Israeli Employees Research Articles

Workforce Sustainability in Our Aging Society: Exploring How the Burden–Burnout Mechanism Exacerbates the Turnover Intentions of Employees Who Combine Work and Informal Eldercare

Understanding the labor market participation shift associated with an aging population and the challenges of employees who provide care to old-age relatives is essential to ensure progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. The current study focuses on the decision of employees who combine paid work with unpaid care to relatives aged 65 and above to stay or leave their jobs. We draw on the Turnover Model and the Informal Caregivers Integrative Model (ICIM) to examine how two primary stressors—care burden and work demand—one secondary stressor—work–family conflict—and emotional exhaustion increase the turnover intentions of employees who combine paid work with eldercare to their old relatives aged 65 and over. By synthesizing these two models and using a survey with three chronological waves among 356 Israeli employees, we analyze a mediation model within a Structural Equation Modeling framework. The findings underscore the fact that work–family conflict (a secondary stressor) and the sense of exhaustion act as key mediators in the relationship between employees’ primary stressors and turnover intentions. The presence of primary stressors in themselves does not increase turnover intentions. Our findings imply that, rather than providing sporadic adaptations at work, policymakers, organizations, and human resource management systems should respond proactively to prevent the process from undermining employees’ ability to achieve equilibrium between their desire to work and care for their old-age relatives. Such a proactive stance would reduce their exhaustion and turnover intention.

Give them a fishing rod, if it is not urgent: The impact of help type on support for helpers' leadership.

Taking a follower's perspective on leadership and contributing to the new research stream on behaviors conducive to its emergence, we examined how distinct types of instrumental (task focused) helping-autonomy- versus dependency-helping-affected recipients' support for their helpers' leadership. Based on the literature on employees' needs for autonomy and mastery, combined with the empowering nature of autonomy-helping, we reasoned that autonomy- (vs. dependency-) helping typically signals greater benevolence toward recipients, enhancing their support for their helpers' leadership. Our findings were generalized across various samples (of U.S. and Israeli employees), manipulations, and research settings: simulations (Studies 1 and 2b), workplace role-play scenario (Study 2a), and recollections of helping events in the workplace (Study 3). We found that autonomy- (vs. dependency-) helping increased recipients' support for their helpers' leadership by heightening perceptions of helpers' benevolence-based (rather than ability-based) trustworthiness (Studies 1 and 3). We also showed time pressure to be a boundary condition under which the advantage of autonomy-helping disappeared (Studies 2a and 2b)-with dependency-helping then inducing comparable levels of perceived benevolence and thus similar support for the helper's potential leadership. Overall, we shed light on the development of informal leadership by uncovering how recipients interpret and respond to the two help types. Practically, this analysis opens the door to new ways for aspiring managers to enhance support for their leadership from potential followers, available even to those unlikely to be appointed to formal leadership positions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Examining associations between remote work and anxiety and depression: a longitudinal survey study in Israel

IntroductionAccumulating evidence points at increases in mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been attributed, among other things, to social distancing policies, such as the shift to remote...

Playful work design, engagement and performance: the moderating roles of boredom and conscientiousness

This study uses proactivity and play theories to investigate playful work design – the personal initiative to change the psychological experience of work by redesigning work activities to be more fun and/or more competitive. We postulate that playful work design is positively related to job performance through work engagement. In addition, we hypothesize that this indirect relationship is positively moderated by boredom and negatively moderated by conscientiousness. To test these hypotheses, we conducted a two-wave study among 370 Israeli employees (response = 84%), with one month in-between both measurement waves. Consistent with hypotheses, results of mediation analyses showed that playful work design in the form of designing competition (but not designing fun) was indirectly and positively related to both in-role and extra-role performance, through work engagement. As predicted, the indirect effects of designing fun (but not designing competition) on in-role and extra-role performance were strongest for individuals who reported high (vs. low) levels of boredom. In addition, the indirect relationships of designing competition (but not designing fun) with in-role and extra-role performance through work-engagement were stronger for individuals who reported lower (versus higher) levels of conscientiousness. We discuss how these findings contribute to the theory and practice of playful work design.

Gender and negotiation initiation during Covid-19: studying negotiations over salary, work-role and work-home balance and the pandemic's perceived effects

PurposeThe study tested the effects of gender on negotiation initiation in three topics: salary, work-role and work-home balance; and on employee's perceptions of Covid-19 as inhibiting or enhancing negotiation initiation in these topics.Design/methodology/approachThe authors employed a mixed-methods approach in a sample of 387 Israeli employees (189 female). Analyses of variance tested for gender differences in negotiation initiation and in Covid-19's perceived effects. Participants' additional written explanations, specifying how the pandemic inhibited or enhanced negotiation initiation, were inductively analyzed.FindingsCompared to male, female employees were less inclined to initiate negotiation in all three topics, and more likely to perceive Covid-19 as inhibiting salary and work-role negotiations. Qualitative explanations demonstrated gender-role-consistent motives for avoiding or initiating salary negotiations during Covid-19. They also suggested that the pandemic increased the legitimacy and significance of work-home balance negotiations, across gender.Originality/valueThe study provides new evidence on gender differences in negotiation initiation, particularly over work-role and work-home balance, and is among the first to test these differences in Israel. Moreover, it sheds light on the effects that Covid-19, as a world-wide crisis, had on employees' negotiations in general, and gender equality in employees' negotiations in particular.

Policy dissonance when wearing the “employer hat”: The practice of governmental vehicle reimbursement among public sector employees

Transport-related benefits can have a significant impact on employees’ vehicle ownership and use. Policy implemented by governments, which are often both large-scale employers and models for the private sector, are especially important in determining travel behavior. The research focuses on the Israeli practice of providing substantial subsidies for public sector employees to own cars, through the salary benefit of “vehicle reimbursement”. The benefit, originally created to circumvent salary caps, today provides a substantial income supplement for more than half of the country’s public sector workers, translating to 10% of all Israeli employees (in addition to 10% of employees who receive a company car). The article explores the extent to which vehicle reimbursement encourages car ownership and car usage among public workers. It also seeks to assess the willingness of workers, the labor union and the government to replace the vehicle reimbursement salary component for a substitute that does not require car ownership. Analysis of both a survey of employees (n = 276) and interviews with government and labor union officials, suggests that Israel’s “vehicle reimbursement” constitutes a classic perverse incentive, driving and perpetuating private car ownership and usage, thereby affecting workers’ transport preferences in both the short and long terms. While the majority of public employees are willing to consider accepting salary compensation in lieu of car ownership, institutional and legal obstacles currently stand in the way of policy reform. This case study offers a first exploration of the role of historical employment arrangements in shaping employee and employer transportation decisions.

Fear of Missing out (FOMO): Implications for Employees and Job Performance

Recently, there has been growing interest in how individual differences in FOMO affect personal and individual outcomes. However, there is a lack of understanding regarding the impact of FOMO in the workplace. The current study examined whether individual differences in fear of missing out (FOMO) affect employee job performance. This was accomplished by investigating the mediating role of burnout and social media engagement (SME). Furthermore, we also examined whether amotivation moderates the mediation process. Data were gathered from 214 Israeli employees by using the following scales: Fear of Missing Out (FOMOs), Burnout, Social Media Engagement (SME), Multidimensional Work Motivation (MWMS), and Job Performance. The results indicated that individual differences in FOMO are associated with relatively low levels of job performance. The relationship is mediated by burnout but not by SME. Amotivation was found to moderate the mediation effect of burnout. Interpretation of these results and practical implications are discussed.

Laughing all the way to the lockdown: On humor, optimism, and well-being during COVID-19

The present paper examined the contribution of optimism and humor styles to well-being during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Furthermore, we examined whether these direct associations were mediated by two common COVID-19 challenges––work-family interface (WFI) and COVID-19 fears. Israeli employees (N = 356) completed an online survey during lockdown restrictions (69% women, 57.20% held academic degrees, Mage = 30.70, age-range = 20–61). Both optimism and adaptive humor revealed a positive and direct effect on well-being. Furthermore, mediation analyses indicated that both fear of COVID-19 and WFI mediated the direct associations between optimism and well-being, as well as the direct associations between maladaptive humor and well-being, whereas WFI mediated the association between adaptive humor and well-being. These findings stress the need to adapt interventions derived from positive psychology to enhance well-being during these challenging times of COVID-19.

Mental health of israeli employees with autism spectrum disorders following COVID-19-related changes in employment status

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic caused employment related challenges worldwide. Adults diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are especially vulnerable, due to pre-existing employment challenges, intolerance to changes and uncertainty and high levels of related anxiety.ObjectivesTo examine COVID-19 related changes in work experiences and mental health of employees with ASD who held a steady job before the COVID-19 outbreak.Methods Data were collected from 23 participants diagnosed with ASD (4 females), aged 20–49, who answered an online administered survey at two timepoints: prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, and during the outbreak. Self-reports included measures of background and employment status; mental health (General Health Questionnaire-12); job satisfaction (Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire); and satisfaction of psychological needs at work (Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration – Work domain).Results Participants who continued to physically attend work maintained pre-COVID-19 levels on all assessed variables. Participants who transitioned to remote work from home preserved their salary levels and job satisfaction, but showed a marginally significant deterioration in mental health and a significant decrease in the satisfaction of their needs for competence and autonomy at work. Unemployed participants showed a significant decrease in mental health.Conclusions Results highlight employment as a protective factor from the potential negative implications of COVID-19 on mental-health of employees with ASD. Employees who transition to working from home require personalized work-support plans due to the possible negative effects of this transition on mental health. Maintaining the routine of physically reporting to work should be preferred, when possible.

The depressive price of being a sandwich-generation caregiver: can organizations and managers help?

ABSTRACT Our study aimed to investigate for the first time, whether sandwich-generation caregivers, namely those who provide care to both their children and elders, are more likely to experience an increase in depressive symptoms over time, compared with employees who take care of children only, elders only, or who are not caregivers. We also examined whether resource loss in the form of a decrease in health status partially mediated this effect and whether organizational and managerial sources of support can attenuate these direct and indirect effects. Using a two-wave longitudinal design, we followed 1125 Israeli employees for 18 months on average. Controlling for multiple confounders, including indicators of care load and change in caregiving status, we found that sandwich-generation caregivers were indeed more likely to experience an increase in depressive symptoms, compared with all other caregiving statuses. We also found that compared to those who care for children only or to non-caregivers, the effect of SG caregiving was partially attributed to a decrease in health status and that the availability of family-supportive organizational practices and supervisor’s emotional support attenuated the effect of caregiving on depressive symptoms, such that SG caregivers benefited more from these sources of support.

Leader- and Team-Member Exchanges and Their Relationships with Organizational and Interpersonal Counterproductive Work Behaviors: Moderation by Envy and Group Size in Israel and USA

The present research investigated the effects of social exchanges of employees with their immediate manager (i.e., Leader-Member eXchange; LMX) and with their direct working unit/team (i.e., Team-Member eXchange; TMX) on counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs), both – towards the organization or towards colleagues. The research also explored the moderating effects of dispositional envy and the size of the working team on said associations. Data from 221 Israeli employees (Study 1) and 186 American workers (Study 2) were collected. The majority of our hypotheses were supported, with findings indicating interesting cultural differences. Implications and future research suggestions are discussed.

Heavy-work investment, job engagement, managerial role, person-organization value congruence, and burnout: A moderated-mediation analysis in USA and Israel

The present research investigates the mediational mechanism of Heavy-Work Investment (HWI) between job engagement, managerial roles and work burnout. The paper proposes an expansion to the HWI model (as divided into two dimensions: the investment of time and efforts) by exploring the role of value congruence (between the employees and their workplaces) as a moderator, with a two-study cultural differences perspective. Data from 186 American employees (Study 1) and 221 Israeli employees (Study 2) were collected. Moderated-mediation analyses were employed using PROCESS macro for the SPSS. Among others, we found that job engagement positively associates with HWI, but negatively with burnout. Managerial position was not related to any of the variables in either sample. However, the two HWI dimensions display different relationships with burnout; while the investment of efforts at work shows negative links to burnout, the investment of time does not show any consistent correlations with it. Moreover, support for moderated-mediation model was only found in the Israeli sample.. Implications and future research suggestions are discussed.

Prediction and job-related outcomes of procrastination in the workplace

In the current study, we examined whether the impact of the Big Five on procrastination in an organizational context is similar to that in academic settings, and examined the role of dis-regulation of anxiety as a potential moderator of these relationships. One hundred and seven Israeli employees participated in the study. The results showed that agreeableness and conscientiousness were negatively associated with procrastination, while neuroticism was positively associated with procrastination in the workplace. Moreover, the findings supported the hypothesis that dis-regulation of anxiety moderates the relationships between personality traits and workplace procrastination. These findings suggest that the link between personality traits and workplace procrastination is not stable, is affected by different contexts, and interacts with other personality characteristics (specifically, dis-regulation of anxiety).

Managerial Communication and Intent to Remain with the Organization: Examining an Empirical Model of Factors Affecting Retention of Israeli Employees

With the advent of globalization and increased competition, there is a dire need to espouse a proactive approach on the part of the employer and work towards ensuring employee retention. Hence in the present study we proposed and empirically tested a research model which examined the factors affecting retention of employees. This multilevel model aimed at testing both organizational level factors— organizational commitment and managerial communication and individual/employee level factors— perceived organizational support, job satisfaction and job performance. Overall, using SEM, the research model demonstrated a good fit and provided evidence for a robust relationship between managerial communication and retention. Implications for organizations and future research are discussed.

The dark side of experiencing job autonomy: Unethical behavior

To date, job autonomy has been conceptualized as a job characteristic that elicits positive outcomes. In contrast, the present studies unveiled a potential dark side of experiencing job autonomy: unethical behavior. Using field surveys on Israeli employees, Studies 1 and 2 found that experienced job autonomy not only positively predicted job satisfaction (thus replicating past research), but also positively predicted unethical behavior. Using experimental designs, Studies 3a and 3b drew on actual job autonomy policies from real-world corporations to prime American employees to experience different levels of job autonomy. Compared to participants in the low-autonomy or autonomy-unrelated control conditions, participants in the high-autonomy condition were more likely to behave unethically because they felt less constrained by rules. Moreover, the relationship between experienced job autonomy and unethical behavior was moderated by the importance that participants assigned to having job autonomy, such that the experience of high job autonomy was less likely to elicit unethical behavior from participants for whom having job autonomy was more important. In addition to replicating all of these findings, Study 4 revealed that the experience of high job autonomy simultaneously increased unethical behavior and creativity, further demonstrating job autonomy to be a double-edged sword. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Job Demand–Control–Support and diabetes risk: The moderating role of self-efficacy

Work-related stressors, including high demands and low control, play a significant role in the aetiology of diabetes. Nevertheless, most studies focus on main effects, and few consider individual differences that may moderate the stress–health association. Drawing from the Job Demands–Control-–Support (JDC-S) model, this study addresses this gap by testing how baseline levels of JDC-S affect an increase in two risk factors for diabetes—glycated haemoglobin (HbA1C) and fasting plasma glucose (FPG)—and by investigating the moderating role of self-efficacy. Participants (N = 1618) were Israeli employees who attended two consecutive routine health examinations. All were free of diabetes at baseline. JDC-S and self-efficacy were assessed at baseline (T1), and HbA1C and FPG were assessed at T1 and T2. Data were analysed with logistic and linear regressions, controlling for well-established diabetes risk factors. High demands and low support predicted an increase in HbA1C and FPG. In addition, high self-efficacy interacted with high demands and with low control in the prediction of an increase in HbA1C and FPG. Although employees with high self-efficacy might function well at work, overloading them may harm their physical health. Similarly, incongruence between employees’ sense of ability and the control given to them at work may result in physical impairment.

Attachment and Autonomy in the Workplace

Contemporary researchers suggest that working is a relational act. Accordingly, literature reflects increasing interest in the relevance of attachment theory to vocational and organizational phenomena. In the current study, we focused on associations of avoidant attachment orientation (characterized by obsessive self-reliance), anxious attachment orientation (characterized by overdependence), and a central job characteristic (job autonomy) with work-related attitudes and emotions (work engagement, career commitment, work burnout, and emotional distress). Results from 150 Israeli employees revealed significant associations between avoidant attachment and all work-related outcomes, while anxiety was associated only with work burnout and emotional distress. Job autonomy was associated with all work-related outcomes, and although attachment anxiety and avoidance were not associated with job autonomy, the interactions between avoidance and job autonomy (but not the interactions between anxiety and job autonomy) significantly contributed to explained variance of all work outcomes. Simple slope analyses showed significant associations between avoidance and work-related outcomes in high job autonomy conditions and nonsignificant associations in low job autonomy conditions, surprisingly suggesting that high job autonomy specifically disadvantages highly avoidant employees. Theoretical and practical implications for organizations and for attachment theory at work are discussed.

The relationship between social exchange variables, OCB, and performance

PurposeThe goal of this study is to examine the moderating effect of two group characteristics, group size and group cohesiveness, on the relationship between organizational commitment and transformational leadership, on the one hand, and in‐role and extra role behaviors, on the other. Based on social exchange theory, the main expectation was that the two group characteristics would create different conditions for exchange, influencing the relationship between determinants and outcomes.Design/methodology/approachThe sample was 223 Israeli employees from a variety of occupations (nurses, social workers, physiotherapists, laboratory employees, administrative staff, etc.) working in 31 medical units in two health care organizations (a response rate of 59 percent).FindingsHLM analyses showed strong moderating effects of both group cohesiveness and group size. The findings show that group characteristics strongly affect the nature and direction of the relationship between the examined determinants and the behavioral outcomes. The findings also revealed a significant three‐way interaction, demonstrating that group size and cohesiveness have an important joint effect. Cohesiveness differed in its effects on how commitment and transformational leadership are related to organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and in‐role performance depending on whether the groups were large or small.Originality/valueThis study examines group size as a possible moderator, a construct only rarely considered in studies that attempt to predict OCB. The inclusion of leadership style is an important addition, considering that a good part of the exchange processes that take place in this context are between the employee and his/her supervisor.

Attachment orientations and job burnout: The mediating roles of team cohesion and organizational fairness

The current study explored the mediating effect of perceived work team cohesion and organizational fairness on the link between adult attachment and job burnout in a sample of 393 Israeli employees. Structural equation modeling revealed that attachment anxiety and avoidance were related to more job burnout, that the link between avoidance and burnout was fully mediated by lower appraisals of organizational fairness, and that the link between anxiety and burnout was partially mediated by lower appraisals of team cohesion. Thus, attachment insecurities were associated with negative perceptions of team cohesion and organizational fairness which, in turn, contributed to job burnout. Results were discussed based on attachment theory while emphasizing the need for further research examining the generalizability of the findings.

Support for the use of deception within the work environment: A comparison of Israel and United States employees

As businesses become more global, the opportunities for employees to work with individuals from different cultures increase. Research in cross-cultural interactions has increased in response to such changes. This research study considers employee attitudes and perceived organizational support for the use of deception within the work environment. In this study, two types of deception have been considered; deception for personal gain and deception for the organization's benefit. The reported likelihood for committing these two types of deception for United States and Israeli employees was gathered. The results indicate that United States employees are more likely to deceive others for personal gain than the Israeli employees. In addition, the results indicate that United States employees were more likely to perceive organizational support for the use of deception for personal gain than were the Israeli employees. No differences between the two samples were found for personal or organizational support for deception for the organization's benefit. Differences are explained using Hofstede's (1991) theory of international cultures.