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Martínez-García I, De Witte H, García-Martínez J, Cano-García FJ. A systematic review and a comprehensive approach to PhD students' wellbeing. Appl Psychol Health Well Being 2024. [PMID: 38606943 DOI: 10.1111/aphw.12541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
The pursuit of a doctoral degree is a challenging process that can have a negative impact on the wellbeing of PhD students. Therefore, the aim here is to offer a systematic review of the current state of the literature on wellbeing among PhD students and the variables it involves in order to build an integrative model that will enrich future research. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology for systematic reviews has been used to lay out the process in a flow diagram. We systematically review studies up to 2021 (N = 38) published on the Web of Science and SCOPUS databases. The results show the current state of the literature on wellbeing in PhD students, the characteristics of the studies (location, study design, and sample), how the literature defines the concept, the variables involved, the study limitations, and future perspectives to improve the quality of life of doctoral students. Finally, a comprehensive approach to the topic is presented in an integrative model that encompasses all variables identified in the literature and offers a guide for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inmaculada Martínez-García
- Departamento de Personalidad, Evaluación y Tratamiento Psicológicos, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
- Departamento de Didáctica y Organización Escolar, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Hans De Witte
- O2L, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Optentia Research Unit, North-West University, Vaal Triangle, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Jesús García-Martínez
- Departamento de Personalidad, Evaluación y Tratamiento Psicológicos, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
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De Beer LT, Hakanen JJ, Schaufeli WB, De Witte H, Glaser J, Kaltiainen J, Seubert C, Morin AJS. The burnout-depression conundrum: investigating construct-relevant multidimensionality across four countries and four patient samples. Psychol Health 2024:1-28. [PMID: 38400520 DOI: 10.1080/08870446.2024.2321358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
This research seeks to contribute to the ongoing discussion about the distinctive nature of burnout and depression. In a first study, we relied on employee samples from four European countries (N = 5199; 51.27% women; Mage = 43.14). In a second study, we relied on a large sample of patients (N = 5791; 53.70% women; Mage = 39.54) who received a diagnosis of burnout, depressive episode, job strain, or adaptation disorder. Across all samples and subsamples, we relied on the bifactor exploratory structural equation modelling to achieve an optimal disaggregation of the variance shared across our measures of burnout and depression from the variance uniquely associated with each specific subscale included in these measures. Our results supported the value of this representation of participants' responses, as well as their invariance across samples. More precisely, our results revealed a strong underlying global factor representing participants' levels of psychological distress, as well as the presence of equally strong specific factors supporting the distinctive nature of burnout and depression. This means that, although both conditions share common ground (i.e. psychological distress), they are not redundant. Interestingly, our results also unexpectedly suggested that suicidal ideation might represent a distinctive core component of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leon T De Beer
- Department of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
- WorkWell Research Unit, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Jari J Hakanen
- Workability and Work Careers, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Wilmar B Schaufeli
- Research Unit Occupational & Organizational Psychology and Professional Learning, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Hans De Witte
- Research Unit Occupational & Organizational Psychology and Professional Learning, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Optentia Research Unit, Vanderbijlpark Campus, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa
| | - Jürgen Glaser
- Department of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Janne Kaltiainen
- Workability and Work Careers, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Christian Seubert
- Department of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Alexandre J S Morin
- Substantive Methodological Synergy Research Laboratory, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada
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Hadžibajramović E, Schaufeli W, De Witte H. The ultra-short version of the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT4)-development, validation, and measurement invariance across countries, age and gender. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0297843. [PMID: 38394265 PMCID: PMC10889892 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Given that burnout is a major problem in many societies and that employers are legally obliged to act in preventing job stress, there is a need of validated and reliable short self-report instruments. The Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) is developed to measure burnout as a syndrome with four core components (exhaustion, mental distance, cognitive and emotional impairment). So far, the BAT was tested in over 40 studies with encouraging results. Although a short, 12-item version of the BAT exists, there is need for an ultra-short version with even less items. The overall aim is to develop an ultra-short 4-item version of the BAT (BAT4) and to evaluate its construct validity using Rasch analysis in samples from various countries along with its measurement invariance regarding country, age and gender. The BAT4 was developed using mixed methods, i.e. combining the results from a Rasch analysis, a subject matter analysis and expert judgements. Construct validity was tested on data from national representative samples from eight countries (the Netherlands, Belgium (Flanders), Austria, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Ireland, and Japan) and in a pooled sample combing the data from all eight countries. Differential item functioning regarding age, gender and country was investigated. The BAT4 fulfilled all the criteria required by the Rasch measurement model to constitute a valid measure in the pooled and country specific samples, except Austria and Japan. In the pooled sample, measurement invariance between the eight countries as well as between gender and age was found. Analyses within different countries showed occasional gender and age DIF for some items. The results were promising regarding BAT4's construct validity and measurement invariance. Although the BAT4 includes only four items, its content coverage is acceptable. The BAT4 can be used as a short screening instrument for burnout complaints at the group or organisational level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emina Hadžibajramović
- Institute of Stress Medicine, Region Västra Götaland, Gothenburg, Sweden
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Wilmar Schaufeli
- O2L, Research group Work, Organizational and Personnel Psychology (WOPP), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Hans De Witte
- O2L, Research group Work, Organizational and Personnel Psychology (WOPP), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Optentia Research Unit, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
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Kohnen D, De Witte H, Schaufeli WB, Dello S, Bruyneel L, Sermeus W. Engaging leadership and nurse well-being: the role of the work environment and work motivation-a cross-sectional study. Hum Resour Health 2024; 22:8. [PMID: 38225620 PMCID: PMC10788988 DOI: 10.1186/s12960-023-00886-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Healthcare literature suggests that leadership behavior has a profound impact on nurse work-related well-being. Yet, more research is needed to better conceptualize, measure, and analyse the concepts of leadership and well-being, and to understand the psychological mechanisms underlying this association. Combining Self-Determination and Job Demands-Resources theory, this study aims to investigate the association between engaging leadership and burnout and work engagement among nurses by focusing on two explanatory mechanisms: perceived job characteristics (job demands and resources) and intrinsic motivation. METHODS A cross-sectional survey of 1117 direct care nurses (response rate = 25%) from 13 general acute care hospitals in Belgium. Validated instruments were used to measure nurses' perceptions of engaging leadership, burnout, work engagement, intrinsic motivation and job demands and job resources. Structural equation modeling was performed to test the hypothesised model which assumed a serial mediation of job characteristics and intrinsic motivation in the relationship of engaging leadership with nurse work-related well-being. RESULTS Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good fit of the measurement model. The findings offer support for the hypothesized model, indicating that engaging leadership is linked to enhanced well-being, as reflected in increased work engagement, and reduced burnout. The results further showed that this association is mediated by nurses' perceptions of job resources and intrinsic motivation. Notably, while job demands mediated the relationship between EL and nurses' well-being, the relationship became unsignificant when including intrinsic motivation as second mediator. CONCLUSIONS Engaging leaders foster a favourable work environment for nursing staff which is not only beneficial for their work motivation but also for their work-related well-being. Engaging leadership and job resources are modifiable aspects of healthcare organisations. Interventions aimed at developing engaging leadership behaviours among nursing leaders and building job resources will help healthcare organisations to create favourable working conditions for their nurses. TRIAL REGISTRATION The study described herein is funded under the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme from 2020 to 2023 (Grant Agreement 848031). The protocol of Magnet4Europe is registered in the ISRCTN registry (ISRCTN10196901).
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorothea Kohnen
- Research Group Work, Organizational, and Personnel Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
- KU Leuven Institute for Healthcare Policy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Hans De Witte
- Research Group Work, Organizational, and Personnel Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Optentia Research Unit, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa
| | - Wilmar B Schaufeli
- Research Group Work, Organizational, and Personnel Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Simon Dello
- KU Leuven Institute for Healthcare Policy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Luk Bruyneel
- KU Leuven Institute for Healthcare Policy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Walter Sermeus
- KU Leuven Institute for Healthcare Policy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Roll LC, De Witte H, Wang HJ. Correction: Roll et al. Conceptualization and Validation of the Occupation Insecurity Scale (OCIS): Measuring Employees' Occupation Insecurity Due to Automation. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20, 2589. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2023; 21:5. [PMID: 38276814 PMCID: PMC10815229 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21010005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
There are some errors in the original publication [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara C. Roll
- Research Group Work, Organisational & Personnel Psychology (WOPP–O2L), KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium;
- Optentia Research Unit, Vaal Triangle Campus, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark 1900, South Africa
| | - Hans De Witte
- Research Group Work, Organisational & Personnel Psychology (WOPP–O2L), KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium;
- Optentia Research Unit, Vaal Triangle Campus, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark 1900, South Africa
| | - Hai-Jiang Wang
- School of Management, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China;
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Tsantila F, Coppens E, De Witte H, Arensman E, Aust B, Pashoja AC, Corcoran P, Cully G, De Winter L, Doukani A, Dushaj A, Fanaj N, Griffin E, Hogg B, Holland C, Leduc C, Leduc M, Mathieu S, Maxwell M, Ni Dhalaigh D, O' Brien C, Reich H, Ditta Tóth M, van Weeghel J, Van Audenhove C. Implementing a complex mental health intervention in occupational settings: process evaluation of the MENTUPP pilot study. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e077093. [PMID: 38101839 PMCID: PMC10728959 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-077093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND According to the Medical Research Council (MRC) framework, the theorisation of how multilevel, multicomponent interventions work and the understanding of their interaction with their implementation context are necessary to be able to evaluate them beyond their complexity. More research is needed to provide good examples following this approach in order to produce evidence-based information on implementation practices. OBJECTIVES This article reports on the results of the process evaluation of a complex mental health intervention in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) tested through a pilot study. The overarching aim is to contribute to the evidence base related to the recruitment, engagement and implementation strategies of applied mental health interventions in the workplace. METHOD The Mental Health Promotion and Intervention in Occupational Settings (MENTUPP) intervention was pilot tested in 25 SMEs in three work sectors and nine countries. The evaluation strategy of the pilot test relied on a mixed-methods approach combining qualitative and quantitative research methods. The process evaluation was inspired by the RE-AIM framework and the taxonomy of implementation outcomes suggested by Proctor and colleagues and focused on seven dimensions: reach, adoption, implementation, acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility and maintenance. RESULTS Factors facilitating implementation included the variety of the provided materials, the support provided by the research officers (ROs) and the existence of a structured plan for implementation, among others. Main barriers to implementation were the difficulty of talking about mental health, familiarisation with technology, difficulty in fitting the intervention into the daily routine and restrictions caused by COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS The results will be used to optimise the MENTUPP intervention and the theoretical framework that we developed to evaluate the causal mechanisms underlying MENTUPP. Conducting this systematic and comprehensive process evaluation contributes to the enhancement of the evidence base related to mental health interventions in the workplace and it can be used as a guide to overcome their contextual complexity. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER ISRCTN14582090.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fotini Tsantila
- LUCAS, Centre for Care Research and Consultancy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Evelien Coppens
- LUCAS, Centre for Care Research and Consultancy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Hans De Witte
- Research Group Work, Organisational and Personnel Psychology (WOPP - O2L), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Optentia Research Unit, North-West University - Vaal Triangle Campus, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa
| | - Ella Arensman
- School of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- National Suicide Research Foundation, Cork, Ireland
| | - Birgit Aust
- Det Nationale Forskningscenter for Arbejdsmiljø, Kobenhavn, Denmark
| | - Arlinda Cerga Pashoja
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London, UK
| | - Paul Corcoran
- School of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- National Suicide Research Foundation, Cork, Ireland
| | - Grace Cully
- School of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- National Suicide Research Foundation, Cork, Ireland
| | | | - Asmae Doukani
- Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Arilda Dushaj
- Community Center for Health and Wellbeing, Tirana, Albania
| | - Naim Fanaj
- Mental Health Center, PRIZREN, Kosovo, Albania
- Alma Mater Europaea Campus Kolegji Rezonanca, Pristina, Albania
| | - Eve Griffin
- School of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- National Suicide Research Foundation, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Bridget Hogg
- Centre Fòrum Research Unit, Hospital del Mar Neuropsychiatry and Addictions Institute, Barcelona, Spain
- Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Caleb Leduc
- School of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- National Suicide Research Foundation, Cork, Ireland
| | | | - Sharna Mathieu
- Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Margaret Maxwell
- Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions Research Unit, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | | | | | - Hanna Reich
- German Foundation for Research and Education on Depression, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Hospital of the Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Mónika Ditta Tóth
- Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - Chantal Van Audenhove
- LUCAS, Centre for Care Research and Consultancy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Academic Center for General Practice, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Kohnen D, De Witte H, Schaufeli WB, Dello S, Bruyneel L, Sermeus W. What makes nurses flourish at work? How the perceived clinical work environment relates to nurse motivation and well-being: A cross-sectional study. Int J Nurs Stud 2023; 148:104567. [PMID: 37837704 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2023.104567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Literature shows that the work environment is a main determinant of nurses' well-being and psychological strain; yet, the (psychological) mechanisms underlying this relationship remain understudied. OBJECTIVE This study explored the underlying (psychological) mechanisms (why) and boundary conditions (when) by which characteristics present in the clinical work environment influence nurses' well-being. We investigated the mediating role of intrinsic motivation in the relationship of job demands and job resources with burnout vs. work engagement. In addition, we examined if job resources strengthen the relationship of job demands with intrinsic motivation and burnout. DESIGN A cross-sectional survey study. SETTING(S) General acute care hospitals in Belgium (n = 14). PARTICIPANTS Direct care nurses (n = 1729). METHODS Data were collected by means of online questionnaires between October 2020 and July 2021. Study variables included burnout, work engagement, intrinsic motivation and a set of different job demands (workload, role conflicts, emotional demands, red tape) and job resources (performance feedback, autonomy, skill use, opportunity for growth, and value congruence). All variables were obtained using self-report measures. The central hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling. RESULTS Job resources appeared to be a crucial factor for nurses' health showing positive associations with work motivation (β = 0.513) and work engagement (β = 0.462) and negative associations with burnout (β = -0.216). Job demands remained an essential factor that harms psychological health and is associated with increased burnout (β = 0.489). Our results confirmed that intrinsic motivation mediated the relationship of job resources with work engagement (β = 0.170) and burnout (β = -0.135). In addition, job resources moderated the relationship of job demands with burnout (β = -0.039). Against our expectations, we found no associations between job demands and intrinsic motivation or a moderation effect of job resources on the respective relationship. CONCLUSIONS A highly demanding work environment can be a source of significant stress which may put nurses' health at severe risk. Nurses who perceive sufficient job resources such as feedback, autonomy and opportunities for growth and development, are likely to feel intrinsically motivated at work. In addition, it will foster their work engagement and prevent them from burning out, particularly when job demands are high. REGISTRATION The study described herein is funded under the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation program from 2020 to 2023 (Grant Agreement 848031). The protocol of Magnet4Europe is registered in the ISRCTN registry (ISRCTN10196901). TWEETABLE ABSTRACT Providing nurses with sufficient resources will not only increase their motivation and engagement at work but also reduce their feelings of burnout.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorothea Kohnen
- Research Group Work, Organizational, and Personnel Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven Institute for Healthcare Policy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Hans De Witte
- Research Group Work, Organizational, and Personnel Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Optentia Research Unit, North-West University, South Africa
| | - Wilmar B Schaufeli
- Research Group Work, Organizational, and Personnel Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands. https://twitter.com/WilmarSchaufeli
| | - Simon Dello
- KU Leuven Institute for Healthcare Policy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Luk Bruyneel
- KU Leuven Institute for Healthcare Policy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Walter Sermeus
- KU Leuven Institute for Healthcare Policy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Tsantila F, Coppens E, De Witte H, Arensman E, Amann B, Cerga-Pashoja A, Corcoran P, Creswell-Smith J, Cully G, Toth MD, Greiner B, Griffin E, Hegerl U, Holland C, Leduc C, Leduc M, Ni Dhalaigh D, O'Brien C, Paterson C, Purebl G, Reich H, Ross V, Rugulies R, Sanches S, Thompson K, Van Audenhove C. Correction: Outcome assessment of a complex mental health intervention in the workplace. Results from the MENTUPP pilot study. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2023; 96:1401-1402. [PMID: 37816909 PMCID: PMC10635929 DOI: 10.1007/s00420-023-02016-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Fotini Tsantila
- Centre for Care Research and Consultancy, LUCAS, KU Leuven, Louvain, Belgium.
| | - Evelien Coppens
- Centre for Care Research and Consultancy, LUCAS, KU Leuven, Louvain, Belgium
| | - Hans De Witte
- Research Group Work, Organisational and Personnel Psychology (WOPP-O2L), KU Leuven, Louvain, Belgium
- Optentia Research Unit, Vaal Campus, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa
| | - Ella Arensman
- School of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- National Suicide Research Foundation, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Benedikt Amann
- Centre Fòrum Research Unit, Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Parc de Salut Mar, Barcelona, Spain
- Mental Health Institute Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fab, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Arlinda Cerga-Pashoja
- Department of Population Health, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Paul Corcoran
- School of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- National Suicide Research Foundation, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | | | - Grace Cully
- School of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- National Suicide Research Foundation, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Monika Ditta Toth
- Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Birgit Greiner
- School of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Eve Griffin
- School of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- National Suicide Research Foundation, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Ulrich Hegerl
- European Alliance against Depression e.V., Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany
| | - Carolyn Holland
- National Suicide Research Foundation, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Caleb Leduc
- School of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- National Suicide Research Foundation, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Mallorie Leduc
- National Suicide Research Foundation, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | | | - Cliodhna O'Brien
- National Suicide Research Foundation, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Charlotte Paterson
- University of Stirling, Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals Research Unit, Stirling, Scotland, UK
| | - György Purebl
- Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Hanna Reich
- German Depression Foundation, Leipzig, Germany
- Depression Research Centre of the German Depression Foundation, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Victoria Ross
- Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Reiner Rugulies
- National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Section of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sarita Sanches
- Phrenos Center of Expertise for Severe mental illness, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Altrecht Mental Health Care, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Chantal Van Audenhove
- Centre for Care Research and Consultancy, LUCAS, KU Leuven, Louvain, Belgium
- Academic Center for General Practice, KU Leuven, Louvain, Belgium
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Tsantila F, Coppens E, De Witte H, Arensman E, Amann B, Cerga-Pashoja A, Corcoran P, Creswell-Smith J, Cully G, Toth MD, Greiner B, Griffin E, Hegerl U, Holland C, Leduc C, Leduc M, Ni Dhalaigh D, O'Brien C, Paterson C, Purebl G, Reich H, Ross V, Rugulies R, Sanches S, Thompson K, Van Audenhove C. Outcome assessment of a complex mental health intervention in the workplace. Results from the MENTUPP pilot study. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2023; 96:1149-1165. [PMID: 37452149 PMCID: PMC10504212 DOI: 10.1007/s00420-023-01996-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Multicomponent interventions are recommendable to achieve the greatest mental health benefits, but are difficult to evaluate due to their complexity. Defining long-term outcomes, arising from a Theory of Change (ToC) and testing them in a pilot phase, is a useful approach to plan a comprehensive and meaningful evaluation later on. This article reports on the pilot results of an outcome evaluation of a complex mental health intervention and examines whether appropriate evaluation measures and indicators have been selected ahead of a clustered randomised control trial (cRCT). METHODS The MENTUPP pilot is an evidence-based intervention for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) active in three work sectors and nine countries. Based on our ToC, we selected the MENTUPP long-term outcomes, which are reported in this article, are measured with seven validated scales assessing mental wellbeing, burnout, depression, anxiety, stigma towards depression and anxiety, absenteeism and presenteeism. The pilot MENTUPP intervention assessment took place at baseline and at 6 months follow-up. RESULTS In total, 25 SMEs were recruited in the MENTUPP pilot and 346 participants completed the validated scales at baseline and 96 at follow-up. Three long-term outcomes significantly improved at follow-up (p < 0.05): mental wellbeing, symptoms of anxiety, and personal stigmatising attitudes towards depression and anxiety. CONCLUSIONS The results of this outcome evaluation suggest that MENTUPP has the potential to strengthen employees' wellbeing and decrease anxiety symptoms and stigmatising attitudes. Additionally, this study demonstrates the utility of conducting pilot workplace interventions to assess whether appropriate measures and indicators have been selected. Based on the results, the intervention and the evaluation strategy have been optimised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fotini Tsantila
- Centre for Care Research and Consultancy, LUCAS, KU Leuven, Louvain, Belgium.
| | - Evelien Coppens
- Centre for Care Research and Consultancy, LUCAS, KU Leuven, Louvain, Belgium
| | - Hans De Witte
- Research Group Work, Organisational and Personnel Psychology (WOPP-O2L), KU Leuven, Louvain, Belgium
- Optentia Research Unit, Vaal Campus, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa
| | - Ella Arensman
- School of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- National Suicide Research Foundation, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Benedikt Amann
- Centre Fòrum Research Unit, Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Parc de Salut Mar, Barcelona, Spain
- Mental Health Institute Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fab, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Arlinda Cerga-Pashoja
- Department of Population Health, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Paul Corcoran
- School of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- National Suicide Research Foundation, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | | | - Grace Cully
- School of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- National Suicide Research Foundation, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Monika Ditta Toth
- Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Birgit Greiner
- School of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Eve Griffin
- School of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- National Suicide Research Foundation, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Ulrich Hegerl
- European Alliance against Depression e.V., Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany
| | - Carolyn Holland
- National Suicide Research Foundation, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Caleb Leduc
- School of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- National Suicide Research Foundation, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Mallorie Leduc
- National Suicide Research Foundation, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | | | - Cliodhna O'Brien
- National Suicide Research Foundation, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Charlotte Paterson
- University of Stirling, Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals Research Unit, Stirling, Scotland, UK
| | - György Purebl
- Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Hanna Reich
- German Depression Foundation, Leipzig, Germany
- Depression Research Centre of the German Depression Foundation, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Victoria Ross
- Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Reiner Rugulies
- National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Section of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sarita Sanches
- Phrenos Center of Expertise for Severe mental illness, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Altrecht Mental Health Care, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Chantal Van Audenhove
- Centre for Care Research and Consultancy, LUCAS, KU Leuven, Louvain, Belgium
- Academic Center for General Practice, KU Leuven, Louvain, Belgium
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10
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Tsantila F, Coppens E, De Witte H, Abdulla K, Amann BL, Arensman E, Aust B, Creswell-Smith J, D'Alessandro L, De Winter L, Doukani A, Fanaj N, Greiner B, Griffin E, Leduc C, Maxwell M, Connor CO, Paterson C, Purebl G, Reich H, Ross V, Van Weeghel J, Van Audenhove C. Developing a framework for evaluation: a Theory of Change for complex workplace mental health interventions. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:1171. [PMID: 37330460 PMCID: PMC10276374 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16092-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a gap between the necessity of effective mental health interventions in the workplace and the availability of evidence-based information on how to evaluate them. The available evidence outlines that mental health interventions should follow integrated approaches combining multiple components related to different levels of change. However, there is a lack of robust studies on how to evaluate multicomponent workplace interventions which target a variety of outcomes at different levels taking into account the influence of different implementation contexts. METHOD We use the MENTUPP project as a research context to develop a theory-driven approach to facilitate the evaluation of complex mental health interventions in occupational settings and to provide a comprehensive rationale of how these types of interventions are expected to achieve change. We used a participatory approach to develop a ToC involving a large number of the project team representing multiple academic backgrounds exploiting in tandem the knowledge from six systematic reviews and results from a survey among practitioners and academic experts in the field of mental health in SMEs. RESULTS The ToC revealed four long-term outcomes that we assume MENTUPP can achieve in the workplace: 1) improved mental wellbeing and reduced burnout, 2) reduced mental illness, 3) reduced mental illness-related stigma, and 4) reduced productivity losses. They are assumed to be reached through six proximate and four intermediate outcomes according to a specific chronological order. The intervention consists of 23 components that were chosen based on specific rationales to achieve change on four levels (employee, team, leader, and organization). CONCLUSIONS The ToC map provides a theory of how MENTUPP is expected to achieve its anticipated long-term outcomes through intermediate and proximate outcomes assessing alongside contextual factors which will facilitate the testing of hypotheses. Moreover, it allows for a structured approach to informing the future selection of outcomes and related evaluation measures in either subsequent iterations of complex interventions or other similarly structured programs. Hence, the resulting ToC can be employed by future research as an example for the development of a theoretical framework to evaluate complex mental health interventions in the workplace.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fotini Tsantila
- LUCAS, Centre for Care Research and Consultancy, KU Leuven, 3000, Louvain, Belgium.
| | - Evelien Coppens
- LUCAS, Centre for Care Research and Consultancy, KU Leuven, 3000, Louvain, Belgium
| | - Hans De Witte
- Research Group Work, Organizational and Personnel Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences- O2L/WOPP KU Leuven, Louvain, Belgium
- Optentia Research Focus Area, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa
| | - Kahar Abdulla
- European Alliance Against Depression, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Benedikt L Amann
- Centre Fòrum Research Unit, Institute of Neuropsychiatry and Addiction (INAD), Parc de Salut Mar, Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, CIBERSAM, Spain
- Univ. Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Klinikum Der Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Ella Arensman
- School of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- National Suicide Research Foundation, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Birgit Aust
- National Research Centre for the Working Environment, 2100, Copenhagen, DK, Denmark
| | - Johanna Creswell-Smith
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) Equality Unit - Mental Health Team, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Luigia D'Alessandro
- International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP), 5221 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington DC, 20015, USA
| | - Lars De Winter
- Phrenos Center of Expertise, Da Costakade 45, 3521 VS, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Asmae Doukani
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, UK
| | - Naim Fanaj
- Mental Health Center Prizren, Prizren, Kosovo, USA
- Almae Mater Europaea Campus College Rezonanca, Prishtina, Kosovo, USA
| | - Birgit Greiner
- School of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Eve Griffin
- School of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- National Suicide Research Foundation, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Caleb Leduc
- School of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- National Suicide Research Foundation, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Margaret Maxwell
- Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions Research Unit, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | - Cliodhna O' Connor
- National Suicide Research Foundation, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Charlotte Paterson
- Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions Research Unit, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | - György Purebl
- Institute of Behavioral Sciences, Semmelweis University, 1085, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Hanna Reich
- German Depression Foundation, 04109, Leipzig, Germany
- Depression Research Centre of the German Depression Foundation, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, 60528, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany
| | - Victoria Ross
- Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, 4122, Australia
| | - Jaap Van Weeghel
- Phrenos Center of Expertise, Da Costakade 45, 3521 VS, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tranzo Scientific Center for Care and Welbeing, Tilburg University, Postbus 90153, 5000, LE, Tilburg, The Netherlands
| | - Chantal Van Audenhove
- LUCAS, Centre for Care Research and Consultancy, KU Leuven, 3000, Louvain, Belgium
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, 3000, Louvain, Belgium
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11
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Shoss M, Van Hootegem A, Selenko E, De Witte H. The job insecurity of others: On the role of perceived national job insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Econ Ind Democr 2023; 44:385-409. [PMID: 37193552 PMCID: PMC10164091 DOI: 10.1177/0143831x221076176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Political scientists and sociologists have highlighted insecure work as a societal ill underlying individuals' lack of social solidarity (i.e., concern about the welfare of disadvantaged others) and political disruption. In order to provide the psychological underpinnings connecting perceptions of job insecurity with societally-relevant attitudes and behaviors, in this article the authors introduce the idea of perceived national job insecurity. Perceived national job insecurity reflects a person's perception that job insecurity is more or less prevalent in their society (i.e., country). Across three countries (US, UK, Belgium), the study finds that higher perceptions of the prevalence of job insecurity in one's country is associated with greater perceptions of government psychological contract breach and poorer perceptions of the government's handling of the COVID-19 crisis, but at the same time is associated with greater social solidarity and compliance with COVID-19 social regulations. These findings are independent of individuals' perceptions of threats to their own jobs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mindy Shoss
- University of Central Florida, USA; Australian Catholic University, Australia
| | | | | | - Hans De Witte
- O2L, KU Leuven, Belgium; Optentia Research Unit, North-West University, South Africa
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12
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Schaufeli WB, De Witte H, Hakanen JJ, Kaltiainen J, Kok R. How to assess severe burnout? Cutoff points for the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) based on three European samples. Scand J Work Environ Health 2023; 49:293-302. [PMID: 37042446 DOI: 10.5271/sjweh.4093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/13/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Despite decades of burnout research, clinical validated cut-off scores that discriminate between those who suffer from burnout and those who don't are still lacking. To establish such cut-off scores, the current study uses a newly developed questionnaire, the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) that consists of four subscales (exhaustion, mental distancing, and emotional and cognitive impairment). Separate cut-offs were computed for those at risk for burnout and those suffering from severe burnout for the original BAT-23 as well as for the shortened BAT-12. METHODS Relative operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were carried out using representative samples of healthy employees from The Netherlands (N=1370), Belgium (Flanders; N=1403) and Finland (N=1350). In addition, samples of employees who received a burnout diagnosis were used (N=335, 158 and 50, respectively). RESULTS The diagnostic accuracy of the BAT (area under the curve) ranges from good to excellent with the exception of mental distancing, which is fair. The country-specific cut-off values as well as their specificity and sensitivity are comparable to those of the pooled sample. CONCLUSIONS In addition to country-specific cut-offs, general cut-offs can be used tentatively in other similar countries, pending future replication studies. Caution is warranted for using cut-offs for mental distance as the sensitivity and specificity of this subscale is relatively poor. It is concluded that the BAT can be used in organizational surveys for identifying employees at risk for burnout and, in clinical treatment settings, for identifying those with severe burnout, keeping in mind the tentativeness of the present cut-offs.
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13
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Nawrocka S, De Witte H, Pasini M, Brondino M. A Person-Centered Approach to Job Insecurity: Is There a Reciprocal Relationship between the Quantitative and Qualitative Dimensions of Job Insecurity? Int J Environ Res Public Health 2023; 20:5280. [PMID: 37047896 PMCID: PMC10094064 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20075280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Radical transformations in the current work model induce qualitative job insecurity (i.e., a threat to job characteristics) and strengthen quantitative job insecurity (i.e., a threat to job loss). Both dimensions are separate yet interdependent work stressors. Although organisational changes are often the core source for both types of job insecurity, it is predominantly a subjective experience-individual perception ultimately determines the risk and the consequences of these threats. So far, the between-person analysis suggests that the relationship between the two dimensions is in both directions. However, it is not clear whether these associations also reflect within-person processes. This study proposes and tests the reciprocal relationship between quantitative and qualitative job insecurity at the within-person level. We employed a multiple indicator random-intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) to test these associations within-person while controlling for between-person differences. We used three-wave longitudinal data (6 months' time lag) collected from a Belgian working population (N = 3694). The results suggest a unidirectional relationship (from quantitative to qualitative job insecurity). Furthermore, the results reveal significant within-person carry-over effects of quantitative job insecurity but not for qualitative job insecurity. Overall, these results suggest that a change in the experience of threats to job loss (i.e., higher-than-usual quantitative job insecurity) not only anticipates higher-than-usual threats to job loss (autoregressive paths) but also higher-than-usual threats to job characteristics (i.e., qualitative job insecurity), six months later. This study contributes to the ongoing discussion on how job insecurity dimensions influence each other. Given these results and the continuous changes to how we work, we call for further research to better understand the within-person processes of job insecurity development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Nawrocka
- Research Group Work, Organisational and Personnel Psychology, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Human Sciences, University of Verona, 37129 Verona, Italy
| | - Hans De Witte
- Research Group Work, Organisational and Personnel Psychology, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Optentia Research Unit, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark 1900, South Africa
| | - Margherita Pasini
- Department of Human Sciences, University of Verona, 37129 Verona, Italy
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14
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Popescu B, Maricuțoiu LP, De Witte H. The student version of the Burnout assessement tool (BAT): psychometric properties and evidence regarding measurement validity on a romanian sample. Curr Psychol 2023:1-15. [PMID: 37359626 PMCID: PMC9984756 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-023-04232-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
The objective of the present research was to investigate the psychometric properties and the validity of the student version of the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) in a Romanian undergraduate student sample. A sample of undergraduate students (N = 399, 60,70% female) from a Romanian university completed the BAT and other measures used for assessing measurement validity. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the original factor structure of the BAT, and all scales showed good internal consistency. The validity of the BAT scales was supported by their strong associations with measures of depression, anxiety, stress, psychosomatic symptoms, prospective appraisal of future tasks, and coping strategies. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-023-04232-w.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Popescu
- Department of Psychology, West University of Timișoara, 4 Vasile Pârvan Blvd., room 303, 300223 Timișoara, Romania
| | - Laurențiu P. Maricuțoiu
- Department of Psychology, West University of Timișoara, 4 Vasile Pârvan Blvd., room 303, 300223 Timișoara, Romania
| | - Hans De Witte
- Research Group Work, Organizational and Personnel Psychology (O2L-WOPP), FPPW, Leuven, KU Belgium
- Optentia Research Unit, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
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15
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Sparidans Y, Vander Elst T, De Witte H. Technostress en verloopintentie: Gemedieerd door burn-out? Een cross-sectioneel onderzoek bij Belgische werknemers. Gedrag & Organisatie 2023. [DOI: 10.5117/go2023.1.001.spar] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
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16
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Roll LC, De Witte H, Wang HJ. Conceptualization and Validation of the Occupation Insecurity Scale (OCIS): Measuring Employees' Occupation Insecurity Due to Automation. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2023; 20:2589. [PMID: 36767959 PMCID: PMC9916280 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20032589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Increased use and implementation of automation, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, gives rise to a new phenomenon: occupation insecurity. In this paper, we conceptualize and define occupation insecurity, as well as develop an Occupation Insecurity Scale (OCIS) to measure it. From focus groups, subject-matter expert interviews, and a quantitative pilot study, two dimensions emerged: global occupation insecurity, which refers to employees' fear that their occupations might disappear, and content occupation insecurity, which addresses employees' concern that (the tasks of) their occupations might significantly change due to automation. In a survey-study sampling 1373 UK employees, psychometric properties of OCIS were examined in terms of reliability, construct validity, measurement invariance (across gender, age, and occupational position), convergent and divergent validity (with job and career insecurity), external discriminant validity (with organizational future time perspective), external validity (by comparing theoretically secure vs. insecure groups), and external and incremental validity (by examining burnout and work engagement as potential outcomes of occupation insecurity). Overall, OCIS shows good results in terms of reliability and validity. Therefore, OCIS offers an avenue to measure and address occupation insecurity before it can impact employee wellbeing and organizational performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara C. Roll
- Research Group Work, Organisational & Personnel Psychology (WOPP–O2L), KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Optentia Research Unit, Vaal Triangle Campus, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark 1900, South Africa
| | - Hans De Witte
- Research Group Work, Organisational & Personnel Psychology (WOPP–O2L), KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Optentia Research Unit, Vaal Triangle Campus, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark 1900, South Africa
| | - Hai-Jiang Wang
- School of Management, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
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17
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Vranjes I, Elst TV, Griep Y, De Witte H, Baillien E. What Goes Around Comes Around: How Perpetrators of Workplace Bullying Become Targets Themselves. Group & Organization Management 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/10596011221143263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we investigated whether and how perpetrators of bullying become targets themselves. Building on the notion of bullying as an escalation process and the Conservation of Resources Theory, we hypothesized that following enactment of bullying, people would experience increased relationship conflicts with colleagues, diminishing their sense of control and making them more likely to become exposed to bullying themselves. We tested this idea using longitudinal sequential mediated Structural Equation Modelling in a sample of 1420 Belgian workers. Our results confirmed that enactment of bullying lead to more exposure to bullying 18 months later. Relationship conflicts partially mediated this effect, meaning that bullying enactment can lead to increased tensions with others at work, increasing one’s vulnerability to bullying exposure. Although perceived control also mediated the enactment-exposure relationship, relationship conflicts did not lead to perceived loss of control, suggesting a missing link in this relationship. Furthermore, the effect from perceived control to exposure to bullying was small and did not replicate in post-hoc analyses. Our findings suggest that people may experience a backlash from others in their work environment following engagement in bullying behavior at work and invite further exploration of the processes that may account for this relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Vranjes
- Department of Social Psychology, University of Tilburg, The Netherlands
| | - Tinne Vander Elst
- Knowledge, Information and Research Center (KIR), IDEWE, Belgium
- Occupational & Organisational Psychology and Professional Learning, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Yannick Griep
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, The Netherlands
- Stress Research Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hans De Witte
- Occupational & Organisational Psychology and Professional Learning, KU Leuven, Belgium
- Optentia Research Unit, North-West University, South Africa
| | - Elfi Baillien
- Department of Work and Organization Studies, KU Leuven, Belgium
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18
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Van Hootegem A, Grosemans I, De Witte H. In need of opportunities: A within-person investigation of opposing pathways in the relationship between job insecurity and participation in development activities. Journal of Vocational Behavior 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jvb.2022.103825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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19
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Harju LK, van Hootegem A, De Witte H. Bored or burning out? Reciprocal effects between job stressors, boredom and burnout. Journal of Vocational Behavior 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jvb.2022.103807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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20
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Vleugels W, Kilroy S, Vervoort L, Put C, De Witte H. The combined influence of occupational stressors and individual lifestyle behaviors on employee stress complaints: Additive or interactive effects? International Journal of Stress Management 2022. [DOI: 10.1037/str0000269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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21
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De Beer LT, Schaufeli WB, De Witte H. The psychometric properties and measurement invariance of the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT-23) in South Africa. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:1555. [PMID: 35971108 PMCID: PMC9378260 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13978-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Burnout is an increasing public health concern that afflicts employees globally. The measurement of burnout is not without criticism, specifically in the context of its operational definition as a syndrome, also recently designated as such by the World Health Organisation. The Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT-23) is a new measure for burnout that addresses many of the criticisms surrounding burnout scales. The aim of this study is to determine the validity, reliability, and measurement invariance of the BAT-23 in South Africa. METHOD A quantitative, cross-sectional survey, approach was taken (n = 1048). Latent variable modelling was implemented to investigate the construct-relevant multidimensionality that is present in the BAT. For measurement invariance, the configural, metric, scalar, and strict models were tested. RESULTS The analyses showed that the hierarchical operationalisation of BAT-assessed burnout was the most appropriate model for the data. Specifically, a bifactor ESEM solution. Composite reliability estimates were all well above the cut-off criteria for both the global burnout factor and the specific factors. The measurement invariance tests showed that gender achieved not only strong invariance, but also strict invariance. However, ethnicity initially only showed strong invariance, but a test of partial strict invariance did show that the mean scores could be fairly compared between the groups when releasing certain constraints. CONCLUSIONS The BAT-23 is a valid and reliable measure to investigate burnout within the Southern African context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leon T De Beer
- WorkWell Research Unit, Potchefstroom Campus, North-West University, Potchefstroom, 2531, South Africa.
| | - Wilmar B Schaufeli
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, 3584, CS, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Research Unit Occupational & Organizational Psychology and Professional Learning KU Leuven, 3000, Louvain, Belgium
| | - Hans De Witte
- Research Unit Occupational & Organizational Psychology and Professional Learning KU Leuven, 3000, Louvain, Belgium.,Optentia Research Unit, Vanderbijlpark Campus, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark, 1900, South Africa
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22
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Sermeus W, Aiken LH, Ball J, Bridges J, Bruyneel L, Busse R, De Witte H, Dello S, Drennan J, Eriksson LE, Griffiths P, Kohnen D, Köppen J, Lindqvist R, Maier CB, McHugh MD, McKee M, Rafferty AM, Schaufeli WB, Sloane DM, Alenius LS, Smith H. A workplace organisational intervention to improve hospital nurses' and physicians' mental health: study protocol for the Magnet4Europe wait list cluster randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e059159. [PMID: 35902190 PMCID: PMC9341186 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-059159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The increasing burden of mental distress reported by healthcare professionals is a matter of serious concern and there is a growing recognition of the role of the workplace in creating this problem. Magnet hospitals, a model shown to attract and retain staff in US research, creates positive work environments that aim to support the well-being of healthcare professionals. METHODS AND ANALYSIS Magnet4Europe is a cluster randomised controlled trial, with wait list controls, designed to evaluate the effects of organisational redesign, based on the Magnet model, on nurses' and physicians' well-being in general acute care hospitals, using a multicomponent implementation strategy. The study will be conducted in more than 60 general acute care hospitals in Belgium, England, Germany, Ireland, Norway and Sweden. The primary outcome is burnout among nurses and physicians, assessed in longitudinal surveys of nurses and physicians at participating hospitals. Additional data will be collected from them on perceived work environments, patient safety and patient quality of care and will be triangulated with data from medical records, including case mix-adjusted in-hospital mortality. The process of implementation will be evaluated using qualitative data from focus group and key informant interviews. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION This study was approved by the Ethics Committee Research UZ/KU Leuven, Belgium; additionally, ethics approval is obtained in all other participating countries either through a central or decentral authority. Findings will be disseminated at conferences, through peer-reviewed manuscripts and via social media. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER ISRCTN10196901.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter Sermeus
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Flanders, Belgium
| | - Linda H Aiken
- Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jane Ball
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire, UK
| | - Jackie Bridges
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire, UK
| | - Luk Bruyneel
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Flanders, Belgium
| | - Reinhard Busse
- Department of Healthcare Management, Technical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hans De Witte
- Occupational & Organisational Psychology and Professional Learning, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Flanders, Belgium
- Optentia Research Unit, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Simon Dello
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Flanders, Belgium
| | - Jonathan Drennan
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Lars E Eriksson
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Peter Griffiths
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire, UK
| | - Dorothea Kohnen
- Occupational & Organisational Psychology and Professional Learning, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Flanders, Belgium
| | - Julia Köppen
- Department of Healthcare Management, Technical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Rikard Lindqvist
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Claudia Bettina Maier
- Department of Healthcare Management, Technical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Matthew D McHugh
- Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Martin McKee
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | | | - Wilmar B Schaufeli
- Occupational & Organisational Psychology and Professional Learning, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Flanders, Belgium
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Douglas M Sloane
- Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Lisa Smeds Alenius
- Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Herbert Smith
- Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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van der Vaart L, Van den Broeck A, Rothmann S, De Witte H. Motivational Profiles in Unemployment: A Self-Determination Perspective. Front Public Health 2022; 10:870073. [PMID: 35570905 PMCID: PMC9099225 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.870073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In general, being unemployed has negative implications for the individual and the mental health of the public as a collective. One way to escape this situation is to search for a job. However, following self-determination theory (SDT), unemployed people's different reasons (i.e., their motivation) for engaging in a job search influence their well-being, attitudes, and behaviors for better or worse. Some research has already supported the associations between different types of motivation and these outcomes, but less is known about how these types of motivation simultaneously associate with these outcomes. The current study addressed this issue by studying how different motivational profiles had different implications for the affective experiences, commitment to employment, and job search behavior of the unemployed. Latent profile analysis, among 865 unemployed individuals from previously disadvantaged communities in South Africa, highlighted four distinct motivational profiles: motivated, ambivalent, amotivated, and unmotivated. The motivated reported some good well-being (i.e., positive experiences) and economic outcomes (i.e., employment commitment and job search), but these came at a cost (i.e., more negative experiences). The same went for the ambivalent, but to a lesser extent. Being unmotivated seemed to have the opposite effect in that it came with psychological benefits, but with economic costs, as these individuals might withdraw from the labor market. This also applied to the amotivated, although they experienced less psychological benefit than their unmotivated counterparts. The findings made several contributions to SDT and unemployment research and could help tailor interventions and policies for particular types of unemployed people.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anja Van den Broeck
- Optentia Research Unit, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa.,Department of Work and Organization Studies, Faculty of Economics and Business, KU Leuven, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Hans De Witte
- Optentia Research Unit, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa.,Work, Organizational and Personnel Psychology, Occupational and Organizational Psychology and Professional Learning, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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24
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Hadžibajramović E, Schaufeli W, De Witte H. Shortening of the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT)-from 23 to 12 items using content and Rasch analysis. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:560. [PMID: 35313849 PMCID: PMC8939057 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-12946-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Burnout is related to huge costs, for both individuals and organizations and is recognized as an occupational disease or work-related disorder in many European countries. Given that burnout is a major problem it is important to measure the levels of burnout in a valid and reliable way. The Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) is a newly developed self-report questionnaire to measure burnout. So far, studies concerning the psychometric properties of the original version of the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) including 23 items show promising results and suggest that the instrument can be used in many different settings. For various reasons there is a need of a shorter instrument. For example, burnout questionnaires are typically included in employee surveys to evaluate psychosocial risk-factors, which according to the European Occupational Safety and Health Framework Directive, should be carried out in organizations on a regular basis. The aims of this paper are to develop a shorter version of the BAT, including only 12 items (BAT12) and to evaluate its construct validity and differential item functioning regarding age, gender and country. METHODS Using data from representative samples of working populations in the Netherlands and Belgium (Flanders) a shorter version of the BAT was developed by combining quantitative (Rasch analysis) and qualitative approaches (item content analysis and expert judgements). Construct validity of the new BAT12 was evaluated by means of Rasch analysis. RESULTS In an iterative procedure, deleting one item from each subscale at each step, a short version of the BAT - BAT12 was developed. The BAT12 fulfils the measurement criteria according to the Rasch model after accounting for local dependency between items within each subscale. The four subscales can be combined into a single burnout score. CONCLUSION The new BAT12 developed in the present study maintains the breath of item content of the original version of the BAT. The new BAT12 has sound psychometric properties. The scale works invariantly for older and younger, women and men and across two countries. A shorter version of the BAT is timesaving compared to the BAT23 and can be used in e.g. employee surveys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emina Hadžibajramović
- Institute of Stress Medicine, Region Västra Götaland, Carl Skottsbergs gata 22 B, 413 19, Göteborg, Sweden. .,School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Wilmar Schaufeli
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Research Unit Occupational & Organizational Psychology and Professional Learning, Leuven, KU, Belgium
| | - Hans De Witte
- Research Unit Occupational & Organizational Psychology and Professional Learning, Leuven, KU, Belgium.,Optentia Research Unit, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
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25
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Nikolova I, Stynen D, Van Coillie H, De Witte H. Job insecurity and employee performance: examining different types of performance, rating sources and levels. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/1359432x.2021.2023499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Irina Nikolova
- Department of Leadership and Organizational Behavior, BI Norwegian Business School, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Organization, Strategy, and Entrepreneurship, School of Business and Economics, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | | | | | - Hans De Witte
- Research Group for Work, Organizational, and Personnel Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Optentia Research Focus Area, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa
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26
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Spurk D, Hofer A, Hirschi A, De Cuyper N, De Witte H. Conceptualizing career insecurity: Toward a better understanding and measurement of a multidimensional construct. Personnel Psychology 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/peps.12493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Spurk
- Department of Work and Organizational Psychology University of Bern Bern Switzerland
| | - Annabelle Hofer
- Department of Work and Organizational Psychology University of Bern Bern Switzerland
| | - Andreas Hirschi
- Department of Work and Organizational Psychology University of Bern Bern Switzerland
| | - Nele De Cuyper
- Research Group Work Organizational and Personnel Psychology KU Leuven Leuven Belgium
| | - Hans De Witte
- Research Group Work Organizational and Personnel Psychology KU Leuven Leuven Belgium
- Optentia Research Focus Area North‐West University Vanderbijlpark South Africa
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27
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Fischmann G, De Witte H, Sulea C, Elst TV, De Cuyper N, Iliescu D. Validation of a Short and Generic Qualitative Job Insecurity Scale (QUAL-JIS). European Journal of Psychological Assessment 2021. [DOI: 10.1027/1015-5759/a000674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract. The Qualitative Job Insecurity Scale (QUAL-JIS) has been used in job insecurity (JI) research for the past 9 years, without formal validation. The goal of the current study was to test the scale’s psychometric properties. We checked the scale’s reliability, as well as its validity, investigating evidence based on the scale’s content, internal structure, and relations to other variables (convergent and discriminant, predictive and concurrent, as well as incremental predictive evidence). We additionally evaluated its cross-country and longitudinal invariance over three measurement times (6 months apart) in two countries (Romania and Belgium; NRO = 388, NBE = 1,992). We found evidence for the scale’s reliability and validity, QUAL-JIS showing partial scalar invariance across time and between the two countries. Interestingly, qualitative JI measured with QUAL-JIS explained additional variance in the employees’ need for recovery above and beyond another popular qualitative JI scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Fischmann
- WOPP-O2L, KU Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Psychology, West University of Timisoara, Romania
| | - Hans De Witte
- WOPP-O2L, KU Leuven, Belgium
- Optentia Research Focus Area, Vanderbijlpark Campus, North-West University, South Africa
| | - Coralia Sulea
- WOPP-O2L, KU Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Psychology, West University of Timisoara, Romania
| | - Tinne Vander Elst
- WOPP-O2L, KU Leuven, Belgium
- Knowledge, Information and Research Center, IDEWE Group, Leuven, Belgium
- Research Group of Work and Organizational Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Dragos Iliescu
- Department of Psychology, University of Bucharest, Romania
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28
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Abstract
The Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) represents a new measure of burnout that addresses the shortcomings of previous instruments. This study investigates the psychometric properties of the Romanian short version of the BAT. The sample consisted of 648 employees that completed the short version of the BAT. Of this sample, 117 employees also completed measures for other well-being indicators, job demands, job resources, personality, and organizational outcomes. According to our findings, there are strong correlations between the four core (exhaustion, emotional impairment, cognitive impairment, and mental distance) and two secondary (psychological distress and psychosomatic complaints) burnout symptoms. The scales presented appropriate reliability indicators. Results also support the convergent, discriminant, and construct validities. The Item Response Theory analysis showed a good coverage of the latent trait and the confirmatory factor analyses revealed appropriate fit indices. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bogdan Oprea
- Asessment and Individual Differences Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Bucharest, Romania
| | - Dragoş Iliescu
- Asessment and Individual Differences Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Bucharest, Romania
| | - Hans De Witte
- Research Group Work, Organisational and Personnel Psychology (WOPP-O2L), KU Leuven, Belgium.,Optentia Research Focus Area, North-West University, Vaal Campus, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa
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29
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De Witte H, Roll L, Van Hootegem A. Over de gevolgen van de coronacrisis voor beroepsonzekerheid, politieke machteloosheid en het geloof in samenzweringen. Gedrag & Organisatie 2021. [DOI: 10.5117/go2021.3.005.witt] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hans De Witte
- KU Leuven en Optenia Research Unit, NWU, Zuid-Afrika
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30
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Vinueza-Solórzano AM, Portalanza-Chavarría CA, de Freitas CPP, Schaufeli WB, De Witte H, Hutz CS, Souza Vazquez AC. The Ecuadorian Version of the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT): Adaptation and Validation. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021; 18:ijerph18137121. [PMID: 34281059 PMCID: PMC8296995 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18137121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to adapt and show evidence of validity for the Ecuadorian version of the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) considering only its "core" dimensions. The adaptation process included its translation and back translation. For content validation, expert reviews and focus groups were carried out. A confirmatory factor analysis was used to identify the psychometric properties and dimensionality of the scale. The reliability of the scale was assessed through the alpha, omega and composite reliability indices. To carry out the study, the questionnaire was applied to a sample of workers with a high level of education in Ecuador. In total, 2237 respondents were considered in the analysis. The results showed that the hierarchical model for BAT-23 and its short version, the BAT-12 scale, is the most adequate structure for analysis of the construct in the Ecuadorian context. The reliability of the general factor of burnout and its dimensions, evaluated by composite reliability, omega and Cronbach's alpha, showed satisfactory indices. The findings obtained provide support for the reliability and validity of the Burnout Assessment Tool for the Ecuadorian context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea M. Vinueza-Solórzano
- Department of Psychology, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre 90050-170, RS, Brazil
- Correspondence: (A.M.V.-S.); (A.C.S.V.)
| | | | - Clarissa P. P. de Freitas
- Department of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 22451-900, RJ, Brazil;
| | - Wilmar B. Schaufeli
- Research Group Work, Organizational and Personnel Psychology, FPPW, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (W.B.S.); (H.D.W.)
- Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, Utrecht University, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Hans De Witte
- Research Group Work, Organizational and Personnel Psychology, FPPW, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (W.B.S.); (H.D.W.)
- Optentia Research Unit, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark 1900, South Africa
| | - Claudio S. Hutz
- Department of Psychology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90035-002, RS, Brazil;
| | - Ana Claudia Souza Vazquez
- Department of Psychology, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre 90050-170, RS, Brazil
- Correspondence: (A.M.V.-S.); (A.C.S.V.)
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31
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Bazzoli A, Brondino M, De Witte H, Pasini M. Development and Psychometric Properties of the Job Insecurity Appraisals Scale (JIAS-6). European Journal of Psychological Assessment 2021. [DOI: 10.1027/1015-5759/a000611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract. This contribution introduces the Job Insecurity Appraisals Scale (JIAS-6), a tool that measures job insecurity primary appraisals (i.e., challenge and hindrance). Starting from the transactional theory of stress and extending previous unpublished versions of the same scale, the authors developed JIAS-6, using two samples of Italian workers ( N1 = 204 and N2 = 328). JIAS also addresses methodological and theoretical limitations of other primary appraisal scales. In Study 1, using a calibration sample, a series of confirmatory factorial analyses (CFAs) were performed and results showed that the final version of the scale fits the data well, while Study 2 findings (using a validation sample) replicated those obtained in Study 1 and provided support for strict measurement invariance across contract type, age, and gender, while scalar invariance was supported across job insecurity levels. Furthermore, we provided evidence of the relationship between job insecurity appraisals measured by JIAS-6 and other theoretically relevant constructs. The initial validation of JIAS-6 opens several new fruitful lines of research for job insecurity scholars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Bazzoli
- Department of Psychology, Washington State University Vancouver, WA, USA
| | | | - Hans De Witte
- Research Group Work, Organisational and Personnel Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium
- Optentia Research Focus Area, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa
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32
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Van Hootegem A, Sverke M, De Witte H. Does occupational self-efficacy mediate the relationships between job insecurity and work-related learning? A latent growth modelling approach. Work & Stress 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/02678373.2021.1891585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anahí Van Hootegem
- Research Group for Work, Organizational, and Personnel Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Magnus Sverke
- Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hans De Witte
- Research Group for Work, Organizational, and Personnel Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Optentia Research Focus Area, Vanderbijlpark Campus, North-West University, Vanderbijlpar, South Africa
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33
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Griep Y, Bankins S, Vander Elst T, De Witte H. How psychological contract breach affects long-term mental and physical health: the longitudinal role of effort-reward imbalance. Appl Psychol Health Well Being 2021; 13:263-281. [PMID: 33492770 PMCID: PMC8248376 DOI: 10.1111/aphw.12246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Revised: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
This study contributes to the research of employee health and well‐being by examining the longitudinal effects of psychological contract (PC) breach on employees’ health. We integrate Social Exchange and Conservation of Resources theories to position effort–reward imbalance (ERI) as the mediating mechanism. We also assessed the moderating role of perceived job control as a boundary condition through which employees could prevent PC breach and ERI from adversely affecting their health. Using three‐wave longitudinal survey data from 389 employees, we estimated a path model using each variable’s growth parameters (intercept and slope). We found support for our hypotheses regarding stable effects; we found positive associations between PC breach and physical and mental health complaints and a need for recovery through ERI perceptions. We further tested employees’ perceived control over the work environment as a boundary condition and found support for its role in attenuating the positive relationship between PC breach and ERI perceptions, but not for its moderating role in the ERI–health outcomes relationship. Our findings indicate that exposure to PC breach has a detrimental impact on employee health/well‐being via perceptions of ERI and allow us to unravel one of the cognitive mechanisms leading to potential employee ill‐health. We conclude with theoretical and practical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yannick Griep
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Division of Epidemiology, Stress Research Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sarah Bankins
- Macquarie Business School, Macquarie University, North Ryde Campus, NSW, Australia
| | - Tinne Vander Elst
- Research Group Work, Organizational and Personnel Psychology (WOPP/O2L), Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,IDEWE, External Service for Prevention and Protection at Work, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Hans De Witte
- Research Group Work, Organizational and Personnel Psychology (WOPP/O2L), Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Optentia Research Focus Area, Vanderbijlpark Campus, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa
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34
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Schaufeli WB, Desart S, De Witte H. Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT)-Development, Validity, and Reliability. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020; 17:ijerph17249495. [PMID: 33352940 PMCID: PMC7766078 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17249495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
This paper introduces a new definition for burnout and investigates the psychometric properties of the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT). In a prior qualitative study, 49 practitioners were interviewed about their conceptualization of burnout (part 1). Using a dialectical approach, four core dimensions—exhaustion, mental distance, and impaired emotional and cognitive impairment—and three secondary dimensions—depressed mood, psychological distress, and psychosomatic complaints—emerged, which constitute the basis of the BAT. In the second study, the psychometric characteristics of the BAT were investigated in a representative sample of 1500 Flemish employees, focusing on factorial validity, reliability, and construct validity, respectively. Results demonstrate the assumed four-factor structure for the core dimensions, which is best represented by one general burnout factor. Contrary to expectations, instead of a three-factor structure, a two-factor structure was found for the secondary dimensions. Furthermore, the BAT and its subscales show adequate reliability. Convergent validity and discriminant validity with other burnout measures—including the MBI and OLBI—was demonstrated, as well as discriminant validity with other well-being constructs, such as work engagement and workaholism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilmar B. Schaufeli
- Research Group Work, Organizational and Personnel Psychology (WOPP), O2L, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (S.D.); (H.D.W.)
- Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, Utrecht University, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Correspondence:
| | - Steffie Desart
- Research Group Work, Organizational and Personnel Psychology (WOPP), O2L, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (S.D.); (H.D.W.)
| | - Hans De Witte
- Research Group Work, Organizational and Personnel Psychology (WOPP), O2L, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (S.D.); (H.D.W.)
- Optentia Research Focus Area, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark 1900, South Africa
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35
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Putter I, van der Vaart L, De Witte H, Rothmann S, Van den Broeck A. Profiling the unemployed from selected communities in South Africa based on their experiences, commitment to employment, and job search behaviour. South African Journal of Psychology 2020. [DOI: 10.1177/0081246320978969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Unemployment has negative consequences for individuals’ psychological well-being. Consequently, interventions should be designed and implemented to alleviate the psychological burden of unemployment. The design of these interventions should, however, be approached with care, as ‘the unemployed’ may not be a homogeneous group. The aim of the study was to determine whether the four already identified (the optimists, the desperate, the discouraged, and the adapted) South African unemployment profiles could be replicated in other unemployed communities in South Africa. The study also aimed to examine the associations between these profiles and negative emotions and basic psychological need frustration. To establish the replicability of the types, a multiphased sampling design was followed to recruit 867 unemployed people residing in Boipatong and Orange Farm in the Gauteng Province in South Africa. Through latent profile analysis, the study replicated the four profiles: the optimists, the desperate, the discouraged, and the adapted. The profiles were differentially associated with negative emotions and psychological need frustration, further attesting to the validity of the profiles. The results of the study can be applied towards creating tailored interventions for the different types of unemployed people from South African communities to enhance the efficacy of these interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Putter
- Optentia Research Focus Area, North-West University, South Africa
| | | | - Hans De Witte
- Optentia Research Focus Area, North-West University, South Africa
- Research Unit Occupational & Organizational Psychology and Professional Learning, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Anja Van den Broeck
- Optentia Research Focus Area, North-West University, South Africa
- Department of Work and Organisation Studies, Faculty of Economics and Business, KU Leuven, Belgium
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Abstract
Burnout as a concept indicative of a work-related state of mental exhaustion is recognized around the globe. Numerous studies showed that burnout has negative consequences for both individuals and organizations but also for society at large, especially in welfare states where sickness absence and work incapacitation are covered by social funds. This underlines the importance of a valid and reliable tool that can be used to assess employee burnout levels. Although the Maslach Burnout Inventory is by far the most frequently used questionnaire for assessing burnout, it is associated with several shortcomings and has been criticized on theoretical as well as empirical grounds. Thus, there is a need for an alternative questionnaire with a strong conceptual basis and proper psychometric qualities. This challenge has been taken up by introducing the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT), according to which burnout is conceived as a work-related state of exhaustion among employees, characterized by extreme tiredness, reduced ability to regulate cognitive and emotional processes, and mental distancing. Given that the BAT is a new measure of burnout, its psychometric properties need to be evaluated. This paper focuses on an evaluation of the internal construct validity of the BAT using Rasch analysis in two random samples (n = 800, each) drawn from larger representative samples of the working population of the Netherlands and Flanders (Belgium). The BAT has sound psychometric properties and fulfils the measurement criteria according to the Rasch model. The BAT score reflects the scoring structure indicated by the developers of the scale and the BAT's four subscales can be summarized into a single burnout score. The BAT score also works invariantly for women and men, younger and older respondents, and across both countries. Hence, the BAT can be used in organizations for screening and identifying employees who are at risk of burnout.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emina Hadžibajramović
- Institute of Stress Medicine, Region Västra Götaland, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Biostatistics, Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Wilmar Schaufeli
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Research Unit Occupational & Organizational Psychology and Professional Learning, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Hans De Witte
- Research Unit Occupational & Organizational Psychology and Professional Learning, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Optentia Research Focus Area, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
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37
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Menéndez-Espina S, Llosa JA, Agulló-Tomás E, Rodríguez-Suárez J, Sáiz-Villar R, Lasheras-Díez HF, De Witte H, Boada-Grau J. The Influence of Gender Inequality in the Development of Job Insecurity: Differences Between Women and Men. Front Public Health 2020; 8:526162. [PMID: 33163470 PMCID: PMC7581853 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.526162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Job insecurity is an indicator of precarious work that refers to the fear of losing one's job. It is a relevant source of stress, with negative consequences on people's mental health. The main objective and contribution of this study is to identify how gender inequality and job insecurity are related, responding to the lack of consensus found in scientific literature in this field of study. To do so, a predictive study of job insecurity, broken down by gender, is developed, considering sociodemographic and labor variables as antecedents. The sample included 1,005 employees (420 men and 585 women) aged between 18 and 65, and a linear regression was conducted for each group. Results show that women perceive greater insecurity under precarious working conditions (temporary work, informal work, salary cuts, tenure), whereas in the case of men variables related to their professional careers (job category, education) and household incomes were relevant predictors. It is concluded that job insecurity affects both gender groups, but the conditions in which this perception grows are significantly impacted by gender inequality. These findings will allow for holistic and effective actions to decrease the effects of precarious work.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jose Antonio Llosa
- Department of Health Sciences, Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR), Logroño, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | - Hans De Witte
- Research Unit Occupational & Organizational Psychology and Professional Learning (O2L) KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Optentia Research Focus Area, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa
| | - Joan Boada-Grau
- Department of Psychology, Rovira i Virgili University, Tarragona, Spain
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38
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Vranjes I, Baillien E, Erreygers S, Vandebosch H, De Witte H. You Wouldn’t Like Me When I’m Angry: A Daily Diary Study of Displaced Online Aggression in Dual‐Earner Couples. Applied Psychology 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/apps.12283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Vranjes
- Hanken School of Economics Finland
- Radboud University The Netherlands
| | | | | | | | - Hans De Witte
- KU Leuven Belgium
- Universiteit Antwerpen Belgium
- North‐West University South Africa
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39
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Paver R, De Witte H, Rothmann S, Van den Broeck A, Blonk RWB. The Implementation and Evaluation of the South African Adaptation of the JOBS Program. Front Psychol 2020; 11:1418. [PMID: 32760313 PMCID: PMC7371856 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
No validated intervention that specifically addresses the psychosocial needs of unemployed people exists in the South African context. This study intends to evaluate an evidence-based job-search program, called the JOBS intervention, that is aimed at the self-efficacy, amotivation, and self-esteem related to participants searching for jobs. A quasi-experimental research design was used. Convenient samples were taken of unemployed individuals from two low-income communities (N = 130; experimental group = 69; control group = 61). The Qhubekela Phambili program, which is based on the JOBS program, was adapted for the South African context and was implemented over six 4-h sessions. Data collection took place pre- and post-intervention. One-way repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance was used to analyze the data. Those who had undergone the intervention showed statistically significantly higher levels of job-search self-efficacy and self-esteem. This study makes a novel contribution to the literature on the JOBS program, particularly regarding developing countries. This study showed that in a context characterized by poverty and a lack of support for the unemployed, the program also delivered promising results. It confirms previous findings that the JOBS program is suitable in a variety of labor market and economic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachele Paver
- Optentia Research Focus Area, North-West University Vaal Triangle Campus, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa.,Research Group Work, Organizational and Personnel Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Hans De Witte
- Optentia Research Focus Area, North-West University Vaal Triangle Campus, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa.,Research Group Work, Organizational and Personnel Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sebastiaan Rothmann
- Optentia Research Focus Area, North-West University Vaal Triangle Campus, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa
| | - Anja Van den Broeck
- Optentia Research Focus Area, North-West University Vaal Triangle Campus, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa.,Department of Work and Organization Studies, KU Leuven, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Roland Willem Bart Blonk
- Optentia Research Focus Area, North-West University Vaal Triangle Campus, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa.,Healthy Living, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research, Leiden, Netherlands.,Department of Human Resource Studies, Tilburg University, Tilburg, Netherlands
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40
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de Beer LT, Schaufeli WB, De Witte H, Hakanen JJ, Shimazu A, Glaser J, Seubert C, Bosak J, Sinval J, Rudnev M. Measurement Invariance of the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) Across Seven Cross-National Representative Samples. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020; 17:E5604. [PMID: 32756483 PMCID: PMC7432716 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17155604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 07/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the measurement invariance of the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) across seven cross-national representative samples. In this study, burnout was modeled as a second-order factor in line with the conceptual definition as a syndrome. The combined sample consisted of 10,138 participants from countries in Europe and Japan. The data were treated as ordered categorical in nature and a series of models were tested to find evidence for invariance. Specifically, theta parameterization was used in conjunction with the weighted least squares (mean- and variance adjusted) estimation method. The results showed supportive evidence that BAT-assessed burnout was invariant across the samples, so that cross-country comparison would be justifiable. Comparison of effect sizes of the latent means between countries showed that Japan had a significantly higher score on overall burnout and all the first-order factors compared to the European countries. The European countries all scored similarly on overall burnout with no significant difference but for some minor differences in first-order factors between some of the European countries. All in all, the analyses of the data provided evidence that the BAT is invariant across the countries for meaningful comparisons of burnout scores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leon T. de Beer
- WorkWell Research Unit, Potchefstroom Campus, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2531, South Africa
| | - Wilmar B. Schaufeli
- Research Unit Occupational & Organizational Psychology and Professional Learning KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (W.B.S.); (H.D.W.)
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Hans De Witte
- Research Unit Occupational & Organizational Psychology and Professional Learning KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (W.B.S.); (H.D.W.)
- Optentia Research Focus Area, Vanderbijlpark Campus, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark 1900, South Africa
| | - Jari J. Hakanen
- Workability and Work Careers, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, 00032 Helsinki, Finland;
| | - Akihito Shimazu
- Department of Policy Management, Keio University, Fujisawa 252-0882, Japan;
| | - Jürgen Glaser
- Department of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (J.G.); (C.S.)
| | - Christian Seubert
- Department of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (J.G.); (C.S.)
| | - Janine Bosak
- Business School, Dublin City University, Dublin 9, Ireland;
| | - Jorge Sinval
- Business Research Unit (BRU-IUL), Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), 1649-026 Lisbon, Portugal;
- William James Center for Research, ISPA, Instituto Universitário, 1149-041 Lisbon, Portugal
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Maksim Rudnev
- National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow 101000, Russia;
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Selenko
- School of Business and Economics Loughborough University UK
| | - Hans De Witte
- WOPP‐O2L KU Leuven Belgium
- Optentia Research Focus Area North‐West University South Africa
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42
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Richter A, Vander Elst T, De Witte H. Job Insecurity and Subsequent Actual Turnover: Rumination as a Valid Explanation? Front Psychol 2020; 11:712. [PMID: 32373033 PMCID: PMC7177002 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Job insecurity is a work stressor with many negative consequences for the individual as well as the organization. However, currently, little is known about why job insecurity is related to these outcomes. In the present study, actual turnover was investigated as a possible consequence of job insecurity. Additionally, rumination about a possible job loss (i.e., the act of intensified thinking about the future of the job) was investigated as an explanatory mechanism. Relationships were tested using longitudinal data from a sample of 699 Belgian employees. Results of structural equation modeling analyses show that job insecurity was related to turnover 1 year later. This relationship was mediated by rumination about job insecurity. Actual turnover was investigated over time as a potential consequence of job insecurity, compared to many studies that used turnover intention as a proxy to predict actual turnover. Moreover, a job insecurity-specific mechanism-namely, rumination about job insecurity-was studied, which increased our understanding of how job insecurity develops into its consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Richter
- Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Center for Epidemiology and Community Medicine, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tinne Vander Elst
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- IDEWE – External Service for Prevention and Protection at Work, Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Hans De Witte
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Optentia, North West University, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa
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43
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44
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Hakanen JJ, Ropponen A, De Witte H, Schaufeli WB. Testing Demands and Resources as Determinants of Vitality among Different Employment Contract Groups. A Study in 30 European Countries. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2019; 16:ijerph16244951. [PMID: 31817619 PMCID: PMC6950124 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16244951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Revised: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the relative importance of four job demands and five job resources for employee vitality, i.e., work engagement and exhaustion, in three different employment groups: permanent, temporary and temporary agency workers. We employed data from the sixth European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) collected in 2015 comprising 28,042 employees from 30 European countries. We used linear regression analyses and dominance analysis (DA). The results showed minor mean differences in work engagement and exhaustion and that temporary agency workers had the highest job insecurity and lowest job control. The associations between job resources and job demands, and work engagement and exhaustion of the groups, did not differ considerably. DA showed that in all three employment groups, job feedback made the strongest contribution to work engagement and workload to exhaustion. In addition, among the temporary agency workers, supervisor support contributed to work engagement and job control (negatively) to exhaustion more than in the other groups. This study suggests that the key determinants of vitality at work may be similar, regardless of contract, and that to have sustainably performing vital workers, organizations should focus on enabling job feedback and preventing high workload in all employment groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jari J. Hakanen
- Workability and Work Careers, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, BOX 40, 00032 Helsinki, Finland;
- Correspondence:
| | - Annina Ropponen
- Workability and Work Careers, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, BOX 40, 00032 Helsinki, Finland;
| | - Hans De Witte
- Research Unit Occupational & Organizational Psychology and Professional Learning, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (H.D.W.); (W.B.S.)
- Optentia Research Focus Area, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark 1900, South Africa
| | - Wilmar B. Schaufeli
- Research Unit Occupational & Organizational Psychology and Professional Learning, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (H.D.W.); (W.B.S.)
- Department of Social, Health & Organizational Psychology, Utrecht University, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
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45
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Van den Brande W, Baillien E, Elst TV, De Witte H, Godderis L. Coping styles and coping resources in the work stressors–workplace bullying relationship: A two-wave study. Work & Stress 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/02678373.2019.1666433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Whitney Van den Brande
- Knowledge, Information and Research Centre, IDEWE (External Service for Prevention and Protection at Work), Belgium
- Research Group Occupational & Organisational Psychology and Professional Learning, KU Leuven, Belgium
- Research Centre for Work and Organisation Studies, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Elfi Baillien
- Research Centre for Work and Organisation Studies, KU Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Pyschosocial Sience, University of Bergen, Norway
| | - Tinne Vander Elst
- Knowledge, Information and Research Centre, IDEWE (External Service for Prevention and Protection at Work), Belgium
- Research Group Occupational & Organisational Psychology and Professional Learning, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Hans De Witte
- Research Group Occupational & Organisational Psychology and Professional Learning, KU Leuven, Belgium
- Optentia Research Focus Area, North-West University, South Africa
| | - Lode Godderis
- Knowledge, Information and Research Centre, IDEWE (External Service for Prevention and Protection at Work), Belgium
- Centre for Environment and Health, KU Leuven, Belgium
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46
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De Cuyper N, Van Hootegem A, Smet K, Houben E, De Witte H. All Insecure, All Good? Job Insecurity Profiles in Relation to Career Correlates. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2019; 16:ijerph16152640. [PMID: 31344856 PMCID: PMC6696328 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16152640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Revised: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Felt job insecurity is commonly seen as a stressor that is tied to a specific segment of employees and which implies overall negative outcomes. We challenge this view based on the new career rhetoric that assumes that felt job insecurity is widespread, although not necessarily problematic; rather, on the contrary, that felt job insecurity may promote career growth and development. Accordingly, our first aim concerns the distribution of felt quantitative and qualitative job insecurity, and our second aims concerns the connection between profiles and career correlates (i.e., perceived employability, individual and organizational career management). We used two samples of Belgian employees (N1 = 2355; N2 = 3703) in view of constructive replication. We used Latent Profile Analysis to compile profiles of felt quantitative and qualitative job insecurity and linked those profiles to career outcomes. Our results are similar across samples: five profiles were found, from relatively secure to relatively insecure (aim 1). The more secure profiles reported more favorable career outcomes than the less secure profiles (aim 2). This provided overall support for the common view. We connect these findings to what we see as the main risk, namely the potentially growing divide based on felt job insecurity and the relatively large group of employees in insecure profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nele De Cuyper
- Research Group for Work, Organization and Personnel Psychology, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Anahí Van Hootegem
- Research Group for Work, Organization and Personnel Psychology, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kelly Smet
- Research Group for Work, Organization and Personnel Psychology, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ellen Houben
- Research Group for Work, Organization and Personnel Psychology, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Hans De Witte
- Research Group for Work, Organization and Personnel Psychology, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Optentia Research Focus Area, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark 1900, South Africa
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Roll LC, Siu OL, Li SYW, De Witte H. Human Error: The Impact of Job Insecurity on Attention-Related Cognitive Errors and Error Detection. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2019; 16:ijerph16132427. [PMID: 31288465 PMCID: PMC6651186 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16132427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
(1) Background: Work-related stress is a major contributor to human error. One significant workplace stressor is job insecurity, which has been linked to an increased likelihood of experiencing burnout. This, in turn, might affect human error, specifically attention-related cognitive errors (ARCES) and the ability to detect errors. ARCES can be costly for organizations and pose a safety risk. Equally detrimental effects can be caused by failure to detect errors before they can cause harm. (2) Methods: We gathered self-report and behavioral data from 148 employees working in educational, financial and medical sectors in China. We designed and piloted an error detection task in which employees had to compare fictitious customer orders to deliveries of an online shop. We tested for indirect effects using the PROCESS macro with bootstrapping (3) Results: Our findings confirmed indirect effects of job insecurity on both ARCES and the ability to detect errors via burnout. (4) Conclusions: The present research shows that job insecurity influences making and detecting errors through its relationship with burnout. These findings suggest that job insecurity could increase the likelihood for human error with potential implications for employees' safety and the safety of others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Christina Roll
- Department of Applied Psychology, Lingnan University, Hong Kong, China.
- Optentia Research Focus Area, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark 1900, South Africa.
| | - Oi-Ling Siu
- Department of Applied Psychology, Lingnan University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Simon Y W Li
- Department of Applied Psychology, Lingnan University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hans De Witte
- Optentia Research Focus Area, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark 1900, South Africa
- Work, Organisational, and Personnel Psychology Research Group, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
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48
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Abstract
Abstract. The current study introduces an ultra-short, 3-item version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. Using five national samples from Finland ( N = 22,117), Japan ( N = 1,968), the Netherlands ( N = 38,278), Belgium/Flanders ( N = 5,062), and Spain ( N = 10,040) its internal consistency and factorial validity vis-à-vis validated measures of burnout, workaholism, and job boredom are demonstrated. Moreover, the UWES-3 shares 86–92% of its variance with the longer nine-item version and the pattern of correlations of both versions with 9 indicators of well-being, 8 job demands, 10 job resources, and 6 outcomes is highly similar with an average, absolute difference between correlations of only .02. Hence, it is concluded that the UWES-3 is a reliable and valid indicator of work engagement that can be used as an alternative to the longer version, for instance in national and international epidemiological surveys on employee’s working conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilmar B. Schaufeli
- Research Unit Occupational & Organizational Psychology and Professional Learning, KU Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
| | - Akihito Shimazu
- Department of Mental Health, The University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
| | - Jari Hakanen
- Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies, University of Helsinki, Finland
- Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Hans De Witte
- Research Unit Occupational & Organizational Psychology and Professional Learning, KU Leuven, Belgium
- Optentia Research Focus Area, North-West University, South Africa
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Urbanaviciute I, De Witte H, Rossier J. Perceived job insecurity and self-rated health: Testing reciprocal relationships in a five-wave study. Soc Sci Med 2019; 233:201-207. [PMID: 31212127 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.05.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2018] [Revised: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE The present study aims to investigate the pattern of cross-lagged relationships between job insecurity and self-rated health over a period of five years. While health complaints are usually seen as one of the detrimental outcomes of job insecurity, the question of the direction of the job insecurity-health relationship has not yet been fully resolved. Only a few longitudinal studies have explicitly aimed to test the possibility of reciprocal or reverse effects, and even fewer studies have used multi-wave designs to examine the pattern of these relationships. OBJECTIVE The current study aims to address this gap by testing how cross-lagged relationships between job insecurity and self-rated health status unfold over time. METHOD We conducted this study with a sample of the working population in Switzerland (N = 928), using the data from five consecutive measurement occasions, each separated by a one year lag. Cross-lagged structural equation modelling was performed to examine the direction of the effects. RESULTS The results revealed an interchangeable direction of the relationship between job insecurity and health over time. T1 job insecurity predicted lower ratings of health at T2, which then predicted job insecurity at T3, which, in turn, was related to lower health at T4. The only exception was observed in the last follow-up (i.e., T4 to T5), where no evidence of cross-lagged relationships between job insecurity and self-rated health was found. CONCLUSIONS These findings contribute to the literature suggesting that, not only may job insecurity predict later health impairment, but that in some cases, the reverse may be possible too. Researchers and policy makers need to consider this important message because the observed lagged reciprocal effects between job insecurity and health seem to form a negative cycle over time, thereby implying a dual process in the development of workplace vulnerabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ieva Urbanaviciute
- Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research LIVES, University of Lausanne, Switzerland; Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Hans De Witte
- Research Group Work, Organizational and Personnel Psychology, KU Leuven, Belgium; Optentia Research Focus Area, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark Campus, South Africa
| | - Jérôme Rossier
- Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research LIVES, University of Lausanne, Switzerland; Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
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Paver R, Rothmann S, Van den Broeck A, De Witte H. Labour market interventions to assist the unemployed in two townships in South Africa. SA j ind psychol 2019. [DOI: 10.4102/sajip.v45i0.1596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Orientation: Given the absence of organised and accessible information on programmes relating to unemployment in South Africa, it may be difficult for beneficiaries to derive value from existing programmes; and for stakeholders to identify possible gaps in order to direct their initiatives accordingly.Research purpose: The purpose of this study was to conduct a review of existing employment initiatives within two low-income communities in South Africa, with the aim of identifying possible gaps in better addressing the needs of the unemployed.Motivation for the study: Unemployment in South Africa does not appear to be the result of a lack of initiatives or a lack of stakeholder involvement, but rather the result of haphazard implementation of interventions. In order to intervene more effectively, addressing the identified gaps, organising and better distribution of information for beneficiaries is suggested.Research approach, design and method: The data were collected via documentary research complemented with structured interviews. Relevant documents (N = 166) and participants (N = 610) were consulted during the data collection phase, using convenience and purposive sampling.Main findings: A total of 496 unemployment programmes were identified. Most of the interventions were implemented by the government. Vocational training followed by enterprise development and business skills training were the most implemented programmes. Less than 6% of programmes contained psychosocial aspects that are necessary to help the unemployed deal with the psychological consequences of unemployment. Finally, in general, benefactors involved in alleviating unemployment seem unaware of employment initiatives in their communities.Practical and managerial implications: The compilation of an inventory of employment programmes may be valuable, as it will assist in identifying the most prominent needs of the South African labour market.Contribution or value-add: This study contributes to scientific knowledge regarding the availability of existing unemployment programmes, projects and interventions, and the need for specific interventions.
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