Workplace Outcomes Research Articles

Thriving minds, thriving workplaces: unleashing creativity through psychological wellbeing and psychological capital

PurposeThis study examines the complicated relationship between psychological wellbeing, joy at work, creative ability and the mediating influence of psychological capital, drawing insights from self-determination theory within the context of the banking sector.Design/methodology/approachThe study utilized random sampling to gather comprehensive data from 465 banking employees. Following data collection, structural equation modeling was employed to test the hypotheses formulated based on the collected data.FindingsFindings underscore a significant association between psychological wellbeing and both joy at work and creative ability within the banking sector. Moreover, the study elucidates that psychological capital acts as a crucial mediator, illuminating the pathway through which psychological wellbeing influences joy at work and subsequently enhances creative ability.Practical implicationsThis research offers valuable insights for organizational leaders and policymakers, emphasizing the imperative of prioritizing psychological wellbeing initiatives and nurturing positive work environments to enhance employee satisfaction, productivity and innovative contributions within the banking sector.Originality/valueThe application of self-determination theory as a theoretical framework provides a robust foundation for understanding the dynamics between psychological factors and workplace outcomes. The banking industry, often characterized by high stress levels and demanding work environments, stands to benefit substantially from interventions aimed at fostering psychological wellbeing. By cultivating positive mental health and capitalizing on joy at work, organizations can stimulate employee creativity ability, thereby fostering innovation and adaptive problem-solving capabilities crucial in the contemporary banking landscape.

Identity work responses to workplace stigmatization: Power positions, authenticity, religious coping and religious accommodation for skilled practising Muslim professionals

AbstractDespite the challenges Muslims face because of their stigmatized religious identity, little is known about how they navigate that identity in the workplace. Adopting an interpretivist perspective of identity work, this study investigates this issue by building on two‐round in‐depth interviews (35 in round‐one and 21 in round‐two) with skilled practising British Muslim professionals. It extends work on power positions to show the privileges those in senior managerial positions have, including assertiveness and control over workplace interactions and outcomes. It further advances understanding of authenticity, revealing that, despite their experiences of stigmatization, these professionals tend to remain true to their religious identity, openly practising their religion in the workplace. They perceive identity re‐interpretation to be part of authenticity, and a responsibility to contest religious stigma. Importantly, this study conceptualizes proactive religious coping as an identity work response to workplace stigmatization, theorized in this organizational context as turning to God and religious rituals for meaning, comfort, resilience and reconciliation, whilst also being proactive and fighting to challenge experiences of stigmatization. However, unlike for other stigmatized groups, inclusive organizational practices, particularly religious accommodation, are not a driver for authenticity, but rather a signal for environment‐fit and authenticity is instead driven by religious identity.

Reducing Counterproductive Work Behavior

Abstract: This study explores the effects of mental load and emotional load on counterproductive work behavior (CWB). Building on the conservation of resources theory and the challenge–hindrance stressor framework, we hypothesize that mental load enhances the effort and engagement of employees to accomplish goals and subsequently reduces organizational deviance (e. g., working time fraud), while emotional load, through resource depletion, weakens this relationship. We also suggest that by depleting emotional resources, emotional load could increase interpersonal deviance, with mental load exacerbating this effect due to synergistic effects. The results of a two-wave survey among 303 UK employees show that mental load reduces organizational deviance only when emotional load is low to moderate; when emotional load is high, mental load may even increase organizational deviance. The results also show that emotional load increases interpersonal deviance, irrespective of the level of mental load. The findings underscore the distinct nature of interpersonal and organizational deviance, challenges previous interpretations of the relationship between workplace stressors and CWB, and highlights the importance of considering the complex interplay between different types of stressors in predicting workplace outcomes.

Promotion or prevention: regulatory foci as moderators in the job demands–resources model

BackgroundBuilding on the job demands–resources (JD–R) model and regulatory focus theory, this study examined how regulatory foci shaped the effects of different job demands and resources on both negative and positive workplace outcomes among medical staff.MethodsTwo independent studies (NStudy 1 = 267; NStudy 2 = 350) were designed for cross-validation. Participants completed a battery of measures evaluating job demands (workload, emotional demands, interpersonal stress), job resources (psychological safety, perceived organizational support, servant leadership), and well-being (job burnout, affective commitment, job satisfaction).ResultsMultiple linear regression analyses showed employees’ well-being was affected by job demands and resources through energetic and motivational processes, respectively. The deleterious effect of emotional demands on job burnout was pronounced in individuals with weak prevention focus (B = 0.392, standard error [SE] = 0.069, p < .001). Psychological safety (Study 1) and servant leadership (Study 2) had stronger positive associations with motivational outcomes among individuals with weak promotion focus than those with strong promotion focus (B = 0.394, SE = 0.069, p < .001; B = 0.679, SE = 0.121, p < .001; and B = 0.476, SE = 0.072, p < .001, respectively).ConclusionWe used two samples to examine and cross-validate the joint effects of job characteristics and personal traits on workplace well-being among Chinese medical staff. Although heterogenous, the results showed regulatory foci were especially important in determining the effects of job demands and resources on well-being when there was (autonomous) self-regulation in the workplace.

The Perception of Corporate Social Responsibility and Employee Flourishing: Cultural Diversity as an Underlying Mechanism

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been a field of interest over the past couple of decades. The challenges posed by rapidly evolving technology and frequently changing market conditions along with well-informed customers, have compelled firms to pay greater attention to their stakeholders and address social, economic, and environmental issues. This heightened focus on CSR reflects a growing perception that success transcends financial gains and encompasses broader benefits to communities and society. Moreover, there is growing recognition of the impact of internal CSR practices, which not only enhance a firm’s reputation, assets, and customer retention but also significantly influence the well-being, engagement, and satisfaction of their workforce. Currently, for some firms, particularly multinational corporations (MNCs), promoting internal CSR practices becomes particularly complex amidst diverse workforces encompassing varied languages and cultures. This study, thus, explores the relationship between perceived CSR practices and workplace outcomes, including the mediating role of cultural diversity. Based on data collected from 211 employees in 19 different countries, the results reveal that perceived CSR effects on employee well-being, satisfaction, and engagement are driven by diversified cultural settings. Accordingly, these findings reinforce the urgency to delve deeper into the implications of cultural diversity within CSR frameworks.

Psychological need satisfaction, frustration, and unfulfillment profiles in the workplace: Their nature, predictors, and outcomes

Abstract Based on self-determination theory, this research relied on person-centered analyses to show how the distinct components of psychological need states combine to produce distinct profiles. We also explored contemporarily antecedents (perceptions of the organization’s environmental corporate social responsibility and negative moral emotions related to the organization’s environmental (ir)responsibility) and organizational outcomes (affective organizational commitment, turnover intentions, and cyberslacking). Questionnaire surveys were completed by 525 French employees. Four profiles characterized by configurations of psychological need states were identified and showed well-differentiated patterns. Negative moral emotions predicted membership in the most detrimental need states profiles while corporate social responsibility perceptions did not. As expected, we found opposite patterns of associations between profile membership and affective organizational commitment and turnover intentions, while the highest levels of cyberslacking were found in the most positive need states profiles. The results add to person-centered research and emphasize the importance of psychological experiences in the workplace and organizational outcomes.

This is mine and not yours! Effects of leader territorial behavior on employee workplace outcomes

This is mine and not yours! Effects of leader territorial behavior on employee workplace outcomes

Supportive Workplace Wellness Cultures and Mattering Are Associated With Less Burnout and Mental Health Issues in Nurse Managers.

The aims of this study were to describe burnout, mental health, and healthy lifestyle behaviors of nurses in a managerial role and assess associations among workplace culture factors (perceived culture, mattering, support, and staff shortages) with burnout, mental health outcomes, and healthy lifestyle behaviors. Nurse managers foster unit-based wellness cultures, yet burnout and mental health problems adversely impact the culture and well-being of staff. A cross-sectional, descriptive correlational design was used. The Florida Organization for Nursing Leadership enabled distribution of a wellness survey to nurse managers. There were 125 participants. Healthy lifestyle behaviors were infrequently practiced. Analysis revealed significant correlations among workplace culture factors, burnout, and mental health outcomes. When compared with nurse managers with staff shortages, those without staff shortages were 6.11 times more likely to not screen positive for burnout. Health systems should address workplace culture factors and staff shortages to reduce burnout, improve mental health, and enhance healthy behaviors in nurse managers.

Working Around the Clock: Temporal Distance, Intrafirm Communication, and Time Shifting of the Employee Workday

This paper examines the effects of temporal distance generated by time zone separation on communication in geographically distributed organizations. We build on prior research, which highlights time zone separation as a significant challenge, but argue that employees may time shift—move work-related communication to outside of regular business hours—to counteract temporal distance. We propose a theory in which employees’ tendency to time shift depends on the demands of their tasks and collaborative relationships and individuals’ ability to supply work outside of regular business hours. Analyzing communication-level data from 12,038 employees of a large multinational firm and using cities’ shifts to/from daylight saving time for identification, we find that temporal distance leads to sizable but smaller than expected reductions in volumes of rich, synchronous communication between employees. Consistent with our arguments, increased temporal distance significantly increases time shifting of work-related communication, especially among workers whose jobs are nonroutine and interactions in strong collaborative relationships. We further document that female employees and employees based in countries with stricter legal work hour limits engage in significantly less time-shifted communication. Our study improves understanding of a ubiquitous source of collaboration friction. It also sheds light on a potential source of inequities in workplace outcomes stemming from differences in individuals’ ability to work outside of regular business hours. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2023.17558 .

Weight in the Workplace: Weight Discrimination Impacts Professional Outcomes as a Function of Social Pain Minimization

AbstractWorkplace weight discrimination is pervasive and harms both individuals and organizations. However, despite its negative effects on employees and employers, the social and psychological processes linking weight discrimination and workplace outcomes remain unclear. Rooted in evidence that people regularly dehumanize and dismiss the emotions of heavier individuals, the current work tests one socioemotional pathway linking workplace weight discrimination and professional outcomes: social pain minimization (SPM). SPM refers to feelings of emotion invalidation when people share negative social experiences with others and feel their hurts are discounted and dismissed by their colleagues. Across two studies using cross-sectional and prospective designs (Ntotal = 661), the current work provides evidence that workplace weight discrimination increased feelings of SPM, which in turn was associated with greater burnout, lower job satisfaction, and more counterproductive work behaviors. In the wake of workplace weight discrimination, subsequent SPM negatively affects workplace outcomes. For those experiencing workplace weight discrimination, mistreatment and invalidation frequently operate as a one-two punch to critical organizational outcomes.

Mexican sending region and workplace experience: A preliminary study of agricultural guestworkers in Ohio

This article shares the results of a 2022 survey of male, Mexican H-2A workers in Ohio (n = 267). We describe the demographic profile of this population, including age, years of experience in the program, education level, marital status, and Mexican sending state. We then examine the relationship between sending regions of Mexico and certain workplace outcomes, specifically likelihood of working for a foreign labor contrac­tor, subsector of H-2A labor, and risk of being charged to participate in the program. Findings include a higher risk of predatory recruitment prac­tices for men from Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Guerrero, and a funneling effect towards agriculture (as op­posed to nurseries) for those same states. Intended as exploratory research, the results lay the ground­work for similar projects in other states and suggest a place-based approach for developing improve­ments to the H-2A program.

Stability and plasticity in personality: A meta‐analytic investigation of their influence on cultural intelligence and five forms of job performance

AbstractThis meta‐analysis clarifies and tests the structural relationships among the Big Five personality traits, cultural intelligence (CQ), and an expanded criterion domain of job performance. Positioning CQ in the nomological network of personality traits is timely because research has demonstrated that CQ predicts a range of work‐related outcomes in today's multicultural workplace. Drawing on the Cybernetic Big Five Theory (CB5T), we conduct a meta‐analytic investigation (n = 24,552; k = 109) of the metatraits of stability (shared variance of conscientiousness, agreeableness, and emotional stability) and plasticity (shared variance of extraversion and openness) on CQ and five job performance outcomes (task performance, affiliative citizenship performance, change‐oriented citizenship performance, adaptive performance, and creative performance). Our findings show that CQ is a stronger mediator of the plasticity metatrait (than stability) on job performance, supporting our hypotheses. We also discover intriguing suppressor effects, suggesting that the importance of the plasticity metatrait on job performance could be underestimated in existing Big Five meta‐analyses.

The Self-Perpetuating Turnover Cycle: Frontline Supervisors and Direct Support Professionals Reflect on Its Causes and Impacts

Abstract Direct support professionals (DSPs) and frontline supervisors (FLSs) have critical roles in home and community-based services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Recruitment and retention issues have plagued the workforce in long-term supports and services and were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from the fourth Direct Support Workforce COVID-19 Survey provided national DSP and FLS perspectives on factors contributing to turnover and retention challenges and their effects on the workforce and people supported. Participants identified obstacles with recruitment and retention, workplace outcomes related to turnover, and negative impacts on the supports and services people with IDD rely on to live and work in their communities. Policy and practice recommendations to address the workforce crisis are provided.

Personalizing Human–Robot Workplace Parameters in Human-Centered Manufacturing

This study investigates the relationship between collaborative robot (CR) parameters and worker utilization and system performance in human–robot collaboration (HRC) environments. We investigated whether optimized parameters increase workplace efficiency and whether adapting these parameters to the individual worker improves workplace outcomes. Three experimental scenarios with different CR parameters were analyzed in terms of the setup time, assembly time, finished products, work in process, and worker utilization. The main results show that personalized CR parameters significantly improve efficiency and productivity. The scenario in which CR parameters were tailored to individual workers, balanced the workload, and minimized worker stress, resulting in higher productivity compared to non-people-centric settings. The study shows that personalization reduces cognitive and physical stress, promotes worker well-being, and is consistent with the principles of human-centered manufacturing. Overall, our research supports the adoption of personalized, collaborative workplace parameters, supported by the mathematical model, to optimize employee efficiency and health, contributing to human-centered and efficient HRC environments.

Enhancing Job Performance: The Critical Roles of Well-Being, Satisfaction, and Trust in Supervisor.

This empirical study investigated the associations between psychological well-being, job satisfaction, trust in supervisor, and job performance. Data were collected from 277 company employees in Bahrain through online questionnaires and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The purpose of the study is to examine the relationships between psychological well-being, job satisfaction, trust in supervisor, and job performance through the use of a theoretical framework that synthesizes prominent models in the field of organizational psychology. The research findings indicate a positive influence of psychological well-being on both job satisfaction and job performance. Notably, job satisfaction plays a mediating role in the relationship between psychological well-being and job performance. The study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by offering an integrated approach to examining the intricate connections between psychological well-being, job satisfaction, trust in supervisor, and job performance, which all are crucial for creating a sustainable workplace environment and outcomes. Practical implications highlight the need for organizations to prioritize employee psychological well-being through initiatives such as wellness programs and supportive work environments, as these initiatives directly influence job satisfaction and performance. Job satisfaction acts as a significant mediator, emphasizing the importance of fair compensation, recognition, and professional development in enhancing job satisfaction.

Emphasizing family as a source of social support: implications for work-family conflict and job satisfaction among hispanic professionals

PurposeAlthough Hispanics represent a large and growing proportion of the US workforce, little is known regarding the possible effects of their somewhat unique cultural values, beliefs, and practices on their experiences of work-family conflict or job satisfaction. This research tested theoretically derived hypotheses regarding the protective effect of a component of familism values, family as a source of social support, on these outcomes.Design/methodology/approachA moderated mediation model was tested using survey data from Hispanic professionals (N = 103).FindingsAs predicted, family support was negatively related to work interfering with family (WIF) and positively related to job satisfaction. WIF mediated the relationship between family support and job satisfaction. Additionally, gender moderated this mediated relationship such that the effects were stronger for Hispanic women than men.Research limitations/implicationsGeneralizability of the results should be explored by employing larger samples that include longer tenured workers, employees with higher degrees of management experience, and additional Hispanic subgroups. Results contribute to a growing body of research demonstrating beneficial effects of familism values for Hispanics.Practical implicationsResults suggest that organizations may benefit from taking active steps to support familism values among Hispanic workers.Originality/valueThis is the first empirical study to explore the possible benefits of family support values on workplace outcomes.

Continuous measurement of university students stress level during COVID-19 lockdown: Longitudinal study

Despite numerous studies documenting high stress levels among university students, few have explored the potential benefits of continuous and systematic monitoring of stress-related or other psychological data. The COVID-19 pandemic and policies such as lockdowns, online education, and other restrictions have made it necessary to explore the impact of these measures on students' stress levels. This study aims to describe our experience with collecting longitudinal stress data in a university setting and to investigate the impact of COVID-19 policies on students' stress levels.We employed a mixed-methods approach, collecting quantitative data using the Arabic-translated version of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14) and qualitative data through interviews. Baseline PSS data collection began on October 20, 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, to assess students' stress levels during different academic timeframes, such as enrollment, midterm exams, and final exams. Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, a series of follow-up PSS collections was conducted from February 9, 2020, to November 15, 2021. After quantitative data collection ended, we conducted in-person interviews with 96 students, exploring domains such as health, academic life, sleep, diet, financial situation, living environments, work, social relationships, depression, and social thoughts.We received 404 responses with a nearly equal distribution of male and female participants. Our results revealed that female participants reported higher mean stress scores than male participants, while male participants had higher mean coping scores.Moreover, continuous and systematic monitoring of stress-related data can be valuable for coping with unpredictable events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The mixed-methods approach enabled us to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the complex impact of COVID-19 and lockdowns on students' stress levels. These results have important implications for developing interventions and support systems to help students manage stress during times of uncertainty and disruption.To improve health outcomes in both workplace and academic settings, we recommend integrating health-related measures. This could include the collection of diverse health-related data, such as psychological, psychometric, social, and behavioral information. Future studies should explore guidelines and standards to help organizations determine the most effective measures based on their unique environments and objectives.

Political skill and personal reputation: an analysis of workplace and entrepreneurial outcomes

Political skill and personal reputation: an analysis of workplace and entrepreneurial outcomes

Dark Triad Personality Traits and Workplace Outcomes: Evidence from the Hospitality Industry

The Dark Triad Personality Traits - psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism - have a significant impact on workplace dynamics. Psychopathy involves egoistic and disappointing interpersonal contact; Machiavellianism involves devious communication strategies; and narcissists use harmful tactics to gain attention and dominate teams. This study investigates the linking of DTPTs with work outcomes in the context of Jordan's hospitality sector. With the use of a standardised questionnaire, 387 hotel staff members provided quantitative data. SPSS was used to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings demonstrated that, whereas DTPTs had no effect on OCB, they do positively influence JB and TI. These results have significant theoretical and practical implications for Jordan hotels. The study recommends that to combat DTPTs in hotels, proactive measures like thorough hiring processes, investing in training programmes, and establishing clear organisational values can help. These measures can identify potential traits, foster a positive work culture, and discourage behaviours aligned with DTPTs, ultimately improving overall staff satisfaction, reducing turnover, and increasing JB.

Evaluation of Mpox Exposures and Outcomes in Workplaces, 6 Jurisdictions, June 1-August 31, 2022.

The risk for mpox virus (MPXV) transmission in most workplaces has not been thoroughly assessed in the context of the 2022 global mpox outbreak. Our objectives were to describe mpox case patients who worked while infectious and the subsequent workplace contact tracing efforts, risk assessments, and outcomes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requested information from health departments in the United States in September 2022 to identify people with confirmed or probable mpox who worked outside the home while infectious, either before or after diagnosis, from June 1 through August 31, 2022. We collected and summarized data on demographic, clinical, and workplace characteristics of case patients and workplace contact investigations. We stratified data by industry and occupation categories. In total, 102 case patients were reported by 6 jurisdictions. The most common industries were accommodation and food services (19.8%) and professional business, management, and technical services (17.0%). Contact investigations identified 178 total contacts; 54 cases (52.9%) had no contacts identified. Of 178 contacts, 54 (30.3%) were recommended to receive postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) and 18 (10.1%) received PEP. None of the contacts developed a rash or were tested for orthopox or mpox, and none were reported to have confirmed or probable mpox. Data from 6 jurisdictions suggest that the risk of MPXV transmission from workers to others in workplace settings in many industries is low. These findings might support future updates to exposure risk classifications and work activity recommendations for patients. These findings also demonstrate the importance of collecting and analyzing occupation and industry data in case reports to better understand risks in workplaces.