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NORA Symposium 2008: Public Market for Ideas and Partnerships

Poster #022

Health Effects of Power Relations and Abusive Supervision among Latino Poultry Processing Workers

Sara A. Quandt, PhD (1); Antonio J. Marín, MA (1); Joseph G. Grzywacz, PhD (1); Lourdes Carrillo, BS (2); Michael L. Coates, MD, MS (1); Thomas A. Arcury, PhD (1)

(1) Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA; (2) Western North Carolina Workers Center, Morganton, NC, USA

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Abstract

Poultry processing is one of the most dangerous industries in the US. These jobs are increasingly held by immigrant workers who are often undocumented, lack knowledge of their rights to workplace safety, and are reluctant to pursue their rights. This situation creates the potential for organizational injustice that may result in injury. This paper draws on data collected during the research phases of a community-based participatory research project. 26 in-depth interviews and 200 survey interviews were collected in representative, community-based samples in western North Carolina. Analyses describe workplace power relations, and associations between abusive supervision and worker injuries. Three types of power relations structure interactions in the plant: ethnicity, immigration status, and worker rank. These are modified by kinship and gender. Reports of power relations are associated with health indicators; associations are stronger for women than for men. Among Latino poultry processing workers, power differences reflecting organizational injustice may promote occupational injuries, particularly for women. Funding provided by Grant OH008335.

Background

Poultry processing: a dangerous industry

Injury rate: 5.5/100 workers ¹
Illness rate: 2.3/100 worker²

250,000 workers: most are minority, primarily immigrants

Substantial potential exists for worker exploitation due to organizational injustice

Majority of plants are in the rural South, non-union, vertically integrated
Many immigrant workers are undocumented and do not speak English

Studies of organizational injustice and abusive supervision have shown effects on mental health

Few studies have looked for effects on occupational injuries and illnesses

Approach

Objective 1: to identify structure of power relations in western North Carolina poultry plants

In-depth interviews with current and former poultry processing workers (n=26)
Themes related to power relations identified
Exemplary quotations presented

Objective 2: to demonstrate association of power relations and abusive supervision with health outcomes

Table 1. Poultry Processing Worker Samples
	In-Depth Interview N=26		Survey Interview N=200
Age	Range: Median:	25-52 35	Range: Median:	19-65 32
Years in US	Range: Median:	1-26 10	Range: Median:	1-40 8
Education	None: Primary:	22% 48%	None: Primary:	12% 55%
Country	Mexico: Guatemala:	58% 27%	Mexico: Guatemala:	48% 33%

Survey interviews with current poultry processing workers (n=200) ³
Representative sample
Self-reports of symptoms and injuries^4,5
Abusive supervision ⁶
Depressive symptoms ^7,8

Analysis (Objective 2): simple logistic regression models; dichotomous health outcomes regressed on abusive supervision and depressive symptoms.

Results

Power Relations Structure the Work Environment of Poultry Processing Plants

Ethnicity: Latino workers get worse jobs and more restrictions than American workers

The Americans are always given the easier jobs and Latinos, the harder jobs. If, for example, you worked in packing where the trays are placed, you would find American women. You would never see a Latina there. The Latinos are always where there is blood, where everything is the worst. [Female, age 26, 2 yr in poultry processing]
If we want to go to the bathroom, they won't let us. If an American asks to go to the bathroom, they let them go quickly. [Male, age 36, 1 yr in poultry processing]

Immigration Status: Workers without immigration papers are more likely to be abused by supervisors (harder jobs, threatened firings)

[Undocumented workers] don't talk because they are afraid that the supervisor will tell them that if they don't want to work, they need to go home. .I know [the supervisor] does that because he knows that they don't have papers. [Male, age 48, 1 yr poultry processing]

Job Rank: Supervisors threaten firings; Latino supervisors mistreat other Latino workers

[Supervisors have restricted my movement in the plant.] The person who talked to me told me this was my last opportunity. He asked me to please not go around calling strikes.to take care of my own job because they could fire me at any time. Now I am careful to keep my job. [Female, age 25, 3 yr in poultry processing]
There was a man named Pedro. It was a horrible experience working for him. He would get behind us with a clock and give us seconds to do a job. [Female, age 26, 2 yr in poultry processing]

Two Factors Modify Power Relations

Kinship: Family members receive privileges and preferential treatment from supervisors

There are supervisors who have siblings and cousins working there.. They treat [them] well, but they treat the rest of us badly. That's an injustice. [Female, age 25, 3 yr in poultry processing]

Gender: Young women treated better by supervisors

If you're a young girl and smile at the supervisor, he will give you permission to go to the bathroom or to the doctor.or not doing certain jobs because your hands hurt. [Female, age 47, 1 yr in poultry processing]

Women Report Greater Perceived Abusive Supervision than Men (Table 2)

Table 2. Responses to abusive supervision items and total scores by gender, poultry processing workers in Western North Carolina.
	Women		Men
	%	N	%	N
My supervisor could give me undesirable job assignments.
Strongly disagree	34.3	(34)	29.7	(30)
Disagree	17.2	(17)	22.8	(23)
Agree	26.3	(26)	30.7	(31)
Strongly agree	22.2	(22)	16.8	(17)
My supervisor could make my work difficult for me.
Strongly disagree	38.4	(38)	41.6	(42)
Disagree	26.3	(26)	26.7	(27)
Agree	16.2	(16)	23.8	(24)
Strongly agree	19.2	(19)	7.9	(8)
My supervisor could make things unpleasant here.
Strongly disagree	42.4	(42)	41.6	(42)
Disagree	23.2	(23)	24.8	(25)
Agree	15.2	(15)	27.7	(28)
Strongly agree	19.2	(19)	5.9	(6)

Retaliatory Supervision (total score)	M	SD	M	SD
	6.64	3.23	6.31	2.50

Abusive Supervision Is Associated with Health Indicators, Particularly Among Women (Table 3)

Table 3. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) (adjusted for depressive symptoms) of the association of abusive supervision on specific and summary occupational health indicators by gender among immigrant Latino poultry workers.
	Women N=99		Men N=101
	OR	95% CI	OR	95% CI
Specific Health Indicators
Respiratory	1.15	(.97-1.37)	1.20	(.96-1.50)
Skin problems	1.06	(.92-1.23)	1.23*	(1.00-1.51)
Neck/back pain	1.32***	(1.14-1.53)	1.34**	(1.10-1.63)
Arm/hand pain	1.25**	(1.09-1.43)	1.13	(.95-1.34)
Lower body pain	1.24**	(1.06-1.44)	1.11	(.92-1.34)
Eye problem	1.30***	(1.12-1.51)	1.16	(.96-1.39)
Injury/illness	1.33***	(1.15-1.55)	1.16	(.97-1.39)
Summary Health Indicators
Fair/poor health	1.21**	(1.05-1.38)	1.18†	(.99-1.41)
One or more problems	1.19*	(1.03-1.38)	1.24	(1.01-1.52)
Musculoskeletal problem	1.25*	(1.08-1.44)	1.18†	(.97-1.44)
† p < .10 * p < .05 p < .01 * p < .001 (two-tailed)

Conclusions

This research demonstrates that organizational injustice may have direct effects on physical health

There may be gender differences in effects

Extends research on organizational justice

To immigrant work force in a particularly dangerous industry
Physical injuries may not have been apparent in previous work in less dangerous jobs (e.g., office work)

Future Directions

The findings should be validated in future research with stronger measures (e.g., observations and physical examinations) of relevant variables.

References

¹Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2005a. Table SNR05. Incidence rate and number of nonfatal occupational injuries by industry 2004. www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/osh/os/ostb1479.pdf. Date Accessed: December 7, 2005.

²Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2005b. Table SNR08. Incidence rates of nonfatal occupational illness, by industry and category of illness, 2004. www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/osh/os/ostb1482.pdf. Date Accessed: December 7, 2005.

³Quandt SA, Grzywacz JG, Marin A, Carrillo L, Coates ML, Burke B, Arcury TA. 2006. Illnesses and injuries reported by Latino poultry workers in western North Carolina. Am J Ind Med 49:343-351.

⁴Cohen S, Hoberman, HM. 1983. Positive events and social supports as buffers of life change stress. J Applied Soc Psychol 13:99-125.

⁵Kaplan RM, Sieber WJ, Ganiats TG. 1997. The quality of well-being scale: Comparison of the interviewer-administered version and a self-administered questionnaire. Psychol Health 12:783-791.

⁶Grzywacz JG, Hovey JD, Seligman LD, Arcury TA, Quandt SA. 2006. Evaluating short-form versions of the CES-D for measuring depressive symptoms among immigrants from Mexico. Hisp J Behav Sci 28:404-424.

⁷Kohout FJ, Berkman LF, Evans DA, Coroni-Huntley J. 1993. Two shorter forms of the CES-D depression symptom index. J Aging Health 3:179-193.

⁸Tepper, BJ. 2000. Consequences of abusive supervision. Acad Management J 43:178-190.

Disclaimer

The findings and conclusions in this poster are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Citations to Web sites external to NIOSH do not constitute NIOSH endorsement of the sponsoring organizations or their programs or products. Furthermore, NIOSH is not responsible for the content of these Web sites.

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Page last updated:October 22, 2008
Page last reviewed:July 18, 2008
Content Source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Office of the Director