Employee Well-being Outcomes Research Articles

Supervisor resilience promotes employee well-being: The role of resource crossover

Drawing on Conservation of Resources theory and Crossover theory, we investigated the potential for crossover of a personal resource, resilience, from supervisors to employees. Specifically, the present study examined whether supervisor resilience influences employee well-being via a top-down resilience crossover process. The present study utilized a time-lagged design with three data points over a 9-month period. The sample consisted of 178 supervisors and 741 employees from the United States National Guard. Multi-level models controlling for baseline levels of the outcome variables demonstrated support for time-lagged resilience crossover from supervisor to employee. Moreover, results demonstrated support for the subsequent indirect effects on improved employee well-being outcomes including lower burnout and psychological distress, and greater life satisfaction. As such, our research contributes to our understanding of promoting employee resilience, crossover effects, and promoting employee well-being. In doing so, we integrate COR theory and Crossover theory to elucidate personal resource crossover as it pertains to supervisor and employee resilience. Additionally, we expand on understanding of how supervisor resilience can have indirect positive effects on employee well-being. Implications for theory and practice, as well as future research directions are also discussed in light of our findings.

Well-being and empowerment perceptions in a sudden shift to working from home

In the literature on the antecedents and mediators of employee well-being, there is little or no acknowledgement of sudden changes in the social and environmental context in which perceptions of well-being are formed. Contextual influences are rarely so impactful and unexpected as those associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. To continue operating within lockdown restrictions, many organizations, apart from those unable or unwilling to initiate such changes, abruptly adopted a work from home (WFH) or hybrid working pattern. These circumstances raise novel questions about the influence of impactful, unanticipated contextual factors on employee well-being outcomes. To address these questions in the context of a shift to WFH, we tested a model adapted from aspects of Event Systems Theory (EST) and the Psychology of Working Theory (PWT). Central to our theoretical adaptation was a unique perspective on PWT “decent work” perceptions based on principles of empowerment. In a study of 337 employees during the lockdown period, we applied a Bayesian multilevel model to investigate the contrast between in-lockdown perceptions relative to current pre-lockdown perceptions. Results suggested the contextual shift to WFH related negatively to relative perceptions of well-being, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. Empowerment significantly mediated all well-being outcomes. Organizational support, neuroticism, and home readiness related directly to empowerment and indirectly to well-being outcomes via empowerment. We discuss how sudden contextual changes interacted with relationships observed in our model, and how our findings progress a context-responsive adaptation of EST and PWT in the new world of WFH.

Employee Perceptions of Supervisor Credibility: Predictive Effects for Employee Well-Being Outcomes

Supervisor credibility was used to predict employee well-being indices in two separate studies (total N = 675). In Study 1, perceptions of supervisor credibility (competence, goodwill, and trustworthiness) were all positively related to job satisfaction, motivation, and organizational commitment. Regression analyses indicated that goodwill was the strongest predictor of all three employee well-being outcomes. In Study 2, all three dimensions of supervisor credibility were positively related to empowerment and personal accomplishment, and negatively related to burnout. Regression analyses indicated that goodwill was the strongest predictor of empowerment and both dimensions of burnout, whereas competence was the best predictor of accomplishment.

Enabling successful change in a high-demand working environment: a case study in a health care organization

PurposeThe anticipation of organizational change and the transition process often creates uncertainty for employees and can lead to stress and anxiety. It is therefore essential for all organizations, especially those that operate in high-demand working environments, to support the well-being of staff throughout the change process.Design/methodology/approachResearch on how employees respond to the organizational change of relocating to a new work space is limited. To fill this gap in the research, we present a case study examining the well-being of clinical and health care employees before and after a disruptive change: relocation in workplace facilities. In addition, factors that enabled successful change in this high-stress, high-demand working environment were investigated. Interviews were conducted with 20 participants before the relocation and 11 participants after relocation. Following an inductive approach, data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify key themes.FindingsOur findings suggest that a supportive team, inclusive leadership and a psychologically safe environment, may buffer negative employee well-being outcomes during disruptive organizational change.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the literature on successful organizational change in health care by highlighting the resources which support well-being throughout the change process and enabling the successful transition to a new facility.

Feeling safe to speak up: Leaders improving employee wellbeing through psychological safety

Leaders play an integral role in developing psychologically safe workplaces. To better understand the mechanisms that transmit leadership behaviors and the broader employee wellbeing outcomes as a result, more insight in high-demand, hierarchical working environments is necessary. In this article the authors explore psychological safety as a mechanism through which leadership influences wellbeing and employee experience in the context of New Zealand legal practice. Law firms are often hierarchical in nature, potentially creating power differences which can prevent employees from speaking up, and where employees are known to experience poor wellbeing. To test the hypothesized relationships, a time-lagged study design was used with surveys tested at two timepoints on 89 lawyers working in law firms. Results showed that psychological safety mediates the relationship between leadership and both positive and negative aspects of employee experience (general wellbeing, intrapersonal wellbeing, job satisfaction, self-reported performance, incivility, and burnout).

How does AI-enabled HR analytics influence employee resilience: job crafting as a mediator and HRM system strength as a moderator

PurposeBased on the JD-R model and process-focused HRM perspective, this research paper aims to investigate the processes underlying the relationship between AI-enabled HR analytics and employee well-being outcomes (resilience) that received less attention in the AI-driven HRM literature. Specifically, this study aims to examine the indirect effect between AI-enabled HR analytics and employee resilience via job crafting, moderated by HRM system strength to highlight the contextual stimulus of AI-enabled HR analytics.Design/methodology/approachThe authors adopted a time-lagged research design (one-month interval) to test the proposed hypotheses. The authors used two-wave surveys to collect data from 175 full-time hotel employees in China.FindingsThe findings indicated that employees' perceptions of AI-enabled HR analytics enhance their resilience. This study also found the mediation role of job crafting in the mentioned relationship. Moreover, the positive effects of AI-enabled HR analytics on employee resilience amplify in the presence of a strong HRM system.Practical implicationsOrganizations that aim to utilize AI-enabled HR analytics to achieve organizational missions should also dedicate attention to its associated employee well-being outcomes.Originality/valueThis study enriched the literature with regard to AI-driven HRM in that it identifies the mediating role of job crafting and the moderating role of HRM system strength in the relationship between AI-enabled HR analytics and employee resilience.

Preconception Health in the Workplace: An Opportunity to Support Equitable Access to Education.

Preconception health is a key determinant of pregnancy and offspring outcomes, but challenges reaching people during preconception are frequently cited by health professionals. This article highlights the workplace as an important setting for promoting equitable access to preconception health-related information and education to support optimal well-being before pregnancy. Workplaces can support equitable access to education and knowledge for preconception health: (1) due to the high engagement of reproductive-age women in the workforce and (2) by reaching vulnerable or high-risk population groups who may otherwise face barriers to accessing preconception health information. Literature that explicitly investigates workplace delivery of preconception health promotion programs is scarce. However, workplace health promotion more broadly is associated with improved corporate competitiveness, productivity, and strengthened employee-employer relationships. Workplace health promotion activities may also address social determinants of health and improve employee well-being outcomes. The opportunity for workplaces to benefit from an increase in the bottom line makes workplace health promotion programs more attractive, but organizational support and stakeholder engagement are needed to facilitate the design and delivery of successful workplace preconception health education programs. Such programs have the potential to facilitate health gains for women and their families.

The influence of pandemic-related workplace safety practices on frontline service employee wellbeing outcomes

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of frontline employee (FLEs) to infections and other hazards and highlighted the importance of workplace safety practices (WSP) for service organizations. In response to the critical issue of service safety, we developed and empirically tested a model proposing that WSPs negatively influence FLE perceptions of pandemic related threats and positively influence their perceptions of organizational supportiveness (POS). In turn, these perceptions have time-lagged effects on two aspects of FLE wellbeing—reduced emotional exhaustion and increased work engagement. Utilizing data from a two-wave (separated by a month) survey panel consisting of 310 FLEs across the United States, we found evidence for all hypothesized relationships. We discuss the practical and theoretical implications of our findings and provide suggestions for future research on service safety on the organizational frontlines.

Antecedent and employee well-being outcomes of perceived benefits schemes: a two-wave study

PurposeThe purpose of the research is to examine the antecedent and employee well-being outcomes of employees' perceptions of benefits schemes.Design/methodology/approachData were collected using both paper-based and web-based questionnaires over two time points (one month apart). The sample included 281 participants in eight companies in China. Structural equation modelling was employed to investigate the relationship between Chinese traditionality, perceived benefits schemes, job involvement and emotional exhaustion.FindingsChinese traditionality is an antecedent of employees' perceptions of benefits schemes. Perceived benefits schemes are negatively associated with emotional exhaustion. Moreover, job involvement mediates the relationship between perceived benefits schemes and emotional exhaustion.Research limitations/implicationsThe data were collected in eight manufacturing companies in China, which may raise concerns about the generalisability of findings across industries, nations and cultures. Larger, more representative and cross-contextual samples are needed for future research to test the results further.Practical implicationsManagers should anticipate that employees with different cultural values may develop dissimilar perceptions of the same benefits schemes. Hence, managers need to communicate the benefits schemes to distinct employee groups in different ways.Originality/valueBased on the conservation of resources model, this research offers theoretical insights into the mechanisms through which perceived benefits schemes influence employee health well-being. In addition, this research tests an antecedent of perceived benefits schemes.

The Influence of Pandemic-Related Workplace Safety Practices on Frontline Service Employee Wellbeing Outcomes

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of frontline employee (FLEs) to infections and other hazards, and highlighted the importance of workplace safety practices (WSP) for service organizations. In response to the critical issue of service safety, we developed and empirically tested a model proposing that WSPs negatively influence FLE perceptions of pandemic related threats and positively influence their perceptions of organizational supportiveness (POS). In turn, these perceptions have time-lagged effects on FLE wellbeing, i.e., emotional exhaustion and work engagement. Utilizing data from a two-wave (separated by a month) survey panel consisting of 310 FLEs across the United States, we found evidence for all hypothesized relationships. We discuss the practical and theoretical implications of our findings and provide suggestions for future research on service safety on the organizational frontlines.

Roles of effort and reward in well-being for police officers in Singapore: The effort-reward imbalance model

RationaleDespite the growing body of research on the effort-reward imbalance (ERI) model, evidence is scarce for the generalizability of the model across various national and occupational contexts. Also, studies that examine a wider variety of health and well-being outcomes of ERI are warranted, especially in vocations in which effort and stress is known to be high and reward is usually limited – such as policing. ObjectiveThe current study examined the relationship between the ERI perception and four employee well-being outcomes (self-reported physical health, sickness absence, job satisfaction, and work-life effectiveness) among a sample of police officers in Singapore. MethodsCross-sectional survey data collected from a large representative sample of uniformed police officers from Singapore were used (N = 8729). Missing data were handled with the multiple imputation method and logistic regression analyses were used to test hypotheses. ResultsIn line with the theory, employees characterized by high intrinsic effort and low reward (ERI > 1) reported significantly elevated odds ratios of poor physical health (OR = 1.25), job dissatisfaction (OR = 1.53), and work-life ineffectiveness (OR = 1.31). Contrary to expectations, an unusual relationship was observed such that police officers who were overcommitted exhibited lower odds ratios of the suboptimal outcomes. Interestingly, police officers in the low effort–low reward condition exhibited the worst outcomes, whereas officers in the high effort–high reward condition reported optimal outcomes. Findings were generally consistent across genders and age groups. ConclusionsThis research bolsters the core proposition of the ERI model and emphasizes the importance of social and occupational contexts in the study of ERI.

Tenets of self-determination theory as a mechanism behind challenge demands: a within-person study

PurposeThis study investigated a mechanism by which challenge stressors may affect employee well-being outcomes. This study tested a within-person longitudinal model in which the effects of challenge demands relate to basic psychological need satisfaction/thwarting and worker well-being outcomes. In particular, basic psychological need satisfaction and thwarting were hypothesized to mediate challenge demands and outcomes at the intraindividual level.Design/methodology/approachData from 84 employees from a weekly survey across four weeks (308 observations) were used in Bayesian multilevel path analyses to test hypotheses.FindingsAlthough significant indirect effects showed that basic psychological needs mediate between demands and worker outcomes, only a few specific indirect effects (e.g. the path from time pressure via thwarting the need for autonomy to emotional exhaustion) operated as hypothesized. Interestingly, in this study, time pressure was only mediated via thwarting the need for autonomy when considering undesirable worker outcomes (i.e. increased emotional exhaustion, decreased job satisfaction). Job complexity, however, led to decreased emotional exhaustion via the need for competence satisfaction. Implications for need satisfaction and thwarting as mechanisms in the challenge–hindrance framework are discussed.Originality/valueThis study (1) extends the challenge–hindrance framework to include basic psychological needs as a mechanism, (2) expands basic psychological needs to include need thwarting and (3) may enhance our understanding of stressor categories.

Job crafting mediates how empowering leadership and employees’ core self-evaluations predict favourable and unfavourable outcomes

ABSTRACTBased on job crafting theory and workplace resources theories, the present study develops a model of both antecedents and consequences of job crafting. We hypothesized subordinates’ perceptions of empowering leadership and core self-evaluations influence employee job crafting behaviours, which subsequently influence four outcomes: improving three employee well-being outcomes, (a) work-family enrichment, (b) flourishing, and (c) life satisfaction; and simultaneously reducing the organizational outcome of (d) deviant behaviours. Three-waves of data over nine months were collected from U.S. full-time employees (n = 276). Results showed empowering leadership and core self-evaluations positively related to expansive/approach forms of job crafting behaviours, which in turn related to the three different well-being outcomes. However, job crafting did not affect employee deviant behaviour. Instead, empowering leadership and core self-evaluations directly predicted less deviant behaviour. With the imputed data, we also found job crafting had a significant but weak relationship with deviant behaviour. These findings provide an integrated understanding of how and why employees engage in job crafting, and the important influence that job crafting has on employees’ subjective well-being. The present study advances leadership and job crafting theories, providing practical recommendations for promoting employee well-being and decreasing undesirable behaviours in the form of workplace deviance.

Mindfulness training improves employee well-being: A randomized controlled trial.

Organizations are turning toward behavioral interventions with the aim of improving employee well-being and job performance. Mindfulness training has been suggested as one type of intervention that can achieve these goals, but few active treatment randomized controlled trials have been conducted. We conducted a randomized controlled trial among employees of a midwestern marketing firm (n = 60) that compared the effects of 6-week mindfulness training program with that of a half-day mindfulness training seminar comparison program on employee well-being outcomes. Although both groups improved comparably on job productivity, the 6-week mindfulness training group had significantly greater improvement in attentional focus at work and decreases in work-life conflict, as well as a marginal improvement in job satisfaction compared with the half-day seminar comparison group. These findings suggest that although small doses of mindfulness training may be sufficient to foster increased perceptions of job productivity, longer term mindfulness training programs are needed to improve focus, job satisfaction, and a positive relationship to work. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

SHRM and context: why firms want to be as different as legitimately possible

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to raise awareness that despite many calls for attention to a firm’s context in considering consequences for human resource management (HRM) and performance, research progress to date has been limited at best, although promising signs of change are emerging. Moreover, what has been defined as “performance” is coming under increasing scrutiny, with a more holistic concept emerging that balances both a firm’s financial performance and employee well-being. The question remains whether this is a mutual gains or conflicting outcomes situation for the firmvis-á-visthe employee.Design/methodology/approachThis paper presents a framework that facilitates a broader context-centric analysis of the HRM and performance relationship. In so doing, the authors posit that context should no longer merely be an obligatory control variable in a research design, but instead should be explicitly incorporated in both theory development and empirical model testing.FindingsThe Contextual SHRM Framework demonstrates how key organizational actors can balance competitive, heritage and institutional mechanisms to create an appropriate strategic HRM (SHRM) system capable of delivering organizational outcomes that balance financial and employee well-being outcomes, which in the long run impact societal well-being that, in turn, recreates the firm’s operating context. At the heart of the framework is an iterative process between context and the SHRM system, achieving an appropriate level of dynamic fit across the various components.Practical implicationsIn addition to empirical research, the framework has to date been widely used in executive development training, serving as a force field analysis tool allowing simultaneous consideration of the external and internal elements of a firm’s context, key organizational actors and SHRM system outcomes. HR professionals applying the framework to their organization can add value by demonstrating the clear linkage between the business strategy, the HRM system and the firm’s operating context.Originality/valueThis paper is designed to encourage new directions in future research and practice. The Contextual SHRM Framework is presented as a novel tool to facilitate advancement of the HRM and performance field of study.

Emotional Intelligence, Emotional Labor, and Emotional Exhaustion among Korean Fitness Employees

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among emotional intelligence, two forms of emotional labor (i.e. surface acting and deep acting), and emotional exhaustion among Korean fitness employees. A total of 217 participants completed the questionnaires measuring their level of emotional intelligence, surface acting, deep acting, and emotional exhaustion. The results indicated that emotional intelligence had a positive impact on surface acting and a negative impact on deep acting. Furthermore, a negative link between surface acting and emotional exhaustion was found, whereas no significant link was displayed between deep acting and emotional exhaustion. The results also revealed that different types of emotional labor fitness employees utilize can impact various employee well-being outcomes. In addition, emotional intelligence was found to play an important role in selecting health-detrimental strategy of surface acting among fitness employees.

Leader personality and employees’ experience of workplace stressors

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to explore relationships between leader personality traits (neuroticism and conscientiousness) and four specific workplace stressors (control; work overload; work-life balance and managerial relationships) experienced by work group members.Design/methodology/approach– The authors accessed personality data fromN=84 leaders and surveyed members of their respective work groups (N=928) to measure established workplace stressors. Multi-level modelling analyses were conducted to explore relationships between leader neuroticism and conscientiousness and work group members’ perceptions of sources of pressure.Findings– The results relate to the general problem of how, and to what extent leaders have an impact on the well-being of members of their workgroups. Although previous research has generally associated conscientiousness with effective leadership, the results suggest that some facets of conscientiousness may be less useful for leadership effectiveness than others. In particular, the results show that leaders’ levels of achievement striving are linked to poor work life balance scores for their workgroups. The results also show that leader neuroticism is not related to work group members’ perceptions of sources of pressure.Practical implications– The findings showed that leader personality influences three out of the four employee stressors hypothesized. The idea that the influence of leader personality may be relatively indirect via employee working conditions is potentially important and suggests implications for practice. To the extent that the negative effects of leader personality are mediated via working conditions, it may be feasible to counter, or at least assuage such effects by implementing appropriate regulations or working practices that mitigate leaders’ ability to influence the specific conditions in question.Originality/value– Most studies have focused on how employee well-being outcomes are influenced through the direct impacts of leadership styles and behaviours, or contagious emotions. The authors explore an alternative and untested proposition that the leaders’ personality influences the working conditions that are afforded to subordinates. No empirical research to date have examined the relationships between leader personality and workplace stressors. The research also demonstrates the importance of using facet-level personality measures, compared with measures at the broad domain level.

The relationship between leadership support, workplace health promotion and employee wellbeing in South Africa

Leadership support has been identified as an essential component of successful workplace health promotion (WHP) programs. However, there is little research in this area and even less theoretical conceptualization on ways in which leadership support for WHP is related to improved employee wellbeing. In this paper, we developed and tested a model of leadership support for WHP and employee wellbeing outcomes using employer and employee data gathered from 71 South African organizations. A theoretical model based on social exchange theory was developed. It was hypothesized that perceptions of company commitment to health promotion mediates the relationship between leadership support, the provision of WHP facilities and employee wellbeing. A hierarchical structural equation modeling technique was used to test the model. We determined that leaders' support for WHP was important insofar as they also provided health promotion facilities to their employees. No direct relationship was found between leadership support alone and employee wellbeing.

Team-based working and employee well-being: A cross-cultural comparison of United Kingdom and Hong Kong health services

This study examined the impact of team-based working, team structure, and job design on employee well-being (in term of job satisfaction and work stress) in staff working in healthcare organizations in Hong Kong. Cross-cultural differences in the impact of job design, team structure, and employee well-being outcomes between United Kingdom and Hong Kong were also investigated. A group of 197 staff from two Hong Kong hospitals were compared to a sample of 270 UK staff working in National Health Service organizations in the UK. Results showed that team structure and job design were significantly associated with greater employee satisfaction and lower stress for Hong Kong healthcare staff. Culture was also found to moderate the impact of team structure and job design on employee well-being. The findings suggest that although team structure and job design contribute to employee well-being, they have differential impacts across cultures. This provides insights to policy planning on building team-based organizations in the healthcare sector involving multinational collaboration.

Effects of mental demands during dispensing on perceived medication safety and employee well-being: A study of workload in pediatric hospital pharmacies

Background Pharmacy workload is a modifiable work system factor believed to affect both medication safety outcomes and employee outcomes, such as job satisfaction. Objectives This study sought to measure the effect of workload on safety and employee outcomes in 2 pediatric hospitals and to do so using a novel approach to pharmacy workload measurement. Methods Rather than measuring prescription volume or other similar indicators, this study measured the type and intensity of mental demands experienced during the medication dispensing tasks. The effects of external (interruptions, divided attention, and rushing) and internal (concentration and effort) task demands on perceived medication error likelihood, adverse drug event likelihood, job dissatisfaction, and burnout were statistically estimated using multiple linear and logistic regression. Results Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians reported high levels of external and internal mental demands during dispensing. The study supported the hypothesis that external demands (interruptions, divided attention, and rushing) negatively impacted medication safety and employee well-being outcomes. However, as hypothesized, increasing levels of internal demands (concentration and effort) were not associated with greater perceived likelihood of error, adverse drug events, or burnout and even had a positive effect on job satisfaction. Conclusions Replicating a prior study in nursing, this study shows that new conceptualizations and measures of workload can generate important new findings about both detrimental and beneficial effects of workload on patient safety and employee well-being. This study discusses what those findings imply for policy, management, and design concerning automation, cognition, and staffing.