Nuria Gamero

Shared time pressure at work and its health-related outcomes: Job satisfaction as a mediator

Job stressors at the occupational level have become a relevant issue in the field of stress research. Along these lines, the Healthy Work Organization model and the Job Demands–Control model have emphasized the relevance of job stressors defined as a collective construct such as time pressure. Nevertheless, empirical evidence on the potential negative outcomes associated with time pressure as a collective phenomenon and the mechanisms underlying these relationships is lacking. The Healthy Work Organization model posits work adjustment (e.g., job satisfaction) to be a potential mediating variable in the link between shared time pressure at the organizational level and poor health. This study examined the extent to which job satisfaction mediates this relationship in a sample of 367 professional drivers. Findings indicated that shared time pressure at the organizational level was negatively related to job satisfaction and self-reported health but not to sickness absence. Additionally, job satisfaction mediated the relationship between time pressure and self-reported health.

Testing relations between group cohesion and satisfaction in project teams: A cross-level and cross-lagged approach

Based on a two-dimensional perspective of group cohesion, this study examines the emergence of task cohesion and interpersonal cohesion in project teams and their roles in changes in members’ individual satisfaction with the team. Specifically, we tested a direct-effect and mediation model of the cross-level relationship between team task and interpersonal cohesion and individual satisfaction with the team over time. With a sample of 74 newly created project teams, the hypotheses were tested using a two-wave panel design. Results indicate that task cohesion emerges more strongly than interpersonal cohesion during the first stages of work in project teams. Moreover, the cross-lagged relationship between team interpersonal cohesion and individual satisfaction with the team was mediated by team task cohesion.

Institutional dimensions underlying public trust in information on technological risk

This paper examines the determinants of trust in public information on technological risk in a petrochemical complex located in Tarragona (Spain). Data from focus groups (eight) and a questionnaire survey (N = 400) are drawn together to analyse how two local communities exposed to major chemical hazards perceive information on risk and its sources. Results show how trust relies on two main factors, namely expertise and trustworthiness, that are significantly influenced by a third one, antagonism. Results also illustrate the relevance of the institutional context when understanding how communities give meaning to the available information on risk.

El papel de la confianza en los conflictos socioambientales

Social research on risk has shown that its possible effects on human health or the environment are not the main cause underlying social opposition towards a technology. Moreover, three decades of risk research have led to a unanimous agreement that social conflicts are mainly due to the relationship between the population at risk and risk managers and regulators. Thus, trust is a crucial element in the social response to a technological risk. This paper reviews various theoretical approaches to the concept of “trust” in the context of technological risk management. Next, it includes an analysis of four case studies on technological risks perception. The main goal is to investigate in each of them the different dimensions of trust identified in the literature. Results highlight the need to consider the different risk singularities and social contexts when addressing trust building processes, and underline the significance of trust for a suitable management of technological risks.

The Socialization Process: Helping Organizations Integrate People with Disabilities into the Workplace

The main aim of this chapter is to analyze how people with different types of disabilities experience workplace integration and inclusion in standard everyday jobs. Specifically, this chapter tries to identify and guide interventions to address the obstacles that the abovementioned employees face during the organizational entry process. We show how a successful integration process requires social dialogue among stakeholders within organizations. Initiatives including disability awareness training for managers and coworkers, team development programs, and involving families and disability-specific associations in the labor process could be carried out to effectively integrate employees with disabilities into working life.

The Influence of Organizational Factors on Road Transport Safety

Road transport safety is a major concern across Europe due to the human and socio-economic costs associated with work-related traffic accidents. Traditional approaches have adopted regulatory and technical measures to prevent road accidents leaving aside the organizational factors that might contribute to road transport safety. However, contemporary sociotechnical systems theory acknowledges the need to take into account organizational factors. This study adopts a sociotechnical approach and it examines the relationship between a number of organizational factors (organizational learning and training) and road traffic accidents in the organizations under study. Our sample was composed of 107 road transportation organizations from Spain. Binary logistic regression analyses were carried out to test our hypotheses. Organizational size and type of transport (goods or passengers) were included in the model as control variables. Results showed that in those organizations where organizational learning was supported, the occurrence of traffic accidents was less likely. Unexpectedly, the relationship between training and the occurrence of traffic accidents was not significant. Thus, findings partially supported the formulated hypothesis. Future research should shed light on the relationship between training and traffic accidents taking into account potential intervening variables.

SPANISH VALIDATION OF THE SHORTER VERSION OF THE WORKPLACE INCIVILITY SCALE: AN EMPLOYMENT STATUS INVARIANT MEASURE

Workplace Incivility (WI) occurs worldwide and has negative consequences on individuals and organizations. Valid and comprehensive instruments have been used, specifically in English speaking countries, to measure such adverse process at work, but it is not available a validated instrument for research carried out in Spanish speaking countries. In this study we aim to test the psychometric properties of the Matthews and Ritter’s four-item Workplace Incivility Scale (2016) with Spanish workers (N = 407) from different sectors. Participants’ mean age was 38.73 (SD = 10.45) years old and the percentage of female employees was 59.2%. Confirmatory factor analysis using AMOS 19.0 was carried out, presenting a good fit. The internal consistency, convergent and concurrent validity of the scale were examined. Results show good scale reliability and expected high correlations with social undermining. Moreover, the scale related to propensity to leave a job, job satisfaction, and psychological well-being in the expected way. After configural invariance across groups was established, testing for metric invariance and scalar invariance was performed. Considering Δχ2 and ΔCFI tests for two nested models, the 4-item scale was invariant when the employment status is considered (permanent vs. temporal, full-time vs. part-time, and supervisor vs. non-supervisors). Overall, our findings showed good psychometric properties of the shorter version of the WIS in Spain. Theoretical and practical implications of this study are discussed.