scholarly journals Does the End Justify the Means? The Role of Organizational Communication among Work-from-Home Employees during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 3933
Author(s):  
Margherita Zito ◽  
Emanuela Ingusci ◽  
Claudio G. Cortese ◽  
Maria Luisa Giancaspro ◽  
Amelia Manuti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Communication ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Structural Equations ◽  
Current Crisis ◽  
Personal Resource ◽  
Physical Disorders ◽  
Working Processes

During the first months of 2020, the world, and Italy at an early stage, went through the Covid-19 emergency that had a great impact on individual and collective health, but also on working processes. The mandatory remote working and the constant use of technology for employees raised different implications related to technostress and psycho-physical disorders. This study aimed to detect, in such a period of crisis and changes, the role of organizational communication considering the mediating role of both technostress and self-efficacy, with psycho-physical disorders as outcome. The research involved 530 workers working from home. A Structural Equations Model was estimated, revealing that organizational communication is positively associated with self-efficacy and negatively with technostress and psycho-physical disorders. As mediators, technostress is positively associated with psycho-physical disorders, whereas self-efficacy is negatively associated. As regards mediated effects, results showed negative associations between organizational communication and psycho-physical disorders through both technostress and self-efficacy. This study highlighted the potential protective role of organizational communication that could buffer the effect of technostress and enhance a personal resource, self-efficacy, which is functional to the reduction of psycho-physical disorders. This study contributed to literature underlying the role of communication in the current crisis and consequent reorganization of the working processes.

A positive spiral of self-efficacy among public employees

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (8) ◽  
pp. 1607-1617
Author(s):  
Miguel Ángel Mañas Rodríguez ◽  
Yolanda Estreder ◽  
Vicente Martinez-Tur ◽  
Pedro Antonio Díaz-Fúnez ◽  
Vicente Pecino-Medina
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Public Employees ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Personal Resource ◽  
Role Behaviors

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to test a positive spiral of self-efficacy among public employees. The spiral proposes that self-efficacy is positively related to extra-role behaviors. These behaviors in turn are positively related to subsequent self-efficacy. Design/methodology/approach A total of 260 public employees participated in three waves of data collection: self-efficacy (T1); extra-role behaviors (T2); self-efficacy (T3). Findings The results confirmed the existence of a positive spiral of self-efficacy. There was a positive and significant link from self-efficacy of employees (T1) to extra-role behaviors (T2). In addition, it was found a positive and significant relationship between extra-role behaviors (T2) and subsequent self-efficacy (T3) once the link from self-efficacy in T1 and T3 was controlled for. The mediation role of extra-role behaviors was also confirmed. Originality/value The examination of positive spirals is one of the critical challenges of the investigation of personal resources. In the current research study, the authors test the positive spiral of a critical personal resource such as self-efficacy. Additionally, the lagged design permits a solid test of the aforementioned spiral.

scholarly journals Protective Role of Naturally Occurring Interleukin-17A-Producing γδ T Cells in the Lung at the Early Stage of Systemic Candidiasis in Mice

2011 ◽  
Vol 79 (11) ◽  
pp. 4503-4510 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takashi Dejima ◽  
Kensuke Shibata ◽  
Hisakata Yamada ◽  
Hiromitsu Hara ◽  
Yoichiro Iwakura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Γδ T Cells ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Peripheral Tissues ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Interleukin 17A

ABSTRACTInterleukin-17A (IL-17A)-producing γδ T cells differentiate in the fetal thymus and reside in the peripheral tissues, such as the lungs of naïve adult mice. We show here that naturally occurring γδ T cells play a protective role in the lung at a very early stage after systemic infection withCandida albicans.Selective depletion of neutrophils byin vivoadministration of anti-Ly6G monoclonal antibody (MAb) impaired fungal clearance more prominently in the lung than in the kidney 24 h after intravenous infection withC. albicans.Rapid and transient production of IL-23 was detected in the lung at 12 h, preceding IL-17A production and the influx of neutrophils, which reached a peak at 24 h after infection. IL-17A knockout (KO) mice showed reduced infiltration of neutrophils concurrently with impaired fungal clearance in the lung after infection. The major source of IL-17A was the γδ T cell population in the lung, and Cδ KO mice showed little IL-17A production and reduced neutrophil infiltration after infection. Early IL-23 production in a TLR2/MyD88-dependent manner and IL-23-triggered tyrosine kinase 2 (Tyk2) signaling were essential for IL-17A production by γδ T cells. Thus, our study demonstrated a novel role of naturally occurring IL-17A-producing γδ T cells in the first line of host defense againstC. albicansinfection.

scholarly journals The protective role of self-efficacy against workplace incivility and burnout in nursing

2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberta Fida ◽  
Heather K. Spence Laschinger ◽  
Michael P. Leiter
Keyword(s):  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Workplace Incivility

The Protective Role of Self-Efficacy against Incivility and Burnout in Nursing: A Time-lagged Study

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 (1) ◽  
pp. 10607 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Spence Laschinger ◽  
Roberta Fida ◽  
Michael Leiter
Keyword(s):  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Time Lagged

scholarly journals Pretreatment with Roxadustat (FG-4592) Attenuates Folic Acid-Induced Kidney Injury through Antiferroptosis via Akt/GSK-3β/Nrf2 Pathway

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xue Li ◽  
Yu Zou ◽  
Jia Xing ◽  
Yuan-Yuan Fu ◽  
Kai-Yue Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Renal Function ◽  
Folic Acid ◽  
Nuclear Translocation ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Kidney Injury ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Iron Accumulation ◽  
Inflammatory Factors ◽  
Nrf2 Activation

Folic acid- (FA-) induced kidney injury is characterized by the tubule damage due to the disturbance of the antioxidant system and subsequent interstitial fibrosis. FG-4592 is an inhibitor of prolyl hydroxylase of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), an antioxidant factor. The present study investigated the protective role of FG-4592 pretreatment at the early stage of the kidney injury and long-term impact on the progression of renal fibrosis. FG-4592 was administrated two days before FA injection in mice. On the second day after FA injection, the mice with FG-4592 pretreatment showed an improved renal function, compared with those without FG-4592 pretreatment, indicated by biochemical and histological parameters; meanwhile, the cellular content of iron, malondialdehyde, and 4-hydroxynonenal histologically decreased, implying the suppression of iron accumulation and lipid peroxidation. Simultaneously, upregulation of HIF-1α was found, along with Nrf2 activation, which was reflected by increased nuclear translocation and high-expression of downstream proteins, including heme-oxygenase1, glutathione peroxidase4, and cystine/glutamate transporter, as well as ferroportin. Correspondingly, the elevated levels of antioxidative enzymes and glutathione, as well as reduced iron accumulation, were observed, suggesting a lower risk of occurrence of ferroptosis with FG-4592 pretreatment. This was confirmed by reversed pathological parameters and improved renal function in FA-treated mice with the administration of ferrostatin-1, a specific ferroptosis inhibitor. Furthermore, a signal pathway study indicated that Nrf2 activation was associated with increased phosphorylation of Akt and GSK-3β, verified by the use of an inhibitor of the PI3K that phosphorylates Akt. Moreover, FG-4592 pretreatment also decreased macrophage infiltration and expression of inflammatory factors TNF-α and IL-1β. On the 14th day after FA injection, FG-4592 pretreatment decreased collagen deposition and expression of fibrosis biomarkers. These findings suggest that the protective role of FG-4592 pretreatment is achieved mainly by decreasing ferroptosis at the early stage of FA-induced kidney injury via Akt/GSK-3β-mediated Nrf2 activation, which retards the fibrosis progression.

A Dynamic Model of Entrepreneurial Uncertainty and Business Opportunity Identification: Exploration as a Mediator and Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy as a Moderator

2017 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 835-859 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antje Schmitt ◽  
Kathrin Rosing ◽  
Stephen X. Zhang ◽  
Michael Leatherbee
Keyword(s):  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Mediation Model ◽  
Multilevel Regression ◽  
Opportunity Identification ◽  
Personal Resource ◽  
Business Opportunity ◽  
Moderated Mediation Model ◽  
Business Opportunities

This study focuses on the identification of business opportunities when entrepreneurs’ perceived level of environmental uncertainty changes. We suggest that within persons, exploration mediates this relationship and entrepreneurial self-efficacy moderates whether entrepreneurs explore more or less with increasing uncertainty. To test our moderated mediation model we conducted a monthly field study with 121 early-stage entrepreneurs. Multilevel regression analyses reveal that an increase in the level of perceived uncertainty within entrepreneurs predicted the identification of opportunities through exploration for entrepreneurs high in self-efficacy, but not for those low in self-efficacy. Entrepreneurial self-efficacy acts as a personal resource that helps entrepreneurs to transform increasing perceptions of uncertainty into exploration and opportunity identification.

Self-efficacy to spur job performance

2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 891-907 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dirk De Clercq ◽  
Inam Ul Haq ◽  
Muhammad Umer Azeem
Keyword(s):  
Job Performance ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Workplace Incivility ◽  
Conservation Of Resources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Personal Resource ◽  
Organizational Functioning ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Uncivil Behaviors

Purpose With a foundation in conservation of resources theory, the purpose of this paper is to unpack the relationship between employees’ self-efficacy and job performance, investigating the mediating role of job-related anxiety and the moderating role of perceived workplace incivility. Design/methodology/approach Survey data were collected from employees and their supervisors in Pakistani organizations. Findings An important reason that employees’ self-efficacy enhances their job performance is that they experience less anxiety while undertaking their daily job tasks. This mediating role of job-related anxiety is particularly salient to the extent that employees believe that they are the victims of uncivil behaviors. Practical implications Organizations should note that the anxiety-mitigating effect of self-efficacy is particularly strong for generating adequate performance to the extent that rude and discourteous behaviors cannot be completely avoided in the workplace. Originality/value This study establishes a more complete understanding of the benefits of employees’ self-efficacy by revealing how reduced worries about their organizational functioning represent critical mechanisms that connect this personal resource to higher job performance, as well as by showing how employees’ perceptions of workplace incivility invigorate this process.

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