Managing Psychosocial Factors In The Occupational Setting Flashcards
Organization of work
Refers to how work is structured
Includes
- Work processes
- Organizational practices that affect the job design
Psychosocial factors are directly related to…
- Organization of work
- Organizational characteristics
- Interpersonal relationships at work
- The meaning of work
- The characteristics of the workers themselves
How has the structure of work changed in the recent years
Organizations have:
- Downsized
- Restructured
- Increased reliance on non traditional work practices
Changes in work practice may result in:
- More stressful and hazardous work conditions
- Reduced job stability
- Increased workloads
Despite negatives the modern day workplace offer more…
Resulting in…
- Flexibility
- Responsibility
- Learning opportunities
- Career growth
- Self development
- Greater job satisfaction
Levels in NIOSH conceptual model to illustrate multi-levels of context inherent in the work environment
- Work context
- Organizational context
- External context
Work context
Refers to characteristics of the job
Work context includes…
- Job demands
- Conditions in the workplace
Specifically
- Climate and culture
- Task attributes: temporal aspects, complexity, autonomy, physical and psychological demands
- Social-relational aspects of work
- Worker roles
- Career development
Organizational context
Refers to the structures and processes at the organizational level
Organizational context includes…
- Management styles
- Production methods
- Human resource policies
Specifically
- Organizational restructuring (downsizing)
- New quality and process management initiatives (high performance work systems)
- Alternative employment arrangements (contingent labor)
- Work/life/family programs and flexible work arrangements (telecommuting)
- Changes in benefits and compensation systems (gainsharing)
External context
Refers to the multitude of directs at the national and international level that affect the work environment
External context includes…
- Demographic trends
- Economic conditions
- Policy and regulations
- Social and cultural norms
Specifically
- Economic developments (globalization of economy)
- Regulatory, trade and economic policies (deregulation)
- Technological innovations (information/computer technology)
- Changing worker demographics and labor supply (aging population)
Organizational culture and climate set the tone for…
- Worker communication patterns
- Prioritization of tasks
- Worker behavior
- Nature of worker interactions
Other organizational structures include…
- Organizational mission and philosophy
- Size of the organization
- Physical arrangement
- Organization’s service or product
Relationships with managers and supervisors are determined by…
The management styles that prevail in the organization
Management styles determine the following:
- Level of communication
- Decision-making power
- Level of control experienced by worker
Types of co-worker relationships
- Supportive
- Nonsupportive
- Conflictual
With co-worker support workers are less likely to experience…
Fatigue and exhaustion
Strong co-worker support has been associated with…
- Better employee retention rates
2. Higher levels of job satisfaction
Workers who perceive low co-worker support are at higher risk for…
- Occupational injury
2. Widespread chronic pain
Meaning of work
- Basic to one’s sense of his/her own social or personal identity
- Symbol of personal achievement and values
- Viewed as an important responsibility
Personal attributes of workers
- Demographic attributes of workers
- Personality traits
- Feelings about work
- Spirituality
- Levels of motivation
Social networks can affect…
- Workers attitudes about work
- Response to occupational illness or injury
- Ability to return to work when an illness or injury occurs
Worker’s level of job satisfaction is related to…
- Structure of work
- Organizational culture and climate
- Interpersonal relationships at work
Workplace violence
- An act of aggression that causes physical or psychological harm to a worker in the course of his or her work day.
- A serious and potentially deadly workplace hazard
Only a small portion of violent events in the workplace are of this type
Mass murder by a disgruntled employee
Majority of violent incidents in the workplace include:
- Threats
- Harassment
- Bullying
- Physical abuse
- Emotional abuse
- Intimidation
- Stalking
- Other assaults
Four categories of workplace violence
- Type I
- Type II
- Type III
- Type IV
Type I workplace violence
- most common category
- describes incidents in which the violence is associated with the commitment of a crime
- most cases the perpetrator has no legitimate relationship with the employer or the worksite
Groups of workers likely to experience Type I workplace violence
- Taxi drivers
- Workers at late night establishments
- Workers in isolated or dangerous areas
- Workers who handle money
What percentage of violent incidents are Type I workplace violence
80%
Type II workplace violence
- involves a worker-client relationship
- incidents occur in course of doing business
Definition of client as it pertains to Type II workplace violence
- Customer
- Patient
- Student
- Inmate
- Other recipient of services
Workers most likely to experience Type II workplace violence
Health care professionals
Hospital areas most likely to be the setting for Type II workplace violence
- Psychiatric facilities
- Emergency rooms
- Admitting areas
- Intensive or critical care units
- Medical response units
Type III workplace violence
- includes worker-worker incidents
- perpetrators in this category are current or past employees who threaten or attack other current or past employees
Commonly Type III incidents result from
- Personality conflict
- Mishandled termination
- Mishandled disciplinary action
- Drug or alcohol abuse
- A grudge over a real or imagined grievance
Warning signs of Type III workplace violence
- Belligerence
- Hypersensitivity to criticism
- Preoccupation with violent themes
- Outbursts of anger
- Other noticeable changes in behavior
Workplace factors that contribute to workplace violence
- Understaffing that leads to job overload and compulsory overtime
- Frustrations arising from poorly defined tasks and responsibilities
- Downsizing and reorganization
- Labor disputes and poor labor management relations
- Poor management styles
- Inadequate security or poorly trained, poorly motivated security force
- A lack of employed counseling
Poor management styles that contribute to workplace violence
- Arbitrary or unexplained orders
- Over monitoring
- Corrections or reprimands in front of other employees
- Inconsistent discipline
Cues to problem situations in the workplace
- High injury rate
2. Frequent employee grievances
Type IV workplace violence
- called personal relationship
- involves persons who have a personal relationship with a worker
- often spill-overs of domestic violence
Events in Type IV workplace violence category
- Stalking
- Threats
- Harassment
—– of workplace homicides are related to domestic violence
5%
Most preventable categories of workplace violence
Type III and Type IV
Homicide is the —— leading cause of job related death among all workers in the US
Third
Homicide is the ——- leading cause of workplace fatalities among women
Second
On average —- workers per week are murdered
13
Homicide accounts for —- of all fatal injuries
11.3%
Homicide accounts for —- of occupational deaths among women
31%
Primary motive for job related homicide
Robbery
Robbery accounts for —– of work related homicide
75%
Disputes among coworkers and with customers account for —– of the total number of deaths
10%
Worker groups with the highest rates of work related homicides
- Sales workers
- Taxi drivers
- Chauffeurs
- Law enforcement officers
Homicide risk for taxi drivers
41.4 per 100,000 persons
There are approximately ——- assaults and threats of violence against American workers each year
1.7 million
Non fatal workplace assaults are slightly more likely to occur among —– than among —–
Women
Men
Non fatal violence is more likely to result from….
Anger or frustration of customers, clients or coworkers
Most non fatal workplace assaults occur in service settings such as:
- Hospitals
- Nursing homes
- Social service agencies
Healthcare patients commit —— of no fatal assaults in the workplace
48%
Risk factors for workplace violence
- Contact with the public
- Exchange of money
- Delivery of passengers, goods or services
- Having a mobile workplace such as taxi or police cruiser
- Working with unstable or volatile persons in healthcare, social services or criminal justice settings
- Working alone or in small numbers
- Working late at night or during early morning hours
- Working in high crime areas
- Guarding valuable property or possessions
- Working in community based settings
According to OSHA at a minimum workplace violence programs and services should do the following:
- Establish and widely disseminate a clear zero tolerance policy for all types of violence
- Ensure workers who report threats do not receive any type of reprisal
- Encourage workers to promptly report incidents and suggest ways to eliminate risk
- Outline a comprehensive plan for maintaining security in the workplace
- Assign responsibility and authority to persons and teams with appropriate skills and ensure adequate resources are available
- Affirm management commitment to a work environment that places much importance on worker health and safety
- Set up a company briefing to address such issues as preserving safety, supporting affected employees and facilitating recovery
Engineering controls and workplace adaptations to prevent and control violence
- Security systems for use by staff
- Metal detectors at high risk doorways
- Closed circuit video recording in high risk areas
- Curved mirrors in hallway intersections and secluded areas
- Bullet resistant, shatterproof glass in reception, triage and admitting areas
- Furniture arranged to avoid entrapment of staff
- Limitation or elimination of items that can be used as weapons
- Two exits provided wherever possible
- Bright lighting indoors, outdoors and in parking areas
- Lockable secure restrooms for staff, separate from visitor facilities
- Locks on rarely used doors
- Vehicles used in the field maintained in good working condition