Me,my family or the public good? Do inter‐role conflicts of consumer–citizens reduce their ethical consumption behaviour?

This article examines role stress, especially inter‐role conflicts (IRC), against the background of the consumer–citizen duality. It tests whether consumer–citizen conflicts impair the purchase of ethical food in terms of the ethical intention–behaviour gap. Furthermore, this study examines the potential of eustress arising from citizen–consumer conflicts to enhance actual ethical purchases. Additionally, determinants and moderating conditions of both IRC are tested. A combination of observations of actual purchase behaviour and survey data in a field setting is used to gain insights into role conflict formation and manifestation, arising from the desire to fulfil the demands of two opposing roles: consumer and citizen. The quantitative data are analysed with structural equation modelling to test the hypothesized coherencies simultaneously. Results indicate that stress arises similarly from both IRC. While a positive impact of eustress on purchase behaviour was absent, consumer–citizen role conflicts impede the actual purchase of ethical groceries. The data show that this role conflict derives, for example, from economic demands sent by the consumer role set when a person has ethical buying intentions. Additionally, the identification with the consumer role further amplifies this conflict. The data indicate that consumers instead of citizens should be empowered by marketing practitioners and policy makers, for example by reducing the perception of stress by communicating positive outcomes referring to relevant consumer role set members (e.g., added value for children from purchasing ethically) to stimulate problem–focused coping.     

‘I feel something is still missing’: leisure meanings of African refugee women in Canada

This research explored the leisure meanings of three African women, former refugees resettled in Canada. Using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, this study revealed that leisure meanings were tightly bound in the women’s Christian faith, church, and faith community in affording them solace, socialisation, and community bonding. Furthermore, learning for leisure emphasised leisure for educational advancement, self-improvement, and knowledge-gain, to keep busy, and for companionship. Physically active leisures afforded fitness and fun, while nature-based leisure, particularly with friends, family, and their ethnocultural communities were important for restoration, nurturing relationships, and fostering social networks. These leisures also served to mitigate traumatic memories and stress. Because of the prominence of their Christian faith and the church as central to these women’s leisure, collaborative efforts by faith-based entities, leisure and recreation organisations and practitioners, settlement agencies, and mental health bodies, are recommended to effectively address the challenges and aspirations of resettled African women refugees through leisure.     

Employee performance,well‐being,and differential effects of human resource management subdimensions: Mutual gains or conflicting outcomes?

The human resource management (HRM) literature supports the idea that coherent systems of HRM practices can induce attitudinal effects when perceived subjectively by employees. Recently, scholars have proposed that subdimensions of HRM systems exist and account for variance in outcomes. This study explores differential effects of three subdimensions of HRM systems (skill‐, motivation‐, and opportunity‐enhancing HRM practices) on employee innovative behaviours and well‐being. Our predictions are based on the mutual gains perspective, which specifies positive relationships between HRM practices and employee performance, and the conflicting outcomes perspective that links HRM practices to higher job demands and stress. Using data from the Finnish 2012 Practices of Working Life Survey, we find support for both the mutual gains and conflicting outcomes perspectives; however, we also show that the effects of the subsets of HRM practices are heterogeneous.     

Stress and turnover intents in international organizations: social support and work–life balance as resources

Abstract

This study investigates whether work opportunities have an impact on stress and the related turnover intentions of employees working in intergovernmental international organizations (IOs). It contextualizes the job resources and demands model within IOs’ specific work conditions. The empirical test is based on original data from a survey administered in four major organizations of the United Nations system. Results demonstrate that social work opportunities and work–life balance are organizational levers reducing stress and willingness to quit for employees who are facing red tape or the stresses of being an expatriate. In this context, the relationships between these work opportunities and turnover intention are partially mediated by stress. Contextualized HR management propositions are made to help organizations coping with these management challenges.     

The impact of the challenge and hindrance stress on hotel employees interpersonal citizenship behaviors: Psychological capital as a moderator

This study investigates the relationships between challenge and hindrance stressors and hotel employees’ interpersonal citizenship behaviors (ICB). The study also tests the moderating role of hotel employees’ psychological capital (PsyCap) on the aforementioned relationships. Data were collected from 213 U.S. hotel frontline employees. The results showed that both challenge and hindrance stress had a negative relationship with ICB. PsyCap was found to moderate both relationships. Implications for hospitality researchers and industry practitioners are discussed along with the limitations and suggested avenues for future research.     

Worktime control and work stress: the moderating effect of self-comparisons and social comparisons

Abstract

Perceived work-related stress has increased notably in recent years, reducing individuals’ well-being and increasing organizations’ and economies’ costs. This study focuses on worktime control as a key approach to reducing work stress, as the extant research on its effects reports inconsistent results. The study argues that comparisons play a major role in how work stress, conceptualized as effort-reward imbalance, occurs. Ordinary least squares is used to test hypotheses with a sample of 1721 employees from Germany to determine whether employees’ prior worktime control and employees’ referents’ worktime control affect the relationship between worktime control and work stress. Results show that (1) worktime control is negatively associated with the experience of work stress, (2) employees’ prior worktime control moderates the relationship between worktime control and work stress, and (3) there is no moderating effect of employees’ referents’ worktime control. The results are discussed in light of gift-exchange theory and related empirical findings.     

COVID-19-induced layoff,survivors’ COVID-19-related stress and performance in hospitality industry: The moderating role of social support

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the hospitality industry hard globally, resulting in millions of employees being laid off. Drawing upon the conservation of resources theory, this study aims to empirically examine how and when COVID-19-induced layoff influences employees’ in-role and extra-role performance in the hospitality industry. We tested this model by using field data collected from 302 employees and their supervisors in China across two waves. Results revealed that COVID-19-induced layoff increases survivors’ COVID-19-related stress, which in turn leads to decreased in-role and extra-role performance. The strength of these indirect effects is mitigated by perceived family support against COVID-19. Unexpectedly, perceived organizational support against COVID-19 intensifies these indirect effects. The theoretical and practical implications of this study are further discussed.     

Productivity impact of drought tolerant maize varieties under rainfall stress in Malawi: A continuous treatment approach

Drought tolerant (DT) maize varieties have received massive support in sub‐Saharan Africa because of their potential to protect smallholder farmers against drought‐related maize yield losses. Using four waves of household farm panel data from six districts in Malawi, we examine the impact heterogeneity of this technology on maize productivity using a continuous treatment approach. We find strong evidence of positive correlation between maize yield and adoption of DT maize varieties. On average, an increase by one hectare in the area allocated to DT varieties increases maize yield by 547 Kg/ha representing a 44% increase from the average maize yield of 1,254 Kg/ha for our sample. Our findings give evidence that DT maize technology has potential to protect smallholder farmers against drought‐related production losses. Policies that promote increased allocation of maize area to DT maize hold potential to enhance food security. Smallholder farmers especially in drought‐prone areas should be encouraged to allocate at least one‐third of the maize plot to DT varieties while breeders continue with the efforts of breeding a DT variety that is not only drought tolerant but also adapted to all weather conditions. More importantly, the government should ensure provision of timely ex ante weather information to guide farmers on decision‐making with respect to maize varietal choices.     

Assessing job crafting competencies to predict tradeoffs between competing outcomes

We introduce the job crafting competency construct and apply it to predict tradeoffs between competing outcomes that are inherent in job crafting, like performance and well-being or engagement and withdrawal. Job crafting competencies are the clusters of individual knowledge, skills, and abilities that are necessary to achieve personal objectives through effective job crafting problem-solving. We create a framework of job crafting competencies consisting of comprehensive/simplistic heuristic information use and approach/avoidance problem-solving skills. In Study 1, we operationalize competencies as profiles demonstrated through an aptitude-oriented assessment that predicts differences in outcomes. Five distinct profiles emerged in a sample of 174 workers. The high-volume analytic problem-solving profile was associated with higher performance and strain, while the ambivalent acquiescence profile was associated with lower performance and strain. The practical problem-solving profile minimized tradeoffs between performance and strain. Rapid problem-solving and low-volume analytic problem-solving profiles were variants in between these other patterns. Study 2 used a survey of 323 workers to support the uniqueness of the five competencies, and their relationships with approach/avoidance job crafting, engagement, and withdrawal. The research identifies a new job crafting individual difference (job crafting competencies) to delineate outcomes and tradeoffs according to unique competency profiles.     

吸入用布地奈德混悬液雾化联合盐酸丙卡特罗治疗喘息性支气管炎患儿的疗效

目的探讨吸入用布地奈德混悬液雾化联合盐酸丙卡特罗治疗喘息性支气管炎患儿的临床效果。方法选取2018年7月至2020年12月辽宁省健康产业集团阜新矿总医院收治的喘息性支气管炎患儿96例作为研究对象,依据治疗方案不同分为观察组与对照组,各48例。对照组接受吸入用布地奈德混悬液雾化治疗,观察组在对照组基础上加用盐酸丙卡特罗治疗,比较两组疗效、症状(三凹征、肺部哮鸣音、喘息、咳嗽)消退时间及治疗前、治疗7d、14d肺功能[潮气呼气中期流速(ME)/潮气吸气中期流速(MI)、潮气呼气峰流速(PTEF)]、血清炎症介质[肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)、白细胞介素-6(IL-6)]、氧化应激指标[总抗氧化能力(T-AOC)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、丙二醛(MDA)]水平。结果观察组治疗有效率为95.83%高于对照组81.25%(P<0.05);观察组三凹征消退时间、肺部哮鸣音消退时间、喘息消退时间、咳嗽消退时间短于对照组(P<0.05);治疗7 d、14 d观察组ME/MI、PTEF低于对照组(P<0.05);治疗7 d、14 d观察组血清TNF-α、IL-6水平低于对照组(P<0.05);治疗7 d、14 d观察组血清T-AOC、MDA水平低于对照组,血清SOD水平高于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论吸入用布地奈德混悬液雾化联合盐酸丙卡特罗治疗喘息性支气管炎患儿效果确切,可有效改善临床症状,调节肺功能,降低血清炎症介质水平,改善氧化应激。