Social dimensions as resources in promoting academic well-being: the case study of the University of Foggia

Recently, scholars have focused more on changes in higher education, leading to significant insights into the working lives of academics and certain related processes, such as stress or well-being. The interest in academia is also justified by the role of universities as institutions that promote health and well-being, serving as a bridge between society, the world of work, and the local community. This study aims to identify social factors that can enhance the well-being of academic workers (lecturers and technical-administrative staff), highlighting how processes linked to social identity, based on the dynamics of identification with a territory or an organization, can serve as resources that promote well-being. Researchers conducted the survey on 198 workers at the University of Foggia (South Italy). Correlation and reliability assessments were first performed between the variables. Finally, a SEM study was completed. The goodness of fit of the model seems to be sufficient. The social aspects examined in the study, namely, organization identification, territorial well-being, and place attachment, were positively and significantly correlated with general well-being. Findings of the study demonstrated that for teaching and technical-administrative staff, among the key components for enhancing well-being in the academic setting was the social dimension of relationships, understood both inside and outside the university. Therefore, acting the belonging process to an area, implementing and strengthening relations with the social actors involved, as well as on the sense of belonging and identification with an organization, can have precise impact in enhancing well-being.

Job satisfaction among expatriate nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

AIM

To investigate the association between job resources, job satisfaction, and moderating effect of COVID-19 anxiety and practice setting among expatriate acute care nurses in Qatar.

BACKGROUND

Expatriate nurses are more vulnerable to reduced job satisfaction. Increased COVID-19 anxiety and reduced perceived job resources among acute care nurses impact their job satisfaction more than that of general ward nurses.

METHOD

An online survey was used to recruit 293 expatriate acute care nurses from four public hospitals in Qatar. Data were collected between June and October of 2021. Structural equation modeling was used for data analysis. We ensured to follow STROBE guidelines when doing this research.

RESULTS

Job resources were a significant predictor of job satisfaction among expatriate acute care nurses (β = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.73-0.85, p < 0.001). There was no significant moderating effect of COVID-19 anxiety (β = 0.055, 95% CI: -0.61 to 0.151, p = 0.329) or workplace setting on this relationship (χ2  = 0.077, df = 1, p = 0.781).

DISCUSSION

Our study found that the relationship between job resources and acute care nurses' job satisfaction is consistent across different workplace settings regardless of the level of COVID-19 anxiety. This is in line with previous studies that have highlighted the importance of job resources in determining nurses' job satisfaction.

CONCLUSION

The study emphasizes the need for sufficient job resources for improved job satisfaction among expatriate acute care nurses in Qatar, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING POLICY

Nursing leaders must prioritize adequate resources such as staffing, proper training, and policies that increase nurse autonomy to improve job satisfaction and reduce the negative effects of dissatisfaction.

Association between exposure to technological advances in the workplace and work engagement: a prospective cohort study

OBJECTIVES

The study objective was to measure the association between exposure to technological advances and work engagement, adjusting for personal and workplace factors.

METHODS

We conducted a nationwide online longitudinal survey study in Japan. The sample was stratified to represent Japanese workforce conditions. Work engagement was measured using the Japanese version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-9. Exposure to technological advances was measured using a single question with Likert scale responses. Industry characteristics that were more/less likely to be replaced by automation were also measured. Linear regression was used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

There were 16 629 participants. We found that exposure to technological advances was associated with work engagement after adjustment for age, sex, education, income, and industry characteristics. We observed a significant interaction between age and exposure to technological advances (coefficient 0.891, P < .001), and conducted an age-stratified linear regression analysis. The significant association between age and exposure to technological advances reduced as age increased, and disappeared after adjustment for baseline work engagement.

CONCLUSIONS

Longitudinal observations showed that exposure to technological advances was not significantly associated with work engagement.

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.

Exploring the Effectiveness of Self-and Other-Focused Happiness: The Moderating Role of Job Resources

Purpose

This paper aims to redefine happiness goals and explore the conditions and mechanisms through which these redefined happiness goals influence work-related outcomes.

Methods

The study developed and validated scales for self-focused happiness and other-focused happiness through exploratory factor analyses of 244 employees and confirmatory factor analyses of 300 employees. The proposed theoretical model was subsequently tested using a time-lagged analysis with data from 556 supervisor-employee dyads.

Results

The findings provide strong evidence for the categorization of happiness goals into self-focused happiness and other-focused happiness. Furthermore, both self-focused and other-focused happiness significantly contribute to work-related vigor, subsequently influencing employee creativity. Additionally, the impact of these happiness goals on vigor and creativity is contingent upon the availability of job resources.

Conclusion

This study highlights the substantial role of self-focused and other-focused happiness in enhancing employee vigor and creativity. However, the extent of these effects depends on the level of available job resources. These outcomes carry notable implications for the fields of positive psychology, positive organizational behavior, and creativity.

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.

Empathic nurses with sufficient job resources are work-engaged professionals who deliver more individualized care

AIMS

This study examined whether nurse work engagement mediated the associations of job resources (collegial support and autonomy) and a personal resource (empathy) with individualized care delivery, in both hospital and long-term care settings. We also explored potential setting-specific differences in how strongly the resources were associated with work engagement and individualized care delivery among nurses.

DESIGN

We conducted a cross-sectional study in three hospitals and two long-term care facilities.

METHODS

In total, 454 nurses completed a web-based survey including validated measures on resources (collegial support, autonomy, empathy), work engagement and individualized care delivery. Data were analysed using mediation and moderated mediation analyses.

RESULTS

In both settings, all resources were indirectly associated with individualized care delivery via work engagement. Empathy was also directly associated with individualized care delivery, and a stronger association was found in the long-term care setting than in the hospital setting.

CONCLUSION

The present study showed work engagement to mediate the associations of job resources and empathy with individualized care delivery in both hospital and long-term care settings. Individualized care delivery was furthermore directly facilitated by high levels of empathy, especially among nurses working in long-term care settings.

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE

Patients may benefit from better individualized care delivery by empathic nurses who are more work-engaged in the face of sufficient job resources in their practice environment.

IMPACT

Nurses are better able to deliver individualized care when provided with sufficient job resources (collegial support and autonomy) that support their being work-engaged professionals. Furthermore, empathic nurses also reported being able to better support patient individuality. These findings can be translated to policies of hospitals and long-term care facilities, to optimize job resources and enhance empathy and thus facilitate the support of patient individuality by nurses.

REPORTING METHOD

This study adhered to the STROBE guidelines.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

Nurses were involved in the design and data collection of the study.

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).

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.

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.

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.

Relationship between nurses' psychological capital and satisfaction of elderly cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction

As a special vulnerable group, the physical and mental health of elderly cancer patients has attracted much attention. However, few studies have focused on the impact of nurses' mental state on the mental health of elderly cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to this literature gap, this study aims to explore the impact of nurses' psychological capital on the satisfaction of elderly cancer patients. The job demands-resources model (JD-R) is used to further investigate how work engagement and job resources of nurses affect this relationship.

Methods

The questionnaire survey was used to collect data, participants included 230 elderly cancer patients and their nurses from a tertiary first-class cancer hospital in China. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was conducted with SmartPLS 3.3.9.

Results

Nurses' psychological capital has a significant positive impact on the satisfaction of elderly cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nurses' work engagement is an important mechanism for their psychological capital to affect the satisfaction of elderly cancer patients. In addition, nurses' job resources positively moderate the relationship between their psychological capital and work engagement. The positive relationship between psychological capital and work engagement of nurses is stronger when they have abundant job resources.

Discussion

These findings suggest that healthcare organizations should take the psychological capital of medical staff as an important means to improve their competitive advantage. It can improve the quality of medical services to obtain good performance by effectively developing and managing the psychological capital of medical staff. In addition, healthcare organizations should recognize the importance of providing adequate job resources for medical staff.

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.

Development of well-being after moving to telework: A longitudinal latent class analysis

Introduction

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, teleworking suddenly became a reality for many individuals. Previous research shows that there are contradictory consequences of telework on well-being: while workers have the opportunity for self-directed work, intensified work behavior as well as longer hours being worked might occur at the same time. We expect that the effects of telework vary over time and may be able to explain these contradictions. Moreover, from the perspective of the job demands-resources model besides job resources, personal resources may be relevant. The aim of this study is to investigate how the mental well-being of workers unfolds over time after the onset of the pandemic and the role of telework in this process. Additionally we seek to identify the impact of available job resources and personal resources in this extraordinary situation.

Methods

Data were collected online from 642 participants in Germany beginning in March 2020, with 8 weekly followup surveys. Mental well-being was measured using the WHO-5 well-being index. For personal resources we looked at occupational self-efficacy; job resources were flexible working hours, job autonomy, and social support. Job demands were telework and work intensification. First we used a group-based trajectory analysis approach to identify different well-being trajectories. Second we applied multinomial regression analysis to identify T1 predictors of well-being trajectory group membership and their interactions.

Results

We found three groups of mental well-being trajectories: low, medium, and high. Their progress through the investigation period was rather stable: we observed only slight improvements of mental well-being for the high well-being group and a slight deterioration for the other two groups. Only the job demand work intensification and the personal resource occupational self-efficacy had a significant relationship to group assignment. Additionally we found interactions of telework with work intensification and occupational self-efficacy indicating a buffering mechanism of telework on the consequences of high work intensification; and low occupational self-efficacy.

Discussion

Telework appears to be a useful resource that buffered high work intensification and compensated for low personal resources during the pandemic. Since data were from self-reports of a convenience sample we can't assume generalization of our results nor absence of common-method bias.

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.

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.

Job demands and job resources for job satisfaction and quality health outcomes among nurses during COVID-19: A cross-sectional study in Indian health settings

BACKGROUND

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for the Indian health-care system. Nurses, being vital partners of health care, experience tremendous challenges and job stress to deliver quality health care with limited resources. Drastic surge in health-care demands during COVID-19 pandemic amplified the challenges for nurses, yet it remains a neglected area of concern. Job resources like working conditions, team support, and job demands like workload, stress, and ethical dilemmas greatly affect the job satisfaction and health outcomes in nurses. The study aims to identify the job demands and resources among nurses in connection to COVID 19.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A quantitative cross-sectional design was adopted to assess the impact of job demands and resources among registered nurses (N = 102). Those in the age group of 21-58 years and working in regular and COVID-19 patient care were included. Semi-structured interview schedule was used, and psychological impact was assessed through DASS-21 scale. Data analysis was done by descriptive and analytical statistical applications using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 20. The level of significance was P ≤ 0.05.

RESULTS

The study findings revealed that 66.67% of the nurses frequently experienced work pressure, 72.55%experienced frequent moral distress, and 80.4%were dissatisfied due to being non-participatory inpatient care decision making. Of all, 67.3% agreed that they hadjob dissatisfaction and 79.4% felt conflicting work climate.

CONCLUSION

Nurses, being key players in the health care, experience constant challenges in the delivery of safe and quality patient care. Addressing the challenges of job stress and promoting job resources can positively impact their job satisfaction, perceived autonomy, job morale, and commitment, which directly influence positive health outcomes.

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).

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.

Linear and non-linear relationships between job demands-resources and psychological and physical symptoms of service sector employees. 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 demands-resources, job crafting and work engagement of tobacco retailers

In recent years, the development of tobacco control actions in China and the changes in people's health concepts have slowed the development of the tobacco industry. As an important strategic partner of tobacco sales companies, tobacco retailers are the key link between tobacco commercial enterprises and consumers. How to improve the work engagement level of tobacco retailers is an urgent issue for tobacco business enterprises. On the basis of job demands-resources (JD-R) theory, the mechanisms of the effects of job resources and demands on tobacco retailers' work engagement were explored. Results showed that (1) The negative path of job demands influencing tobacco retailers' work engagement was supported, and job crafting played a mediating role in it. (2) The positive path of job resources influencing tobacco retailers' work engagement was supported, and job crafting played a mediating role in it. (3) Servant leadership moderated the influence of job resources and demands on job crafting. Higher level of servant leadership brings the stronger effect of job resources on job crafting and the weaker effect of job demands on job crafting. (4) The mediating effect of job crafting between JD-R and work engagement was moderated by servant leadership. The higher level of servant leadership strengthened the mediating role of job crafting between job demands and work engagement, whereas it weakened the mediating role of job crafting between job demands and work engagement. This study enriches the research on application fields and boundary conditions of JD-R theory and provides practical guidance for improving the work engagement level of tobacco retailers.

Job demands, resources, and task performance in Chinese social workers: Roles of burnout and work engagement

Social work is a rapidly developing occupation in China. In the early 2000s, there were merely a few hundred thousand social workers, but by 2020 there were over 1.5 million social workers in the field. However, research has indicated these social workers are also experiencing record high burnout and turnover rates. Thus, researchers have started to question the work engagement and task performance factors that could be contributing to these increasing rates. This study uses the Job Demands and Resources (JD-R) Theory to understand how 537 social workers from Guangzhou, China are impacted by burnout and how it influences work engagement and task performance. The results show JD-R directly affect task performance through burnout and work engagement via a dual process. First, job demands were associated with high burnout and low work engagement, which both were found to lead to low task performance. Second, job resources were related to low burnout rates and high work engagement, both of which were associated with high task performance. These findings call for healthcare interventions to reduce burnout and workplace policy changes to promote work engagement to support task performance in social workers in China. These factors can each have a crucial impact on the public health of both the affected social workers and the vulnerable clients these social workers serve.

Walking the Tightrope of Job Demands and Resources: Leveraging Work Engagement to Counter Turnover Intentions of Information Technology Professionals

Organisations within the banking industry are increasingly confronted with attraction and retention challenges within their Information Technology (IT) divisions, driven by an increase in demand for skilled resources within the market. Therefore, the primary objective of the study was to explore the impact of job resources and job demands on work engagement and employee turnover intentions within the IT division of a South African bank. The Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model was applied as theoretical framework to identify the unique job resources and job demands driving work engagement and turnover intentions of employees within this highly specialised section of the South African banking industry. Quantitative data was collected from 239 IT professionals via a self-administered, web-based survey measuring work engagement, job demands and resources, and turnover intentions. After confirmation of the factor structures of each of the variables, the direct and indirect relationships between the variables were analysed. The results indicate statistically significant relationships between job resources, work engagement and turnover intentions. Job demands moderated the relationship between job resources and work engagement, whilst work engagement mediated the relationship between job resources and turnover intention. By applying the JD-R model as a theoretical framework for the study, the unique job resources and job demands as drivers of work engagement and turnover intentions of IT employees could be highlighted to direct the development of focused work engagement and retention strategies.

Exploring job demands and resources in psychotherapists treating displaced people-A scoping review

Objective: Little is known about the occupational health of psychotherapists treating displaced people. Therefore, the literature was explored regarding job demands, job resources, as well as work- and health-related outcomes. The Job Demands-Job Resources model (JD-R model) according to Bakker and Demerouti served as theoretical framework. Method: This scoping review followed the methodological framework provided by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI). Six databases were searched for qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods studies. Results: Based on 15 included articles, the emotional impact of work, cultural or language barriers, and administrative obstacles were identified as major job demands. Important job resources were related to a politicized conceptualization of the professional identity. Health-related outcomes could mainly be ascribed to empathy-based strain, while work-related outcomes were associated with discrepancies between personal values and asylum regulations. Conclusion: Despite the emotional impact of work, psychotherapists seem to benefit from work engagement arising out of socio-political conviction and the ability to help suffering people. Practitioners need more environmental support like professional networks. Further research is required, as current findings are predominantly based on qualitative and cross-sectional studies.

Latin American Agricultural Workers' Job Demands and Resources and the Association With Health Behaviors at Work and Overall Health

In the present study, we describe the job demands and job resources (JD-R) experienced by agricultural workers in three Latin American countries and their relationship to proactive health behaviors at work and overall health. Following previous research on the JD-R model, we hypothesized that job demands (H1) would be negatively related to agricultural workers' self-reported overall health. On the other hand, we hypothesized that job resources (H2) would be positively related to agricultural workers' overall health. Furthermore, we hypothesized (H3) that workers' engagement in jobsite health promotion practices via their proactive health behaviors at work would partially mediate the relationship between workers' job resources and job demands and overall health. We also had a research question (R1) about whether there were differences by type of job held. The sample of workers who participated in this study (N = 1,861) worked in Mexico, Guatemala, and Nicaragua for one large agribusiness that produces sugar cane. They worked in two distinct areas: company administration and agricultural operations. We administered employee health and safety culture surveys using survey methods tailored to meet the needs of both types of workers. Stratified path analysis models were used to test study hypotheses. In general, we found support for hypotheses 1 and 2. For example, operations workers reported more physically demanding jobs and administrative workers reported more work-related stress. Regardless, the existence of high job demands was associated with poorer overall health amongst both types of workers. We found that workers in more health-supportive work environments perform more proactive health behaviors at work, regardless of their role within the organization. However, hypothesis 3 was not supported as proactive health behaviors at work was not associated with overall health. We discuss future research needs in terms of evaluating these hypotheses amongst workers employed by small- and medium-sized agribusinesses as well as those in the informal economy in Latin America. We also discuss important implications for agribusinesses seeking to develop health promotion programs that meet the needs of all workers.

Does context count? The association between quality of care and job characteristics in residential aged care and hospital settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Within residential aged care settings, reduced quality of care (QOC), abuse, and neglect have been global phenomena which require urgent intervention. As the reported rate of these problems is much higher in aged care compared to hospital settings, we investigated whether differing job design characteristics between the two settings might explain the difference.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We used a meta-analysis to compare differences in the relationships between high job demands, low job resources, and job strain with QOC and counter-productive work behaviors (CWBs) across aged care and hospital settings.

RESULTS

Data was extracted from 42 studies (n=55 effects). QOC was negatively correlated with high job demands (ρ̅ =-.22, 95% CI: -.29:-.15, k=7), low job resources (ρ̅ = -.40, 95% CI:-.47:-.32, k=15), and job strain (ρ̅ =-.32, 95% CI: -.38:.-.25, k=22), CWBs had a positive relationship with job demands (ρ̅ =.35, 95%CI: .10:.59, k=3) and job strain (ρ̅ =.34, 95% CI: .13:.56, k=6). The association between poor QOC and low job resources was stronger in aged care (r=-.46, 95% CI:-.55:-36, k=8) than in hospital settings (r= -.30, 95% CI:-.41:-.18, k=7).

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS

Our findings suggest that relationships between low job resources and poor quality of care are exacerbated in residential aged care contexts. To improve care outcomes, stakeholders should improve job resources such as skill discretion, supervisory supports, and increased training and staffing levels in residential aged care.

The Mediating Effects of Work Characteristics on the Relationship between Transformational Leadership and Employee Well-Being: A Meta-Analytic Investigation

Evidence points to an indirect relationship between transformational leadership (TFL) and employee well-being, and numerous work characteristics have been identified as mediators. However, the relative mediating effect of different types of job resources and job demands on the TFL-well-being relationship remains unclear, rendering it impossible to determine which ones are the most influential. This study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the relative mediation potential of different work characteristics in the TFL-well-being relationship in multiple three-level meta-analytical structural equation models of 243 samples. Based on the JD-R Model, this study extends this theoretical framework by suggesting TFL as a predisposing variable that influences both job resources and job demands, leading to changes in indicators of both positive and negative employee well-being. The results show that, while all the examined job resources and demands mediated the TFL-well-being relationship, organizational resources were identified as the strongest mediators. Furthermore, job demands had a strong mediating effect on the relationship between TFL and negative well-being, while job resources more strongly mediated TFL and positive well-being. We present a differentiated picture of how transformational leaders can influence their employees' well-being at the workplace, providing valuable knowledge for future research and practice.

To Change or Not to Change: A Study of Workplace Change during the COVID-19 Pandemic

After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, many employees were suddenly required to work more from home. Previous literature on working from home may not be applicable to this mandatory and overall change. In this study, we drew on the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model to explore the relationships between job demands (workload and work-home conflict) as well as resources (support from leaders, coworkers, and the family) and wellbeing (burnout and work engagement) in employees who still went to the workplace (no-change group) and employees who transitioned into working from home (change group) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were analyzed with multivariate structural equation modeling. The results indicate that work-home conflict was detrimental for employee wellbeing in both groups. Interestingly, the workload seems to contribute to work engagement for employees who worked from home. Regarding the resources, the three different sources of social support, leaders, coworkers, and family, were all related to employee wellbeing, but in different ways. It seemed that family support was most important for employees' wellbeing in the change group. This study presents implications for the wellbeing of employees in both the change and no-change group during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the importance of family-friendly policies.

Job Demands and Resources, Burnout, and Psychological Distress of Social Workers in China: Moderation Effects of Gender and Age

Social work is a fast-growing profession in China, with the workforce numbering approximately 1.2 million in 2018. Studies have shown, however, that social workers in China experience high burnout rates and significant psychological distress. Analyzing data collected from 897 social workers in Chengdu, China, we applied the job demands and resources (JD-R) theory to examine the effects of JD-R on burnout and psychological distress in social workers, as well as whether these relations are moderated by gender and age. Results supported a dual process by which JD-R affected both social workers' burnout and psychological distress through health impairment and motivation processes. Job demands (JD) were associated with high burnout and psychological distress. Meanwhile, job resources (JR) were associated with reduced burnout and psychological distress. Results indicated that JR had greater effects on burnout and distress than did JD. Women and younger professionals appeared to be affected most by JD and psychological distress. The findings support a need for interventions that buffer the effects of JD-R on burnout and psychological distress in social workers in China, focusing on women and younger professionals.

Work Engagement: A meta-Analysis Using the Job Demands-Resources Model

Although the construct of work engagement has been extensively explored, a systematic meta-analysis based on a consistent categorization of engagement antecedents, outcomes, and well-being correlates is still lacking. The results of prior research reporting 533 correlations from 113 independent samples (k = 94, n = 119,420) were coded using a meta-analytic approach. The effect size for development resources (r = .45) and personal resources (r = .48) was higher than for social resources (r = .36) and for job resources (r = .37). Among the outcomes and well-being correlates explored, the effect size was highest for job satisfaction (r = .60) and commitment (r = .63). Furthermore, moderation analysis showed that (a) concerning the occupational role, work engagement finds a low association with turnover intention among civil servants, volunteer workers, and educators; (b) collectivist cultural environments reported a greater association of feedback with engagement than individualistic environments; (c) the relationship between personal resources and engagement was stronger among workers with university degrees than workers with high school diplomas. Furthermore, the absorption dimension showed a lower effect with all variables under investigation than vigor and dedication.

Stress-Buffering and Health-Protective Effect of Job Autonomy, Good Working Climate, and Social Support at Work Among Health Care Workers in Switzerland

OBJECTIVE

The relationship between work stress, job resources, and health has not yet been investigated among health professionals in Switzerland.

METHODS

Cross-sectional survey data, collected among hospital employees in German-speaking Switzerland, have been used for this study. Established measures were used to assess work stress as the main predictor and self-rated health and work-related burnout as the outcome variables. Validated measures for job autonomy, work climate, and social support at work were used as intervening variables.

RESULTS

The studied job resources were all found to be quite strongly and negatively associated with the two health outcomes but only partly explained and reduced the extraordinary strong positive association and clear dose-response relationship between work stress and poor self-rated health or burnout.

CONCLUSION

Job resources like these cannot completely prevent health professionals from negative health-related consequences of work stress.

Occupational Well-Being in Beginning Early Childhood Educators of Hong Kong and the Prediction of Job-Related Factors: Variable-Centered and Person-Centered Approaches

The occupational well-being (OWB) of early childhood educators (ECEs) play a crucial role in their job performance, the development of a child, and the operation of early childhood education sectors. OWB of ECEs has been an increasing concern in recent years and this concern might be particularly salient for beginning ECEs given the multiple adaptive changes and challenges they encounter during the transition from training to teaching. However, research on the beginning ECEs' OWB has been scarce. In this study, we employed both variable-centered and person-centered approaches to explore OWB and examined job demands and resources as predictors in 117 Hong Kong beginning ECEs (113 females, M age = 21.71 years). They first reported job demands (i.e., class size, working hours, dealing with children with special education needs) and job resources (i.e., salary and job support) at the end of the first month of the fall semester upon working as in-service teachers. They then reported on four OWB variables (i.e., job satisfaction, work engagement, job stress, and job burnout) at the beginning of the spring semester. Results of the variable-centered analysis revealed that beginning ECEs reported medium or above-medium levels on the positive OWB indicators and medium or below-medium levels on the negative OWB indicators. Regression analysis found that despite some exceptions, job demands and job resources negatively (positively) and positively (negatively) predicted positive (negative) OWB indicators, respectively. Results of person-centered analysis suggested that the complex pattern of different OWB indicators could be categorized into two OWB profiles (medium well-being vs. relatively weak well-being - emotional exhaustion). Results of regression analysis showed that beginning ECEs with higher job demands were less likely, whereas those with more job resources were more likely, to be assigned to the medium well-being profile. These results inform which leverage points could be targeted to enhance a specific OWB indicator and identify who would be in dire need to enhance their OWB at the very beginning of their teaching career.

Work Intensification and Psychological Detachment: The Mediating Role of Job Resources in Health Service Workers

Psychological detachment is the central experience of recovery from work-related stress that allows individuals to reduce burnout symptoms. The stressor-detachment model (SDM) contends that job resources moderate the relationship between job stressors and psychological detachment. We designed an instrument to measure job resources from a multidimensional perspective. A sample of n = 394 individuals from the health service industry participated in the study. Data indicate that job resources comprise a four-factor structure underlying a formative model. Consistent with the SDM, a partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis suggests a moderating effect of job resources (e.g., control over working conditions, leaders' emotional support), between work intensification and psychological detachment. In addition; results indicate that workers who perceive high levels of support from their organization achieved higher levels of detachment compared with those who perceived low levels of support. Theoretical as well as practical implications for stress management practices, occupational health, and well-being are discussed.

The relative importance of work-related psychosocial factors in physician burnout

Background

Identifying the most significant risk factors for physician burnout can help to define the priority areas for burnout prevention. However, not much is known about the relative importance of these risk factors.

Aims

This study was aimed to examine the relative importance of multiple work-related psychosocial factors in predicting burnout dimensions among physicians.

Methods

In a cross-sectional sample of 2423 Finnish physicians, dominance analysis was used to estimate the proportionate contribution of psychosocial factors to emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment. The psychosocial factors included job demands (time pressure, patient-related stress, lack of support, stress related to information systems, work–family conflict) and job resources (job control, team climate, organizational justice).

Results

Together, psychosocial factors explained 50% of the variance in emotional exhaustion, 24% in depersonalization and 11% in reduced professional efficacy. Time pressure was the most important predictor of emotional exhaustion (change in total variance explained ΔR² = 45%), and patient-related stress was the most important predictor of both depersonalization (ΔR² = 52%) and reduced professional accomplishment (ΔR² = 23%). Stress related to information systems was the least important predictor of the burnout dimensions (ΔR² = 1–2%).

Conclusions

Psychosocial factors in physicians’ work are differently associated with the dimensions of burnout. Among the factors, the most significant correlates of burnout are job demands in the form of time pressure and patient-related stress.

Perceptions of Customer Incivility, Job Satisfaction, Supervisor Support, and Participative Climate: A Multi-Level Approach

Perceived customer incivility can be a significant day-to-day demand that affects frontline service employees’ job satisfaction. The current research focuses on job resources on multiple levels that serve as buffers in the face of this demand. We tested a multi-level model in which supervisor support (at the employee level) and participative climate (at the work-unit level) moderate the negative relationship between perceived customer incivility and job satisfaction. We used multi-level analysis with self-reported cross-sectional data collected from 934 employees nested in 107 work units of a large clothing shop chain in Belgium. The results showed that both supervisor support and participative climate moderate the negative relationship between perceived customer incivility and job satisfaction. The theoretical contribution of this study resides in an extension of the JD-R theory to simultaneously conceptualize resources on multiple levels. In the meantime, we focus on practical, hands-on resources that organizations can implement to protect service employees from the adverse effects of perceived customer incivility.

Leadership and Job Demands-Resources Theory: A Systematic Review

The purpose of this article is to provide a systematic review of leadership and Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) theory. We have analyzed 139 studies that study the relationship between leadership and Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) theory. Based on our analysis, we highlight ways forward. First, research designs can be improved by eliminating endogeneity problems. Regarding leadership concepts, proper measurements should be used. Furthermore, we point toward new theory building by highlighting three main ways in which leadership may affect employees, namely by: (1) directly influencing job demands and resources, (2) influencing the impact of job demands and resources on well-being; and (3) influencing job crafting and self-undermining. We hope this review helps researchers and practitioners analyze how leadership and JD-R theory can be connected, ultimately leading to improved employee well-being and organizational performance.

Feedback-Seeking Behavior in Organizations: A Meta-Analysis and Systematical Review of Longitudinal Studies

Based on the Job Demands-Resources theory, this meta-analysis investigates the role of resources in predicting feedback-seeking behavior (FSB) over time. We also examine the relationship between FSB and its outcomes from a systematic review perspective. The eligibility criteria were: (a) to measure feedback-seeking behavior, (b) to have a longitudinal design, and (c) to have employees as target groups. Thirteen studies met these criteria (Ntotal= 1,527). We combined the meta-analysis procedures and structural equation modeling (metaSEM) and used the systematic review. The methodological quality of the available longitudinal studies is assessed. Our findings indicated that job resources predict future feedback-seeking behavior and between feedback-seeking behavior and personal resources is significant relationship. More research is needed to clarify the reciprocal relationships between personal resources and feedback-seeking behavior and the influences of feedback-seeking behavior on performance.

In the Eye of the Beholder: Challenge and Hindrance Appraisals of Work Characteristics and Their Implications for Employee's Well-Being

Previous research on the association between job characteristics and employee well-being has returned mixed results. In particular, the possible impact of individual appraisal of these job characteristics has not been well-acknowledged. To address this limitation, we drew on appraisal theory and examined: (a) how workers appraise particular job characteristics, and (b) how these appraisals affect the relationships between these job characteristics and well-being (i.e., work engagement and burnout). We tested our hypotheses across two studies. In a cross-occupation sample (Study 1, n = 514), we found that job demands and resources can be appraised as both challenges and hindrances. In addition, challenge appraisals can mitigate the detrimental impact of job demands on engagement and burnout; and hindrance appraisals can strengthen the detrimental effects of job demands on burnout. Further, hindrance appraisals of job resources reduce their beneficial effects on engagement and burnout. Study 2 (n = 316 nurses in a hospital) further showed that challenge appraisals of job demands can reduce their impact on burnout while challenge appraisals of job resources will strengthen their positive effect on employee engagement and burnout. We discuss study implications as well as future research directions.

Coping Through COVID-19: A Mixed Method Approach to Understand How Palliative Care Teams Managed the COVID-19 Pandemic

OBJECTIVE

While previous work documented a substantial increase in patient mortality consultations and workload for palliative teams, little is known about how these team members managed their mental and physical health during the COVID-19 pandemic. We investigated how job resources (coworker and supervisor support) and personal resources (coping strategies) reduced perceptions of burnout and increased perceptions of well-being.

METHOD

An anonymous electronic survey was sent to all members (N = 64) of the palliative medical team among 14 hospitals of a New York State health system. Data were collected between September 2020 to October 2020. Measures included validated scales for burnout (Oldenburg Burnout Inventory), coping strategies (Cybernetic Coping Scale), subjective well-being (BBC Subjective Well-being scale), and coworker/supervisor support (7 items from Yang et al).

RESULTS

Results indicated devaluation coping tactics were used to reduce perceptions of burnout and to increase perceptions of physical health. Higher burnout was identified when using avoidance coping techniques. Furthermore, coworkers and supervisor(s) support significantly reduced disengagement when compared to coworker support alone.

CONCLUSION

COVID-19 exacerbated burnout experienced by palliative care teams, yet the use of coping behaviors (devaluation/avoidance) and external resources (coworker and supervisor support) utilized by these teams were found to have positive effects. Further research should investigate these antagonizing factors to help preventing and addressing burn out during times of crises and in the everyday of palliative care teams.

An Instrument to Operationalize the Balance between Risks and Resources and Predict Job Burnout

The goal of the present paper was to develop a valid and reliable instrument to operationalize the balance between job demands and resources in order to predict job burnout. After generating the items, we first conducted a cross-sectional study (Study 1) based on 656 participants, which provided preliminary evidence for the validity of the balance. We then conducted a longitudinal study (Study 2) based on 882 participants to improve and validate the final version of the balance. In study 1, the (im)balance between risks and resources explained a high percentage of variance in job burnout (44%) and a significant percentage in job turnover intention (27%) as well as subjective health (12%). In study 2, results indicated that a change in the balance produced significant change in job burnout scores over time. In addition, balance scores positively predicted positive outcomes (i.e., overall job satisfaction and subjective health) and negatively predicted negative outcomes (i.e., job turnover intention, counterproductive behaviors at work, depression, alcohol use, sleep disorders and somatic complaints). Findings support the usefulness of the Balance for clinicians, companies and researchers interested in assessing job demands and resources.

Early Childhood Special Education Teachers' Job Burnout and Psychological Stress

RESEARCH FINDINGS

All teachers have demanding jobs and work with limited resources. However, working with young children with disabilities may place additional demands on early childhood special education (ECSE) teachers which may impact their well-being. Using the Job Demands and Resources model, the present study aimed to predict ECSE teachers' job burnout and psychological stress by using their job demands, job resources, and professional internal resources. An online survey was collected from 121 ECSE teachers from a large urban school district in a Western state of the United States. The results showed that job demands (work-related stressors) were positively associated with teachers' job burnout and psychological stress. Job resources (sense of school community) were negatively associated with their job burnout and psychological stress. Teachers' job commitment was negatively associated with job burnout. Though their other internal resources (beliefs about developmentally appropriate practices and teaching-efficacy) were not related to their job burnout and psychological stress, their beliefs about social emotional learning were positively related to job burnout.

PRACTICE OR POLICY

These findings offer implications for research and practice regarding the importance of improving ECSE teachers' well-being and working conditions.

How Is Work Ability Shaped in Groups of Shift and Non-Shift Workers? A Comprehensive Approach to Job Resources and Mediation Role of Emotions at Work

There is much less research on the relationship between shift work and positive states experienced in the workplace, e.g., emotions and work ability. Using the job demands-resources model, conservation of resources theory and the broaden-and-build theory as theoretical frameworks, the direct and indirect (mediated via positive and negative emotions) relations between the complex of job resources and work ability were tested in the group of shift and non-shift workers. Three types of resources related to task, leadership and interpersonal relations were taken into account. Data were collected among 1510 workers. Structural equation modelling (SEM) showed that only leadership was directly related to high work ability in both occupational groups. Indirect effects of positive and negative emotions were strongly supported. Both of them mediate the effects of the three analysed job resources on work ability, but individual job resources impacted were different. Leadership resources led to "good" work ability by the intensification of positive and reduction of negative emotions. Interpersonal resources decrease negative emotions. Task resources, conversely, intensified positive emotions, which in turn increased work ability. These research results shed more light on the ways of shaping work ability among shift and non-shift workers.