Spanish Validation of the Technostress Creators Scale.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way organizations operate, forcing many of them to opt for remote-working as an alternative to the face-to-face mode. This global phenomenon has increased the importance of studying the psychosocial risks linked to the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), such as technostress. This study aims to provide validity evidence for the Technostress Creators Scale in Spain and to test its measurement invariance in terms of gender. METHOD: We analyzed the psychometric properties of the scale, its factor solution, and gender invariance in a sample of 931 employees from Spain. RESULTS: The Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) showed that the Spanish version maintained the five factors from the original version: techno-overload, techno-invasion, techno-complexity, techno-insecurity, and techno-uncertainty. The instrument demonstrated adequate reliability. The results of the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) also replicated the five-factor structure of the English version. Additionally, measurement invariance tests indicated differences between genders. CONCLUSIONS: The resulting Spanish scale has 18 items, which is shorter than the original version. The implications and limitations of the Spanish version of the instrument are detailed in the discussion.

Manifestations and Reinforcement of Heteronormativity in the Workplace: A Systematic Scoping Review.

This scoping review systematizes the evidence available to date on the manifestations of heteronormativity in the workplace. The reviewed literature shows that, at an organizational level, heteronormativity is reproduced in the configuration of space, organizational policies, and the monitoring of their accomplishment by leaders. At an interpersonal level, employees interact with others based on heterosexual presumptions, they reward what is aligned with heteronormativity, and censor what is not. Finally, individuals acting of their own volition may perform their gender in ways that strengthen the presumption of heterosexuality and communicate heteronormativity alignment. This review offers suggestions for future research in the field of heteronormativity in the workplace and includes theoretical and practical implications for the creation of inclusive organizations.

Spanish Validation of the Technostress Creators Scale / Validación Española de la Escala de Creadores de Tecnoestrés

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way organizations operate, forcing many of them to opt for remote-working as an alternative to the face-to-face mode. This global phenomenon has increased the importance of studying the psychosocial risks linked to the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), such as technostress. This study aims to provide validity evidence for the Technostress Creators Scale in Spain and to test its measurement invariance in terms of gender. Method: We analyzed the psychometric properties of the scale, its factor solution, and gender invariance in a sample of 931 employees from Spain. Results: The Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) showed that the Spanish version maintained the five factors from the original version: techno-overload, techno-invasion, techno-complexity, techno-insecurity, and techno-uncertainty. The instrument demonstrated adequate reliability. The results of the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) also replicated the five-factor structure of the English version. Additionally, measurement invariance tests indicated differences between genders. Conclusions: The resulting Spanish scale has 18 items, which is shorter than the original version. The implications and limitations of the Spanish version of the instrument are detailed in the discussion.(AU)

Antecedentes: La pandemia por COVID-19 ha cambiado la forma en que funcionan las organizaciones, obligando a optar por el teletrabajo como alternativa a la modalidad presencial. Este fenómeno ha mostrado la importancia de estudiar los riesgos psicosociales vinculados al uso de las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC), como el tecnoestrés. Este estudio tiene como objetivo proporcionar evidencia de validez de la Technostress Creators Scale en España y analizar su invariancia en términos de género. Método: Analizamos propiedades psicométricas de la escala, solución factorial e invariancia de género en una muestra de 931 empleados de España. Resultados: El Análisis Factorial Exploratorio (AFE) de la versión en español mantuvo los cinco factores de la versión original: tecno-sobrecarga, tecno-invasión, tecno-complejidad, tecno-inseguridad y tecno-incertidumbre. Asimismo, las dimensiones demostraron una adecuada fiabilidad. En cuanto a los resultados del Análisis Factorial Confirmatorio (AFC), la estructura de cinco factores de la versión en inglés fue replicada. Por otra parte, el análisis de la invarianza de género arrojó diferencias entre los grupos. Conclusiones: La escala resultante cuenta con 18 ítems, siendo más corta que la versión original. En la discusión se detallan las implicaciones y limitaciones de la validación en español de este instrumento.(AU)

Non-Heteronormative Sexual Orientations at Work: Disclosure Dynamics and the Negotiation of Boundaries between Lesbian and Gay Employees and Their Co-workers.

This article focuses on the interactional dynamics which take place during disclosure of non-heteronormative sexual orientations at work. Since the disclosure might be considered a process through which lesbian and gay (LG) people share information about their personal life at work, Boundary Theory, which explores how people create boundaries between life domains, allows us to better understand disclosure dynamics. For this purpose, 39 Spanish lesbian and gay employees were interviewed. The results demonstrated that LG employees and their coworkers, affected by the socio-cultural context, are jointly responsible for the integration/segmentation of LG employees' personal and work domains, thus questioning the extent to which management of non-heteronormative sexual orientations is considered a strategic choice under the control of LG employees alone.

Nature and Mindfulness to Cope with Work-Related Stress: A Narrative Review.

In recent years, work-related stress has grown exponentially and the negative impact that this condition has on people's health is considerable. The effects of work-related stress can be distinguished in those that affect workers (e.g., depression and anxiety) and those that affect the company (e.g., absenteeism and productivity). It is possible to distinguish two types of prevention interventions. Individual interventions aim at promoting coping and individual resilience strategies with the aim of modifying cognitive assessments of the potential stressor, thus reducing its negative impact on health. Mindfulness techniques have been found to be effective stress management tools that are also useful in dealing with stressful events in the workplace. Organizational interventions modify the risk factors connected to the context and content of the work. It was found that a restorative workplace (i.e., with natural elements) reduces stress and fatigue, improving work performance. Furthermore, practicing mindfulness in nature helps to improve the feeling of wellbeing and to relieve stress. In this paper, we review the role of mindfulness-based practices and of contact with nature in coping with stressful situations at work, and we propose a model of coping with work-related stress by using mindfulness in nature-based practices.

Measurement Invariance of the Satisfaction with Life Scale by Sexual Orientation.

The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) has shown strong evidence of reliability, validity, and gender invariance, and there is some evidence of invariance across age, culture, and educational levels. So far, invariance across sexual orientation has not been studied, despite the number of works that relate well-being to sexual orientation. The SWLS should be invariant across sexual orientation to be able to compare group means. This study aimed to explore the invariance of the SWLS across sexual orientation. A non-probabilistic sample with 553 Spanish adults (208 males, 345 females; 212 heterosexuals, 182 gays, and 138 bisexuals among other sexual orientations) participated in a survey. We tested a one-factor model using confirmatory factor analysis. We tested the configural, metric, and scalar invariance of the factorial structure of the SWLS across sexual orientation with heterosexual, lesbian/gay, and bisexual groups. According to our results, the Spanish version of the SWLS shows scalar invariance across sexual orientations, allowing a valid comparison between sexual minority and heterosexual people. Moreover, in our sample, lesbian/gay and bisexual participants obtained lower scores in life satisfaction than heterosexual participants. Bisexual people obtained the lowest score in well-being compared with the other groups. Implications related to the importance of checking instrument invariance before comparing mean differences between groups are discussed.

Discrimination and Exclusion on Grounds of Sexual and Gender Identity: Are LGBT People's Voices Heard at the Workplace?

The review explores key issues associated with discrimination and hostility faced by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people at work and organizational responses to it. Starting from a description of the main challenges facing LGBT workers' identity management, the review examines manifestations of negative attitudes towards gender and sexual minority groups, highlighting processes of subtle discrimination and exclusion. It presents and critiques dominant organizational responses to LGBT stigmatization, highlighting the need for holistic, intersectional approaches, and pointing out issues requiring further research.

Spanish Validation of the Shorter Version of the Workplace Incivility Scale: An Employment Status Invariant Measure.

Workplace Incivility (WI) occurs worldwide and has negative consequences on individuals and organizations. Valid and comprehensive instruments have been used, specifically in English speaking countries, to measure such adverse process at work, but it is not available a validated instrument for research carried out in Spanish speaking countries. In this study we aim to test the psychometric properties of the Matthews and Ritter's four-item Workplace Incivility Scale (2016) with Spanish workers (N = 407) from different sectors. Participants' mean age was 38.73 (SD = 10.45) years old and the percentage of female employees was 59.2%. Confirmatory factor analysis using AMOS 19.0 was carried out, presenting a good fit. The internal consistency, convergent and concurrent validity of the scale were examined. Results show good scale reliability and expected high correlations with social undermining. Moreover, the scale related to propensity to leave a job, job satisfaction, and psychological well-being in the expected way. After configural invariance across groups was established, testing for metric invariance and scalar invariance was performed. Considering Δχ2 and ΔCFI tests for two nested models, the 4-item scale was invariant when the employment status is considered (permanent vs. temporal, full-time vs. part-time, and supervisor vs. non-supervisors). Overall, our findings showed good psychometric properties of the shorter version of the WIS in Spain. Theoretical and practical implications of this study are discussed.

Be Friendly, Stay Well: The Effects of Job Resources on Well-Being in a Discriminatory Work Environment.

Many studies have focused on the negative effects of discrimination on workers' well-being. However, discrimination does not affect just victims but also those people who witness discriminatory acts or who perceived they are working in a discriminatory work environment. Although perceiving a discriminatory work environment might be a stressor, the presence of job resources might counteract its negative effects, as suggested by the Job Demand-Resources model. The goal of this study is to test the effect of perceiving a discriminatory work environment on workers' psychological well-being when job autonomy and co-workers and supervisor support act as mediator and moderators respectively. To test the moderated mediation model data were gathered with a sample of Italian 114 truckers. Results demonstrated that job autonomy partially mediates the relationship between perceiving a discriminatory work environment and workers' well-being. Main interactional effects have been observed when co-workers support is introduced in the model as moderator, while no main interactional effects exist when supervisor support is introduced. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Workplace Incivility as Modern Sexual Prejudice.

Although discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation is prohibited by law in many countries, negative prejudices against Lesbian and Gay (LG) people, as a stigmatized minority, might be internalized by co-workers, being a source of a modern and subtle form of discrimination. Results from 39 in-depth semi-structured interviews with LG employees show that they are victims of workplace incivility which is manifested through jokes, use of language, stereotypes, and intrusive behaviors. Such acts are barely recognizable as a form of discrimination, due to the absence of any reference to sexual orientation, and for this reason it is more difficult to act against them at an organizational level. This is the first study that demonstrates how workplace incivility toward LG employees can be an expression of a subtle form of discrimination. It shows that discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation has not disappeared; it has simply changed its manifestations. Contributions and implications of the study are discussed from a theoretical and a practical perspective.

Approaching the Discriminatory Work Environment as Stressor: The Protective Role of Job Satisfaction on Health.

Discrimination is a complex phenomenon with adverse consequences at personal and organizational levels. Past studies have demonstrated that workers who are victims of discrimination might show less job satisfaction, less organizational commitment and worse levels of health and productivity. Although most research has focused on the effects of discrimination on victims, less is known about the extent to which discrimination produces consequences on workers who perceive the existence of a discriminatory work environment. The goal of this article is to analyze the consequences of the perception of a discriminatory work environment on employees' health. The importance of this relationship is studied taking into account the mediating effect of job satisfaction. In order to reach this goal a cross-sectional study was carried out with a sample of 1633 Italian workers (male = 826, female = 764), employed in private and public sectors, and in different hierarchical positions. Results suggest that the perception of a discriminatory work environment is negatively associated with employees' health. This relationship is partially mediated by job satisfaction (R (2) = 0.17). This study demonstrates that perceiving a discriminatory work environment might have a negative impact on workers' health. A higher level of job satisfaction might buffer this effect. These findings have several practical implications. On the one hand, Human Resource Managers need to intervene in order to recognize and diminish implicit biases, creating a healthy and inclusive environment (e.g., through training, diversity policies, etc.). On the other hand, promoting job satisfaction (e.g., providing mechanisms of voice) might help workers to preserve their well-being, coping with the negative effects of a discriminatory work environment.

Reconstruyendo el diálogo social y promoviendo organizaciones inclusivas. Una herramienta para la innovación social en tiempos de crisis / Rebuilding the social dialogue and promoting inclusive organizations. A tool for social innovation in times of crisis

Se aborda en el presente trabajo el desarrollo de una agenda de investigación enmarcada por las dificultades del entorno socioeconómico y su incidencia en las políticas de igualdad en el contexto laboral. Se presentan cuatro estudios desarrollados en el marco de la mejora del diálogo social y la promoción de organizaciones inclusivas, resaltando el estado del tema en España y su significado para la práctica profesional. Los estudios se centran en a) la necesidad de capacitar y apoderar a los agentes sociales - especialmente a los representantes de los trabajadores - para liderar la innovación social y la promoción de organizaciones inclusivas, b) las actuaciones ante las manifestaciones actuales de la denominada discriminación moderna en el contexto laboral, c) las barreras para promover la integración laboral de las personas con discapacidad, y d) el apoyo a las políticas de conciliación entre el trabajo y la vida personal

This paper addresses the developing research agenda framed by the difficulties of the socio-economic environment and its impact on equality policies in the employment context. We present four studies developed in the framework of improving the social dialogue and promoting inclusive organizations, highlighting the status of the issue in Spain and its meaning for professional practice. The studies focus on a) the need to train and empower social actors - especially workers’ representatives - to lead social innovation and promote inclusive organizations, b) proceedings for acting against the current manifestations of what is known as "modern discrimination" in the work context, c ) labor integration of persons with disabilities, and d) supporting policies to balance work and personal life