Using a cross-sectional design, this study explored operational demands during the International Security Assistance Force for Afghanistan (2009-2010) across distinct military units. A total of 1,413 Dutch soldiers, nested within four types of units (i.e., combat, combat support, service support, and command support units) filled out a 23-item self-survey in which they were asked to evaluate the extent to which they experienced operational characteristics as demanding. Exploratory factor analysis identified six underlying dimensions of demands. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed that distinct units are characterized by their own unique constellation of perceived demands, even after controlling for previous deployment experience. Most notable findings were found when comparing combat units to other types of units. These insights can be used to better prepare different types of military units for deployment, and support them in the specific demands they face during deployment.

This article prospectively explores the effects of collective team work engagement and organizational constraints during military deployment on individual-level psychological outcomes afterwards. Participants were 971 Dutch peacekeepers within 93 teams who were deployed between the end of 2008 and beginning of 2010, for an average of 4 months, in the International Security Assistance Force. Surveys were administered 2 months into deployment and 6 months afterwards. Multi-level regression analyses demonstrated that team work engagement during deployment moderated the relation between organizational constraints and post-deployment fatigue symptoms. Team members reported less fatigue symptoms after deployment if they were part of highly engaged teams during deployment, particularly when concerns about organizational constraints during deployment were high. In contrast, low team work engagement was related to more fatigue symptoms, particularly when concerns about organizational constraints were high. Contrary to expectations, no effects for team work engagement or organizational constraints were found for post-traumatic growth. The present study highlights that investing in team work engagement is important for those working in highly demanding jobs.

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The present research investigates how individual differences in charming personality are related to occupational activities, sales performance, and persuasive competence. Study 1 showed that sales representatives had higher scores on the charming personality style than executive managers. Study 2 showed that the charming personality style predicted actual sales performance among branch managers of a large German insurance company over a period of 2 years; the explicit power motivation served as a mediator in this relation. Finally, Study 3, carried out in a laboratory setting, confirmed the hypothesis that a charming personality is associated with persuasive competence, which suggests that this style is more relevant for sales representatives than for executive managers. The authors conclude that the charming personality style represents an important psychological resource for organizations.

Background: For some time now, integrated care has been put forward to create a more demand-driven, patientcentred and cost-effective care system. Various conceptual frameworks have been developed to shed light on the complex concept. However, they lack insight into the mechanisms driving integrated care in practice. The aim of this paper is to gain insight into how integrated care is realised in practice. Methods: Six cooperation projects in Flanders were compared on five integration mechanisms. A content analysis of secondary sources on each of the cases and semi-structured interviews with representatives of these cases was conducted. The data were analysed using comparison tables. Results: Six cases representing five cooperation models in the Flemish health and social care were analysed for the presence of integrated care mechanisms. Six of the 22 mechanisms are present in all case examples. Half of the identified mechanisms concern the integration of professionals. Integrated care in these Flemish cases refers mainly to organising a case meeting, appointing a case manager and dividing the tasks between care professionals. Integration of support is less developed. Conclusions: The bottom-up approach to study the practical implementation of mechanisms is a fruitful approach, since it brings into light the complex realities and practicalities of the mechanisms of integration and how they are shaped by local actors in local contexts. The approach shows how Flemish and Belgian policy makers are struggling to scaling up these integration models, whilst at the same time responding to local conditions and needs.

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