How does social support affect public service motivation of healthcare workers in China: the mediating effect of job stress

Background This study aimed to examine relations between social support, job stress, and public service motivation (PSM), also assessed how social support and job stress affect PSM in China based on the job demands-resources (JD-R) theory. Methods The survey investigated a sample of 973 healthcare workers employed in public hospitals in Beijing, Xiamen, and Guangzhou in 2017 (including doctors, nurses, medical technicians, and administrators). Correlation analysis and Structural equation modeling (SEM) were used. Results Challenge stress and hindrance stress were directly negatively associated with PSM. Supervisor support was significantly positively associated with PSM, and the path from coworker support to PSM was significant. Supervisor support was significantly negatively associated with hindrance stress, and coworker support was significantly negatively associated with challenge stress. Hindrance stress and challenge stress significantly mediated the relations between supervisor support and PSM, and between coworker support and PSM respectively. PSM might be raised by increasing supervisor support and coworker support and by limiting hindrance stress and challenge stress. Conclusion Our study suggests that administrators of public hospitals should be mindful of the intense job stress of healthcare workers and undertake interventions targeting challenge stress and hindrance stress. Also, public hospital administrators should encourage and assist supervisors in their leadership functions. Besides, administrators of public hospitals should emphasize coworker support and good employee relationships.

(How) Will I Socialize You? The Impact of Supervisor Initial Evaluations and Subsequent Support on the Socialization of Temporary Newcomers

This study proposes and tests a new theoretical model explaining whether, and how, supervisors socialize “temporary newcomers,” defined as new organizational members who join an organization on a temporary basis, with a potential, but uncertain, opportunity of receiving a long-term job offer in the future. We suggest that under specific conditions, supervisors first evaluate temporary newcomers’ proactivity based on whether they positively stand out by proposing new feasible ideas and by promoting their achievements. On the basis of these initial evaluations, supervisors then decide whether to increase their support of newcomers’ creativity (using an investiture approach) or to intensify newcomers’ socialization by attempting to change their behavior (using a divestiture approach). When supervisors adopt an investiture approach, it positively influences temporary newcomers’ socialization adjustment outcomes, as indicated by increased newcomer job satisfaction, social integration, task performance, organizational and task socialization, challenge stress, and reduced hindrance stress. When supervisors instead adopt a divestiture approach, it has an opposite (thus negative) effect on the same socialization outcomes. We tested our theoretical model using a mix-method design, based on a three-wave longitudinal sample of 325 newcomer–supervisor dyads spanning a wide range of companies and industries, complemented with interviews of 41 supervisors.

Appraisals matter: relationships between entrepreneurs' stress appraisals and venture-based outcomes

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate how stress appraisals (i.e. cognitive evaluations) influence entrepreneurial outcomes like expected financial well-being, life satisfaction, business growth and exit intentions.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a mixed-methods approach to provide methodological triangulation by analyzing data from two independent samples (qualitative data from 100 entrepreneurs in Study 1; quantitative regression analysis of a sample of 142 entrepreneurs in Study 2).FindingsResults from the qualitative exploration (Study 1) show that entrepreneurs appraised venture-related stressors differently as a challenge, threat or hindrance. The quantitative study (Study 2) found that challenge stress appraisals were positively related to expected financial well-being and expected life satisfaction, threat stress appraisals were negatively related to expected financial well-being and positively related to business exit intentions, and hindrance stress appraisals were positively related to expected business growth and negatively related to business exit intentions.Originality/valueMost entrepreneurship research focuses on stressors rather than appraisals of the stressor. Drawing upon the transactional theory of stress that explains how stress appraisals are an important consideration for understanding the stress process, these two studies showed that stress appraisals differ for each entrepreneur (Study 1) and that stress appraisals explain more variance in many entrepreneurial outcomes than stressors (Study 2).

Nurses’ Occupational Stress and Presenteeism: The Mediating Role of Public Service Motivation and the Moderating Role of Health

Presenteeism not only poses an economic cost to organizations but also generates reduced work efficiency and quality. The purpose of this study was to examine the connections between occupational stress, public service motivation (PSM), health, and presenteeism. A total of 981 nurses from 109 public hospitals in Jilin Province in China were enrolled in our study. Model 5 in the PROCESS micro was employed in order to verify the mediating effect of PSM and the moderating effect of nurses’ health on the relationship between occupational stress and presenteeism, and simple slope analysis was used to further determine the moderating effect. Both challenge stress and hindrance stress had a positive impact on presenteeism among nurses. PSM is a mediating variable between occupational stress and presenteeism. Health moderates the path between challenge stress and presenteeism, with the association being significant for nurses with low levels of health. Future policy making should focus on preventing presenteeism by reducing excessive stress, enhancing PSM, and improving nurse health and wellness.

Relationships among perceived learning, challenge and affect in a clinical context

Background Challenge, sometimes perceived as stress, may be beneficial or detrimental to learning but the circumstances when it may be beneficial are not clear. This study looks at the association of challenge with perceived learning and how this might be influenced by affect, context or the type of learning. Method The participants, medical students in their first years of experiential clinical exposure, rated specified learning episodes (LEs) on the perceived learning (low to high), challenge (low to high) and affect (feeling positive to negative). Such learning episodes were self-identified or identified by course organisers. Correlations, using Kendall’s tau-b test, were conducted to explore the associations among learning, challenge and affect. In the second stage the types of LEs were then thematically classified in order to determine those that were positive for learning and challenging and/or associated with positive affect. Result There were positive correlations between perceived learning and challenge, and between perceived learning and affect for both types of LEs. The circumstances in which challenge (stress) promoted learning were authentic environments, authentic tasks and simulated clinical activities; most requiring a degree of social interaction. Conclusion Challenge and positive affect are beneficial in the perception of discrete learning, but are two separate constructs. Ideally both challenge and affect need to operate alongside authentic supportive clinical activities, that by their nature involve others, to maximise perceived learning.

Linking Challenge Stress, Negative Affect, and Work Engagement: The Moderating Effect of Self-Compassion

Dealing with challenging stressors is unquestionably the cornerstone of work life. On the other hand, challenge stress alters employees' work engagement and makes them feel unsure of their ability to develop careers and perform well. In this study, we tested the mediating effects of negative affect on the negative relationship between challenge stress and work engagement. This relationship was moderated directly by self-compassion. Data from 137 employed professionals enrolled in the Executive MBA in one of the largest Chinese universities were used to test these relationships. Data analysis results show that challenge stress has a significant negative effect on work engagement while negative affect mediated this relationship. The relationship between challenge stressors, negative affect, and work engagement was directly and indirectly moderated by self-compassion. We finished by discussing the theoretical and practical implications.

How Does Social Support Affect Public Service Motivation of Healthcare Workers: the Mediating Effect of Job Stress

Background: This study examined relations between social support, job stress, and public service motivation, also assessed how social support and job stress affect public service motivation based on the job demands-resources (JD-R) theory. Methods: The survey investigated a sample of 973 healthcare workers employed in public hospitals in Beijing, Xiamen, and Guangzhou in 2017. Through random sampling according to employee number, age and job title, we selected 5% to 10% of healthcare workers in each target hospital. Finally, we got 973 valid participants, and the response rate was 93.8%. We used correlation analysis, structural equation modeling, Sobel test, and subgroup analysis to test by investigating a sample of 973 healthcare workers from 3 Chinese public hospitals. Results: Challenge stress and hindrance stress were directly inversely associated with public service motivation. Supervisor support was significantly positively associated with public service motivation, and the path from coworker support to public service motivation was significant. Supervisor support was significantly negatively associated with hindrance stress, and coworker support was significantly inversely associated with challenge stress. Hindrance stress and challenge stress significantly mediated the relations between supervisor support and public service motivation, and between coworker support and public service motivation respectively. Conclusions: Public service motivation might be raised by increasing supervisor support and coworker support and by limiting hindrance stress and challenge stress among healthcare workers in China.

Influence of job stress on job satisfaction among younger bank employees in China

Purpose This study aims to examine distinct influences of two dimension job stress on job satisfaction and the moderating effects of guanxi-oriented attitude on the relationship between job stress and job satisfaction under cognitive appraisal theory and transactional theory. Design/methodology/approach In this study, surveys are conducted among state-owned younger bank employees. The author uses the scale of job challenge stress and hindrance stress developed among Chinese younger bank employees to measure the two dimension job stress. After demonstrating guanxi-relative concepts, the moderating effects of guanxi-oriented attitude are examined in this study. Findings The results demonstrate that guanxi-oriented attitude does not significantly moderate the influence of challenge stress on job satisfaction, while it significantly moderates the noxious influence of hindrance stress on job satisfaction. Theoretical contributions are also discussed. Originality/value First, this study suggests specific procedures to conduct hierarchical regression analysis and confirms the effects by parameters. It also proposes and summarizes specific procedures on how to calculate regression equations and draw regression lines to check the interaction received from the hierarchical regression analysis visually. Second, based on cognitive appraisal theory, guanxi-oriented attitude, a Chinese indigenous cognitive concept, was verified in this study. According to the importance of guanxi in Chinese society, the paper shows that employees who value guanxi more will buffer the noxious effects of job stress. Trainings and counseling should be designed to regulate the normal guanxi-oriented-related cognition.

Coping with Work Stressors and Paving the Way for Flow: Challenge and Hindrance Demands, Humor, and Cynicism

Although the concept of flow at work is increasingly receiving scholarly attention, knowledge about the interaction between challenge and hindrance stress demands in the context of flow is still lacking. Moreover, little is known about the stress-relieving capacity of coping mechanisms in connection to work-related flow. The aim of our study is to investigate whether and how challenge stress demands are related to work-related flow, and whether this relationship is moderated by a three-way interaction between challenge stress demands × hindrance stress demands × use of humor/cynicism. For this study we use survey data from 265 employees of a financial service organization in the Netherlands. Results clearly indicate a positive linear association between challenge demands and work-related flow and a negative association between hindrance demands and flow. Support is found for an interaction effect between challenge and hindrance stress demands, showing that hindrance demands weaken the positive association between challenge demands and work-related flow. Finally, cynicism is found to alter this relationship between work stress demands and work-related flow, increasing the negative effect of hindrance demands and confirming the expected three-way interaction. Results from this study have implications for the theory on work-related flow and advance the challenge-hindrance stressors framework. Insights from this study suggest that managers who wish to foster work-related flow should be alert to the use of cynicism among employees and address organizational issues that cultivate the negative attitude underlying this.