Occupational Self-Efficacy as a Mediator in the Reciprocal Relationship between Job Demands and Mental Health Complaints: A Three-Wave Investigation.

Jasmina Tomas

doi:10.3390/ijerph182111532

Abstract

The most recent version of the job demands-resources (JD–R) theory proposes that demanding working conditions and employee strain form a self-perpetuating loss cycle. By acknowledging that such cycles are detrimental for both employees and organizations, the present study aimed to contribute to enhancing the current scarce understanding regarding their explanatory mechanisms. For this purpose, it applied social cognitive theory to propose that occupational self-efficacy mediates the effects of two role stressors (i.e., role ambiguity and role conflict) on employee mental health complaints and vice versa. The hypothesized reciprocal mediation effects were tested using a three-wave full panel research design and a dataset of 917 (NT1 = 513, NT1+T2 = 122, NT1+T3 = 70, NT1+T2+T3 = 212) Croatian employees working in heterogeneous private sector industries. The results demonstrated that role conflict, but not role ambiguity, undermined employees’ beliefs in their capabilities to successfully master their jobs which, in turn, led them to experience more mental health complaints over time. Contrary to expectations, poor mental health did not lead to diminished efficacy beliefs nor, in turn, more job demands over time. Overall, the results of this study demonstrated an additional mechanism in the job demands-strain relationship and, at the same time, shed new light on the role of personal resources within the JD–R theory. Accounting for the malleable nature of employee efficacy beliefs, the study proposes several ways in which organizations can enhance occupational self-efficacy and thereby curb the causal chain linking job demands and employee strain reactions.

Highlights

Today we know very well that certain job characteristics, such as work overload and role ambiguity, can cause stress and harm employees’ health
All items were strongly related to the respective latent factor. This model fitted the data significantly better than an alternative three-factor model in which items intended to measure role ambiguity and role conflict loaded onto one factor at each wave (∆χ2 = 1188.115, ∆df = 30, p < 0.001, CFI = 0.860, TLI = 0.847, RMSEA = 0.040, SRMR = 0.065), and a one-factor model in which all items loaded onto one factor at each wave (∆χ2 = 5409.300, ∆df = 63, p < 0.001, CFI = 0.615, TLI = 0.586, RMSEA = 0.066, SRMR = 0.118)
These disparate results reflect the finding according to which role ambiguity did not exert the hypothesized detrimental effect on employees’ efficacy beliefs, whereas role conflict did lead to decreased occupational self-efficacy over time

Summary

Introduction

Today we know very well that certain job characteristics, such as work overload and role ambiguity, can cause stress and harm employees’ health. The most recent version of the JD–R theory accounts for growing evidence of reversed effects in which employees who experience high levels of stress and health issues may perceive and generate more job demands over time [1,2]. In this way, employees may find themselves caught in loss cycles, in which job demands lead to strain, which in turn again leads to job demands [3]. Chronically exhausted employees tend to perform poorly, spark conflicts with their colleagues and create confusion about work-related assignments [4], which can spill over onto the performance of entire organizations

Objectives

Results

Discussion

Conclusion