Insecurity and psychological well-being among faculty in academia: exploring the constraints and conduits of positive psychological functioning

PURPOSE

Job insecurity characterizes academic work, with potential risks for the health, well-being, and personal lives of faculty. Notwithstanding, faculty with job insecurity experiences may still find academia conducive to pursuing personal fulfilment. As faculty experiences of psychological well-being may be coloured by insecurity, this study sought to qualitatively investigate the ways in which experiences of insecurity and psychological well-being co-occur.

METHODS

This study followed a questionnaire study of a representative sample of faculty in Swedish academia and their job insecurity perceptions, inviting the most insecure to participate. The participant group included 19 faculty from nine public Swedish higher education institutions. Transcripts of the semi-structured interviews were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, guided by the six theoretical dimensions of psychological well-being.

RESULTS

Two themes were developed: 1) Staying afloat?, and 2) I'm not yet where I'm supposed to be. These themes elucidate faculty experiences of managing their current work (and personal) situations, and reveal how faculty orient themselves in relation to their futures, pasts and presents.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings demonstrate how experiences of insecurity co-exist with psychological well-being in constraining and enhancing faculty well-being. This reveals how psychological well-being involves a dynamic process of negotiation, especially during transitional periods.

Psychological Capital, Autonomous Motivation and Innovative Behavior: A Study Aimed at Employees in Social Networks

The present study investigates the relationship between positive psychological capital (PsyCap) and innovative work behavior (IWB), as mediated by autonomous motivation and participative leadership moderation. The study was conducted on a sample of 246 employees from various public and private organizations, recruited through different social networks. The moderated mediation analysis provided evidence about the impact of employees' PsyCap on their innovative behavior at work. This behavior will be higher when individual factors (PsyCap) and social factors (participative leadership) interact with one of the most self-determined forms of motivation. Our findings highlight the importance of the individual's positive psychological capital in activating the resources and motivation, necessary to develop innovative behavior in employees, thus achieving organizational success in today's dynamic and competitive business environment. The results also confirmed the moderating effect of participative leadership on the relationship between autonomous motivation and innovative behavior of employees, supporting that the relationship will be stronger when participative leadership is higher. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed, as well as limitations and suggestions for future studies.

Challenges and successes in promoting gender equality through physical education and sports: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Physical education and sport can contribute to gender equality by supporting physical, mental, and social well-being. However, persistent challenges, including social norms, gender discrimination, and structural barriers, continue to limit progress in these areas.

METHODS

This study used a systematic review methodology following the PRISMA protocol. A thematic analysis of 65 relevant studies was carried out to examine the progress and ongoing challenges in advancing gender equality through physical education and sports.

RESULTS

The analysis indicates that educational programmes, progressive policies, and innovative teaching methods have contributed to advancing gender equality, particularly through increased representation of female athletes and leaders, who serve as influential role models. However, these positive developments face challenges, including limited resources, educators' insufficient awareness of gender issues, and the short-term nature of many interventions.

CONCLUSION

The findings highlight the essential need for long-term systemic strategies aimed at amplifying educator awareness, fortifying women's leadership opportunities, and dismantling structural inequities. Future research must prioritize the development of culturally responsive interventions and an in-depth examination of varied socioeconomic contexts to forge more inclusive and sustainable pathways to achieving gender equality in physical education and sports.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The completed PRISMA checklist is provided as a supplementary file and is also available via the Figshare repository: https://figshare.com/s/a088d4ef6e3b26cfd987.

Standing on the shoulders of giants: Predictors of perceived overqualification and its impact on adaptive behavior

Utilizing affective event theory, the study investigates the roles of perceived organizational politics and boredom proneness as antecedents of perceived overqualification and its impact on adaptive behavior. Further, this research examines the mediating role of perceived overqualification between antecedents and adaptive behavior and the moderating role of meaningful work between POQ and adaptive behavior. This research obtained 289 responses from university lecturers and heads of departments of public and private sector universities in Pakistan using quantitative time lag study design and convenience sampling. Results indicate that perceived organizational politics and boredom proneness contribute to perceived overqualification. It has been found that the direct association of perceived overqualification with adaptive behavior is negative. This research found that perceived overqualification mediates the relationship between antecedents and adaptive behavior. Moreover, this research discovered that the relationship between perceived overqualification and adaptive behavior is positive when work is perceived as meaningful but negative when work lacks meaningfulness. The theoretical and practical implications, limitations, and recommendations for upcoming researchers are discussed.

The Connection Between Dark Traits and Emotional Intelligence: A Multistudy Person-Centered Approach

OBJECTIVE

Several studies have analyzed the relationship between Emotional Intelligence (EI) and dark personality, but the results are inconclusive. One study tested correlations between traits that may underlie a person-centered profile of "dark EI." Our study aimed to replicate and extend that research, identifying profiles in Spaniards and examining the differences between the profiles based on different variables of interest.

METHOD

Two studies were designed, the first one (N = 1241) focused on trait EI and the Dark Triad, and the second one expanding the previous (N = 392) focusing on ability EI and the Dark Tetrad.

RESULTS

Three profiles were obtained in both studies: nondark and non-EI profile, dark profile, and average narcissistic and high EI profile. The latter showed the highest self-esteem, strengths, well-being, and civic engagement, and the lowest psychological difficulties and personal distress.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results reinforced the findings of the study we replicated, not supporting the presence of dark EI, but also not supporting the presence of high EI with very low levels of dark traits. These results have implications when designing preventive actions to improve emotional education.

Role self-ascription of professionals conducting advance care planning conversations: A thematic analysis

BACKGROUND

During advance care planning, individuals can benefit from the support of a healthcare professional to navigate the intricacies of decision-making. There are specific roles to be played at each level of the process. Evidence is lacking about how professionals understand their role when conducting advance care planning conversations.

AIM

To explore how professionals perceive, define and describe their role when conducting advance care planning conversations.

DESIGN

We conducted this exploratory cross-sectional study in Switzerland from November 2019 to June 2020 by using semi-structured interviews, which were transcribed and thematically analysed with an inductive approach.

PARTICIPANTS

Fourteen professionals having received a training on advance care planning in Switzerland.

RESULTS

We identified three themes: (1) role typology; (2) individual-centred and (3) professional-centred aspects related to role ascription. Roles that professionals undertake were aggregated in two overarching categories, 'facilitators' and 'counsellors', according to whether they prioritise individual's capacity to decide for themselves or their need to receive guidance towards a particular decision. In practice, roles fluctuate between these categories, according to the individuals (to what extent they are informed and eager to engage in autonomous decisions, their communication capacity and desires) or the professional (main profession and involvement in the person's care plan).

CONCLUSIONS

Advance care planning requires professionals to be very adaptable and flexible in order to identify the role that they can play in each situation. Training needs to take into consideration this complexity and address it explicitly.

When interpersonal goal conflict results in general team conflict: An experiment considering intrapersonal tension as a mediator

Interpersonal goal conflict occurs when at least one team member has a goal that interferes with the achievement of other team members' goals. Such interpersonal goal conflict has an impact on a variety of team outcomes (e.g., team performance, well-being) and may theoretically lead to general team conflict, although the latter has not yet been empirically investigated. Hence, the primary aim of this study is to examine whether interpersonal goal conflict has an impact on general team conflict. In addition, a secondary aim is to examine whether intrapersonal tension may be a mediator of this relationship. Increased intrapersonal tension (including negative emotions) may be a necessary condition for interpersonal goal conflict to lead to general team conflict. A between-subject experiment with three conditions was conducted. In all conditions, participants (N = 80 male sports science students; Mage = 22.64 years, SD = 2.72) performed in a team of three (including a confederate). The team goal was to perform an interactive task on a bicycle ergometer. Interpersonal goal conflicts were induced by threatening the achievement of the team goal through additive deviant individual goal-behavior constellations in the experimental conditions. Perceived intrapersonal tension (mediator) and perceived general team conflict (dependent variable) were measured after the task. An ANOVA showed that general team conflict was higher in the experimental condition with an additional deviant behavior (DB) than in the control condition (CC) and the experimental condition with an additional deviant goal without deviant behavior (DG); there were no significant differences between CC and DG. A mediation analysis showed that the relationship between goal incompatibility and general team conflict, partly mediated via intrapersonal tension, was stronger in DB than in DG. The experiment with young adult males provides evidence that interpersonal goal conflict behavior (and not just the existence of a deviant goal) leads to general team conflict, which is partly explained by intrapersonal tension among team members.

The impact of autonomy-supportive organizational environments on employees' emotions and creative performance: A self-determination theory perspective

The ongoing debate over whether positive or negative emotions foster creative performance remains a pivotal issue in understanding the interplay between emotions and creativity. Emerging research suggests that both positive and certain negative emotions, such as fear and guilt, can enhance creativity under specific conditions. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this study examines how autonomy-supportive organizational environments contribute to the satisfaction of employees' basic psychological needs. It further explores how these needs influence work-related emotions and ultimately foster creative performance. Data were collected from 283 leaders and employees across various enterprises in Mainland China. Descriptive statistics were analyzed using SPSS 26.0, and structural equation modeling (SEM) with latent variables was conducted using AMOS 26.0 to test the hypothesized relationships and mediating effects. The results demonstrate that autonomy support positively influences the satisfaction of basic psychological needs, which subsequently promotes positive emotions and enhances creative performance. Conversely, autonomy support negatively affects the frustration of basic psychological needs, thereby mitigating negative emotions. Mediation analyses reveal that basic psychological needs mediate the relationship between autonomy support and emotions, while both positive and negative emotions mediate the relationship between autonomy support and creative performance. These findings provide valuable insights into the mechanisms linking autonomy-supportive environments, psychological needs, emotions, and creativity. Beyond its theoretical contributions to SDT, this study offers practical guidance for organizations aiming to cultivate employee creativity and well-being by fostering supportive and autonomy-oriented workplace climates.

Processing of Descriptive and Prescriptive Stereotypes About Men and Women and Electrophysiological Correlates

Gender stereotypes are a set of beliefs about men and women, including both descriptive beliefs, which refer to how men and women are, and prescriptive beliefs, which point to what men and women ought to be (e.g., Prentice & Carranza, 2002). To our knowledge, no electrophysiological studies have addressed the prescriptive dimension. Therefore, the present study pursued two main objectives: first, to compare the level of acceptance, reaction times (RTs), and the event-related brain potentials (ERPs) associated with the processing of incongruent descriptive and prescriptive stereotypes; and second, to compare the level of acceptance, RTs, and ERPs associated with the processing of these stereotypes depending on whether they refer to men or women. Regarding the first objective, prescriptive stereotypes present a higher number of disagreements, as well as smaller RTs, revealing certain rejection attitudes towards prescriptive stereotypes. In addition, descriptive stereotypes elicit a greater amplitude of the LPP component, revealing a higher evaluation by the participant compared to prescriptive stereotypes. On the other hand, stereotypes referring to women are resolved earlier compared to male stereotypes. Likewise, the amplitude of the N400 component also reveals some flexibilization of feminine stereotypes. Finally, female participants present faster RTs than male participants, which might be reflecting a facilitation of the processing of gender stereotypes due to a greater awareness about gender issues. These results seem to indicate a general acceptance of the conquest of traditionally male spaces by women, while the reverse process is still in an incipient state.

Validation of facial attributions in leadership: Trustworthiness and age in Chinese mid-level management

The attributions made to faces are well described by two dimensions of apparent trustworthiness (valence or warmth) and apparent competence (dominance and power) (Todorov A, Mende-Siedlecki P, Dotsch R. Curr Opin Neurobiol, 2013, 23, 373-80). This model has been extended to include a third dimension of apparent age and attractiveness (Sutherland CAM, Oldmeadow JA, Santos IM, Towler J, Michael Burt D, Young AW. Cognition, 2013, 127, 105-18). Previous research has tested the association between appearance and leadership attainment for high-level leaders such as elite politicians and chief executive officers of top performing organisations in the US and Western Europe. Here we focus on a Chinese organisational context and explore how facial attributions are associated with appointment at mid-level managerial positions. Participants rated leadership, competence, trustworthiness, attractiveness and age of faces of male employees of a Chinese Real Estate company. Our findings reveal that apparent trustworthiness and age are more critical predictors of leadership attainment than competence or attractiveness in the context of mid-level management in China. The study supports the three-dimensional attribution framework and reaffirms the importance of facial cues in leadership selection across diverse cultural settings.

The impact of head nurse empowerment on clinical nurses' innovative behavior: the mediating role of organizational climate and professional autonomy

BACKGROUND

As nursing evolves, innovations in management, technology, and services are critical. The innovative capacity of nurses directly influences healthcare quality, making it essential to explore the factors driving nurses' innovative behaviors.

AIMS

This study aimed to examine the impact of head nurse empowerment on the innovative behavior of clinical nurses and to explore the mediating role of organizational climate and professional autonomy.

METHODS

This study surveyed 676 clinical nurses from June to September 2024, using scales for head nurse empowerment, innovative behavior, organizational climate, and professional autonomy. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 25.0, while AMOS 26.0 was utilized for model mapping and mediation path analysis.

RESULTS

Head nurse empowerment was significantly and positively related to clinical nurses' innovative behavior, organizational climate and professional autonomy. Clinical nurses' organizational climate and professional autonomy acted as chain mediators between empowerment and innovative behavior. The overall effect of empowerment on clinical nurses' innovative behaviors (β = 0.635) consisted of both direct (β = 0.185) and indirect (β = 0.450) forms, with the mediating effect accounting for 70.70% of the total effect. The mediator model demonstrated a good fit (χ2/df = 3.248, GFI = 0.930, AGFI = 0.908, RMR = 0.027, NFI = 0.971, RFI = 0.966, IFI = 0.980, TLI = 0.976, CFI = 0.980, RMSEA = 0.058).

CONCLUSIONS

Head nurse empowerment positively predicts clinical nurses' innovative behaviors, with organizational climate and professional autonomy acting as chain mediators. This study constructs and validates both dual and chain mediation models, systematically revealing the mechanisms through which empowerment influences nurses' innovative behavior. These findings provide a new theoretical perspective and practical insights for research on innovation in the nursing field. Hospitals should enhance head nurse empowerment, optimize the organizational climate, and support professional autonomy to promote innovative behaviors among clinical nurses.

CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER

Not applicable.

Creativity Connects: Generating Creative Ideas on Behalf of a Brand Increases Feelings of Connection

People are increasingly asked to generate creative ideas for brands in campaigns intended to generate new ideas. We draw on and extend a growing stream of research suggesting that being creative can foster social connection by showing that generating creative ideas for a brand can strengthen self-brand connection. In six pre-registered experiments (N = 1,635), participants worked on either a creative or less-creative product idea generation task. Creative (vs. less-creative) idea generators reported feeling more connected to the brand (Studies 1A and 1B), and these effects manifested in real product choices (Study 4). The underlying psychological mechanism, perceived self-disclosure, emerged via both mediation (Study 2) and moderation (Study 3). In a high-powered replication (Study 5), we addressed alternative explanations including effort, engagement, brand liking, and willingness to pay. We discuss the implications of our findings for the broader possibility that being creative can foster social connection-a source of psychological well-being.

Use of machine learning to predict creativity among nurses: a multidisciplinary approach

BACKGROUND

In this era of rapid development in science and technology, creativity has become an important requirement in nursing to satisfy the daily needs of their patients. However, nurses' creativity and related aspects are rarely studied in nursing research. This study was aimed to explore the factors influencing nurses' creativity and to develop a decision support system using machine learning to predict creativity levels among nurses.

METHODS

A multidisciplinary design comprising machine learning algorithms mixed with a descriptive, cross-sectional, correlational design was implemented to enhance data analysis and decision-making. A convenience sample of 191 registered nurses from eight hospitals- representing the broader nursing community in Jordan- was recruited to complete the online survey.

RESULTS

revealed that staff nurses reported a high level of creativity (M = 44.95). The machine learning model achieved good prediction performance with high precision. Specifically, Naïve Bayes achieved a recall of 99% for predicting psychological safety, around 98% for both gender and time commitment, 96% for years of experience, 92% for nurse age, and 82% for humble leadership. A decision support system was successfully developed based on these findings. Additionally, a multiple linear regression revealed five main predictors of nurses' creativity: humble leadership, psychological safety, experience, quality initiatives, and education level, together explaining about 30% of the variance in perceived creativity among staff nurses.

CONCLUSIONS

To augment nurses' creativity, managers are advised to adopt flexible leadership styles, create a safe work environment, and encourage staff development. The developed decision support system may be valuable for helping nurse managers evaluate creativity among nurses; this allows for more informed decisions about staff allocation, development, and resource optimization. Researchers are encouraged to use machine learning models because they achieve good prediction performance with high precision.

CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER

Not applicable.

What Turns Task Crafters into High Performers? Affective Commitment and Strategic Alignment as Critical Levers

Considering that the impacts of task crafting on task performance are not uniform and may depend on goal congruence, this study attempted to explore the roles of affective commitment in individual-organizational goal congruence and strategic alignment in job-organizational goal congruence. Drawing on conservation of resources theory, we anticipated that affective commitment as a motivational resource and strategic alignment as an organizational resource would be critical levers for task crafting to affect task performance. Using a time-lagged design with two data-collection points, we conducted a multilevel analysis of data from 138 subordinates and 50 supervisors. As a result, we found that task crafting had the strongest positive effect on task performance when both affective commitment and strategic alignment were high. This study offers new insights regarding task crafting by identifying how employees can be effectively proactive. It also expands the theoretical application of conservation of resources theory by specifying how different types of resources interact to improve performance.

The Role of Meaning in the Retirement Transition: Scoping Review

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The retirement transition is a period of major change and instability, which may challenge a person's sense of meaning in life. This scoping review sought to characterize the current research on the role of meaning in the retirement transition.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

This scoping review was conducted according to Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) and PRISMA reporting guidelines. Database searches of Scopus, PubMed, PsycINFO, Social Science Database, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global yielded 738 records (after duplicates removed). Accessory searches yielded an additional 286 records. Eligible articles included peer-reviewed literature and theses (qualitative and quantitative) that explored an aspect of meaning in the context of the retirement transition.

RESULTS

A total of 30 studies (21 qualitative and 9 quantitative) were included. These studies examined a broad range of research questions on different aspects of meaning-meaning in life, meaning-making, meaningful engagement, and meaning of retirement. Most were single, stand-alone studies (not part of a broader research program) that included only a single time point. Only 6 studies were longitudinal.

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS

This review revealed a heterogeneous set of studies and identified gaps in reporting of important participant characteristics, lack of conceptual clarity in defining meaning, and few longitudinal studies. There is a need for more theoretically driven, programs of research that include longitudinal designs, ideally using mixed-methods approaches, to build a richer understanding of the role of meaning during this major life transition.

Perceived health, quality of life and happiness among older professional artisans in a UNESCO Creative City of crafts and folk art

Globally, it is a priority to understand how to improve health, quality of life, and happiness in a long-lived and rapidly aging population. Evidence on the health outcomes of working in later life is mixed, with some studies suggesting it benefits mental health by preserving identity, status, social participation, and a sense of purpose, while others highlight potential adverse effects. Research on aging at work has seldom focused on older adults professionally engaged in artistic activities, particularly across different craft sectors, in contrast to the extensive research on art-based interventions aimed at promoting well-being among older individuals. This study aims to describe the perceptions of health, quality of life, and happiness among older professional artisans from a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art in Portugal, and examine the associations with sociodemographic and professional variables. A cross-sectional study was conducted, involving primary data collection through a survey administered in the participants' (N = 55) work environments. Eligible participants were individuals aged 55 or older, living in the community, and working in various craft sectors. The artisans completed the WHOQOL-BREF scale, were assessed for depressive symptoms with the PHQ-8 scale, and were inquired on happiness with life using an item from the European Survey on Aging Protocol (ESAP). Most artisans perceived their overall quality of life as 'good', with the psychological domain receiving the highest score (M = 84.92; SD = 10.98). Most artisans (56.4%) also reported feeling 'very happy' and being satisfied or very satisfied with their health (60%). Age was positively correlated with happiness (p = 0.020). A significant difference was observed in the WHOQOL-BREF environment domain between craft sectors (p = 0.023). An association was observed between different craft sectors and their perceived benefits, particularly regarding health, quality of life, and well-being. This study contributes to aging research by focusing on professional activity in the craft and folk art sector, highlighting the intersection of aging, work, and artistic engagement, and offering insights for policy development to support aging craftspeople and promote traditional crafts.

Does Urban Dialect Ability of Migrant Children Significantly Affect Academic Performance? Analysis of Mediating Effects Based on School Integration

This study examined the relationship between the urban dialect ability and academic performance of migrant children, as well as the role of school integration between the two. This study collected data from 1687 migrant children aged 5-15 from 28 county-level units (counties, districts, cities) in China, sourced from the 2010 China Education Panel Survey (CEPS). The research results indicate the following: (1) the urban dialect ability of migrant children has a significant positive impact on their academic performance. (2) School identification, peer-peer engagement, and peer acceptance, as the three dimensions of school integration, play a mediating role between the urban dialect ability and academic performance of migrant children. Overall, this study provides theoretical support and policy recommendations for promoting school integration and academic performance development for migrant children.

Green Tape, Servant Leadership, and Public Employees' Well-Being: A Job Demands-Resources Perspective

Drawing on job demands-resources theory, this study investigates how green tape and servant leadership affect public employees' well-being. Specifically, green tape (i.e., decreased unreasonable job demands) and servant leadership (i.e., increased supplementary job resources) will positively shape public employees' well-being via ego depletion and meaningfulness. Based on a three-wave study of public employees in China, results empirically support our expectations. These findings underline the role of green tape and servant leadership in shaping job demands, job resources, and public employees' well-being, extending existing public administration knowledge. This research suggests that public organizations could benefit from integrating job demands-resources perspective insights into their practices.

Relationships Between Coach Servant Leadership, Internal Team Environment, and Shared Athlete Leadership: A Social Network Approach

Although research has accumulated on the effects of shared athlete leadership, its antecedents, particularly the effects of coaches on shared athlete leadership, have rarely been examined. This study used a social network approach to examine the indirect role of the internal team environment in the association between coach servant leadership and shared athlete leadership. Data were collected from 44 teams consisting of 1,120 Japanese high-school athletes. Density, centralisation, and centrality variance were calculated to measure shared athlete leadership. The results show that teams with higher coach servant leadership had a better internal team environment and a higher density of shared athlete leadership. We also calculated the importance-weighted density (IWD) and found that coach servant leadership was related to shared athlete leadership-IWD via the internal team environment. This study deepens the current understanding of the antecedents of shared athlete leadership and demonstrates the effectiveness of coach servant leadership.

How exploitative leadership undermines subordinates' taking charge behavior? A moderated mediation model

BACKGROUND

The study of the dark side of leadership is gaining growing interest, with negative leadership exerting a stronger influence on employees than positive leadership. Considering the importance of employees' proactive behaviors for organizational innovation and long-term growth, investigating whether exploitative leadership-a representative form of negative leadership-impacts such behaviors is a meaningful research question.

PURPOSE

This study aims to explore the impact of exploitative leadership on subordinates' taking charge behavior, as well as the mediating role of subordinates' organizational identification and the moderating role of traditionality.

METHODS

We conducted a two-phase survey using convenience sampling across various industries in China, collecting cross-sectional data from 348 employees. A structural equation model with latent variables was used to test all hypotheses.

RESULTS

This study found that exploitative leadership negatively affects taking charge behavior, and organizational identification mediates the relationship between exploitative leadership and taking charge behavior. Furthermore, traditionality weakens the negative impact of exploitative leadership on organizational identification, as well as the indirect relationship between exploitative leadership and taking charge behavior through organizational identification. In other words, subordinates with high traditionality are more likely to adhere to authority, mitigating the adverse effects of exploitative leadership.

CONCLUSIONS AND VALUE

This study applies social identity theory to explore the negative impact of exploitative leadership on taking charge behavior, revealing the internal mechanisms and boundary conditions of this relationship, thus filling a gap in the literature on exploitative leadership. We also provide practical recommendations for organizations to mitigate the harmful effects of exploitative leadership and enhance the governance of leaders' exploitative behaviors.

Who Negotiates? The Political Psychology of Price Negotiations

Price negotiation is often a zero-sum interaction where one party's gain is another's loss. In such contexts, a buyer's willingness to negotiate can depend on the perceived justifiability of negotiation. This research examines how political ideology shapes these perceptions. Two archival studies (N = 56,615) and four preregistered studies (N = 3,157) show that conservative buyers are more likely to negotiate prices for houses and used cars. Conservatives also hold stronger beliefs that buyers should negotiate prices regardless of the seller's identity-be it a professional dealer, an ordinary seller, a stranger, or a friend. This heightened propensity to justify price negotiation is rooted in conservatives' endorsement of free-market ideology, which motivates and even moralizes the pursuit of economic self-interest in marketplace interactions. These findings offer a nuanced account of interactions in the marketplace, demonstrating that marketplace behaviors are influenced not only by economic considerations but also by ideological beliefs.

Personality profile analysis, personality-intelligence profile analysis, and the intergenerational transmission of both: Insights from Chinese evidence

An individual-centered latent personality profile analysis represents a novel approach to personality research. Leveraging the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) dataset, this study utilizes latent profile analysis to examine the Big Five personality traits. By integrating personality traits with cognitive abilities, a joint profile analysis of individual personality-intelligence is conducted. Three personality profiles and two personality-intelligence profiles are identified through latent profile analysis, and further subjected to exploratory factor analysis, revealing significant differences among various demographic groups. Intergenerational matching and testing of the samples reveal the presence of intergenerational transmission of these profiles. This study explores the personality profile landscape of Chinese residents and investigates the feasibility of joint profile analysis of personality-intelligence, offering a new avenue for studying the factors influencing intergenerational social and economic mobility.

Perspective-Taking and Reactions Toward Poor Performers in Groups: A Scoping Review and Discussion

Perspective-taking, the ability to adopt another person's viewpoint, has been found to enhance group performance by fostering cooperation and coordination. However, if members threaten the attainment of group goals (i.e., poor performers), the intensity of perspective-taking is not sufficient to explain group members' reactions to the poor performer (e.g., willingness to punish), since the findings are not unequivocally positive. It is key to consider the inferences resulting from perspective-taking efforts (attributions). These inferences, as attributions of the cause of the poor performance and the pro-group intent, are key determinants of group responses to poor performers. The goal of this scoping review is to examine the role of perspective-taking and attributions of the cause of poor performance in reactions toward poor performers in groups. Following the PRISMA guidelines for scoping reviews, we performed a literature search in three databases (APA PsycInfo, PubPsych, and Web of Science) that yielded ten articles that matched our eligibility criteria. A narrative synthesis was employed to summarize the main findings across the included literature. This review highlights the need for integrating views on perspective-taking and attribution processes in group contexts to better understand how groups can effectively navigate challenges posed by diverging performance.

Teacher Punishment Intensity and Parental Trust: A Moderated Moderation Effect Based on CEPS 2013-2014 Survey Data

Teacher punishment serves as a critical tool not only for fostering the healthy development of adolescents but also for shaping the trust relationship between parents and teachers. Drawing on signaling theory and just deserts theory, this study examines baseline data from the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS 2013-2014) to explore the effects of teacher discipline intensity, student violation severity, and teacher gender on parental trust. The findings indicate the following: (1) There is a significant positive correlation between disciplinary intensity and violation severity, while both exhibit a significant negative correlation with parental trust. Teacher gender also significantly correlates positively with parental trust. (2) Violation severity moderates the negative relationship between teacher discipline intensity and parental trust. Specifically, teacher discipline intensity significantly negatively predicts parental trust under both high- and low-violation conditions, with a more pronounced negative effect under low-violation conditions; (3) For male teachers, there is a significant interaction effect between discipline intensity and violation severity on parental trust, whereas this interaction effect is not observed for female teachers. These results provide valuable insights for teachers in understanding the rationale and methods for implementing appropriate discipline to enhance parental trust.

Adding Fuel to the Collective Fire: Stereotype Threat, Solidarity, and Support for Change

We hypothesize a yet-unstudied effect of experiencing systemic stereotype threat on women's collective action efforts: igniting women's support for other women and motivation to improve organizational gender balance. Hypotheses are supported in two surveys (Study 1: N = 1,365 business school alumnae; Study 2: N = 386 women Master of Business Administration [MBA]), and four experiments (Studies 3-6; total N = 1,897 working women). Studies 1 and 2 demonstrate that experiencing stereotype threat is negatively associated with women's domain-relevant engagement (supporting extant work on the negative effects of stereotype threat), but positively associated with women's support and advocacy of gender balance. Studies 3 to 6 provide causal evidence that stereotype threat activation leads to greater attitudes and intentions to support gender balance, ruling out negative affect as an alternative explanation and identifying ingroup solidarity as a mechanism. We discuss implications for working women, women leaders, and organizations striving to empower their entire workforce through developing equitable and inclusive practices.

Gender-based dynamics in the 2022 ADEA Climate Study: Perspectives of faculty, staff, and administrators

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to assess gender-based perceptions among faculty, staff, and administrators within the 2022 American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Climate Study, focusing on the broad areas of cultural climate, well-being, sense of belonging, inclusivity, authentic identity, and institutional practice and policies.

METHODS

The ADEA Climate Study Survey was conducted from January to March 2022, targeting dental and allied dental education programs in the United States and Canada. Data were categorized into men, women, and gender-diverse groups. Descriptive statistics and various comparative analyses (Tukey test for pairwise mean comparison, Kruskal-Wallis chi-square, Pearson's chi-squared, and Fisher's exact tests) were employed to evaluate perceptions across these groups.

RESULTS

The current analyses included 5396 participants, with women comprising the majority (68.8%), followed by men (30.1%) and gender-diverse individuals (1.1%). Respondents were faculty (56.1%), staff (32.3%), administrators (4.9%), and administrators with faculty appointments (6.7%). Significant gender disparities were observed in satisfaction with health/well-being support, sense of belonging, and respect within institutions. Women and gender-diverse individuals reported lower satisfaction than men. They also perceived their opinions as less valued and faced more challenges in building trusting relationships. Institutional policies on harassment, bullying, and discrimination received less favorable ratings from women and gender-diverse individuals, who also reported higher rates of harassment and discrimination.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights gender disparities in dental academia, emphasizing diverse perceptions and experiences among faculty and staff based on gender identity. Understanding these dynamics can inform dental schools and allied educational programs as they proactively implement diversity initiatives, enhance career development opportunities, and enact robust policies fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

Establishing a Bridge Between Supervisor's Perceived Organizational Support and Salesperson's Career Initiative

The proactive behavior of front-line salespeople plays a crucial role in generating positive organizational outcomes. As the managers who interact most frequently with front-line employees, front-line managers' perception of organizational support is pivotal in fostering the development of career initiative among these employees. Grounded in self-determination and social exchange theories, this study investigates whether the organizational support perceived by front-line managers influences employee initiative behavior. Meanwhile, core self-evaluation is introduced to explore how personality traits of sales personnel may influence their perception of the external environment and the formation of intrinsic motivation. This study utilized a questionnaire survey method to collect data from 50 front-line team leaders and their 299 corresponding employees across multiple cities in China, conducted over three rounds. Following the collection of the paired questionnaires, Mplus 8.0 was employed to perform reliability and validity analyses, correlation analysis, and hypothesis testing on the data. The final results revealed that supervisor's perceived organizational support positively influences a group-inclusive climate; a group-inclusive climate can foster felt obligation and salesperson career initiative. Supervisors' perceived organizational support enhances salesperson career initiative by making salespeople experience group-inclusive climate and develop felt obligation. Moreover, core self-evaluation significantly moderates the positive impact of the inclusive climate on these outcomes. By adopting the perspective of front-line supervisors, this research identifies an effective pathway from supervisor perception to employee behavior, elucidates the antecedents of front-line salespeople's initiative, and reassesses the critical role of front-line supervisors within organizations.

Meta-Analyses and structural equation modeling on the relationship between emotional intelligence, emotional blackmail, and work stress

BACKGROUND

This study provides valuable insights into the interplay between emotional intelligence, emotional blackmail, and work stress in organizational settings. It highlights the importance of emotional intelligence as a protective factor against the negative impact of emotional blackmail on employee well-being and performance.

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this study was to develop a theoretical model that elucidates the relationships between emotional intelligence, emotional blackmail, and work stress.

METHODS

This study employed a research method that combined meta-analyses and structural equation modeling (SEM) and was conducted in two stages.

RESULTS

The finding that emotional intelligence indirectly influences work stress through its effect on emotional blackmail underscores the significance of fostering emotional intelligence among employees.

CONCLUSIONS

Organizations can benefit from integrating emotional intelligence assessment tools into their recruitment processes to identify individuals with high emotional intelligence. Moreover, systematic emotional intelligence training and the promotion of supportive leadership styles can further enhance employees' emotional intelligence and interpersonal coping skills. By cultivating a workplace culture that values emotional intelligence and emphasizes open communication and mutual respect, organizations can mitigate the occurrence of emotional blackmail and create an environment conducive to employee well-being and productivity.

Digital leadership and employee innovative performance: the role of job crafting and person-job fit

With the development of the digital economy and digital technology, innovation-driven growth has become the key to the digital transformation of various organizations. Employee behavior and digital leadership affect the innovative performance of a company significantly. Using the proactive motivation model, this study constructed a moderated mediation model with job crafting as the mediating variable and person-job fit as the moderating variable. Through statistical analysis of 306 valid questionnaires answered by employees in manufacturing firms, this study determined how digital leadership affects innovative performance by promoting employees to carry out job crafting. The study conducted structure equation modeling to examine the hypotheses. The findings indicate the following: (1) Digital leadership has a positive effect on employee innovative performance. (2) Two of the three job crafting strategies (task crafting and cognitive crafting) mediate the relationship between digital leadership and employee innovation performance. (3) Person-job fit positively moderates the relationship between cognitive crafting and employee innovation performance. (4) Person-job fit positively moderates the indirect effect of digital leadership on employee innovation performance through cognitive crafting.

Life course insights into social relationship quality: a cross-national analysis of 22 countries

Research has demonstrated strong associations between social relationships and health and well-being, but considerably less is known about the upstream factors-specifically, the childhood antecedents-that contribute to the quality of one's social relationships in adulthood. We use data from the first wave of the Global Flourishing Study, a diverse, global sample of 202,898 individuals across 22 countries, to evaluate an array of social and economic factors, adverse events and experiences, health status, and sociodemographic characteristics from childhood as potential predictors of adult social relationship quality. Using multivariate regression analysis, random effects meta-analytic results indicated that during childhood, having higher subjective financial status, better self-rated health, frequent religious service attendance, good relationships with mother and father, and being female and born in an earlier birth cohort were associated with better social relationship quality in adulthood. In contrast, experiencing abuse and feeling like an outsider in one's family growing up were associated with lower social relationship quality. Country-specific analyses showed substantial between-country variations in these associations. Our findings provide an empirical foundation for further investigation into variability and mechanisms in associations between childhood factors and adult social relationship quality, and cultural differences in these patterns.

Nursing Students' Representations of Sexual Diversity: A Qualitative Analysis of Cultural Competence Development Using Narrative Photography

INTRODUCTION

To address health disparities among LGBTIQ+ communities, nurses must demonstrate cultural competence. This study aims to explore nursing students' perceptions of sexual diversity to enhance their cultural competence.

METHODS

A descriptive qualitative methodology was utilized with 48 first-year nursing students at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Spain). Students created narrative photographs with reflective quotes to illustrate their understanding sex, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

RESULTS

The thematic analysis of 62 images and reflections identified five themes: Recognizing diversity by expanding my cultural knowledge, Developing my cultural awareness, Gender and sexuality as cultural construction, Empathy as a bridge for transcultural care, and Becoming an ally. The findings indicate that students possess a strong understanding of LGBTIQ+ health issues and a commitment to fostering inclusive health care settings.

DISCUSSION

The study highlights the necessity of integrating LGBTIQ+ health content into nursing curricula to improve cultural competence and mitigate health disparities.

How transformational leadership of managers affects employee innovative behavior in IT corporations

Organizations are constantly challenged by new technologies that have the potential to transform their business models and organizational identity, and they are working to create an environment that supports innovation. Advances in digital tools for work have transformed the way we work, which used to be geographically constrained. Transformational leadership is becoming more important, facilitating access to information and knowledge sharing among internal constituents like never before. In addition, in innovation-oriented workplaces, frequent experiences of psychological capital and thriving at work, where employees enjoy an optimal state of challenge, are factors that promote innovative behavior. Based on the conservation of resources theory and social cognitive theory, this study explores the mechanisms through which transformational leadership influences the innovative behavior of IT workers. Specifically, it examines the dual mediating roles of psychological capital and thriving at work. Drawing on data from 394 valid responses out of 458 Korean IT workers surveyed, the results indicate that transformational leadership positively affects innovative behavior, with this relationship being partially mediated by employees' psychological capital and thriving at work. These findings offer practical insights into how psychological capital and thriving at work function as critical psychological processes through which transformational leadership, within internal collaboration platforms, fosters innovative behavior among team members.

Framing Inequality as Advantage versus Disadvantage: A Systematic Review of Effects and a Two-Step Model to Explain Them

Academic AbstractAlthough disadvantage and advantage jointly make up inequality, inequality is often one-sidedly framed as disadvantage. Concurrently, efforts to raise awareness for advantages are growing. Many studies have examined whether and how it matters if inequality is framed as advantage or disadvantage. However, empirical and conceptual integration of this work is lacking. For empirical integration, we systematically reviewed 71 experimental studies in 36 documents (n = 20,063). These investigated many different variables, but often only once, or with inconsistent findings. Framing manipulations varied in ways that could bias effects. Summarizing consistent effects, we conclude that framing can influence how people perceive and react to inequality, but this is contingent on moderators. For conceptual integration, we developed a two-step model, which defines (dis)advantage frames and aims to explain why (Step 1) and how (Step 2) they influence which variables, to help this exciting research field move forward in a more systematic way.Public AbstractInequality is one of the biggest challenges of our time. Both disadvantage and advantage are mechanisms that create and maintain inequality. However, there is often a one-sided focus on disadvantage, though awareness for advantage is growing slowly. This makes it important to ask whether and to what extent it matters if inequality is understood and talked about in terms of disadvantages or advantages. We analyzed and summarized previous studies that investigated these questions and developed an integrating conceptual model. Taken together, the way we talk about inequality can influence how people perceive and react to it, for example, how (il)legitimate they find it and what they want to do about it. Neither talking about inequality as advantage nor as disadvantage is per se more conducive to challenging or maintaining inequality. A balanced understanding of inequality seems necessary to fully understand the issue and to develop effective interventions.

How does entrepreneurial curiosity stimulate new venture ideas among Chinese undergraduates? The mediating role of promotion focus and the moderating role of entrepreneurial education

BACKGROUND

New venture ideas denotes "imagined future ventures", which are vital for undergraduates' entrepreneurial success. As existing studies concentrating more on entrepreneurial opportunity, intention, and behavior, there remains a research gap in understanding how new venture ideas emerge. By integrating the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, the information-gap theory of curiosity, the regulatory focus theory and the regulatory fit theory, this study aims to explore how two different types of entrepreneurial curiosity (I-type entrepreneurial curiosity and D-type entrepreneurial curiosity) affect the undergraduates' new venture ideas through promotion focus, as well as the moderating effect of entrepreneurial education.

METHODS

With a sample of 650 undergraduates in Chinese universities through questionnaire star platform, this study employs a PLS-SEM to test hypotheses.

RESULTS

I-type curiosity, rather than D-type curiosity, has a positive effect on undergraduates' new venture ideas. Promotion focus plays a full mediating role in the effect of D-type entrepreneurial curiosity on new venture ideas, and a partial mediating role in the effect of I-type entrepreneurial curiosity on new venture ideas. In addition, entrepreneurial education positively moderates those mediating effects.

CONCLUSIONS

This study elaborates on how entrepreneurial curiosity drives undergraduates' generation of new venture ideas. It proposes that Chinese universities can effectively foster new venture ideas by cultivating undergraduates' entrepreneurial curiosity and improving entrepreneurial education. The findings also offer practical advice for facilitating entrepreneurship.

Development and optimisation of an intervention to increase the intention to act on health and health equity within the private sector of urban development: an evidence, theory and Person-Based Approach

BACKGROUND

There is growing evidence that exposure to unhealthy urban environments increases the risk of developing non-communicable diseases (e.g. diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory illness), with marginalised communities bearing the greatest burden. However, to date, evidence alone has not been sufficient to make health a top priority in the development of urban environments.

METHODS

The aim of this study was to develop and optimise an intervention to increase the intention to act on health and health inequalities by private sector professionals working in urban development, with a focus on consultants and developers. The 'Changing Mindsets' intervention was developed through an iterative co-production process using the Person-Based Approach method, drawing on evidence and a novel theoretical framework.

RESULTS

Intervention development consisted of three stages. Stage 1 involved the collation of theory and evidence, which included the development of a novel theoretical framework, primary mixed methods research and stakeholder engagement. Stage 2 was the intervention modelling phase, where the findings from Stage 1 were integrated through the guiding principles and behavioural analysis tables, which informed the logic model. Stage 3 involved iterative intervention optimisation with members of the target population. The intervention was comprised of two elements: 1) An intervention session consisting of a presentation with group discussion presented by one of the two industry partners working in the private sector of urban development, and 2) A website signposting to tools and resources, networks to support prioritising and integrating health into urban development, and examples of how other organisations have done so.

CONCLUSIONS

We have provided insights into how complex interdisciplinary theory can be combined with evidence of the target group's needs, issues and challenges using established methodology from the Person-Based Approach and behavioural science. Changing Mindsets is currently being evaluated for its effectiveness and acceptability in the target population. Subsequent to this, there are plans to adapt the intervention to increase the intention to act on other social issues and for other populations.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ISRCTN12310546 registered on the 30 th March 2021.

Examining the impact of total rewards on proactivity among Chinese knowledge employees: the moderating role of vertical and horizontal collectivist orientations

Introduction

In practice, the phenomenon of employees "lying flat"-characterized by poor proactive behavior-reflects a failure in the organization's compensation incentive policy. Currently, the most effective compensation practice is total rewards, yet previous research seems to overlook the impact of total rewards (TR) on proactivity and has not considered when its effects may vary across different forms of proactive behavior.

Methods

Based on social exchange theory and role theory, this study uses hierarchical regression and self-help methods to conduct a two-wave survey of the new generation of Chinese knowledge employees (N = 336).

Results

The results show that total rewards significantly enhance both individual task proactivity and team member proactivity, with a greater positive effect on the former. Additionally, the study finds that vertical collectivism orientation weakens the total rewards-individual task proactivity relationship, while horizontal collectivism orientation weakens the total rewards-team member proactivity relationship. Surprisingly, the study does not support a positive moderating effect of vertical collectivism orientation on total rewards-team member proactivity or horizontal collectivism orientation on total rewards-individual task proactivity.

Discussion

Our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the effectiveness of compensation practices through the lens of intracultural heterogeneity and provide valuable insights for managers seeking to foster various forms of proactivity among the new generation of knowledge employees.

Psychometric properties of the questionnaire for educational justice assessment-student perspective (QEJA-SP) as a reliable tool to inform managers about students' perceptions

BACKGROUND

Assessing educational justice (EJ) and its observance has been documented among the main goals in education systems, but no proper tools have been thus far developed to act in this way. Against this background, the present study was to design a questionnaire to assess EJ from the perspective of students and then evaluate its psychometric properties.

METHODS

The Questionnaire for Educational Justice Assessment: Student Perspective (QEJA-SP) contained 42 items, constructed by reviewing the related literature and interviews. To determine the sample size, a 5:1 ratio was further considered. Given that 210 questionnaires were required, 231 cases were distributed among the participants in consideration of their dropout. During data analysis, 17 questionnaires were also excluded due to their incompleteness. To measure the validity of the tool of interest, qualitative and quantitative face validity and content validity, viz., content validity index (CVI) and content validity ratio (CVR), were utilized. Construct validity was then evaluated using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA).Upon confirming the validity, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and internal consistency were applied, using Cronbach's alpha, in order to establish the reliability of the questionnaire.

RESULTS

The CVR and CVI values were found to be greater than 0.62 and 0.7, respectively. As well, the EFA resulted in a model with the total variance explained (TVE) of 69.144. CFA significantly demonstrated the validity and accuracy of the tool's results, providing further confidence in its accuracy and effectiveness.The Cronbach's alpha and test-retest reliability values of the entire questionnaire were equal to 0.946 and 0.956, in that order. The final questionnaire, the QEJA-SP, accordingly comprised of 36 items and eight dimensions, including "justice in research" with the highest TVE = 15.157% and "classroom capacity" with the lowest value = 3.924%.

CONCLUSION

With regard to the acceptable psychometric properties of the QEJA-SP, fitting the academic environments and the target population of students, this tool could help education managers and policymakers at universities and institutes of higher education (IHEs) to learn about students' expectations and perceptions, and then evaluate the existing situation in their affiliated centers in terms of EJ fulfillment.

The relative importance of peace of mind, grit, and classroom environment in predicting willingness to communicate among learners in multi-ethnic regions: a latent dominance analysis

From a holistic perspective of positive psychology, there is a dearth of knowledge regarding how its three underlying factors (i.e., positive subjective experience, positive individual traits, and positive collective institutions) co-shape learners' willingness to communicate (WTC), a critical facilitator of foreign language learning achievement. This research gap is particularly evident for learners in multi-ethnic regions who have been underrepresented in foreign language education in China. This issue may constrain our understanding of the contributions of positive psychology to the field of applied linguistics, since the role of positive psychological factors in influencing WTC may be distinct across diverse ethnic populations. Besides, the relative importance of these three factors in predicting WTC has yet to be investigated in latent models. Given that different pedagogical approaches may engender disparate perceptions and attitudes among learners, it is of the utmost importance to ascertain which factor should be prioritized in classroom psychological interventions, as well as in teacher training programs. To address these gaps, this study addressed the joint effect of positive subjective experience (foreign language peace of mind, FLPOM), positive individual trait (language-specific grit), and positive collective institution (classroom environment) on WTC using structural modeling analysis. Furthermore, the study employed latent dominance analysis to ascertain the relative importance of these three factors in promoting WTC. The sample consisted of 643 multi-ethnic foreign language students from five provinces in Western China. The findings suggested that FLPOM, grit, and classroom environment collectively stimulate learners' WTC. Notably, FLPOM, a factor that has not previously been examined in relation to in-class or face-to-face WTC, emerged as the most statistically significant predictor of WTC. Therefore, it is imperative that foreign language practitioners and learners recognize the significance of FLPOM in language learning and teaching in Chinese multi-ethnic regions.

Investigation of the conditions for continuous information conveyance by two autonomous conversational agents

Introduction

In recent years, information conveyance through conversation using agents such as robots and avatars has gained attention. Among them, conversation by two agents has been shown to encourage effective information conveyance. Previous studies have also demonstrated that incorporating subjective information, such as emotions, into conversations enhances this effect. Therefore, a medium for information conveyance involving two autonomous agents and including subjective information is expected to be effective.

Methods

In this study, such a medium was implemented, and the conditions necessary for it to convey information continuously were investigated. Objective information was defined as the content of existing news, and subjective information was defined as the preference toward the news. A frame structure was used for organizing objective information, and a network structure was used for subjective information. A method was developed to autonomously obtain both types of information. This knowledge was then distributed to two agents, who exchanged it and attempted to understand each other through conversation.

Results

Experiments were conducted to determine whether the subjective information obtained autonomously by the agents was as natural and consistent as that of humans. Further experiments examined the conditions for enabling continuous information conveyance using the medium.

Discussion

The results indicated that conveying important information first and using robots rather than text were effective strategies for maintaining continuous information conveyance.

A neurocomputational account of the link between social perception and social action

People selectively help others based on perceptions of their merit or need. Here, we develop a neurocomputational account of how these social perceptions translate into social choice. Using a novel fMRI social perception task, we show that both merit and need perceptions recruited the brain's social inference network. A behavioral computational model identified two non-exclusive mechanisms underlying variance in social perceptions: a consistent tendency to perceive others as meritorious/needy (bias) and a propensity to sample and integrate normative evidence distinguishing high from low merit/need in other people (sensitivity). Variance in people's merit (but not need) bias and sensitivity independently predicted distinct aspects of altruism in a social choice task completed months later. An individual's merit bias predicted context-independent variance in people's overall other-regard during altruistic choice, biasing people toward prosocial actions. An individual's merit sensitivity predicted context-sensitive discrimination in generosity toward high and low merit recipients by influencing other- and self-regard during altruistic decision-making. This context-sensitive perception-action link was associated with activation in the right temporoparietal junction. Together, these findings point toward stable, biologically based individual differences in perceptual processes related to abstract social concepts like merit, and suggest that these differences may have important behavioral implications for an individual's tendency toward favoritism or discrimination in social settings.

Engaging leadership and work recovery among key personnel of a major health-care and social services reform

PURPOSE

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the experiences of engaging leadership and work recovery among preparers of a major health-care and social services reform in Finland in 2022; to investigate whether engaging leadership was associated with work recovery; and to investigate whether engaging leadership alleviated the harmful effect of job demands on work recovery.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

Altogether 258 reform preparers participated in four job well-being surveys. Means and paired t-test were used to measure engaging leadership and work recovery during the study period. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis was used to analyze associations between engaging leadership, job demands and recovery from work.

FINDINGS

Experiences of engaging leadership and recovery from work decreased during the study period. A change in engaging leadership had a small positive association with work recovery at endpoint. A change in job demands had a stronger association with work recovery at endpoint. Engaging leadership did not alleviate the association between job demands and recovery from work.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

This study expands previous work recovery literature by demonstrating that engaging leadership style can improve work recovery during health and social care reforms. However, engaging leadership style alone is insufficient to alleviate job demands, and therefore more effective management of job demands is needed. Practically, the findings can be used to plan and lead future reforms.

Ethnic-cultural procedural fairness effects on organizational identification and job satisfaction among minority and majority employees

In the present contribution, we examined the application of procedural fairness in the resolution of ethnic-cultural (EC) issues, which are issues relating to ethnic, cultural, and linguistic matters. We hypothesized that EC procedural fairness perceptions contribute to effective diversity management because they are positively related to job satisfaction among minority group employees. We further theorized that this relationship is mediated by organizational identification. What makes the present study particularly unique is that we employ a dual focus, by examining the perceptions of both minority and majority group members. Two field studies (total N = 2,059; 26.3% minority members) and a longitudinal field survey (N = 265 minority members) supported our predictions. In Study 1, we consistently found that minority employees' EC procedural fairness perceptions were positively associated with job satisfaction. Moreover, organizational identification fully mediated this relationship. Interestingly, similar positive responses to EC procedural fairness were observed among majority group employees. Study 2 sampled minority employees working in various countries and industrial sectors on two different measurement occasions. Multilevel mediation analyses provided further support for the mediating role of organizational identification. Finally, Study 3 sampled minority and majority group assembly line workers pertaining to various ethnically diverse teams. In line with Study 1, our multilevel analyses revealed that EC procedural fairness perceptions were related to enhanced job satisfaction (through organizational identification) among minority and majority group employees. Taken together, the present results highlight that procedural fairness can be implemented to resolve ethnic-cultural issues in today's super-diverse organizations, and by doing so, they emphasize the potential of procedural fairness for organizational diversity management.

Exploring the effect of leader other-oriented perfectionism on radical innovation

Introduction

Rapid shifts in the global economy have increased the demand for innovation within companies, with radical innovation being a key factor for achieving competitive advantage, organizational success, and sustainable growth. Leadership traits can significantly affect employee behavior and attitudes, which in turn, can influence their work. leader's others-oriented perfectionism, representing the interaction between a perfectionist leader and their employees, is particularly relevant in the workplace.

Methods

This study constructed a theoretical model to explore the relationship between leadership perfectionism and employee radical innovation and validated it through empirical research.

Results

The findings indicate that there is a positive correlation between leader's others-oriented perfectionism and employees' work engagement, which in turn is related to radical innovation. In addition, there is a moderating effect of leader's conscientiousness between the effects of perfectionism on employee work engagement. Employee promotion focus moderated the mediating role of work engagement in the relationship between leader perfectionism and employee radical innovation.

Discussion

The purpose of this study is to reveal the relationship between leadership perfectionism and employee work engagement and to explore how these findings can help organizations enhance employee breakthrough innovation. The findings will provide specific practical guidance for managers to encourage the combination of leadership perfectionism and accountability to drive employee work engagement and expand employee facilitation focus, ultimately impacting breakthrough innovation.

When threats become catalysts: cognitive job crafting, work meaningfulness, and employee proactivity in high-insecurity contexts

Drawing on Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, this study examined how cognitive job crafting stimulated employee innovation behavior and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) through work meaningfulness, and how job insecurity moderated these effects. Using a multi-source, employee-supervisor paired design, data were collected from 512 Chinese participants across diverse industries (e.g., manufacturing, technology, healthcare). Employees self-reported cognitive job crafting, work meaningfulness, and job insecurity, while supervisors evaluated innovation behavior and OCB. A moderated mediation analysis revealed that cognitive job crafting significantly enhanced work meaningfulness, which in turn promoted both innovation behavior and OCB. Job insecurity amplified these indirect effects: under high insecurity, the mediating role of work meaningfulness was stronger. These findings highlighted cognitive job crafting's unique role as a low-resource strategy to counter uncertainty. By bridging COR theory with job crafting research, this study advanced a resource-based perspective on employee adaptability in unstable environments.

The subtle balance of trust: how employees' expected and perceived trust influence impression management

Introduction

This study examines how employees expected and perceived trust influence impression management strategies, focusing on their interplay in shaping pro-social and self-oriented behaviors. Trust is pivotal in organizations, yet research has overlooked the impact of trust mismatches on impression management. Addressing this gap, we analyze the effects of trust congruence and explore behavioral variations under different trust combinations.

Methods

Using a quantitative approach, we analyze survey data from employees across various enterprises. To test the hypotheses, we first conducted polynomial regression analysis, followed by response surface analysis. The primary polynomial regression aims to test the hypotheses of ascendant ridge, consistency, and asymmetry, further revealing the complex relationships between the variables.

Results

Trust congruence fosters pro-social impression management and curtails self-oriented behaviors. Higher trust levels correlate positively with pro-social behaviors. Notably, trust incongruence has asymmetric effects: employees with high expected but low perceived trust resort to self-oriented strategies, while those with low expected but high perceived trust exhibit stronger pro-social tendencies.

Discussion

These findings highlight the need to promote trust congruence in management. Addressing trust misalignment through tailored strategies, such as enhancing communication and support, can foster constructive behaviors. Future research should explore trust dynamics and moderating organizational factors like leadership and culture. This study advances understanding of workplace trust and offers practical insights for management.

Which Consumers Change Their Food Choices in Response to Carbon Footprint Labels? The Role of Political Ideology and Other Socio-Demographic Factors

Background/Objectives: The effectiveness of eco-labels in encouraging more sustainable food choices varies across studies. We investigate whether consumers' characteristics may explain this heterogeneity in the context of carbon footprint labeling by studying the moderating role of sociodemographic factors (age, gender, ethnicity, occupation), socioeconomic status (education and subjective socioeconomic position), place of residence (rural to urban), and political ideology. Methods: We manipulated the proportion of carbon-labeled products in two incentive-compatible and pre-registered choice experiments. The first (n = 715) asked consumers to shop for instant meal products in an online grocery store containing a food category's complete product assortment. The second (n = 1233) forced consumers to make tradeoffs between product preferences and carbon emissions in two consecutive food choices for cut fruit products, one without and another with carbon labels. To capture potential lasting effects, we collected purchase intention data from the same respondents several months after the labeling exposure in both studies. Results: Across both studies, increasing the proportion of products with a carbon label led liberals and centrists to choose lower-emission foods but had minimal or no impact on conservatives (although it never backfired). None of the other individual characteristics moderated the effects of labeling after controlling for political ideology. However, a young age, a low subjective socioeconomic position, and an urban residence indirectly improved responsiveness to labeling by predicting a more liberal political ideology. The labeling effects observed for liberals persisted for four months but not longer. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate the critical moderating role of political ideology and provide actionable insights to improve the targeting and design of sustainability interventions.

A longitudinal path analysis of the reciprocal and cyclical relationships between sickness absence, job demands, job resources, and burnout

Aim

This study investigates the longitudinal reciprocal cyclical impact of sickness absence on perceived job demands and job resources, as well as its indirect effects on future burnout and further sickness absence.

Design and methods

A four-wave longitudinal survey design was employed, with sickness absence data collected at Time 1 and Time 3 and questionnaires assessing psychosocial work environment factors administered at Time 2 and Time 4.

Sample

A total of 272 employees from several Norwegian organizations participated in the study.

Results

The results provided evidence of a reciprocal longitudinal negative path coefficient between sickness and perceived job resources, while the path coefficient related to job demands was small and non-significant. Additionally, a cyclical reciprocal effect was identified, following the pathway: sickness absence -> job resources -> burnout -> sickness absence, thereby supporting the JD-R model's predictive capability regarding sickness absenteeism. This implies that sickness absence may lead to a perceived loss of job resources, which subsequently exacerbates burnout and results in further sickness absence over time.

Contribution

This study contributes to psychological theory by enhancing the understanding of the longitudinal and reciprocal effects of sickness absence on perceived job characteristics. It also expands the longitudinal evidence base demonstrating burnout's predictive effect on sickness absence.

Visual statistical learning initiates in/out-group judgments

Our research examines how spatial proximity, shaped by visual statistical learning (VSL), initiates the categorization of individuals into in-/out-groups. We hypothesized that individuals positioned continuously closer in a visual array would be more frequently chosen as part of the in-group, while those farther away would be categorized as out-group members. In Experiment 1, participants selected individuals spatially associated as in-group members, while those associated differently and farther away were more often assigned to the out-group. Experiment 2 replicated these findings and refined the methodology by incorporating two types of visual representation: facial images and initials. These findings enhance our understanding of how VSL not only shapes perceptions of spatial proximity but also initiates the process of group judgments. Specifically, participants indirectly learned and recognized spatial regularities, which influenced their in-group and out-group decisions, underscoring the critical role of VSL in driving early-stage social categorization within virtual environments.

Entrusted power enhances psychological other-orientation and altruistic behavioural tendencies

From the playground to the boardroom, social power profoundly shapes the way people think and behave. Social psychological research has offered a nuanced understanding of the diverse psychological and behavioural tendencies of powerholders. We add to this literature by proposing that powerholders also differ in how they construe the origin of their power. Specifically, we differentiate between perceiving one's power as being based on personal merit and achievement (i.e. achieved power construal) and perceiving one's power as being granted by others (i.e. entrusted power construal). We hypothesised that entrusted power construal, more than achieved power construal, would increase powerholders' psychological other-orientation-the tendency to take another's perspective and to feel what they feel-and their altruistic behavioural tendencies. Using a multi-method approach, we tested this prediction across three studies (N = 926). Our findings revealed that powerholders who adopted an entrusted power construal, compared to those who adopted an achieved power construal, exhibited greater psychological other-orientation and more altruistic behavioural tendencies. We discuss the practical implications of these findings, including how they inform the training of future powerholders to educate them about the reciprocal nature of power.

Experimental evidence that exerting effort increases meaning

Efficiency demands that we work smarter and not harder, but is this better for our wellbeing? Here, we ask if exerting effort on a task can increase feelings of meaning and purpose. In six studies (N = 2883), we manipulated how much effort participants exerted on a task and then assessed how meaningful they found those tasks. In Studies 1 and 2, we presented hypothetical scenarios whereby participants imagined themselves (or others) exerting more or less effort on a writing task, and then asked participants how much meaning they believed they (or others) would derive. In Study 3, we randomly assigned participants to complete inherently meaningless tasks that were harder or easier to complete, and again asked them how meaningful they found the tasks. Study 4 varied the difficulty of a writing assignment by involving or excluding ChatGPT assistance and evaluated its meaningfulness. Study 5 investigated cognitive dissonance as a potential explanatory mechanism. In Study 6, we tested the shape of the effort-meaning relationship. In all studies, the more effort participants exerted (or imagined exerting), the more meaning they derived (or imagined deriving), though the results of Study 6 show this is only up to a point. These studies suggest a causal link, whereby effort begets feelings of meaning. They also suggest that part of the reason this link exists is that effort begets feeling of competence and mastery, although the evidence is preliminary and inconsistent. We found no evidence the effects were caused by post-hoc effort justification (i.e., cognitive dissonance). Effort, beyond being a mere cost, is a source of personal meaning and value, fundamentally influencing how individuals and observers perceive and derive satisfaction from tasks.