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This multi-wave study uses the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping (TMSC) to investigate whether employees may view task changes as an organizational event that stimulates skill development or engenders job risks (i.e., qualitative job insecurity) and thereby affect employee job satisfaction. Additionally, drawing on Regulatory Focus Theory (RFT), the indirect effect of task changes on job satisfaction through these two mediators was theorized to depend on individual's regulatory focus (i.e., prevention or promotion). Mediation effects from task changes to job satisfaction via skill development and qualitative job insecurity were tested at the within-person level, while the moderating role by regulatory focus at the between-person level was tested using cross-level interactions. Results supported most of our hypotheses and also offered some unexpected insights. Task changes increased perceptions of qualitative job insecurity, which subsequently decreased job satisfaction. Although task changes did not show a significant direct link with skill development, skill development did positively predict job satisfaction six months later. We found no moderated mediation effects, however our moderator directly influenced job insecurity and skill development. Overall, the current study contributes to science and practice by providing valuable insights into the stressful processes that can evolve from task changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on the Acemoglu–Restrepo framework, this article investigates the influence of technological innovations on the wage bill of France, Germany, Italy and Spain We show that in these countries: (a) the wage‐bill deceleration since the 1990s has mainly been productivity driven; (b) but was also affected by a wage‐share compression; (c) contraction of labor‐intensive tasks played a relevant role in such compression; (d) this reflected an acceleration of technology‐induced labor displacement not sufficiently offset by the reinstatement of new labor‐intensive tasks; (e) labor displacement was higher in low‐end services. Econometric analysis of displacement confirms the influence of technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a large and varying impact on primary care. This paper studies changes in the tasks of general practitioners (GPs) and associated staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from the PRICOV-19 study of 5093 GPs in 38 countries were used. We constructed a scale for task changes and performed multilevel analyses. The scale was reliable at both GP and country level. Clustering of task changes at country level was considerable (25%). During the pandemic, staff members were more involved in giving information and recommendations to patients contacting the practice by phone, and they were more involved in triage. GPs took on additional responsibilities and were more involved in reaching out to patients. Problems due to staff absence, when dealt with internally, were related to more task changes. Task changes were larger in practices employing a wider range of professional groups. Whilst GPs were happy with the task changes in practices with more changes, they also felt the need for further training. A higher-than-average proportion of elderly people and people with a chronic condition in the practice were related to task changes. The number of infections in a country during the first wave of the pandemic was related to task changes. Other characteristics at country level were not associated with task changes. Future research on the sustainability of task changes after the pandemic is needed.