This study examines the relationships among farm–related stress, social support and psychological health in Norwegian farm spouses. Unlike most families, farm families are characterised by the intertwining of work and family. It is here claimed that indicators representative of contemporary farm life influence experienced well–being, though in different ways for women and men. Farm husbands’ and farm wives’ exposure and vulnerability to stressors in work, family and social networks are investigated. Data analysis focuses on the impact of stress on his and her psychological well–being and the extent to which social support mitigates the effect of stress. While farm life is often described as gender biased, it is here found that farm couples’ psychological well–being is to a high degree influenced by the same stressors. One conclusion is that farm life is intertwined and that farm couples may be best characterized by symmetry in the relation between experienced stress and well–being.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate if institutional stress is related to job performance among hospital employees, and if institutional stress is fully or partly mediated by motivational resources with regards to the relation with job performance. Design/methodology/approach A self-completion survey was distributed to four public hospitals in Norway, and had a response rate of 40% (N = 9,162). Structural equation modelling was conducted on two groups of hospital employees with (N = 795) and without (N = 8,367) managerial responsibilities. Findings Institutional stress was negatively related to job performance for hospital employees without managerial responsibilities. The motivational resources autonomy, competence development and social support partly mediated the relationship between institutional stress and job performance in the group of employees without managerial responsibilities. In the leader group, the motivational resources fully mediated the relationship between institutional stress and job performance. Social support from leaders had a non-significant influence on job performance in both groups. Research limitations/implications The main limitation with this study is its cross-sectional design. Originality/value The study enables us to extend how work-related stress is related to job performance and the mediating role of the job resources autonomy, competence development and social support. The focus on productivity, and top management’s wish to improve hospital performance, may have unintended consequences, leading to a gap between managerial and clinical worldviews and understanding of goals, policies, values and prioritizing. This can lead to institutional stress. The findings of this study suggest that institutional stress has negative effects on hospital employees’ work motivation and job performance.

This paper focuses on practical transitions in three generations of contemporary Norwegian farm couples. With their tightly interconnected relationships, farm families present a unique opportunity for studying bounding and transitions across generations. The main hypotheses of the paper are that different generations of genders within farm couples will exhibit differences in their distribution of caregiving (H₁), practical help is still transferred across generations (H₂), and that childcare and caregiving of the elderly promotes feelings of ambivalence amongst those involved (H₃). Empirical implications are tested against 2002 data from a representative sample of Norwegian farm couples and a qualitative sample of three generational farm families. Analyses indicate that living arrangements with, and relationships amongst, family members across generations are closely bound up with general modernisation processes. The results of the analyses suggest that members of traditional farm families seem to be most sensitively attuned to one another.

This article examines how policy-relevant aspects such as gender equality, work load and relationship qualities affect family well-being. The analysis aims at identifying the constellation of factors that can explain family life satisfaction using data drawn from the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP). Despite the fact that Norwegian welfare policies have a strong emphasis on supporting gender equality and mothers' employment, the study finds a gendered pattern in parents' work and family lives. Family well-being is shown to be influenced by family internal factors, such as time pressure, the quality of close relations, and level of conflict. This in turn provides input for national policy-making.

This article analyses how implementation and use of digital technologies involve changes in work content, organization, and management in the petroleum industry. This is important, given that the industry is in a phase with mature technology and heavy pressure on efficiency and cost-effectiveness, at the same time as older systems and work processes prevail. The article draws on data acquired through interviews in a number of companies, organizations and specialist teams. The results show that far-reaching digitalization will mean radical changes to the way employees and managers work. The level of success in using digital technologies can be related to the ability to alter the content and form of work and expertise requirements, while retaining trust in technology and coping with uncertainty. A key conclusion is that clarifications related to work processes, roles, and responsibilities between the various actors in the supply chain are the most significant obstacles to successful technology adoption.