Unsustainable Working Conditions: The Association of Destructive Leadership, Use of Technology, and Workload with Workaholism and Exhaustion

Job demands typical of the current working environments and negative leadership styles may be considered unsustainable factors able to decrease workers well-being. Moreover, contrary to the idea that workaholism is an innate individual characteristic, a recent perspective considers the working context able to foster its insurgence. In order to investigate unsustainable dynamics within organizations, this study aimed at examining whether (1) destructive leadership increases workload and supplemental work supported by technology, (2) the three job demands increases workaholism, and (3) workaholism mediates their relationship with exhaustion. A convenience sample of 432 workers filled in a self-report questionnaire. The structural equation model results showed a positive relationship between destructive leadership and workload, off-work hour Technology-Assisted Job Demand (off-TAJD), and workaholism. Moreover, both workload and off-TAJD partially mediated the relationship between destructive leadership and workaholism. Finally, workaholism was a mediator between the three demands and exhaustion. The study confirmed a positive association between job demands and workaholism, and, in turn, their association with exhaustion, highlighting in particular the role of two under-investigated determinants, namely destructive leadership and off-TAJD, as unsustainable working conditions. Despite limitations, above all the cross-sectional design, this study provided useful indications for research and practice.

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Organisational Climate, Role Stress, and Public Employees’ Job Satisfaction

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16101792 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (10) ◽

pp. 1792 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Vicente Pecino ◽

Miguel A. Mañas ◽

Pedro A. Díaz-Fúnez ◽

José M. Aguilar-Parra ◽

David Padilla-Góngora ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Job Satisfaction ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Job Demands ◽

Well Being ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Role Stress ◽

Equation Model ◽

Public Employees ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Organisational Climate

The Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model is an integrative theoretical framework for monitoring workplaces with the aim to increase job engagement and prevent burnout. This framework is of great interest since the management of job resources and demands can negatively affect employees, especially in organisational contexts characterised by high job demands. This study uses the job demands-resources model to investigate the relationships between organisational climate, role stress, and employee well-being (burnout and job satisfaction) in public organisations. This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study. The research participants are 442 public employees. A structural equation model was developed (organisational climate, job satisfaction, burnout, role stress). These confirm that organisational climate is correlated with role stress (−0.594), job satisfaction (0.746), and burnout (−0.408), while role stress is correlated with burnout (0.953) and job satisfaction (−0.685). Finally, there is a correlation between burnout and job satisfaction that is negative and significant (−0.664). The study confirms that a positive organisational climate could lead to less stressed and burned-out workers and, at the same time, to more satisfied employees with improved well-being.

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Engaging leadership in the job demands-resources model

Career Development International ◽

10.1108/cdi-02-2015-0025 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 20 (5) ◽

pp. 446-463 ◽

Cited By ~ 80

Author(s):

Wilmar B. Schaufeli

Keyword(s):

Structural Equation ◽

Work Performance ◽

Online Survey ◽

Job Demands ◽

Well Being ◽

Organizational Outcomes ◽

Job Resources ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Content Type

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to integrate leadership into the job demands-resources (JD-R) model. Based on self-determination theory, it was argued that engaging leaders who inspire, strengthen, and connect their followers would reduce employee’s levels of burnout and increase their levels of work engagement. Design/methodology/approach – An online survey was conducted among a representative sample of the Dutch workforce (n=1,213) and the research model was tested using structural equation modeling. Findings – It appeared that leadership only had an indirect effect on burnout and engagement – via job demands and job resources – but not a direct effect. Moreover, leadership also had a direct relationship with organizational outcomes such as employability, performance, and commitment. Research limitations/implications – The study used a cross-sectional design and all variables were based on self-reports. Hence, results should be replicated in a longitudinal study and using more objective measures (e.g. for work performance). Practical implications – Since engaged leaders, who inspire, strengthen, and connect their followers, provide a work context in which employees thrive, organizations are well advised to promote engaging leadership. Social implications – Leadership seems to be a crucial factor which has an indirect impact – via job demands and job resources – on employee well-being. Originality/value – The study demonstrates that engaging leadership can be integrated into the JD-R framework.

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Love Hurts: The Influence of Social Relations on Exercise Self-Efficacy for Older Adults with Osteoarthritis

Journal of Aging and Physical Activity ◽

10.1123/japa.16.4.465 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 16 (4) ◽

pp. 465-483 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Kelly A. Cotter ◽

Aurora M. Sherman

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Older Adults ◽

Social Relations ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Physical Activity Behavior ◽

Well Being ◽

Equation Model ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Social Strain

Exercise self-efficacy is a powerful predictor of physical activity behavior, which enhances health and well-being for older adults. Social relations have been proposed as influential precursors for exercise self-efficacy. In a longitudinal study of 160 older adults with osteoarthritis (76.9% women), the authors found that social support (but not social strain) significantly predicted exercise self-efficacy in a structural equation model examining cross-sectional data: χ2(178, N = 160) = 264.57, p < .01; RMSEA = .06; CFI = .92; TLI = .90. When data were examined longitudinally, however, social strain (but not social support) significantly predicted lower exercise self-efficacy 1 year later: χ2(233, N = 160) = 288.64, p < .01; RMSEA = .04; CFI = .96; TLI = .95. Results support the negativity effect, suggesting that social strain might be the more potent aspect of social relations and should be the target of interventions.

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Far Away, So Close? The Role of Destructive Leadership in the Job Demands–Resources and Recovery Model in Emergency Telework

Social Sciences ◽

10.3390/socsci9110196 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (11) ◽

pp. 196 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Valentina Dolce ◽

Emilie Vayre ◽

Monica Molino ◽

Chiara Ghislieri

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Job Demands ◽

Self Report ◽

Destructive Leadership ◽

Recovery Model ◽

Cognitive Demands ◽

Remote Workers ◽

The Relationship

During the Covid-19 pandemic, people started teleworking intensively, which has led to some benefits in terms of economic continuity, but also some complaints. International teams of scholars have pointed out the new work-related challenges, underlining leaders’ role in successfully managing them. This study aimed at investigating the role of destructive leadership in the job demands–resources and recovery model during the Covid-19 pandemic. In detail, this study intended to assess (1) whether destructive leadership is positively associated with off-work-hours technology-assisted job demand (off-TAJD) and cognitive demands, as well as whether it decreases autonomy, (2) whether two demands—off-TAJD and cognitive demands—and two resources—social support and autonomy—are respectively negatively and positively related to recovery, and (3) whether recovery mediates the relationship between demands, resources, and exhaustion. A total of 716 French remote workers (61% were women) took part in this study. Data were collected using a self-report questionnaire. A multi-group structural equation model was used to test the hypotheses. The findings confirmed a significant association between destructive leadership, the two job demands, and autonomy; furthermore, all three variables mediated the relationship between destructive leadership and recovery. The findings showed the key role played by recovery as a mediator between, on one hand, off-TAJD, cognitive demands, autonomy, and social support, and, on the other hand, exhaustion. This study highlighted the role of destructive leadership, job resources, job demands, and recovery as determinants of exhaustion, illustrating their relationships in a sample of remote workers. Practical implications are discussed.

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Self-perceived Workplace Discrimination And Mental Health Among Immigrant Workers In Italy: A Cross-sectional Study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-17930/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Anteo Di Napoli ◽

Alessandra Rossi ◽

Francesca Baralla ◽

Martna Ventura ◽

Rosaria Gatta ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Life Satisfaction ◽

Health Status ◽

Physical Health ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Well Being ◽

Equation Model ◽

Mental Health Status ◽

Workplace Discrimination ◽

Cross Sectional

Abstract Background: Immigration process is associated with poor mental and physical health. The workplace represents an important context of social integration, and previous studies, that evaluated the effect of discrimination experienced at workplace, found worse mental health status among immigrants. The aim of this study investigated the association between self-perceived workplace discrimination and other personal experiences, like self-perceived loneliness, level of life satisfaction, and physical health and mental well-being among immigrants in Italy.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 12,408 immigrants (aged 15-64) living and working in Italy. Data derived from the first national survey on immigrants carried out by the Italian National Institute of Statistics (Istat). Mental health status was measured through the mental component summary (MCS) of the SF-12 questionnaire. A linear multivariate regression was carried out to evaluate the association between mental health status, self-perceived workplace discrimination, and sociodemographic factors; a structural equation model was used to test hypothesized relationships shown in a conceptual path analysis model.Results: Worse mental health status was independently (p<0.001) associated with self-perceived workplace discrimination (β:-1.873), self-perceived loneliness (β:-3.021), level of life satisfaction (β:-2.775), and physical health status (β:-0.088). As confirmed by structural equation model, the self-perceived workplace discrimination effect on MCS was mediated by the other factors considered: self-perceived loneliness (13.6%), level of life satisfaction (13.6%), and physical health status (3.9%).Conclusions: Our study suggest that self-perceived workplace discrimination is associated with worse mental health status in immigrant workers. These results support the hypothesis that self-perceived workplace discrimination may affect mental health status through personal experiences in the workplace and explain the effect of the exposure to workplace discrimination on immigrants’ psychological well-being. Our findings suggest that an overall public health response to facilitate the social integration of immigrants and their access to health services, in particular those dedicated to addressing mental health issues.

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Motivational Climate and Physical Activity: A Multigroup Analysis in Romanian and Spanish University Students

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16112013 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (11) ◽

pp. 2013 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Félix Zurita-Ortega ◽

Georgian Badicu ◽

Ramón Chacón-Cuberos ◽

Manuel Castro-Sánchez

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

University Students ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Well Being ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Motivational Climate ◽

Equation Model ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Task Oriented ◽

Family Functionality

Background: Motivational climate in sport is a psychosocial construct which is related with several factors, such as healthy habits and well-being, and is influenced by teachers, trainers, and parents. The aim of this study was to assess the relationships between motivational climate, family functionality, and physical activity within a population of students from Spain and Romania. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of university students specialization: physical education (n = 605; 20.71 ± 2.42 years old), using the perceived motivational climate in sport questionnaire-2 (PMCSQ-2), the physical activity questionnaire for adolescents (PAQ-A), and the family functionality scale (APGAR) as the main instruments. IBM SPSS Amos was used for data analysis in the structural equation model that was developed. Results: We observed positive relationships between task-oriented climate, family functionality, and the level of physical activity, showing higher regression weights for Spanish university students. Ego-oriented climate was negatively related to family functionality in Spanish university students, while this association was positive in Romanian students. Moreover, the relationship between physical activity and functional family was stronger in respondents from Spain. Conclusions: It can be pointed out that a better family functionality can promote higher levels of physical activity and self-determined motivations in sports shown by task-oriented motivational climates. Thus, it is essential to take into account the influence of family in the promotion of healthy lifestyles.

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How workplace bullying affects nurses’ well-being? The roles of burnout and passive avoidant leadership

International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare ◽

10.1108/ijhrh-05-2021-0113 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Talat Islam ◽

Muhammad Ali ◽

Saqib Jamil ◽

Hafiz Fawad Ali

Keyword(s):

Structural Equation ◽

Workplace Bullying ◽

Positive Association ◽

Well Being ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Content Type ◽

Passive Avoidant

Purpose This study aims to investigate individual-related consequences of workplace bullying among the health-care section. Specifically, this study examined the mediating role of burnout between workplace bullying and nurses’ well-being. Moreover, passive avoidant leadership is examined as a conditional variable between workplace bullying and burnout. Design/methodology/approach This study collected data from 314 nurses working in various hospitals through a questionnaire-based survey using Google Form in two waves. Findings Structural equation modeling confirmed the negative effect of workplace bullying on nurses’ well-being, whereas burnout mediates this relationship. In addition, passive avoidant leadership was identified as a conditional variable that strengthens the positive association between workplace bullying and burnout. Research limitations/implications Although data for the study were collected in two waves, still cross-sectional design limits causality. Practical implications This study suggests management to focus on developing and implementing counter-bullying rules to avoid the adverse consequences of workplace bullying (e.g. capital loss, recruitment costs, burnout, well-being, etc.). In addition, leaders/supervisors must be trained to fulfill their responsibilities to reduce negative consequences. Originality/value Studies on workplace bullying in high-power distance cultures are scant. Therefore, drawing upon conservation of resource theory, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that has investigated the moderating role of passive avoidant leadership on the association between workplace bullying and burnout.

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Examining supervisor undermining through the job-demands resources framework

Health Services Management Research ◽

10.1177/09514848211048608 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 095148482110486

Author(s):

Marilyn V Whitman ◽

Russell A Matthews ◽

Eric S Williams

Keyword(s):

Employee Engagement ◽

Online Survey ◽

Job Demands ◽

Occupational Therapists ◽

Healthcare Setting ◽

Well Being ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Convenience Sample

Introduction Supervisor undermining has recently gained increasing attention due to its negative effects on employee health and well-being. In the healthcare context, negative supervisor behaviors have been linked to unfavorable individual and organizational outcomes as well as medical errors and patient mortality. Our study, therefore, examines the influence that supervisor undermining behavior has on employee engagement and performance within a standard job stress framework. Methods Our sample consisted of occupational therapists, a health professions group who is growing in demand and importance in the U.S. and has unique job demands. Using an observational, cross-sectional study design, a convenience sample of 521 occupational therapists completed an online survey. A series of independent t-test and multiple-groups path analytic modeling was used. Results Participants who had a supervisor perceived as engaging in undermining behaviors reported lower levels of resources, higher levels of demands, less motivation, and more overload than those who did not perceive supervisor undermining. These participants were also less engaged and reported lower levels of performance. Conclusion Our results shed further light on the importance of supervisory behaviors specifically in a healthcare setting and the need for organizations to create an environment that promotes positive and productive workplace behaviors.

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Well-being in open space offices: The role of office features and psychosocial working conditions

Work ◽

10.3233/wor-203378 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-16

Author(s):

Sarah S. Lütke Lanfer ◽

Cathrin Becker ◽

Anja S. Göritz

Keyword(s):

Working Conditions ◽

Open Space ◽

Job Demands ◽

Well Being ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Psychosocial Working Conditions ◽

Office Size ◽

Job Demands And Resources

BACKGROUND: There has been a trend to implement open space offices: wide-spread office floors with modern and colourful furniture. However, there is limited scientific knowledge on the effects of Open Space Offices (OSO). Studies are scare and show heterogeneous results. OBJECTIVE: By using the Job Demands-Resources model as a conceptual framework, the present study aimed at investigating the influence of subjective and objective features of the OSO (i.e., office size, desk-sharing, openness) next to classical psychosocial working conditions (i.e., demands, resources) on irritation and subjective well-being. METHODS: Cross-sectional and longitudinal data out of four different organisations (490 participants, 43.73 years of age, SD = 12.02) were used. RESULTS: Results showed that both features of the OSO and working conditions play a role in well-being at work. In line with current studies, job demands and resources contributed more to irritation and subjective well-being than features of the OSO. CONCLUSION: The influence of traditional psychosocial working conditions has so far been neglected in research on OSOs. However, their contribution to employees’ well-being next to features of the OSO could explain the heterogeneous findings of the existing research on well-being in OSOs. Thus, when implementing OSOs, employees’ well-being can only be enhanced if working conditions are targeted in parallel.

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Job Demands and Exhaustion in Firefighters: The Moderating Role of Work Meaning. A Cross-Sectional Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18189819 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (18) ◽

pp. 9819

Author(s):

Andra Cătălina Roșca ◽

Alexandru Mateizer ◽

Cristina-Ioana Dan ◽

Evangelia Demerouti

Keyword(s):

Emotional Exhaustion ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Job Demands ◽

Well Being ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Work Meaning ◽

The Impact

Emotional exhaustion and other symptoms of burnout are often found among emergency services professions, such as firefighting. Given the social importance of this activity and the high responsibility it requires, prevention and alleviation of burnout symptoms become primary concerns in ensuring the well-being of firefighters. Although work meaning is one of the factors associated with a lower risk of developing burnout, its protective role has not been studied in firefighters. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the buffering role of work meaning in the health-impairment process of the Job Demands-Resources model, targeting the relationship between job demands and related emotional exhaustion. A cross-sectional survey design was used to collect data from a sample consisting of Romanian firefighters (n = 1096). Structural equation modeling indicated a positive link between job demands and exhaustion. In addition, deriving personal meaning from work was associated with lower levels of exhaustion in firefighters. A small but significant interaction effect between work meaning and job demands showed that higher levels of work meaning attenuated the positive relationship between job demands and exhaustion. In conclusion, our findings suggest that work meaning has a buffering effect on the impact of various job demands on job-related exhaustion. Nevertheless, the small effect sizes warrant further research on this topic.

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