Adapting to change: How has COVID-19 affected people's work and personal goals?

COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on the global economy and affected millions of people's work and personal lives across the world. The purpose of the present study was to better understand how individuals' work and personal goals have been affected by the pandemic and how they have adapted to these changes. We conducted qualitative semi-structured interviews (n = 48) and surveyed participants (n = 200) weekly for 5 weeks. Both methods revealed similar themes regarding the adaptation and pursuit of goals (social support, handling unpredictable situations, logistics, solving problems creatively, goal postponement, and no changes). Survey responses also showed that most individuals experienced their goals as more difficult (79%; 13% easier; 9% no change) and found that many had had to adapt or postpone their work and personal goals, often due to logistical difficulties. Businesses and governments should do more to help individuals adapt their goals to the new circumstances.

Impact of agile management on project performance: Evidence from I.T sector of Pakistan.

Over the past several years, global project management teams have been facing dynamic challenges that continue to grow exponentially with the increasing number of complexities associated with the undertaken tasks. The ever-evolving organizational challenges demand project managers to adapt novel management practices to accomplish organizational goals rather than following traditional management practices. Considering which, the current study aims to explain the effect of agile management practices upon project performance directly as well as while being mediated through project complexity. Furthermore, the aforementioned mediatory relationship is evaluated in terms of the moderating effect of leadership competencies. The current study utilized the survey approach to collect the data from registered I.T firms deployed in the potential metropolitans of each province of Pakistan including, Peshawar, Islamabad, Lahore, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Hyderabad, Sukkur, and Karachi. A total of 176 responses were utilized for statistical evaluations. As result, it was observed that the negative influence anticipated by project complexity on project performance was compensated by the agile management practices. Further, the leadership competencies played a pivotal role in managing project complexity while implementing agile management practices and therefore enhancing project performance. The current study abridges the potential knowledge gap conceptually by evaluating the direct impact of agile management upon project performance while considering all of its aspects, exploring the mediatory role of project performance and evaluating the moderating role of leadership competencies in attaining optimum project performance. In contextual terms, the current study fills the knowledge gap by gauging the implications of agile management practices within the I.T sector of Pakistan. The results of the current study can be a potential guide for both the academicians and the industry professionals.

Job insecurity and performance: the mediating role of organizational justice in terms of type of contract / Inseguridad y Desempeño Laboral: el Papel Mediador de la Justicia Organizacional Considerando el Tipo de Contrato

BACKGROUND: Job insecurity has been widely researched. However, there have been inconsistent results about the association between job insecurity and job performance. This study proposed a multi-group mediation model to explain the underlying mechanisms of this relationship according to psychological contract and social exchange theory. METHOD: Data were collected through a survey. The sample was composed of 1,435 employees in 138 organizations from two European countries (i.e. Spain and Austria). RESULTS: Results showed that job insecurity was indirectly related to OCB and self-rated performance through the three types of organizational justice (distributive, procedural, and interactional justice); and these relationships varied depending on the type of contract. CONCLUSIONS: This study contributes to a better understanding of the relationship between job insecurity and performance by clarifying underlying mechanisms according to the type of contract

ANTECEDENTES: la inseguridad laboral ha sido ampliamente estudiada en la investigación. Sin embargo, esta presenta resultados inconsistentes sobre la asociación entre la inseguridad laboral y el desempeño laboral. Este estudio propuso un modelo de mediación multigrupo para explicar los mecanismos subyacentes de esta relación de acuerdo con el contrato psicológico y la teoría del intercambio social. MÉTODO: los datos fueron recogidos a través de un cuestionario. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 1.435 empleados de 138 organizaciones de dos países europeos (España y Austria). RESULTADOS: los resultados mostraron que la inseguridad laboral estaba indirectamente relacionada con OCB y el desempeño auto-evaluado, a través de los tres tipos de justicia organizacional (justicia distributiva, procesal e interactiva); y que estas relaciones variaban en función del tipo de contrato. CONCLUSIONES: este estudio contribuye a comprender mejor la relación entre la inseguridad laboral y el desempeño laboral al aclarar los mecanismos subyacentes considerando el tipo de contrato

Impact of supervisory behavior on sustainable employee performance: Mediation of conflict management strategies using PLS-SEM.

This study investigates the relationship between supervisory behavior, conflict management strategies, and sustainable employee performance and inquires the mediating effect of conflict management strategies. Data were collected from the SMEs of the manufacturing industry of Pakistan. The significance of the model was assessed using the PLS-SEM (structural equation modeling). The findings of the study revealed a positive and significant relationship between supervisory behavior and sustainable employee behavior. Similarly, conflict management strategies had a positive effect on the relationship between supervisory behavior and sustainable employee behavior. This study adds in the current literature of supervisory behavior as a critical predictor of sustainable employee performance in two ways. Firstly, this study validates Conflict management strategies as an influential mediator between the relationship of supervisory behavior and sustainable employee performance. Secondly, this study provides substantial practical implications for managers at SMEs to enhance sustainable employee performance through supervisory behavior, stimulated by conflict management strategies. This study is based on cross-sectional data; more longitudinal studies can further strengthen the generalizability of relationships between the constructs. The study adds in the current literature of PLS-SEM as an assessment model for direct and mediation relationships.

Workspace preferences and non-preferences in Activity-based Flexible Offices: Two case studies.

Activity-based Flexible Offices (AFOs) are innovations in workspace design that are being increasingly implemented in organisations. While most studies investigate satisfaction and perceived work support in AFOs, employees' workspace preferences are not addressed in the literature. The aims of this study were to (i) identify workspace preferences and non-preferences in AFOs, and (ii) investigate whether employees' workstation choices support their activities and align with their preferences. Two Swedish municipalities participated in the study. Data collection involved 27 semi-structured interviews and annotations on architectural drawings. The results showed that the interviewees preferred workstations that were both desirable and functional, and avoided workstations that were undesirable. This was due to functional, social, emotional and symbolic aspects of the workspaces as well as their physical structure and stimuli. The approach used in this paper can be adopted for improving the design of AFOs, thereby mitigating the stress of finding a suitable workstation.

Meta-analysis and scientific mapping of well-beingand job performance

In this article, we present a meta-analysis and a scientific mapping about the relationship between different types of well-being and job performance. We followed The PRISMA statement for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses (Moher et al., 2009), and conduct the search in Web of Science, SCOPUS, Ebscohost, Proquest, and Jstor databases. We identified 43 studies from 1994 to early 2020 that represent 45 independent samples, 34,221 participants, and 77 correlations between four types of well-being and six of job performance. Meta-analysis results show that are different forms of relations between types and there is not only one form to explain the happy-productive worker hypothesis. The scientific mapping shows that there are seven clusters of topics about well-being and job performance in the Web of Science base articles: (I) Burnout and axiety, (II) Stress and depression, (III) Individual resources, (IV) Work context, (V) Work engagement and commitment, (VI) Justice, and (VII) Human resources practices. We organize the topics from each cluster in the different groups of variables of the contextual model of individual work, well-being and performance (van Veldhoven & Peccei, 2015) to explain their impact in well-being and job performance. We included the observations of our analysis and identified the future key directions for the field

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The longitudinal study for the work-related factors to job performance among nurses in emergency department.

To explore the relationship between baseline information, personal factors, working characteristics and job performance among nurses in emergency department in northern Taiwan.Two-hundred twenty-two nursing staff were interviewed repeated with structured questionnaires for data collection in 3 time points (From August to September, 2008, from February to March, 2009, and from November to December, 2009). The generalized estimating equation (GEE) is used to test the relationship between the domains of independent variables (baseline information, personal factors, working characteristics) and dependent variables (task performance, contextual performance).The mean age of participants is 30.1 ±â€Š5.1 years. 50.0% are junior college or bachelor degrees. From the GEE model, biological protection (ß = 0.17, P value = .002) and safety climate (ß = 0.24, P value < .001) are significantly related to task performance. Contextual performance is strongly affected by safety climate (ß = 0.15, P value < .001).To improve the job performance among nurses in emergency department, it should consider personal psychological and environmental factors.

Evaluating the effectiveness of performance management: A 30-year integrative conceptual review.

This integrative conceptual review is based on a critical need in the area of performance management (PM), where there remain important unanswered questions about the effectiveness of PM that affect both research and practice. In response, we create a theoretically grounded, comprehensive, and integrative model for understanding and measuring PM effectiveness, comprising multiple categories of evaluative criteria and the underlying mechanisms that link them. We then review more than 30 years (1984-2018) of empirical PM research vis-à-vis this model, leading to conclusions about what the literature has studied and what we do and do not know about PM effectiveness as a result. The final section of this article further elucidates the key "value chains" or mediational paths that explain how and why PM can add value to organizations, framed around three pressing questions with both theoretical and practical importance (How do individual-level outcomes of PM emerge to become unit-level outcomes? How essential are positive reactions to the overall effectiveness of PM? and What is the value of a performance rating?). This discussion culminates in specific propositions for future research and implications for practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Poor work design begets poor work design: Capacity and willingness antecedents of individual work design behavior.

Few studies have systematically considered how individuals design work. In a replication study (N = 211, Study 1), we showed that students naturally tend to develop simplified, low variety work. In 2 further simulation studies, we quantitatively assessed participants' work design behaviors via 2 new measures ("enriching task allocation" and "enriching work strategy selection"). As a comparison measure, we assessed individuals' tendency to choose individualistic rather than work design strategies ("person-focused strategy selection"). We then investigated how work design behaviors are affected by capacity (professional expertise, explicit knowledge, job autonomy) and willingness (life values). For a sample of human service professionals (N = 218, Study 2), participants scored higher on enriching task allocation and enriching work strategy selection if they had expertise as an industrial/organizational psychologist and if they had high autonomy in their own job. Explicit knowledge about work design predicted lower scores on person-focused strategy selection, and mediated the effects of professional expertise on this outcome. Individuals high in openness values scored higher on enriching work strategy selection, and those high in conservation values scored lower on enriching task allocation. These findings were replicated in Study 3 among working professionals (N = 602). We then showed that openness to change values predicted enriching work strategy selection via the more proximal processes of valence (valuing intrinsic work characteristics) and affect (positive affect when enriching others' work). This article opens up a new area of inquiry: how and why individuals design work for others in the way they do. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Implementation research to assess a health workers performance-based management system in Nepal.

AIM: To test and refine a performance-based management system to improve health worker performance in Nepal. METHODS: A mixed-methods implementation research in three districts. The study assessed health workers' job satisfaction at the start and end of the study. Qualitative techniques were used to document processes, and routine health service data were analysed to measure outcomes. RESULTS: Job satisfaction significantly increased in six of nine key areas, and the proportion of staff absenteeism significantly declined in the study districts. It demonstrated an increase in immunisation coverage, the proportion of women who had a first antenatal check-up also having a fourth check-up and the proportion of childbirth in a health facility. The greatest perceived strengths of the system were its robust approach to performance planning and evaluation, supportive supervision, outcome-based job descriptions and a transparent reward system. A functional health facility environment, leadership and community engagement support successful implementation. CONCLUSION: The performance-based management system has the potential to increase health workers' job satisfaction, and it offers a tool to link facility-wide human resource management. A collaborative approach, ownership and commitment of the health system are critical to success. Considering the Nepal context, a management system that demonstrates a positive improvement has potential for improved health care delivery.

Effects of job resources factors on nurses job performance (mediating role of work engagement).

PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating role of work engagement (vigor and dedication) between job resources (job characteristics, supervisor and co-worker support, participation in decision making and job security) and job performance (task and contextual) rated by the supervisor. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: A sample of 364 nurses and their supervisors was used. Structural equation modeling with Amos 17 was used to obtain a model fit with path significance of work engagement as the mediator between job resources and job performance. FINDINGS: The results found support for the proposed conceptual claim and confirm that work engagement with a two-factor model (vigor and dedication) mediates the relationship between job resources (job characteristics, supervisor and co-worker support, participation in decision making and job security) and with a multidimensional construct of job performance (task and contextual performance) rated by the supervisor. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The findings of this research will help human resource managers and professionals to further develop the working environment, provide job security and opportunities for employees to participate in decision making in a way that enhances employee work engagement, which, ultimately, improves employee job performance. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: Past studies have not previously tested the two-factor model of work engagement (vigor and dedication) as the mediating variable between job resources (job characteristics, supervisor and co-worker support, participation in decision making and job security) and job performance rated by the supervisor.

Nurses' knowledge and practices in the face of the challenge of using the systematization of nursing care as an instrument of assistance in a first aid in Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the performance of nurses in the implementation of nursing care systematization (NCS). This study is a descriptive research developed from a qualitative approach. The content analysis (CA) must be developed through 3 chronological poles allowing the researcher to construct an analysis structure that corresponds to the needs of the research and the objectives of the proposed research; The chronological poles of CA are described as: Phase 1-preanalysis, phase 2-exploration of the material: phase 3-treatment of the results obtained and interpretation. Only a semistructured interview will be conducted with the research subjects who meet the inclusion criteria of the study, preserving the identity of the individuals and guaranteeing the right to quit the research at any time during the interview. The Research Ethics Committee of Hospital of the clinics of Acre, Brazil (Amazon region) under the opinion no. 1.460.960 approved this protocol. The clinical protocol was registered in the "Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials" validated by the World Health Organization, and received clinical trials "RBR-882rg2."

Evaluación del clima organizacional en la Clínica Docente Estomatológica 27 de Noviembre. Colón. 2017 / Assessment of the organizational climate in the Teaching Dental Clinic 27 de noviembre. Colon. 2017

Introducción: el clima organizacional es un fenómeno complejo y multifactorial, que involucra a factores relacionados con los estilos de dirección, la estructura y los comportamientos dentro de la organización, y tienen como sustento los conocimientos, actitudes y prácticas. Objetivo: evaluar el clima organizacional en la Clínica Docente Estomatológica "27 de Noviembre". Colón. Materiales y métodos: se realizó una investigación descriptiva de corte transversal, en el periodo de enero a mayo del 2017. El universo y muestra estuvo constituido por los 120 trabajadores que fueron organizados por estratos. Se estudiaron tres dimensiones básicas: comportamiento organizacional, estructura organizacional y estilo de dirección. Resultados: las dimensiones comportamiento organizacional; estructura organizacional y estilo de dirección, fueron percibidas como clima organizacional adecuado. Conclusiones: el clima organizacional en la Clínica Docente Estomatológica "27 de Noviembre" fue evaluado de adecuado para todas las dimensiones objeto del estudio. Todas las categorías investigadas fueron evaluadas de aceptable, excepto las condiciones de trabajo que fueron evaluadas en riesgo (AU).

Introduction: the organizational climate is a multifactorial, complex phenomenon involving factors related with managing styles, structure and behavior inside the organization, and have as a support knowledge, attitudes and practice. Objective: to assess the organizational climate in the Teaching Dental Clinic ¨27 de noviembre¨ of Colón. Materials and methods: a descriptive, cross-sectional research was carried out in the period from January to May of 2017. The universe and sample was formed by 120 workers who work in the institution organized by strata. Three basic dimensions were studied: organizational behavior, organizational structure and managing style. Results: the dimensions organizational behavior; organizational structure and managing style were perceived as adequate organizational climate. Conclusions: the organizational climate in the Teaching Dental Clinic ¨27 de noviembre¨ was assessed as adequate for all the dimensions that were object of study. All the investigated categories were evaluated as satisfactory, except for occupational conditions that were evaluated as at risk (AU).

Evaluación del clima organizacional en la Clínica Docente Estomatológica 27 de Noviembre. Colón. 2017 / Assessment of the organizational climate in the Teaching Dental Clinic 27 de noviembre. Colon. 2017

Introducción: el clima organizacional es un fenómeno complejo y multifactorial, que involucra a factores relacionados con los estilos de dirección, la estructura y los comportamientos dentro de la organización, y tienen como sustento los conocimientos, actitudes y prácticas. Objetivo: evaluar el clima organizacional en la Clínica Docente Estomatológica "27 de Noviembre". Colón. Materiales y métodos: se realizó una investigación descriptiva de corte transversal, en el periodo de enero a mayo del 2017. El universo y muestra estuvo constituido por los 120 trabajadores que fueron organizados por estratos. Se estudiaron tres dimensiones básicas: comportamiento organizacional, estructura organizacional y estilo de dirección. Resultados: las dimensiones comportamiento organizacional; estructura organizacional y estilo de dirección, fueron percibidas como clima organizacional adecuado. Conclusiones: el clima organizacional en la Clínica Docente Estomatológica "27 de Noviembre" fue evaluado de adecuado para todas las dimensiones objeto del estudio. Todas las categorías investigadas fueron evaluadas de aceptable, excepto las condiciones de trabajo que fueron evaluadas en riesgo (AU).

Introduction: the organizational climate is a multifactorial, complex phenomenon involving factors related with managing styles, structure and behavior inside the organization, and have as a support knowledge, attitudes and practice. Objective: to assess the organizational climate in the Teaching Dental Clinic ¨27 de noviembre¨ of Colón. Materials and methods: a descriptive, cross-sectional research was carried out in the period from January to May of 2017. The universe and sample was formed by 120 workers who work in the institution organized by strata. Three basic dimensions were studied: organizational behavior, organizational structure and managing style. Results: the dimensions organizational behavior; organizational structure and managing style were perceived as adequate organizational climate. Conclusions: the organizational climate in the Teaching Dental Clinic ¨27 de noviembre¨ was assessed as adequate for all the dimensions that were object of study. All the investigated categories were evaluated as satisfactory, except for occupational conditions that were evaluated as at risk (AU).

Effective Implementation of Peri-operative Local Guidelines for Metabolic Surgery in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus in a Tier 4 Setting Demonstrate Improved Work Efficiency and Resource Allocation.

BACKGROUND: Dynamic changes in glycaemia predominate peri-operatively in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) undergoing metabolic surgery. There is a lack of consensus and clear guidance on effective glycaemic management of such patients. The aim of this study was to design, pilot, and implement a proforma to improve consistency of glycaemic management and clarity of communication with healthcare professionals following metabolic surgery in patients with T2DM, thereby reducing unnecessary diabetes specialist nurse (DSN) referrals. METHODS: A proforma was designed and piloted for 12 months to guide healthcare professionals on managing glycaemic therapies for T2DM patients undergoing metabolic surgery. Glycaemic control (HbA1c) and glycaemic therapies were reviewed 3 weeks pre-operatively and a proforma was completed accordingly. RESULTS: Of the patients with T2DM (n = 34) who underwent metabolic surgery prior to the new proforma being implemented, 71% (n = 24) had a DSN referral. Half of these referrals were deemed unnecessary by the DSNs. Of the patients with T2DM (n = 33) who underwent metabolic surgery following implementation of the proforma, 21% (n = 7) had a DSN referral. Only 10% of these were deemed unnecessary. Despite the reduced DSN input, no diabetes-related complications were reported. CONCLUSION: Implementation of our proforma effectively halved the proportion of patients with T2DM requiring a DSN referral. Additionally, there was a 40% absolute reduction in the proportion of unnecessary DSN referrals. The proforma improved clarity of communication and guidance for healthcare professionals in the glycaemic management of patients. This also facilitated improved work efficiency and resource allocation.

Los factores psicosociales como predictores pronósticos de difícil retorno laboral tras incapacidad / Psychosocial Factors as Predictors for Difficult Labor Return after Incapacity

Se está incapacitado laboralmente, por estar enfermo y presentar limitaciones funcionales que afectan a la capacidad laboral y que impiden trabajar. Los factores psicosociales son determinantes en la salud de la población y por tanto determinantes en la enfermedad y el enfermar de la población trabajadora. Los factores psicosociales son factores precipitantes en el inicio de la incapacidad, son factores de mantenimiento de la incapacidad ligados a la cronificación de los procesos de incapacidad, condicionan la mala respuesta y la adherencia terapéutica, suponen barreras al retorno laboral, y pueden ser causa de presentismo laboral (estar presente en el trabajo, en malas condiciones por temor a perder el empleo). Los factores psicosociales son predictores del retorno al trabajo. Puesto que se trata de factores previos a la declaración de la incapacidad conviene conocerlos para prevenir la aparición de la incapacidad y su mantenimiento que determina un no retorno laboral o su postergación, tanto en la incapacidad temporal como permanente. Los factores psicosociales no causan la incapacidad pero pueden precipitarla, mantenerla o modificarla, terminando por condicionar la capacidad/incapacidad laboral. En un estudio de seguimiento de procesos de baja que alcanzaron los 365 días, los factores psicosociales estaban presentes en un 23% de forma significativa. Material y método: se revisaron hasta mayo de 2017 las siguientes bases de datos bibliográficas: SciELO, PUBMED, así como estudio de factores psicosociales en presentes en procesos de baja que llegaron a 365 días. Conclusiones: Los factores psicosociales están en el inicio de la baja como detonante impeditivo laboral de situaciones basales previas. Están en la cronificación del proceso una vez que la incapacidad se ha producido, están en la percepción del paciente de persistencia sintomatológica y de escasa respuesta al tratamiento, conllevan una percepción de mala evolución de su proceso de incapacidad, potencian lo disfuncional discapacitante y dificultan el retorno laboral. Si permanecen no resueltos y se produce el retorno al trabajo serán causan de bajo rendimiento laboral, pudiendo ser determinante de "ineptitud sobrevenida" y despido. Por todo ello, es capital la identificación temprana y la prevención de estos factores psicosociales para aminorar el absentismo por incapacidad. Las siguientes medidas reducirán el impacto de los factores psicológicos en la incapacidad temporal: actuar sobre las respuestas emocionales inadecuadas mediante atención psicológica. Atención temprana de los procesos osteomusculares y psíquicos. Evitar listas de espera para pruebas diagnósticas y para tratamientos. Consideración preventiva de las decisiones de alta médica. Incorporación parcial al trabajo (altas parciales) tras incapacidad. Facilitar la adaptación laboral ante la "actitud sobrevenida" del trabajador reincorporado. Evitar controversias entre alta médica y no apto, con concordancia decisoria. Horarios flexibles o reducción horaria que favorezcan la conciliación familiar. Prestaciones sociales para la atención a familiares con dependencia o gravemente enfermos. Mayor detección y protección de los factores psicosociales en el trabajo. Mejoras en la organización, condiciones y clima laboral, que fomenten la satisfacción laboral

One may be incapacitated for work for being ill and presenting functional limitations that affect the work capacity preventing him/her from work. Psychosocial factors are decisive in the health of the population and therefore decisive in both the disease itself and in the fact of working population getting sick. These psychosocial factors are precipitating factors at the onset of disability. They are factors that keep the incapacity active which linked to the chronification of the incapacity processes they condition the poor response and the therapeutic adherence. They imply barriers to return to work, and may cause presenteeism (being present at work in poor conditions for fear of losing employment). Psychosocial factors are predictors of returning to work. Since they are initial factors to the declaration of the incapacity it is necessary to know them well to prevent the appearance and maintenance that determine a non-return labor or its postponement, either in the temporary or permanent incapacity. Psychosocial factors do not cause disability but can precipitate it, maintain it or modify it, ending up by conditioning the capacity / incapacity for work. Psychosocial factors were present in a significant 23% in a follow-up study of medical leave processes that reached up to 365 days. Material and method: the following bibliographic databases were searched up to May 2017: SciELO, PUBMED, as well as the psychosocial factors study appeared in low processes up to 365 days. Conclusions: The psychosocial factors are at the beginning of the sick leave as a preventive labor trigger of previous baseline situations. They are in the chronification process once the disability has occurred; they are in the patient’s perception of symptom persistence and poor response to treatment; they imply a perception of poor evolution of their incapacitation process, enhance the dysfunctional disabling and hinder the return to work. Unresolved and still returning to work will be cause of low work performance, being able to be determinant of "ineptitude overdue" and dismissed. For theses reasons it is important to early identify and prevent these psychosocial factors in order to reduce absenteeism due to disability. The following measures will reduce the impact of psychological factors on temporary disability: acting on inadequate emotional responses through psychological care; taking an early attention to musculoskeletal and psychic processes; avoiding the waiting lists for the diagnostic tests and treatments; having a preventive consideration of return-to-work decisions; taking a partial incorporation to work (high partial fit note-certified sickness episodes) after incapacity; facilitating the work adaptation to the "overcoming attitude" of the returned worker; avoiding disputes reaching decisive agreements between medically discharged and unfit; providing flexible hours or reduced hours that favor family reconciliation; receiving social care benefits for the dependents or acutely ill family members' attention; having a greater detection and protection of psychosocial factors at work and improving the organization, conditions and working climate promoting the satisfaction labor

The impact of a human resource management intervention on the capacity of supervisors to support and supervise their staff at health facility level.

BACKGROUND: A systematic and structured approach to the support and supervision of health workers can strengthen the human resource management function at the district and health facility levels and may help address the current crisis in human resources for health in sub-Saharan Africa by improving health workers' motivation and retention. METHODS: A supportive supervision programme including (a) a workshop, (b) intensive training and (c) action learning sets was designed to improve human resource management in districts and health facilities in Tanzania. We conducted a randomised experimental design to evaluate the impact of the intervention. Data on the same measures were collected pre and post the intervention in order to identify any changes that occurred (between baseline and end of project) in the capacity of supervisors in intervention a + b and intervention a + b + c to support and supervise their staff. These were compared to supervisors in a control group in each of Tanga, Iringa and Tabora regions (n = 9). A quantitative survey of 95 and 108 supervisors and 196 and 187 health workers sampled at baseline and end-line, respectively, also contained open-ended responses which were analysed separately. RESULTS: Supervisors assessed their own competency levels pre- and post-intervention. End-line samples generally scored higher compared to the corresponding baseline in both intervention groups for competence activities. Significant differences between baseline and end-line were observed in the total scores on 'maintaining high levels of performance', 'dealing with performance problems', 'counselling a troubled employee' and 'time management' in intervention a + b. In contrast, for intervention a + b + c, a significant difference in distribution of scores was only found on 'counselling a troubled employee', although the end-line mean scores were higher than their corresponding baseline mean scores in all cases. Similar trends to those in the supervisors' reports are seen in health workers data in terms of more efficient supervision processes, although the increases are not as marked. CONCLUSION: A number of different indicators were measured to assess the impact of the supportive supervision intervention on the a + b and a + b + c intervention sites. The average frequency of supervision visits and the supervisors' competency levels across the facilities increased in both intervention types. This would suggest that the intervention proved effective in raising awareness of the importance of supervision and this understanding led to action in the form of more supportive supervision.