Higher Levels Of Work Engagement Research Articles

The mediating effects of adversity quotient and self-efficacy on ICU nurses' organizational climate and work engagement.

This study aimed to explore the mediating effects of adversity quotient and the moderating effect of self-efficacy on the relationship between the organizational climate and the work engagement of intensive care unit nurses. A good organizational climate can contribute to a high level of work engagement. Adversity quotient and self-efficacy are the key factors affecting nurses' work engagement, while the mechanism of these factors in the organizational climate and work engagement remains unclear. This study was conducted to contribute to the relevant field research. The study used a cross-sectional research design and surveyed 323 intensive care unit nurses working in a public hospital in China. The data were analysed using descriptive statistical methods: Pearson correlation analysis and PROCESS macro Model 7 in the regression analysis. Organizational climate was positively correlated with work engagement and adversity quotient. The indirect effect of organizational climate on work engagement through adversity quotient was positive. Furthermore, self-efficacy moderated the relationship between the two factors. Cultivating organizational climate and adversity quotients is an important strategy to improve the work engagement of intensive care unit nurses, particularly for nurses with high self-efficacy. Administrators should make efforts to create a good organizational climate and cultivate nurses' adversity quotients and self-efficacy to decrease their intent to leave.

Importance of work engagement in primary healthcare

BackgroundWork engagement is crucial for quality care at the primary healthcare level. This is especially true during the Covid-19 pandemic, as it has effects on the community from both a health and economic point of view. For example, inadequate work engagement can lead to fewer referrals to the secondary healthcare level. This study aims to examine the work engagement level in a public healthcare organisation at the primary healthcare level to further explore the role of work environment characteristics. The study addresses a research gap in the field of primary healthcare and emphasises the importance of managing the factors promoting work engagement. The future of healthcare will be strongly shaped by population ageing and Covid-19 disruption, which have created unpredictable and unfavourable working situations.MethodA descriptive, cross-sectional, correlational design was used including the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale with a non-probabilistic availability sample of 630 employees of the Community Health Centre Ljubljana, Slovenia, in 2018. The role of the work environment was observed by applying the job resources concept adapted to the context of the observed organisation.ResultsWork engagement in the observed organisation is higher compared to previous research. The research confirmed that job resources play an important role in employees’ work engagement. The high level of work engagement of the home care nursing employees coupled with the significant proportions of unengaged in the management of the organization also caught our attention. This difference highlights the importance of the leadership style, career choices and employment process that exist in an institution.ConclusionThe study has important implications for healthcare management at the primary level for unlocking the work engagement by ‘managing’ the factors stimulating work engagement. The hidden potential is especially large in so called ‘soft areas’, such as leadership style, communication and organisational climate, which are also less expensive to manage than other aspects of the work environment.

Association Between Low Back Pain, Workaholism, and Work Engagement in Japanese Hospital Workers: A Quantitative Cross-sectional Study.

This study aimed to examine the association between two types of heavy work investment, workaholism and work engagement, and low back pain prevalence. We conducted a paper-based survey of Japanese hospital workers. The Dutch Workaholism Scale (DUWAS) and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) were used to classify the participants into four groups and perform multiple logistic regression analyses. Among 699 participants, the group with low DUWAS and high UWES at 37.1% had the lowest low back pain prevalence. In order, the groups with low DUWAS and UWES were at 51.7%; those with high DUWAS and UWES, 58.5%; and those with high DUWAS and low UWES, 62.4%, with multivariate-adjusted odds ratios of 1.77, 2.01, and 2.33, respectively. Low back pain prevalence among Japanese hospital workers was reduced by high levels of work engagement, even at high levels of workaholism.

The Effect of Gamified E-learning on Employees' Engagement

Gamification is a concept that has not been analysed thoroughly for its positive outcomes or challenges. Although the effects of gamification in the field of education have been studied from numerous angles, gamified organisational learning features and the overall contribution of gamification have not been researched sufficiently. Following the implementation of a gamified E-learning platform, we conducted a case study in a Lebanese bank to measure the effects of gamified E-learning. The results showed that the adoption of gamified E-learning and employees' engagement levels were positively associated. Gamification also proved its importance in influencing employees' behaviour by creating a competitive environment and engaging employees on a knowledge-oriented platform. After the implementation, about 65% of employees declared higher levels of work engagement. Moreover, approximately 67% of employees acknowledged a higher degree of job satisfaction. This research paper also indicates the variables that can affect learners' – in this case, the bank employees' – perception of the gamified E-learning platform. Investigating the positive outcomes of implementing gamified processes in E-learning can pave the way for developing more complex gamified e-learning platforms.

Work Engagement: Organizational Attribute or Personality Trait?

One of the most determining factors of work performance is the degree of engagement of people to their work. That degree of engagement is influenced by both personal and organizational factors. The objective of this research is to analyze the connection between personal characteristics and organizational attributes with the work engagement of workers. The sample consisted of 286 employed workers; 83.5% were Spanish and 16.5% belonged to other Spanish-speaking countries. The mean age was 44.51 years (SD = 8.76) and 55.2% were women. For the prediction of work engagement, a hierarchical linear regression was carried out, first introducing the variables that evaluate personal characteristics (Big Five, entrepreneurial personality, emotional intelligence, and personal happiness) and, later, variables relating to organizational attributes (happiness work and organizational climate). General personality traits (Big Five) explain 22% of work engagement, this percentage rising to 47% when entrepreneurial personality is introduced in the model. Emotional intelligence does not explain additional variance, but personal happiness does. Happiness at work and organizational climate produce a significant increase and the explained variance rises from 55% to 63% when they are included in the model. Both the variables related to the personal characteristics of the employees and variables related to the organizational attributes jointly contribute to the explanation of the degree of work engagement. Workers with high scores on entrepreneurial personality traits achieve higher levels of work engagement, finding a moderating effect of the organizational climate in the relationship between people’s autonomy and their work engagement.

Teachers’ Work Engagement, Burnout, and Interest toward ICT Training: School Level Differences

Teachers’ work engagement is associated with positive outcomes regarding work-related well-being. Conversely, burnout menaces teachers’ work and attitudes toward professional development. As indicated in the literature, burnout can influence teachers’ work engagement. Considering the impact of ICT on school activities, interest toward ICT training can also affect teachers’ work engagement. The present study aims to explore the differences among different school levels concerning work engagement, burnout, and interest toward ICT training. Furthermore, we study the extent to which teachers’ burnout and interest toward ICT training predict work engagement, taking into account the school level. The participants were 358 Italian teachers of primary, middle, and high school. We proposed to fill out the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, and three ad hoc items assessing interest toward ICT training among 358 Italian teachers. To compare the school levels, an ANOVA and a Multiple regression analysis for each group corresponding to a different school level has been used. Results showed that: (a) primary school teachers have a higher level of work engagement and interest in ICT training compared to their colleagues at high schools; (b) burnout predicts work engagement in all school levels; (c) interest toward ICT training influences work engagement only in primary and high school. Cultural and contextual dimensions are considered when interpreting the results. Implications for teachers’ enhancing their commitment at work are discussed, as well as limitations of this study and possible further development.

Modeling the associations between EFL teachers’ immunity, L2 grit, and work engagement

ABSTRACT Due to the novelty of the concept of language teacher immunity, scant research attention has been dedicated to exploring its personality-based and psychological correlates in language teaching research. To expand the line of research investigating the contributing factors to language teachers’ immunity, the present study, informed by positive psychology, aimed to test a structural model of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ L2 grit, work engagement, and immunity. The participants were 369 Iranian EFL teachers who completed three electronic surveys. The results of Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) indicated that EFL teachers’ immunity was significantly influenced by their L2 grit and work engagement. In addition, EFL teachers’ L2 grit was found to be a stronger predictor of their immunity than work engagement. The findings revealed that EFL teachers with higher levels of work engagement and L2 grit tended to be more immune to professional challenges, which subsequently helped them overcome stressors resiliently and remain committed to the profession. The results highlight the significance of applying positive psychology in the field of foreign language teacher education and add to our understanding of the antecedents of language teachers’ immunity in EFL contexts. Finally, suggestions for future research are offered.

The Relationship between Job Demands and Positive Emotions on Work Engagement among Academic Staff in Algeria: A Conceptual Paper

An organization requires employees that are full of energy and interpersonal trust; they are passionate and enthusiastic about their jobs and are completely focused on their professional objectives. In other words, an organization requires a higher level of work engagement among its employees. As a result, it is becoming increasingly crucial for organizations to design in a way that allows employees to unleash their full potential and become more engaged at work. Organizations also need employees that are emotionally invested in their jobs and willing to go above and beyond to help their organizations succeed. The present study examines the link between job demands, positive emotions, and work engagement using the Broaden-and-Build theory and the job demands-resources model of work engagement. A cross-sectional poll was performed with more than 364 academicians from Algerian public institutions who were chosen using stratified random sampling. The current paper confirms previous findings on the relationship between job demands, positive emotions, and work engagement. The latest study backs up prior research on the link between job demands, positive emotions, and work engagement. As a consequence of these findings, managers may be able to boost employees’ work engagement by focusing on people with lower job demands and more positive emotions.

Work engagement and its antecedents in remote work: A person-centered view

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to investigate characteristics associated with employees’ ability to cope with the challenges of remote working as flexible work arrangements are predicted to constitute an increasingly pervasive model of work. More specifically, we investigated job resources specific to remote work and employees’ strengths and behaviours that may be crucial for enhancing work engagement when working outside a traditional office environment. The present study adopted a person-centered approach to investigate work engagement and its antecedents. A sample of 455 employees completed a questionnaire four times across a ten-month period during the enforced remote work occasioned in response to the corona pandemic. The results revealed four distinct work engagement profiles. Most employees (75%) belong to profiles with either average or high levels of work engagement, which remained stable after a slight initial increase. A decrease was observed in 25% of those employees whose work engagement was already low at the study baseline. High levels of organisational support, the functionality of home as a work environment, job-related self-efficacy, and job crafting characterised the profile in which work engagement remained at a high level during the remote work. Implications for practice concerning well-being protective multi-locational work are presented.

Testing the Shielding Effect of Intergenerational Contact against Ageism in the Workplace: A Canadian Study.

Negative outcomes of ageism in the context of the Canadian labor market are well documented. Older workers remain the target of age-based stereotypes and attitudes on the part of employers. This study aims at assessing (1) the extent to which quality and quantity intergroup contacts between younger and older workers as well as knowledge-sharing practices reduce ageist attitudes, in turn (2) how a decrease in ageist attitudes increase the level of workers’ engagement and intentions to remain in the organization. Data were collected from 603 Canadian workers (aged 18 to 68 years old) from private and public organizations using an online survey measuring concepts under study. Results of a path analysis suggest that intergroup contacts and knowledge-sharing practices are associated with positive attitudes about older workers. More so, positive attitudes about older workers generate higher levels of work engagement, which in turn are associated with stronger intentions to remain with the organization. However, positive attitudes about older workers had no effect on intentions to remain in the workplace. Results are discussed in light of the intergroup contact theory.

Remote, Hybrid, and On-Site Work during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic and the Consequences for Stress and Work Engagement.

With the COVID-19 pandemic having disrupted economies, businesses, and individual activities, it is important to examine how different forms of work affect employee behaviour. This study applies work engagement (the key construct in organisational psychology) as the dependent variable and considers its determinants in the form of stress factors and attitudes toward remote work. A cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 544 (Female = 58.5%) workers were surveyed: remote (n = 144), hybrid (n = 142), and on-site (n = 258). The selection for the study was purposive. Standardised survey questionnaires were used in the study: UWES-9, Stress Management Standards, and Attitudes toward Remote Work. The obtained results indicate that there were no significant differences between groups in terms of the intensity of work engagement, but work engagement was explained by other variables that are different in each of the studied groups. Relationships and use of social media were the most important factors among remote workers. For on-site workers, the most important factors were control and role definition. For practitioners, the results indicate which aspects of work should be considered in order to maintain high levels of work engagement when employees are transferring to other forms of work.

Linking Entrepreneurial Orientation to Environmental Collaboration: A Stakeholder Theory and Evidence from Multinational Companies in an Emerging Market

AbstractRevisiting stakeholder theory as a potential theory of the firm giving rise to expectations about organizing, we analyze when and under what circumstances entrepreneurially oriented firms increase their environmental collaboration with suppliers. Specifically, we investigate the association between entrepreneurial orientation and environmental collaboration with suppliers by accounting for the degree of employees’ work engagement and market environment complexity as stakeholder‐oriented moderators of this relationship. We test our hypotheses using multi‐level analyses on 249 managers nested in 66 multinational companies (MNCs) in Turkey. We find that entrepreneurial orientation positively impacts environmental collaboration with suppliers. A high level of work engagement (as an organizing principle favouring a stakeholder focus) and a low level of market environment complexity (as an organizing principle favouring the customer as an instrumental stakeholder) moderate this linkage. We enrich the debate on entrepreneurial orientation, strategy, and environmental sustainability by providing logic rooted in stakeholder theory of the conditions under which MNCs’ entrepreneurial orientation in emerging markets prioritizes and privileges environmental collaboration with suppliers.

Staff nurse’s perception about performance-appraisal fairness and its relation to their work engagement

Background An organization’s performance-appraisal system can be a practical tool for employee engagement, motivation, and development when employees perceive their performance appraisals as fair. Aim To assess staff nurses’ perception about performance-appraisal fairness and its relation to their work engagement at Beni-Suef University Hospital. Design A descriptive correlational design was utilized. Setting Data were collected from Beni-Suef University Hospital. Sample A convenient sample (n=250) of staff nurses who accepted to participate in the study. Tools Two tools were utilized to collect data: (a) performance-appraisal fairness perception questionnaire, (2) Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. Results The results of the study revealed that the majority of staff nurses highly perceived all domains of performance appraisal, interpersonal justice mean-percent score was 86.2% and distributive justice was 79.4%. They also had a high perception of work engagement, with a mean-percent score of 89.5% for the dedication domain, followed by vigor (83.7%) and absorption domain (82.7%). More than two-thirds of staff nurses (67.6%) reported high levels of work engagement, and there was a statistically significant positive correlation between total (r: 0.370, P: 0.00) and all domains of performance-appraisal fairness and work engagement. Conclusion The study findings concluded that staff nurses highly perceived performance-appraisal fairness and work engagement, more than two-thirds of staff nurses had high levels of work engagement, and there was a statistically highly significant positive correlation between staff nurses’ perception of performance-appraisal fairness and their work engagement. Recommendations: the administrator should develop a plan for continuous improvement of performance-appraisal fairness, continuous training of head nurses on how to perform sound performance appraisals, regularly revise, update, and disseminate performance-appraisal forms, suggest a plan to sustain a high level of engagement, and motivate staff to participate in performance-appraisal planning to be more engaged.

The mediating role of job satisfaction and work engagement in the relationship between self-reported person-job fit and job performance

Purpose. Identifying the right people for the right jobs is crucial to maximizing employees’ job performance. Although the literature has consistently found a positive relationship between person-job-fit (P-J fit) and job performance, little attention has been given to the underlying mechanisms of the relationship. The present study proposed a parallel mediation model to investigate the hypothetical mediating roles of job satisfaction and work engagement in the relationship between self-reported P-J fit and job performance. Methodology. A total of 361 employees from the service sectors across multiple organizations in Malaysia answered the P-J fit scale, Job Satisfaction Survey, Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, and Individual Work Performance Questionnaire. Findings. Pearson correlation analysis showed that all the four variables were positively related to each other. Mediation analysis using the PROCESS macro found that P-J fit is indirectly associated with job performance through work engagement but not job satisfaction. Further analysis, however, supported the mediating role of job satisfaction when work engagement was controlled. Implications for practice. The findings indicate that work engagement playsa stronger role than job satisfaction. Employees with a better fit for the job are more engaged in their jobs, and that the high levels of work engagement would in turn positively relate to job performance. Value of the results. Organizations may consider improving the levels of work engagement of employees or lowering the factors that reduce the levels of work engagement to improve the job performance of employees with high P-J fit.

The relationship between leader-member exchange and work engagement in social work: A mediation analysis of job resources

IntroductionThe working environment of social workers has become an important concern in research. Whereas studies typically focus on negative aspects of these environments, this study investigates the possibility of creating a positive environment by examining whether and how high-quality leader-member exchange (LMX) relationships are related to social workers' work engagement. It is hypothesized that particularly relevant job resources mediate the relation between LMX and social workers’ work engagement. MethodTo identify those job resources that are particularly important to social workers, a qualitative preparatory study was first conducted with social workers and social work executives. Based on that, study data were collected by administering an online survey among social workers. Both parts of the study were realized at twenty different advice centers for pregnancy issues of a leading social organization in Germany. The dataset for statistical analyses comprised 43 social workers in total. Regression analysis with parallel mediation was used to test the hypothesized relationships. ResultsSocial workers in high-quality LMX relationships operate in working environments with more abundant social and structural job resources: they experience the team atmosphere more positively and have greater work control. Further, it was found that experiencing a positive team atmosphere was associated with higher work engagement, with team atmosphere fully mediating the relationship between LMX and work engagement. Notably, high-quality LMX relationships do not seem to promote work engagement directly. DiscussionThe study underscores the relevance of high-quality LMX relationships in fostering a resourceful work environment. This, in turn, contributes significantly to a high level of work engagement. Organizations and managers in social work should therefore strengthen managerial relationships and create resourceful environments.

Relationship of Work Engagement with Nurse-work and Patient Outcomes among Nurses in Central Philippines

Objective. This study determined the association between work engagement among hospital nurses and their work outcomes (i.e., job satisfaction, stress, burnout, and turnover intention) and patient outcomes (i.e., missed nursing care, adverse events, and quality of care). Methods. A cross-sectional study was employed using secondary data derived from 549 registered nurses working in different hospitals in Central Philippines. Eight self-report questionnaires were adopted to gather data in this study. Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses were used to test the hypotheses. Results. Nurses with lower levels of work engagement reported increased levels of job burnout and turnover intention. Those nurses with higher scores on the dedication subscale reported increased job satisfaction and perceived quality of patient care. Conclusion. Work engagement influences nurse work and patient outcomes in the Philippines. Higher levels of work engagement prevent nursing staff from leaving their workplaces and may help them find their work fulfilling personally and professionally. Nursing management should highly consider promoting work engagement through enhancing job resources to meet the needs of nurses and, eventually, improve professional work outcomes and quality patient care.

The association between the practice environment and selected nurse educator outcomes in public nursing education institutions: A cross-sectional study

AimThe purpose of this study is to describe the association between the practice environment and nurse educator outcomes (burnout, engagement, incivility, job satisfaction and intention to leave) in public nursing education institutions in the Gauteng province of South Africa. BackgroundThe practice environment holds the most promise for recruiting and retaining a qualified and engaged nurse workforce; however, the association between the practice environment and nurse educator outcomes has been relatively unexplored. DesignCross-sectional design. MethodsThe Gauteng province was purposively selected, as it has the highest number of public nursing education institutions in South Africa. All-inclusive sampling was applied to public nursing educations institutions in Gauteng province (N = 6) and then to Heads of Department (N = 30; n = 17) and nurse educators (senior lecturers [N = 162; n = 45] and lecturers [N = 257; n = 80]). Data were collected during March to November 2018. The data were collected using the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index; Maslach Burnout Inventory - Educators Survey; Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES); Incivility in Nursing Education-Revised (INE-R); job satisfaction and Propensity to Leave Scale. ResultsThe results show that nurse educators are an aging population, with limited numbers having master’s and doctoral qualifications. The most job dissatisfaction is regarding wages (M=2.0; SD 1.07); appreciation, recognition and rewards for good work (M=2.1; SD 1.01); and opportunities for advancement (M=2.2; SD 1.01). The nurse educators do not experience their public nursing education institutions as having a positive practice environment. Nurse educators experienced high levels of work engagement, moderate levels of burnout and low levels of incivility, that were highly correlated with the subscale of foundations of quality outcomes. They experienced moderate levels of job satisfaction but did not intend to leave their places of employment, which was highly correlated with the subscale of manager’s ability, leadership and support. ConclusionsA positive practice environment improves nurse educator outcomes. The subscale of foundations of quality outcomes and manager’s ability, leadership and support had the most impact on nurse educator outcomes, thus quality teaching practices should be cultivated and recognised; and managers must have the necessary skill and knowledge to lead effectively, while also including nurse educators in decisions that impact them and involving them in the affairs of the nursing education institution. There is a shortage of qualified nurse educators globally and in South Africa and urgent attention must be given to factors that influence the recruitment and retention of nurse educators. Twitter abstractThe practice environment holds the most promise for recruiting and retaining a qualified and engaged nurse educator workforce, especially regarding foundations of quality outcomes and manager’s ability, leadership and support.

Psychological Distress and Work Engagement among The Faculty Members on University of Batangas: Basis for the Formulation of a Program Involving Mental Health

This is a descriptive-comparative study which aimed to measure the level of work engagement and psychological distress of faculty members. Just as students need support to continue learning, teachers need support to continue teaching. With teachers engaging in a multitude of tasks and their responsibilities not limited to preparing and discussing lessons alone, they are becoming more prone to experiencing higher levels of psychological distress. This can then impact their work engagement and their ability to function effectively. In consideration of this, this study attempted to assess the psychological distress and work engagement of selected faculty members at the University of Batangas (UB) Main Campus. Specifically, this study measured gender differences in terms of psychological distress and work engagement. In addition, the focus of this study also included determining whether a significant relationship exists between teachers' psychological distress and work engagement through the adapted and self-constructed questionnaire. Results showed that selected teachers from the UB exhibited mild forms of psychological distress but high levels of work engagement. No significant differences in psychological distress and work engagement were found between male and female teachers. A mental health program was also proposed as an output of the study to help combat psychological distress and improve work engagement among teachers.

Organizational learning culture in industry 4.0: relationships with work engagement and turnover intention

ABSTRACT The period of digital transformation that we are experiencing, called Industry 4.0, has marked a series of changes in the way we relate as a society, requiring constant adaptation and new knowledge on the part of companies and professionals. This study sought to contribute to the understanding of the relationship between the organizational learning culture in Information Technology companies based in Brazil, the work engagement, and the turnover intention of its employees. Among the results of the correlation and network analyses, it is shown that organizational actions aimed at connecting the organization to its environment dimension have a direct effect on work engagement. The high level of work engagement, on the other hand, has not been shown to reduce the turnover intention. The results of the study allow the identification of cultural aspects related to learning, which dimensions of culture are directly related to work engagement, and what are their impact on the turnover intention. They also evidence elements of the organizational culture to be prioritized in interventions, in addition to offering indications on how to develop professionals within the organizational routine.

Study of Indian IT workers shows reverse monitoring and job crafting improve work engagement, leading to improved performance

PurposeThe purpose was to explore the role of work engagement in mediating between the resources of reverse mentoring and job crafting and the potential outcomes of improved performance and work withdrawal behaviorDesign/methodology/approachThe authors investigated the subjects in the Indian IT sector. They administered a survey online to volunteers from 14 software firms. They received 369 completed questionnaires. The majority of respondents were aged between 25 and 34 and 73.7pc were men.FindingsResults showed that both reverse monitoring and job crafting increase levels of work engagement, leading to improved performance and less work withdrawal behavior. The study also looked at work engagement as a mediating factor: It partially mediated the relationship between job crafting and both outcomes, fully mediated the relationship between reverse mentoring and withdrawal behavior, and partially mediated the relationship between reverse monitoring and work performance.Originality/valueThe results have practical implications. Organizations need to take note that reverse monitoring and job crafting could motivate employees to reciprocate in kind with higher levels of work engagement. By fostering opportunities for reverse monitoring, organizations could stimulate learning and connections across management levels and age groups. Meanwhile, job crafting would help employees to focus on their strengths, or areas of interest, making their work more enjoyable and productive.