Brendan Burchell | University of Cambridge (original) (raw)
Papers by Brendan Burchell
The paper used in this book is chlorine-free and comes from managed forests in northern Europe. F... more The paper used in this book is chlorine-free and comes from managed forests in northern Europe. For every tree felled, at least one new tree is planted.
Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research, 2014
Work, Employment & Society, 1997
Gend Work Organ, 2008
... Furthermore there was a very unequal spread Address for correspondence: 'BrendanBurchell... more ... Furthermore there was a very unequal spread Address for correspondence: 'BrendanBurchell, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, University of Cambridge, 8-9, Jesus Lane, Cambridge CBS 8BA. 0 Blackwell Publishers Ltd. ...
Development and Change, 2015
ABSTRACT This article examines the impact of the International Labour Organization's conc... more ABSTRACT This article examines the impact of the International Labour Organization's concept of Decent Work on development thinking and the academic literature. We attempt to answer the question of what makes a development initiative successful by comparing the decent work approach to the United Nation Development Programme's Human Development concept (in conjunction with the human development indicator). We consider that the latter has been one of the most successful development concepts ever to have been launched, while the impact of decent work by comparison has been limited. Our hypothesis relating to the question of what makes a development initiative successful has three fundamental components: first, a solid theoretical foundation has to justify the launch of a development concept. A second vital factor is the availability of sufficient national and internationally comparable data that enables researchers and policy makers alike to apply the concept, preferably by means of a synthetic indicator. Third, the political will and institutional structure of the development institution that launches a concept is a key factor, particularly if data availability is limited as countries then have to be persuaded to generate new data.
Journal of Neuroscience, Psychology, and Economics, 2012
There is a scarcity of information concerning the emotional aspects of financial management. Two ... more There is a scarcity of information concerning the emotional aspects of financial management. Two studies were conducted to evaluate the measurement of conscious and intuitive emotional anxiety toward one's personal finances. Along with a selfreported financial anxiety questionnaire, a modified Emotional Stroop Test (EST) and Dot-Probe Paradigm (DPP) were separately utilized to evaluate financial anxiety. In both studies, the self-reported financial anxiety questionnaire correlated significantly with the implicit measures. Furthermore, the DPP was predominantly characterized by avoidance of financial information. Financial anxiety was shown to be a separate construct from depression and general anxiety. These findings indicate that those who report having financial anxiety also display reaction latencies in the processing of financial information. Accordingly, financial behavior could be more comprehensively evaluated and policy could be better determined by incorporating financial anxiety into models of financial illiteracy, mismanagement, and debt.
Despite much legislative progress in gender equality over the past 40 years, there are still gend... more Despite much legislative progress in gender equality over the past 40 years, there are still gender gaps across many aspects of the labour market. Inequalities are still evident in areas such as access to the labour market, employment patterns and associated working conditions. This report explores gender differences across several dimensions of working conditions, examining relevant country differences, analysing the different occupational groups of both men and women, and comparing the public and private sectors. It also looks at the impact of the crisis on gender segregation in employment. Based on findings from the fifth European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS), conducted in 2010, the analysis offers a striking picture of women and men at work across 34 European countries today
The present study discusses what work intensity is and how it can be measured. It shows that ther... more The present study discusses what work intensity is and how it can be measured. It shows that there is a strong link between work intensity and poor working conditions, both physical and psychological. Moreover, nowadays there is little indication that intensification of work is decreasing. Work intensification has developed, it is often argued, as a result of globalisation, as well as from the need to fulfil Europe's objectives of being more competitive and to create more jobs and economical growth. These are all reasons which are likely to remain, at least over the short and medium term.
Routledge Studies in Employment Relations, 2001
... 91 5.1 Overview of independent, moderator and dependent variables used in the JIWI study 95 5... more ... 91 5.1 Overview of independent, moderator and dependent variables used in the JIWI study 95 5.2 Spearman's rho correlations between work intensification/job insecurity and psychologicalwell-being measures 98 5.3 Proportion experiencing work-related complaints, by ...
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000
From 2000 the NHS was subjected to a series of far reaching reforms, the purposes of which were t... more From 2000 the NHS was subjected to a series of far reaching reforms, the purposes of which were to increase the role of the primary care sector in commissioning and providing services, promote healthier life styles, reduce health inequality, and improve service standards. These were seen as requiring a greater leadership role from health professionals, closer and more cooperative working between health professionals, and between health professionals, social services, and community and other service providers. The project surveyed a random sample of midwives and physiotherapists to investigate their perceptions of the effectiveness of the reforms, and their effects on working lives. The predominant perception was that NHS reforms had negatively affected the funding of their services; and had done little to improve service quality, delivery or organisation. Although the potential existed for the reforms to improve services, the necessary resources and required staffing were not made available and the objectives of the reforms were only partially secured by intensifying of work. The downside of this was a deterioration of the sociopsychological wellbeing of midwives and physiotherapists, especially the former, exacerbating the shortage of skilled and experienced. Shortage of staff and the associated increased work burdens were demoralising and demotivating; morale and job satisfaction declined, and job insecurity and labour turnover increased.
Sleep Medicine, 2009
Background and purpose: Epidemiological studies of restless legs syndrome (RLS) have been limited... more Background and purpose: Epidemiological studies of restless legs syndrome (RLS) have been limited by lack of a well validated patient-completed diagnostic questionnaire that has a high enough specificity to provide a reasonable positive predictive value. Most of the currently used patient completed diagnostic questionnaires have neither been validated nor included items facilitating the differential diagnosis of RLS from conditions producing similar symptoms. The Cambridge-Hopkins diagnostic questionnaire for RLS (CH-RLSq) was developed with several iterations to include items covering the basic diagnostic features of RLS and to provide some basic differential diagnosis. This validation study sought to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the RLS diagnosis based on this questionnaire. Patients and methods: The CH-RLSq was completed by 2005 blood donors who were asked to consent to being contacted for a telephone diagnostic interview. A scoring criterion was established for ascertainment of RLS based on the clinical definition of the disorder and the exclusion of ''mimic" conditions. A weighted sample (N = 185) of all completed questionnaires was selected for expert clinical diagnosis of RLS using the validated Hopkins Telephone Diagnostic Interview (HDTI). The telephone interviewers were blinded to all questionnaire responses. Results: A telephone diagnosis was obtained on 183 of the sample's 185 questionnaires. The questionnaire's normalized sensitivity and specificity were 87.2% and 94.4%, respectively, for RLS compared to not RLS. The positive predictive values in this sample were 85.5%. Conclusions: The Cambridge-Hopkins RLS questionnaire provides a reasonable level of sensitivity and specificity for ascertainment of RLS in population-based studies.
Work, Employment & Society, 1990
Work, Employment & Society, 1990
Work, Employment & Society, 1993
Work, Employment & Society, Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 237-258 June 1993 Abstract: The methodological... more Work, Employment & Society, Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 237-258 June 1993 Abstract: The methodological component of this paper describes a novel way of analyzing work-history data, treating the job change as the unit of analysis rather than the individual or the job. After considering the ...
Sociological Research Online, 2011
Analyses of individuals' working lives make a variety of assumptions about the relationship betwe... more Analyses of individuals' working lives make a variety of assumptions about the relationship between time, wellbeing and economic stress. Some assume that stress will accumulate in adverse environments, leading to chronic effects of, for instance, long-term unemployment or job insecurity. Other studies emphasize the acute effects of changes per se, and assume adaptation. This paper examines how employees respond both to acute and chronic job insecurity. This paper will use two datasets. The first is from a survey of over 300 UK employees employed in 26 companies; this dataset included both qualitative and quantitative data, at both employer and employee levels. The second dataset consisted of longitudinal data from the British Household Panel Survey. It was found that the unexpected announcement of job insecurity can cause a sudden and marked spike in psychological symptoms. Looking at longer-term effect for prolonged periods of job insecurity, wellbeing (i.e. symptoms of anxiety and depression) continues to deteriorate for at least a year, with no sign of leveling off or recovery. This is in contrast to the findings on long-term unemployment, where there is evidence of adaptation and slight improvements in psychological wellbeing after six months. The reasons for these opposing patterns between job insecurity and unemployment are discussed in terms of the challenge for individuals attempting to cope with perceived future uncertainty during the prolonged recovery from the current recession.
Sleep Medicine, 2009
Background and purpose: The link between brain iron deficiency and RLS is now well established. I... more Background and purpose: The link between brain iron deficiency and RLS is now well established. In a related observation, several conditions that can deplete iron stores have been linked to increased probability of RLS. Blood donation has been linked to iron deficiency. It has thus been hypothesized that donating blood may be a risk factor for developing RLS. Patients and methods: Two thousand and five UK blood donors, ranging from first-time donors to some who had donated more than 70 times, completed the validated Cambridge-Hopkins RLS questionnaire (CH-RLSq) following their donation session. The questionnaire included a set of questions designed to diagnose RLS. The donors' histories of blood donations were determined both from self-report and from the National Blood Service database. Results: A number of statistical models were constructed to determine whether the probability of RLS diagnosis was related to the history of blood donations. Controlling for age and sex, no evidence was found to suggest that a greater number or frequency of blood donations increased the risk of RLS. Even amongst sub-groups especially vulnerable to iron depletion through blood donation, such as vegetarians or low weight individuals, no evidence for an increased risk of RLS could be found. Conclusions: We found no evidence that the frequency or number of blood donations up to the UK maximum of three times a year would increase the risk of RLS.
Quality and Quantity, 1992
Survey textbooks suggest that long questionnaires should be avoided, and a careful reading of the... more Survey textbooks suggest that long questionnaires should be avoided, and a careful reading of the available empirical evidence confirms the negative effects of substantial length on both response rates and the quality of those responses which are obtained. Data is presented from a lengthy survey in Britain in 1987. Analysis of reasons for nonresponse to this survey suggest that length may indeed have been a significant disincentive to respond for many. However, no effect of length was found on item quality as measured by the number of responses given to open-ended questions. Unexpectedly, the variance in number of responses was greater when the questions were asked later in the questionnaire. The results are interpreted as resulting from the greater power that respondents gain as the survey proceeds.
Personnel Review, 2006
Purpose Temporary workers have many human resource and labour market implications. These conseq... more Purpose Temporary workers have many human resource and labour market implications. These consequences are further influenced with the introduction of new legislation relating to temporary workers. The purpose of this article is to present research on the impacts of the legislation ...
The paper used in this book is chlorine-free and comes from managed forests in northern Europe. F... more The paper used in this book is chlorine-free and comes from managed forests in northern Europe. For every tree felled, at least one new tree is planted.
Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research, 2014
Work, Employment & Society, 1997
Gend Work Organ, 2008
... Furthermore there was a very unequal spread Address for correspondence: 'BrendanBurchell... more ... Furthermore there was a very unequal spread Address for correspondence: 'BrendanBurchell, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, University of Cambridge, 8-9, Jesus Lane, Cambridge CBS 8BA. 0 Blackwell Publishers Ltd. ...
Development and Change, 2015
ABSTRACT This article examines the impact of the International Labour Organization's conc... more ABSTRACT This article examines the impact of the International Labour Organization's concept of Decent Work on development thinking and the academic literature. We attempt to answer the question of what makes a development initiative successful by comparing the decent work approach to the United Nation Development Programme's Human Development concept (in conjunction with the human development indicator). We consider that the latter has been one of the most successful development concepts ever to have been launched, while the impact of decent work by comparison has been limited. Our hypothesis relating to the question of what makes a development initiative successful has three fundamental components: first, a solid theoretical foundation has to justify the launch of a development concept. A second vital factor is the availability of sufficient national and internationally comparable data that enables researchers and policy makers alike to apply the concept, preferably by means of a synthetic indicator. Third, the political will and institutional structure of the development institution that launches a concept is a key factor, particularly if data availability is limited as countries then have to be persuaded to generate new data.
Journal of Neuroscience, Psychology, and Economics, 2012
There is a scarcity of information concerning the emotional aspects of financial management. Two ... more There is a scarcity of information concerning the emotional aspects of financial management. Two studies were conducted to evaluate the measurement of conscious and intuitive emotional anxiety toward one's personal finances. Along with a selfreported financial anxiety questionnaire, a modified Emotional Stroop Test (EST) and Dot-Probe Paradigm (DPP) were separately utilized to evaluate financial anxiety. In both studies, the self-reported financial anxiety questionnaire correlated significantly with the implicit measures. Furthermore, the DPP was predominantly characterized by avoidance of financial information. Financial anxiety was shown to be a separate construct from depression and general anxiety. These findings indicate that those who report having financial anxiety also display reaction latencies in the processing of financial information. Accordingly, financial behavior could be more comprehensively evaluated and policy could be better determined by incorporating financial anxiety into models of financial illiteracy, mismanagement, and debt.
Despite much legislative progress in gender equality over the past 40 years, there are still gend... more Despite much legislative progress in gender equality over the past 40 years, there are still gender gaps across many aspects of the labour market. Inequalities are still evident in areas such as access to the labour market, employment patterns and associated working conditions. This report explores gender differences across several dimensions of working conditions, examining relevant country differences, analysing the different occupational groups of both men and women, and comparing the public and private sectors. It also looks at the impact of the crisis on gender segregation in employment. Based on findings from the fifth European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS), conducted in 2010, the analysis offers a striking picture of women and men at work across 34 European countries today
The present study discusses what work intensity is and how it can be measured. It shows that ther... more The present study discusses what work intensity is and how it can be measured. It shows that there is a strong link between work intensity and poor working conditions, both physical and psychological. Moreover, nowadays there is little indication that intensification of work is decreasing. Work intensification has developed, it is often argued, as a result of globalisation, as well as from the need to fulfil Europe's objectives of being more competitive and to create more jobs and economical growth. These are all reasons which are likely to remain, at least over the short and medium term.
Routledge Studies in Employment Relations, 2001
... 91 5.1 Overview of independent, moderator and dependent variables used in the JIWI study 95 5... more ... 91 5.1 Overview of independent, moderator and dependent variables used in the JIWI study 95 5.2 Spearman's rho correlations between work intensification/job insecurity and psychologicalwell-being measures 98 5.3 Proportion experiencing work-related complaints, by ...
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000
From 2000 the NHS was subjected to a series of far reaching reforms, the purposes of which were t... more From 2000 the NHS was subjected to a series of far reaching reforms, the purposes of which were to increase the role of the primary care sector in commissioning and providing services, promote healthier life styles, reduce health inequality, and improve service standards. These were seen as requiring a greater leadership role from health professionals, closer and more cooperative working between health professionals, and between health professionals, social services, and community and other service providers. The project surveyed a random sample of midwives and physiotherapists to investigate their perceptions of the effectiveness of the reforms, and their effects on working lives. The predominant perception was that NHS reforms had negatively affected the funding of their services; and had done little to improve service quality, delivery or organisation. Although the potential existed for the reforms to improve services, the necessary resources and required staffing were not made available and the objectives of the reforms were only partially secured by intensifying of work. The downside of this was a deterioration of the sociopsychological wellbeing of midwives and physiotherapists, especially the former, exacerbating the shortage of skilled and experienced. Shortage of staff and the associated increased work burdens were demoralising and demotivating; morale and job satisfaction declined, and job insecurity and labour turnover increased.
Sleep Medicine, 2009
Background and purpose: Epidemiological studies of restless legs syndrome (RLS) have been limited... more Background and purpose: Epidemiological studies of restless legs syndrome (RLS) have been limited by lack of a well validated patient-completed diagnostic questionnaire that has a high enough specificity to provide a reasonable positive predictive value. Most of the currently used patient completed diagnostic questionnaires have neither been validated nor included items facilitating the differential diagnosis of RLS from conditions producing similar symptoms. The Cambridge-Hopkins diagnostic questionnaire for RLS (CH-RLSq) was developed with several iterations to include items covering the basic diagnostic features of RLS and to provide some basic differential diagnosis. This validation study sought to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the RLS diagnosis based on this questionnaire. Patients and methods: The CH-RLSq was completed by 2005 blood donors who were asked to consent to being contacted for a telephone diagnostic interview. A scoring criterion was established for ascertainment of RLS based on the clinical definition of the disorder and the exclusion of ''mimic" conditions. A weighted sample (N = 185) of all completed questionnaires was selected for expert clinical diagnosis of RLS using the validated Hopkins Telephone Diagnostic Interview (HDTI). The telephone interviewers were blinded to all questionnaire responses. Results: A telephone diagnosis was obtained on 183 of the sample's 185 questionnaires. The questionnaire's normalized sensitivity and specificity were 87.2% and 94.4%, respectively, for RLS compared to not RLS. The positive predictive values in this sample were 85.5%. Conclusions: The Cambridge-Hopkins RLS questionnaire provides a reasonable level of sensitivity and specificity for ascertainment of RLS in population-based studies.
Work, Employment & Society, 1990
Work, Employment & Society, 1990
Work, Employment & Society, 1993
Work, Employment & Society, Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 237-258 June 1993 Abstract: The methodological... more Work, Employment & Society, Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 237-258 June 1993 Abstract: The methodological component of this paper describes a novel way of analyzing work-history data, treating the job change as the unit of analysis rather than the individual or the job. After considering the ...
Sociological Research Online, 2011
Analyses of individuals' working lives make a variety of assumptions about the relationship betwe... more Analyses of individuals' working lives make a variety of assumptions about the relationship between time, wellbeing and economic stress. Some assume that stress will accumulate in adverse environments, leading to chronic effects of, for instance, long-term unemployment or job insecurity. Other studies emphasize the acute effects of changes per se, and assume adaptation. This paper examines how employees respond both to acute and chronic job insecurity. This paper will use two datasets. The first is from a survey of over 300 UK employees employed in 26 companies; this dataset included both qualitative and quantitative data, at both employer and employee levels. The second dataset consisted of longitudinal data from the British Household Panel Survey. It was found that the unexpected announcement of job insecurity can cause a sudden and marked spike in psychological symptoms. Looking at longer-term effect for prolonged periods of job insecurity, wellbeing (i.e. symptoms of anxiety and depression) continues to deteriorate for at least a year, with no sign of leveling off or recovery. This is in contrast to the findings on long-term unemployment, where there is evidence of adaptation and slight improvements in psychological wellbeing after six months. The reasons for these opposing patterns between job insecurity and unemployment are discussed in terms of the challenge for individuals attempting to cope with perceived future uncertainty during the prolonged recovery from the current recession.
Sleep Medicine, 2009
Background and purpose: The link between brain iron deficiency and RLS is now well established. I... more Background and purpose: The link between brain iron deficiency and RLS is now well established. In a related observation, several conditions that can deplete iron stores have been linked to increased probability of RLS. Blood donation has been linked to iron deficiency. It has thus been hypothesized that donating blood may be a risk factor for developing RLS. Patients and methods: Two thousand and five UK blood donors, ranging from first-time donors to some who had donated more than 70 times, completed the validated Cambridge-Hopkins RLS questionnaire (CH-RLSq) following their donation session. The questionnaire included a set of questions designed to diagnose RLS. The donors' histories of blood donations were determined both from self-report and from the National Blood Service database. Results: A number of statistical models were constructed to determine whether the probability of RLS diagnosis was related to the history of blood donations. Controlling for age and sex, no evidence was found to suggest that a greater number or frequency of blood donations increased the risk of RLS. Even amongst sub-groups especially vulnerable to iron depletion through blood donation, such as vegetarians or low weight individuals, no evidence for an increased risk of RLS could be found. Conclusions: We found no evidence that the frequency or number of blood donations up to the UK maximum of three times a year would increase the risk of RLS.
Quality and Quantity, 1992
Survey textbooks suggest that long questionnaires should be avoided, and a careful reading of the... more Survey textbooks suggest that long questionnaires should be avoided, and a careful reading of the available empirical evidence confirms the negative effects of substantial length on both response rates and the quality of those responses which are obtained. Data is presented from a lengthy survey in Britain in 1987. Analysis of reasons for nonresponse to this survey suggest that length may indeed have been a significant disincentive to respond for many. However, no effect of length was found on item quality as measured by the number of responses given to open-ended questions. Unexpectedly, the variance in number of responses was greater when the questions were asked later in the questionnaire. The results are interpreted as resulting from the greater power that respondents gain as the survey proceeds.
Personnel Review, 2006
Purpose Temporary workers have many human resource and labour market implications. These conseq... more Purpose Temporary workers have many human resource and labour market implications. These consequences are further influenced with the introduction of new legislation relating to temporary workers. The purpose of this article is to present research on the impacts of the legislation ...