Suggests ways in which the process of staff supervision can be aproductive and satisfying undertaking, leading to improved skills andjob productivity of the supervisee. Rather…
Abstract
Suggests ways in which the process of staff supervision can be a productive and satisfying undertaking, leading to improved skills and job productivity of the supervisee. Rather than being a punitive and potentially threatening enterprise, the supervisory process allows for a consistent and focused interaction between the supervisor and subordinate. Staff evaluation should be a reflection of several conferences in which the supervisee′s quality of work, feedback on performance, positive reinforcement of competent behaviours, and future goals are discussed. Addresses the art and science of providing valid and helpful assessment of staff performance.
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Gregory S. Anderson, Robin Litzenberger and Darryl Plecas
The purpose of the present study was to identify common stressors and the magnitude of stress reactivity in police officers during the course of general duty police work. Using…
Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to identify common stressors and the magnitude of stress reactivity in police officers during the course of general duty police work. Using heart rate as a primary indicator of autonomic nervous system activation, coupled with observed physical activity data collected through 76 full shift ride‐alongs, this study differentiates between physical and psycho‐social stress. The results, confirming previous research based on self‐report data alone, demonstrate that police officers experience both physical and psycho‐social stress on the job, anticipating stress as they go about their work, while suffering anticipatory stress at the start of each shift. The results demonstrated that the highest levels of stress occur just prior to and during critical incidents, and that officers do not fully recover from that stress before leaving their shift. Overall, the results illustrate the need to consider stress reactivity and repressors in the assessment of police officer stress while clearly demonstrating the need for debriefing after critical incidents and increased training in stress management and coping strategies.
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Patita Paban Mohanty and Hiran Roy
Food has become not only a captivating and integral attribute of travelling but also a source of motivation and offers nourishment value to tourists. In addition, food endeavours…
Abstract
Food has become not only a captivating and integral attribute of travelling but also a source of motivation and offers nourishment value to tourists. In addition, food endeavours to build human health by providing appropriate nutrition, adopting healthy environments, and presenting aesthetically to enhance tourists’ experiences. Thus, food advocates highly for human health and well-being. Recently, food has held high esteem in the research realm of culinary and gastronomy tourism and craves a niche by offering memorable tourist experiences. However, research on the nexus of food and faith and how food acts as a main driver for faith-inspired tourists has garnered scarce attention. Especially, the understanding of faith-driven tourists’ food consumption and related aspects in religious destinations has been limited in tourism literature. Emphasising the lack of research on food for faith-inspired tourists, this study intends to understand the role of Hindu temple food in driving and consolidating the faith as well as offering an overall tourist experience. To ascertain the study’s objective, individual semi-structured face-to-face interviews were employed for the exploratory nature of this study. As a result of thematic analysis, a total of four key themes have been identified as responsible for driving the food for faith-inspired tourists and categorised as follows: (1) offering purpose and spirituality to life, (2) delving oneself into sacredness and purity, (3) seeking salvation from the mundane desires, and (4) a mark of health and sustainability.
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To investigate the motivations of clients attending leisure centres/clubs. It is noted that training programmes for instructors tend to neglect this, particularly in relation to…
Abstract
Purpose
To investigate the motivations of clients attending leisure centres/clubs. It is noted that training programmes for instructors tend to neglect this, particularly in relation to the gender and age of clients.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study 460 recreational athletes including equal numbers of males and females in the two age groups, 17‐27 years and 37‐84, were interviewed and given a short questionnaire concerning their motives for taking part in activities in leisure centres/clubs.
Findings
It was found that both gender and age influenced motivations to participate and reasons for leaving.
Research limitations/implications
The need for instructors to be made aware of the very different motives driving recreational athletes to attend clubs was stressed, if client wastage is to be reduced.
Originality/value
This study shows that gender and age variables influence motivations for participation, with marked differences in motivations between males and females. This article pin‐points areas that instructors need to take into account when training and will be of interest to instructors in the leisure business.
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Pia Charlotte Faeth and Markus G. Kittler
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the differing perceptions of fear of expatriates operating in terror-exposed Nairobi and the high-crime environment of Johannesburg and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the differing perceptions of fear of expatriates operating in terror-exposed Nairobi and the high-crime environment of Johannesburg and its impact on stress and well-being. It illustrates how expatriates cope with the challenges associated with these two regions.
Design/methodology/approach
Following an interpretative and inductive research approach, qualitative content analyses were conducted using evidence from in-depth interviews with 12 expatriates in senior management or officer positions within a large global organisation, with respondents based in South Africa and Kenya.
Findings
Data suggest that expatriates in the more terrorism-exposed context perceive fear less strongly than expatriates in environments categorised by high degrees of conventional crime. Fear seems to relate to physical well-being via restricted freedom of movement, but there is little evidence that fear affects mental well-being. The study finds that respondents in terror-exposed Nairobi tend to engage more in avoidance-oriented coping strategies, whereas their counterparts in the high-crime environment of Johannesburg predominantly rely on problem-focused coping.
Practical implications
The qualitative design allows practitioners to better understand expatriates’ perceptions of fear, its consequences for stress, and well-being and potential coping strategies expatriates employ. It discusses a set of practical recommendations focussing on the deployment of expatriates assigned to dangerous locations.
Originality/value
This study develops a distinction between terror and conventional crime and contributes with practical insights for assignments into dangerous work environments. The geographic lens of the study provides an in-depth look at expatriation challenges in an arguably neglected regional context.
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Bryanna Fox, Lauren N. Miley and Richard K. Moule Jr
Research indicates that a link exists between resting heart rate (RHR) and various forms of antisocial, violent and criminal behavior among community and criminal samples…
Abstract
Purpose
Research indicates that a link exists between resting heart rate (RHR) and various forms of antisocial, violent and criminal behavior among community and criminal samples. However, the relationship between RHR and engagement in aggressive/violent encounters among law enforcement has not yet been examined. The purpose of this paper is to examine the link between RHR and engagement in violent encounters using prospective longitudinal data on a sample of law enforcement officers in the USA.
Design/methodology/approach
Negative binomial regression, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox hazard regressions are conducted using a sample of 544 police officers to determine if there a relationship between RHR and engagement in violent encounters by law enforcement, even when controlling for demographics, biological and social covariates.
Findings
Results indicate that higher RHR is associated with an increased risk of officers engaging in a violent altercation, as measured by the number of arrests for suspects resisting arrest with violence, even after controlling for all other relevant factors.
Originality/value
This study was the first to examine police officers RHR levels and its associated with violent altercations during arrest using a rigorous statistical methodology.
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William P. McCarty, Jihong “Solomon” Zhao and Brett E. Garland
The purpose of this paper is to explore whether male and female police officers report different levels of occupational stress and burnout. Also, the research seeks to examine…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore whether male and female police officers report different levels of occupational stress and burnout. Also, the research seeks to examine whether various factors that are purported to influence occupational stress and burnout have differential effects on male and female officers.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a sample of police officers working in a large metropolitan department in the Northeast, the paper begins by using t‐tests to make gender comparisons between the average levels of occupational stress and burnout between male and female officers. Next, separate multivariate analyses were run for male and female officers to determine how a set of independent variables measuring the work‐environment, coping mechanisms, and other demographic characteristics affected the measures of occupational stress and burnout.
Findings
The findings indicate that male and female officers did not report significantly different levels of occupational stress and burnout. Results of the separate multivariate analyses reveal that, although there are similar predictors of stress and burnout for male and female officers, differences did exist in the models, lending support to the assertion that the female officers may experience unique stressors in the police organization. The multivariate results also indicate that African‐American female officers report significantly higher levels of burnout than other officers.
Research limitations/implications
The current research adds to the knowledge about how levels and predictors of work‐related stress and burnout compare between male and female police officers. The current study is limited by its focus on only one police department located in the Northeast. This may limit the generalizability of the results.
Originality/value
The results of the study have implications for programs and policies that seek to prevent stress and burnout among police officers. The results of the current study indicate that a one‐program‐fits‐all approach may not be the best way for departments to help officers to deal with stress and burnout, since male and female officers may not experience or deal with these issues in a similar fashion.
Merry Morash, Dae‐Hoon Kwak and Robin Haarr
The research compared the predictors of work‐related stress for policemen and policewomen. Stressors included workplace problems, token status in the organization, low family and…
Abstract
Purpose
The research compared the predictors of work‐related stress for policemen and policewomen. Stressors included workplace problems, token status in the organization, low family and coworker support, and community and organizational conditions.
Design/methodology/approach
In 11 police departments, racial and ethnic minorities were oversampled. Of 2,051 officers sampled, 46.2 percent responded. Questions and scales were adapted from prior research on both males and females. Regression analysis revealed the strength of individual predictors of stress, the variance explained by workplace problems, and the additional variance explained by social support, token status, and community and organizational context.
Findings
Workplace problems explained more male's than female's stress. Regardless of gender, the strongest predictor of stress was bias of coworkers, and a weaker predictor was language harassment. Just for males, lack of influence over work and appearance‐related stigmatization were additional predictors. Workplace problems explained gender differences in stress that were related to token status as a female.
Research limitations/implications
The sample was not representative of all police in the USA. Measures of community and organizational characteristics were highly intercorrelated, so they could not be examined separately. Especially, for women, there is a need to identify additional sorts of influence on stress.
Practical implications
Although individual interventions and coping strategies are important for reducing police officer stress, changes in the organizational context also deserve attention. There is a need to develop and test interventions to reduce bias among coworkers, to contain language harassment, and to provide police with an increased sense of control over their work.
Originality/value
The paper focuses on stress within the policing environment.
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Petros Galanis, Despoina Fragkou, Daphne Kaitelidou, Athena Kalokairinou and Theodoros A. Katsoulas
In view of the absence of police stress research in Greece, the purpose of this paper is to measure occupational stress among police officers and to investigate occupational…
Abstract
Purpose
In view of the absence of police stress research in Greece, the purpose of this paper is to measure occupational stress among police officers and to investigate occupational stress risk factors.
Design/methodology/approach
A cross-sectional study with a convenience sample was conducted among 336 police officers in Athens, Greece. Data collection was performed during January to March 2018 and the response rate was 77.8 percent. Demographic characteristics, job characteristics, lifestyle factors and coping strategies were considered possible risk factors. The “Operational Police Stress Questionnaire” and the “Organizational Police Stress Questionnaire” were used to measure occupational stress, while the “Brief Cope” questionnaire was used to measure coping strategies.
Findings
Regarding service operation, the most stressor events were personal relationships outside work, tiredness, bureaucracy, injury risk and lack of leisure for family and friends. Regarding service organization, the most stressor events were lack of personnel, inappropriate equipment, lack of meritocracy, lack of sources and inappropriate distribution of responsibilities in work. According to multivariate analysis, increased use of avoidance-focused coping strategy, and decreased sleeping, physical exercise and family/friends support were associated with increased occupational stress. Moreover, police officers who work out of office experienced more occupational stress than police officers who work in office.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study in Greece addressing the risk factors for occupational stress among police officers. Modifiable occupational stress risk factors among police officers were found and should be carefully managed to decrease stress and improve mental health.