Among the multiple factors that condition our health, quality of life and/or well-being, our work life is undoubtedly one of the most relevant. Broadening current knowledge on what determines a healthy working environment and promoting its key ingredients will lead to an improvement in workers' quality of work life, well-being and health. But, evidence also shows that this knowledge is also key to the health of organizations, in terms of productivity, efficiency, resilience, etc. This line of research is aimed at analysing and promoting the individual, organizational and social factors that enhance healthy working environments, which ultimately contribute to employees' quality of work life and well-being.
Specific thesis projects offered inside of this line of research include the following:
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Thesis Proposals |
Researchers |
Research Group |
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Promoting organizational resilience and competitiveness without forgetting employees wellbeing
Currently organizations must face multiple challenges to secure their competitiveness and survival in the current market. Hence, they adopt different measures. In this respect, organizational resilience, understood as the ability of an organization to anticipate, prepare for, respond and adapt to incremental change and sudden disruptions in order to survive and prosper, is vital. In other words, how organizations cope with external and internal different challenges and threats is key. We must however, take this into account without neglecting employees' well-being, since organizations’ measures can affect employee attitudes, behaviors and health.
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Dr Pilar Ficapal Cusi
Dr Mihaela Enache Zegheru
Dr Clara Selva Olid
Dr Vicente Peñarroja
Dr Sergi Fàbregues |
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Organizational interventions to promote healthy work environments Work is undoubtedly one of the most relevant factors that determine people’s health, quality of life and well-being. So, advancing knowledge and promoting the key factors that determine a healthy work environment not only leads to an improvement in workers’ quality of work life, well-being and health, but also it is crucial for the health of organizations (productivity, efficiency, resilience, etc.). In this vein, our research aims to develop organizational interventions through TIC in order to facilitate healthy work environments, and contribute to workers’ health, quality of work life and well-being. As you can see, we are working on several projects, but we are open to any innovative idea in the area. So we will be happy to hear about your ideas. |
Dr Pilar Ficapal Cusi
Dr Mihaela Enache Zegheru
Dr Clara Selva Olid
Dr Vicente Peñarroja
Dr Sergi Fábregues Feijóo
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Stress in the workplace People experience stress in their workplaces, understood as harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker. Although multiple stressors can be identified in work, currently we can especially highligth three work stressors: 1. Job precarity and job insecurity (concern about the possibility of job loss); 2. Mobbing; and 3. Emotion work, understood as management of one’s own feelings. In this vein, our research aims to study stress process in the workplace, examining different work stressors (i.e. job insecurity, mobbing or work emotion) as well as their potential determinants, consequences and coping strategies. As you can see, we are working in several projects, but we are open to any innovative idea in the area. So we will be happy to hear about your ideas.
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Dr Pilar Ficapal Cusi
Dr Mihaela Enache Zegheru
Dr Clara Selva Olid
Dr Vicente Peñarroja
Dr Sergi Fábregues Feijóo |
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Remote work, digital disconnection & worker health
The digital transformation of jobs, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has driven the growth of different forms of remote work (e.g. telework, work-from-home, digital platforms). Although these types of employment offer advantages (including greater autonomy and flexibility at work, or more flexibility in balancing work and personal life), they also have negative impacts on workers' health and quality of life, including difficulty digitally disconnecting from work. A lack of disconnection can lead to burnout, caused by increased work demands and difficulty separating work and rest. In addition, social isolation among remote workers can increase the risk of excessive digital use. In this research line, we are looking to examine digital disconnection as a tool for preventing the adverse effects of excessive digital technology use on occupational health. |
Dr Vicente Peñarroja
Dr Pilar Ficapal Cusi
Dr Mihaela Enache Zegheru |
I2TIC |
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Pain and health at work
Pain affects a person's ability to perform at work and has a significant impact on quality of life. The relationship between pain and work is a topic that can be approached from a number of perspectives.
Inadequate working conditions can contribute to lumbar and cervical pain.
Pain can also be a common symptom in people with mental health problems such as stress and anxiety.
Our proposal for this line of research is to examine the relationship between work, pain and occupational health.
The aim is to investigate the interaction between different individual characteristics and psychosocial constructs on the one hand, and different dimensions of occupational health and working conditions on the other.
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Mail: pficapal@uoc.edu
Dr Rubén Nieto
Mail: rnietol@uoc.edu
Mail:vpenarrojac@uoc.edu
Mail: cenache@uoc.edu
Mail: cselvao@uoc.edu
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