the questionable impact of gender on job loss reactions: implications for employment counseling

A heterogeneous sample of 301 men and 118 women who experienced job loss was surveyed on 4 affective and 14 attributional variables. Analysis revealed that approximately 90% of the reported gender differences involving job loss reactions disappeared when age, ethnic background, marital status, education, tenure, salary job classification, and financial strain were controlled. Resulting gender differences do not support traditional stereotypes of unemployed women nor do they support previous findings of gender‐related job loss reactions.     

Identity continuity and loss after death,divorce, and job loss

This paper examined the relationship of constructs identified by identity continuity and attachment theories of grief to adjustment to loss from the framework of identity theory. Connections between loss salience, identity construal, and balance of identity construal on grief intensity via their association with post-loss identity disruption were examined across three types of self-relevant losses; death of a family member, job loss, or divorce. We hypothesized that lower salience, higher endorsement of identity attributes represented by relational and individualistic self-construals, and an overall balance across identity attributes would be related to decreased grief severity across all types of loss. Results supported hypotheses with the exception that the hypothesized ameliorative effect of increases in relational self-construal was only seen in the bereaved group.     

Sense of community coherence and inter-religious relations

ABSTRACT

The current article attempts to broaden the individual-based concept of sense of coherence to the community level. We examine sense of community coherence and its connection with perceptions of collective narratives and acculturation tendencies in the social context of Palestinian Muslims and Christians living in Israel. Questionnaires that were developed and adapted for the unique population in this study were distributed to a representative sample of 1034 Muslims (455 males) and 720 Christians (354 males), all Israeli citizens aged 18 and up. As expected, sense of community coherence was negatively related to the level of acceptance of the out-group collective narratives and positively related to the level of acceptance of the in-group collective narratives. In the same vein, it was also positively related to the tendency for separation and negatively related to the tendency for integration and assimilation. The discussion focuses on the contribution of the research findings to the deepening of our understanding of the concepts of sense of coherence and sense of community coherence.     

Stress mindset predicts job turnover among preschool teachers

Teaching is one of the most challenging jobs, with a high turnover rate. Unfortunately, we know very little about how to retain teachers. This longitudinal field study (N = 310) examined whether preschool teachers' stress mindset—that is, whether they believe stress is harmful or beneficial—predicted their job stress and turnover within a school year. The results suggested that teachers who believe in the potential benefits of stress experienced less job stress, and were therefore less likely to leave their jobs as quickly. These findings suggest that teachers' stress mindsets predict their psychological well-being and professional development.     

Trait affect and job search outcomes

The present study examines the role of trait affect in job search. One hundred and twenty-three university students completed measures of positive and negative affectivity, conscientiousness, job search self-efficacy, job search clarity, and job search intensity during their last year of school while on the job market. At the end of the school year, participants completed the measure of job search intensity again, and indicated the number of interviews and offers they had received and whether they had accepted a full-time job. As hypothesized, positive affectivity predicted job search clarity over and above conscientiousness and job search self-efficacy. Job search clarity mediated relationships between positive affectivity and job search intensity and between job search self-efficacy and job search intensity. Negative affectivity, however, did not predict job search clarity. Job search clarity predicted job search intensity, which led to interviews, offers, and employment. The results suggest that job seekers high in positive affectivity find a job because they achieve job search clarity and, in turn, look for a job intensely.     

Examination of individual differences in participation in outplacement program activities after a job loss

This study investigated the relationship among age, gender, and race relative to participation in self‐awareness, action‐oriented, and training activities after a job loss. The 156 respondents in this study were part of a larger, longitudinal study that collected data using questionnaires from outplacement program participants at 6 months and at 1 year following a company closing. Main effects were found for gender and for Age × Employment status. Implications of the study for outplacement programs, along with study limitations and future research directions, are discussed.     

The impact of stuttering on employment opportunities and job performance

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact that stuttering has on job performance and employability. The method involved administration of a 17-item survey that was completed by 232 people who stutter, age 18 years or older. Results indicated that more than 70% of people who stutter agreed that stuttering decreases one's chances of being hired or promoted. More than 33% of people who stutter believed stuttering interferes with their job performance, and 20% had actually turned down a job or promotion because of their stuttering. Results also indicated that men and minorities were more likely to view stuttering as handicapping than were women and Caucasians. These findings suggest that people who stutter believe stuttering to be handicapping in the workplace. The results may be helpful for clinicians who work with people who stutter.

Educational objectives:

The reader will be able to: (1) describe the impact that stuttering can have on employability and job performance and (2) be better able to explain how factors such as gender, ethnicity, and stuttering severity can impact the belief that stuttering is a handicapping condition.     

pink slip: Chronicling a job loss

The author describes her 5‐month job search, decision to accept a job that required her to relocate, and subsequent firing from that job. Some of the emotional effects of these events are also discussed.     

团队工作重塑的形成与影响机制

团队工作重塑是影响团队有效性的关键性因素。基于工作设计理论和团队运作模型, 提出了一个关于团队工作重塑的前因后果的理论模型, 旨在建立团队工作重塑的逻辑关系网络。首先, 对团队工作重塑的概念和内涵进行分析, 并探讨测量工具的维度。接着从多层分析视角, 考察领导行为、工作特征、团队人格构成、人力资源管理系统对团队工作重塑的影响, 以及团队主动性动机状态中介作用。最后分析团队工作重塑对团队有效性的作用机制。     

Pre-liver transplant psychosocial evaluation predicts post-transplantation outcomes

Psychosocial factors greatly impact the course of patients throughout the liver transplantation process. A retrospective chart review was performed of patients who underwent liver transplantation at Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center between 2002 and 2012. A composite psychosocial score was computed based on the patient’s pre-transplant evaluation. Patients were divided into two groups based on compliance, support and insight: Optimal psychosocial score and Non-optimal psychosocial score. Post-liver transplantation survival and complication rates were evaluated. Out of 100 patients who underwent liver transplantation at the Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center between 2002 and 2012, 93% had a complete pre-liver transplant psychosocial evaluation in the medical record performed by professional psychologists and social workers. Post-liver transplantation survival was significantly higher in the Optimal group (85%) as compared to the Non-optimal group (56%, p = .002). Post-liver transplantation rate of renal failure was significantly lower in the Optimal group. No significant differences were observed between the groups in other post-transplant complications. A patient’s psychosocial status may impact outcomes following transplantation as inferior psychosocial grades were associated with lower overall survival and increased rates of complications. Pre-liver transplant psychosocial evaluations are an important tool to help predict survival following transplantation.     

Investigation of placement outcomes 3 years after a job skills training program for chronically unemployed adults

This analysis of chronically unemployed job seekers after they completed a comprehensive job skills training program reveals dynamic interpersonal and intrapersonal characteristics that have an impact on job‐finding success. Of primary interest in this study was the relationship between R. B. Cattell's (1988) second‐order personality factors and participants' employment status 3 years after they graduated from the job skills program. Furthermore, U.S. Department of Labor worker trait classifications, such as aptitude, academic achievement, work history, and Holland's hexagonal definitions of career interest were also analyzed (United States Employment Service, 1972). Relatively robust correlations between job holding status and 2 of the second‐order personality factors on Cattell's Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire were illuminated: Independence and Objectivity.     

Sense of coherence,resilience, and habitual optimism in cancer patients

Background/ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate whether the three resource variables sense of coherence, resilience, and dispositional optimism become impaired when people are ill with cancer, whether there are sex and age differences in these variables, and how these variables are associated with quality of life (QoL).MethodA sample of 1108 patients with mixed cancer diagnoses were examined using the Sense of Coherence Scale-3 (SOC-3), the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), the Life Orientation Test (LOT-R), and the QoL questionnaire EORTC QLQ-C30.ResultsThe three resource variables showed somewhat lower levels in the patients’ sample in comparison with general population controls, with effect sizes between ?0.10 and ?0.23. While there were only small sex differences in the resource variables, significant age differences were found in these variables, with stronger detriments in younger patients. The correlations among the resource variables ranged between .53 and .61. Sense of coherence was more strongly correlated with QoL than resilience and optimism.ConclusionsCancer patients with low levels of personal resources adapt to their disease more poorly than patients with high levels. In addition to limitations in QoL, health care professionals should also consider patients’ resources for coping with the disease. Special attention should be given to young cancer patients.     

Organizational support systems as buffers to job loss

Shock, depression, anxiety, and lowered self-esteem are often regarded as concomitants of job loss. To test this belief, a study was conducted at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Goddard Space Flight Center of men whose jobs were eliminated due to a reduction in the labor force (RIF). The entire group was surveyed by means of a mail questionnaire; and, in addition, eight men (a 15% sample) were interviewed shortly after the RIF had been announced and 3 months later. Designed to define more precisely the concept of adaptation and to identify some of the factors that facilitate adaptation, this study applied a conceptual model of transition to the specific event of job loss. The model comprises three main components—the transition itself, environmental support systems, and the individual—that are believed to determine the impact of a transition and adaptation to it. The stages involved in adapting to job loss are described. One of the most effective buffers against the trauma of job loss was a formal support system introduced by the organization.     

A multiple-level examination of job activities and employee outcomes

Prior research has investigated relationships between job activities and employee outcomes, but multiple levels of analysis considerations often have been overlooked. In a study of a police organization, three theoretical perspectives were examined, and multiple levels of analysis were considered conceptually and empirically, to better specify and test associations between activities and outcomes. Results from Within and Between Analysis (WABA) suggested that relationships between law enforcement and resource control job activitiesand employee outcomes of attention, latitude, and involvement operated at multiple levels of analysis. The associations were based on differences between individuals, work groups, and job-based collectives (job families). Implications for future research and practice are discussed.     

Sense of coherence and adjustment to divorce among Muslim Arab citizens of Israel

This study examined the distinctiveness and causal relationships of Antonovsky's (1979) Sense of Coherence Scale and the Mental Health Index of Veit and Ware (1983) in a sample of 306 divorced Muslim Arab men and women in Israel. The findings, based on confirmatory factor analysis and latent‐variable structural modelling, suggest that in the present sample sense of coherence (SOC) and mental health are two independent but correlated constructs. They also suggest that, consistent with Antonovsky's theory, SOC may be better viewed as a mediator between stress and mental health than as a concurrent outcome of stress, although the latter possibility is not ruled out. Finally, the findings indicate that the SOC of the sample was relatively low in comparison with other groups. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Parental meta-emotion structure predicts family and child outcomes

Abstract

Fifty-six families with a preschool child whose parents varied widely in parental marital satisfaction were studied at two time points: at time-I when the children were 5 years old and again at time-2 when the children were 8 years old. At time-1 each parent was separately interviewed about their “meta-emotion structure”, that is, their feelings about their own emotions, and their attitudes, and responses to their children's anger and sadness. Their behaviour during this interview was coded with a meta-emotion coding system. Two meta-emotion variables were studied for each parent, awareness of the parent's own sadness, and parental “coaching” of the child's anger. We termed the high end of these variables an “emotion coaching” (EC) meta-emotion structure. Meta-emotion structure was found to relate to time-1 marital and parent-child interaction. EC-type parents had marriages that were less hostile and they were less negative and more positive during parent-child interaction. Their children showed less evidence of physiological stress, greater ability to focus attention, and had less negative play with their best friends. At time-2 those children showed higher academic achievement in mathematics and reading had fewer behaviour problems, and were physically healthier than non-EC parents. The relations between child outcome and parental meta-emotion structure were not explained by social class variables, emotional expressiveness, or the greater happiness and stability of parents with an EC-type meta-emotion structure.     

Development and initial validation of the job loss grief scale

Background: Research on complicated grief (CG) symptoms following job loss is surprisingly rare. Involuntary job loss can turn someone’s world upside down and can result in loss of identity, social contacts, and self-worth. In this study, we drew on the literature on major life events in conceptualizing involuntary job loss as a significant and potentially devastating life event.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate an instrument that measures job loss-related CG symptoms, the Job Loss Grief Scale (JLGS). The purpose of the JLGS is to foster systematic research on CG symptoms following job loss.

Design: A cross-sectional study

Methods: We recruited Dutch workers who had lost their job, 130 men and 158 women with an average age of 49.6 years. To examine the psychometric properties of the JLGS and its associations with other concepts we conducted correlational and confirmatory factor analyses.

Results: CFA revealed that the JLGS was a one-dimensional instrument, and that CG symptoms were distinguishable from depression and anxiety symptoms.

Conclusion: The JLGS is a reliable and valid instrument to measure job loss-related CG symptoms. The availability of the JLGS could stimulate systematic research on the antecedents and consequences of involuntary job loss.     

The ability to process emotional information predicts loss aversion

On the basis of previous research it was hypothesized that alexithymia is associated with a higher tolerance for losses. This hypothesis is extended to explore whether the putative link between loss aversion and alexithymia remains once traits associated with risk taking (sensation seeking) and broad based personality traits (the Big 5) are controlled. Participants (N = 260) completed indices of alexithymia, sensation seeking and the Big 5 and both a riskless (endowment effect) and risky (lottery task) measure of loss aversion. It was found that the higher the alexithymia score the lower the loss aversion for both riskless and risky decisions even when sex, sensation seeking and the Big 5 are taken into account. The implications for this finding are discussed in the light of a neurological explanation of the relationship between alexithymia and loss aversion.     

Maternal employment and job satisfaction and their relationship to children's perceptions and behaviors

The impact of 179 mothers' maternal employment and maternal job satisfaction on their children's perceptions and behaviors was examined. The findings indicated that maternal employment was not related to job satisfaction or to children's perceptions or behaviors. Findings also indicated that maternal job satisfaction was not related to children's perceptions or their behaviors. It was hypothesized that maternal employment and maternal job satisfaction may not have the impact on family environment that has been previously suggested.     

Predictors and outcomes of networking intensity among unemployed job seekers

This study examined predictors and outcomes of networking intensity (i.e., individual actions directed toward contacting friends, acquaintances, and referrals to get information, leads, or advice on getting a job) during the job searches of a sample of unemployed individuals. The study used a Big Five framework, in which extraversion and conscientiousness were associated with both higher levels of networking intensity and higher use of other traditional job-search methods. Networking comfort (a procedure-specific constellation of evaluative beliefs depicting attitudes toward using networking as a job-search method) was positively related to networking intensity above and beyond the effects of personality. Networking intensity did not provide incremental prediction of unemployment insurance exhaustion, reemployment or reemployment speed, or job satisfaction when intensity of use of other job-search methods was considered.