Associations of recognition at work with subsequent health and quality of life among older working adults

The Managerial Role and Psychosocial Factors of Job Satisfaction: A Cross-sectional Study Among Wittyfit's Users

OBJECTIVE

Job satisfaction is an emerging indicator for measuring workers' occupational well-being; however, this has been poorly studied in managers. We aimed to explore job satisfaction between managers and employees and assess its factors.

METHODS

Data from Wittyfit's users were collected between January 2018 and February 2020. Volunteers anonymously provided their sociodemographic profile, their sense of job satisfaction, and their psychosocial feelings (ambiance, meaning, organization, recognition, values, work-life balance).

RESULTS

Data of 10,484 employees and 836 managers were collected. Job satisfaction was higher in managers than employees. All psychosocial factors had an impact on job satisfaction in workers. There was a higher prevalence of satisfied managers than employees. Managerial position and other sociodemographic variables influenced this prevalence.

CONCLUSIONS

Managers seem to be more satisfied than employees. Psychosocial and sociodemographic factors can influence workers' job satisfaction.

Psychological caring climate at work, mental health, well-being, and work-related outcomes: Evidence from a longitudinal study and health insurance data

Psychological climate for caring (PCC) is a psychosocial factor associated with individual work outcomes and employee well-being. Evidence on the impacts of various psychological climates at work is based mostly on self-reported health measures and cross-sectional data. We provide longitudinal evidence on the associations of PCC with subsequent diagnosed depression and anxiety, subjective well-being, and self-reported work outcomes. Employees of a US organization with a worker well-being program provided data for the analysis. Longitudinal survey data merged with data from personnel files and health insurance claims records comprising medical information on diagnosis of depression and anxiety were used to regress each outcome on PCC at baseline, adjusting for prior values of all outcomes and other covariates. PCC was found to be associated with lower odds of subsequent diagnosed depression, an increase in overall well-being, mental health, physical health, social connectedness, and financial security, as well as a decrease in distraction at work, an increase in productivity/engagement and possibly in job satisfaction. There was little evidence of associations between PCC and subsequent diagnosed anxiety, character strengths, and work-family conflict. Work policies focused on improving PCC may create a promising pathway to promoting employee health and well-being as well as improving work-related outcomes.

Prospective associations between strengths of moral character and health: longitudinal evidence from survey and insurance claims data

PURPOSE

Excellent character, reflected in adherence to high standards of moral behavior, has been argued to contribute to well-being. The study goes beyond this claim and provides insights into the role of strengths of moral character (SMC) for physical and mental health.

METHODS

This study used longitudinal observational data merged with medical insurance claims data collected from 1209 working adults of a large services organization in the US. Self-reported physical and mental health as well as diagnostic information on depression, anxiety, and cardiovascular disease were used as outcomes. The prospective associations between SMC (7 indicators and a composite measure) and physical and mental health outcomes were examined using lagged linear and logistic regression models. A series of sensitivity analyses provided evidence for the robustness of results.

RESULTS

The results suggest that persons who live their life according to high moral standards have substantially lower odds of depression (by 21-51%). The results were also indicative of positive associations between SMC and self-reports of mental health (β = 0.048-0.118) and physical health (β = 0.048-0.096). Weaker indications were found for a protective role of SMC in mitigating anxiety (OR = 0.797 for the indicator of delayed gratification) and cardiovascular disease (OR = 0.389 for the indicator of use of SMC for helping others).

CONCLUSIONS

SMC may be considered relevant for population mental health and physical health. Public health policies promoting SMC are likely to receive positive reception from the general public because character is both malleable and aligned with the nearly universal human desire to become a better person.