Authentic leadership, perceived organizational support, and psychological capital: Implications for job performance in the education sector

Mindfulness Practice and Work Performance: The Mediating Role of Emotional Intelligence and Psychological Capital

PURPOSE

The practice of mindfulness is becoming more widespread among employees, with potential benefits for workplace outcomes. However, there is a paucity of research on the mechanisms linking mindfulness to job performance.

METHOD

This study investigated the mediating functions of emotional intelligence and psychological capital in the relationship between mindfulness and job performance among 263 office employees in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The "mindfulness-to-meaning" viewpoint posits that through the practice of mindfulness, people are able to transcend negative emotions, gain a deeper understanding of themselves, and progress more intentionally by living more consciously in the present moment. Participants completed questionnaires measuring mindfulness, emotional intelligence, psychological capital, and occupational performance.

FINDING

According to the results of structural equation modeling, mindfulness has a direct positive influence on job performance. In addition, emotional intelligence partially mediated the relationship between mindfulness and performance, as evidenced by a greater indirect effect than direct effect. However, the indirect effect via psychological capital was less significant than the direct effect of mindfulness. These findings identify emotional intelligence as a key personal resource that transmits the positive effects of mindfulness on workplace performance.

CONCLUSION

The results advance comprehension of intermediary pathways in mindfulness research grounded in the resource-based view. Integrating emotional intelligence training into mindfulness programs could increase employee productivity in organizations.

Effect of authentic leadership on work readiness: the mediating role of nurses' agility

BACKGROUND

The dynamic and demanding nature of healthcare environments necessitates that nurses not only possess clinical proficiency but also exhibit high levels of work readiness to adapt swiftly to changes. Authentic leadership has been recognized as a critical factor influencing various organizational outcomes.

AIM

Investigating the mediating role of nurses' agility in the relation between authentic leadership and nurses' work readiness.

DESIGN AND METHOD

A correlational analytical research design was utilized following STROBE guidelines, and data were collected from 249 nurses at a hospital affiliated with Beni-Suef University, Egypt. Instruments included authentic leadership Questionnaire, work readiness scale, and workforce agility scale. Data was collected from the beginning of March to the end of April 2024.

RESULTS

The findings indicate that authentic leadership was notably strong regarding morality/ethics dimension (mean score: 15.81), and nurses demonstrated relatively high agility levels, particularly in proactivity (mean score: 29.16). Organizational acumen scored highest in work readiness dimensions (mean score: 53.94). Nurses' overall scores for study variables ranged from 72 to 80% of the maximum, with agility scoring highest (mean score: 85.77). Significant positive correlations were found between variables, especially between nurses' agility and authentic leadership (r = 0.362).

CONCLUSION

Path analysis reveals nurses' agility as a paramount mediator between authentic leadership and nurses' work readiness, indicating its vital role in transmitting the positive effects of authentic leadership. Practical implications include establishing authentic leadership programs that foster nurses' agility especially proactive behaviors. That in turn improve nurses' readiness for various work responsibilities.

The impact of psychological capital on nurses' job performance: a chain mediation analysis of problem-focused coping and job engagement

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have explored the relationships of psychological capital with employees' job performance in the health sector. However, the possible indirect pathways, including a serial mediation of problem-focus coping and job engagement, have not been extensively examined. This article explores how psychological capital influences nurses' coping strategies focused on problem-solving, their level of engagement with their jobs, and how this, in turn, affects their job performance.

METHODS

The study involved 575 nurses from Cameroon's public health sector. It investigated how psychological capital, an intrinsic resource, triggers nurses' problem-focus coping liaison with job engagement to impact job performance. Analysis was conducted to assess the relationships among psychological capital, problem-focus coping, job engagement, and job performance with the use of SmartPLS 4.0 and PROCESS 4.2.

RESULTS

Findings revealed a significant effect of psychological capital on problem-focus coping, job engagement and job performance. Moreover, notable relationships were identified between psychological capital, problem-focus coping, job engagement, and performance, highlighting a chain mediation effect.

CONCLUSION

The research advocates for hospital managers to employ strategies fostering employees' psychological capital to better cope with organizational stressors to promote job engagement and enhance job performance. The study contributes fresh insights into healthcare organizational dynamics and human resource management, providing a foundation for future advancements in this field.

Psychological capital research in HEIs: Bibliometric analysis of current and future trends

This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the literature on psychological capital (PsyCap) within higher education institutions (HEIs). Its main objective is to offer an encompassing perspective on this field's current state and potential developments. To achieve this, the study examines present research trends and predicts future directions using a bibliometric approach. A total of 412 journal articles were gathered from the Web of Science database. The analysis identifies influential publications, outlines the knowledge structure, and forecasts future trends through bibliographic coupling and co-word analyses. The bibliographic coupling revealed five distinct clusters, while the co-word analysis identified four clusters. Despite the growing significance of PsyCap research in HEIs, there remains a need for greater academic efforts to comprehend the research landscape fully. This paper provides valuable insights into the expanding area of PsyCap research within HEIs. In conclusion, the study sheds light on the extensive research conducted on PsyCap in the context of HEIs and offers insights into its potential for further growth.

When there is no justice, we need an old HERO. The trickle-down effect of psychological capital: the moderating role of organizational justice and leaders' age

The objective of the study was to explore the impact of leaders' ages and followers' perceptions of organizational justice (POJ) on the transfer of psychological capital (PsyCap) from leaders to followers, particularly examining how employees' resilience is influenced by leaders' PsyCap. While some evidence exists regarding PsyCap's trickle-down effect, the specific circumstances triggering this phenomenon remain unclear. This study investigates the relationship between followers' and leaders' PsyCap, employing the Social Cognitive Theory and considering the moderating effects of leaders' age and POJ. The study focused on leader-follower dyads within a randomly selected sample of 406 businesses, encompassing 812 respondents. The survey investigation utilized the CAPI approach. The hypothesized model underwent testing through multilevel dyadic regression analysis, employing an actor-partner interdependence model. The findings support two moderators -employees' POJ and managers' age - and highlight the cross-over effect of PsyCap. Specifically, a stronger trickle-down link is observed when a leader is older and operating within a low POJ environment. Additionally, the study revealed a positive correlation between employees' PsyCap and POJ. The development of POJ enhances employees' PsyCap and resilience, while leaders' PsyCap may compensate for organizational POJ deficiencies. This study is among the first to explore PsyCap's moderators, specifically analyzing leaders' ages and POJ as factors influencing the cross-over effect of PsyCap. By identifying previously unrecognized moderators affecting the cross-over PsyCap effect, this research contributes significantly to the PsyCap literature.

The Symptom Network Structure of Teachers' Burnout and Its Connection to Psychological Capital

Background

Teacher burnout is characterized by emotional and physical exhaustion resulting from excessive work-related stress. Previous research based on traditional latent variable theory has revealed a significant negative relationship between TB and psychological capital (PsyCap). This study explored the complex symptoms of TB and the contact points of PsyCap in reducing TB using psychometric network analysis.

Methods

A total of 3991 teachers completed the burnout subscale of the Professional Quality of Life and Psychological Capital Scale.

Results

The results showed that: (a) In the TB network, the core symptoms displayed by teachers due to burnout are difficulty feeling "I am a very caring person", "I am happy", and "I am the person I always wanted to be"; (b) The TB-PsyCap network was closely connected, and the symptoms affected each other. PsyCap affected the TB network through "I feel optimistic and happy almost every day" and "I often feel that there is a future as a teacher"; (c) PsyCap's bridge symptoms had a negative impact on TB, and PsyCap may reduce TB primarily through optimistic, hopeful dimensions.

Conclusion and Implications

Psychometric network analysis helps us understand the complex symptoms of TB and the contact points of PsyCap in reducing TB. This study offers valuable insights into the prevention of, and intervention in, burnout within the teaching community.