2026-10-13T09:08:54Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/33919708 2026-09-18T04:32:34Z category_173 portal_316 item_type_3 month_year_09_2026

Table 1_The double-edged sword of rotational shift work: a qualitative study of worker perceptions in Saudi Arabia.xlsx Mohammad A. Algarni (25069639) Omar A. Maash (25069642) Applied Psychology circadian disruption job demands-resources model occupational psychology petrochemical industry psychosocial well-being qualitative phenomenology rotational shift work Saudi Arabia Background<p>Rotational shift work is a defining feature of 24/7 industries, yet its psychological consequences remain poorly understood, particularly outside Western healthcare contexts.</p>Methods<p>Grounded in the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) framework, this qualitative phenomenological study examined how rotational shift schedules shape the psychological well-being, work-life balance, and occupational outcomes of 16 shift workers in Saudi Arabia’s petrochemical sector, selected through purposive sampling and interviewed using semi-structured in-depth interviews; data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s (2019) six-phase reflexive thematic analysis.</p>Results<p>Three overarching themes emerged: significant health effects including chronic sleep disruption, circadian rhythm misalignment, physical exhaustion, and erosion of healthy behavioral routines; complex work-life balance negotiations shaped by financial necessity, personal flexibility, social isolation, and uniquely in this cultural context, disruption to religious obligations including prayer schedules and Ramadan practices; and mixed occupational outcomes whereby rotational shifts enhanced decision-making autonomy and experiential learning while simultaneously constraining career progression, undermining professional visibility, and creating tension in workplace relationships.</p>Conclusion<p>These findings extend JD-R theory into a non-Western, non-healthcare shift work context, revealing that culturally specific demands, particularly religious and social obligations, constitute a distinct and underexamined category of psychosocial burden, with implications for organizational policies addressing sleep hygiene, religious accommodation, and structured career development for shift workers.</p> 2026-09-18T04:32:34Z Dataset Dataset 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1871679.s001 https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Table_1_The_double-edged_sword_of_rotational_shift_work_a_qualitative_study_of_worker_perceptions_in_Saudi_Arabia_xlsx/33919708 CC BY 4.0