Why does organizational identification relate to reduced employee burnout? The mediating influence of social support and collective efficacy

Unveiling the psychological mechanisms of mutual help groups for addiction recovery: The role of social identity factors

The effectiveness of mutual help groups (MHGs) in promoting addiction recovery has been widely acknowledged. However, the psychological mechanisms underlying the impact of MHGs remain somewhat uncertain. Drawing on a social identity perspective, this study investigated a sequential mediation model in which social support is posited as a driving factor that enhances abstinence maintenance through group identification, recovery identity, and self-efficacy. A sample of 820 smokers, participating in a 6-month collective smoking cessation programme which included access to an online help group, completed measures of social support, group identification, smoker/ex-smoker identity, and self-efficacy at the programme's outset. Smoking abstinence was assessed 6 and 9 months later. The findings supported the proposed model, indicating that social support was positively associated with MHG identification, which, in turn, was related to a stronger recovery identity. Subsequently, recovery identity was associated with increased self-efficacy, and indirectly, with smoking abstinence at both measurement times. Additional analyses testing alternative mediation models further supported the validity of the proposed model. These findings suggest that social identity factors play significant roles in accounting for the effectiveness of MHGs for addiction recovery.

Understanding and Improving Athlete Mental Health: A Social Identity Approach

Understanding and positively influencing athlete mental health have become key goals for researchers and sporting stakeholders (e.g. coaches, support staff, clubs and governing bodies). In this article, we outline a novel perspective for tackling these challenges, drawing on an influential theory of group processes. This social identity approach can, we argue, help explain when and why the characteristics and demands of sport, which is typically a collective endeavour, pose a threat to athlete mental health and provide a guiding framework for efforts to protect and enhance athlete mental health. Here, we seek to illustrate the value of a social identity analysis of athlete mental health through three key points that speak to its analytical and practical value. Specifically, we propose: (1) that social identities can act as psychological resources that support athlete mental health, (2) that social identities are critical to athlete mental health during and after sporting transitions and (3) that leadership informed by a social identity approach can facilitate athlete mental health. With a view to maximising the value of our analysis both for those working with athletes and for researchers, we also identify practical steps that relevant stakeholders could take to support athlete mental health, and key avenues for future research to further test our propositions and advance understanding. Our analysis provides a new lens through which all those invested in understanding and supporting athlete mental health can approach these challenges, and a foundation for novel solutions.

How Collective Efficacy Mediates the Association between Principal Instructional Leadership and Teacher Self-Efficacy: Findings from a Meta-Analytic Structural Equation Modeling (MASEM) Study

Principal instructional leadership (PIL) is significant for school effectiveness due to its direct and indirect influences on school-, teacher-, and student-level variables. A considerable number of studies have provided persuasive evidence that PIL is associated with both collective efficacy (CEF) and teacher self-efficacy (TSEF), two significant variables to sustain the quality of instruction. These studies were conducted with a variety of participants from various contexts. The current study aims to investigate the association between PIL and TSEF, and the mediating role of CEF in this association using meta-analytical structural equation modeling (MASEM). This analysis was conducted using the correlation values obtained from 26 studies focusing on their relationship and included data from a population of 19.584 participants from around the world, thus providing a more generalizable perspective on these variables. The results indicated that PIL was correlated with both CEF and TSEF, and the combined influence of PIL and CEF on TSEF was 31%. The study findings also showed that the scales used to measure PIL could produce different results regarding these relationships, while gender did not have a significant effect. These results suggest significant implications for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to sustain school effectiveness in the fast-changing context of schools in the twenty-first century.

Receiving help at work mitigates the negative consequences of performance pressure: implications for depletion and citizenship behavior

Drawing from job-demands resources theory and conservation of resources theory, this study examines the effect of performance pressure on interpersonal citizenship behavior through exhaustion. We also explore the extent to which receiving help mitigates the exhaustion caused by performance pressure. In a critical incident design of employees from various industries (N = 268), performance pressure was positively associated with exhaustion. Subsequently, employee exhaustion decreased the tendency to perform acts of interpersonal citizenship. The relationship between performance pressure and exhaustion was weakened among employees who had received help from their colleagues. Thus, these results, supported by moderated mediation analyses, suggest that receiving help can mitigate the deleterious effects of performance pressure on interpersonal citizenship behavior through exhaustion. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Reduced loneliness mediates the effects of multiple group identifications on well-being

Membership of multiple groups and identification with those groups have been found to be positively related to individuals' health and well-being. The present research sought to replicate this finding in two large, representative samples. Moreover, we sought to extend previous work by shedding light on the mechanisms mediating the effects of multiple group membership on positive health outcomes. Specifically, we proposed that the links between multiple group membership and positive health outcomes are mediated by reduced feelings of loneliness. In Study 1, a two-wave survey of a German population, participants (N = 989) were asked about their identification with family, friends, neighbourhood, their country and humanity and 4 weeks later about feelings of loneliness, physical health and stress. As hypothesized, multiple identifications predicted lower stress. They were also associated with a marginal reduction in physical symptoms of poor health. Both relationships were mediated by the absence of loneliness. In Study 2, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of German participants (N = 1635), which also included a sixth target of identification (Europe). Results replicated findings from Study 1 and also found similar relations associated with smaller (family, friends and neighbourhood) versus larger (country, Europe and Humanity) foci of identification.

How Emotional Contagion among Teachers Affects the Relationship between Transformational Leadership and Team Cohesion

Teachers and educators are experiencing turmoil under the drastic changes in educational practices caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to research, transformational leaders effectively facilitate organizational change by fostering teachers' sense of belonging and boosting social identity in their team members, which can result in better team well-being via higher team cohesion. Recently, research has increasingly explored the role of emotional contagion and its relationship with leadership. Accordingly, the current study aims to delve deeper into the role of emotional contagion in linking transformational leadership to cohesion among teachers in the school setting. To this purpose, 581 teachers from northern Italy filled out a self-report questionnaire (72.1% female, Mage = 47.06, and SDage = 11.42). A moderated mediation model was tested to assess the mediating role of organizational identification in the relationship between transformational leadership and team cohesion and how emotional contagion may moderate this association. The obtained results provided support to the hypothesized model. Overall, the present study corroborates the critical role of school principals' behavior in fostering greater organizational identification among teachers, which is associated with better team cohesion. This study constitutes an early attempt to gain more insight into the role of emotional variables in explaining the influence of leadership behavior.

Professional identification in the beginning of a teacher's career: a longitudinal study on identity formation and the basic psychological need for autonomy in VET teacher training

Introduction

This study examines the extent to which VET trainee teachers' identification with their profession is related to their basic psychological need for autonomy and whether this is reflected in their intention to stay in the field. Trainee's subjective experience of their professional identity interacts with different conditions of the training environment, whereby we focus on perceived autonomy support and autonomy thwarting behavior of seminar teachers.

Methods

On the basis of a longitudinal design with a total of 79 trainee teachers in Germany and four survey time points during teacher training, corresponding developmental processes were traced over a total period of 1 year. Cross-lagged panel analyses allow us to draw conclusions about the extent to which professional identification of trainees interacts with autonomy-support or autonomy-thwarting conditions originating from seminar teachers and to what extent the aforementioned factors in turn affect intention to stay.

Results

Cross-lagged panel analyses show that professional identification after 6 months in teacher training significantly predicts the intention to stay in the teaching profession half a year later. Significant cross paths each describe positive effects between professional identification and autonomy support and negative effects between professional identification and autonomy thwarting.

Discussion

Particularly against the background of the shortage of teachers in Germany and other countries, the promotion of professional identification processes in the sense of a teacher identity can be assessed as crucial. In this respect, an autonomy-supporting environment, e.g., created by seminar teachers, can already contribute to that during teacher training.

The role of social support and social identification on challenge and threat cognitive appraisals, perceived stress, and life satisfaction in workplace employees

There is an emergent literature highlighting the positive role of social support and social identification in buffering against the deleterious effects of psychological stressors. Yet, we have limited understanding of how exactly these social factors fit within contemporary stress and coping theory. To advance and gain a greater understanding of these social factors, we explore the associations of social support and social identification on individuals' challenge and threat cognitive appraisals and how this then relates to perceived stress, life satisfaction, turnover intentions, and job performance. A total of 412 workplace employees from private and public sector occupations completed state measures around a recent most stressful experience at work. Results revealed atemporal associations between cognitive resource appraisals with both social support and social identification. Specifically, greater identification with colleagues and lower threat were related to less perceived stress, while having greater social identification (with colleagues and organisation), social support, and lower threat, were related to greater life satisfaction. Greater perceived stress, and lower social identification and life satisfaction, were also related to greater turnover intentions. While greater identification with the organisation and life satisfaction, along with lower perceived stress were related to greater job performance. Taken together, this research provides evidence that social support and social identification play a positive role when trying to promote more adaptive responses to stressful situations.

Crossing the 'flaky bridge' - the initial transitory experiences of qualifying as a paramedic: a mixed-methods study

Introduction

Newly qualified paramedics (NQPs) may experience emotional turbulence as they transition to professional practice. This may negatively affect confidence and have an adverse effect on attrition. This study highlights the initial transitory experiences of NQPs.

Methods

The study utilised a mixed-methods convergent design. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected simultaneously and triangulated to more fully interpret participants' experiences. A convenience sample of 18 NQPs from one ambulance trust was used. The Connor-Davidson Resilience 25-point Scale questionnaire (CD-RISC25) was administered and analysed using descriptive statistics. Semi-structured interviews were conducted simultaneously and analysed using Charmaz's constructivist grounded theory approach. Data were collected from September to December 2018.

Results

There was a range of resilience scores, with a mean of 74.7/100 (standard deviation 9.6). Factors relating to social support were scored highly, and factors relating to determinism and spirituality were scored lower. Qualitative data constructed a process whereby participants were navigating a new identity across three spheres simultaneously: professional, social and personal identity. Attending a catalyst event such as a cardiac arrest was a trigger for starting to navigate this process. Participants had different pathways through this transitional period. Participants who found this process particularly turbulent seemed to have lower resilience scores.

Conclusion

The transition from student to NQP is an emotionally turbulent time. Navigating a changing identity seems to be at the centre of this turbulence, and this is triggered by a catalyst event such as attending a cardiac arrest. Interventions which support the NQP in navigating this change in identity, such as group supervision, may improve resilience and self-efficacy and reduce attrition.

Collective teacher culture and school goal structure: Associations with teacher self-efficacy and engagement

One purpose of this study was to test a model of a collective teacher culture (CTC) proposed by Skaalvik and Skaalvik (Skaalvik and Skaalvik, Social Psychology of Education 24:1389–1406, 2021). In this model, a second-order CTC variable was indicated by four first-order variables: positive and supportive social relations with colleagues, collective teacher efficacy, shared goals and values, and value consonance. A second purpose was to test how a CTC was associated with teachers’ perceptions of the school goal structure (learning and performance goal structures). A third purpose was to explore relations between the two dimensions of the school goal structure, CTC, teacher self-efficacy, and teacher engagement. Participants in the study were 1145 teachers in elementary school, middle school, and high school. The data were analyzed by means of confirmatory factor analyses and SEM analysis. The factor analyses supported the proposed model and revealed that a CTC was positively and strongly associated with a learning goal structure and positively and moderately associated with both teacher self-efficacy and teacher engagement. In contrast, a CTC was negatively associated with a performance goal structure. A learning goal structure was also positively associated with teacher self-efficacy and engagement. In the SEM model, CTC partly mediated the associations between a learning goal structure and teacher self-efficacy and engagement.

Organizational identification and burnout syndrome in healthcare workers: The mediating effect of organizational justice

BACKGROUND

Healthcare workers typically perform their work under adverse conditions, increasing their susceptibility to developing burnout syndrome (BO). The paucity of research on the relationship between organizational identification (OI) and perceptions of organizational justice has created the need to address this topic more deeply.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess the relationship between OI and BO, identifying whether perceptions of organizational justice act as mediating variables.

METHODS

In total, 402 healthcare workers (physicians, professionals, and nursing assistants) completed Colquitt's (2001) Organizational Justice Scale, Mael and Ashforth's (1992) Organizational Identification Scale, and Maslach's (1986) Burnout Inventory. Two competing structural equation models were evaluated.

RESULTS

Our partial mediation model showed that the direct relationship between OI and BO was not significant (β= -0.16; p = 0.07). Therefore, a total mediation model was selected, showing that the indirect effects of OI on BO through perceptions of distributive justice (β= -0.16; p = 0.00) and interpersonal justice (β= -0.11; p = 0.02) were significant.

CONCLUSION

Adjusting the processes of health institutions considering a vision of organizational justice and increasing the worker's sense of belonging to his or her organization and his or her work team would, in turn, result in a lower probability of experiencing burnout syndrome.

The reciprocal relationship between social identification and social support over time: A four-wave longitudinal study

It has been argued that the positive effect of a shared social identity on health and well-being critically hinges on the interplay between social identity and social support. This interplay, however, is poorly understood. Building on Haslam et al., we argue that their relationship can be conceptualized as being reciprocal and dynamic with each variable influencing the other. The present study is the first to examine how the reciprocal relationship between social identification and perceived social support unfolds over time. In a sample of university freshmen (N_T1  = 172), we examined this reciprocal relationship in a four-wave survey study spanning over a period of 13 months. In line with Haslam et al., the results revealed a self-reinforcing cycle with social identification at T1 being positively related to perceived social support at T2, which, in turn, was positively related to social identification at T3, which predicted perceived social support at T4. In conclusion, our study advances knowledge regarding the interplay between social identity and social support over time and, hence, contributes to our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the social cure effect.

Team identification relates to lower burnout-Emotional and instrumental support as two different social cure mechanisms

Team identification is associated with less exhaustion and disengagement through more social support and higher collective self-efficacy. However, previous studies did not distinguish between emotional and instrumental support, even though both forms of support may relate differently to collective self-efficacy. By distinguishing between both support forms, we expected an indirect effect-the 'supportive structure' mechanism-of team identification on burnout mediated via emotional support. For a second mechanism-the 'supportive action' mechanism-we expected an indirect effect serially mediated by instrumental support and collective self-efficacy. We tested our hypotheses among N _T1  = 567 employees in a four-wave study with 3-month time lags between measurement points. Partially in line with our expectations, emotional support (T2) mediated the relation between team identification (T1) and disengagement (T4), but not emotional exhaustion (T4). Moreover, as expected, the results showed an indirect association between team identification (T1) and emotional exhaustion and disengagement (T4) via instrumental support (T2) and collective self-efficacy (T3). Accordingly, employees benefit from both support forms but through different mechanisms. We discuss our findings and implications for future research.

The role of work-family conflict and job role identification in moderated mediating the relationship between perceived supervisor support and employee proactive behaviors

In recent years, the outbreak and persistence of COVID-19 has greatly changed the way people work, and encouraging employees to work online from home has become a new form of work for organizations responding to the epidemic. Based on the W-HR model, this paper explored supervisor support as a situational resource in the context of online office, aiming to verify the changes in work-family status caused by individuals facing the background of supervisor support, and then relate employees’ proactive behavior. Meanwhile, the predicted moderating effect of job role identification on supervisor support and work-family conflict was verified by considering the role identification generated in the positive interaction between employees and supervisors as individual resources. In this study, 555 employees from enterprises in the provinces of Jiangsu and Guangdong were selected as the research participants, and data were recovered at two time nodes. The results show that: (1) Perceived supervisor support significantly relates employee proactive behavior. (2) Work-family conflict mediates the relationship between perceived supervisor support and employee proactive behavior. (3) Job role identification has a significant moderating effect on the relationship between perceived supervisor support and work-family conflict, and high level of job role identification moderated the mediating effect of work-family conflict on perceived supervisor support and employee proactive behavior significantly. This paper expands the research perspective of employee proactive behavior. It can be used as a reference for enterprises to formulate strategies to improve employee proactive behavior in the process of digital reform.

So Far, So Close: Identification with Proximal and Distal Groups as a Resource in Dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic

A robust body of research has highlighted the fundamental role of social identifications in dealing with emergencies and in predicting commitment behaviors. We report the results of two studies carried out in Italy to assess whether the subjective sense of belonging to meaningful proximal and distal social groups affected people's ability to cope with the pandemic crisis. Study 1 (N = 846) shows that different identifications with proximal (i.e., family and friends) and distal social groups (i.e., nation, European, and humankind) may act as buffers for individuals by reducing negative emotions and negative expectations about the future after COVID-19 and by increasing people's intentions to adhere to containment measures and to be involved in prosocial actions. Study 2 (N = 350) highlights the role of European identification in predicting propensities for using the tracing app and getting vaccinated. These results confirm the benefits of various types of identification (proximal vs. distant) in helping individuals deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Individual and organizational resilience-Insights from healthcare providers in Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic

We explored the effects of resilience in the healthcare setting during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. Our study sheds light on the cross-level effects of resilience in hospitals and thus responds to calls to research this empirically. In a cross-sectional study design, the perceptions of resilience of employees in hospitals and of transformations at the individual, team, and organizational level were analyzed. An online survey was conducted in summer 2020 in Germany in which 1,710 healthcare workers completed a self-report questionnaire. Results indicate that resilience is both a highly interrelated construct on the individual and organizational level and also positively linked to perceptions of transformation as an indicator for demonstration of resilience. We also found a partial mediation effect of organizational resilience and team efficacy, respectively, on the relationship between individual resilience and perceived transformation on the individual and organizational level as well as a full mediation on the team level. The study highlights the interdependence of individual and organizational resilience (which is mediated by team efficacy) and its impact on perceived transformation in German hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whereas team efficacy is crucial for performance in regular work operations, during a pandemic the organizational level becomes more relevant. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Impact of Leading by Example on Employees' Organizational and Job Psychological Ownership: A Moderated Mediation Study

This article studies the influence of leading by example on organizational psychological ownership and job psychological ownership. This article further introduces the mediating mechanism of organizational identification and the regulating mechanism of Leader-member Exchange (LMX). This study investigated 312 personnel from eight property management enterprises in East, Northwest, Northeast, and central China. This study adopts a quantitative research method, using survey data of project managers, team leaders, and managers of Property management projects in China. The data were collected by questionnaire survey. In terms of data analysis, AMOS 21.0 software was used to conduct structural equation modeling (SEM) using the maximum likelihood method to test direct and indirect effects. SPSS 25.0 software was used to test the moderating effect by multilevel regression analysis with the maximum variance method. Use these two methods to analyze the whole theoretical framework. The results established all assumed relationships. In this article, leading by example, one of the important dimensions of empowering leadership is studied as a new leadership style, and the predictive effect of leading by example on organizational psychological ownership and job psychological ownership is verified. This finding further verifies the influence mechanism and boundary conditions of empowering leadership in different dimensions. It is found that organizational identification has different mediating effects on leading by example and organizational psychological ownership and job psychological ownership. The moderating effect of LMX also further indicates that under the influence of Confucian pan-family culture, the leader's exemplary behavior with higher authority has a stronger influence on employees' organizational identification, organizational psychological ownership, and job psychological ownership. Their relationship is deeply influenced by the culture of China's unique organizational Circle Culture.

Linkage of calling and burnout among Chinese airline pilots: The role of psychological capital and organizational identification

Objectives. The burnout of airline pilots has an extremely adverse impact on their physical and mental state, work efficiency, and the safe operation of airlines, and is thus an important issue in occupational safety and health. Therefore, it is crucial to identify the factors that may reduce burnout among airline pilots. Drawing on conservation of resources theory, the present study investigates the relationships between calling, psychological capital, organizational identification and burnout in order to understand the mechanisms underlying pilot burnout. Method. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to measure calling, psychological capital, organizational identification and burnout among a sample consisting of 242 Chinese commercial airline pilots (M_age = 31.60 years, SD_age = 6.44). Correlation analysis, mediation analysis and moderated analysis were conducted. Results. The results showed that calling has a direct and negative effect on pilot burnout, and an indirect effect on burnout through influencing psychological capital. Moreover, organizational identification was found to positively moderate the negative relationship between calling and pilot burnout. Conclusion. This study contributes to deepening the theoretical research on burnout, and provides empirical evidence for effective intervention in the burnout of airline pilots, which is beneficial to reduce pilot human error and ensure flight safety. Future research directions are also discussed.

Caring for yourself and for others: team health climate and self-care explain the relationship between health-oriented leadership and exhaustion

Purpose

Health-oriented leadership is an emerging concept that is promising for better understanding how leaders can support employee well-being. However, there is uncertainty about the process through which health-oriented leadership relates to employee well-being. Advancing health-oriented leadership research, this study aims to examine employee self-care and the perceived team health climate as mediating mechanisms.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a time-lagged study with three measurement points (NT1 = 335, NT2 = 134, NT2 = 113) to test these mechanisms.

Findings

The results show that health-oriented leadership at Time 1 positively relates to employee self-care and perceived team health climate at Time 2, which, in turn, are negatively associated with employee exhaustion at Time 3.

Originality/value

The indirect associations suggest that health-oriented leadership relates to employee well-being via the perceived team health climate and the individuals' self-care. By revealing an important mediating mechanism, this study contributes to the health-oriented leadership literature and can help organizations and leaders improve health promotion in organizations.

Trends in nursing burnout management in foreign studies (literature review)

This review provides a general foreign overview of the current understanding and  prevalence of professional burnout among medical workers and summarizes the emerging trends in the management of the organization of work of nurses, preventing burnout, and an analysis of practices aimed at preventing burnout. Burnout negatively affects both mental and physical health, as well as increases economic losses and employee turnover.

Burnout depends on factors such as job satisfaction, professional rank, hospital level, gender, professional values, negative emotions, and core competencies.

Burnout syndrome is closely related to compassion fatigue syndrome, compassionate gratification and is part of the broader concept of professional quality of life. Compassion refers to recognition, understanding, emotional resonance, empathic concern and tolerance for the suffering of others, and motivation and action in relationships to help others.

The analysis of foreign literature has shown the relevance of this problem and, first of all, for nurses. The peculiarities of the work of nurses lead to the fact that their burnout is higher than among other medical workers. Various approaches to the management of professional burnout have been proposed. Burnout management can focus on the organization, the individual, or a combination of interventions.

When people have a positive belief system, work involvement, and access to many personal resources, they are less likely to experience stress and burnout.

Nursing burnout has worsened during the COVID-19 period and has exposed new pressing health issues. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown a shortage of nurses and has become a major problem in many countries.

The attitude of the community, the importance and the need for specialized and professional care, especially in situations of great difficulty and suffering, is important for medical personnel. Public sincere gratitude for the work of healthcare professionals will help build compassion for professionals who risk their lives to help people. 

Identity Leadership, Employee Burnout and the Mediating Role of Team Identification: Evidence from the Global Identity Leadership Development Project

Do leaders who build a sense of shared social identity in their teams thereby protect them from the adverse effects of workplace stress? This is a question that the present paper explores by testing the hypothesis that identity leadership contributes to stronger team identification among employees and, through this, is associated with reduced burnout. We tested this model with unique datasets from the Global Identity Leadership Development (GILD) project with participants from all inhabited continents. We compared two datasets from 2016/2017 (n = 5290; 20 countries) and 2020/2021 (n = 7294; 28 countries) and found very similar levels of identity leadership, team identification and burnout across the five years. An inspection of the 2020/2021 data at the onset of and later in the COVID-19 pandemic showed stable identity leadership levels and slightly higher levels of both burnout and team identification. Supporting our hypotheses, we found almost identical indirect effects (2016/2017, b = −0.132; 2020/2021, b = −0.133) across the five-year span in both datasets. Using a subset of n = 111 German participants surveyed over two waves, we found the indirect effect confirmed over time with identity leadership (at T1) predicting team identification and, in turn, burnout, three months later. Finally, we explored whether there could be a “too-much-of-a-good-thing” effect for identity leadership. Speaking against this, we found a u-shaped quadratic effect whereby ratings of identity leadership at the upper end of the distribution were related to even stronger team identification and a stronger indirect effect on reduced burnout.

The amplifying effect of perceived group politicization: Effects of group perceptions and identification on anxiety and coping self-efficacy among members of UK COVID-19 mutual aid groups

Mutual aid groups developed and mobilized in communities across the UK and globally at the outset of the pandemic in order to support vulnerable community members with practical assistance and emotional support, with some understanding their work in political terms. This study adopted a “social cure” lens to investigate the effects of group identification and group perceptions on anxiety and coping self‐efficacy among members of UK Covid‐19 mutual aid groups. Survey data were collected from self‐identified members of these groups (N = 844) during the initial period of “lockdown” restrictions in April – May 2020. Correlational analyses showed that identification with the mutual aid group was linked to more positive group perceptions and better self‐reported psychological outcomes. Perceived group politicization showed the reverse pattern. Mixed support for the “social cure” model was evident; the effect of group identification on coping self‐efficacy (but not anxiety) was serially mediated by perceived support and collective efficacy. Perceived group politicization was a significant moderator, seeming to amplify the indirect effect of group identification on coping self‐efficacy via perceived support. Results are discussed in light of previous empirical work on the social cure and Covid‐19 mutual aid groups. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.

A trouble shared is a trouble halved: The role of family identification and identification with humankind in well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID‐19 pandemic has triggered health‐related anxiety in ways that undermine peoples’ mental and physical health. Contextual factors such as living in a high‐risk area might further increase the risk of health deterioration. Based on the Social Identity Approach, we argue that social identities can not only be local that are characterized by social interactions, but also be global that are characterized by a symbolic sense of togetherness and that both of these can be a basis for health. In line with these ideas, we tested how identification with one’s family and with humankind relates to stress and physical symptoms while experiencing health‐related anxiety and being exposed to contextual risk factors. We tested our assumptions in a representative sample (N = 974) two‐wave survey study with a 4‐week time lag. The results show that anxiety at Time 1 was positively related to stress and physical symptoms at Time 2. Feeling exposed to risk factors related to lower physical health, but was unrelated to stress. Family identification and identification with humankind were both negatively associated with subsequent stress and family identification was negatively associated with subsequent physical symptoms. These findings suggest that for social identities to be beneficial for mental health, they can be embodied as well as symbolic.

Identity Leadership, Social Identity Continuity, and Well-Being at Work During COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to widespread remote working that has posed significant challenges for people’s sense of connection to their workplace and their mental health and well-being. In the present work, we examined how leaders’ identity leadership is associated with the well-being of employees in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, we examined how both leaders’ and team members’ identity leadership is associated with employees’ social identity continuity, and through this with their job satisfaction, burnout and loneliness at work. Employees (N = 363) participated in a field study during the COVID-19 pandemic, completing measures of their leader’s and team members’ identity leadership (i.e., entrepreneurship and impresarioship), social identity continuity, job satisfaction, burnout, loneliness at work. Results revealed that to the extent that employees perceived greater social identity continuity, they were more satisfied with their work and felt less lonely. Furthermore, mediation analyses revealed indirect effects of team members’ identity entrepreneurship on job satisfaction and loneliness via an increase in social identity continuity. Results suggest that to foster employees’ health and well-being in times of disruption, organizations might put in place practices that allow employees to maintain a sense of ‘we-ness’ at work by involving not only formal leaders but also other members of the organization.

The I and We of Team Identification: A Multilevel Study of Exhaustion and (In)congruence Among Individuals and Teams in Team Identification

The social identity approach to stress proposes that the beneficial effects of social identification develop through individual and group processes, but few studies have addressed both levels simultaneously. Using a multilevel person–environment fit framework, we investigate the group-level relationship between team identification (TI) and exhaustion, the individual-level relationship for people within a group, and the cross-level moderation effect to test whether individual-level exhaustion depends on the level of (in)congruence in TI between individuals and their group as a whole. We test our hypotheses in a sample of 525 employees from 82 teams. Multilevel polynomial regression analysis revealed a negative linear relationship between individual-level identification and exhaustion. Surprisingly, the relation between group-level identification and exhaustion was curvilinear, indicating that group-level identification was more beneficial at low and high levels compared with medium levels. As predicted, the cross-level moderation of the individual-level relationship by group-level identification was also significant, showing that as individuals became more incongruent in a positive direction (i.e., they identified more strongly than the average team member), they reported less exhaustion, but only if the group-level identification was average or high. These results emphasize the benefits of analyzing TI in a multilevel framework, with both theoretical and practical implications.

Organizational Justice, Professional Identification, Empathy, and Meaningful Work During COVID-19 Pandemic: Are They Burnout Protectors in Physicians and Nurses?

Burnout has been recognized as a serious health problem. In Portugal, before COVID-19 Pandemic, there were strong indicators of high prevalence of burnout in physicians and nurses. However, the Portuguese Health Care Service was able to efficiently respond to the increased demands. This study intends to understand how psychosocial variables might have been protective factors for burnout in physicians and nurses in Portugal. Specifically, we considered several psychosocial variables that have been found to be protective factors for burnout in previous research and we compared their predictive and unique impact in the prediction of burnout. These variables are perceptions of justice (distributive, procedural, justice from colleagues, justice from patients, and their families), professional identification, meaningful work and empathy. We also included workload, as a risk factor, and controlled other variables that can be confounds for burnout, such as socio-demographic variables, ideological variables (religiosity, political orientation), and specific variables related with COVID-19 pandemic. The sample of the present study is composed by 229 physicians (aged between 23 and 70 years old, M = 36.54; SD = 10.72; 48% male and 52% female) and 268 nurses (aged between 22 and 69 years old, M = 34.96; SD = 9.52; 27% male and 73% female). An online survey was created using Qualtrics and participants were recruited via Facebook and LinkedIn. The data were collected during 29 days (between the 45th and the 74th days after the first diagnosed case of COVID-19 in Portugal). The results showed that workload was a significant risk factor, except for disengagement in physicians. The most consistent protectors across samples were procedural justice (for both dimensions of burnout, both in physicians and nurses) and professional identification (for disengagement, both in physicians and nurses; for exhaustion only in physicians). This study suggests that decreasing workload and promoting procedural justice and professional identification are key factors that might be simultaneously and independently addressed in interventions for reducing the risk of burnout or preventing it from occurring in the first place.

Basque Ethnic Identity and Collective Empowerment: Two Key Factors in Well-Being and Community Participation

Social identity is a factor that is associated with well-being and community participation. Some studies have shown that ethnic identity goes along with empowerment, and that interaction between the two leads to greater indices of well-being and community participation. However, other works suggest a contextual circumstance (i.e., perceiving one's own group as a minority and/or being discriminated) may condition the nature of these relations. By means of a cross-sectional study, we analyzed the relations of social identification (or identity fusion) and collective psychological empowerment with personal well-being, social well-being and community participation in a sample of Basques. A total of 748 Basques participated (63.1% women; age M = 39.28; SD = 12.13). Individuals who were highly identified or fused with Basque speakers and who were highly empowered showed higher indices of well-being (both personal and social) and of community participation than non-fused individuals with low empowerment. The results also suggest that social identification (or identity fusion) offsets the negative effects of perceiving the group as a linguistic minority. Collective psychological empowerment proved to be an especially relevant factor that needs to continue to be explored.

Growing into "Us": Trajectories of Social Identification with College Sport Teams Predict Subjective Well-Being

BACKGROUND

Groups are often a source of social identification that may elicit subjective well-being. When joining and maintaining membership of groups such as sport clubs, it is anticipated that members will experience varying trajectories of identification strength, but it is unclear how these trajectories may relate to well-being.

METHOD

Participants were 697 college students (64% female), nested within 35 club-level sport teams. The current study longitudinally assessed students' social identification with sport teams at three timepoints (3-month lags) across a school year to examine the extent that growth trajectories in identification strength predicted indices of well-being (i.e. life satisfaction, happiness, and subjective health) at the end of the school year.

RESULTS

Multilevel latent growth modeling revealed that end-of-year well-being was positively predicted by social identification intercepts (b = .24, p = .010) and growth trajectories (b = .75, p < .001). Accounting for baseline identification, steeper increases in social identification (upward trajectories) predicted greater well-being.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings support established theory that social identification relates to well-being, while adding novel insights that students may experience unique benefits when their social identity strengthens over the course of a school year. Considering recent declines in college student well-being, groups like sport teams represent a source for social identification that should be fostered throughout the course of one's group membership.

The Dark Side of Organizational Identification: A Multi-Study Investigation of Negative Outcomes

After more than two decades of research on the positive side of organizational identification, researchers have begun to realize that it also has a dark side that needs immediate consideration. With support from social identity theory, the current study sheds light on the understudied role of the dark side of organizational identification by investigating its indirect effects on (a) psychological entitlement, (b) unethical pro-organizational behavior, and (c) pro-social rule-breaking through externally motivated organizational citizenship behavior, taking leader–member exchange as a boundary condition. Two surveys were conducted to test the proposed moderated mediation model. Data for the study 1 was collected from employees (N = 356) working in the service sector (i.e., Universities, Banks and Telecommunication Organizations), whereas responses for study 2 were taken from employees (N = 259) working in the hospitality industry. A time-lagged research design was selected for both surveys to avoid common method bias. The results demonstrate that organizational identification leads to adverse outcomes in the form of psychological entitlement, pro-social rule-breaking and unethical pro-organizational behavior through externally motivated organizational citizenship behavior. Furthermore, a high-quality leader–member exchange relationship enhances these indirect effects of organizational identification. Several theoretical and practical implications, along with limitations and future research directions, are also discussed.

Interactive effects of social network centrality and social identification on stress

The present study aimed to integrate the social identity approach to health and well-being with social network analysis. Previous research on the effects of social network centrality on stress has yielded mixed results. Building on the social identity approach, we argued that these mixed results can be explained, in part, by taking into account the degree to which individuals identify with the social network. We hence hypothesized that the effects of social network centrality on stress are moderated by social identification. Using a full roster method, we assessed the social network of first-year psychology students right after the start of their study programme and three months later. The effects of network centrality (betweenness, closeness, eigenvector centrality) and social identification on stress were examined using structural equation models. As predicted, our results revealed a significant interaction between network centrality and social identification on stress: For weakly or moderately identified students, network centrality was positively related to stress. By contrast, for strongly identified students, network centrality was unrelated to stress. In conclusion, our results point to the perils of being well-connected yet not feeling like one belongs to a group.

How and When Do Leaders Influence Employees' Well-Being? Moderated Mediation Models for Job Demands and Resources

Following the call of recent reviews on leadership and well-being, the purpose of this study is to examine how and when two contrasting leadership styles, transformational leadership (TFL) and passive-avoidant leadership (PAL), are related to employees’ anxiety and thereby either promote or inhibit employees’ well-being. Using the prominent job demands-resources (JD-R) model as a theoretical framework, we propose that the relationship between leadership behavior and anxiety is mediated by organizational job demands, namely, role ambiguity (RA), and job resources, namely, team climate for learning (TCL), as well as moderated by autonomy as important job characteristic. A sample of 501 knowledge workers, working in teams in a German research and development (R&D) organization, answered an online survey. We tested moderated multiple mediation models using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results demonstrated that the relationships between TFL as well as PAL on the one hand and anxiety on the other hand were fully mediated by RA and TCL. Job autonomy moderated the quality of the leadership–job demand relationship for TFL and PAL. This paper contributes to understanding the complex relationship between leadership and followers’ well-being taking into account a combination of mediating and moderating job demands and resources. This is the first study that examines the effects of TFL and PAL on well-being taking into account the job demand RA and team processes and autonomy as resources.

Social identification-building interventions to improve health: a systematic review and meta-analysis

There is growing evidence that social identity processes play an important role in a range of health outcomes. However, we know little about the nature and effectiveness of interventions that build social identification with the aim of promoting health. In the present research, we systematically review and meta-analyze interventions that build social identification to enhance health and wellbeing. A total of 27 intervention studies were identified (N = 2,230). Using a three-level meta-regression, results indicate that social identification-building interventions had a moderate-to-strong impact on health (Hedges g = 0.66; 95%CIs[0.34, 0.97]). Analyses revealed significant variation in intervention effectiveness as a function of its type: group-relevant decision making (g = 1.26), therapy programmes (g = 1.02), shared activities (g = 0.40), and reminiscence (g = -0.05). By contrast, there was much less variation across health outcomes: quality of life (g = 0.80), physical health (g = 0.76), self-esteem (g = 0.69), well-being (g = 0.66), (reduced) anxiety (g = 0.61), (reduced) depression (g = 0.58), cognitive health (g = 0.55), and (reduced) stress (g = 0.49). Finally, speaking to the mechanism of the interventions, interventions tended to be more effective to the extent that they succeeded in building participants' social identification with the intervention group. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of social identification-building interventions to foster health and outline an agenda for future research and practical application.

Lack of Group Support and Burnout Syndrome in Workers of the State Security Forces and Corps: Moderating Role of Neuroticism

Background and Objectives: This research analyzes the relationship between the lack of group support and burnout syndrome in workers of the State Security Forces and Corps, considering the role of personality traits in this relationship. In particular, it is hypothesized that neuroticism will moderate this relationship. Materials and Methods: Participants were 237 workers from the State Security Forces and Corps dedicated to tasks of citizen security. Results: The results show that neuroticism moderates the relationship between lack of group support and the three components of the burnout syndrome: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal fulfillment. Conclusions: The findings are discussed, suggesting intervention strategies for the improvement of the agents’ personal well-being.

School Burnout, Relational, and Organizational Factors

Work stress and burnout affect teachers to a significant extent. The objective of this study is to evaluate and compare the impact of relational and organizational factors on teacher burnout in two samples of primary school teachers, one Italian (Naples) and the other Swiss (Cantone Ticino). The hypothesis is that, given the socio-cultural and economic differences of the two contexts, the variables under investigation impact teacher burnout differently. We collected data through a self-reported questionnaire containing the following scales: Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, Satisfaction with Life Scale, Life Orientation test, organizational identification, colleague support, and workload. The Swiss sample consists of 964 teachers (26% kindergarten and 73.7% primary school teachers); the Italian sample consists of 104 teachers (20% kindergarten and 80% primary schools teachers). Descriptive analyses, mean comparison (t test), correlational analyses, and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted. There are no significant differences between the two samples with respect to burnout, colleague support, and workload. Correlations between burnout and the variables under investigation are significant in both samples, except for optimism in the Italian sample. Regression analysis shows that optimism and colleague support have an impact on burnout only in the Swiss sample; organizational identification has a stronger impact on burnout in the Italian sample.

Reducing stress: Social support and group identification

Three studies systematically explored the relationship between social support and group identification in the context of how individuals cope with stress. In Study 1, 101 participants took part in a simulated group task where they either received social support or not under conditions of either high or low demand. Social support was associated with higher group identification, and this mediated the effect of social support on more positive appraisals and task satisfaction. In Study 2, 83 participants were either made aware of their group membership or worked as individuals on a group task under high or low demand. In this study, group membership salience was associated with greater perceived support, which was associated with greater group identification, and subsequently more positive primary and secondary appraisals, more problem-focused coping, and task satisfaction. Study 3 assessed the perceived social support and group identification reported by 71 volleyball team members before and after a game. Results were more consistent with the notion that support and identification were two concurrent perceptions associated with being in a group, rather than identification priming the recognition of support or support increasing identification.

Relationship Between Workplace Ostracism and Unsafe Behaviors: The Mediating Effect of Psychological Detachment and Emotional Exhaustion

This research tests whether the stressor-detachment model can explain the mechanism between workplace ostracism and employees’ unsafe behaviors. We used a self-report questionnaire to assess Chinese construction workers’ workplace ostracism, psychological detachment, emotional exhaustion, and unsafe behaviors. In total, 349 valid questionnaires were collected. We used cross-sectional structural equation modeling to assess our conceptual model. The results indicate that workplace ostracism has a significant effect on psychological detachment and emotional exhaustion and thus affects employees’ unsafe behaviors. In addition, workplace ostracism could influence employees’ unsafe behaviors through the sequential combination of psychological detachment and emotional exhaustion. Moreover, psychological detachment mediates the relationship between workplace ostracism and emotional exhaustion. Taken together, our findings extend the application of the stressor-detachment model by revealing how workplace ostracism influences employees’ unsafe behaviors.

Organizational cynicism and employee performance

Purpose

Organizational cynicism is a growing trend in contemporary organizations. However, its impact on employee performance remains understudied. The purpose of this study is to address this gap by investigating the effect of three dimensions of organizational cynicism (cognitive, affective and behavioral cynicisms) on employee performance. The study also investigates the moderating effect of employee engagement on the relationship between three types of organizational cynicism and employee performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Primary data are collected through questionnaire from employees (N = 200) of various health organizations in Pakistan by using a convenient sampling technique. Hierarchal multiple regression models are used by using SPSS.

Findings

The findings reveal that all three types of organizational cynicism (i.e. cognitive cynicism, affective cynicism and behavioral cynicism) have a significant negative relationship with employee performance, while employee engagement moderates this relationship. Moreover, the findings indicate that the majority of respondents are not happy with their organizations. They have the feeling that their organizations are not fulfilling their promises, in fact, are betraying them in different ways. This breach of contract becomes the reason for organizational cynicism among employees and negatively affects their performance at work.

Research limitations/implications

The study has a large population size and it is quite difficult to address the whole population and collect data from a large sample because of time and limited budget.

Practical/implications

The organizational culture can mitigate the negative effect of organizational cynicism and enhance performance by promoting employee engagement. The study helps psychologists to understand employees’ attitudes and improve personnel selection to ensure they recruit the right people. Openness, honesty and early communication can increase predictability and controllability of future events.

Social implications

The job insecurity and lack of adequate compensation are assertive factors towards low productivity and negative attitude toward organization.

Originality/value

According to the researchers’ best knowledge, only few studies tried to investigate the relationship between organizational cynicism and employee performance by using the moderating effect of employee engagement. Therefore, it will be a good contribution in existing literature to understand consequences of cynicisms.

The relation between social identity and test anxiety in university students

Social identification has been shown to be a protective resource for mental health. In this study, the relationships between social identification and emotional, as well as cognitive symptoms of test anxiety are investigated. Participants were university students diagnosed with test anxiety (N = 108). They completed questionnaires regarding a range of psychopathologic stress symptoms, and their social identification with fellow students and with their study program. Results reveal negative relations between social identification and almost all investigated emotional and cognitive symptoms of test anxiety. Based on this study, interventions could be developed that strengthen the social identity of university students.