Job Demands and Mental Health Deterioration: Investigating the Mediating Role of Resiliency

Introduction

In the past decade, China has witnessed a significant surge in the popularity of food delivery apps, with its industry now thrice the size of the U.S, employing approximately 7 million drivers navigating urban landscapes on electric bikes and scooters. Predominantly, the market is governed by two main players: Meituan Dianping (backed by Tencent) and Ele.me (supported by Alibaba). Notably, stress and absenteeism stand out as significant challenges in this service sector, with implications for occupational health that translate into considerable costs for both healthcare systems and companies. Existing research has largely overlooked how job demands affect the mental health of food delivery workers in China, and how resilience plays a role in this process. The present study addresses this gap by examining the direct impact of Workload Volume and Pace on the mental health of these workers, and by exploring how personal resilience can mediate this relationship. Furthermore, it delves into the mediating role of Resilience, a personal strength, in this relationship.

Methods

Using a correlational design with 206 participants, multiple regression analysis suggested a notable variance in Mental Health Decline.

Results

Subsequent bootstrapping-mediated analysis confirmed resilience's mediating role, highlighting its importance in managing stress from workload.

Discussion

The results underscore the critical role of personal strengths in managing work-related stress, which can significantly impact both job performance and mental well-being.

Burnout Among Probation Officers: The Importance of Resilience

Like many human service professionals, probation officers are subject to a great deal of stress as part of their occupational duties. This study examines occupational stress and burnout among probation officers through the lens of the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model. This model suggests that organizational characteristics have implications for individual outcomes related to stress. However, the model largely neglects the role of individual factors, such as dispositional resilience. This study tests a refined model using cross-sectional surveys from 289 members of a probation officer union in the eastern United States. Results from structural equation modeling support the general predictions of the JD-R model in that job demands and job resources are correlated with burnout and engagement, which in turn predict health issues and intention to quit. Moreover, resilience significantly predicts every latent variable in the model, both directly and indirectly through its effect on intervening factors. Implications for workplace policy and practice are discussed.

Association of work-related psychosocial factors and day-to-day home blood pressure variation: the Finn-Home study

OBJECTIVES

Stress, and particularly job strain, has been found to associate with ambulatory blood pressure (BP). Moreover, BP is known to vary between days. One potential over-looked factor underlying this day-to-day BP variation could be work-related psychosocial factors. Thus, we aimed to study the association between job strain, job demands, job control and day-to-day BP variation.

METHODS

The home BP of 754 regularly working participants (mean age 50.9 ± 4.8, women 51%) of the Finn-Home Study was measured twice in the morning and twice in the evening over seven days. Average SBP and DBP were calculated for each day. Work-related psychosocial factors were measured with survey. Multivariable-adjusted generalized linear models were used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

We found a greater SBP/DBP decrease between weekdays and weekend among participants with high job strain (-1.8 [95% confidence interval, 95% CI, -2.7 to -0.8]/-1.7 [95% CI, -2.3 to -1.1] mmHg) compared to participants with low job strain (-0.7 [95% CI, -1.1 to -0.2]/-0.7 [95% CI, -1.0 to -0.4] mmHg). The participants with high job demands showed a higher BP decrease between weekdays and weekend (-1.4 [95% CI, -2.0 to -0.8]/-1.3 [95% CI, -1.6 to -0.9] mmHg) than the participants with low job demands (-0.5 [95% CI, -1.1 to 0.0]/-0.6 [95% CI, -1.0 to -0.3] mmHg). We did not find BP differences regarding job control.

CONCLUSION

High job strain and high job demands were associated with a greater BP reduction from weekdays to the weekend. Work-related psychosocial factors should be considered when assessing day-to-day BP variation.

Relationship between job demands, work engagement, emotional workload and job performance among nurses: A moderated mediation model

AIM

To explore the mediating effect of work engagement and the moderated mediating effect of emotional workload on the relationship between job demands and job performance among nurses.

BACKGROUND

Nurses work in a high-demand situation that could affect their job performance. However, previous studies have reported an inconsistent relationship between job demands and job performance. The underlying mechanism of how job demands influence job performance remains unclear.

METHODS

An online cross-sectional survey was conducted with a convenience sample of 893 nurses from 14 cities in Sichuan Province between November and December 2021. Data were collected using the Job Demands Scale, Job Performance Scale, Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, and emotional workload subscale of the Questionnaire on the Experience and Evaluation of Work. Bootstrap and simple slope methods were used to test a moderated mediation model using Hayes' PROCESS macro. The STROBE reporting guidelines were utilized.

RESULTS

Job demands had a positive effect on job performance, and this effect was mediated by work engagement. Emotional workload moderated the indirect relationship between job demands and job performance. Specifically, the positive effect of job demands on job performance via work engagement was attenuated in nurses with a high emotional workload.

CONCLUSION

This study sheds light on the complex relationship between job demands and job performance. Work engagement and emotional workload deserve more attention to improve nurses' performance.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND NURSING POLICY

Policymakers and nurse managers should make efforts to develop and implement strategies to foster nurses' work engagement, reduce their emotional workload, and further help nurses efficiently deal with job demands.

Unlocking Prevalence Data: Describing the Job Stress and Well-being of U.S. Correctional Nurses

BACKGROUND

Little is known about the health and well-being of U.S. correctional nurses. To protect correctional nurses, a better understanding of organizational characteristics, job stress, and well-being must be undertaken.

METHOD

A cross-sectional design was used in the form of an online survey. Correctional nurses were conveniently recruited using national listservs and snowball sampling. Variables were measured with the Health & Safety Executive Management Standards Indicator Tool, Nurse Wellbeing Index, and the Perceived Stress Scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and analyses of variance.

FINDINGS

Two hundred seventy participants (142 registered nurses, 83 licensed practical nurses/licensed vocational nurses, and 42 advanced practice nurses) completed the survey. Job stress scored moderate (M = 16.26, SD = 7.14), and well-being levels were just below the risk for adverse events (M = 1.8, SD = 3.06). Lower scores were noted for managerial support (M = 3.13, SD = 0.35) and job demands (M = 3.56, SD = 0.92), but slightly better for job control (M = 3.57, SD = 0.77), peer support (M = 3.85, SD = 0.64), and workplace relationships (M = 3.73, SD = 0.95).

CONCLUSIONS

Significant differences between organizational characteristics, job stress, and well-being were found across nursing licensure, workplace environments, biological sex, and employment through state or private agencies. Registered nurses working in U.S. prisons experienced the highest job stress and worse well-being.

APPLICATION TO PRACTICE

This work is an essential next step in promoting healthy workspaces, urging the need for further research establishing the impact of organizational characteristics and job stress on nurse well-being.

Job demands and temporomandibular disorders: mediating and moderating effects of psychological distress and recovery experiences

OBJECTIVES

This study examined the relationship between recovery experience, job demands, psychological distress, and temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in Japanese workers.

METHODS

It used cross-sectional data from the fourth survey of a multi-wave longitudinal project, conducted using the registered monitors of an internet research company. Finally, 1278 respondents' data were analyzed (655 males, 623 females; mean [SD] age = 41.63 [10.31] years). We utilized Sugiaski's TMD screening question to assess TMD prevalence, Brief Job Stress Questionnaire to assess job demands, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) to assess psychological distress, and the Japanese version of the Recovery Experience Questionnaire to assess recovery experiences. The moderated mediation analysis was conducted using the Process macro program for SPSS developed by Preacher and Hayes, examining the effect of job demands on TMD through psychological distress, moderated by the recovery experience.

RESULTS

The results showed that 13.1% (n = 168) of the respondents had TMD. Mediation analysis indicated high job demands were associated with an increased TMD prevalence through psychological distress. The moderated mediation analysis revealed that relaxation and control moderated the relationship between job demands and psychological distress.

CONCLUSIONS

This cross-sectional study established the relationship between job demands, psychological distress, and TMD among Japanese workers. The findings suggest that increased job demands contribute to high TMD prevalence through the mediation of psychological distress, moderated by relaxation and control.

Job strain, occupation, and bladder health among women

OBJECTIVES

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are common among employed women. An underexplored topic is whether characteristics of women's occupations may influence LUTS. The present study examined whether job strain and its individual components (psychological demands, decision latitude) were associated with greater LUTS and their impact and whether, compared to managerial and professional occupations, occupations characterized by manual labor, sales, service, nursing, and teaching were associated with greater LUTS and their impact.

METHODS

Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults cohort study data were analyzed. Job strain and occupation were assessed in 1987-88 and 1995-96. In 2012-13, LUTS and their impact were assessed. LUTS/impact category (a composite variable ranging from bladder health to mild, moderate, and severe LUTS/impact) was regressed on job strain and occupation in separate analyses, adjusting for age, race, parity, education, and financial hardship (n = 1006).

RESULTS

Job strain and its individual components were not associated with LUTS/impact. In comparison to managerial and professional occupations, service occupations in 1987-88 and 1995-96 were both associated with greater odds of LUTS/impact in proportional odds logistic regression analyses. Employment as a nurse, health assistant, or health aide in 1995-96 was associated with greater odds of any LUTS/impact versus bladder health. Support positions in 1987-88 and sales positions in 1995-96 were associated with greater odds of moderate or severe LUTS/impact versus bladder health or mild LUTS/impact.

CONCLUSIONS

Future research should examine characteristics of workplaces that may promote or constrain bladder health (e.g., time and autonomy to void when desired, infrastructure to void).

Antecedents and outcomes of work engagement among nursing staff in long-term care facilities-A systematic review

AIM

To determine antecedents and outcomes of work engagement (WE) among nursing staff in long-term care (LTC) using the Job Demand-Resources model.

DESIGN

A systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis statement and Synthesis Without Meta-analysis in systematic reviews guideline. A study protocol was registered in PROSPERO (registration number CRD42022336736).

DATA SOURCES

The initial searches were performed in PsycInfo, Medline, Academic Search Premier, CINAHL and Scopus and yielded 3050 unique publications. Updated searches identified another 335 publications. Sixteen studies published from 2010 to 2022 were included.

REVIEW METHODS

The screening of titles and abstracts, and subsequently full-text publications, was performed blinded by two author teams using the inclusion/exclusion criteria. When needed, a mutual consensus was obtained through discussion within and across the teams. A descriptive and narrative synthesis without a meta-analysis of the included studies was performed.

RESULTS

The extent of research on WE in LTC facilities is limited and the factors examined are heterogeneous. Of forty-two unique antecedents and outcomes, only three factors were assessed in three or more studies. Antecedents-in particular job resources-are more commonly examined than outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Existing literature offers scant evidence on antecedents and outcomes of WE among nursing staff in LTC facilities. Social support, learning and development opportunities and person-centred processes are the most examined factors, yet with ambiguous results.

IMPACT

Antecedents and outcomes of engagement among nursing staff in LTC facilities have not previously been reviewed systematically. Engagement has been correlated with both more efficient and higher-quality service delivery. Our findings suggest opportunities to improve health and care services by enhancing engagement, whilst at the same time better caring for employees. This study lays the groundwork for more detailed research into the contributing factors and potential results of increasing caregivers' engagement. No patient or public contribution.

The psychometric properties of the Burnout Assessment Tool in Norway: A thorough investigation into construct-relevant multidimensionality

OBJECTIVE

The World Health Organization recognizes burnout as an occupational issue. Nevertheless, accurately identifying employee burnout remains a challenging task. To complicate matters, current measures of burnout have demonstrated limitations, prompting the development of the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT). Given these circumstances, conducting an in-depth examination of the BAT's construct-relevant multidimensionality is crucial.

METHOD

This study focuses on both the original 23-item BAT and the short 12-item version, using modern factor analytic methods to investigate reliability, validity, and measurement invariance in a representative sample from Norway (n = 493; 49.54% women).

RESULTS

Our findings revealed that the bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling solution (burnout global factor and four specific burnout component factors) best explained the data for both BAT versions. All factors demonstrated adequate omega coefficients, with the global factor showing exceptional strength. Both BAT versions correlated highly with each other and with another burnout measure, suggesting convergent validity. Furthermore, both BAT versions achieved full (strict) measurement invariance based on gender. Finally, our results showed that burnout acts as a mediator in our proposed job demands-resources model as preliminary evidence of predictive validity.

CONCLUSIONS

The study validates the Burnout Assessment Tool in the Norwegian context. The study supports the reliability, validity, and unbiased nature of the tool across genders. The findings also reinforce the importance of job demands and resources, along with burnout as a key mediator, in understanding workplace dynamics in accordance with job demands-resources theory.

Profiles of burnout and work engagement in a public service organization: Nature, drivers, and outcomes

Background

The Canadian Federal Public Service Workplace Mental Health Strategy (the Strategy) seeks to measure, report, and improve employee psychological health, recognizing the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace (the Standard) as a starting point. The present research introduced a new survey battery for the assessment of employee psychological health as profiles of burnout and work engagement. It also considered a wide range of predictors aligned with the Standard and several outcomes in accordance with the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Model to support the Strategy.

Data and methods

A total of 4,781 Statistics Canada employees completed an Employee Wellness Survey in late 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, for a response rate of 58%. Additional sociodemographic variables were linked from human resource databases. Survey weights were applied to adjust for non-response.

Results

Latent profile analysis uncovered four employee psychological health profiles, ranging from employees who were thriving (15%) to those who were doing well (34%), moving along (38%), or struggling (13%). Job autonomy, role clarity, person-job fit, work-life interference, and workplace incivility -- all workplace psychosocial factors aligned with the Standard -- were consistently associated with profile membership, as expected, and outcome levels were systematically less favourable from the thriving profile to the struggling profile.

Interpretation

The results support the validity of the employee psychological health profiles and predictors of profile membership, meeting expectations based on the JD-R literature. Key predictors can serve as metrics to monitor and as targets for workplace interventions designed to improve employee psychological health in support of the Strategy.

Psychosocial Work Conditions as Determinants of Well-Being in Jamaican Police Officers: The Mediating Role of Perceived Job Stress and Job Satisfaction

Policing is considered a high-stress occupation due to the demanding nature of the job. Addressing police stress requires a detailed understanding of how psychosocial risk factors influence various aspects of their well-being. Moreover, an analysis of the direct effects of work conditions and the mediating effects of cognitive appraisals is also warranted. Using the Demands-Resources-Individual Effects (DRIVE) model of work-related stress this study investigated the direct effects of work conditions on well-being and also examined the intermediate role of perceived job stress and job satisfaction in the relationship between work conditions and well-being. Five hundred and seventy-eight police officers from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (J.C.F.) completed the questionnaire. Data were analyzed using hierarchical regressions and the Hayes Process tool for mediation analysis. Both perceived job stress and satisfaction mediated the relationship between work conditions and general physical health. Perceived job stress was an indirect pathway through which work conditions influenced psychological distress, whereas job satisfaction was not a significant mediator. In contrast, job satisfaction mediated the relationship between work conditions and positive well-being, but perceived job stress did not. These findings provide significant evidence for periodically monitoring and auditing perceptions of stress and job satisfaction, as they are likely precursors to subsequent health problems.

High-performance HR practices, job demands and employee well-being: The moderating role of managerial support

Drawing on the labour process theory and the job-demands resources model, this study challenges the assumption of beneficial effects of high-performance HR practices (HPHRP). The study argues that such practices lead to heightened work demands, which in turn compromise employees' well-being. The study also argues that the negative consequences associated with HPHRP can be ameliorated when employees receive support from their managers. To test the study's moderated mediation model, multisource matched employer-employee data from the Workplace Employment Relations Survey 2011 is used. Results of generalised multilevel structural equation modelling in STATA revealed that the relationship between HPHRP and well-being (anxiety and depression) is mediated by Job demands (JD). Furthermore, the relationship between JD and both anxiety and depression is moderated by Managerial support (MS), such that when the level of MS is high, the positive relationship between HPHRP and both anxiety and depression via JD is weaker. Taken together, the findings of the study advance our understanding of why and when HPHRP may impair employees' well-being.

Analysis of influencing factors of job demands of healthcare workers working in mobile cabin hospitals in China

AIM

To explore the job demands of healthcare workers (HCWs) working in mobile cabin hospitals in Shanghai and identify the influencing factors.

DESIGN

The study had a cross-sectional design.

METHODS

Using the convenience sampling method, we selected 1223 HCWs (medical team members) working in these mobile cabin hospitals during April-May 2022. The findings of the general information questionnaire and the hierarchy scale of job demands of HCWs working in mobile cabin hospitals were used for the investigation.

RESULTS

The total score of job demands of the included HCWs was 132.26 ± 9.53; the average score of the items was 4.73 ± 0.34. Multivariate linear regression analyses showed that the following HCWs had significantly higher job demands: female HCWs and HCWs who received psychological training or intervention during the COVID-19 pandemic, were satisfied with the doctor/nurse-patient relationship, received support from family members/friends/colleagues, believed that the risk of working in mobile cabin hospitals was high, had adapted to the working environment of mobile cabin hospitals and had college/undergraduate level of education. They would benefit from increased social support and better training in terms of psychological coping mechanisms(both theoretical knowledge and applicable skills) and COVID-19 prevention,control and treatment abilities.

Associations of burnout with job demands/resources during the pandemic in health workers from Southeast European countries

Introduction

Despite several studies assessing job demands and burnout in countries from the Southeast European (SEE) region, there is still a lack of data about the psychological impact of the pandemic on health workers (HWs).

Aims

The present study aimed to demonstrate and compare levels of burnout dimensions in HWs from SEE countries and to reveal the burnout-job demands/resources relationships in these workers during the pandemic.

Materials and methods

During the autumn of 2020, this online multicentric cross-sectional survey studied a large group (N = 4.621) of HWs working in SEE countries. The Maslach Burnout Inventory was used for the measurement of burnout dimensions. We analyzed the job demands by using the Hospital Experience Scale. Remuneration and relationships with superiors were measured using the Questionnaire sur les Ressources et Contraintes Professionnelles (English version).

Results

A series of ANOVA comparisons of means revealed the countries in which respondents showed higher mean values of emotional exhaustion (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Moldova, Montenegro, and North Macedonia) and the countries in which respondents showed lower mean values of this burnout dimension (Israel and Romania) (Welch F = 17.98, p < 0.001). We also found differences among HWs from different countries in job demands and job resources. The testing of hierarchical regression models, which have been controlled for certain confounding factors, clearly revealed that emotional exhaustion was predicted by job demands (R2 = 0.37) and job resources (R2 = 0.16).

Conclusion

Preventive measures for the improvement of mental health in HWs during the pandemic and beyond have to take into account the differences between countries regarding the country context and current scientific knowledge. A modified stress test should be implemented in hospitals regarding future shocks that might include new pandemics, terrorism, catastrophes, or border conflicts.

Do Resources Help or Hurt? The Critical Roles of Me, Others, and Organization in Mitigating Workplace Demands

Today's job demands-resources (JD-R) literature emphasizes the interactions between job demands and resources. However, the dynamism of JD-R processes in which individuals manage to counteract the detrimental effects of job demands on employees by flexibly adjusting resources calls this relationship into question. Hence, in this study, we depict JD-R dynamics in the workplace by developing a cross-level moderated-mediation model that unveils the different roles played by job and personal resources when they are woven together with job demands. We examine how and when the relationships among three types of resources-organizationally assigned high-performance work systems (HPWSs), psychological capital (PsyCap), and social support climate (SSC)-help employees deal with excessive workload and unhealthy emotional demands. Using a two-wave research design, we measured and tested the causal relationships of the proposed variables. We found that (1) HPWSs had a negative effect on workload, (2) workload provoked employee emotional demands, (3) the interaction between HPWSs and PsyCap increased workload, and (4) SSC mitigated the positive effect of workload on employee emotional demands. This study contributes to the JD-R theory and literature by unlocking the potential roles of various resources. Theoretical and practical implications, limitations, and future research avenues are also presented.

Do I want to work from home today? Specific job crafting strategies of public service employees working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany: a qualitative study

Background

After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, employees in Europe increasingly worked from home. In the German public sector, many employees experienced working from home for the first time. Concurrently, employees could use job crafting activities to alter job demands and resources while working from home. This exploratory case study aims to shed light on how public service employees craft their job demands and job resources, and how they perceive job satisfaction and productivity while working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. A novel theoretical approach is applied to explore crafting activities that target specific job demands and resources when working from home, using a combined framework of resource-based job crafting based on the Job Demands-Resources model and time-spatial job crafting.

Methods

Qualitative telephone interviews were conducted with employees from different public sectors in Germany between December 2021 and February 2022. According to the COREQ guidelines, the 12 semi-structured interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and content-analyzed using MAXQDA.

Results

The results suggest that employees, who were new to working from home, developed personal crafting strategies for their flexible work environment. These strategies supported them in coping with hindering job demands (e.g., measures regarding work-related availability or interruptions) by optimizing their working conditions. Additionally, employees used strategies to increase their social resources (e.g., initiating meetings with colleagues) and structural resources (e.g., installing additional work equipment, planning of office days and working-from-home days). The use of given job resources and optimization of job demands are closely linked to the time-spatial demands fit. Thereby, the time-spatial demands fit is used to combine workplaces, work hours, or work tasks with the provided resources and demands to achieve an optimal work environment, which also facilitates employees' productivity and satisfaction.

Conclusion

The results enrich the resource-based and time-spatial demand job crafting research by adding specific job crafting strategies utilized by public service employees. Furthermore, the results highlight job crafting strategies for enhancing job satisfaction and productivity when working from home in the post-pandemic world, thus offering valuable insights for researchers and practitioners.

Exploring burnout among preschool teachers in rural China: a job demands-resources model perspective

Rural preschool teachers are increasingly experiencing job burnout, which could lead to their intention to leave and negatively impact education quality. This research explored the prevalence of job burnout among preschool teachers in rural China. It further investigated the potential influence of job-related characteristics on their levels of burnout. This study surveyed 10,581 preschool teachers across 34 counties in 18 provinces in China, utilizing multilevel structural equation models to analyze the situation and factors influencing job burnout. The findings indicate that the situation regarding job burnout among preschool teachers is not encouraging, particularly in the western areas and independent public kindergartens. Job resources were found to be associated with a reduction in burnout, while job demands had the opposite effect. The findings also revealed that job demands served as a mediating variable between job resources and job burnout. Moreover, the results also showed that reduced job burnout among preschool teachers was related to teacher cooperation, decision making, kindergarten resources and salary. On the other hand, role commitments, business issues, and classroom management were associated with increased burnout among preschool teachers. Furthermore, the impact of demands and resources on burnout was found to be intensified by kindergarten variables. To address the issue of burnout, it is essential to recognize the diversity and heterogeneity of kindergartens and take specific measures to reduce work demands while providing adequate and specific resources. Attention should be given to diversity and integration to ensure a positive work environment that can effectively prevent job burnout among preschool teachers.

Teacher well-being and turnover intentions: Investigating the roles of job resources and job demands

BACKGROUND

Identifying factors implicated in teachers' well-being and turnover intentions is important for driving research, policy, and practice to better support teachers in their work.

AIMS

This study examined the role of three job resources (autonomy-supportive leadership, relatedness with colleagues and students) and three job demands (autonomy-thwarting leadership, time pressure, disruptive student behaviour) in relation to teacher well-being (subjective vitality, behavioural engagement, professional growth) and turnover intentions.

SAMPLE

Participants were 426 Australian school teachers.

METHODS

Structural equation modelling was used to examine main associations and interactions among factors. Teachers' characteristics (gender, teaching experience and educational qualification) and personality factors served as controls in all analyses.

RESULTS

The job resources were generally positively associated with the well-being factors, whereas time pressure was negatively associated with vitality, but positively associated with behavioural engagement. In addition, relatedness with colleagues and subjective vitality were negatively associated with turnover intentions, whereas the reverse was true for autonomy-thwarting leadership and time pressure. There were no interaction terms retained in the final model.

CONCLUSION

Taken together, findings yield understanding about the salient resources and demands in relation to teachers' well-being and turnover intentions (beyond the role of background characteristics and personality factors).

Factors predicting job performance of nurses: A descriptive predictive study

AIM

This study investigated the job performance and predictability of job demands, job resources, personal resources, work engagement, job crafting, and the transformational leadership of nurse managers on this among nurses in Myanmar.

BACKGROUND

The ongoing crisis of nursing shortages along with heavy workloads combines to form a major challenge in Myanmar and these affected the job performance of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

Utilizing a stratified random sample of 474 nurses from tertiary-level general hospitals in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, a descriptive predictive analysis was carried out. The Demographic Data Sheet, Job Performance Scale, Work Engagement Scale, Job Demands Scale, Job Resources Scale, Personal Resources Scale, Job Crafting Scale, and Global Transformational Leadership Scale were utilized to collect data.

RESULTS

The overall level of job performance was perceived to be high, considering various factors such as job demands, personal resources, work engagement, and job crafting were found as significant predictors of nurses' job performance, explaining 63.30% of the total variance.

DISCUSSION

These findings make a valuable contribution toward enhancing nurses' job performance by addressing job demands, fostering work engagement, and nurturing their job-crafting capabilities. Self-reporting data collection may not have accurately represented the actual level of study variable.

CONCLUSION

This study highlighted factors that significantly affect nurses' job performance in general hospitals in Myanmar.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY

The findings provide important evidence for nursing administrators and policymakers wishing to develop strategies to enhance the working environment and remain active in helping the performance of nurses.

The Relationship between Job Demands and Turnover Intention among Chinese Prison Officers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Moderated Mediation Model

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought enormous challenges to both employees and organizations all over the world. Previous studies have found high turnover rates among prison officers since the outbreak of COVID-19. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the mediating role of job burnout between job demands and turnover intention, as well as the moderating role of the perceived efficacy in overcoming COVID-19 in Chinese prison officers. In total, 1316 prison officers were recruited to complete an online questionnaire between May 2022 and June 2022 (during the COVID-19 pandemic). The bootstrapping approach was used to assess the moderated mediation model in this study. The results showed that prison officers' job demands were positively associated with their turnover intention. Job burnout mediated the relationship between job demands and turnover intention. Perceived efficacy in overcoming COVID-19 moderated the effect of job burnout on turnover intention. Based on these results, suggestions were provided to reduce the high turnover rate of prison officers in public health events like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Job Satisfaction and Perceived Structural Support in Remote Working Conditions-The Role of a Sense of Community at Work

Changes in work assets due to the COVID-19 pandemic posed several challenges to employees' well-being, especially in the light of the changes in the work organization, such as remote working and the massive use of IT. According to the literature on the role of technologies at work, the organization's ability to support remote working is a valuable protective factor. At the same time, social distancing due to the pandemic forced employees to use a new relational asset. This, in turn, can shed new light on how the sense of connection and belonging to an organization impacts remote working experiences. This paper will test the mediational effect of structural support and sense of community at work in the link between job demands and job satisfaction in a sample of remote workers. The study involved 635 participants aged 21 to 70 (mean = 46.7, SD = 11; females = 61%). Among them, 33% had remote working experiences before the first Italian lockdown (March 2020). The research protocol included scales from the COPSOQ-III (job demands, sense of community, job satisfaction) and a questionnaire to evaluate the structural support related to the remote working asset. Results from a structural equation model showed a partial mediating effect of sense of community, but not of structural support, in the link between job demands and job satisfaction (χ2(22) = 76.918, p = 0.00, CFI = 0.966, TLI = 0.944, RMSEA = 0.063 (90% CI = 0.048-0.078, p = 0.079), SRMR = 0.044). The role of such associations for future technology-based work assets is detailed in the discussion.

Effectiveness of Workplace Interventions to Improve Health and Well-Being of Health and Social Service Workers: A Narrative Review of Randomised Controlled Trials

Health and social service workers face high levels of workload and job stressors, which can affect their health and well-being. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the effectiveness of workplace interventions that aim to improve their mental and physical health outcomes. This review summarizes the findings of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that examined the impact of different types of workplace interventions on various health indicators among health and social service workers. The review searched the PubMed database from its inception to December 2022 and included RCTs that reported on the effectiveness of organizational-level interventions and qualitative studies that explored barriers and facilitators to participation in such interventions. A total of 108 RCTs were included in the review, covering job burnout (N = 56 RCTs), happiness or job satisfaction (N = 35), sickness absence (N = 18), psychosocial work stressors (N = 14), well-being (N = 13), work ability (N = 12), job performance or work engagement (N = 12), perceived general health (N = 9), and occupational injuries (N = 3). The review found that several workplace interventions were effective in improving work ability, well-being, perceived general health, work performance, and job satisfaction and in reducing psychosocial stressors, burnout, and sickness absence among healthcare workers. However, the effects were generally modest and short-lived. Some of the common barriers to participation in workplace interventions among healthcare workers were inadequate staff, high workload, time pressures, work constraints, lack of manager support, scheduling health programs outside work hours, and lack of motivation. This review suggests that workplace interventions have small short-term positive effects on health and well-being of healthcare workers. Workplace interventions should be implemented as routine programs with free work hours to encourage participation or integrate intervention activities into daily work routines.

Burnout of emergency nurses in a South African context: the role of job demands and resources, and capabilities

Emergency nurses are prone to burnout due to the nature of their profession and working environment, potentially putting their sustainable employability at risk and so too the care provided by and success of emergency departments. Psychological research has predominantly focused on samples drawn from western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (WEIRD) societies, concerning a small part of the world population. Consequently, this study investigated emergency nurses' burnout in a non-WEIRD society and assessed the role of job demands-resources and work capabilities on their burnout levels. A total of 204 emergency nurses in a South African context participated in a cross-sectional survey. The Job Demands-Resources Scale, the Capability Set for Work Questionnaire, and the Burnout Assessment Tool-Short Form were administered. Using and developing knowledge and skills and building and maintaining meaningful relationships were the strongest work capabilities of emergency nurses. In contrast, earning a good income, involvement in important decisions, and contributing to something valuable were the weakest capabilities. Latent class analysis resulted in three capability sets: a robust capability set, an inadequate capability set, and a weak capability set. Regarding job resources, emergency nurses with a robust capability set reported better relationships with their supervisors and higher job autonomy than the inadequate and weak capability sets. In addition, emergency nurses with a robust capability set reported better co-worker relationships and better access to good equipment than those with a weak capability set. Nurses with an inadequate capability set experienced significantly more challenging job demands than the other two sets. Finally, nurses with a weak capability set (compared to the robust capability set) experienced significantly higher levels of exhaustion and mental distance. Improving emergency nurses' job resources (especially relationships with co-workers and supervisors, job autonomy, and equipment sufficiency) would increase their capabilities, decreasing their burnout levels, especially exhaustion and mental distance.

Engaging Leadership and Psychological Safety as Moderators of the Relationship between Strain and Work Recovery: A Cross-Sectional Study of HSS Employees

Work in the health and social sector (HSS) is highly straining and therefore recovery from work needs to be promoted. Less is known on how job resources can be used to alleviate job strain and increase recovery from work. Thus, we analyzed the following: the association between job demands and work recovery; the connections of engaging leadership and psychological safety to recovery from work; and the moderating effects of engaging leadership and psychological safety on the relationship between strain and recovery from work. This cross-sectional study of 18,155 HSS and 4347 eldercare employees in 2020 using linear regression analysis showed that job strain (p < 0.001) and moral distress (p < 0.001) were associated with decreased recovery from work. Engaging leadership (p < 0.001) and psychologically safe work community (p < 0.001) enhanced recovery from work independently. Engaging leadership mitigated the harmful effect of job strain (p < 0.01) and moral distress (p < 0.05), and psychological safety mitigated the effect of job strain (p < 0.001), but not moral distress (p > 0.05). Thus, it is important to reduce job strain so that employees recover from work. Further job resources such as engaging leadership and psychological safety are important in themselves as they support recovery from work and employees' well-being, but also as they alleviate job demands.

By Nature, We're Doers and Problem Solvers: Evolving Job Demands and Resources in Response to COVID-19 Among US-Based Fire Service Personnel (The RAPID Study II)

OBJECTIVE

The US fire service experienced increased demands due to COVID-19. This qualitative study explored the pandemic's impact on work-life balance and safety.

METHODS

Five interviews and 10 focus groups were conducted with 15 fire departments in the COVID-19 RAPID Mental Health Assessment. Coding and multilevel content analysis were conducted in NVivo.

RESULTS

Four department support themes were identified: emotional/social (33.1%), policy (28.4%), instrumental (22.9%), and informational (15.5%). Four work-life balance themes were identified: life (51.2%), children (18.1%), physiological (16.5%), and work (14.2%). We observed more departmental resources to help mitigate job demands within the work environment compared with those for work-life demands.

CONCLUSIONS

Job resources are needed to mitigate demands and improve safety culture and mental well-being of the fire service under normal conditions, and for the next pandemic, natural disaster, or long-term emergency.

The Influence of Psychosocial Factors according to Gender and Age in Hospital Care Workers

Even though psychosocial risks can affect the entire working population regardless of demographic variables, multiple publications claim that women are more exposed to psychosocial risks and that psychosocial risks affect people in a different way, depending on their age. This study aims to investigate demographic differences (i.e., sex and age) in health care workers, with an aim which is twofold: (i) To know if these geographic differences lead to differences in perception of psychosocial risks; and (ii) to identify the job demands and resources with the highest impact on work engagement and performance. A sample of 4,451 people from the sanitary sector, pertaining to 75 Spanish hospitals, was analyzed to test the hypotheses. ANOVA results demonstrated that women show significantly higher impact values in job demands than men, as well as higher values in job resources. Moreover, the group of younger people (< 40 years) showed significantly lower levels in demands, and significantly higher in job resources, wellbeing, and organizational outcomes. Finally, multi-group SEM analyses showed that the impact of job demands and resources on work engagement and performance is significant, regardless of sex and age, although there are changes in the coefficients. The differences in the perception of job demands and resources of the different demographic groups can be used to develop specific psychosocial intervention in health care workers.

Changes in demands and resources faced by the early childhood education workforce due to COVID-19

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on demands, resources, and job satisfaction among a convenience sample of early childhood education (ECE) staff employed in Head Start preschools in a large metro area of Colorado. A survey was administered to a sample of Head Start staff at two timepoints: Time 1 (pre-COVID-19 pandemic) in October of 2019 (n = 137) and Time 2 (during the COVID-19 pandemic) in November of 2020 (n = 86). The survey consisted of a combination of validated measures to assess personal and external demands and resources and work satisfaction. Workload is a perceived external demand that significantly improved from pre- to mid-pandemic in this sample (z = -3.3, p < 0.01). Many personal and external resources changed pre- to mid-pandemic, though none were statistically significant. Overall job satisfaction in this sample increased, though it was not statistically significant (z = -1.04, p = 0.3). Mitigating demands, such as minimizing workload, and increasing job-related resources, such as bolstering management supports, may lead to improved job satisfaction of the ECE workforce employed in Head Start settings. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified poor mental health and numerous job demands, some of the pandemic-related regulations may have also decreased the workload for some subgroups of the ECE workforce, potentially translating to improved job satisfaction. However, significant disparities remain with respect to personal and external demands among this sample of the ECE workforce compared to the national workforce suggesting multi-level resources and supports are critical to further buffer these stressors.

Psychosocial safety climate and self-efficacy: Moderating role of job-related expectations in Pakistani private-sector employees during the COVID-19 pandemic

The labor force in Pakistan comprises 59.8 million individuals. The employees have faced major changes in work dynamics and psychosocial safety climate during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of the current study is to find the relationship between psychosocial safety climate, self-efficacy, and job-related expectations. It explores the moderating role of job-related expectations on the relationship between psychosocial safety climate and self-efficacy. It was hypothesized that there is likely to be a significant relationship between psychosocial safety climate, self-efficacy, and job-related expectations, job-related expectations are likely to moderate the relationship between psychosocial safety climate and self-efficacy, and there are likely to be differences between married and unmarried employees; men and women; satisfied and unsatisfied employees with respect to psychosocial safety, self-efficacy, and job-related expectations. A correlational research design and a convenience sampling strategy were used. A total of 281 employees (M = 30.74 years, SD = 10.99) of the private-sector (including educational, industrial, and IT) organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic were part of the study. Results show that psychosocial safety climate had a positive significant relationship with job-related expectations and self-efficacy. Job expectations also significantly correlated with self-efficacy. There were significant differences in measures of study variables with respect to gender, marital status, and employee satisfaction. This research has implications for administration, managers, policymakers, and organizational psychologists.

Challenge, threat, coping potential: How primary and secondary appraisals of job demands predict nurses' affective states during the COVID-19 pandemic

AIM

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a rapid raise of work-related stress among nurses, affecting their emotional well-being. This study examined how nurses appraise job demands (i.e. time pressure, emotional demands and physical demands) during the pandemic, and how primary (i.e. challenge and threat) and secondary appraisals (i.e. coping potential) of job demands predict nurses' affective states (i.e. positive affect, anger and anxiety).

DESIGN

A cross-sectional online survey.

METHODS

419 nurses completed self-report measures of job demands and related appraisals. Data analyses comprised correlation analysis, factor analysis, hierarchical linear regression analysis and dominance analysis.

RESULTS

Emotional and physical demands correlated exclusively with threat appraisal, while time pressure correlated with challenge and threat appraisal. Time pressure, emotional demands and threat appraisals of job demands predicted negative affective states, while challenge appraisals of emotional and physical demands predicted positive affect. Coping potential was identified as the most important predictor variable of nurses' affective states.

PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

The current study identified statistically significant risk and protective factors in view of nurses' affective states experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

High performance work system and transformational leadership: Revisiting and questioning their implications for health-related wellbeing

Employee wellbeing represents a profound management challenge for both leaders and HR professionals, and both transformational leadership (TL) and high performance work system (HPWS) are assumed to play important roles in tackling this challenge. However, we know little about their unique and relative importance in promoting wellbeing. To shed light on this methodologically, theoretically and practically important issue, we draw mainly on leadership substitutes theory. Based on a comprehensive mediation model we examine whether HPWS substitutes the assumed relationships between TL and employee emotional exhaustion. Our study answers to three important calls for research: to examine the joint effects of leadership and HPWS, to examine their health-related impact, and to pursue more theory contesting research in management studies. Based on data from 308 white collar employees working under 76 middle-managers in five Finnish organizations our study points to the incompleteness of previous siloed research on both TL and HPWS, sheds new light on their relationships with wellbeing, and suggests ways to develop both TL and HPWS theory, thus providing important guidance for future research on their effects.

Positioning Technostress in the JD-R Model Perspective: A Systematic Literature Review

This paper aims to describe the effects of Technostress on employees' well-being and productivity. We adopted the Job Demands Resources Model as a theoretical framework to analyze the "Technostress" phenomenon in order to clarify whether and how technology can be considered a job demand, a job resource, or part of the effects of personal resources in the workplace. The sources search and selection process was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines and regarded papers published from 2010 to 2022. Overall, the findings show that most selected papers consider ICT a job demand negatively affecting human behavior, thoughts, and attitudes. In contrast, some report that ICT acts as a job resource, thus reducing the impact of job demands and their physiological and psychological costs. Finally, a third category of studies does not consider the effects of ICT itself but gives more space to the interaction among ICT, the organizational context in which it is used, and the personal characteristics of ICT users. More specifically, the findings show how individual features and organizational procedures can shape the interpretations employees make about their ICT-related experiences at work and, consequently, their performance or well-being. Findings suggest that when ICT tools are strategically planned and used within organizations, they can enrich the employee experience at work, positively affecting the individual and the organizational level.

Associations Between Telework Experience and Psychosocial Working Conditions During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-sectional Analysis Among White-Collar Workers in Sweden

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the study are to determine to what extent pre-COVID-19 experience of telework was associated with perceived psychosocial working conditions (PWCs; job demands, social support, and influence at work) during the COVID-19 pandemic among white-collar workers in Sweden and to determine to what extent the association depends on demographic factors, organizational tenure, and amount of computer use.

METHODS

Cross-sectional questionnaire data from 603 white-collar workers were collected October to December 2020 in an industrial company.

RESULTS

In general, telework experience was not significantly associated with PWCs. Women who began teleworking because of COVID-19 reported more job demands than women not teleworking. For those who began teleworking because of COVID-19, managerial support increased with age.

CONCLUSIONS

In general, telework experience was not associated with PWCs, but telework due to COVID-19 may have influenced PWCs differently depending on gender and age.

Usage of the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire: A Systematic Review of a Comprehensive Job Stress Questionnaire in Japan from 2003 to 2021

The Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ) is used widely in occupational health studies and practice. Summarizing scientific production based on measurement is crucial. This study aimed to systematically review observational studies that used the BJSQ and the New BJSQ to show their usability. A systematic search was conducted for studies investigating relationships between the BJSQ or the New BJSQ subscales and other validated measurements on 13 September 2021, in various literature databases. The BJSQ subscales, scoring methods, and other validated measurements in the studies were qualitatively summarized. In total, 145 published reports between 2003 and 2021 were included. Among the BJSQ subscales, job stressors (n = 95) such as quantitative job overload (n = 65) and job control (n = 64) were most often used. The subscales were utilized to investigate the relationships with several other measurements. Five reports used subscales from the New BJSQ. In the last two decades, the BJSQ and the New BJSQ help measure psychosocial factors (PF) at work and contribute to the publication of scientific papers in the occupational health field. This study would encourage the utilization of the questionnaires for future research and practice.

Supervision Effects on Negative Affect and Psychological Distress: Evidence from Social Workers in China

Supervision is an imperative practice within the social work field. It provides social workers with support systems, ensures that social workers are adhering to professional standards, and protects clients. Research has also shown that quality supervision can improve social workers' professional capacity and reduce work stress. However, most of this research has been confined to social workers' experiences within Western countries and has been largely qualitative in nature. Thus, this study aims to examine the experience of 489 social workers based in Guangzhou, China to understand how supervision affects their negative affect and psychological distress. The findings indicate that supervision not only reduces negative affect and psychological distress amongst Chinese social workers, but also is especially effective for social workers with high job demands. When job demands are high, social workers who receive both individual and group supervision also appear to have lower negative affect and psychological distress as compared to social workers who only receive individual supervision. These findings emphasize the significance of supervision as a buffer factor to reduce negative affect and psychological distress amongst Chinese social workers who face high job demands.

Escape or activate? Pathways of work stress on substance use

BACKGROUND

Research on the spillover effects of work stress on substance use have mainly focused on the concept of escapist substance.

OBJECTIVE

Building on the concept of self-endangering work behavior, we expand this stress-theoretic view with a presenteeism path of work-induced substance use. Contrary to emotion-based disengaging coping strategies associated with escapist use, we argue that high job demands may also promote problem-focused engagement coping, where substances are used for activation.

METHODS

A structural equation model was used to analyze both assumed pathways of stress-induced substance use with survey data from a random sample of n = 411 employees.

RESULTS

We confirmed that high job demands are directly related to escapist substance use, but indirectly related to activating substance use, mediated by presenteeism behavior. Both types of substance use are reduced in organizations with high psychosocial safety climate, but increase with higher competitive climate. Social support is related to reduced activating substance use. Males show a stronger tendency for the escapist path, whereas the presenteeism path is more prevalent in women.

CONCLUSION

Work stress may not only induce substance use as a disengaging emotional coping strategy, but also as an active problem-focused coping strategy, where employees engage in substance use to continue their efforts necessary for work-related goal attainment. A psychosocial safety climate may provide opportunities for intervening on the "cause of causes" of substance use. Moreover, due to the higher prevalence for activating substance use in female workers, previous research may have underestimated women's risks for work-induced substance use.

Under pressure - The working situation of Swedish healthcare managers during the first wave of COVID-19

Introduction

The aim of this study is to provide insight into the psychosocial work situation of hospital managers during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Mixed-effect modelling was used on survey data on job demands, job resources, job motivation, and work-life balance among over 500 managers working in 55 departments of a large Swedish university hospital in 2019 and 2020. Responses from 6011 employees were then used to stratify the analysis for COVID-19 exposure. Inductive content analysis was applied to open-ended questions on the managers' views on organisational prerequisites during the onset of the pandemic.

Results

The proportion of managers reporting difficulties with role clarity, quantitative demands, decision-making authority, and emotional support, time for recovery at work, motivation deficits, or problems with work-life balance clearly increased during the first wave of the pandemic. The proportion of managers reporting negative responses was higher in departments with high COVID-19 exposure. The qualitative analysis shows that overall governance in terms of clear, fair, and well-communicated routines, resource allocation, and division of responsibilities constituted an important framework for managerial during the crisis. First-line managers also require a mandate to re-organize their roles and their teams to successfully adapt to the situation. Organisational and social support was also important resources.

Discussion

This is the first study investigating healthcare managers' work situation during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in a Swedish context. As expected, it indicates an increasingly strained work situation during the crisis, but it also provides findings on organisational prerequisites that allow healthcare managers to cope with stressful situations. In line with previous research on organisational resilience, the study provides suggestions for how higher-level managers can act in order to provide front-line managers with the organisational prerequisites they need to adapt, learn and develop successfully during times of unpredictability, insecurity, and rapid change in order to offer the best possible support to health care workers.

Predicting Challenge and Threat Appraisal of Job Demands among Nurses: The Role of Matching Job Resources

(1) Background: Empirical studies have started to examine employees' subjective appraisals of job demands and their relations to employees' health. However, knowledge of working conditions, which might contribute to how employees appraise specific job demands, is scarce. The present study aimed to examine predictors of nurses' appraisals of job demands (i.e., time pressure, emotional demands, physical demands, and role ambiguity) as challenges and/or threats among corresponding job resources (i.e., autonomy, social support, physical resources, participation in decision-making). It also examined moderating effects of these predictors. (2) Methods: Cross-sectional data were collected via an online survey in a sample of 425 nurses working in Luxembourg. (3) Results: Multiple regression analyses indicated that matching job resources predicted nurses' appraisal of job demands as challenging. Threat appraisal was predicted by three out of four kinds of job resources (i.e., autonomy, physical resources, participation in decision-making). However, the current study did not find any moderating effects between job demands and job resources on challenge/threat appraisals. (4) Conclusions: The present study identified domain-specific job resources that contribute to how employees perceive selected job demands. Accordingly, we encourage scholars and practitioners to align job demands with matching job resources to prevent nurses' threat appraisal of job demands, and to promote their challenge appraisals.

Assessing the impact of job demands and hazardous workload activities on musculoskeletal symptoms in stone, sand, and gravel mining operations

BACKGROUND

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and associated musculoskeletal symptoms (MSS) are problematic in stone, sand, and gravel mining. Research is needed to explore relationships between job demands, work-related hazards and MSS.

OBJECTIVE

An exploratory study was conducted in Indiana during 2019-2020 to examine associations between job demands, work-related hazards and MSS.

METHODS

Through convenience sampling, cross-sectional survey data from 459 workers were collected and analyzed using logistic multiple and binary logistic regression methods. Outcome variables were MSS to the low back, neck/shoulder, and wrist/hand. Predictor variables and MSS measures are based on the Dutch Musculoskeletal Questionnaire.

RESULTS

Increased odds of low back MSS were related to dynamic loads (OR = 2.14), pushing/pulling heavy loads (OR = 1.56), torso bending or twisting (OR = 2.36), bent, stooped, or twisted posture (OR = 2.04), uncomfortable postures (OR = 2.07), repetition (OR = 1.67) and vibrating tools (OR = 1.81). Increased odds of neck/shoulder MSS were related to dynamic loads (OR = 1.83), static loads (OR = 1.24), heavy lifting (OR = 1.50), pushing/pulling heavy loads (OR = 1.68), bending or twisting of the neck (OR = 1.82), twisted neck posture (OR = 1.77) and uncomfortable postures (OR = 1.81). Increased odds of wrist/hand MSS were related to dynamic loads (OR = 2.06), static loads (OR = 1.45), bending or twisting of the wrists/hands (OR = 10.52), extended reaching (OR = 3.05), repetition (OR = 5.25), awkward postures (OR = 4.47), working above shoulder level (OR = 2.47), and vibrating tools (OR = 1.78).

CONCLUSION

Hazards that increased the likelihood of MSS were identified. These hazards should be abated or controlled to prevent MSDs in stone, sand, and gravel mining. More applied research, including ergonomic assessments to further identify hazards that can be controlled or abated, is warranted.

Employees' Resources, Demands and Health While Working from Home during COVID-19 Pandemic-A Qualitative Study in the Public Sector

(1) Background: The COVID-19 pandemic changed the working environment in Europe in March 2020, leading to an increase in working from home. In the German public sector, many employees experienced working from home for the first time. Despite the impact on employees' daily working life, we know little about employees' resources, demands and health while working from home. The aim of this study is to investigate how working from home is implemented in the public sector one year after the COVID-19 outbreak. In line with the job demand-resources model by Bakker and Demerouti (2007), potential resources, demands and health benefits of working from home are explored. (2) Methods: Semi-structured qualitative telephone interviews were conducted with twelve employees from different public sectors in Germany between December 2021 and February 2022. The semi-structured interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim, and the data was content-analyzed. (3) Results: Employees reported that personal resources, job autonomy, work task, collaboration, leadership, offers by the agency, work environment and equipment served as resources to buffer physical, social, psychological and organizational demands. (4) Conclusions: The research highlights job resources, job demands and potential health impacts of working from home in the public service. Furthermore, the study shows possible starting points for dealing with the health risks of working from home in the future.

Relationships among Healthcare Providers' Job Demands, Leisure Involvement, Emotional Exhaustion, and Leave Intention under the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many medical issues. It has tested the impact of healthcare providers' job demands, emotional exhaustion, and other pressures related to the impact on organizational leave intention. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to verify the relationship between healthcare providers' job demands, leisure involvement, emotional exhaustion, and leave intention under the COVID-19 pandemic. The questionnaire survey was used to address the issue of the present study. Convenience sampling was utilized to recruit 440 healthcare providers with a validity rate of 95%. Collected data were analyzed by structural equation modelling. Results indicated that healthcare providers' job demands do not significantly influence leisure involvement. Job demands significantly influence emotional exhaustion. Job demands significantly influence leave intention. Emotional exhaustion significantly influences leave intention. Emotional exhaustion has a significant mediating effect between job demands and leave intention. Finally, relevant practical suggestions are provided based on the study results.

Exploring Managerial Job Demands and Resources in Transition to Distance Management: A Qualitative Danish Case Study

Organizations worldwide have shifted to working from home, requiring managers to engage in distance management using information and communication technologies (ICT). Studies show that managers experience high job demands and inadequate guidance during COVID-19; therefore, the transition to distance management raises questions about the increase in managerial job demands and the impact on managers' well-being. This study aims to explore first-line managers' perceptions of job demands and available resources during the first year of the pandemic and understand the implications for first-line managers' well-being. First-line managers face complex and conflicting demands, making them more challenged in their management task than other management levels. We used the job demands-resources model in this qualitative, longitudinal empirical study. The study draws on 49 semi-structured interviews with seven first-line managers from a large pharmaceutical company in Denmark, whom we followed throughout the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, from May 2020 to May 2021. Our findings suggest that the first-line managers perceived increased emotional and practical demands. While the managers appreciated the initial guidance provided by the organization, they perceived the organizational support as outdated and superficial. As a result, to cope with the uncertainty caused by the pandemic and the shift to distance management, the managers relied on work engagement enablers such as social support. Even though the COVID-19 pandemic portrays unique circumstances in transitioning to distance management that require further exploration outside the COVID-19 context, the insights from this study can assist organizations in developing awareness about transitions to better support first-line management to embrace changes in the future.

Satisfaction with one's job and working at home in the COVID-19 pandemic: A two-wave study

As greater numbers of people have worked at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, workers, organisations and policy makers have begun considering the benefits of a sustained move towards homeworking, with workers' satisfaction with homeworking often cited as a key driver. But is satisfaction with homeworking that relevant to workers' overall job satisfaction? In this study, we examine whether job and homeworking satisfaction are predicted by different demands and resources, namely, those well established in the job design literature (workload, job autonomy and social support) for the former and those specific to the context of homeworking (loneliness, work-nonwork interference, work-nonwork interference and adequacy of homeworking environment) for the latter. We also explore whether homeworking satisfaction mediates the relationship between homeworking demands and resources and job satisfaction. Findings of a study of university workers during the COVID-19 pandemic (N = 753 in Phase 1, 471 in Phase 2) support our expectations about the domain-specific nature of the predictors of job and homeworking satisfaction, autonomy is positively related to job satisfaction, while loneliness, nonwork-to-work interference and inadequate homeworking environment are negatively related to homeworking satisfaction. Results also support the argument that satisfaction with homeworking mediates the relationship between homeworking factors and job satisfaction, reinforcing the value of differentiating the two concepts.

Defining the Primary Work Stress Factors of Chinese Coal Miners-A Mixed-Methods Study

BACKGROUND

Studies have indicated that coal miners in China have higher levels of perceived job stress. However, few studies have investigated the work stress structure of coal miners.

OBJECTIVE

Our study focused on the work stress of coal miners in China, with a primary aim to determine the work stress structure of coal miners in China using a mixed-methods approach.

METHODS

Semi-structured interviews were performed with thirty-three people (team leaders and frontline coal miners) conducted with participants from various state-owned large- and medium-sized coal mines in China. Grounded theory was used to construct an initial model for the concept of coal miners' work stress. Using the results of this initial survey and findings in the existing literature, we then constructed a preliminary questionnaire regarding coal miners' work stress and administered the questionnaire to 900 coal miners in the Shaanxi, Henan, Inner Mongolia, and Gansu provinces.

RESULTS

The results show that the work stress structure for coal miners differs from that for other occupational types in China, due to differences in the Chinese culture and foreign cultural influences. We revised our questionnaire based on these considerations and administered a new survey to the frontline production workers in coal mines. The preliminary questionnaires were revised and analyzed through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, resulting in a final formal model for work stress, which was supported by content and structural validity.

CONCLUSION

In this research, we used the framework of grounded theory to conduct an empirical analysis of the structure model of coal miners' work stress. The findings support that the primary work stress factors of Chinese coal miners included the stress of the work environment, job responsibility, interpersonal relationships, career development, the family environment, and organizational systems. Coal enterprises should therefore always take these factors into consideration when developing and implementing safety management policies aimed at to improve the occupational health status of coal miners.

Job Demand-Control and Hypertension in African Americans and Non-African Americans

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to determine if occupational stress is a social determinant of elevated hypertension among African Americans.

METHODS

Currently employed, full-time adults from the Midlife in the United States Refresher and Midlife in the United States Milwaukee Refresher studies reported data on demographics, job characteristics, and medical history.

RESULTS

African American workers reported less job control and greater physical job demands than non-African Americans. Both physical and psychological job demands were independently associated with greater odds of high blood pressure. Job strain was associated with high blood pressure and differed by race ( P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The elements of the job-demand control model differed by race and were most relevant for African Americans when exposed to high job demands and low job control. However, there was no evidence of differential vulnerability for either psychological demands, control, or physical demands for African Americans.

Influence of job environment on the online teaching anxiety of college teachers in the online teaching context: The mediating role of subjective well-being

Background

Online education has been conducted widely in higher education in recent years. While online teaching brings many opportunities, it also poses numerous challenges and issues. This is especially true for college teachers, for whom teaching is considered to be a profession with a high level of burnout and anxiety. The large-scale application of online teaching methods has put teachers in an even more challenging context, which may lead to teaching anxiety affecting their mental health. In online teaching contexts, the question of what factors affect college teachers' online teaching anxiety is worth exploring to help reduce their online teaching anxiety so as to promote their work performance. In this study, therefore, we conducted a survey of college teachers to develop a model of job environment (job demands and job resources), subjective well-being, and online teaching anxiety, and to explore the influences of job environment and subjective well-being on their online teaching anxiety, as well as the mediating effects of subjective well-being between job environments and online teaching anxiety.

Method

Of the 1,060 college teachers who participated, 524 were male (49.4%) and 536 were female (50.6%). An online questionnaire was sent to the teachers in January, 2022. Online teaching anxiety, subjective well-being, and job environment scales were adapted and developed. Descriptive analysis, reliability and validity analysis, and structural equation modelling were used to analyse the collected data.

Results

The study model showed an adequate fit (χ² = 440.983, RMSEA = 0.070, GFI = 0.942, AGFI = 0.914, NFI = 0.949, and CFI = 0.956), confirming the relationships of job demands and online teaching anxiety (β = 0.310, p < 0.001), job resources and online teaching anxiety (β = - 0.086, p < 0.01), job demands and subjective well-being (β = - 0.411, p < 0.001), job resources and subjective well-being (β = 0.204, p < 0.001), and subjective well-being and online teaching anxiety (β = - 0.435, p < 0.001). Meanwhile, the results also proved the effects of the mediating role of subjective well-being between job demands (95% CI = [- 0.138, - 0.225]), job resources (95% CI = [- 0.119, - 0.064]), and online teaching anxiety. The model accounted for 33.8% (f ² = 0.401) of online teaching anxiety.

Conclusion

The results of this study indicated that it is important to reduce job demands and increase job resources to alleviate college teachers' online teaching anxiety to maintain good mental health; while maintaining a high level of college teachers' subjective well-being is also helpful for promoting their work performance. Furthermore, the indirect effects of job demands and job resources on online teaching anxiety mediated by college teachers' subjective well-being were also significant.

Special education teachers' job demands-resources profiles and capabilities: Effects on work engagement and intention to leave

This study aimed to investigate the job demands-resources profiles and work capabilities of special education teachers in Namibia and their effect on work engagement and intention to leave. A convenience sample was taken of teachers from seven different regions across Namibia (N = 200). The Capability Set for Work Questionnaire, the Job Demands-Resources Questionnaire, the Work Engagement Questionnaire, and the Intention to Leave Questionnaire were administered. Using latent profile analysis, four job demands-resources profiles were identified: resourceful job, demanding job, poor job, and rich job. A poor job was negatively associated with the capability to use knowledge and skills, while resourceful and rich jobs were associated with developing new knowledge and skills, being involved in important decisions, building and maintaining relationships, and setting own goals. Job experience was negatively associated with five of the seven capabilities. Resourceful and rich jobs and the capability set predicted a large percentage of the variance in work engagement and a moderate percentage of the variance in intention to leave. High emotional demands, coupled with overload and a lack of resources interfere with teachers' functioning (e.g., work engagement and intention to leave).

The Role of Staff-Assessed Care Quality in the Relationship between Job Demands and Stress in Human Service Work: The Example of Dentistry

The aim of this study was to investigate staff-assessed care quality at the clinic as a predictor of stress and as a moderator between job demands (quantitative demands and role conflict) and stress among dental professionals as an example of human service workers. Cross-sectional questionnaire data from 1012 dental professionals (i.e., dentists, dental hygienists and dental nurses) working at 99 clinics were analysed by confirmatory factor analysis and a two-level hierarchical linear model. Stress, quantitative demands and role conflict were measured by the Swedish standard version of COPSOQ III and care quality was measured by three proprietary items. The results showed that staff-assessed care quality at the clinic was of importance for the individual workers' experiences of stress. Furthermore, the staff's joint assessment of the care quality at the clinic mitigated the negative effect of role conflict on stress among dental nurses. These results indicate that a high level of staff-assessed care quality at the clinic can contribute to reduced stress in dental professionals.

Predictors of mental health in aid workers: meaning, resilience, and psychological flexibility as personal resources for increased well-being and reduced distress

Aid workers operate in stressful environments and tend to experience high psychological distress, yet not enough is known about their well-being and how to improve their mental health. This research project surveyed 243 aid workers in 77 countries undertaking humanitarian and development work who reported lower well-being and higher psychological distress than the general population. Well-being and distress emerged as two related but distinct mental health outcomes, encouraging further research on well-being in the sector. Better mental health outcomes were predicted by the presence of meaning, psychological flexibility, and resilience. Presence of meaning was the strongest predictor, whereas resilience was the weakest. Meaning was a stronger predictor of good mental health among national workers, whereas psychological flexibility was a stronger predictor among female, older, and international workers. These results can support evidence-based approaches to staff care and mental health interventions for aid workers, expanding the current focus on resilience to include meaning and psychological flexibility.

When is the midpoint a good choice?

Related to the research of working conditions, the link between organizational factors and health was traditionally analyzed using linear models. However, the literature analysis suggests inconsistencies in linear models predicting workers' health levels. To clarify this issue, this exploratory research compares the linear and non-linear relationships between job demands-resources (task complexity, time pressure, contact with users, and job autonomy), and the psychological and physical symptoms of employees working in the main five service subsectors: commerce, horeca (hotels, restaurants, and cafés), public administration, education, and healthcare. With a final sample of 4,047 participants, our study data were extracted from the II Andalusian Working Conditions Survey. Following the theoretical framework of JD-R Model and considering the Vitamin Model theoretical approach for non-linear relationships, our results showed that there were significant differences among the five subsectors analyzed regarding the linear and non-linear relationships between job demands-resources and psychological and physical symptoms of employees. Furthermore, task complexity generated non-linear relationships in higher proportion than time pressure and contact with users. Likewise, non-linear relationships found showed a U-shape. Moreover, the findings of non-linear relationships suggested that medium levels of task complexity should not be exceeded to avoid further negative impact on psychological and physical symptoms for service sector employees, preserving their health. Finally, some general practical implications of work environment interventions are suggested.

Job Crafting and Burnout as Predictors of Food Safety Behaviors in the Foodservice Industry

This study aimed to investigate whether job crafting, burnout, and work engagement predict food safety behaviors in the foodservice industry. It was a cross-sectional study conducted in Cuiabá (Brazil) among foodservice workers. Four instruments were used among foodservice workers for the examination: (a) job demands and resources, (b) job satisfaction, (c) burnout, and (d) work engagement. Food safety practices were measured using a validated risk-based checklist. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesis model. In this study, 22 restaurants and 302 foodservice workers were examined. It was found that the “job demands-resources” model was valid for foodservice workers, i.e., burnout was strongly predicted by job demands (β = 0.550; p < 0.001); job resources were a positive predictor of work engagement (β = 0.258; p < 0.001); and burnout was a negative predictor of work engagement (β = −0.411; p < 0.001). Food safety violations were predicted by job crafting (β = −0.125; p = 0.029) and burnout (β = 0.143; p = 0.016). The results indicate that mitigating burnout and increasing job crafting can be important supporting strategies to improve food safety behaviors.