Search Results (294)

This study explores the determinants of startup intention within the context of e-commerce platform-based startups in South Korea. We employ an extended technology acceptance model (TAM) that integrates individual, social, and entrepreneurial characteristics. A two-step analytical approach is applied, combining variable extraction through data mining and hypothesis testing using structural equation modeling. The results indicate that personal and social factors—such as entrepreneurial mindset and social influence—positively affect perceived usefulness, while job relevance and exposure to successful startup models enhance perceived ease of use. In contrast, security concerns and technological barriers negatively impact these relationships, posing critical obstacles to platform-based startups. This study extends the TAM framework to the platform-based startup context, offering theoretical contributions and proposing policy implications, including promoting digital literacy, developing entrepreneurial networks, and addressing security and regulatory issues. These insights offer a deeper understanding of how platform environments shape entrepreneurial behavior, providing practical guidance for startup founders, developers, and policymakers. Full article

Background: This study aimed to explore the relationships between work stress, professional identity, and job burnout in elderly care workers and to assess whether work stress and professional identity interact to influence job burnout. Methods: A survey of 439 elderly care workers was conducted from July to September 2021. T-tests and ANOVA were used to identify the main different characteristics involved in work stress and professional identity, and four multiple regression models were used to identify the determinants of job burnout. Results: Work stress and professional identity were moderate among respondents. Work stress positively correlated with job burnout, while professional identity showed a negative correlation. An interactive effect was found between the sub-dimension of work stress concerning the consistency between rewards and responsibilities and professional identity on job burnout. Conclusions: Managers in pension institutions should focus on addressing work stress and professional identity, especially balancing alignment between rewards and responsibilities. Full article

The objective of this study is to investigate perceptions among HR managers in Saudi Arabia and compare these perceptions across demographic characteristics. Furthermore, the study examines the influence of AI knowledge and frequency of use on perceptions. An online survey was administered to a purposive sample of 420 HR managers working in the chemical industry in Saudi Arabia, and 234 complete responses were received. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, and structural equation modeling. Findings show that AI was perceived positively, particularly in salary management, recruitment, performance evaluation, and training, but there were concerns about the loss of jobs and privacy. HR managers with higher education had a higher positive perception towards recruitment, selection, training, and performance appraisals. Knowledge and frequency of AI use had a positive influence on performance appraisal, recruitment and selection, and training, but had no influence on compensation and rewards. This study contributes to the literature by investigating perceptions of HR managers in the Saudi Arabia context. This is especially relevant in the context of technological advancement and Vision 2030 ambitions. Specifically, AI has the potential to create a skilled workforce eager for green innovation. Full article

Background/Objectives: Rural public health is significantly impacted by social drivers of health (SDOH), a set of community-level factors, with rural areas facing challenges such as a higher rate of aging population, fewer jobs, lower income, higher mortality, and poor healthcare access. While much research exists on rurality and SDOH, methodological issues remain, including a narrow definition of SDOH that often overlooks the critical location aspect of healthcare. Methods: This study utilized county-level data from the 2020 Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality SDOH database to investigate geospatial variations in healthcare across the spectrum of rurality. This study employed a set of novel spatial–statistical methods: gradient boosting machines (GBM), Shapley additive explanations (SHAP), and multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR). Results: The analysis of 262 variables across 1976 counties identified 20 key variables related to rural healthcare. These variables were grouped into three categories: health insurance status, access to care, and the volume of standardized Medicare payments. The MGWR model further revealed both global and local effects of specific healthcare characteristics on rurality, demonstrating that geographically varying relationships were strongly associated with socio-geographical factors. Conclusions: To improve the SDOH in vulnerable rural communities, particularly in Southern states without Medicaid expansion, policymakers must develop and implement equitable and innovative care models to address social determinants of health and access-to-care issues, especially given the potential cuts to public health programs. Full article

The Brazilian population in the United States is growing, and many Brazilian workers are employed in settings that may lack occupational health and safety (OHS) protections. In this study, we examined two domains of OHS (measured by the Occupational Health and Safety Vulnerability Survey), namely, Workplace Hazards (potential dangers that may result in injury or illness) and Workplace Vulnerability (inadequate occupational health and safety resources), and described health and demographic characteristics associated with these conditions. Eligible participants were women aged 18 and over, born in Brazil, currently residing in the United States, and employed. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between July and August 2020. Recruitment occurred through community partnerships and social media. Multivariable models among n = 191 women revealed that greater exposure to Workplace Hazards was associated with employment in private household settings, including childcare and housecleaning (p < 0.001). The association between Workplace Vulnerability and jobs in private household services approached statistical significance (p = 0.07). Both Workplace Hazards and Workplace Vulnerability were associated with lower incomes and educational attainment, as well as having public insurance. Our findings suggest the need for stronger OHS protections and policies, particularly among those working in private household services, to ensure safer working conditions for Brazilian immigrant women. Full article

Enhancing older adults’ social participation constitutes a critical strategy for actively addressing population aging. From a life course perspective, this study uses data from the 2023 China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey to analyze the impact of occupational characteristics of the pre-retirement of Chinese older adults on their social participation in later life through linear probability models and Logit regression analysis. Key findings reveal that the pre-retirement work sector, occupational roles, and job intensity significantly influence older adults’ social participation. Older adults who previously worked in the public sector are less likely to participate in labor and recreational activities than their non-public sector counterparts. Those who held managerial positions before retirement exhibit higher probabilities of volunteering and recreational activity participation than non-managerial retirees. Additionally, greater pre-retirement job intensity correlates with reduced likelihoods of volunteering and recreational activity participation. Thus, this study identifies inadequate social security provisions as the primary endogenous driver for labor participation in later life. In China’s current developmental phase, gradually delaying the legal retirement age could effectively boost labor supply. Ensuring comprehensive labor protections throughout occupational trajectories and developing tailored interventions based on pre-retirement occupational characteristics prove essential for advancing social participation among older adults. Furthermore, improving information accessibility and participation opportunities serves as crucial pathways for transforming older adults’ participation willingness into concrete behavioral outcomes. Full article

Purpose: This study explored the potential long-term effects of academic-related variables, including academic satisfaction, college degree attainment, unmet academic accommodation needs, and demographic characteristics on the job and career satisfaction of adults with disabilities using modern machine learning techniques. Method: Participants (n = 409) completed an online survey assessing these constructs. All had a disability or chronic health condition, had attended school in the U.S. throughout their K-12 education, and were between 19 and 86 years of age. Results: The random forest models had 68.6% accuracy in correctly identifying job satisfaction and 72.5% accuracy in correctly identifying career satisfaction. When using mean decrease in impurity (MDI) and permutation importance to identify statistical predictors, academic satisfaction was the most important predictor of job satisfaction in both MDI and permutation importance, while unmet academic accommodations was the fourth highest predictor for MDI behind academic satisfaction, disability level, and age, but ahead of other demographic variables and college degree status, and the second highest predictor of job satisfaction in permutation importance. For career satisfaction, academic satisfaction accounted for the highest MDI, while unmet academic accommodations ranked fourth. For permutation importance, academic satisfaction ranked first, and unmet academic accommodations ranked fifth behind academic satisfaction, age, college degree status, and disability level. Discussion: Meeting the academic accommodation needs of disabled students is linked with lasting vocational success. This study underscores the associations between unmet academic accommodation needs and future job and career satisfaction, illuminated using novel machine learning techniques. To our knowledge, this is the first investigation of the potential long-term associations between unfulfilled accommodation needs and future job and career satisfaction. Full article

The adoption of digital technologies (DTs) in the workplace has emerged as a core driver of organizational effectiveness, and many studies have explored the intrinsic connection between the two. However, due to the wide range of subdivisions of employee performance, existing studies present inconsistent research conclusions on the implementation effects of DTs and lack a systematic review of their impact on employee psychology and behavior for large sample data. To address this issue, employing a random-effects model and a psychometric meta-analysis approach based on subgroup and meta-regression analyses, this study examines 106 empirical studies, comprising 119 effect sizes. The findings reveal that DTs exhibit a “double-edged sword” effect. On the bright side, DTs significantly enhance task performance, innovation performance, employee engagement, job satisfaction, and job efficacy. On the dark side, DTs aggravate service sabotage, withdrawal behavior, job burnout, and work anxiety and have a suppressive effect on job well-being, while their influence on turnover intention is non-significant. Furthermore, this study identifies the moderating effects of industry characteristics, technology usage types, and demographic factors on the relationships between DTs and behavioral and psychological outcomes. The research conclusions help clarify the logical relationship between DTs and employee psychology and behavior and provide explanations for the differentiated research conclusions of previous studies. This study provides information for scientific management decisions regarding DTs in the workplace. Full article

Background/Objectives: Background: Cancer survivors were at higher risk of poor job performance. Objectives: We aimed to identify differences in the relationship between patient activation, cancer-related symptoms, and job performance among young adult cancer survivors with low and high workplace support. Methods: Study Design: Our cross-sectional observational study was conducted using an online survey across Japan in January 2022. Measurement and Statistical Analysis: The survey was designed to assess demographic and clinical characteristics, patient activation, physical fatigue, depression, cognitive impairments, and job performance. Multiple-group structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted using data from 202 survivors. Results: Of participants, 53% were aged 35–39 years and 78% were female. Patient activation was positively associated with job performance (β = 0.28, p < 0.01) and negatively related to cancer-related symptoms (β = −0.30, p = 0.01), and cancer-related symptoms were negatively associated with job performance (β = −0.29, p = 0.01), only among young adult cancer survivors with low workplace support. On the other hand, in the high support group, the path coefficients from patient activation to cancer-related symptoms (β = −0.06, p = 0.76), cancer-related symptoms to job performance (β = −0.12, p = 0.37), and patient activation to job performance (β = 0.20, p = 0.21) were not significant. Conclusions: Patient activation plays an important role in improving job performance, especially among young adult cancer survivors who lack workplace support. Even if obtaining workplace support is difficult for young adult cancer survivors, activation of self-management can improve their job performance. Full article

Unsafe behaviors among construction workers constitute a primary cause of safety accidents, with unsafe psychological states often triggering such behaviors. Focusing on collective anxiety issues, this study introduces the standardized anxiety scale (SAS) into the construction domain to investigate the influence mechanism of anxiety psychology on construction workers’ unsafe behaviors. A hypothesized model was established, incorporating organizational climate, safety competency, and job satisfaction as mediating variables, and demographic characteristics (gender, age, educational background, work experience, anxiety level) as moderating variables. Data collected from field surveys were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 and AMOS 24.0 for correlation analysis, variance analysis, and regression analysis, while structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to validate the theoretical model and hypotheses. The results indicate that (1) anxiety psychology exhibits a significant positive correlation with unsafe behaviors; (2) organizational climate, safety competency, and job satisfaction mediate the transmission pathways between anxiety psychology and unsafe behaviors; (3) enhancing organizational climate, improving safety competency, and ensuring job satisfaction effectively reduce safety incident rates. Additionally, this study proposes preventive measures targeting anxiety psychology across three dimensions: external environmental controls, internal self-regulation, and direct anxiety intervention. These measures provide novel perspectives for effectively reducing the occurrence of unsafe behaviors among construction workers and advancing safety governance frameworks in the construction industry. Full article

Building on the Job Demands–Resources model, this study aims to investigate the interaction between job characteristics and work-related stress indicators in a sample of 211 Italian Armed Forces personnel. Using Latent Profile Analysis (LPA), three distinct profiles emerged based on job demands (workload and perception of performing high-risk work) and resources (relationships with colleagues and supervisors, perceived meaningfulness of work, and feedback received on quality of work). The first profile, characterized by high demands and low resources, was associated with higher levels of work–family conflict and need for recovery (an indicator of perceived fatigue at the end of the workday). The second profile, characterized by high resources and low demands, showed the lowest levels of both need for recovery and work–family conflict, while the third profile showed average scores on demands, resources, and outcome variables. These findings are in line with the chosen theoretical framework and prompt several reflections on work-related well-being in the armed forces and what can promote it. Stemming from the results is the importance of organizational interventions designed to protect employees’ well-being and support their effective functioning. Such interventions are particularly critical within the armed forces context, where operational performance has a direct impact on the safety and well-being of citizens. Full article

Background and Objectives: Burnout syndrome is increasingly recognized as a significant occupational hazard among forensic medicine professionals, a population exposed to intense psychological stress and complex work demands. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of burnout, job satisfaction, and unconditional self-acceptance among forensic personnel in Romania and to explore potential predictors and mediators of burnout within this context. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 153 forensic medicine professionals from 31 counties across Romania. Participants completed a battery of standardized instruments, including the Maslach Burnout Inventory—General Survey (MBI-GS), the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS), and the Unconditional Self-Acceptance Questionnaire (USAQ). Cut-off scores for burnout subscales were established using the 75th percentile. Data were analyzed to identify demographic, occupational, and psychological correlates of burnout. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize sample characteristics and burnout prevalence. Group comparisons were made across demographic and professional categories. A mediation model was tested to evaluate whether unconditional self-acceptance mediated the relationship between job satisfaction and burnout. We hypothesized that job satisfaction would be negatively associated with burnout symptoms and that unconditional self-acceptance would mediate this relationship, acting as a protective psychological factor. Results: Approximately a quarter of respondents met the criteria for high total burnout, emotional exhaustion, and professional inefficacy, while cynicism was present in a fifth of participants. Burnout was more prevalent among younger workers, forensic medicine residents, and those working in the capital. Job satisfaction was generally high, but lower in women, younger individuals, and residents. Nearly half of the participants reported low or very low self-acceptance. Mediation analysis revealed that unconditional self-acceptance partially mediated the relationship between job satisfaction and burnout, suggesting a protective psychological mechanism. Conclusions: This study highlights the considerable burden of burnout among forensic medicine professionals in Romania and identifies job dissatisfaction and low self-acceptance as key contributors. Findings underscore the need for targeted interventions aimed at enhancing job satisfaction and emotional resilience, particularly in vulnerable subgroups. Institutional efforts that support mental well-being, foster emotional coping, and improve organizational dynamics are essential to reduce burnout in this high-risk population. Full article

Patients represent the primary stakeholders in health systems, making it crucial to enhance their level of satisfaction. The relationship between physician and patient is crucial during treatment, especially for patients dealing with long-term issues. Generally, every illness has the potential to cause high levels of stress, leading to varying reactions from individuals, influenced by factors such as age, personality, relationships with caregivers, treatment environment, and specific disease characteristics. As the healthcare provider acquires a more profound insight into how the disease affects the patient’s quality of life, the relationship between the patient and the physician evolves. In this study, we analyzed information from hospital clinics that took part in the survey for the same timeframe, from July 2019 to December 2020. Correlated data were derived from two separate surveys. The initial survey, created by Spector, focused on gathering feedback from health professionals in hospitals, with 3278 responses collected. A second survey was designed to gather feedback from patients in hospitals, with 2851 responses collected. The survey revealed a total of 97 common observations among physicians and patients in the hospital clinics. According to the findings from the two-stage least squares (2SLS) regression analysis, an essential method for researchers addressing endogeneity challenges in structural equation modeling, an increase of 1 point in the job satisfaction of physicians is associated with a corresponding positive increase of 1.12 points in patient satisfaction. At the heart of effective healthcare is the relationship between physicians and patients. Positive attitudes from patients during medical appointments help improve health outcomes, especially for those with long-term illnesses. In order to encourage patients to take an active role, physicians need to focus on enhancing the physician-patient bond, humaneness, creating trust and stable communication, encouraging the sharing of information, and empowering patients to participate in decision-making. Full article

With the rapid development of industrial internet, blockchain, and other new-generation information technology, the shared manufacturing model provides a new way to address the problems of low resource utilization of the traditional manufacturing industry and serious duplication of construction through the mechanism of collaborative resource sharing. Concurrently, to meet the requirements of sustainable development, manufacturing enterprises need to balance economic efficiency with production efficiency in their production practices. This study investigates an identical parallel machine offline scheduling problem with rental costs and shared service costs of shared machines. In machine renting, manufacturers with a certain number of identical parallel machines will incur fixed rental costs, unit variable rental costs, and shared service costs when renting the shared machines. The objective is to minimize the sum of the makespan and total sharing costs. To address this problem, an integer linear programming model is established, and several properties of the optimal solution are provided. A heuristic algorithm based on the number of rented machines is designed. Finally, numerical simulation experiments are conducted to compare the proposed heuristic algorithm with a genetic algorithm and the longest processing time (LPT) rule. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed heuristic algorithm in terms of calculation accuracy and efficiency. Additionally, the experimental findings reveal that the renting and scheduling results of the machines are influenced by various factors, such as the manufacturer’s production conditions, the characteristics of the jobs to be processed, production objectives, rental costs, and shared service costs. Full article

In the context of the digital transformation era, the extensive application of artificial intelligence (AI) is profoundly altering the workplace environment, thereby underscoring the critical need to elucidate its impact on employee innovation behavior. Such insights are essential for optimizing human resource management and enhancing organizational competitiveness. Grounded in cognitive evaluation theory, this study explores the underlying mechanisms through which AI usage influences employee innovation behavior and develops an integrated theoretical model that incorporates both employee personality traits and job characteristics. A two-wave questionnaire survey was conducted, and hierarchical regression analysis was employed to test the hypotheses using a sample of 339 employees from 13 manufacturing enterprises in China. The findings reveal that AI usage is positively associated with employee innovation behavior, with self-efficacy serving as a significant mediator. Furthermore, openness and job complexity positively moderate the relationship between AI usage and self-efficacy, thereby facilitating innovative behavior. Additionally, a moderated mediation mechanism was identified. The conclusions of this study not only enrich the theoretical understanding of how AI impacts employee innovation behavior but also offer practical guidance for organizations on leveraging AI to foster innovation during digital transformation. Full article