Chinese Working Adults Research Articles

Predicting work values: A psychology of working theory perspective

Drawing on the perspective of the Psychology of Working Theory, this study adopted a latent change score model to examine how changes in work volition and decent work during the COVID-19 pandemic related to post-pandemic work values. We conducted a three-wave longitudinal study with 276 Chinese working adults over nearly three years. We found that higher levels of and increases in work volition positively related to increases in decent work during the pandemic. Increases in decent work also negatively related to the work value of pay and positively related to the work value of relationships. Finally, higher levels of decent work during the early stages of the pandemic were positively related to three post-pandemic work values: autonomy, relationships, and altruism. Overall, we demonstrated that the Psychology of Working Theory explains work values, contributing to a deeper understanding of how work values were influenced by the work experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Servant Leadership and Work–Family Conflict: The Dual Mediation Effects of Thriving at Work and Workaholism

ABSTRACTExtant research has uniformly demonstrated that servant leadership is beneficial for followers, teams, and even organizations. Drawing upon social information processing theory and social exchange theory, we challenge this prevalent conclusion by analyzing the dual impact mechanism of servant leadership on followers' work–family conflict. A total of 402 Chinese working adults responded to a three‐wave online questionnaire survey. The results revealed that: on the one hand, servant leadership can enhance thriving at work and reduce the work–family conflict of subordinates; on the other hand, servant leadership can also trigger workaholism in subordinates, which can increase work–family conflict. Traditionality of followers moderates the dual mechanism of servant leadership on work–family conflict. This study reveals the benefits and perils of servant leadership and the important role that traditionality plays in this unique leadership process.

Gender and Age Invariance of the Global Belief in a Just World Scale

Abstract: Belief in a Just World (BJW) underscores the psychological inclination of individuals to view the world as just, where outcomes typically correspond with one’s actions and behaviors. Despite the widespread application of the Global Belief in a Just World Scale (GBJWS) in the social sciences as a measure for the BJW construct, there remains an insufficient exploration of its measurement invariance across age and gender, especially among Chinese working adults. This study aims to fill this gap by using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) for gender invariance and local structural equation modeling for age invariance assessment. Statistics analyses with 2,128 participants confirmed configural, metric, and scalar invariance for gender, with latent mean comparisons revealing no significant gender differences in BJW. However, age invariance did not reach scalar invariance, suggesting caution in utilizing the one-factor structure of the GBJWS for age-related research. This investigation offers a deeper understanding of the GBJWS’s validity and responds to the pressing call for research on the scale’s applicability across diverse demographic contexts.

Development and validation of an instrument to measure Chinese post-secondary and part-time students’ motivation to learn accounting in Hong Kong

In the current research, we developed and validated a questionnaire to measure Chinese working adults’ motivation to study accounting on a path of lifelong learning in Hong Kong, China. We conducted individual in-depth interviews with adult learners ( n = 30) and professionals ( n = 12) in study 1 and study 2. Qualitative analysis showed six specific common themes for Chinese working adults’ motivation to learn accounting. Based on these results and the research literature, we developed a list of 31 provisional items for the questionnaire. In Study 3, we administered the provisional questionnaire to students ( N = 426) from sub-degree, undergraduate, and graduate programs. These data were analyzed using quantitative analysis. Exploratory factor analysis showed a six-dimensional structure. Removal of redundant items resulted in a 17-item questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis provided evidence of the reliability and validity of this measure, which assesses six domains of adult learners’ motivations for pursuing continuing education in accounting: development of knowledge and skills; family cohesion; reinforcement of social networking and communication; career development; enrichment of life; and self-development. This measure in the Chinese cultural context can be used for research purposes and for assessing students’ motivation in accounting programs in Hong Kong.

An integrated model on purchase intentions of typical and tax-deductible saving products: The roles of retirement goal clarity and age

Previous research on retirement planning largely focuses on the general tendency to save for retirement. By integrating two theoretical models, namely, interdisciplinary psycho-motivation model and the theory of reasoned action, the present study aims to advance the previous work to examine the effects of social (social norms and social support) and psychological (future time perspective and financial literacy) factors on behavioral intentions for purchasing specific financial products for retirement. Cross-sectional data were obtained from 598 Hong Kong Chinese working adults of a wide age range. Mediation analysis showed that retirement goal clarity could partly account for the effects of financial literacy, social norms, and social support on the purchase intentions of both annuity and other saving products in the commercial market. Additional moderated mediation analyses revealed a stronger mediating effect of retirement goal clarity on the relationship between social norms and annuity products in younger workers than that in older workers. Findings of this study provide valuable insights into the roles of retirement goal clarity and age in the purchase intentions of financial products for retirement. The examination of the newly launched tax-deductible products in younger and older workers further discloses these products are relatively more attractive to younger individuals as a means of financial retirement planning.

Work hard and sleep better: Work autonomy attenuates the longitudinal effect of workaholism on sleep problem among Chinese working adults.

The prevalence of workaholism has negative consequences on human health. Lack of sleep, a well-known problem among adults in modern society, is often attributed to overwork as a result of workaholism. Yet there is a lack of empirical research examining how and when workaholism will lead to sleep problems. To answer this question and to examine the longitudinal effect of workaholism on sleep in China, we investigate the mediating role of perceived evening responsibilities of work and the moderating effect of work autonomy. Two hundred and five Chinese working adults (58.0% female) voluntarily completed the online questionnaires at Time 1 (T1) and Time 2 (T2; 1-month later). Results showed that workaholism at T1 had a significant and positive correlation with sleep problem at T2. Further analysis suggested that perceived evening responsibilities of work fully mediated the relationship between workaholism and sleep problem. Work autonomy was shown to buffer the positive effect of workaholism on perceived evening responsibilities of work and attenuate the indirect effect of workaholism on sleep problem. While workers should be made aware of the negative impact of workaholism on sleep, organizations should also consider interventions to enhance employees' autonomy and control of their work.

Gamification-based intervention for enhancing team effectiveness and coping flexibility: Randomized controlled trial.

This study aimed to evaluate a newly developed gamification-based intervention of serious play training (SPT). A randomized controlled trial was conducted to assess the efficacy of the new intervention program in comparison with a widely adopted cognitive-behavioral training (CBT) program. Real-life work teams were recruited to enhance the ecological validity of outcome evaluation. The participants comprised 250 Chinese working adults (68% men; median age = 25 years, range: 18–40) who took part voluntarily. They were randomly assigned to the SPT, CBT, and waitlist conditions. For outcome evaluation, team effectiveness was the primary outcome, whereas coping flexibility was the secondary outcome. For explanation of outcome changes, group cohesion and discriminative thinking were tested as the hypothesized learning mechanisms. The results revealed that the SPT group alone reported greater team effectiveness over time, with an increase in group cohesion found to explain the improvement. Both the SPT and CBT groups reported greater coping flexibility over time, with discriminative thinking found to account for the beneficial changes. These findings provide initial evidence indicating the efficacy of utilizing the gamification approach in corporate training for team-building and personal coping.

Stressful Life Events and Chronic Fatigue Among Chinese Government Employees: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

BackgroundCurrently, evidence on the role of stressful life events in fatigue among the Chinese working adults is lacking. This study aimed at exploring the prospective associations between stressful life events and chronic fatigue among Chinese government employees.MethodsFrom January 2018 to December 2019, a total of 16206 government employees were included at baseline and they were followed-up until May 2021. A digital self-reported questionnaire platform was established to collect information on participants' health and covariates. Life events were assessed by the Life Events Scale (LES), fatigue was assessed by using a single item, measuring the frequency of its occurrence. Binary logistic regression analysis was used for the data analysis.ResultsOf the included 16206 Chinese government employees at baseline, 60.45% reported that they experienced negative stressful life events and 43.87% reported that they experienced positive stressful life events over the past year. Fatigue was reported by 7.74% of the sample at baseline and 8.19% at follow-up. Cumulative number of life events at baseline, and cumulative life events severity score at baseline were positively associated with self-reported fatigue at follow up, respectively. After adjusting sociodemographic factors, occupational factors and health behavior related factors, negative life events at baseline (OR: 2.06, 95% CI: 1.69–2.51) were significantly associated with self-reported fatigue at follow-up. Some specific life events including events related to work and events related to economic problems were significantly associated with self-reported fatigue. Specifically, work stress (OR = 1.76, 95%CI: 1.45–2.13), as well as not satisfied with the current job (OR = 1.95, 95%CI: 1.58–2.40), in debt (OR = 1.75, 95%CI: 1.40–2.17) were significantly associated with self-reported fatigue. The economic situation has improved significantly (OR = 0.62, 95%CI: 0.46–0.85) at baseline was significantly associated with lower incidence of self-reported fatigue.ConclusionNegative stressful life events were associated with fatigue among Chinese government employees. Effective interventions should be provided to employees who have experienced negative stressful life events.

Work Volition Scale for Chinese Working Adults: A Cross-Cultural Validation Study

The present study aims to validate the Chinese version of the Work Volition Scales (WVS), an instrument that assesses three components of work volition: volition, financial constraint, and construct constraint. In Study 1 ( N = 498), the WVS was translated into Chinese, and an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted resulting in that three factors were consistent with the original scale. In Study 2 ( N = 442), the confirmatory factor analysis showed that the bifactor model provided the most parsimonious fit to the data. The measurement invariance test then revealed that the WVS is equivalent across gender, age, education level, and job tenure. In addition, convergent and concurrent validity supported the finding that the WVS and three subscales are linked with related variables. The results support significant incremental validity in predicting career satisfaction, meaningful work, and life well-being. The findings suggest that the WVS is a valuable instrument for researchers and career counselors who seek to explore work volition among Chinese working adults.

Learning English with the mobile language learning application 'Duolingo': the experiences of three working adults at different proficiency levels

Duolingo, one of the most popular mobile applications for English learning, has been studied extensively to assess the effectiveness of Duolingo-Assisted Language Learning (DALL). However, most studies have focused on learning outcomes, few have discussed the learning process, and even fewer have investigated working adults. Accordingly, the present study investigated the DALL experiences of three Chinese working adults who graduated from colleges and continued to learn English for various purposes. The three who were at the basic, intermediate and advanced levels had been learning English with Duolingo for a month. Throughout this month, they reported their learning experiences through think-aloud protocols and reflective learning logs, after which they were interviewed. The results indicated that the basic-level learner used more strategies than the intermediate- and advanced-level learners, which enriched the literature. All three participants showed generally positive perceptions of Duolingo. They moved up to higher course levels after one-month Duolingo learning, indicating that language learners may consider using Duolingo for self-access language learning.

Financial Planning for Retirement: Developing an Integrated Model

With higher life expectancy of the aging population, retirees nowadays will spend a prolonged period of time after retirement. Yet, past studies have consistently revealed a lack of retirement savings among working adults, implying an inadequacy to maintain the quality of life in late adulthood. This study therefore aims to identify the factors influencing the working adults’ intention to purchase financial products for retirement (such as deferred annuity and voluntary contribution to retirement fund) and develop an integrated model of financial planning for retirement. A total of 598 Hong Kong Chinese working adults from diverse age and income groups completed an online survey on intentions to save and purchase specific financial products for retirement. The results of MANCOVA reveal that compared to older workers, younger workers had lower intentions to save and purchase financial products for their retirement even after controlling for their monthly income [F(16,1797)=2.24, p=.003, partial n2=.015]. An integrated model of financial planning for retirement is proposed by incorporating the concepts of the interdisciplinary psycho-motivation model and Theory of Reasoned Actions (χ2 = 40.42, p<.001, CFI = .99, RMSEA = .07, SRMR = .02). In particular, the positive effects of financial literacy, subjective norms, social support, and future time perspective on intention to save and purchase financial products for retirement have been found to be mediated by retirement goal clarity but not attitudes towards retirement. Future direction on promoting younger and older workers’ retirement planning especially in the financial domain will also be discussed in the presentation.

How Servant Leadership Sparks Feedback-Seeking Behavior: A Moderated Mediation Model.

Drawing upon social information processing theory, we propose that moqi with supervisors mediates the relationship between servant leadership and follower feedback-seeking behavior. Subordinates’ traditionality plays a moderating role in this process. A total of 440 Chinese working adults responded to the two-wave questionnaire survey in paper and pencil forms. Correlation analyses, mediation analysis, and moderated mediation analysis was performed through R and SPSS PROCESS Macro. The results revealed that servant leadership positively correlates with followers’ feedback-seeking behavior via moqi with supervisors. Moreover, these indirect effects of servant leadership were moderated by traditionality, such that servant leadership had weaker relations with feedback-seeking behavior when traditionality was higher (vs. lower). Theoretical contributions and practical implications, limitations and suggestions for further study were discussed.

Job Dissatisfaction Mediated the Associations Between Work Stress and Mental Health Problems

Objective: This study aimed to explore the relationships and the underlying mechanisms between work stress and mental health problems, and potential mediation effects through job dissatisfaction in a working population.Methods: A large population-based study among workers in China was conducted. The self-reported scales of assessing job dissatisfaction and work stress were included in the questionnaire. Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2 and Patient Health Questionnaire-2 were used for assessment of mental health. Univariate logistic regression was conducted to test the associations between work stress and mental health. Path analysis was conducted to test the proposed mediation model.Results: Of the 6,190 included employees, 27.72% reported that they perceived work stress, 14.84% of them reported that they were not satisfied with their work, 5.01% of the employees reported depressive symptoms, and 3.75% of the employees reported anxiety symptoms. The results of univariate logistic regression showed that employees who perceived work stress were more likely to report anxiety symptoms (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.78; 95% CI: 2.03–3.79) or depressive symptoms (AOR = 1.61; 95% CI: 1.22–2.12). The path analysis showed that work stress was positively associated with job dissatisfaction. Job dissatisfaction mediated the relationship between work stress and mental health problems among Chinese working adults.Conclusion: This study suggests the importance of psychosocial work environment for mental health among Chinese working adults. Work dissatisfaction is a stressor that may induce negative consequences on the mental health among Chinese workers. Interventions to help workers with stress management may be beneficial for their mental health.

The Effects of Difficult Co-Workers on Employee Attitudinal Responses and Intention to Leave Among Chinese Working Adults

Difficult co-workers cause stress and create unpleasant work environments. Yet, the characteristics of difficult co-workers are not thoroughly explored. Following Fritz’s typology of troublesome others at work, this study conceptualized difficult co-workers as those whose traits and behaviors may provoke antipathy. The study also hypothesized that difficult co-workers would trigger negative attitudinal responses. Data were collected from 719 Chinese working adults. Results of structural equation modeling showed that difficult co-workers led to negative employees’ attitudes toward them, and indirectly led to employee intention to leave. Specifically, the study explored the cause of antipathy at work by identifying major unpleasant traits and behaviors of difficult co-workers.

Effect of ambient air quality on subjective well-being among Chinese working adults

In the context of rapid urbanization and climate change in China, it is especially important to understand the effects of air quality on the subjective well-being of working adults because of their prolonged exposure to air pollutants. This study examines the relationship between ambient air pollutant emission levels and the subjective well-being of working adults using multilevel regression models based on a multilevel matching dataset formulated from the 2016 China Labor-Force Dynamics Survey, the 2016 China City Statistical Yearbook, and the 3rd-Quarter 2016 air pollution index released by the China National Environmental Monitoring Centre. In particular, we examine whether these air pollutants affect subjective well-being and compare the results by age, population density, and regional settings in China. The results show that increased CO emissions compromise the happiness of working adults (β = −0.1574, p < 0.05 for happiness; β = −0.1759, p < 0.01 for life satisfaction). This negative effect is substantially ameliorated among older working adults (β = 0.0002), but is significantly stronger in medium-density (β = −0.2521 for happiness; β = −0.2451 for life satisfaction) and high-density cities (β = −0.3997 for happiness; β = −0.5736 for life satisfaction). In addition, CO emissions have less effect on life satisfaction for adult workers living in western China (β = −0.1051). The findings of this study have a strong potential to help policymakers improve the quality of life of residents through better-targeted approaches.

Validation of the Chinese Version of the Multidimensional Workaholism Scale

The aim of this study was to translate the Multidimensional Workaholism Scale (MWS) into Chinese and then test its reliability and validity among full-time Chinese employees in two stages. In Study 1 ( N = 220), the MWS was translated and exploratory factor analysis was conducted resulting in a four-factor solution consistent with the original MWS: motivational, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral. In Study 2 ( N = 425), confirmatory factor analysis showed that a four-factor, bifactor model was the best fit for the data. Configural, metric, and scalar invariance models were tested which demonstrated that the Chinese version of the MWS did not differ across gender, age, and job position groups. Finally, workaholism and engagement were related and distinct from one another, and they correlated with emotional exhaustion, work-family conflict and life well-being uniquely. This study indicated that the Chinese version of the MWS is a valid and reliable tool for Chinese employees, and this has important practical implications for the individual health and career development of Chinese working adults.

Follow or not follow?: The relationship between psychological entitlement and compliance with preventive measures to the COVID-19

Some recent evidence has shown that individuals with a higher sense of psychological entitlement were more likely to ignore instructions than individuals with a lower sense of psychological entitlement. Building on these findings, the current research investigated the relationship between psychological entitlement and breaching coronavirus restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using self-reported adherence to various infection prevention measures, Study 1 revealed that psychological entitlement positively predicted a lower likelihood of complying with distancing instructions in Chinese university students. Study 2 fully replicated these findings in a new sample of Chinese working adults. Moving beyond self-assessment of public health-compliance behaviors, Study 3 further assessed the relationship behaviorally and recapitulated the reported effects. Consistently, Studies 1 through 3 provided supporting evidence that fairness perceptions mediate the negative link between psychological entitlement and observance of preventive measures. Overall, our findings suggest that individual differences in psychological entitlement are associated with people's virus-mitigating behaviors in the fight against COVID-19.

The effect of formalism on unethical decision making: The mediating effect of moral disengagement and moderating effect of moral attentiveness

AbstractThis study examined the relationship between formalism and unethical decision making among Chinese working adults. A total of 316 Chinese adult employees completed measures of ethical predispositions, unethical decision making, moral disengagement, and moral attentiveness. The results showed that formalism was related to a weaker propensity to morally disengage. Moral disengagement positively predicted unethical decision making and mediated the relationship between formalism and unethical decision making. Further, perceptual moral attentiveness negatively moderated the relationship between formalism and moral disengagement. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are presented.

Measuring Physical Activity Self-efficacy, Self-regulation, Social Support among Hong Kong Working Adults: A Validation Study

Measuring Physical Activity Self-efficacy, Self-regulation, Social Support among Hong Kong Working Adults: A Validation Study Dr. Ka Man Tam, Prof. Siu Yin Cheung Abstract This study examined the validity and reliability of translated scales to measure physical activity (PA) related self-efficacy, self-regulations and social support in Hong Kong Chinese working adults. Subjects (N = 230, aged 19-63 years) were recruited by convenient sampling. To assess validity of the scales, both factorial validity and criterion validity were evaluated. The factorial validity was conducted by Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFA) while criterion validity was assessed by correlating measured constructs with self-reported physical activity. Cronbach‟s alaph was computed to evaluate internal consistency and intraclass correlation coefficient was evaluated to check scales test-retest reliability. The CFA results supported the one-factor structure of the scales. All physical activity correlates were significant (p < 0.01) associated with self-reported physical activity. All the scales demonstrated acceptable internal consistency and test-retest reliability. The result provides psychometric support for using the scales to measure PA correlates among Hong Kong working adults. Full Text: PDF DOI: 10.15640/jpesm.v7n1a8

Powered to craft? The roles of flexibility and perceived organizational support

This study examines employees' sense of power as a predictor of job crafting. Building on situated focus theory of power, we hypothesize that a personal sense of power enables employees to become more flexible, which in turn activates their job-crafting behavior. We further propose that perceived organizational support (POS) moderates this indirect relationship. Data were collected from 407 Chinese working adults via a three-phase online survey. The empirical results supported our proposed model. The findings suggest that to encourage job-crafting behavior, managers and organizations should seek to enhance their employees' sense of power, provide training to cultivate flexibility, and ensure that their employees have POS.