Job Demands-resources Theory Research Articles

Perceived superior trust and organizational commitment among public employees: The mediating role of burnout and the moderating role of public service motivation

The significance of trust as a vital element in the workplace, fostering a strong bond between leaders and their teams, and generating positive organizational outcomes is emphasized in this research. Leveraging the job demand-resource (JD-R) theory, the study employs a dual methodology: experimental (Studies 1 and 2) and field survey (Study 3), to investigate how trust perceived from superiors influences the organizational dedication of public sector employees. It also examines burnout's role as an intermediary and the influence of public service motivation (PSM) as a conditional factor. The key outcomes are: (1) enhanced organizational dedication can result from trust perceived from superiors; (2) this trust indirectly affects dedication through the lens of burnout; and (3) PSM plays a critical role in moderating the impact of perceived superior trust on organizational dedication. By elucidating the dynamic between perceived superior trust and organizational dedication, and its influence, this study presents novel strategies to boost organizational commitment among public employees.

Advancing work–life supportive contexts for the “haves” and “have nots”: Integrating supervisor training with work–life flexibility to impact exhaustion or engagement

AbstractEmployers face many dilemmas in effectively implementing work–life flexibility to support employees' personal lives. A key issue is that some employees hold jobs with limited opportunities for work–life flexibility, making them susceptible to burnout; yet most employers believe they can do little to mitigate this dynamic. Furthermore, even when employees hold jobs with greater access to work–life flexibility, some do not take advantage of their flexibility to more fully engage in work and/or home roles. These issues are further exacerbated when supervisors are unsure of their role in supporting work–life flexibility. We identify work–life supportive context as a key factor that provides solutions to these dilemmas. Drawing on job demands resources theory, we posit that, when organizations provide work–life supportive training to supervisors, it promotes a work–life supportive context (i.e., signaling that the organization is supportive of employees' managing their work–life interface), which mitigates burnout for those with limited work–life flexibility and promotes engagement in work and home roles for those with greater work–life flexibility. Results from a year‐long randomized field experiment suggest that, in contexts with trained supervisors and lower employee control over work schedules and boundaries (i.e., lower work–life flexibility), emotional exhaustion is reduced. In contexts with trained supervisors and higher employee control over work boundaries (i.e., higher work–life flexibility), family engagement increases. Surprisingly, irrespective of job access to work‐life flexibility, supervisor participation in work–life support training did not enhance employee work engagement. Implications of our findings for fostering work–life supportive contexts are considered.

Subjective well-being among PhD students in mainland China: the roles of psychological capital and academic engagement.

The mental well-being of PhD students is a major concern in higher education. However, very few studies have investigated the influencing factors of PhD students' subjective well-being (SWB) - an important indicator of mental well-being. Even no study on the influencing factors of PhD students' SWB has been undertaken in mainland China. Based on job demands-resources theory, the present study pioneers the investigation of the relationship between PhD students' psychological capital (PsyCap; comprising self-efficacy, hope, resilience, and optimism) and SWB (comprising positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction) in mainland China. It further examined the mediating role of academic engagement (comprising vigor, dedication, and absorption) in this relationship. PhD students (n = 376) from two comprehensive universities in Jiangsu province responded to an online survey. The results showed that (1) self-efficacy was positively associated with life satisfaction, hope was positively associated with positive affect, optimism was significantly associated with all three dimensions of SWB, but resilience was not significantly associated with any of the three SWB dimensions; and (2) dedication mediated the relationship between hope and life satisfaction and that between optimism and negative affect and life satisfaction, but vigor and absorption did not mediate any of the PsyCap-SWB relationships. Limitations and practical implications of this study are discussed.

High-performance work systems and individual performance: a longitudinal study of the differential roles of happiness and health well-being.

As a part of the growing strand of employee-centered HRM research, employee well-being is suggested to be a key mechanism that may help to explain the relationship between HRM and performance. To investigate how an employee's well-being mediates the HRM-performance relationship, we distinguish between two types of well-being identified in prior work, happiness well-being and health well-being, and present arguments for differences in their effects on individual performance. Building on Job Demands-Resources (JDR) theory, we propose that happiness well-being positively mediates the relationship between perceived High-Performance Work Systems (HPWS) and individual task performance, while health well-being negatively mediates this focal relationship. Thus, happiness well-being fits the "mutual gains" perspective. In contrast, health well-being fits the "conflicting outcomes" perspective, and thus may be harmed by the HPWS to enhance the performance. We find partial support for our arguments in an analysis of longitudinal survey data of 420 participants spanning a total of four waves of data collection.

Engaging leadership and nurse well-being: the role of the work environment and work motivation—a cross-sectional study

BackgroundHealthcare literature suggests that leadership behavior has a profound impact on nurse work-related well-being. Yet, more research is needed to better conceptualize, measure, and analyse the concepts of leadership and well-being, and to understand the psychological mechanisms underlying this association. Combining Self-Determination and Job Demands-Resources theory, this study aims to investigate the association between engaging leadership and burnout and work engagement among nurses by focusing on two explanatory mechanisms: perceived job characteristics (job demands and resources) and intrinsic motivation.MethodsA cross-sectional survey of 1117 direct care nurses (response rate = 25%) from 13 general acute care hospitals in Belgium. Validated instruments were used to measure nurses’ perceptions of engaging leadership, burnout, work engagement, intrinsic motivation and job demands and job resources. Structural equation modeling was performed to test the hypothesised model which assumed a serial mediation of job characteristics and intrinsic motivation in the relationship of engaging leadership with nurse work-related well-being.ResultsConfirmatory factor analysis indicated a good fit of the measurement model. The findings offer support for the hypothesized model, indicating that engaging leadership is linked to enhanced well-being, as reflected in increased work engagement, and reduced burnout. The results further showed that this association is mediated by nurses’ perceptions of job resources and intrinsic motivation. Notably, while job demands mediated the relationship between EL and nurses’ well-being, the relationship became unsignificant when including intrinsic motivation as second mediator.ConclusionsEngaging leaders foster a favourable work environment for nursing staff which is not only beneficial for their work motivation but also for their work-related well-being. Engaging leadership and job resources are modifiable aspects of healthcare organisations. Interventions aimed at developing engaging leadership behaviours among nursing leaders and building job resources will help healthcare organisations to create favourable working conditions for their nurses.Trial Registration: The study described herein is funded under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme from 2020 to 2023 (Grant Agreement 848031). The protocol of Magnet4Europe is registered in the ISRCTN registry (ISRCTN10196901).

Employee well‐being outcomes from individual‐level mental health interventions: Cross‐sectional evidence from the United Kingdom

AbstractInitiatives that promote mental well‐being are formally recommended for all British workers, with many practices targeting change in individual workers' resources. While the existing evidence is generally positive about these interventions, disagreement is increasing because of concerns that individual‐level interventions do not engage with working conditions. Contributing to the debate, this article uses survey data (N = 46,336 workers in 233 organisations) to compare participants and nonparticipants in a range of common individual‐level well‐being interventions, including resilience training, mindfulness and well‐being apps. Across multiple subjective well‐being indicators, participants appear no better off. Results are interpreted through the job demands–resources theory and selection bias in cross‐sectional results is interrogated. Overall, results suggest interventions are not providing additional or appropriate resources in response to job demands.

Receiving help at work mitigates the negative consequences of performance pressure: implications for depletion and citizenship behavior

ABSTRACT Drawing from job-demands resources theory and conservation of resources theory, this study examines the effect of performance pressure on interpersonal citizenship behavior through exhaustion. We also explore the extent to which receiving help mitigates the exhaustion caused by performance pressure. In a critical incident design of employees from various industries (N = 268), performance pressure was positively associated with exhaustion. Subsequently, employee exhaustion decreased the tendency to perform acts of interpersonal citizenship. The relationship between performance pressure and exhaustion was weakened among employees who had received help from their colleagues. Thus, these results, supported by moderated mediation analyses, suggest that receiving help can mitigate the deleterious effects of performance pressure on interpersonal citizenship behavior through exhaustion. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

United States Federal Employee Development in Turbulent Times: Using Job Demands-Resources Theory to Explain Changes in Perceived Performance and Turnover Intention During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Under conditions of organizational turbulence, it is crucial to staff organizations with public servants who feel committed and capable of creating public value. However, managers may neglect training and development during turbulent times while they attempt to protect the technical core of the agency. This study draws on job demands-resources theory (JD-R) to understand the role of job-related training and resources on perceived work unit performance and turnover intention during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the 2020 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS), I find that workers who reported needing, but not receiving, training or resources to cope with new work roles were more likely to report a deterioration in their work unit’s performance and to report new intentions to leave their job. These effects were stronger when an employee’s demands increased over the pandemic. The findings emphasize the importance of balancing demands and resources as organizational leaders react to turbulent conditions.

Employees’ preferred extent for working from home – relationships with emotional job and childcare demands

PurposeTo better understand employees’ preferred extent for working from home (WFH) setting that implies physical distance from clients and co-workers and enhanced physical proximity to others at home, this study, relying on job-demands resources (J-DR) theory, aims to investigate the relationships between this preference with both the perceived increase in emotional job demands and the exposure to childcare demands. Thus, this study aims to investigate the mediating role of perceived job difficulty in the relationship between emotional job demands and the preferred extent for WFH, and the moderating role of gender in the relationship between the number of children and the preferred extent for WFH.Design/methodology/approachA total of 239 employees who began WFH during the pandemic completed an online survey. Structural equation modelling was conducted to analyse the data and test the hypotheses.FindingsAs expected, an increase in emotional job demands had a significant negative indirect association with the preferred extent for WFH, through perceived increase in job difficulty. Furthermore, the number of children was negatively related to the preferred extent for WFH among male but not female employees.Practical implicationsThe findings provide insights for promoting employees’ preferred extent for WFH.Originality/valueThe study points to a relationship between emotional job demands and employee attitudes towards WFH in terms of increased job difficulty and the preferred extent for WFH. It also points to the need to investigate the interaction between sex and number of children to understand employees’ preferred extent for WFH.

Burnout and Physical Activity as Predictors of Job Satisfaction Among Peruvian Nurses: The Job Demands-Resources Theory.

The Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) theory suggests that an imbalance between job demands and available resources can lead to burnout, negatively affecting job satisfaction. Physical activity is recognized for its positive effects on psychological well-being and could play a crucial role in mitigating burnout and improving job satisfaction, especially in high-demand professions such as nursing. This study investigates the relationship between burnout, physical activity, and job satisfaction in Peruvian nurses, using the JD-R theory as a theoretical framework. A cross-sectional and explanatory analysis was conducted on a sample of 420 Peruvian nurses, using a Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) design to analyze the relationships between burnout, physical activity, and job satisfaction. The instruments included the Ultra-Short Burnout Measure (IUB), the General Job Satisfaction Scale NTP 394, and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). The findings showed a significant negative correlation between burnout and physical activity (β = -.40, P < .001) and between burnout and job satisfaction (β = -.46, P < .001). Physical activity exhibited a significant positive correlation with job satisfaction (β = .22, P < .001). Moreover, mediation analysis confirmed that physical activity mediates the relationship between burnout and job satisfaction (β = -.106, P < .001). The findings emphasize the importance of physical activity as a mediator in the relationship between burnout and job satisfaction among Peruvian nurses, highlighting the need to promote physical activity as a strategy to improve workplace well-being. It is suggested that enhancing access to and promotion of physical activity could mitigate the effects of burnout and improve job satisfaction, which is essential for the quality of care and the well-being of nursing staff. These findings underscore the need for organizational and public health strategies that promote a healthy work environment and balance between the demands and resources available.

Principals’ Management of Teachers’ Workload Pressure and Students’ Academic Performance in Public Secondary Schools in Kenya

This study sought to investigate the principals’ management of teachers’ workload pressure and students’ academic performance in public day secondary schools in Kitui West sub-County. The study objective sought to establish the influence of Principals’ teacher workload management practices on students’ academic performance. The study was based on Job Demands–Resources theory whose characteristics can be categorized into two major groups which include job demands and job resources. Descriptive survey research design was used in the study. The study target population included all the 26 principals and 249 teachers. Census and systematic sampling techniques were used to select a sample of 26 principals and 38 teachers respectively. Questionnaires were used as data collection tools. Data was analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively using descriptive statistics. Frequency distribution and cross tabulation tables were used to present data. Qualitative data was analysed organized in subthemes and analysed qualitatively based on research objectives and presented in a narrative form. The study found that on average majority 83.7% of the principals and 74.8% of the teachers respectively were in agreement with the statement that the management practices of teacher workload pressure influences students’ academic performance. The study recommends ensuring adequate staffing in schools by the Teachers’ Service Commission to curb overworking teachers and promotion of teamwork for better academic performance. This study may be significant in that the research outcomes could inform policy formulation in the Ministry of Education regarding principals’ work environment management. The findings contribute to existing knowledge and serve as a basis for future research. The study advances conceptual understanding and provides empirical evidence in educational leadership and organizational behavior in relation to teacher workload management practices. The study concluded that principals’ management practices can significantly impact on students’ academic performance.

Workload, nurse turnover, and patient mortality: Test of a hospital-level moderated mediation model.

Hospitals are often tasked with improving patient care while simultaneously increasing operational efficiency. Although efficiency may be gained by maintaining higher patient volume per nurse (higher workload), high-quality patient care requires low levels of nurse turnover, which might be adversely affected by an increase in workload. Drawing upon job demands-resources theory, we hypothesized that hospital-level workload will predict nurse turnover and that nurse turnover will predict patient mortality, and that registered nurse hiring rates and human resource management practices will moderate (buffer) the positive relationship between nurse workload and nurse turnover, whereas quality care structures will moderate (buffer) the positive relationship between nurse turnover and patient mortality. We tested this model utilizing multiple sources of time-lagged data collected from a sample of 156 hospitals in the United States. Our findings suggest that (a) nurse workload is associated with higher nurse turnover, (b) nurse turnover is positively associated with patient mortality, (c) nurse staffing buffers the workload-turnover relationship as a first-stage moderator, and (d) quality care structures act as a second-stage moderator that mitigates the effects of turnover on mortality. The reduction of nurse turnover and patient mortality requires investments in adequate levels of nurse staffing and implementation of quality care structures.

The dual path effect mechanism study of digital-HRM on employee innovative performance and cyberloafing.

In recent years, an increasing number of companies have begun implementing digital-HRM. However, much of the existing research primarily discusses digital-HRM from a "thing" perspective or explores its consequences at the organizational level. There has been limited research focusing on individual employees, particularly on how digital-HRM impacts their psychological states and performance. Drawing on job demands-resources theory, this study examines the relationship between digital-HRM and employee innovative performance, as well as cyberloafing. We conducted a time-lagged study involving 487 employees across various industries in China and employed partial least squares path modeling. The results suggest that digital-HRM enhances employee innovative performance by increasing the sense of work gain, while it reduces cyberloafing by decreasing relative deprivation. Perceived ease of technology use was found to positively moderate these relationships. By rigorously investigating the critical psychological mechanisms of the sense of work gain and relative deprivation, and the essential boundary condition of perceived ease of technology use, this study aims to develop a comprehensive conceptual framework that deepens our understanding of how digital-HRM, as an emerging job resource in the digital era, influences employee behavior. Adopting a human-centered approach, the research theoretically extends the study of digital-HRM's impact at the individual level and finds that digital-HRM influences employee performance in a mutually beneficial manner. These findings provide practical insights for organizations to actively implement digital-HRM and maximize its benefits.

A Conceptual Examination of the Relationship between E-Leadership and Disengagement from Knowledge Sharing: A Moderated Mediated Theoretical Model

Purpose: The purpose of this conceptual paper is to develop a theoretical model to explain the relationship between e-leadership and disengagement from knowledge sharing. The current study employs the Job Demands-Resources theory (JD-R) and Adaptive Cost theory to illuminate a potential drawback of practicing e-leadership.&#x0D; Methodology: A comprehensive review of the existing literature on e-leadership and knowledge sharing was conducted. The synthesis of these diverse research domains led to the development of a conceptual framework that illustrates the proposed relationship between e-leadership behaviors and the tendency of individuals to disengage from knowledge-sharing activities in virtual environments.&#x0D; Findings. The theoretical model presented in this paper suggests that leadership in the virtual environment has the potential to cause adverse outcomes such as leader stress, which could ultimately lead them to disengage from knowledge-sharing activities in the organization.&#x0D; Unique contribution to theory, practice, and policy. The proposed theoretical model contributes to a deeper understanding of the complex dynamics between e-leadership and knowledge-sharing disengagement in virtual settings. By recognizing the key factors that influence disengagement, organizations can develop targeted interventions and strategies to foster a culture of knowledge sharing and enhance e-leadership effectiveness. This paper is the first study to examine how the complexities of e-leadership could negatively affect a leader's health and knowledge-sharing behavior.

Work engagement, impulsivity and, self-efficacy among Polish workers. Moderating role of impulsivity.

The study proposes adding a new component to the Job Demands-Resources Theory, termed 'personal demands'. Impulsivity serves as an illustrative example of personal demands. A cross-sectional questionnaire was conducted and a total of 394 (Female = 59.6%) workers were surveyed. Standardized survey questionnaires were used in the study, i.e. The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9), Life Roles Self-Efficacy Scale (LRSES) and UPPS-P Impulsive Behaviour Scale. The obtained results indicate that Work Engagement correlates negatively with Impulsivity scales (lack of premeditation (r = -.22; p < .001), lack of persistence (r = -.27; p < .001), positive urgency (r = -.12; p, < .01) and negative urgency (r = -.12; p < .01)). In addition, Positive Urgency, moderates the relation between Self-efficacy and Work Engagement, in line with the theory (B = .133; SE = .067; t = 1.98; p < .05; LLCI = .0007; ULCI = 0.2643). This confirmed the fact, that impulsivity should be included in the JDR theory as a 'personal demand'.

EFL Instructors’ Occupational Wellbeing during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Turkey: A Study of Burnout and Work Engagement

The COVID-19 pandemic and the following online education experiences have caused significant changes in educators’ work lives and working conditions and brought extra stress factors. This mixed-methods study examined the well-being of English instructors trying to continue their teaching activities through online teaching during the pandemic in Turkey, based on the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Theory. Quantitative data were collected from 69 English instructors through an inventory. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 instructors. The results reveal an average level of burnout and work engagement in the study sample. Uncertainty and the limitations of technology are emerging as two new job demands faced by instructors in online teaching during the pandemic. The findings also provide evidence for the possibility of adding a fourth dimension to the JD-R: personal demands. E-teaching readiness and openness to interaction as personal resources and security as a job resource have emerged as three new resources specific to the online teaching mode. Student-related factors, which were found to be causes of poor well-being in general in previous studies, have been found to be sources that promote higher well-being among instructors in online education. The study reveals important implications for school administrators and teacher educators.

Exploring the Role of Person-Job Misfit and Psychological Capital in Mediating and Moderating Resistance to Innovation Performance

This study investigates the resistance barriers encountered within the IT management community in Taiwan’s industry, where resistance often stems from a lack of alignment with established systems. Utilizing a job demand-resource theory and a social cognitive approach, this research explores the impact of psychological capital on the expressions of job misfit and resistance to innovation among corporate employees, mediated through psychological distress and behavior. The study involved the distribution of survey questionnaires to 290 IT managers in Taiwan’s private sector, forming the foundation of the investigation into job misfits within the IT sector and managerial resistance to innovation in the Taiwanese industry. Data synthesis was a crucial step in interpreting the results, and future studies should consider a broader range of methodologies beyond questionnaires. The study concludes with several noteworthy recommendations, questions for future research, and theoretical and practical implications.

The psychometric properties of the Burnout Assessment Tool in Norway: A thorough investigation into construct-relevant multidimensionality.

The World Health Organization recognizes burnout as an occupational issue. Nevertheless, accurately identifying employee burnout remains a challenging task. To complicate matters, current measures of burnout have demonstrated limitations, prompting the development of the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT). Given these circumstances, conducting an in-depth examination of the BAT's construct-relevant multidimensionality is crucial. This study focuses on both the original 23-item BAT and the short 12-item version, using modern factor analytic methods to investigate reliability, validity, and measurement invariance in a representative sample from Norway (n = 493; 49.54% women). Our findings revealed that the bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling solution (burnout global factor and four specific burnout component factors) best explained the data for both BAT versions. All factors demonstrated adequate omega coefficients, with the global factor showing exceptional strength. Both BAT versions correlated highly with each other and with another burnout measure, suggesting convergent validity. Furthermore, both BAT versions achieved full (strict) measurement invariance based on gender. Finally, our results showed that burnout acts as a mediator in our proposed job demands-resources model as preliminary evidence of predictive validity. The study validates the Burnout Assessment Tool in the Norwegian context. The study supports the reliability, validity, and unbiased nature of the tool across genders. The findings also reinforce the importance of job demands and resources, along with burnout as a key mediator, in understanding workplace dynamics in accordance with job demands-resources theory.

I Do Not Want to Miss a Thing! Consequences of Employees' Workplace Fear of Missing Out for ICT Use, Well-Being, and Recovery Experiences.

As more and more employees have access to work-related information and communication technologies (ICTs) anywhere and anytime, new challenges arise in terms of well-being and recovery experiences. Feelings of workplace fear of missing Out (wFoMO) and workplace telepressure may be personal demands that add to the literature of the job demands-resources (JD-R) theory. In this study, we proposed a model in which wFoMO and workplace telepressure were associated with employee well-being variables via the use of ICTs during leisure time. Therefore, we analyzed the data of N = 130 employees who answered two questionnaires in the interval of one work week. The results revealed negative indirect effects between wFoMO/workplace telepressure and psychological detachment/perceived stress via ICT use. The results were more ambivalent regarding the dependent variables burnout, relaxation, and control. This strengthens the literature that categorized ICT use as a job demand. However, we also found positive indirect effects on perceived informational benefits, which supports the idea of ICTs being both a job demand and a job resource in light of the JD-R theory. This study contributes to past research on work-related ICT use during leisure time and demonstrates the relevance of personal demands such as wFoMO for employees' well-being.

Sustaining Engagement: How Follower Resilience May Mitigate the Negative Effects of Dark Triad Leaders

We propose that followers with leaders who exhibit any or all of the dark triad leadership traits, may be able to mitigate negative effects through their resilience. In this study, we use Job Demands-Resources theory to propose moderated relationships among follower perceptions of their leader’s psychopathic, Machiavellian, or narcissistic traits, follower engagement, and follower resilience. We found support for two of three hypotheses: Follower resilience mitigated the negative effects of leader psychopathy and leader Machiavellianism on follower work engagement. We also found an opposite effect for how resilience moderated the relationship between narcissism and job engagement: People with lower resilience were more engaged under narcissistic leaders. Given the reality of dark triad leaders, our findings support the promotion of coping methods that followers may use to mitigate negative outcomes.