Abstract
Orientation: Sense of coherence and, more recently, work-related sense of coherence are regarded as significant variables in promoting the management of employees’ wellness in modern organisations. Research purpose: The aim of the present study was to investigate whether work-related sense of coherence, as a context-specific application of sense of coherence, provides incremental validity over and above sense of coherence in explaining indicators of work wellness. Motivation for the study: It is important to know if the context-specific, work-related sense of coherence is a better predictor of work wellness in comparison with general sense of coherence in order to guide interventions aimed at the development and enhancement of employees’ wellness. Research approach, design and method: A cross-sectional survey design was used with a convenience sample (N = 734) of part-time and full-time working adults completing an online module at a distance education institution. A biographical questionnaire, the Work-related sense of coherence (SoC) Questionnaire, the Orientation to Life Questionnaire, the Fatigue Scale and Work Engagement Scale were administered. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed to achieve the objective of the study. Main findings: Work-related sense of coherence displayed incremental validity over and above that of sense of coherence in predicting work engagement and fatigue. However, sense of coherence was a stronger predictor of fatigue, while work-related sense of coherence was a stronger predictor of work engagement. Practical managerial implications: In planning interventions to address the work engagement or fatigue of employees, work-related sense of coherence could be used as a practical indicator of coherent work experiences, especially in predicting work engagement. Contribution: The results of the study should provide new insight into the shared variance between work-related sense of coherence and sense of coherence. The results indicated that the factors are interrelated but independent and that work-related sense of coherence adds incremental variance in predicting work engagement and fatigue in the context of work.
Highlights
More than three decades ago, Antonovsky (1987, p. 154) concluded that it is ‘unrealistic to think that a working environment totally free of stressors could be created; people will always have to cope’
Evidence from this study suggests that Work-sense of coherence’ (SoC) explains incremental variance and seems to be a stronger predictor of work-related stress than SoC (Eberz et al, 2011)
Model 1 was specified with Work-SoC consisting of three factors (Bauer et al, 2015; Van der Westhuizen & Ramasodi, 2016), SoC consisting of three factors (Barnard & Muller, 2012; Van Schalkwyk & Rothmann, 2008); fatigue consisting of one factor (Asiwe et al, 2014); and work engagement consisting of three factors (Schaufeli et al, 2006)
Summary
More than three decades ago, Antonovsky (1987, p. 154) concluded that it is ‘unrealistic to think that a working environment totally free of stressors could be created; people will always have to cope’. 154) concluded that it is ‘unrealistic to think that a working environment totally free of stressors could be created; people will always have to cope’. He coined the concept ‘sense of coherence’ (SoC) (Antonovsky, 1979), and research has consistently shown that employees with a strong SoC cope more efficiently with stressors in the working environment (Feldt, 1997; Van der Colff & Rothmann, 2009) and may even experience less risk of developing symptoms of ill-health relating to burnout over a 10-year period (Kalimo, Pahkin, Muthanen & Topipinen-Tanner, 2003). The purpose of this research was to determine whether Work-SoC provides incremental validity above and beyond that of SoC in predicting work engagement and fatigue as indicators of work wellness
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