Search Results (6)

Work-related smartphone use at night has attracted substantial research attention. Surprisingly, its impact on employees’ job satisfaction is mixed. Based on the stressor–strain–outcome model, this study aims to examine whether emotional exhaustion mediates the relationship between work-related smartphone use at night and job satisfaction. Furthermore, the role of organizational dehumanization in moderating the relation between work-related smartphone use and emotional exhaustion, and the association between emotional exhaustion and job satisfaction, was examined. A total of 372 participants reported on two online surveys. Bivariate correlation results showed that work-related smartphone use was positively related to emotional exhaustion but there was no significant association between work-related smartphone use and job satisfaction. Moderated mediation analysis results suggested that organizational dehumanization (T1) did not interact with work-related smartphone use at night (T1) in predicting emotional exhaustion (T1). However, organizational dehumanization (T1) interacted with emotional exhaustion (T1) in predicting job satisfaction (T2), in which individuals who perceived higher organizational dehumanization reported lower job satisfaction under higher emotional exhaustion. The limitations and implications of this study are also discussed in this paper. Full article

The objective of this study is to validate Caesens, Stinglhamber, and Demoulin’s (2017) organizational dehumanization scale (ODS) in a Spanish-speaking sample. A sample of 422 employees (49.3% women and 50.7% men) from Chile answered an online questionnaire comprised of measures of organizational dehumanization and job satisfaction, organizational citizenship behaviors, and authentic leadership. To analyze the structure of the ODS, the sample was divided into two random subsamples and exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were carried out. In addition, reliability and criterion validity were tested. As a result, the scale was composed of one factor. One item was eliminated due to its factor loading. The internal consistency was good (α = 0.92; ω = 0.92). The correlations between ODS, job satisfaction, organizational citizenship behaviors, and authentic leadership were statistically significant, from medium to high magnitude, indicating a reasonable degree of criterion validity. In conclusion, the Spanish version of the ODS shows adequate psychometric properties and can be useful for making progress on the understanding of organizational dehumanization and evaluating the organizational dehumanization in Spanish-speaking context. Full article

In this paper, we examine university discretionary interpretation of the 2020 social upheaval that emanated from George Floyd’s murder as an element of university social responsibility (USR) policymaking. The paper addresses two research questions: (a) What are university presidents’ implicit and explicit social justice responses to George Floyd’s death and the idealistic protests of 2020? (b) To what degree are principles of social justice embedded in universities’ intellectual roots and social responsibility? Using a sample of university presidents’ public statements in response to George Floyd’s death and the idealistic protests of 2020, we analyze the response and responsibilities of universities in the struggle for a just society. We cross-check mission statements and strategic plans to corroborate universities’ public statements with their institutional philosophies, mission, and action plans relating to discrimination against racial and ethnic minorities and systemic racism. We use critical discourse analysis and the Voyant Tool to perform a textual analysis of 62 university presidents’ letters and mission statements. They all denounced the dehumanization and inequitable treatment of Black people. An important implication of our work is the sharp difference in the depth and forthrightness of responses by university presidents across university types. Some presidential letters are forthright in their denouncement of the murder of George Floyd and systemic racism, while others were, at best, vague in their approach. Presidential letters disclose their institutions’ priorities, organizational identities, and social responsibility convictions. Overall, mission statements and strategic plans included addressing systemic racism and inequality. While there is no ordered symmetry between presidential narratives and institutional action, we anticipate social responsibility as a core institutional value. We argue for social justice anti-racist platforms as critical dimensions of USR. We call for university milieus that promote a fair and just society among all stakeholders. Full article

Background and Objectives: Investigation into forms of behavior that violate dignity is not the typical way to look for means of dignity preservation, but it may be the optimal way to prevent improper behavior. Numerous studies document that maintaining and improving patient dignity at the end of life require an understanding of factors posing threats to dignity in health care organizations. This study aimed to assess associations between dignity-violating behaviors and barriers to the assurance of dignity in health care settings from the perspective of health professionals. Materials and Methods: An anonymous survey of health professionals was conducted in Lithuania in May 2021 by using a convenience sampling method (N = 168). Two scales were developed and included in the questionnaire. One scale measured respondents’ perceptions of Dignity Violations that they had witnessed. The other scale measured their opinions about Barriers to Dignity Assurance of terminally ill patients in clinical settings. Data analysis began with descriptive statistics, followed by exploratory principal component analysis (PCA) to identify the underlying structure of each scale. The variables assigned to distinct components in the PCA were combined into reflective latent variables in a path model. The path model of the relationships between the latent constructs was tested for significant links by implementing the partial least squares structural equation modeling technique. Results: Dehumanization, Humiliation, Inattentiveness, Control, Demonization, and Manipulation were identified as major forms of dignity-violating behavior. In addition, Organizational Barriers and Patient as an Obstacle were identified as two major types of barriers to the assurance of patient dignity. Both organizational and patient-oriented barriers were directly or indirectly associated with all forms of violations of patient dignity. Conclusions: The Dignity Violations scale showed potential for estimating professionals’ observations of dignity violations in health care settings. Perceived high workloads, staff shortages, insufficient resources, and lack of organizational support were identified as negative organizational factors that may result in increased risk of seeing patients as obstacles to providing care that preserves the dignity of terminally ill patients. Full article

Leadership styles in work contexts play a role in employees’ well-being, contributing to better health or, on the contrary, being a source of stress. In this study we propose that security providing leadership may be considered as a resource to prevent employees’ job burnout. First, we examine the relationship between employees’ perception of their leader’s degree of security in providing leadership and the employees’ degree of job-related burnout. Second, the underlying processes by which leaders as security providers exert their influence on burnout are analyzed with a focus on the mediating role of two variables: an organizational climate oriented to psychological safety and organizational dehumanization. A total of 655 Spanish employees (53.7% women) completed a paper-and-pencil self-report questionnaire. To recruit participants, we employed an exponential non-discriminative snowball sampling. Results, using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to test hypotheses, show that security providing leadership was related negatively to burnout. Furthermore, psychological safety climate and organizational dehumanization mediated the relationship between security providing leadership and burnout. These findings support the attachment approach to leadership and open new avenues for creating better organizational environments. Security-providing leaders, by supporting employees and treating them in a personalized way, can enhance the psychological safety climate and prevent organizational dehumanization and consequent job burnout. Full article

The implementation and smooth functioning of e-administration depends on many technical and organizational factors but also on psychosocial factors, including the sense of fear. In this paper, the authors treat fear as a subjective and perceptible sense of threat. They recognize that employees may express various concerns. Previous research has shown that employees may be afraid of losing their jobs as a result of implementing e-administration. The introduction of technology brings with it the threat of dehumanization. There are also numerous concerns that the development of modern technologies will not ensure adequate economic growth because it will be too slow. This paper discusses issues related to the fear of the changes taking place in the present, in particular those related to the introduction of modern technologies, as well as problems related to the possibility of reducing unethical behavior. The research has been carried out in local administration offices using a qualitative research procedure. The results of the research indicate the existence of relationships between the quality of e-administration and fears or threats experienced or perceived by employees. If e-administration does not simplify work and does not reduce employees’ workload, the only fears are employees’ fear of change and their inability to master new information technologies. The data obtained allow management practitioners to overcome barriers related to the implementation of e-administration. Full article