Recently, we returned from an inspiring time at the 2019 European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology congress. This year’s congress was held in beautiful Turin, Italy at the Lingotto Conference Center, the repurposed historic Fiat automobile factory. The theme of this year’s congress was “Working for the Greater Good: Inspiring people, designing jobs and leading organizations for a more inclusive society,” which was attended by thousands of scientists and practitioners from around the globe. One highlight of the conference was the apericena, an informal get-together including light portions of local cuisine, which provided a unique opportunity for networking and conversation.
The Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences was represented by Professor Leslie Hammer, post-doctoral researchers Jackie Brady, MacKenna Perry, Marjaana Sianjoa, and Nicholas Smith, and former summer intern Lev El-Askari, in multiple presentations. Presentation topics included:
- Impact of a supervisor training intervention in the U.S. Forest Service on workers’ health and safety
- Impact of supervisor training on supervisor and employee outcomes from the Study of Employment Retention of Veterans
- Ongoing work on the crossover of resilience between supervisors and employees among full-time employees in the Oregon National Guard
- Work exploring the impact of sexual harassment in an organizational context
Each of these talks was well received and led to engaging discussions with members of the audience.
A takeaway from the congress is the interest in areas of research that we, at the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences, value deeply. For example, keynote speakers discussed topics such as the interplay between science and politics, the work-life interface, the importance of job design, the influence of subtle biases in the workplace, and how to translate science to make policy impact. Additionally, we heard many talks on issues such as burnout, work-life balance, work design, safety, diversity and inclusion, and employee health and well-being, along with many other areas. As we continue to conduct cutting-edge research and build useful interventions and programming for important stakeholders, it has become undeniable that fostering connections and sharing our work with others is of utmost importance if we want to truly make a difference. Overall, we believe that engaging with our global community is an important part of outreach and feel that our presence at EAWOP was a success!
EAWOP’s congress is held biennially and will next take place in Glasgow from May 26 – 29, 2021. For more information on how to get involved in the future, check out EAWOP’s informational website.
Submitted by: Nicholas A. Smith, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Researcher, Hammer Lab
