Browsing by Author "Rodrigues, Carla F."
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- Coffee and cigarettes: work contexts and performance managementPublication . Raposo, Hélder António; Pegado, Elsa; Rodrigues, Carla F.; Fernandes, Ama IsabelIn a context of an increasingly global and competitive economy, emerging restructuring and organizational dynamics demand greater versatility and functional efficiency, while often establishing precarious working conditions for professionals. Problems such as the intensive pace of work, insufficient free time for extra-work activities, long working hours and/or rotating shift systems, along with the need to adapt to new practices and routines, are just some of the indicators which reflect the high pressure put on professional performance. While this pressure cross-cuts different working areas, the extent of its impact tends to be most relevant within professional groups whose nature of work links them to more demanding and higher responsive levels of performance. This presentation draws on an ongoing sociological study on ‘performance consumptions’ at work, i.e., the use of medicines, dietary supplements, and other products to improve physical, intellectual, and social performance in the workplace. Based on five Focus Group Discussions with a total of 22 participants from two main professional groups, we explore 1) the work context and working conditions of these professionals and the pressures they create for certain forms and levels of performance and 2) how these groups manage (pharmacologically or not) such professional imperatives. Focusing on the social context that structures the daily work of these individuals, we analyze the social expression of such performance consumptions, specifically those that are mobilized to deal with issues such as sleep problems, fatigue, to improve concentration, or to deal with the negative implications of stress. While the widespread use of coffee and cigarettes appears as a legitimate practice in the everyday working routines, due to both their socializing markers and their perceived improvement in performance management, specific products (energy drinks and medicines) were mentioned most when managing more extreme situations arising from work-related activities.
- Coffee in the workplace: a social break or a performance enhancer?Publication . Rodrigues, Carla F.; Raposo, Hélder António; Pegado, Elsa; Fernandes, Ana I.Coffee is a socially rooted drink with pharmacological properties. It is embedded in different everyday rituals, including ‘coffee breaks’ during working hours. This paper analyzes the role of coffee in the workplace. Focusing on three professional areas associated with high pressure and responsive demands, we explore the social expression of coffee use at work, and how it is mobilized as a tool for managing sleepiness, fatigue, stress, and concentration problems, amongst other work-related issues.