A cultural perspective of social support in relation to occupational stress

Child behavior problems and parental psychological distress in Chinese families of children with autism: The putative moderating role of parental social support and cultural values

The wellbeing of parents of children with autism residing in mainland China remains understudied. We aimed to examine whether and how parental perceived social support, individualism, and collectivism acted together to moderate the relationships between child behavior problems and parental psychological distress in Chinese parents of children with autism. With convenience and snowball sampling, data on 268 primary caregiver parents of children with autism were collected from an online cross-sectional survey. Linear regression analysis indicated that child behavior problems were significantly associated with increased psychological distress in Chinese parents of children with autism. There was no evidence to support the stress-buffering model of social support in moderation analysis of the association between child behavior problems and parental psychological distress. Nonetheless, increased social support was associated with lower levels of parental psychological distress. Moderated moderation analyses did not support a role for individualism or collectivism as a moderator of the putative buffering role of social support. However, there was evidence that parental individualism was associated with increased parental psychological distress. Our findings highlight that child behavior problems are a robust correlate of parental psychological distress, and parental social support may act as a compensatory factor promoting less psychological distress rather than having a protective role. The role of social support and cultural values in the wellbeing of parents of children with autism in China requires additional exploration, including longitudinal research designs.

The Relationship between Competitive Class Climate and Cyberloafing among Chinese Adolescents: A Curvilinear Moderated Mediation Model

Since COVID-19 was officially listed as a pandemic, online schooling has become a more pervasive form of learning, and cyberloafing has become a widespread behavior, even among adolescents. However, less research has explored the influencing mechanism of adolescents' cyberloafing. Based on relevant studies and the real lives of adolescents, this study aimed to examine the association between a competitive class climate and cyberloafing among adolescents, its underlying mechanism, the mediating role of perceived stress and the moderating role of self-esteem. A total of 686 adolescents were recruited to complete a set of questionnaires assessing cyberloafing, perceived stress, self-esteem, and perceived competitive class climate. The results showed that a competitive class climate was positively associated with perceived stress, and the U-shaped relationship between perceived stress and cyberloafing was significant. Perceived stress mediated the relationship between a competitive class climate and cyberloafing. Meanwhile, self-esteem moderated the U-shaped relationship between perceived stress and cyberloafing and the linear relationship between a competitive class climate and perceived stress. The results of this study indicate that the influence of a competitive class climate on individual learning behavior may be nonlinear, and proper competition can contribute to reducing individual cyberloafing.

Psychological contract breach and emotional exhaustion among self-initiated expatriates: The role of social support and cultural orientation

Self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) face a unique set of challenges associated with working abroad without organizational sponsorship or support. A lack of clarity about mutual obligations and responsibilities can often lead to misunderstandings about the terms of the employment relationship and to perceptions of psychological contract breach. Drawing on a sample of self-initiated expatriates working in the United Arab Emirates, this study examines the relationship between psychological contract breach and emotional exhaustion exploring how culturally based value orientations and social support affect the relationship. Results indicate that individual-level cultural orientation can shape the responses of SIEs to perceived breaches and to its detrimental emotional effects. Individuals with a collectivist as opposed to an individualist orientation utilize more effectively social support from co-workers and supervisors and are less likely to be negatively affected by psychological contract breaches.

Development and Validation of a New Measure of Work Annoyance Using a Psychometric Network Approach

Existing measures of the impact of job characteristics on workers’ well-being do not directly assess the extent to which such characteristics (e.g., opportunity to learn new skills) are perceived as positive or negative. We developed a measure, the Work Annoyance Scale (WAS), of the level of annoyance that workers feel about certain aspects of the job and evaluated its psychometric properties. Using archival data from two cohorts (n = 2226 and 655) of workers that had undergone an annual medical examination for occupational hazard, we show the usefulness of the network psychometric approach to scale validation and its similarities and differences from a traditional factor analytic approach. The results revealed a two-dimensional structure (working conditions and cognitive demands) that was replicable across cohorts and bootstrapped samples. The two dimensions had adequate structural consistency and discriminant validity with respect to other questionnaires commonly used in organizational assessment, and showed a consistent pattern of association with relevant background variables. Despite the need for more extensive tests of its content and construct validity in light of the organizational changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic and of an evaluation of the generalizability of the results to cultural contexts different from the Italian one, the WAS appears as a psychometrically sound tool for assessment and research in organizational contexts.

Wahrgenommene Wertschätzung im Lehramtsstudium

Zusammenfassung. Die wahrgenommene Wertschätzung stellt nicht nur im Arbeits- sondern auch im Hochschulkontext eine wichtige soziale Ressource für die akademische Leistung, das Engagement und Wohlbefinden dar. Studentinnen und Studenten, die sich in ihren Lehrveranstaltungen wertgeschätzt fühlen, lernen erfolgreicher und neigen seltener zu Studienabbruchsintentionen. Erste Untersuchungen zeigen, dass Studentinnen und Studenten mit dem Abschlussziel Lehramt sich im Vergleich zu Fachstudentinnen und -studenten weniger von ihren Dozentinnen und Dozenten wertgeschätzt fühlen, allerdings kontrollieren diese Studien nicht für intraindividuelle Unterschiede zwischen den Studienfächern. Vor diesem Hintergrund haben wir untersucht, wie sich N = 1255 Lehramtsstudentinnen und -studenten in ihren zwei Studienfächern hinsichtlich ihrer Kompetenzen wertgeschätzt fühlen und welche personenbezogenen und fachspezifischen Faktoren die wahrgenommene Wertschätzung beeinflussen. Die Ergebnisse der mehrebenanalytischen Modelle zeigten, dass die wahrgenommene Wertschätzung durch die Dozentinnen und Dozenten vor allem auf Ebene der studierten Fächer variierte, wobei in der MINT-Fächergruppe weniger Wertschätzung wahrgenommen wurde. Zweitens haben wir anhand einer längsschnittlichen Substichprobe ( N = 436) untersucht, inwieweit die wahrgenommene Wertschätzung mit Indikatoren des Wohlbefindens, der Studienabbruchsintention sowie Veränderungen in diesen Outcomes im Verlauf eines Jahres assoziiert ist. Anhand der Ergebnisse zeigte sich, dass Studentinnen und Studenten, die sich mehr wertgeschätzt fühlten, auch zufriedener mit ihrem Studium und ihren Lehrveranstaltungen waren, mehr Fachenthusiasmus berichteten, weniger erschöpft waren und seltener zu Studienabbruchsintentionen neigten. Zusätzlich war die wahrgenommene Wertschätzung mit der Veränderung in diesen Outcomes assoziiert. Die Befunde werden vor dem Hintergrund praktischer Problemfelder wie dem Lehrkräftemangel diskutiert.

The relationship between quality of work life and work-life-balance mediating role of job stress, job satisfaction and job commitment: evidence from India

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between quality of work-life (QWL) and work-life balance (WLB).

Design/methodology/approach

Using a structured survey instrument, this paper gathered data from 445 respondents in cosmopolitan city in southern part of India. First psychometric properties of the instrument were tested, and then hierarchical regression was used as a statistical technique for analyzing the data.

Findings

The hierarchical regression results indicated that QWL is (1) negatively related to job stress, (2) positively related to job satisfaction and (3) positively related to job commitment. The results also indicated that (1) job stress is negatively related to WLB, (2) job satisfaction is positively related to WLB and (3) job commitment is positively related to WLB. The results also show partial mediation of job stress, job satisfaction, and job commitment in the relationship between QWL and WLB.

Research limitations/implications

Since the present research is based on self-report measures, the limitations of social desirability bias and common method bias are inherent. However, sufficient care is taken to minimize these limitations. The research has implications for human resource managers in work organizations.

Practical implications

This study contributes to both practicing managers and the literature on human resource management. The study suggests that employers need to be aware of the importance of quality of work-life and work-life balance in achieving organizational effectiveness.

Social implications

The study is expected to contribute to the welfare of the society in terms of identifying the antecedents of work-life balance.

Originality/value

This study provides new insights about the effects of QWL on WLB through mediating variables. This is a conceptual model developed and tested and first of its kind in India.

Subjective Overload and Psychological Distress among Dentists during COVID-19

Psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic is not solely limited to SARS-CoV-2 infection. It may also be related to social, cultural, and environmental factors, which may act as additional stressors. The aim of the current study was to explore the association between psychological distress and subjective overload among dentists in different countries, and whether it is associated with COVID-19-related factors. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1302 dentists from China, India, Israel, Italy, and the UK, who filled out demographics data, COVID-19-related factor questions, subjective overload, and psychological distress scales. Our findings showed that the positive association between subjective overload and psychological distress was different among countries, suggesting higher rate of intensity in Italy compared to China, India, and Israel (the UK was near significance with China and Israel). The interaction variable of the subjective overload × psychological distress was significantly associated with a particular country, with those individuals reporting fear of contracting COVID-19 from patients, fear of their families contracting COVID-19, and receiving enough professional knowledge regarding COVID-19. Given the above, dentists were found to have elevated levels of subjective overload and psychological distress, which differed among the countries, presumably due to certain background issues such as social, cultural, and environmental factors.

Social support and the intimate partner violence victimization among adults from six European countries

BACKGROUND

Social support may buffer the negative effects of violence on physical and mental health. Family medicine providers play an essential role in identifying the available social support and intervening in intimate partner violence (IPV).

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed at assessing the association between social support and the IPV victimization among adults from six European countries.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional multi-centre study that included individuals from Athens (Greece), Budapest (Hungary), London (UK), Östersund (Sweden), Porto (Portugal) and Stuttgart (Germany). Data collection was carried out between September 2010 and May 2011. The sample consisted of 3496 adults aged 18-64 years randomly selected from the general population in each city. The revised Conflict Tactics Scales was used to assess IPV victimization. Social support was assessed with the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support.

RESULTS

Participants reporting physical assault victimization experienced lower social support (mean ± SD) than their counterparts, 66.1 ± 13.96 versus 71.7 ± 12.90, P < 0.001, for women; and 67.1 ± 13.69 versus 69.5 ± 13.52, P = 0.002 for men. Similar results were found regarding sexual coercion victimization, 69.1 ± 14.03 versus 71.3 ± 12.97, P = 0.005 for women and 68.0 ± 13.29 versus 69.3 ± 13.62, P = 0.021 for men. This study revealed lower levels of social support among participants reporting lifetime and past year victimization, independent of demographic, social and health-related factors.

CONCLUSION

Results showed a statistically significant association between low social support and IPV victimization. Although the specific mechanisms linking social support with experiences of violence need further investigation, it seems that both informal and formal networks may be associated with lower levels of abusive situations.

Work-Family Conflict, Perceived Organizational Support and Professional Commitment: A Mediation Mechanism for Chinese Project Professionals

Projects are characterized by long working hours, complex tasks and being a kind of temporary organization. As such, work-family conflict is particularly prominent for project employees. This research examined whether and how work-family conflict affects professional commitment among Chinese project professionals. Research hypotheses were developed to explore the relationship between work-family conflict, professional commitment to the project and the mediating effects of perceived organizational support. Data were collected from 327 project managers or professionals working in construction enterprises in China; data were analyzed using structural equation modeling, applying the bootstrapping method. Results showed that there were three dimensions of work-family conflict: time-based conflict, strain-based conflict and behavior-based conflict. There were two dimensions of perceived organizational support: emotional support and instrumental support. The study also tested the negative effect of work-family conflict on professional commitment and the positive effect of perceived organizational support on professional commitment. Specifically, time-based conflict and emotional support had positive effects on professional commitment. Perceived organizational support had a total mediating effect between work-family conflict and professional commitment. The strain-based conflict dimension of work-family conflict had negative impacts on professional commitment through perceived emotional support and instrumental support. Overall, our findings extend a better understanding of work-family conflict and professional commitment in the project setting and verify the importance of social support in balancing work and family and improving employee mobility.

The AAA (appraisals, attributions, adaptation) model of job stress

The AAA model is presented as an integrative conceptualization of workplace stress that combines research from multiple models and theories to account for the numerous complexities that employees experience when cognitively evaluating organizational demands. The proposed model examines the effects of employees’ organizational stressors on the cognitive appraisal process and describes how employees’ emotions and self-regulation affect individual coping behaviors, adaptation, and learning from stressful experiences. Practitioner applications, theoretical contributions, and directions for future research are presented.

Social support, socio-economic status, health and abuse among older people in seven European countries

BACKGROUND

Social support has a strong impact on individuals, not least on older individuals with health problems. A lack of support network and poor family or social relations may be crucial in later life, and represent risk factors for elder abuse. This study focused on the associations between social support, demographics/socio-economics, health variables and elder mistreatment.

METHODS

The cross-sectional data was collected by means of interviews or interviews/self-response during January-July 2009, among a sample of 4,467 not demented individuals aged 60-84 years living in seven European countries (Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden).

RESULTS

Multivariate analyses showed that women and persons living in large households and with a spouse/partner or other persons were more likely to experience high levels of social support. Moreover, frequent use of health care services and low scores on depression or discomfort due to physical complaints were indicators of high social support. Low levels of social support were related to older age and abuse, particularly psychological abuse.

CONCLUSIONS

High levels of social support may represent a protective factor in reducing both the vulnerability of older people and risk of elder mistreatment. On the basis of these results, policy makers, clinicians and researchers could act by developing intervention programmes that facilitate friendships and social activities in old age.

Unraveling the Relationship Between Family-Supportive Supervisor and Employee Performance

This study examined the role of job satisfaction, relational identification with supervisor, and work-family conflict in explaining the influence of family-friendly supervision (FFS) on supervisor-rated citizenship behavior and task performance using data from a Chinese pharmaceutical company. Hierarchical regression analysis results revealed that job satisfaction mediated the relationship between FFS and supervisor-rated citizenship behavior, whereas relational identification with supervisor mediated the relationship between FFS and supervisor-rated task performance. We also found that work-family conflict moderates the relationship between FFS and job satisfaction. We discuss implications of these findings for theory and practice.

Immigrant Status as a Potential Correlate of Organizational Commitment

Propositions for the relationship between immigrant status and organizational commitment are developed. A limited test of part of the conceptual framework is tested to examine the influence of immigrant status on continuance and affective commitment. Based on a sample of 506 nurses working in Israeli hospitals who completed self-report surveys, it was found that age and immigrant status (or `years in Israel') were significant correlates of affective and continuance commitment. However, whereas the relationship between `years in Israel' and affective commitment was not significant when age was controlled, additional variance in continuance commitment could be accounted for by `years in Israel' after controlling for age. Furthermore, nurses born in Israel had significantly lower continuance commitment than those who had immigrated to the country. These results suggest that the number of years after immigration has an impact on an individual's attachment to his/her organization. Immigrant status and years living in host country are important factors to consider when assessing organizational commitment, especially in multicultural organizations composed of immigrant workers.