IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v10y2013i10p4996-5010d29468.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Improving the Psychosocial Work Environment at Multi-Ethnic Workplaces: A Multi-Component Intervention Strategy in the Cleaning Industry

Author

Listed:
  • Louise Hardman Smith

    (The National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkallé 105, Copenhagen DK-2100, Denmark)

  • Kirsten Hviid

    (REMESO, Linköping University, Holmentorget 10, Norrköping SE-1601 74, Sweden)

  • Karen Bo Frydendall

    (The National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkallé 105, Copenhagen DK-2100, Denmark)

  • Mari-Ann Flyvholm

    (The National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkallé 105, Copenhagen DK-2100, Denmark)

Abstract

Global labour migration has increased in recent years and immigrant workers are often recruited into low status and low paid jobs such as cleaning. Research in a Danish context shows that immigrants working in the cleaning industry often form social networks based on shared languages and backgrounds, and that conflict between different ethnic groups may occur. This paper evaluates the impact of a multi-component intervention on the psychosocial work environment at a multi-ethnic Danish workplace in the cleaning sector. The intervention included Danish lessons, vocational training courses, and activities to improve collaboration across different groups of cleaners. Interviews about the outcome of the intervention were conducted with the cleaners and their supervisor. The Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire was used as a supplement to the interviews. The results suggest that the psychosocial work environment had improved after the intervention. According to the interviews with the cleaners, the intervention had led to improved communication, trust, and collaboration. These findings are supported by the questionnaire where social support from supervisor and colleagues, social community, trust, and teamwork seem to have improved together with meaning of work, rewards, and emotional demands. The design of the intervention may provide inspiration for future psychosocial work environment interventions at multi-ethnic work places.

Suggested Citation

  • Louise Hardman Smith & Kirsten Hviid & Karen Bo Frydendall & Mari-Ann Flyvholm, 2013. "Improving the Psychosocial Work Environment at Multi-Ethnic Workplaces: A Multi-Component Intervention Strategy in the Cleaning Industry," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-15, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:10:y:2013:i:10:p:4996-5010:d:29468
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/10/10/4996/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/10/10/4996/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Felix Requena, 2003. "Social Capital, Satisfaction and Quality of Life in the Workplace," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 61(3), pages 331-360, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Kevin Daniels & David Watson & Cigdem Gedikli, 2017. "Well-Being and the Social Environment of Work: A Systematic Review of Intervention Studies," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-16, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Huan Zhang & Lin Sun & Qiujie Zhang, 2022. "How Workplace Social Capital Affects Turnover Intention: The Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction and Burnout," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-12, August.
    2. Eunae Jin & Woojong Lee & Danya Kim, 2018. "Does Resident Participation in an Urban Regeneration Project Improve Neighborhood Satisfaction: A Case Study of “Amichojang” in Busan, South Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-13, October.
    3. Andreas Tsounis & Despoina Xanthopoulou & Evangelia Demerouti & Konstantinos Kafetsios & Ioannis Tsaousis, 2023. "Workplace Social Capital: Redefining and Measuring the Construct," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 165(2), pages 555-583, January.
    4. Nagamani Subramanian & M. Suresh, 2022. "Social Sustainability Factors Influencing the Implementation of Sustainable HRM in Manufacturing SMEs," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 7(3), pages 469-507, December.
    5. Haruna M. Moda & Christopher Nwadike & Mela Danjin & Francis Fatoye & Chidozie E. Mbada & Louise Smail & Pauline J. S. Doka, 2021. "Quality of Work Life (QoWL) and Perceived Workplace Commitment among Seasonal Farmers in Nigeria," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-12, January.
    6. Niranjala Hulugalla & Kyohei Yamada & Makoto Kakinaka, 2021. "Personal social capital and voluntary participation in the Village Development Programme in rural Sri Lanka," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(5), pages 803-825, July.
    7. Louise Nash, 2024. "There and Back Again: Neuro-Diverse Employees, Liminality and Negative Capability," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 38(1), pages 262-278, February.
    8. Christoph Hauser & Urban Perkmann & Sibylle Puntscher & Janette Walde & Gottfried Tappeiner, 2016. "Trust Works! Sources and Effects of Social Capital in the Workplace," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 128(2), pages 589-608, September.
    9. Amedeo Maizza & Monica Fait & Paola Scorrano & Antonio Iazzi, 2019. "How Knowledge Sharing Culture Can Become a Facilitator of the Sustainable Development in the Agrifood Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-15, February.
    10. Barros, Carlos Pestana & Nunes, Francisco, 2008. "Social capital in non-profit organizations: A multi-disciplinary perspective," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 37(4), pages 1554-1569, August.
    11. J. Cramm & V. Møller & A. Nieboer, 2012. "Individual- and Neighbourhood-Level Indicators of Subjective Well-Being in a Small and Poor Eastern Cape Township: The Effect of Health, Social Capital, Marital Status, and Income," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 105(3), pages 581-593, February.
    12. Jing Zou & Xiaojun Deng, 2021. "The complex association between migrants’ residential community choice and subjective well‐being: Evidence from urban China," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(3), pages 1652-1679, September.
    13. W. Cai & F.H.J. Polzin & F.C. Stam, 2019. "Crowdfunding and Social Capital: A Systematic Literature Review," Working Papers 19-05, Utrecht School of Economics.
    14. Radey, Melissa & Wilke, Dina J., 2023. "Extent, trajectory, and determinants of child welfare turnover and exit destinations," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    15. Gunawan Prayitno & Ainul Hayat & Achmad Efendi & Hagus Tarno & Fikriyah & Septia Hana Fauziah, 2022. "Structural Model of Social Capital and Quality of Life of Farmers in Supporting Sustainable Agriculture (Evidence: Sedayulawas Village, Lamongan Regency-Indonesia)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-18, September.
    16. Roszaini Haniffa & Mohammad Hudaib & Tasawar Nawaz, 2022. "The Value of Social Capital for the Success of SPAC IPOs," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-15, May.
    17. Xinguang Chen & Bin Yu & Jie Gong & Peigang Wang & Amy L. Elliott, 2018. "Social Capital Associated with Quality of Life Mediated by Employment Experiences: Evidence from a Random Sample of Rural-to-Urban Migrants in China," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 139(1), pages 327-346, August.
    18. František Murgaš & František Petrovič & Anna Tirpáková, 2022. "Social Capital as a Predictor of Quality of Life: The Czech Experience," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-17, May.
    19. Christoph Hauser, 2015. "Effects of Employee Social Capital on Wage Satisfaction, Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment," Working Papers 2015-12, Faculty of Economics and Statistics, Universität Innsbruck.
    20. Cai, Wanxiang & Polzin, Friedemann & Stam, Erik, 2021. "Crowdfunding and social capital: A systematic review using a dynamic perspective," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:10:y:2013:i:10:p:4996-5010:d:29468. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.