The impact of the Workshop Activity for Gender Equity Simulation in the Academy (WAGES–Academic) in demonstrating cumulative effects of gender bias.

We report experimental evaluation of the Workshop Activity for Gender Equity Simulation in the Academy (WAGES–Academic), a brief, experiential simulation of the cumulative effects of unconscious bias in the academic workplace. We predicted that participants who played WAGES–Academic would demonstrate significantly increased knowledge and retention of gender equity issues in the academic workplace compared with participants in a control condition. Baseline information on general knowledge of workplace gender equity issues was obtained from 1,254 undergraduates. In the second phase, 144 were randomly assigned to complete either WAGES–Academic or a control task, and the immediate effects of the activities were measured. Participants were contacted 7–11 days later to complete an online measure of knowledge retention. Compared with a control condition, WAGES–Academic increased knowledge and retention. This effect occurred irrespective of prior level of sexist beliefs, participant gender, or whether the participant had been on the advantaged or disadvantaged team. Potential use and testing of WAGES–Academic with university faculty and administrators are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Impact of the usage of social media in the workplace on team and employee performance

How does the usage of social media in the workplace affect team and employee performance? To address this cutting edge and up-to-date research question, we ran a quasinatural field experiment, collecting data of two matched-sample groups within a large financial service firm in China. We find that work-oriented social media (DingTalk) and socialization-oriented social media (WeChat) are complementary resources that generate synergies to improve team and employee performance. The instrumental value provided by work-oriented social media is reinforced by the expressive value provided by socialization-oriented social media, which help firms to create business value from information technology investments.     

Does your coworker know what you're doing? Convergence of self- and peer-reports of counterproductive work behavior.

Most studies of counterproductive work behavior (CWB) are criticized for overreliance on self-report methodology. This study tested the convergence of 136 matched self-reports and coworker-reports of work stressors and CWB. For each participant dyad, the focal employee ("incumbent") completed a self-report survey and gave a coworker form to a peer familiar with the incumbent's work situation and behavior. Correlations and t tests demonstrated significant convergence between incumbent and coworker reports of key study variables, except organization-targeted CWB. Separately, both incumbent and coworker reports supported the Stressor-Emotion CWB model. In mixed-source analyses, only interpersonal relationships were significant--conflict and CWB targeting persons. Weaknesses in each report source are discussed, and multisourced triangulation to cover perceptual, experiential, and behavioral domains is recommended. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Crossover of workplace aggression experiences in dual-earner couples.

This study investigates whether workplace aggression experienced by one or both members of a couple accounts for increases in the psychological distress of the victim's partner. Viewing the work-family interface and stress-strain processes as dyadic, and open to interindividual and interdomain contagion, analyses were conducted on matched data from a large-scale population health survey containing information on both working adults from 2,904 couples. Multilevel analysis of bidirectional crossover, while controlling for common stressors, supports the proposition of a crossover of stress resulting from workplace aggression. This finding highlights the complexities of work-family dynamics and of the deep penetration of workplace aggression into the lives of dual-earner partners. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinical experiences of play therapists: Does race/ethnicity matter?

The authors describe racial/ethnic similarities and differences of a sample of 891 members of the Association for Play Therapy with regard to workplace variables, professional interests and activities, and supervision variables. Results indicate few differences between Caucasian and racial/ethnic minorities and few differences between the racial/ethnic groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prevalence and distribution of illicit drug use in the workforce and in the workplace: Findings and implications from a U.S. National survey.

This U.S. national study explored the overall prevalence, frequency, and distribution of illicit drug use in the workforce and in the workplace during the preceding 12 months. Illicit drug use in the workforce involved an estimated 14.1% of employed adults (17.7 million workers). Illicit drug use in the workplace involved an estimated 3.1% of employed adults (3.9 million workers). Illicit drug use in the workforce and in the workplace is not distributed uniformly in the employed population. At-risk, though circumscribed, segments of the U.S. workforce were identified with prevalence rates up to 55.8% for any use of illicit drugs and up to 28.0% for illicit drug use in the workplace. The implications of these data for future theoretical research and for management policy and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Profiles in Coping: Responses to Sexual Harassment Across Persons, Organizations, and Cultures.

This study explicates the complexity of sexual harassment coping behavior among 4 diverse samples of working women: (a) working-class Hispanic Americans, (b) working-class Anglo Americans, (c) professional Turks, and (d) professional Anglo Americans. K-means cluster analysis revealed 3 common harassment coping profiles: (a) detached, (b) avoidant negotiating, and (c) support seeking. The authors then tested an integrated framework of coping profile determinants, involving social power, stressor severity, social support, and culture. Analysis of variance, chi-square, and discriminant function results identified significant determinants at each of the 4 levels of this ecological model. These findings underscore the importance of focusing on whole patterns of experience--and considering influences at the level of the individual employee and multiple levels of the surrounding context--when studying how women cope with workplace sexual harassment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development and validation of the Uncivil Workplace Behavior Questionnaire.

This article describes the development and validation of a new measure of workplace incivility, the Uncivil Workplace Behavior Questionnaire (UWBQ). Participants included 5 samples of Australian adult employees (total N=368). Principal axis factoring of the UWBQ yielded 4 interpretable factors (Hostility, Privacy Invasion, Exclusionary Behavior, and Gossiping), all of which exhibited high internal consistency. The 4-factor structure received further support from a confirmatory factor analysis on a hold-out sample. A series of correlation and regression analyses revealed that the UWBQ subscales exhibited sound convergent, divergent, and concurrent validity. The psychometric properties of the UWBQ are contrasted with those of the Workplace Incivility Scale (L. M. Cortina, V. J. Magley, J. H. Williams, & R. D. Langhout, 2001), to the authors' knowledge the only other measure of the workplace incivility construct available to date. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

How senior management and workplace norms influence information security attitudes and self-efficacy

Prior information security research establishes the need to investigate the informal factors that influence employee attitudes and self-efficacy beliefs about information security. Two informal workplace dynamics that are particularly important for how employees think about information security comprise senior management support and workplace norms. However, there are limitations to empirical research to date on these constructs, including conflicting evidence on the relationship between senior management support and information security attitudes and a lack of research on how norms impact self-efficacy beliefs. Also, although some studies suggest that norms might play a mediating role between information security attitudes, self-efficacy beliefs and their (informal and formal) antecedents, empirical research is yet to investigate these possibilities. Consequently, this study considers the relationships between senior management support, norms, formal controls and information security attitudes and self-efficacy beliefs. It comprises a cross-sectional survey of employees at a law enforcement organisation. Results indicate the central role that norms have on employee information security attitudes and self-efficacy beliefs including their direct and mediating role. In addition, the study highlights the important role that senior management support has on employees’ thinking about information security.     

State of science: occupational slips,trips and falls on the same level*

Occupational slips, trips and falls on the same level (STFL) result in substantial injuries worldwide. This paper summarises the state of science regarding STFL, outlining relevant aspects of epidemiology, biomechanics, psychophysics, tribology, organisational influences and injury prevention. This review reaffirms that STFL remain a major cause of workplace injury and STFL prevention is a complex problem, requiring multi-disciplinary, multi-faceted approaches. Despite progress in recent decades in understanding the mechanisms involved in STFL, especially slipping, research leading to evidence-based prevention practices remains insufficient, given the problem scale. It is concluded that there is a pressing need to develop better fall prevention strategies using systems approaches conceptualising and addressing the factors involved in STFL, with considerations of the full range of factors and their interactions. There is also an urgent need for field trials of various fall prevention strategies to assess the effectiveness of different intervention components and their interactions.

Practitioner Summary: Work-related slipping, tripping and falls on the same level are a major source of occupational injury. The causes are broadly understood, although more attention is needed from a systems perspective. Research has shown preventative action to be effective, but further studies are required to understand which aspects are most beneficial.