Torvald Øgaard

The effects of new dimensions of psychological job demands and job control on active learning and occupational health

Abstract Recent changes in job content may have led to changes in job demands and control, and earlier operationalizations of the demand concept may be too general (MT). The aim of this paper is to show how new dimensions of psychological job demands are related to two sets of outcome variables, employee health and active learning, and how these relationships are modified or interact with social support and types of job control. The study was carried out as a survey among employees of 13 electric companies in Norway, N=2435. Lisrel was used to assess the fit of the proposed models. Compared to the traditional demands control model, an extended version used in this study increased the explained variance on an average by 4% on various occupational health variables. It was found that various dimensions of demands were differentially related to the outcome variables. Skill discretion uniformly reduced the effect of the demands: for groups low in skill discretion there was a stronger relationship between demands and outcomes than for groups high in skill discretion. The interaction pattern for the remaining control and support variables was however more complicated and warrants further study. The practical implications are that employers should carefully consider the quality of work. Special attention should be given to the quantitative demands of the jobs, since there seems to be few moderators for the relationship between those demands and job stress and subjective health complaints.

Job characteristics and computer anxiety in the production industry

Abstract The present study was part of a larger Norwegian research effort termed “Learning in computer based industrial information networks,” which is funded by the Norwegian Research Council. This action research based investigation was aimed at developing and implementing computer technology for improving profitability, employee well being, and work environment. The present study was conducted to investigate antecedents of computer anxiety, and was based upon a postal survey conducted in 1999. The sample included 336 employees. Data analyses were performed with structural equation modeling (LISREL). In addition to gender, age and education, the data analyses revealed that the job characteristics of decision authority and training were the most important determinants of computer anxiety. Job demands did not relate significantly to computer anxiety. Managers had less computer anxiety than non-managers. The practical implications of these findings corresponded with findings in a number of other Norwegian action research studies, and suggested that clear and specific goals should be expressed for any continuous improvement activity. New technology introductions should be accompanied by user involvement, training and active practical use. Special attention should be paid to women, lower educated, and older employees.

Validation of the Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire with parents of 10-to-12-year-olds

BackgroundThere is a lack of validated instruments for quantifying feeding behavior among parents of older children and adolescents. The Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire (CFPQ) is a self-report measure to assess multiple parental feeding practices. The CFPQ is originally designed for use with parents of children ranging in age from about 2 to 8 years. It is previously validated with American and French parents of children within this age range. The aim of the present study was to adapt and test the validity of this measure with parents of older children (10-to-12-year-olds) in a Norwegian setting.MethodsA sample of 963 parents of 10-to-12-year-olds completed a Norwegian, slightly adapted version of the CFPQ. Scale analyses were performed to test the validity of the instrument in our sample.ResultsAlthough a few problematic items and scales were revealed, scale analyses showed that the psychometric properties of the slightly adapted, Norwegian version of the CFPQ were surprisingly similar to those of the original CFPQ.ConclusionsOur results indicated that the CFPQ, with some small modifications, is a valid tool for measuring multiple parental feeding practices with parents of 10-to12-year-olds.

Effects of Sudden and Dramatic Events on Travel Desire and Risk Judgments

This paper reports results from two quasi experiments and one field experiment. The first study was performed before and during the Iraq war (Spring 2003), applying a within-subjects design. Participants rated their desire to undertake trips to various destinations and they estimated risks linked to these destinations and trips. The preferences were subjected to factor analysis, yielding 12 various holiday forms. Study 2 was conducted before and after the terror attacks in Madrid (Spring 2004), applying a within-subjects design and addressing the same issues as in the first study. The third study used a between-subjects design, and focused on risk judgments in tourists to Mallorca before and after the terror attacks in London (July 2005). Results from Study 1 indicated that the desire to travel decreased during the initial stages of the Iraq war. It was observed that risk judgments for various holiday forms remained unchanged. Results from Study 2 indicated that desire to travel and subjective risk judgments for various holiday forms did not change following the terrorist bombs in Madrid, but that Madrid was judged to be more risky following the terror. Results from Study 3 indicated that the terror bombs in London had no effect on risk judgments for various holiday forms, but that the events resulted in higher judgments for specific destinations such as for example London. Interestingly, retrospectively respondents in both Study 2 and Study 3 judged the world as such as well as tourist destinations to have become more risky and less safe since the “War on terror” was launched.

Child consumption of fruit and vegetables: the roles of child cognitions and parental feeding practices

OBJECTIVE To examine the roles of child cognitions and parental feeding practices in explaining child intentions and behaviour regarding fruit and vegetable consumption. DESIGN Cross-sectional surveys among pre-adolescent children and their parents. SETTING The child questionnaire included measures of fruit and vegetable consumption and cognitions regarding fruit and vegetable consumption as postulated by the Attitude-Social Influence-Self-Efficacy (ASE) model. The parent questionnaire included measures of parental feeding practices derived from the Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire (CFPQ). SUBJECTS In total, 963 parents and 796 students in grades 5 and 6 from eighteen schools in the south-western part of Norway participated. RESULTS A large portion of child intention to eat fruit and child fruit consumption was explained by child cognitions (29 % and 25 %, respectively). This also applied to child intention to eat vegetables and child vegetable consumption (42 % and 27 %, respectively). Parent-reported feeding practices added another 3 % to the variance explained for child intention to eat fruit and 4 % to the variance explained for child vegetable consumption. CONCLUSIONS The results from the present study supported the application of the ASE model for explaining the variance in child intentions to eat fruit and vegetables and in child consumption of fruit and vegetables. Furthermore, our findings indicated that some parental feeding practices do have an influence on child intentions and behaviour regarding fruit and vegetable consumption. However, the role of parental feeding practices, and the pathways between feeding practices and child eating intentions and behaviour, needs to be further investigated.

Parental food-related behaviors and family meal frequencies: associations in Norwegian dyads of parents and preadolescent children

BackgroundFrequent family meals are associated with healthy dietary behaviors and other desirable outcomes in children and adolescents. Therefore, increased knowledge about factors that may increase the occurrence of family meals is warranted. The present study has its focus on the home food environment, and aims to explore potential associations between parent-reported feeding behaviors and child-reported family meal frequencies.MethodsCross-sectional surveys were performed among 10-12-year-olds and their parents recruited from eighteen schools in southwest Norway. The child questionnaire included measures of family meal frequencies (breakfast, dinner and supper). The parent questionnaire included measures of parental feeding behaviors adapted from the Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire. A series of multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between parental feeding behaviors and the frequency of family meals.ResultsThe frequency of family breakfasts was associated with three parental feeding variables; home environment (β=.11, p<.05), pressure to eat (β=.11, p<.01), and monitoring (β=.10, p<.05). The frequency of family dinners and suppers was associated with one parental feeding variable; home environment (β=.11, p<.01 and β=.12, p<.01 for dinners and suppers respectively).ConclusionsThe home environment variable was the most important correlate of child-reported family meal frequencies in this study. Although further research is needed, our findings support the evident influence of parents and the home food environment on child and adolescent eating behavior, which in the present study was measured as the frequency of shared family meals.

Associations between parental feeding practices and child vegetable consumption. Mediation by child cognitions

The present study aimed to explore the process in which parental food-related behaviors might influence preadolescent childrens vegetable consumption, addressing potential mediating effects of child cognitions. Cross-sectional surveys were performed among 10-12-year-olds and their parents. The child questionnaire included measures of vegetable consumption and child cognitions related to vegetable consumption (i.e. attitudes, social influence, self-efficacy and intention). The parent questionnaire included measures of parental feeding practices adapted from the Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire. Stepwise regressions were performed to reveal potential mediating effects of child cognitions on the associations between parental feeding practices and child vegetable consumption. Our results suggested a mediating effect of child self-efficacy on the association between parental restrictive behavior and child vegetable consumption. Other potential mediating effects were not supported in this study.

Individual and situational antecedents of workplace victimization

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to simultaneously examine individual- and team-level predictors of workplace victimization by applying two-level modeling. Previous workplace victimization research has primarily been conducted on the individual level of analysis, which may be insufficient when assessing organizational- and team-level predictors of workplace victimization. The authors examined the relationships between target personality (Big Five personality factors), perceived stressors, work climate, and perceived workplace victimization. Design/methodology/approach - The research was conducted in organizations within the restaurant sector; the data were obtained using questionnaires completed by employees and supervisors ( Findings - A model that included all variables fitted the data well. However, individual-level perceived stressors was the only variable that was significantly related to workplace victimization. The facts that our model included team-level climate factors and individual-level personality traits, and both individual- and team-level victimization showed good fit to the data, with only one specific variable in the model showing any significant relationship with bullying, may indicate that bullying is more a consequence of the total risk factors than related to specific factors, on an individual or team level. Hence, it is the additive effect of the factors that matters more than each individual factor. Practical implications - Of practical relevance is that the paper provides evidence that both individual and team-level factors are related to workplace victimization, indicating that bullying cannot be prevented by focusing on clearly defined risk factors either on team or individual levels. As a manager, one must work on all aspects of the social working environment, including the total vulnerability of ones employees and their respective levels of work stress. Originality/value - From a methodological viewpoint, the paper demonstrates that an analysis of clustered individual-level data, without the application of proper multilevel analysis, may lead to biased results.

Exploring the measurement of basic assumptions about guests and co-workers in the hospitality industry.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop and validate a measure of employee basic assumptions about guests and co‐workers in the hospitality industry.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from two independent samples using self‐administrated questionnaires and analysed using correlational and reliability analyses, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and one‐way ANOVA.Findings – The analyses identified two dimensions of basic assumptions about guests, control and affect. Assumptions about co‐workers also consisted of two main dimensions termed responsibility and competence. The results showed that assumptions about guest control positively correlated with subjective job performance; assumptions about guest affect and co‐worker competence positively correlated with organisational commitment and job satisfaction; and assumptions about co‐worker responsibility positively correlated with intentions to stay with the organisation.Research limitations/implications – The findings are...

Are East Asian tourists more apprehensive about food risks

The expectation that ‘food risk abroad is higher than at home’ was explored in domestic and international tourists in China. Food risks at home were lowest, risks for ‘the trip you are on now’ second lowest, and risks abroad highest, an effect that we label the ‘home is safer than abroad heuristic’. Absolute levels of food risks were higher in the present sample compared to earlier European samples. Chinese domestic respondents scored higher on risk judgments, but rated ‘genetically modified food’ less risky than foreign tourists did. The tendency to judge the ‘all in all risks’ lower than individual risks, the ‘conjunction fallacy’, was found in both domestic and international tourists. These cross national differences are robust. They are not a result of demographic differences or differences in scale use/understanding. The similarities between the groups are also interesting, suggesting a generic ‘home safer than abroad heuristic’.