Micheal L. Shier

Work-related factors that impact social work practitioners’ subjective well-being: Well-being in the workplace

• Summary: This research is among the first to analyze social work practitioners’ workplace subjective well-being (SWB), the social scientific concept of happiness. From an initial survey of 646 social workers, 13 respondents with the highest SWB scores were interviewed: a cohort that can teach us much about creating and sustaining SWB. • Findings: The following reports on one aspect of those qualitative findings: the work related factors that impact overall SWB. Researchers found that the respondents’ overall SWB was impacted by characteristics of their work environment (i.e. physical, cultural, and systemic), interrelationships at work (i.e. with clients, colleagues, and supervisors), and specific aspects of the job (i.e. factors associated with both workload and type of work). • Applications: The findings are discussed in relation to social work administration, and future research. There are implications for direct social work practitioners, managers, and educators, and in particular with regard to workplace environments that support social worker SWB.

Mindfulness, Subjective Well-Being, and Social Work: Insight into their Interconnection from Social Work Practitioners

Subjective well-being (SWB), the social scientific concept of happiness, is analyzed in social work practitioners in relation to the act and state of being mindful. From an initial survey of 700 social workers, we interviewed the 13 respondents with the highest SWB scores: a cohort that can teach us much about creating and sustaining SWB. Respondents affirmed that being mindful affected their overall SWB, but also suggested there were particular aspects of their life about which they needed to be mindful. These included reflecting on and developing a personal identity, thinking about issues related to control and openness, being aware of oneself internally and externally, reflecting on pivotal moments in ones life, and maintaining a balance between work and personal life. Concluding remarks describe the interrelationship between personal life and work for social workers, indicate ways to incorporate this research into the education and training of social workers, and suggest directions for future research.

Social work practitioners and subjective well-being: Personal factors that contribute to high levels of subjective well-being

Based on interviews with social workers possessing the highest level of subjective well-being (SWB) from a 2006 Canadian survey, this research identifies personal factors, including personal behaviors, interpersonal relationships and manifestations of self beyond their workplace and identity as social workers, as positively influencing social work practitioners’ high levels of subjective well-being. The conclusion considers implications for social work practice, education, and research.

International Migration and Social Work: A Review of the Literature

This study analyzes literature about international migration using a keyword search with the terms, “immigrat*,” “migrat*,” and “refugee” in the abstracts (N = 1,391) of peer-reviewed journal articles in two databases. While there has been an overall increase in the number of publications in each 5-year interval since 1985, the majority (59%) of articles had first authors affiliated with the United States. Thematic analysis found that the content of these articles clustered around four main themes: (a) demographics and/or context(s); (b) service delivery; (c) health and mental health needs; and (d) macro-level or systemic issues. In conclusion, implications for research and social work practice are discussed.

Sociocultural Factors to Consider When Addressing the Vulnerability of Social Service Users: Insights from Women Experiencing Homelessness

In a study conducted in 2008–2009, 25 employed homeless women in Calgary, Canada, were interviewed to gain a better understanding of their pathways from homelessness. The data analysis uncovered a mix of personal and societal issues to consider and provides a framework for understanding the complexity of sociocultural factors that contribute to the vulnerability of users of services. In combination, these many sociocultural factors affected the participants’ personal exit from homelessness. The role of service delivery organizations in helping to identify vulnerabilities experienced by service users and respond to these issues in practice will have an influence on resolving social issues like homelessness.

Employment Difficulties Experienced by Employed Homeless People: Labor Market Factors That Contribute to and Maintain Homelessness

Labor market issues and challenges are primarily understood at an individual level, entrenched socially in policies and initiatives that seek to improve the workplace skills of people having difficulty attaching to the labor market, including people experiencing homelessness. In fact, the labor market is perceived to alleviate a persons situation of homelessness. In 2008 and 2009 qualitative data was collected from 61 employed people experiencing homelessness in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, to better understand the intersection between the labor market and housing-related experiences. Respondents identified aspects of the labor market that were contributing to their current and ongoing situation of homelessness. Implications for practitioners are discussed to help address labor market attachment difficulties experienced by homeless people.

Social Change Efforts of Direct Service Nonprofits: The Role of Funding and Collaborations in Shaping Social Innovations

Direct social service nonprofit organizations have taken on increasing responsibility in initiatives seeking to create social change for their service user populations and within the community. This research utilized a mixed methods study design to investigate the characteristics of the inter-organizational context that are particularly supportive of these social change efforts. The results show that characteristics of collaboration, degree of marketization, and funder support predict the extent of engagement in social change efforts. The results have implications for developing the capacity of direct service nonprofits to undertake their social missions.

Research Trends in Nonprofit Graduate Studies: A Growing Interdisciplinary Field

This study examines the growth of the academic study of the formal nonprofit sector by focusing on dissertations and theses written between 1986 through 2010. Using a keyword search, we find and examine 3,790 abstracts available in the ProQuest Dissertation and Theses database. There has been a growing number of theses and dissertations since 1986; the majority (80.2%) were completed at schools in the United States. Thematic analysis found five main themes: (a) Resources (human and financial); (b) Organizational effectiveness and performance; (c) Organization development (context, processes, and culture); (d) Intra-organizational context (leadership, structure, etc.); and (e) Interaction and collaboration (with other organizations, government, etc.). Findings demonstrate an emerging interdisciplinary field in the study of the formal nonprofit sector. Trends across the 25-year time span relating to country of origin, theme, and subject are explored and discussed.

Intimate Relationships as Routes into and out of Homelessness: Insights from a Canadian City

The literature on homelessness tends to focus on risk factors in peoples social and personal lives that contribute to their situation of being without a permanent home. Alternatively, the following describes innate factors of intimate relationships that contribute to a situation of homelessness for men and women. We conducted interviews with 61 people experiencing homelessness in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. We were particularly interested in documenting with greater specificity their perceptions of their individual pathways to and from homelessness. Three themes emerged from the data describing the intersection between respondents’ intimate relationships and their situation of homelessness: (1) relationship breakdown; (2) the role and impact of having intimate partners during a period of homelessness; and (3) the nature of the intimate relationship and its impact on housing. The data suggest that aspects of intimate relationships should be considered by social service agencies when addressing a persons situation of homelessness.

Demographic, work-related, and life satisfaction predictors of northern social workers’ satisfaction with work and profession

Social workers in northern Canada were surveyed about work and professional satisfaction. Career commitment, turnover, and organizational citizenship predicted organizational satisfaction. Total satisfaction was associated with turnover. Research and theory in social work on remote communities should extend beyond characteristics of work, profession, and environment to include personal life factors.