Showing papers in "European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology in 2013"

Opening the black box: Presenting a model for evaluating organizational-level interventions

Abstract: Organizational-level occupational health interventions are often recommended when improvements in working conditions, employee health, and well-being are sought within organizations. Research has revealed that these interventions result in inconsistent effects despite being based on theoretical frameworks. This inconsistency indicates that intervention studies need to be designed to examine directly how and why such interventions bring about change and why they sometimes fail. We argue that intervention studies should include a process evaluation that includes a close examination of the psychological and organizational mechanisms that hinder and facilitate desired intervention outcomes. By drawing on existing intervention literature we present an evidence-based model containing three levels of elements that appear to be crucial in process evaluation. We describe how this model may be applied and developed in future research to identify better the mechanisms that link intervention processes to intervention...

What do the young (old) people think of me? Content and accuracy of age-based metastereotypes

Abstract: Increasing age diversity in the workforce points to the need to understand the dynamics of interpersonal relations across age groups. An important element of these interactions involves interpersonal perceptions, including both what an individual believes about members of other age groups (stereotypes) and what individuals believe other age groups think of their own group (metastereotypes). We explore the content and accuracy of the stereotypes and metastereotypes in a sample of 247 younger, middle-aged, and older workers. We compare the stereotypes and metastereotypes of and by different groups in terms of their affective valence (positive/negative) and compare the results produced by open-ended and closed-ended methods. We map out the usefulness of these data for future work towards enhancing cross-aged interactions in the workplace.

How do job characteristics contribute to burnout? Exploring the distinct mediating roles of perceived autonomy, competence, and relatedness

Abstract: This study aimed to better understand the psychological mechanisms, referred to in the job demands–resources model as the energetic and motivational processes, that can explain relationships between job demands (role overload and ambiguity), job resources (job control and social support), and burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment). Drawing on self-determination theory, we examined whether psychological resources (perceived autonomy, competence, and relatedness) act as specific mediators between particular job demands and burnout as well as between job resources and burnout. Participants were 356 school board employees. Results of the structural equation analyses provide support for our hypothesized model, which proposes that certain job demands and resources are involved in both the energetic and motivational processes—given their relationships with psychological resources—and that they distinctively predict burnout components. Implications for burnout research and management practices are discussed.

The added value of the positive: A literature review of positive psychology interventions in organizations

Abstract: This paper systematically reviews research investigating the effects of positive psychology interventions applied in the organizational context. We characterize a positive psychology intervention as any intentional activity or method that is based on (a) the cultivation of positive subjective experiences, (b) the building of positive individual traits, or (c) the building of civic virtue and positive institutions. A systematic literature search identified 15 studies that examined the effects of such an intervention in organizational contexts. Subsequent analyses of those studies revealed that positive psychology interventions seem to be a promising tool for enhancing employee well-being and performance. As a side-effect, positive psychology interventions also tend to diminish stress and burnout and to a lesser extent depression and anxiety. Implications of those findings for theory and praxis and recommendations for future research on positive psychology interventions in organizations are discussed.

The role of supervisor autonomy support, organizational support, and autonomous and controlled motivation in predicting employees' satisfaction and turnover intentions

Abstract: Using self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2008) as the guiding theoretical framework, the present study tested a model that incorporates workers' perceptions of organizational support and supervisor autonomy support, global and domain specific (i.e., work) motivation, work satisfaction, and turnover intentions. The hypothesized model was tested using a sample of 735 workers (362 men and 373 women). Results revealed that work motivation was significantly related to both intraindividual (global motivation) and contextual factors (organizational support and supervisor autonomy support). In addition, perceived organizational support and work autonomous motivation were positively related to work satisfaction, whereas turnover intentions were negatively related to perceived organizational support and work autonomous motivation, and positively related to work controlled motivation. The present results underscore the importance of understanding the mechanisms through which higher turnover intentions and lower...

Goals and motivation related to work in later adulthood: An organizing framework

Abstract: Demographics of workforce aging in the developed world have spurred research on the determinants of older worker motivation to work, motivation to retire, and motivation at work. We propose an integrative framework of later adulthood goals related to work and the motivational determinants of these goals in order to better understand goal relations. We also discuss the common and unique effects of person and contextual determinants of later adulthood work-related goals and propose new directions for future research.

Dynamics of psychological contracts with work engagement and turnover intention: The influence of organizational tenure

Abstract: This study investigated the interrelations of the psychological contract with work engagement and turnover intention, which has hitherto been a largely overlooked topic in psychological contract research. Although previous research has mainly focused on how psychological contracts influence job attitudes and behaviours, it is proposed here that attitudes and behaviours also affect the psychological contract that the employee has with the organization. Moreover, it is proposed that because reciprocity norms are more important among shortly tenured employees, mutual relationships between psychological contracts and work engagement and turnover intention were stronger for employees with lower organizational tenure. Longitudinal data were collected among 240 employees and proposed models were evaluated with structural equation modelling. The results show that indeed psychological contract fulfilment was longitudinally related to higher work engagement and lower turnover intentions, but only for employees with low tenure. Moreover, stability in work engagement, turnover intention, and psychological contract over time was higher for those with high tenure, whereas the relations between turnover intention and the psychological contract were stronger for those with low organizational tenure. These findings demonstrate that psychological contracts are reciprocally interrelated with work outcomes, and that such relations are stronger for those with low tenure.

Differential effects of task variety and skill variety on burnout and turnover intentions for older and younger workers

Abstract: The purpose of the present studies was to compare the effects of two job characteristics, task variety and skill variety, on the burnout and turnover intentions of older and younger workers. Based on socioemotional selectivity theory and selective optimization with compensation theory, we hypothesized that task variety would lead to more positive outcomes for younger workers, whereas skill variety would lead to more positive outcomes for older workers. Across two samples using time-lagged designs, we found that increased task variety led to less work-related burnout and turnover intentions for younger workers compared to older workers. On the other hand, increased skill variety led to lower turnover intentions for older workers than for younger workers. We discuss the implications for lifespan ageing theories and for organizational practices regarding older and younger workers.

The world turns at 33 and 45: Defining simple cutoff scores for the Negative Acts Questionnaire–Revised in a representative sample

Abstract: Workplace bullying is a serious hazard in every day working life that needs to be assessed carefully. In order to achieve such a goal, both victims of severe bullying as well as targets of less intensive bullying need to be identified, the latter in order to prevent further escalation into severe bullying. Previous research has mainly offered simple and crude measures of who is and who is not a victim of bullying. In this article we show how cutoff scores for the scale Negative Acts Questionnaire–Revised (NAQ-R) can be calculated. Based on a representative sample of the Norwegian workforce, we formulated 2 cutoff points or thresholds for the NAQ-R with a Receiver Operation Characteristic curve. Employees with a score lower than 33 are not bullied, employees with a score between 33 and 45 may be considered as being bullied occasionally, and employees who score above 45 can be considered to be victims of workplace bullying. As the NAQ-R is used in more than 300 research projects worldwide, we hope to inspir...

Ageism at work: The impact of intergenerational contact and organizational multi- age perspective

Abstract: Despite the prevalence of ageism in the workplace, little empirical effort has been devoted to analysing the contextual factors that may help reduce it. Building upon research on intergroup contact and multiculturalism, we examine in two studies how intergenerational contact and organizational multi-age perspective may contribute toward mitigating ageism and improving work attitudes through a dual identity process. In Study 1, SEM analyses confirm that workers’ dual identity is a key mediator of the effects of context on both ageism and attitudes at work. Study 2 replicates and extends the results of Study 1, firstly by showing the mediational effects of perceived procedural justice, and secondly by investigating stereotypes more closely related to the population of older workers. As a set, our findings shed new light on ageism at work as well as on the protective role of two aspects of the social context.

Lack of reciprocity, narcissism, anger, and instigated workplace incivility: A moderated mediation model

Abstract: The goal of the present research was to examine antecedents of uncivil behaviour towards coworkers and supervisors. Based on Spector’s model (e.g., Spector & Fox, 2005a), we investigated the role of work characteristics (lack of reciprocity in the relationship with one’s organization), personality (narcissism), and work-related anger simultaneously. We predicted that anger mediates the relationship between lack of reciprocity and incivility, and that this mediation is particularly strong among narcissistic employees (moderated mediation). As predicted, in our sample of 197 employees, anger—at least partially—mediated the relationship between lack of reciprocity and incivility. Moreover, this indirect effect was stronger among narcissists. Results further showed that narcissism moderated the first part (lack of reciprocity ! anger) but not the second part (anger ! incivility) of the mediation chain. Examining both mediation and moderation in a unified framework shed light on the issue of where in the process moderation occurs, thus deepening our understanding of the interplay between work characteristics and personality. In addition to anger, our results suggest mediating processes that do not require strong affect may be characteristic especially for uncivil behaviour as compared to more intense forms of counterproductive behaviour.

The impact of feedback from job and task autonomy in the relationship between dispositional resistance to change and innovative work behaviour

Abstract: Building on an interactionist approach, the present study investigated the moderating role of two task design characteristics, namely task autonomy and feedback from job, in the relationship between dispositional resistance to change and innovative work behaviour. Consistent with a trait activation perspective, it was specifically hypothesized that dispositional resistance to change would have a stronger, positive association with innovative performance when autonomy and feedback were high than when they were low. In a sample of 270 employees from the public sector, task autonomy was found to significantly interact with both composite resistance to change and with three of the four dimensions (routine seeking, short-term thinking, and emotional reaction). Simple slope analyses specifically revealed that individuals high in short-term thinking and emotional reaction exhibited positive relationships with innovative behaviour only in the case of high task autonomy, whereas in the case of low autonomy the rel...

Performance expectations, personal resources, and job resources: How do they predict work engagement?

Abstract: Research on work engagement has mainly focused on the role of job and personal resources and has ignored the possible impact of personal demands workers develop with regard to their work. The aim of our study was to test the reciprocal relationships that job resources, personal resources, and personal demands, operationalized as performance expectations, share with work engagement. Three-wave longitudinal data were collected in a Belgian public institution (N = 473). Results confirm the causal effects of job resources, personal resources, and performance expectations on work engagement. Reciprocal relationships are not significant. Results are discussed with regard to the impact of changes in job and personal resources and performance expectations on work engagement. Practical implications including reinforcement of Human Resources practices such as appraisal interviewing and career management are also discussed.

Perceived job autonomy and turnover intention – The moderating role of perceived supervisor support

Abstract: This is the authors' final and accepted version of the article, post refereeing. Publisher's version is available at www.tandfonline.com. Niva 1

Leading yourself and leading others: Linking self-leadership to transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire leadership

Abstract: It has often been proposed that one must lead oneself before being able to lead others (e.g., Drucker, 1999; Manz & Sims, 1991; Pearce, 2007). In two studies, we empirically investigated associations among self-leadership (with subfacets) and the full range leadership model (transformational, transactional, laissez-faire leadership) in N = 447 professionals with leadership experience (Study 1) and N = 35 leaders with N = 151 followers (Study 2). In both studies, leaders' self-leadership was positively associated with active styles of leading (transformational and transactional leadership) and negatively with passive styles of leading (laissez-faire leadership), as indicated by self- and follower-reports. These relationships remained even after controlling for sex, age, and leadership experience. Overall, data support the notion that effectively leading oneself is associated with effectively leading others.

Emotional regulation as a mediator between interpersonal mistreatment and distress

Abstract: Theory and research from the emotional labour literature focusing on mistreatment of employees by customers were used to examine interpersonal mistreatment by customers, coworkers, and supervisors. Specifically, we examined the relationships between all three of these sources of interpersonal mistreatment and psychological distress. We also examine the possibility that emotional regulation strategies mediated these relationships. In Study 1, we focused on surface acting as the mediating emotional regulation strategy. Using a sample of 256 working adults, the results of that study found a mediating role for surface acting between mistreatment and distress for mistreatment by customers and coworkers but not supervisors. In Study 2, we included measures of both deep acting and surface acting as potential mediators between sources of mistreatment and distress. Using a sample of 138 working adults, this second study again found that surface acting mediated the relationship between mistreatment and distress for...

Individual‐ and group‐level effects of social identification on workplace bullying

Abstract: A study of 494 employees nested in workgroups from 19 different organizations revealed group identification to be an important factor influencing work-related bullying at both the individual and the group level. Results show that the more employees identified with their group, the less likely they were victims of bullying, which is in line with previous social identity-based analyses of work stress. More importantly, the higher the average level of group identification in the organization, the lower the odds of being a victim versus not being a victim. The latter effect constituted a genuine context effect. These findings redress a neglect of the social bases of workplace bullying and suggest that bullying needs to be understood within a broader perspective of workgroup identities.

Ethical leadership and followers' helping and initiative: The role of demonstrated responsibility and job autonomy

Abstract: In this multisource study, we investigated a mediated moderation model proposing the moderating role of job autonomy and the mediating role of responsibility in the relationship of ethical leadership (subordinate rated) with helping and initiative (supervisor rated). In line with expectations, a study among 147 leader–follower dyads demonstrated that perceived job autonomy moderated the relationship of ethical leadership with both helping and initiative such that this relationship was positive when job autonomy was high, but not significant when job autonomy was low. This moderated relationship was mediated by the extent followers demonstrate responsibility at work. Responsibility fully mediated the moderated relationship of ethical leadership with follower initiative and partially mediated the moderated relationship of ethical leadership with follower helping behaviour.

Work–family enrichment, support, and satisfaction: A test of mediation

Abstract: The purpose of this paper was to examine the mediating role of work-to-family enrichment (WFE) and family-to-work enrichment (FWE) between supervisor and family support and job and family satisfaction. Two-hundred and fourteen employed adults participated in an online survey. Correlations demonstrated that perceived supervisor and family support were related to all three dimensions of WFE and FWE, and, in turn, job and family satisfaction, respectively. Regression analyses revealed that WFAff (moods generated through involvement at work that impact the family) and WFCap (psychological resources generated at work that impact the family) partially mediated the relationship between supervisor support and job satisfaction. Only FWAff (moods generated through family involvement that impact work) partially mediated the relationship between family support and family satisfaction. This research demonstrates that the different dimensions of enrichment should not be collapsed into an aggregate measure of WFE and FW...

Direct and indirect relationship between social stressors and job performance in Greater China: The role of strain and social support

Abstract: This study examined the direct relationship between two social stressors (interpersonal conflict and organizational politics) and supervisor-rated job performance among employees in three Chinese societies in Greater China. The potential moderating effects of social support on the relation between social stressors and job performance were also investigated. Further, the potential mediating role of strain between stressors and job performance was tested. Data were collected from 1032 employees in Beijing, Hong Kong, and Taipei. The results showed that both types of social stressors were positively correlated with strain, and negatively related with job performance. There was evidence supporting that social support was a significant moderator of the social stressor–performance relationship. Further, results were consistent with the hypothesis that strain could be a mediator between social stressors and job performance.

Recovery at home and performance at work: A diary study on self-family facilitation

Abstract: This 5-day diary study among 65 Dutch employees focuses on the interplay between time on and off the job. We examined how daily off-job (work-related, physical, household) activities, in combination with the degree to which people want to engage in these activities relate to self–family facilitation (i.e., the positive influence of the fulfilment of one’s own interests on one’s family life). Further, we tested whether self–family facilitation relates to psychological detachment from work, recovery, and finally whether recovery relates to job performance. Multilevel analyses revealed that household activities enhance self–family facilitation only on days that people want to engage in such activities. Furthermore, spending time on household activities hinders psychological detachment on days people do not want to spend time on these activities. In addition, self–family facilitation and psychological detachment relate to better recovery the next morning. Finally, feeling recovered in the morning is beneficial for task performance during work. These findings emphasize the role of one’s ‘‘wants’’ in the degree to which off-job activities lead to recovery. Furthermore, the results highlight the importance of keeping a good interaction between the self and the family for daily recovery and performance.

Rise and shine: Recovery experiences of workaholic and nonworkaholic employees

Abstract: Due to their excessive drive to work hard, workaholics may face difficulties with recovering from work. The present study examines the role of negative emotions in recovery from work among a selected group of workaholics and nonworkaholics. Data were collected among 118 employees who completed a survey and participated in a 5-day diary study. Based on Effort-Recovery theory, we expected and found that negative emotions at the end of the workday hamper employees' recovery during the evening. Interestingly, this effect was stronger for workaholics than for nonworkaholics. It was also found that workaholics spend more time on work-related activities during the evening than nonworkaholics when feeling negative emotions at the end of the workday. Finally, it was expected and found that a lack of recovery experiences during the evening influences negative and positive emotions the next morning. Together, these findings suggest that, especially for workaholics, negative emotions play a crucial role in recovery f...

Research themes on age and work: Introduction to the Special Issue

Abstract: The workforce is ageing in most industrialized countries, with people working longer and fewer younger workers entering the workforce. These trends can be attributed to a number of factors: increas...

Organizational citizenship behaviour and employee's strain: Examining the buffering effects of leader support and participation in decision making

Abstract: Investing in citizenship behaviours could entail personal costs for the employee. Specifically, we argue that OCB contributes to employee's strain above and beyond the impact of role conflict, role ambiguity, and role overload. To study the buffering role of leader support and participation in decision making (PDM) on this relationship, we collected data from 457 employees at various organizations at different time points from multisources. The results supported our hypotheses: Higher levels of OCB were related to higher levels of employee's strain, above and beyond the impact of role overload, role ambiguity, and role conflict; and the relationship between OCB and strain was weaker for those enjoying a high degree of leader support or PDM.

Leaders' emotional expressiveness and their behavioural and relational authenticity: Effects on followers

Abstract: In this article, we investigate the effects of leader emotional expressiveness on idealized influence and leadership effectiveness Drawing from recent theory and research on authentic leadership, we also examine the moderating role of leader behavioural and relational authenticity in the relationship between leader emotional expressiveness and idealized influence Results obtained in a study of 198 mid-level managers largely supported our predictions, in that leader emotional expressiveness was positively associated with followers' extra effort and their perceptions of leadership effectiveness These effects were fully mediated by idealized influence Consistent with the notion of authentic leadership as a root concept for other positive leadership approaches, the effect of emotional expressiveness on idealized influence was moderated by leader relational authenticity such that only those leaders who were emotionally expressive and relationally authentic were perceived to have high idealized influence

No time for compromises: Age as a moderator of the relation between needs–supply fit and job satisfaction

Abstract: In the light of the current demographic change, organizations need to be aware of factors influencing job satisfaction of older workers in order to maintain high motivation and commitment. The present study addresses this issue by examining the moderating effect of age on the relationship between needs–supply fit and job satisfaction. Based on the general assumption that older workers are more sensitive to circumstances that threaten their well-being (Carstensen, 2006), we hypothesize that older as compared to younger workers should react more negatively to a misfit between their needs and available job supplies. Hence, older as compared to younger workers should report lower levels of job satisfaction when experiencing a misfit between needs and supplies. This hypothesis was tested in a sample of 471 employed workers from different occupational areas. Results confirmed our hypothesis for four out of five domains of needs–supply fit: Significant three-way interactions between needs, supply, and age were o...

Customer stressors in service organizations: The impact of age on stress management and burnout

Abstract: This study examined the impact of age on stress management strategies and burnout as a response to customer stressors. Questionnaire data from 273 retail sector employees revealed that age is negatively related to customer stressors but no direct relationships were found with stress management strategies. Moderation analysis revealed no pattern of interaction between customer stressors and age on burnout, although the older retail employees were less likely to experience cynicism when exposed to disliked customers. A key finding of this study is that older employees’ stress management strategies of emotion control and active coping had a more positive effect on emotional exhaustion and cynicism compared to younger employees. As with previous studies few significant results were found for professional efficacy. The stress management strategies of humour and downplay had limited interaction effects with age. Exploratory analyses of three-way interactions between humour and downplay, customer stressors, and ...

Job insecurity and the benefits of work

Abstract: The presented study combines conservation of resource theory with latent deprivation theory to explain the negative relationship between job insecurity and mental health. Specifically, we propose that people who face the threat of job insecure would perceive worse access to the benefits of work, which would explain the negative effect of job insecurity on mental health. In a two-wave study, employees rated their perceived job insecurity, their access to the benefits of work, and their mental health. Cross-sectional multiple mediation analysis at Time 1 (n = 295) and Time 2 (n = 236) showed that the negative relationship between job insecurity and mental health was partly due to a perceived lack of the benefits of work. Longitudinal results (n = 173) revealed that job insecurity was related to a decrease in financial benefits, which in turn predicted mental health. However, this effect was only visible if it was not controlled for prior levels of the benefits of work. The results are discussed with regards...

Does emotion regulation protect employees from the negative effects of workplace aggression

Abstract: Workplace aggression poses a significant challenge to organizations due to its potential impact on employees' mental and physical well-being. Using two studies, this article investigates whether emotion regulation could alleviate the negative effects of exposure to workplace aggression on employees' experience of strain, among social workers (N = 77) and emergency services personnel (N = 70). As predicted from coping theories of emotion regulation, Studies 1 and 2 showed that using the emotion regulation strategy of reappraisal during interactions with individuals from inside the organization (e.g., coworkers or managers) attenuated the workplace aggression–strain link. Conversely, but consistent with emotional labour theories of emotion regulation, engaging in reappraisal and suppression during interactions with legitimate outsiders (e.g., clients or patients) strengthened the workplace aggression–strain link. The findings have implications for both theory and practical interventions regarding workplace ...

Two parallel mechanisms of the relationship between justice perceptions and employees' citizenship behaviour: A comparison of the organizational identification and social exchange perspective

Abstract: Based on the widely accepted relationship between procedural justice and organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB), this study examines and compares two mechanisms—social exchange with organization and organizational identification, through which employees are motivated to engage in organizational citizenship behaviour. A total of 152 teachers and their corresponding peers in a middle school completed the survey. We used bootstrapping to test our hypotheses. We found that procedural justice perception of employees is associated with their OCB-I (individual-oriented OCB) and OCB-O (organizational-oriented OCB) through two different mechanisms. Justice perception was related to OCB-I mainly through social exchange. Meanwhile the effect of justice perception on OCB-O was mainly channelled through organizational identification of the employees. Social exchange and identification are two parallel mechanisms, which may explain the relationship between procedural justice and OCB. However, their psychological me...