Ingvild Berg Saksvik

Individual differences in tolerance to shift work – A systematic review

Shift work tolerance is a term describing the ability to adapt to shift work without adverse consequences. In this paper we systematically review literature published investigating the relation between individual differences such as age, gender, personality, morningness/eveningness as well as biological variables and different measures of shift work tolerance from 1998 till 2009. A total of 60 articles were included in this review, of which ten studies were classified as longitudinal, while the rest were classified as cross-sectional. Overall, the studies indicate that young age, male gender, low scores on morningness, high scores on flexibility and low scores on languidity, low scores on neuroticism, high scores on extraversion and internal locus of control and some genetic dispositions are related to higher shift work tolerance. More longitudinal studies, especially concerning personality, are needed to make conclusions about the predictive power of individual differences for shift work tolerance.

Dispositional Resistance to Change: Measurement Equivalence and the Link to Personal Values Across 17 Nations

The concept of dispositional resistance to change has been introduced in a series of exploratory and confirmatory analyses through which the validity of the Resistance to Change (RTC) Scale has been established (S. Oreg, 2003). However, the vast majority of participants with whom the scale was validated were from the United States. The purpose of the present work was to examine the meaningfulness of the construct and the validity of the scale across nations. Measurement equivalence analyses of data from 17 countries, representing 13 languages and 4 continents, confirmed the cross-national validity of the scale. Equivalent patterns of relationships between personal values and RTC across samples extend the nomological net of the construct and provide further evidence that dispositional resistance to change holds equivalent meanings across nations.

Subjective and objective sleepiness among oil rig workers during three different shift schedules

OBJECTIVES Examine sleepiness in three different shift work schedules (within-subject design) in the offshore oil industry. METHODS Sleepiness was measured in 19 oil rig workers, using subjective (Karolinska Sleepiness Scale; Accumulated Time with Sleepiness) and objective measures (reaction time). The work schedule consisted of two weeks of 12 h day work (day shifts), two weeks of 12 h night work (night shifts), and two weeks of swing shift work (one week of night work followed by one week of day work). RESULTS Sleepiness was highest during the first days of night and swing shifts, and also in the middle of the swing shift work period, but gradually decreased as the days on the night shift progressed. While at home following the two-week work period, the workers reported more subjective sleepiness after night shift than after day or swing shifts. Reaction time tests during the work period showed no significant differences between the shift schedules. There was a significant shorter reaction time the last day compared to the beginning or middle of the work period. CONCLUSIONS Subjective sleepiness was higher during the first days of night work compared to day work, and also when the swing shift workers changed from night work to day work in the middle of the two-week work period. Subjective sleepiness was increased at home following night shifts compared to after day and swing shifts, suggesting that swing shift workers adapted their circadian rhythm during their second period of work, during the day shift week, offshore.

Exploring Dispositional Resistance to Change

The aim of the study was to explore the relationship between Oreg’s recently developed scale on Resistance To Change (RTC) and its four sub factors and personality traits of the Five Factor Model (FFM). The sample consisted of 259 participants. Findings revealed that neuroticism correlated positively with the RTC Scale, while extraversion, openness to experience and agreeableness showed negative correlations with the RTC scale. Neuroticism correlated positively with three of the RTC sub factors, Routine seeking (RS), Emotional reaction (ER), and Short-term thinking (ST) respectively. Extraversion correlated negatively with the same three factors. Openness to experience correlation negatively with RS, while agreeableness correlated negatively with RS and ST. Conscientiousness correlated negatively with ST, but positively with RS. A regression analysis supported most of these findings. Use of the RTC scale could have special implications for managers in organizations making them more aware of diversity among employees.