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of socioeconomic conditions on self-rated health from a generational perspective, its differential effect on gender, and its influence on the gender gap in order to explore health diversity using a multidisciplinary approach and considering policy implications in Eastern European countries. Methods: We used data drawn from the European Health Interview Survey for eight Eastern European countries and EUROSTAT from 2006 through to 2009. We conducted multilevel analyses to understand the individual and national health determinants of self-rated health by gender and to determine whether national differences remain after controlling for micro variables. In order to analyze the role of equity (Gini quartile) in gender differences, Oaxaca analyses were used. Results: The self-rated health gender gap increases with age. Individual characteristics, such as educational level or smoking, influence citizens’ perceived health, and have a stronger effect on women than on men. Knowing both the characteristics (endowment effects) and the effects of individual characteristics (coefficient effects) on health is important in order to understand gender gaps among people from the silent generation. Conclusions: Our research indicates that random effects are greater for men than for women. Moreover, random effects might be explained to a certain extent by economic equity (Gini index). The combined effects of gender, cohort, and geographical differences on self-rated health have to be taken into account to develop public health policies. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

El sistema de gestió documental de la Universitat de Barcelona en el marc de l'Administració electrònica: un element més per fomentar la millora contínua

Podeu consultar la versió en castellà a http://www.ub.edu/bid/23/andreu2.htm[eng] We describe the project for the organization of the documentary management system at the University of Barcelona, which is inspired by the opportunities presented by the introduction of electronic administration. We stress the function of the documentary management system as an agent for promoting continuous innovation and improvement. We illustrate this vision with a description of the process of introducing the documentary management system in the area of research.[cat] Es descriu el projecte per a l'organització del Sistema de Gestió Documental de la Universitat de Barcelona emmarcant-lo en l'oportunitat que representa la implantació de l'administració electrònica. Els autors destaquen el paper que adopta el sistema de gestió documental com a agent per al foment de la innovació i de la millora contínua. Exemplifiquen aquesta visió mitjançant la descripció del procés d'implantació del sistema de gestió documental de l'àrea de recerca

El sistema de gestión documental de la Universitat de Barcelona en el marco de la Administración electrónica: un elemento más para fomentar la mejora continua

Podeu consultar la versió en català a: http://hdl.handle.net/2445/16866[eng] We describe the project for the organization of the documentary management system at the University of Barcelona, which is inspired by the opportunities presented by the introduction of electronic administration. We stress the function of the documentary management system as an agent for promoting continuous innovation and improvement. We illustrate this vision with a description of the process of introducing the documentary management system in the area of research.[cat] Es descriu el projecte per a l'organització del Sistema de Gestió Documental de la Universitat de Barcelona emmarcant-lo en l'oportunitat que representa la implantació de l'administració electrònica. Els autors destaquen el paper que adopta el sistema de gestió documental com a agent per al foment de la innovació i de la millora contínua. Exemplifiquen aquesta visió mitjançant la descripció del procés d'implantació del sistema de gestió documental de l'àrea de recerca

El voluntariado universitario en el marco de la Responsabilidad Social Universitaria. Estudio de un Campus, Universidad de Zaragoza

El voluntariado universitario es un tipo de actividad que forma parte de la Responsabilidad Social Universitaria. El trabajo analiza la rela-ción entre la realización de voluntariado estudiantil y las motivacio-nes para ser voluntario y profundiza en los ámbitos de interés de los universitarios para realizar voluntariado. Un total de 680 estudiantes universitarios de un Campus de la Universidad de Zaragoza cumpli-mentaron un cuestionario. El análisis muestra diferencias en la moti-vación para ser voluntario entre los estudiantes que al cumplimentar el cuestionario eran voluntarios y los que no lo eran, y también que la titulación cursada afecta al ámbito de interés. University volunteering is a type of activity that is part of the University Social Responsibility. The paper analyzes the relationship between student volunteering and the motivations for volunteering and delves into the areas of interest of university students to volunteer. A total of 680 university students from a Campus of the University of Zaragoza completed a questionnaire. Analysis shows differences in motivation to volunteer, among students to complete the questionnaire were volunteers and those who were not, and also affects the degree Studied area of interest

Fostering university students’ engagement in teamwork and innovation behaviors through game-based learning (GBL)

Higher Education Instituions (HEIs) should be the driving force behind the training of college students in terms of both hard and soft skills (for example, innovation and teamwork competencies), and they should also do so without neglecting their health and well-being, perhaps more than ever in these complex times of the SARS-CoV2 pandemic. Game-based learning (GBL) could be a powerful and useful tool in this regard. There is, however, some controversy surrounding the use of games for learning purposes in higher education institutions, and most of the research done about this issue corresponds to GBL through digital games. Under this background, the main objective of this study was to test the effect of GBL on the intrinsic motivation (IM), teamwork engagement (TWE), team building (TB), teamwork competence (TWC), and innovation behaviors (IWB) of 142 college students of Health Sciences and Social Work. After rehearsing in small groups, the game was tested (T2). Our results obtained through the differential analyses confirmed that undergraduates were more intrinsically motivated, experienced more TWE, TB, and TWC, and developed more IWB than before playing the game (T1). Therefore, the development of core personal skills might be promoted effectively by games in an efficient, engaging, and motivating way

Are you ready for retirement? The influence of values on membership in voluntary organizations in midlife and old age

Membership in voluntary organizations is associated with individual and social benefits. Due to the negative consequences of the global pandemic on older people, and the governmental challenges posed by population aging, voluntary membership is of great importance to society. To effectively promote volunteering among older people, it is necessary to understand the determinants of voluntary membership. This study analyses the influence of individual values—secular/traditional and survival/self-expression–on voluntary membership among European adults (N = 31,985). Specifically, it examines which values orient two age groups (middle age: 50–64 and old age: 65–79), as well as men and women toward a certain type of association (Social Awareness; Professional and Political; Education and Leisure; Religion). The sample of 31,985 comprises 60% of adults aged 50–64 and 40% aged 65–79; of which 56% are women and 44% men. The empirical estimation considers different levels of data aggregation: individual, national and welfare system, therefore multilevel analysis is used as an analytical strategy. Individual-level variables from the Integrated Values Survey (2005/09, 2010/14, and 2017/20) and national-level variables (Gini Index and Gross Domestic Product Per Capita) from the World Bank and Eurostat are used. The results indicate that traditional and self-expression values promote membership in voluntary organizations in general more than secular and survival values. However, there are differences according to the type of organization. Furthermore, values are found to moderate the effect of age and gender on voluntary membership

Stakeholder engagement, Csr development and Sdgs compliance: A systematic review from 2015 to 2021

The conceptualization of the stakeholders of the companies for the fulfillment of the objectives of sustainable development is controversial, even more so, if it is approached from the perspective of corporate social responsibility and the psychology of the employees and their behavior. The existing literature and knowledge on the relationship among the stakeholder approach, corporate social responsibility and the achievement of the SDGs remain unstructured and fragmented. The objective of the manuscript is to identify and systematize scientific research on the stakeholder approach with respect to corporate social responsibility, in order to achieve business sustainability, in response to sustainable development goals and from the perspective of the well-being of workers. Our main contribution to the literature review is to focus on all these issues together, and not in isolation. A systematic literature search is conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyzes (PRISMA). The approaches, issues and methodologies that predominate in the academic field in the last 5 years (2015–2021) were analyzed. Based on this review, we define a research agenda that synthesizes key trends and promising lines of research for further advancement of theoretical and empirical knowledge on the relationship among stakeholders, corporate social responsibility, and human resource management

Self-rated health in Europe and its determinants: Does generation matter?

Objectives: To analyse the influence of micro- and macro-factors on self-rated health, and the role of generation on this relationship. Methods: Cross-sectional study using data from European Health Interview Surveys from 14 European countries. Individuals were divided into four generations (“silent generation”, “baby boomers”, and “generation X” and “Y”). We conducted multilevel analyses for each generation to study the influence of individual and national explanatory variables on self-rated health. Results: Age showed an exponential effect in older generations. Education and employment presented the strongest association with low self-rated health, especially in “baby boomers” and women (low education: OR 3.5; 95% CI 3.2–3.9). Tobacco showed a negative effect in younger generations. Overweight and low physical activity were negatively associated with self-rated health regardless of generation. Countries from the Eastern welfare system showed the highest risk of low self-rated health and this association was higher in men for “silent generation” (OR 4.7; 95% CI 3.0–7.6). Conclusions: The influence of individual and national factors on self-rated health varies regarding generation. The target generation and the demographic structure of a country should be taken into account to develop more accurate health policies