Guðbjörg Linda Rafnsdóttir

Financial crisis and collapsed banks: Psychological distress and work related factors among surviving employees—A nation‐wide study

AIM The study considered psychological distress among surviving bank employees differently entangled in downsizing and restructuring following the financial crisis of 2008. METHODS A cross-sectional, nationwide study was conducted among surviving employees (N = 1880, response rate 68%). Multivariate analysis was conducted to assess factors associated with psychological distress. RESULTS In the banks, where all employees experienced rapid and unpredictable organizational changes, psychological distress was higher among employees most entangled in the downsizing and restructuring process. Being subjected to downsizing within own department, salary cut, and transfer to another department, was directly related to increased psychological distress, controlling for background factors. The associations between downsizing, restructuring, and distress were reduced somewhat by adding job demands, job control, and empowering leadership to the model, however, adding social support had little effect on these associations. CONCLUSION Employees most entangled in organizational changes are the most vulnerable and should be prioritized in workplace interventions during organizational changes.

The health and well-being of bankers following downsizing: a comparison of stayers and leavers

Following the sudden and unprecedented collapse of Icelandic banks during the recent economic recession, 20 per cent of bank employees were laid off. This nation-wide study compared the health and well-being of university-educated stayers and leavers following the downsizing of the banks and took into account labour market trajectories among the leavers following downsizing and job insecurity among the stayers. Results indicate a clear difference for the stayers and leavers on all outcomes of health and well-being, indicating that stayers fare worse than leavers in the early aftermath of downsizing. Overall, those male and female leavers who had found steady employment and male leavers with temporary employment fared the best of all groups. Of all the groups in this study, insecure stayers are the group of employees that experiences the lowest well-being and worst health.

Gender construction at work in Icelandic fish plants

In this article we present the results of our studies of gender construction at work in Icelandic fish plants. Our aim is to contribute to the understanding of the processes involved in the gendering of jobs, labour and the organization of work and their interrelations. We argue that an examination of these factors can shed light on larger questions of gender segregation, womens lower position in the labour force and how gender categories and identities are constructed and reconstructed in the workplace.

Konur og velferð í Færeyjum, Grænlandi og á Íslandi

Vestnorraenu londin eru að morgu leyti frabrugðin oðrum Norðurlondum. Þar bua til að mynda fleiri karlar en konur. Astaeðan er meðal annars su að einkum ungar konum sem flytja burt fra jaðarsvaeðum kj ...

Kvinder og velfærd i Vestnorden

Vestnorden adskiller sig fra det ovrige Norden ved at maend udgor flertallet af befolkningen. Specielt unge kvinder fra udkantsomraderne vaelger at rejse bort og finder det svaert at vende tilbage. De ...

Elites in Iceland – homogeneity and internal relationships

Iceland has generally been characterized as a nation where social and economic equality are prominent, and where elite structures are relatively unimportant. There are, however, indications that elites exist, and futhermore, that they are becoming more pronounced and that inequality is on the rise. The goal of this paper is to analyze the business and commerce elite in Iceland the years 2014 and 2015, based on its relations with other elite groups and relations within the group. This allows conclusions to be drawn about the openness of the elite, its relations with the populace, and the democratic structures of the group. The analysis utilizes two data sets: Power and Democracy – A Study of Elites, and Gender Equality in Business: Evolution and Influence. Graphical analysis of elite structures was performed using R and igraph. The results indicate various internal relationship structures within the business and commerce elite. Residential homogeneity is prevalent, especially among male and older elites. A top management team member’s participation in politics or organized sports is predictive of greatly increased residential homogeneity in his or her team. The results suggest a layered elite structure and gaps in elite-populace relations. This indicates that it is important to consider the democratic structures of the Icelandic business elite and whether its homogeneity affects decision making within the elite.

Work-Related Health: Organizational Factors, Risk Assessment and Well-Being

Today, a large proportion of the population in Western societies is in the labor market. As absenteeism due to illness has reached such a level that it is now perceived as an economic problem, it is of major importance to map out the causes, prevent future absenteeism, and improve the health of employees. By discussing the job strain and the effort–reward imbalance models, this chapter provides some insight into the connection between the work organization and the well-being of its employees. The importance of risk assessment is discussed, as it provides a method for staff members to become aware of the organizational factors that affect their well-being. If absenteeism due to illness among workers can be reduced, it will have positive effects for everyone involved—not only for workers and their organizations but also for society as well.

A Scandinavian Model of Gender Equality

Kari Melby, Christina Carlsson Wetterberg & Anna-Birte Ravn (Eds), Bristol, Policy Press, 2008, ISBN 9781847420664, (244 pp.) The objective of this anthology is to analyse the meanings of gender th...

Arnat atugarissaarnerlu Savalimmiuni, Kalaallit Nunaanni, Islandimilu

Nunani avannarlerni killerni agguaqatigiisillugit arnat annertussusaat angutinit appasinneruvoq, nunani avannarlerni nunanut allanut sanilliullugit. Paasissutissat assigiinngitsut tikkuarsimavaat, ...

Kvinnur og vælferð í Útnorðri

I Utnorðri er talið av monnum haegri enn talið a konum, og er hetta tað ovuta av hinum Norðurlondunum. Ymsar keldur visa a, at serliga ungar konur, sum flyta fra utjaðaranum, kenna tað trupult at ve ...