Psychological ownership within psychology of working theory: A three-wave study of gender and sexual minority employees

Lesbian and Gay Population, Work Experience, and Well-Being: A Ten-Year Systematic Review

Despite an increase in the promotion of equal opportunities at work, there is still persistent discrimination against lesbian and gay (LG) workers. In this vein, this study aimed to systematically review the research investigating the peculiarities of the work experience of LG people, particularly considering the theoretical frameworks in the approach to sexual minorities' work-related issues, as well as individual and contextual variables influencing the work experience and the impact they may have on health and well-being. We explored the PsycArticles, EMBASE, Scopus, and Web of Science electronic databases and the EBSCOHost (PsycInfo, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection) scholarly search engine, between 01/01/2013 to 01/03/2023, with regards to the search terms "lgb*", "gay*", "lesbian*", "homosexual*", and "sexual minorit*", associated with "employee*", "personnel", "worker*", and "staff", and with "workplace", "work", "job", "occupation", "employment", and "career". Data were narratively synthesized and critically discussed. Of the 1584 potentially eligible articles, 140 papers contributed to this systematic review. Five main theoretical frameworks were identified: (a) minority stress, (b) sexual prejudice and stigma, (c) queer and Foucauldian paradigms, (d) social identity theories, and (e) intersectionality. Furthermore, significant individual (e.g., outness, disclosure, and work-family conflict) and contextual (e.g., heterosexist and heteronormative workplace climate and culture) variables influencing LG people's work experience were identified. This review highlights the need to develop a unified theoretical model for the construction of specific measurement tools to assess the work experience of LG people and for the implementation of interventions aimed at minimizing the effects of stigma in work contexts.

The Relationship between Career Calling and Resilience among Rural-Oriented Pre-Service Teachers: The Chain Mediating Role of Career Adaptability and Decent Work

From a Psychology of Working Theory (PWT) perspective, this study aims to explore how career adaptability and decent work mediate the effects of career calling on the resilience of rural-oriented pre-service teachers. The Career Calling Scale, Career Adaptability Scale, Decent Work Scale, and Resilience Scale were used to survey 393 rural-oriented pre-service teachers. The results found that career calling positively predicted the resilience of rural-oriented pre-service teachers; career adaptability mediated the relationship between career calling and resilience of rural-oriented pre-service teachers; decent work mediated the relationship between career calling and resilience of rural oriented pre-service teachers; and career adaptability and decent work play a chain mediating role between career calling and career adaptability of rural-oriented pre-service teachers. Therefore, this study concludes that career calling not only directly influences the resilience of rural-oriented pre-service teachers, but also indirectly influences the resilience of rural-oriented pre-service teachers through career adaptability and decent work.

Decent Work, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, and Posttraumatic Growth From the Psychology of Working Perspective: A Three-Wave Study of Military Personnel

Scholarly interest in the relationship between decent work and mental health based on the Psychology of Working Theory has recently increased. This study evaluated the indirect effects of survival, social contribution, and self-determination needs satisfaction on the relationship between decent work and trauma-related mental health among military personnel. We conducted a three-wave survey over 1 year. Results showed that decent work predicted satisfaction of the three basic needs. Additionally, survival needs directly predicted posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, while social contribution and self-determination needs directly predicted posttraumatic growth. Finally, decent work had a significant indirect effect on posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms via survival needs, whereas decent work had significant indirect effects on posttraumatic growth via social contribution and self-determination needs. Our findings suggest that the more military personnel perceive their work as decent and feel that their three basic needs are fulfilled, the more posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms diminish, and posttraumatic growth increases. We discuss the implications and need for follow-up studies.

The associations of decent work with wellbeing and career capabilities: a meta-analysis

Introduction

As a global sustainable development goal, the decent work notion has been promoted all over the world at theoretical, practical, and research levels for the purpose of enhancing people's capacity to enjoy freedom, equity, security, and human dignity at work. However, conclusive findings of the impact of decent work on people's wellbeing and longer-term career development are still missing due to a lack of systematic reviews on this topic. This study aims to (a) investigate the associations of decent work with people's wellbeing and their capabilities for sustaining career development and (b) examine the differential associations across different subgroups.

Methods

Databases of literature archived on or before 4 March 2022 were searched. A total of 46 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis for the combined Pearson correlation coefficient (r) to estimate the associations of decent work with wellbeing and career capabilities, among which 30 studies (16,026 participants) were used for calculating the association between decent work and wellbeing whereas 26 studies (12,384 participants) were used for decent work and career capabilities.

Results and discussion

First, decent work demonstrates a medium association with wellbeing (r = .48, 95% CI [.45, .51]), and a medium association with career capabilities (r = .44, 95% CI [.40, .49]). Second, no significant differences with respect to the association of decent work with wellbeing and career capabilities were identified across subgroups categorized by developed/developing countries, population type, social status of participants as employee or student, participants from vulnerable/general groups, aspects of wellbeing/career capabilities, and study design. These results pose important implications for informing future research and practice to measure and promote decent work across the world.

Decent Work and Workplace Deviance Among Chinese Physicians: A Relative Deprivation Perspective

Purpose

Managing workplace deviance has long been a hot topic in the organizational research. However, the mechanisms through which decent work affects workplace deviance have yet to be fully understood. Drawing upon relative deprivation theory, this study examines the relationship between decent work and workplace deviance by focusing on the mediating role of relative deprivation and the moderating role of career calling.

Methods

Two waves of data from 307 doctors and 61 supervisors of public hospitals in central China were examined using a the moderated mediation model.

Results

Decent work is negatively associated with workplace deviance via the mediation of relative deprivation, and the negative relationship between decent work and relative deprivation is negatively moderated by career calling. The mediating role of relative deprivation is moderated by career calling, and the indirect effect is stronger when career calling is high than when it is low.

Conclusion

By focusing on the mediating role of relative deprivation and the moderating role of career calling, this study contributes to the literature by addressing the previously unexamined relationship between decent work and workplace deviance. Moreover, this study responds to calls for research on decent work from the perspective of relative deprivation.

An Examination of the Psychology of Working Theory with Employed Asian American Women

Guided by the psychology of working theory (PWT) and an intersectional approach, the present study investigated how social class and gendered racial microaggression were associated with decent work through experiences of work volition in a sample of 262 self-identified employed Asian American women. Overall, most of the hypothesized direct paths were significant, with social class positively relating to work volition, gendered racial microaggression negatively related to decent work, and work volition positively related to decent work. Support for indirect effects was mixed. Work volition was found to significantly mediate the relation between social class to decent work, but not significantly mediate between gendered racial microaggression to decent work. Overall, results suggest the need for further investigation and refinement of the PWT to gain a better understanding of Asian American women's experience regarding accessibility to decent work. Practical implications and future research directions are discussed.

A Bifactor Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling Representation of the Structure of the Decent Work Scale: Evidence from China

The present study investigates the psychometric properties of decent work utilizing the bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling (Bifactor-ESEM) approach. Using a sample of 701 Chinese employees who completed the multidimensional Decent Work Scale (DWS: Duffy et al., 2017), this study reveals the superiority of the Bifactor-ESEM representation of DWS compared to alternative representations of the data (ICM-CFA, Bifactor-CFA, and ESEM). Additionally, the results of measurement invariance in the MIMIC framework indicate the DWS is equivalent in various age and job tenure samples of participants. Finally, the results provide evidence for the criterion validity by confirming the importance of accounting for both the G-factor (representing the global level of decent work) and the S-factors (representing the specific level of decent work), which shows that specific types of decent work explained variance in covariates (i.e., work well-being, life well-being, engagement, and turnover intention) over and above the variance already explained by the G-factor.

How Decent Work Affects Affective Commitment Among Chinese Employees: The Roles of Psychological Safety and Labor Relations Climate

This two-study research evaluates the validity of the decent work scale (DWS) developed by Duffy et al. (2017) in the United States and the effect of decent work on affective commitment among Chinese employees. Study 1 aims to validate the DWS and examine the predictability of decent work for psychological safety and affective commitment. Drawing from a sample of 307 full-time employees (149 females and 158 males), Study 1 reveals that the bifactor model of the DWS has valid application in the Chinese context, and that decent work is positively related to psychological safety and affective commitment. Study 2 seeks to explore the relationship between decent work and affective commitment, the underlying mechanism, and the boundary condition. With a new sample of 568 full-time employees (268 females and 300 males) collected at two time points, Study 2 demonstrates that decent work is directly and indirectly related to employee affective commitment through the mediation of psychological safety; this indirect relationship is moderated by labor relations climate. This research extends decent work research and psychology of working theory in relation to the DWS validation and predictability for employee workplace attitudes, psychological process, and boundary conditions in a non-Western context.

Assessing Perceived Future Decent Work Securement Among Chinese Impoverished College Students

Drawing from Psychology of Working Theory (PWT), the current study sampled 254 college students from impoverished families in China and examined their perceptions of access to future decent work as predicted by subjective social status and marginalization and mediated by work volition and career adaptability. As impoverished college students are socioeconomically disadvantaged and thus cannot afford college expenses, understanding their perception regarding future careers echoes the call for renewing the focus on equity and diversity within vocational psychology. Findings supported subjective social status as an indirect predictor of perceptions of future decent work via work volition. Work volition and career adaptability directly predicted perceptions of future decent work. Additionally, there is a significant conditional indirect effect between subjective social status, work volition, and perceptions of future decent work. Specifically, the effect was only significant for first-year students. Overall, this study adds new evidence on the applicability of the PWT among student populations. Implications for career researchers, vocational counselors, and student affairs professionals are provided.

The uncertain state of work in the U.S.: Profiles of decent work and precarious work

This research utilized a person-centered approach to identify profiles of decent work and precarious work, which were explored due to their centrality in current debates about the uncertain state of work conditions in the U.S. Using the Decent Work Scale and the Precarious Work Scale, the following five profiles were identified from a sample of 492 working Americans: 1) Indecent-Precarious; 2) Highly Decent; 3) Low Health Care-Low Rights; 4) Vulnerability-Dominant; 5) Health Care-Stability. These profiles were further elaborated by examining the relationship of theoretically-informed predictors and outcomes that would distinguish profile membership. Using psychology of working theory as an organizing framework for determining predictors and outcomes, the findings revealed that work volition, age, income level, and educational level significantly predicted profile membership, and autonomy, social contribution, survival needs, job satisfaction, and life satisfaction differed meaningfully across the profiles. Implications for theory, research, practice, and public policy are discussed highlighting the complexity of work conditions and their relationship to various aspects of vocational and psychological functioning.