Development and validation of the Work Envy Appraisal Scale (WEAS) for Spanish workers.

Envy is an important emotion that affects workers' behavior and performance. Instruments to measure envy are available, but new scales are needed for the analysis of work envy that include appraisals of challenge (benign envy) and threat (malicious envy). Based on Lazarus and Folkman's theory, the objective of this study is to develop and validate the Work Envy Appraisal Scale (WEAS) for Spanish workers. It had been carried out in two studies; in the first study, the scale was constructed and its dimensions were analyzed with a sample of 100 Spanish workers (sample 1). In the second study, the scale was validated and its psychometric properties were analyzed (sample 2, N = 219; sample 3, N = 532). The results of exploratory, confirmatory, and multigroup factor analysis showed good indices of fit for the two-factor structure. Moreover, the results showed adequate convergent and discriminant validity. Furthermore, our findings indicated that the scale is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring envy at work. This way of measuring envy at work (discerning its challenge and threat appraisal) makes it possible to find answers to some recurrent research questions (e.g. social desirability issues, the confusion of envy with other topics, etc.) and can facilitate reliable research on envy at work.

Culture, Work, and Subjective Well-Being: The Role of LMX and Resilience in Spanish and Chinese Cultures.

Globalization and interdependencies among nations require a better understanding of the influence of culture on organizational processes. In order to succeed in global business, leaders have to respond to practices that may be different in diverse cultures. This study was conducted within the framework of the leader member exchange approach and from a positive perspective of organizations linking successful businesses and workers' well-being. The aim of this study was to examine whether the quality of the relationship with the leader predicts engagement and life satisfaction, and whether resilience moderates this relationship in two different cultural contexts (Spanish and Chinese). The sample was composed of 277 workers (127 Chinese workers corresponding to a vertical-collectivistic culture and 150 Spanish workers representing a horizontal-individualistic culture). To test the hypotheses, a structural equations model (SEM) was conducted using the maximum likelihood (ML) estimation method. Results revealed that leader-member exchange (LMX) positively predicts engagement and life satisfaction and that the moderator role of resilience varies across cultures. Resilience moderated the relationship between LMX and engagement and life satisfaction only in the Spanish sample. In the Chinese sample, resilience only moderated the relation between LMX and life satisfaction. Finally, our study contributes to a better understanding of the relationship between leaders and subordinates operating in a global context.

Envy and Counterproductive Work Behavior: The Moderation Role of Leadership in Public and Private Organizations.

Envy is a frequent emotion in work contexts where there is strong competition for resources and the leader is the person who manages them. When employees feel envy, they are likely to use counterproductive work behaviors (CWB), but the use of these behaviors may differ depending on the organization’s ownership. The goal of this study is to develop and test a model for the moderating role of Leader Member Exchange (LMX) in the relationship between envy and CWB in public and private organizations. The study design was cross-sectional. Data were collected from 225 Spanish employees in public and private organizations and analyzed using Path Analysis techniques. Results showed that envy was positively related to CWB, and that LMX was a significant moderator in the relationship between envy and CWB in public organizations, but not in private ones. However, this relationship is positive with high LMX, but less than in subjects with low LMX. Findings provide empirical support for the hypothesized conceptual model. This study is one of the first to explore LMX as a moderator of the relationship between envy and CWB. Thus, this study adds value to previous social exchange studies on LMX by integrating emotion research into the context of an exchange-based relationship. Our findings lead to several practical implications for creating healthy organizations.

Development and validation of the work conflicto appraisal scalet (WCAS) / Desarrollo y validación de la Escala de Valoración del Conflicto (WCAS)

BACKGROUND: In the context of cognitive appraisal, the Work Conflict Appraisal Scale (WCAS) was developed to assess work conflict in terms of threat and challenge. METHOD: In the first study, the factorial structure of the scale was tested using confirmatory factor analysis with a Spanish multi-occupational employee sample (N= 296). In the second study, we used multi-sampling confirmatory factor analysis (N= 815) to cross-validate the results. RESULTS: The analyses confirm the validity of the scale and are con-sistent with the tri-dimensional conflict classification. The findings support the distinction between the challenge and threat appraisals of work conflict, highlighting the importance of measuring these two types of appraisal separately. CONCLUSIONS: This scale is a valid and reliable instrument to measure conflict appraisal in organizations

ANTECEDENTES: en el contexto de la valoración cognitiva se ha desarrollado la escala de Evaluación del Conflicto en el Trabajo (WCAS) que permite evaluar el conflicto en términos de desafío y amenaza. MÉTODO: el Estudio 1 contó con 296 trabajadores con los que se puso a prueba la estructura factorial de la escala usando análisis factorial confirmatorio. En el Estudio 2, con 815 trabajadores, se realizó un análisis factorial confirmatorio multi-muestra, para la validación cruzada de los resultados. RESULTADOS: los análisis confirman la validez de la escala y son consistentes con la clasificación tridimensional del conflicto, apoyando la distinción entre evaluación del conflicto como desafío y como amenaza. Se subraya la importancia de medir estos dos tipos de valoración separadamente CONCLUSIONES: esta escala es un instrumento válido y fiable para medir la percepción de conflicto en las organizaciones

Development and validation of the Work Conflict Appraisal Scale (WCAS).

BACKGROUND: In the context of cognitive appraisal, the Work Conflict Appraisal Scale (WCAS) was developed to assess work conflict in terms of threat and challenge. METHOD: In the first study, the factorial structure of the scale was tested using confirmatory factor analysis with a Spanish multi-occupational employee sample (N= 296). In the sec-ond study, we used multi-sampling confirmatory factor analysis (N= 815) to cross-validate the results. RESULTS: The analyses confirm the validity of the scale and are con-sistent with the tri-dimensional conflict classification. The findings support the distinc-tion between the challenge and threat appraisals of work conflict, highlighting the im-portance of measuring these two types of appraisal separately. CONCLUSIONS: This scale is a valid and reliable instrument to measure conflict appraisal in organizations.

The effect of manipulation plus massage therapy versus massage therapy alone in people with tension-type headache. A randomized controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Manipulative techniques have shown promising results for relief of tension-type headache (TTH), however prior studies either lacked a control group, or suffered from poor methodological quality. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of spinal manipulation combined with massage versus massage alone on range of motion of the cervical spine, headache frequency, intensity and disability in patients with TTH. DESIGN: Randomized, single-blinded, controlled clinical trial. SETTING: University clinic. POPULATION: We enrolled 105 subjects with TTH. METHODS: Participants were divided into two groups: 1) manipulation and massage; 2) massage only (control). Four treatment sessions were applied over four weeks. The Headache Disability Inventory (HDI) and range of upper cervical and cervical motion were evaluated at baseline, immediately after the intervention and at a follow-up, 8 weeks after completing the intervention. RESULTS: Both groups demonstrated a large (ƒ=1.22) improvement on their HDI scores. Those that received manipulation reported a medium-sized reduction (ƒ=0.33) in headache frequency across all data points (P<0.05) compared to the control group. Both groups showed a large within-subject effect for upper cervical extension (ƒ=0.62), a medium-sized effect for cervical extension (ƒ=0.39), and large effects for upper cervical (ƒ=1.00) and cervical (ƒ=0.27) flexion. The addition of manipulation resulted in larger gains of upper cervical flexion range of motion, and this difference remained stable at the follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the benefit of treating TTH with either massage or massage combined with a manipulative technique. However, the addition of manipulative technique was more effective for increasing range of motion of the upper cervical spine and for reducing the impact of headache. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: Although massage provided relief of headache in TTH sufferers, when combined with cervical manipulation, there was a stronger effect on range of upper cervical spine motion.