Precarious work and workplace dignity during COVID-19: A longitudinal study.

Building upon the psychology of working theory (PWT), the goal of the present study was to examine longitudinal relations among precarious work, workplace dignity, and basic need fulfillment (survival, social contribution, and self-determination needs). To examine our hypotheses, we surveyed a group of working adults in the United States three times over three months. However, the study began in March 2020 - before widespread lockdowns, layoffs, and furloughs - and some participants lost their jobs on subsequent waves during April and May 2020. Therefore, a secondary aim of the study was to explore predictors of job loss in the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic. We found that having precarious work in early March 2020 significantly predicted job loss due to COVID-19 in May 2020. For workers who remained employed during this time, greater precarious work predicting lower fulfillment of survival needs over time. In addition, workplace dignity and fulfillment of relatedness needs operated reciprocally, predicting greater levels of each other over time, and greater workplace dignity predicted greater fulfillment of social contribution, autonomy, and competence needs across time. These results expand PWT by suggesting that precarious work and workplace dignity are both important work conditions that predict fulfillment of different basic needs over time.

"Like a tsunami coming in fast": A critical qualitative study of precarity and resistance during the pandemic.

This study explores the nature of precarity via the lens of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Precarity refers to uncertainty, loss, disruption, and anxiety, which differentially impact people across contexts. We sought to (a) identify how people understand and resist precarity during the pandemic; (b) explore the potential of precarity to serve as an organizing concept for psychological praxis and research; and (c) explore ways in which psychology of working theory (PWT) may be enriched by an infusion of precarity into its theoretical tenets. Twenty-seven participants who experienced work-related disruptions completed an open-ended survey during the summer of 2020 about the multifaceted challenges they faced. We used conventional content analysis to analyze the responses and derived the following three themes: (a) disruptions at work elevate precarity; (b) relationships as a source of both stress and resilience/resistance; and (c) expanding critical consciousness and resistance. Using a critical qualitative research lens, we identified ways in which people were protected from, or vulnerable to, the threats to their security. We also explored the complex intersection of structural barriers and social identities in relation to precarity. We presented propositions to guide future scholarship on precarity and PWT. Implications for practice and advocacy conclude the article. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

The uncertain state of work in the U.S.: Profiles of decent work and precarious work.

This research utilized a person-centered approach to identify profiles of decent work and precarious work, which were explored due to their centrality in current debates about the uncertain state of work conditions in the U.S. Using the Decent Work Scale and the Precarious Work Scale, the following five profiles were identified from a sample of 492 working Americans: 1) Indecent-Precarious; 2) Highly Decent; 3) Low Health Care-Low Rights; 4) Vulnerability-Dominant; 5) Health Care-Stability. These profiles were further elaborated by examining the relationship of theoretically-informed predictors and outcomes that would distinguish profile membership. Using psychology of working theory as an organizing framework for determining predictors and outcomes, the findings revealed that work volition, age, income level, and educational level significantly predicted profile membership, and autonomy, social contribution, survival needs, job satisfaction, and life satisfaction differed meaningfully across the profiles. Implications for theory, research, practice, and public policy are discussed highlighting the complexity of work conditions and their relationship to various aspects of vocational and psychological functioning.

Unemployment in the time of COVID-19: A research agenda.

This essay represents the collective vision of a group of scholars in vocational psychology who have sought to develop a research agenda in response to the massive global unemployment crisis that has been evoked by the COVID-19 pandemic. The research agenda includes exploring how this unemployment crisis may differ from previous unemployment periods; examining the nature of the grief evoked by the parallel loss of work and loss of life; recognizing and addressing the privilege of scholars; examining the inequality that underlies the disproportionate impact of the crisis on poor and working class communities; developing a framework for evidence-based interventions for unemployed individuals; and examining the work-family interface and unemployment among youth.

A qualitative exploration of women's work aspirations and beliefs on meritocracy.

Meritocratic beliefs continue to be widely accepted in the United States; nonetheless, upward mobility is out of reach for many American women due to pervasive barriers to accessing decent work. The present study aims to explore American women's work aspirations and beliefs in the American Dream (the premise that no matter where people come from, with hard work, they can achieve prosperity) in light of the gap between this notion and the social inequalities in their working lives. We conducted semistructured interviews with 17 American women from diverse racial, educational, and work backgrounds to examine these women's work aspirations and beliefs on the American Dream. Qualitative content analysis yielded 3 domains: (a) aspiring for work that fulfills essential human needs, (b) multilayered influences on women's work aspirations, and (c) making sense of work aspirations in relation to beliefs on the American Dream. Our findings highlight the importance of relationships and systemic factors in shaping women's work aspirations. In addition, women's beliefs on the American Dream reflect complex interactions between endorsing meritocratic beliefs and their personal experiences. Implications for counseling psychology theory, research, and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

A qualitative investigation of beliefs about work-related crises in the United States.

Globalization, technological advancements, and macroeconomic forces have created significant challenges for working in the United States and other countries. Recent crises about working include long-term unemployment/underemployment and the rise of precarious work, which negatively impact individuals' mental health and well-being. To fully understand the nature and impact of these problems, it is essential to give voice to the people whose lives are affected by the work-related crises. In the present study, we used social constructionism and the Psychology of Working Framework/Theory to understand how 42 American adults from diverse backgrounds make meaning of the crises about work. We used modified consensual qualitative research to analyze the participants' responses to a question on their potential solutions to the crises about work in the United States. The data analysis revealed 3 domains: government and corporate policies, social justice, and values. These domains were interwoven with each other through the threads of emotional reactions, locus of causality, and political ideology. Implications for vocational psychology theory, research, policy, and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Decent work and well-being among low-income Turkish employees: Testing the psychology of working theory.

People from lower social classes experience significant difficulties in many life domains including work, yet their work lives continue to be understudied in psychology. This study examined the applicability of the Psychology of Working Theory (PWT), which emphasizes the role of socioeconomic constraints in shaping work and well-being outcomes, in a non-Western, collectivist cultural framework. Specifically, we tested the associations of social class with work volition and career adaptability in predicting decent work and job and life satisfaction with a sample of 401 low-income Turkish employees. Results of structural equation modeling analyses supported all hypothesized paths of the proposed model. Social class predicted decent work directly and indirectly through work volition and career adaptability, and decent work predicted job satisfaction and life satisfaction. In addition to extending the research on the international utility of the PWT, these results support the notion that social class has a crucial role in low-income working adults' access to decent and fulfilling work along with their attainment of well-being. The results of this study also underline the importance of promoting decent work among low-income individuals to improve their personal and work lives. Implications for practice with low-income Turkish employees and directions for future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

The development and initial validation of need satisfaction scales within the psychology of working theory.

The psychology of working theory (PWT; Duffy, Blustein, Diemer, & Autin, 2016) provides a framework to understand predictors and outcomes of decent work. Given that basic need satisfaction is hypothesized to be a primary mediator in the link between decent work and well-being, it is essential to have valid and reliable scales that are consistent with the PWT framework. In the current study, we developed the Work Needs Satisfaction Scales, a set of instruments designed to measure satisfaction of survival, social contribution, and self-determination needs from a PWT perspective. In Study 1 (N = 345), a pool of items was developed and exploratory factor analysis was conducted, resulting in five 4-item scales representing survival need satisfaction, social contribution need satisfaction, and three components of self-determination need satisfaction (i.e., autonomy, competence, relatedness). In Study 2 (N = 476), we used confirmatory factor analysis to test 4 different structural models, finding that there were no significant differences between models. Thus, results offer a flexible 5-factor model, the structure of which may be adapted based on theory and researcher needs. Authors provide theory-driven recommendations on how to best use choice of structural models for PWT research. Finally, we demonstrated convergent, discriminant, and concurrent validity for the structural model most consistent with the PWT. Implications for research and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

An examination of the Psychology of Working Theory with racially and ethnically diverse employed adults.

The present study tested key tenets of the Psychology of Working Theory (PWT) in a sample of 526 racially and ethnically diverse employed adults. The authors investigated how economic resources and marginalization predicted decent work through experiences of work volition and career adaptability. Support for the hypotheses was mixed. There was a direct, negative relation between marginalization and decent work; a direct, positive relation between economic resources and work volition; and a direct, negative relation between marginalization and work volition. There was a positive relation between work volition and career adaptability as well as with decent work. Work volition was also found to significantly mediate the relations between marginalization and economic resources to decent work. These results suggest that the primary reason why greater economic resources and lower experiences of marginalization predict engaging in decent work is attributable to an increased sense of choice in one's career decision making. Results suggest the need for further investigation using the PWT to understand how racially and ethnically diverse employed adults secure decent work. Practical implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

The development and initial validation of the Decent Work Scale.

Decent work is positioned as the centerpiece of the recently developed Psychology of Working Theory (PWT; Duffy, Blustein, Diemer, & Autin, 2016). However, to date, no instrument exists which assesses all 5 components of decent work from a psychological perspective. In the current study, we developed the Decent Work Scale (DWS) and demonstrated several aspects of validity with 2 samples of working adults. In Study 1 (N = 275), a large pool of items were developed and exploratory factor analysis was conducted resulting in a final 15-item scale with 5 factors/subscales corresponding to the 5 components of decent work: (a) physically and interpersonally safe working conditions, (b) access to health care, (c) adequate compensation, (d) hours that allow for free time and rest, and (e) organizational values that complement family and social values. In Study 2 (N = 589), confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that a 5-factor, bifactor model offered the strongest and most parsimonious fit to the data. Configural, metric, and scalar invariance models were tested demonstrating that the structure of the instrument did not differ across gender, income, social class, and majority/minority racial/ethnic groups. Finally, the overall scale score and 5 subscale scores correlated in the expected directions with similar constructs supporting convergent and discriminant evidence of validity, and subscale scores evidenced predictive validity in the prediction of job satisfaction, work meaning, and withdrawal intentions. The development of this scale provides a useful tool for researchers and practitioners seeking to assess the attainment of decent work among employed adults. (PsycINFO Database Record

Decent Work: A Psychological Perspective.

This contribution, which serves as the lead article for the Research Topic entitled "From Meaning of Working to Meaningful Lives: The Challenges of Expanding Decent Work," explores current challenges in the development and operationalization of decent work. Based on an initiative from the International Labor Organization [ILO] (1999) decent work represents an aspirational statement about the quality of work that should be available to all people who seek to work around the globe. Within recent years, several critiques have been raised about decent work from various disciplines, highlighting concerns about a retreat from the social justice ethos that had initially defined the concept. In addition, other scholars have observed that decent work has not included a focus on the role of meaning and purpose at work. To address these concerns, we propose that a psychological perspective can help to revitalize the decent work agenda by infusing a more specific focus on individual experiences and by reconnecting decent work to its social justice origins. As an illustration of the advantages of a psychological perspective, we explore the rise of precarious work and also connect the decent work agenda to the Psychology-of-Working Framework and Theory (Blustein, 2006; Duffy et al., 2016).

The Psychology of Working Theory.

In the current article, we build on research from vocational psychology, multicultural psychology, intersectionality, and the sociology of work to construct an empirically testable Psychology of Working Theory (PWT). Our central aim is to explain the work experiences of all individuals, but particularly people near or in poverty, people who face discrimination and marginalization in their lives, and people facing challenging work-based transitions for which contextual factors are often the primary drivers of the ability to secure decent work. The concept of decent work is defined and positioned as the central variable within the theory. A series of propositions is offered concerning (a) contextual predictors of securing decent work, (b) psychological and economic mediators and moderators of these relations, and (c) outcomes of securing decent work. Recommendations are suggested for researchers seeking to use the theory and practical implications are offered concerning counseling, advocacy, and public policy.

Preparation for Meaningful Work and Life: Urban High School Youth's Reflections on Work-Based Learning 1 Year Post-Graduation.

The challenges confronted by low-income high school students throughout school and across the transition to higher education and employment are well-documented in the US and many other nations. Adopting a positive youth development perspective (Lerner et al., 2005), this study reports findings from interviews with 18 low-income, racially and ethnically diverse graduates of an urban Catholic high school in the US. The interviews were designed to shed light on the post-high school experiences of urban high school graduates and to understand how students construct meaning about the value of school and work-based learning (WBL) in their preparation for meaningful work and life. The interviews highlight the perceived value of the academic and non-cognitive preparation students experienced through high school and WBL in relation to the challenges they encountered along the pathway to post-high school success and decent work. Overall, the findings suggest the potential of WBL for low-income youth in facilitating access to resources that build academic and psychological/non-cognitive assets, while also illustrating the role of structural and contextual factors in shaping post-high school transitions and access to meaningful work and life opportunities.

Exploring urban students' constructions about school, work, race, and ethnicity.

This qualitative study is an exploration of 32 urban high school students' narratives about the connection between school, work, and societal expectations of their future success related to their racial and ethnic background. The sample varied along 2 contextual dimensions: participation in a psychoeducational intervention (Tools for Tomorrow) and developmental status (i.e., half the sample were 9th-grade students and the other half were 12th-grade students). Using consensual qualitative research, the narratives revealed 3 major domains: future orientation; students' perceptions of society's expectations based on race and ethnicity; and students' perception of the role of their race and ethnicity in future success. Results reveal that the majority of students endorse a connection between school and work, believe that society holds low expectations for them based on their racial and ethnic background, and cannot predict their future success based on their background.

The role of work in psychological health and well-being: a conceptual, historical, and public policy perspective.

The primary theme of this article, which serves as the introductory contribution of a special section of the American Psychologist, is that work plays a central role in the development, expression, and maintenance of psychological health. The argument underlying this assumption is articulated at the outset of the article in conjunction with a historical review of vocational psychology and industrial/organizational psychology. The article follows with an overview of contemporary vocational psychology and a presentation of the psychology-of-working perspective, which has emerged from critiques of vocational psychology and from multicultural, feminist, and expanded epistemological analyses of psychological explorations of working. Three illustrative lines of inquiry in which research has affected the potential for informing public policy are presented. These three lines of scholarship (role of work in recovery from mental illness; occupational health psychology; and working, racism, and psychological health) are reviewed briefly to furnish exemplars of how the psychological study of working can inform public policy.