Research Update Institute of Work Psychology | 2014 Welcome to IWP 2014 We are a group of enthusiastic work psychologists and organisational behaviour researchers at the University of Sheffield, UK, comprising both academic staff and doctoral researchers. These four pages contain very brief notes about a few of our projects; please follow up any which interest you online or contact a researcher directly. The I nstitute’s general website is www.sheffield.ac.uk/ management/research/iwp Founded in 1968 as the Social and Applied Psychology Unit and becoming the Institute of Work Psychology (IWP) in 1994, we are now part of Sheffield University Management School, one of only 59 Triple Crown accredited business schools in the world. The school has recently moved into superb new accommodation, and the Institute expects to appoint at least two additional members of academic staff during 2014.
New Stressors and New Approaches Stressors in a job can emerge in different forms as technology continues to advance. For example, the steady flow of email messages in a job may now include abuse from another person – cyberbullying. SAM FARLEY is investigating this process, with particular attention to how cyberbullied individuals explain an episode to themselves. For instance, they could blame the organisation, perhaps leading to poor work performance, or they might blame themselves, giving rise to reduced self-esteem. A study of junior doctors has found that self-blame for being bullied online is linked to higher mental strain. Reflecting about “Who’s to blame?” may thus have significant organisational as well as personal consequences.
A relatively new method to handle stress in the job is through the application of “Mindfulness” procedures. These involve focusing attention closely on something in the present moment and using meditation or yoga. Mindfulness has been shown to be effective in medical settings and its procedures are increasingly used in schools and on the sports field; but can they also help in jobs? LEANNE INGRAM is working to learn more about that, and would particularly appreciate contact from others interested in the topic.
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