ABSTRACT
Job stress theories have been developed and refined to better understand employee wellbeing. Now that the field is maturing, it is appropriate to review the theoretical trends and developments for future research and practical guidance. The current paper provides a historical review, with both objective (i.e., counts of published theories) and subjective evaluation of job stress theory. In Study 1, two trained raters coded theories used in job stress journals. The job demand-control (-support; JDCS) model was initially well-represented, but has been superseded more recently by theories that focus on multiple resources (e.g., the job demand-resource - JDR - model). Among non-job stress theories, motivation and affective theories have been well-represented within job stress research. Study 2 expanded the results of Study 1 through review of two international applied psychology journals with additional coding categories. Specifically, we identified empirical support for theories and researcher characteristics (i.e., national and professional affiliation). The JDCS model had the least full support according to a vote counting method, and resource models (e.g., JDR) the most. Germany and the Netherlands were the most represented locations, with the United States having the most international collaborations. Psychology and management were the most represented affiliations.
ABSTRACT
Job stress is a critical factor of concern in police work across the world. While frustrations, exhaustion and emotional burnout in work places, particularly as they relate to police job, have been academically emphasized in more advanced climes, they are marginally addressed in less developed societies like Nigeria. Thus, this paper examines the psychological and physical impacts of job stress, workload, and burnout among police officers in Nigeria. Using a nation-wide cross-sectional survey involving 528 police personnel, this paper notes that the police in Nigeria work longer hours than normal, including working under tensions with poor logistics that expose them to dangers on regular basis. This increases their level of frustrations, exhaustion and emotional burnout in work places besides greatly impacting their service delivery. To ensure effective performance of the police in an atmosphere of increasing complex crime networks, therefore, the study recommends clear strategies for improving police wellbeing.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Turnover intention is considered a significant challenge for healthcare and treatment organizations. The challenging conditions of treating COVID-19 patients and the physical and mental stress imposed on nurses during the pandemic may lead them to leave their jobs. The present study aimed to determine the role of psychological factors (general health, mental workload, work-family conflicts, and resilience) on turnover intention using a Bayesian approach during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: The present cross-sectional study was carried out during the winter of 2021 at three hospitals in Khuzestan Province, Iran. To collect data for this investigation, 300 nurses were chosen based on Cochran's formula and random sampling technique. Seven questionnaires, including General Health, Mental Workload, Work-Family Conflict, Resilience, Job Stress, Fear of COVID-19, and Turnover Intention Questionnaires. Bayesian Networks (BNs) were used to draw probabilistic and graphical models. A sensitivity analysis also was performed to study the effects of the variables. The GeNIe academic software, version 2.3, facilitated the examination of the Bayesian network. RESULTS: The statistically significant associations occurred between the variables of fear of COVID-19 and job stress (0.313), job stress and turnover intention (0.302), and resilience and job stress (0.298), respectively. Job stress had the highest association with the fear of COVID-19 (0.313), and resilience had the greatest association with the work-family conflict (0.296). Also, the association between turnover intention and job stress (0.302) was higher than the association between this variable and resilience (0.219). At the low resilience and high job stress with the probability of 100%, the turnover intention variable increased by 20%, while at high resilience and low job stress with the probability of 100%, turnover intention was found to decrease by 32%. CONCLUSION: In general, the results showed that four psychological factors affect job turnover intention. However, the greatest impact was related to job stress and resilience. These results can be used to manage job turnover intention in medical environments, especially in critical situations such as COVID-19.
Subject(s)
Bayes Theorem , COVID-19 , Intention , Pandemics , Personnel Turnover , Humans , COVID-19/psychology , COVID-19/epidemiology , Personnel Turnover/statistics & numerical data , Cross-Sectional Studies , Iran/epidemiology , Female , Adult , Male , Surveys and Questionnaires , Occupational Stress/psychology , Occupational Stress/epidemiology , SARS-CoV-2 , Resilience, Psychological , Workload/psychology , Nursing Staff, Hospital/psychology , Job SatisfactionABSTRACT
Aim: Work engagement is critical in both occupational and mental health contexts. However, no studies have compared the usefulness of the nine-, three-, and two-item measures from the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES). Therefore, this study aimed to examine the internal consistency and convergent validity of the two-item measure and compare its usefulness with the nine-item and three-item versions for assessing engagement at work among Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) personnel. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 229,383 participants who underwent an annual mental health check between October 19 and December 17, 2021. To test the internal consistency of the scales, Cronbach's alpha was used. To test the convergent validity, Pearson's correlation coefficients were examined for each item corresponding to job resources, job satisfaction, stress reactions, and job demands assessed by the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire. Results: Most participants were men (89.8%). Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the nine-, three-, and two-item scales were 0.95, 0.85, and 0.80, respectively. All three versions showed significant and positive correlations with each of the items corresponding to job resources and job satisfaction. The correlation coefficients of the two-item scale were not inferior to those of the nine-item and three-item scales for job resources and job satisfaction items. Conclusion: Our results showed the internal consistency and convergent validity for the two-item measure of engagement at work among JSDF personnel. The two-item measure may be useful for briefly and efficiently assessing the actual state of workers' engagement at work.
ABSTRACT
Rapid organizational changes due to technological advancements, high-efficiency expectations, and uncertainties, particularly in healthcare, have led to a global stress epidemic among em-ployees. This has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and evolving workplace practices. Surface acting, or the suppression and faking of emotions, significantly contributes to this stress and burnout, impacting not only individual healthcare professionals but also healthcare systems' overall effectiveness and sustainability. Providing adequate resources in high-demand work environments is, thus, essential to mitigate these negative experiences. Leader-member exchange (LMX) can play a pivotal role in understanding and addressing the needs and expectations of healthcare professionals. Drawing on Conservation of Resources (COR), Job Demands-Resources (JD-R), Social Exchange theories, and Grandey's Emotional Regulation Model, this study analyzed data from a convenience sample of 350 healthcare professionals. The results reveal that surface acting intensifies healthcare professionals' experiences of job stress and emotional exhaustion. Notably, the study empirically demonstrated that high levels of LMX in healthcare professionals' relationships with their leaders can mitigate the impact of surface acting on job stress and emotional exhaustion. These findings offer valuable insights for managers and policymakers, highlighting the importance of LMX in maintaining sustainable management practices in complex and stressful healthcare organizations.
ABSTRACT
The empirical study aimed to explore the relationships among social media exposure, job stress, anxiety, and identity disturbance in a nonclinical setting in the COVID-19 pandemic context. An online questionnaire was administered to 282 participants in the United States of America (USA) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study utilized a two-step Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach consisting of both measurement model and structural model testing. Relationships between the model variables of social media exposure, identity disturbance, anxiety, and job stress were analyzed using standardized beta coefficients, standard errors, t-values, and p-values. The results indicate that both social media exposure and job stress are associated with increased anxiety levels, which, in turn, influence identity disturbance. Moreover, there is a moderating effect of job stress on the relationship between social media exposure and anxiety, as well as the mediating effect of anxiety on the relationship between social media exposure and identity disturbance. The findings are valuable for organizations and can be used to develop programs aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of social media exposure on mental health. Prioritizing employee mental health through awareness and support initiatives is paramount, especially for those facing high stress and extensive social media use.
ABSTRACT
Work may influence the home domain and subsequently impact employee sleep. Past work found that negative spillover mediated the relationship between perceived unfairness about work and insomnia symptoms across 20 years. As an extension of past work, this study investigated whether negative spillover and positive spillover mediate the relationship between job demands (perceived unfairness, job discrimination) and job resources (coworker and supervisor support) on multidimensional sleep health. Two waves of survey data from a subset of full-time workers were obtained from the Midlife in the United States Study approximately 10 years apart. A sleep health composite captured irregularity, dissatisfaction, nap frequency, inefficiency, and suboptimal sleep duration (higher=more sleep health problems). PROCESS Macro evaluated cross-sectional (T1) and sequential (T1 exposureaT1 mediatoraT2 outcome) mediation pathways, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, physical health, neuroticism, and work hours. Both cross-sectionally and prospectively, higher negative spillover mediated the association of higher unfairness with more sleep health problems, and the association between higher discrimination and more sleep health problems. There was no support for positive spillover as a mediator between job resources and sleep health cross-sectionally or prospectively. Findings suggest that organizations should reduce the amount of negative spillover by limiting instances of unfairness and discrimination at work to promote specific aspects of employee sleep health such as sleep irregularity, dissatisfaction, efficiency, and nap frequency.
ABSTRACT
AIM: To investigate the correlation between job values, job stress, and job satisfaction among nursing assistants in a hospital setting. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. METHODS: Data were collected from nursing assistants working in a regional hospital and a medical center in Northern Taiwan. A self-rated structured questionnaire was used to collect data on participants' demographic characteristics, job values, job stress, and job satisfaction. Descriptive statistics, t test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and stepwise regression were used for data analysis. RESULTS: A total of 135 questionnaires were distributed; of them, 132 were returned, resulting in a response rate of 97.8%. The average age of the participants was 57.08 ± 5.86 years, with the majority being female, high school educated, and married. Most participants (70%) had >5 years of experience in working as nursing assistants. The average job satisfaction score of was 63.63, indicating a moderate level of job satisfaction. Job satisfaction exhibited a significantly positive correlation with job values but a significantly negative correlation with job stress. Job value was negatively correlated with job stress. Stepwise regression revealed that job values significantly explained the variance in job satisfaction among hospital nursing assistants. CONCLUSIONS: Nursing assistants are integral to clinical practice. To enhance their job satisfaction and professional development, health-care institutions and policymakers should implement strategies such as providing continual training, offering recognition and rewards to enhance sense of accomplishment. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: This study involves no patient or public contribution.
Subject(s)
Job Satisfaction , Nursing Assistants , Occupational Stress , Humans , Female , Male , Cross-Sectional Studies , Middle Aged , Taiwan , Occupational Stress/psychology , Nursing Assistants/psychology , Nursing Assistants/statistics & numerical data , Surveys and Questionnaires , Adult , Stress, Psychological/psychologyABSTRACT
Background: This time-lagged study delves into the impact of digitalization on job stress. Digitalization is defined as the incorporation of digital technologies into various aspects of work life, fundamentally transforming processes, interactions, and decision-making. Aim: The present research focuses on the mediating roles of job-related risk and personal risk, and the moderating effect of gender. We hypothesized that employees' aversion to risks, both in their professional and personal facets, mediates the relationship between the rapid digitalization of their work environment and the resultant job stress. Regarding gender as a moderator, recent research suggests that gender can influence the experience of workplace stress, with women often experiencing higher levels of stress than men in certain situations. This indicates that gender might also moderate the relationship between digital living, risk perception, and job-related stress. This approach allows for an examination of the ways in which digital technology adoption influences workplace stress, considering the temporally spaced data. Methods: Conducted over three waves of data collection among 795 Chinese employees, the research utilizes Hayes's Model 8, adept at revealing the dynamics of digitalization's influence in the workplace and its effects on individual well-being. Results: The study corroborates Hypothesis 1 by establishing a significant, albeit less pronounced, relationship between digital living and job stress. The findings also support Hypothesis 2 by demonstrating that both job risk and personal risk mediate this relationship. The study's results also validate Hypothesis 3, indicating that gender moderates the relationship between digital living, job risk, personal risk, and job stress. Finally, the significant interaction effects found in the study, particularly the stronger conditional negative effect of digital living on perceptions of job and personal risks for males, despite the absence of statistical significance failed to support Hypothesis 4. Implications: This study sheds light on the dynamics of job stress in the context of a digitalizing work environment. The results have important implications for designing workplace strategies and interventions that are sensitive to risk perceptions and gender differences in the digital era.
ABSTRACT
Chronic health conditions (CHCs) involve physical, psychological, and social challenges and can have a significant negative impact on work ability, which can then affect performance and job satisfaction. However, the various effects of CHCs on business operations and maintenance among self-employed workers are understudied. This study examined four common CHCs that are characterised by persistent symptoms and can prompt major life changes: respiratory disease, heart conditions, inflammatory bowel disease, and cancer survivorship. Groups were compared regarding the CHC's impact on business maintenance (declining in income and activity, and slowing business growth), and well-being. A sample of 294 self-employed workers with these CHCs completed questionnaires about how their conditions affect their businesses, physical symptoms, and well-being. The four CHCs had substantial negative effects on business maintenance. Differences were found in reported changes in income, activity, and growth between individuals with inflammatory bowel disease and cancer. No differences in well-being occurred among self-employed people with different CHCs. In the overall sample, work absences and slowing business growth were negatively associated with well-being. Although the groups differed in the severity of symptoms, threat to life, and treatment regimen, the CHCs had similar effects on most business maintenance factors and well-being. Moreover, the results indicate that the inability to maintain a business can negatively affect well-being.
ABSTRACT
This study investigates the mediating role of Readiness to Change in the relationship between job stress and flourishing among Chinese medical teachers, as well as the highest order moderation of Extraversion and Neuroticism into this relationship. The research utilized a quantitative approach, surveying a sample of Chinese Medical Education teachers (N = 500) consisted of 342 males and 158 females with an age range between 30 and 65 (M = 43.69; SD = 9.31). The average tenure in the education landscape was 12.39 years (SD = 10.91) through an online platform. The primary aim was to explore how readiness attitudes influence the well-being and work capacity of Teachers in high-stress medical teaching environments. The survey incorporated self-assessment instruments to measure job stress, Readiness to Change attitudes, levels of flourishing, and personality traits (Extraversion and Neuroticism). Statistical analyses, including mediation models, were employed to test the relationships between these variables. Preliminary findings suggest a significant mediating role of Readiness to Change into the effects of job stress on flourishing and a moderation of extraversion into this relationship. The findings also failed to support the moderation of Neuroticism into the relationships, while the Higher order moderation showed a statistical marginal value. This indicates that effective readiness attitudes may not only mitigate the negative impacts of job stress but also enhance personal well-being and professional capacity. These results hold critical implications for the development of support systems and interventions aimed at fostering resilience and adaptive skills among medical teachers. Such initiatives could potentially improve job satisfaction, mental health, and teaching effectiveness in medical education settings. The study contributes to the growing body of literature on occupational stress and coping mechanisms in the educational sector, particularly within the field of medical education.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Patient safety is paramount for all healthcare agencies. Health professionals' lack of patient safety competencies threaten patients' lives, and increase patients, families, hospitals, and social burdens. The new nurse-related patient safety issues have particularly attracted much attention. The aim of this study was to examine the impacts of practice environment and job stress on new nurses' patient safety attitudes by employing the job demands-resources model. METHODS: The study used a cross-sectional structural equation modeling (SEM). A convenience sample of 370 new nurses was recruited from seven tertiary hospitals in Anhui province, China, from April 2022 to August 2022. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires including the Chinese version of the Nurse Job Stressors Scale, the Practice Environment Scale, and the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire. RESULTS: New nurses' patient safety attitudes scores were moderate (126.99 ± 14.39). Practice environment had a significant direct effect on job stress (ß = -0.337, t = 6.120), patient safety attitudes (ß = 0.604, t = 13.766), practice environment had an indirect effect on patient safety attitudes through job stress (ß = 0.066, t = 3.690), and the indirect effect accounted for 9.9% of the total effect. This model was able to explain 48.3% of patient safety attitudes with moderate prediction accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: This study emphasizes the importance of improving new nurses' attitudes toward patient safety. Hospital administrators should develop policies and strategies to address job characteristics, and establish a favorable work environment to reduce new nurses' job stress as well as to improve patient safety.
ABSTRACT
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.981592.].
ABSTRACT
AIM: To investigate the variables predicting job stress and intention to leave the job among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey. DESIGN: This research was designed as an analytical cross-sectional study. METHODS: The population of the study consisted of 450 nurses working in a training and research hospital (N = 450). The study sample consisted of 178 nurses who worked in that hospital between February and July 2021. The Nurse Information Form, Job Stress Scale, and Intention to Leave Scale were used as data collection tools. The independent-sample t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation analysis were applied for univariate analysis while multiple regression analysis was used for multivariate analysis. RESULTS: It was determined that the main factors predicting nurses' job stress levels were their Intention to Leave Scale scores, level of organizational satisfaction. The main factors predicting intention to leave were their Job Stress Scale scores, working conditions, and job satisfaction. A positive moderate correlation was found between job stress and intention to leave. CONCLUSION: This study demostares that among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic, the predictors of job stress were intention to leave and organizational satisfaction, while the predictors of turnover intention included job stress, working conditions, and job satisfaction. Hospital managers, especially nursing services managers, should develop strategies for extraordinary situations such as pandemics and evaluate the professional satisfaction of nurses while providing a healthy working environment. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contributions.
ABSTRACT
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1339604.].
ABSTRACT
Emergency medical service (EMS) personnel and firefighters (FFs) are first responders in dangerous and stressful situations. They experience high stress due to the nature of their jobs, which can affect their quality of life and various health dimensions. This study aimed to compare quality of life, job stress, and coping strategies in a sample of EMS personnel and FF employees in Iran. This cross-sectional study included 186 FFs and EMS, who were selected using a census sampling method. Our results showed that FFs had a better quality of life, lower perceived stress, and better coping skills than EMS. Individuals living in rural areas, government officials, and staff with regular work shifts also reported less perceived stress. Furthermore, our results indicated a negative and significant correlation between perceived stress and quality of life and a positive and significant correlation between stress management and quality of life in both groups. Given the inevitability of stress in EMS and FF jobs, policymakers need to take interventional measures to reduce anxiety and enhance the quality of life and work for these personnel. Occupational health policies in Iran generally follow the International Labor Organizational recommended standards, however, more attention to managerial interventions that reduce job demands and job stress combined with health promotion programs to improve coping are advised.
Subject(s)
Coping Skills , Emergency Medical Technicians , Firefighters , Occupational Stress , Quality of Life , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Cross-Sectional Studies , Emergency Medical Services , Emergency Medical Technicians/psychology , Firefighters/psychology , Iran , Occupational Stress/psychology , Quality of Life/psychology , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
Objectives. The COVID-19 pandemic, remote work and new technologies have heightened workplace pressures. Effective response and essential organizational changes require business leaders to be more adaptable, with managers' presence playing a pivotal role in successful implementation. The study assesses a brief mindfulness-based emotional regulation for managers (MBERM) intervention, to reduce workplace stress and enhance managerial well-being. Methods. An 8-week non-randomized controlled trial was conducted with a waiting list control group and an intervention group. Pre-post differences were measured by Student's t test or Wilcoxon test, and effect size calculated using the Hedge's g formula. The sample included 23 managers (17 men and six women) with average age 50 years. The study assessed anxiety and depressive symptoms, psychological flexibility, perceived self-efficacy, general work-related well-being, perceived stress and mindfulness. Results. Statistically significant changes were observed in the intervention group in depression, anxiety, work-related acceptance and action, general self-efficacy, exhaustion, alienation, stress and non-reactivity. The control group showed no statistically significant changes in any of the variables. Conclusion. The MBERM intervention could improve the emotional and work-related well-being of managers and reduce stress levels and burnout. Further study of this intervention is needed to promote adherence and ensure a long-term improvement.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Mindfulness , Occupational Stress , Humans , Male , Female , Middle Aged , Pilot Projects , Occupational Stress/prevention & control , Occupational Stress/psychology , COVID-19/prevention & control , COVID-19/psychology , Depression/prevention & control , Depression/psychology , Adult , Anxiety/prevention & control , Anxiety/psychology , Burnout, Professional/prevention & control , Burnout, Professional/psychology , Workplace/psychology , Self Efficacy , SARS-CoV-2 , Administrative Personnel/psychology , Emotional RegulationABSTRACT
The research on work-life balance (WLB) published in journals with a Scopus index between 2011 and 2022 is carefully examined in this work. Our research attempts to clarify the evolution and trends in WLB research and the importance of publications that Scopus indexes. After analyzing 2717 research articles, we found that WLB publications have a significant annual growth rate of 14.71 %, which suggests that the trend continues to grow. Significant changes are seen, with 1888 papers produced between 2017 and 2022 highlighting a notable increase in interest in the field. With 1608 papers, social sciences account for the majority of WLB research. With 54 publications, Griffith University (Australia) is the most affiliated institution. With 30 papers, the "Economic and Social Research Council of the United Kingdom" became the primary source of financing. The most prolific author, with nine publications, is Lingard H. At the same time, co-citation analysis reveals 168 co-cited authors. The United States (USA), the United Kingdom (U.K.), and Australia (A.U.) are the top three producing nations. A thematic analysis reveals ten major WLB themes, from work stress to difficulties with human resource management. This study provides crucial insights for policymakers and leaders to address work-life balance issues effectively. Using tools like Gephi or CiteSpace, we could deepen our understanding through advanced analysis methods such as page rank and network visualization.
ABSTRACT
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has gained significant attention from researchers and practitioners due to its potential impact on employee attitudes and behaviors. This study investigates the influence of CSR on employee safety behavior, examining the mediating effects of job stress and organizational identification, as well as the moderating role of moral identity. We conducted a three-wave time-lagged survey among 236 South Korean employees. Participants were recruited through a research company using stratified random sampling. Data were collected at three time points, each separated by a 4-5-week interval. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypothesized relationships. The findings support all of the hypothesized relationships. CSR was positively related to safety behavior and negatively related to job stress. Job stress was negatively related to organizational identification, which in turn was positively related to safety behavior. The sequential mediation of job stress and organizational identification was significant. Moral identity moderated the relationship between CSR and job stress, such that the negative effect of CSR on job stress was stronger for employees with a high moral identity. This study contributes to the CSR literature by examining the impact of CSR on safety behavior and the underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions of this relationship. The findings suggest that organizations can promote employee safety behavior by implementing CSR initiatives, which can reduce job stress and enhance organizational identification. Organizations should also consider the role of employees' moral identity when designing and communicating CSR initiatives.