Der Work Design Questionnaire

Work interruptions of office workers: The influence of the complexity of primary work tasks on the perception of interruptions

BACKGROUND

Research demonstrates that work interruptions are considered one of the most common work stressors. Understanding the mechanisms of work interruptions is therefore vital to reducing worker stress and maintaining performance.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this research is to investigate the influence of the frequency of work interruptions on subjective workload in the context of office work. Specifically, the mediating influence of interruption perception as well as the moderating influence of the complexity of the primary task are examined.

METHOD

The work interruptions of 492 office workers in Germany were collected by means of a one-day diary study. A mediation model and a conditional indirect effect model were calculated to examine the influence of interruption frequency on subjective workload, mediated by the individual perception of these interruptions as well as moderated by the complexity of the primary work tasks.

RESULTS

The analyses indicated a significant mediation and moderation. This implies that, on the one hand, the perception of work interruptions significantly mediates the relationship between the frequency of work interruptions and subjective workload. On the other hand, more complex primary work tasks seem to strengthen the positive relationship between interruption frequency and perceived interruption overload.

CONCLUSION

The study underlines that work interruptions need to be considered in a much more differentiated way than is currently the case. Both in research and in terms of intervention measures in the work context, the various influencing factors need to be identified for an assessment of the effects on the working person to be possible.

Autonomy and engagement in self-managing organizations: exploring the relations with job crafting, error orientation and person-environment fit

Introduction

Self-managing organizations are a novel organizational form that radically decentralizes decision authority to adapt to the volatile business environment and the demands of knowledge work, resulting in new resources and demands for the employees. Therefore, building on the job demands-resources theory and the person-environment fit theory, the associations of self-managing organizations with higher perceived individual autonomy were tested. Additionally, the study investigated how job crafting and handling mistakes related to the relationship between job autonomy and work engagement/satisfaction.

Method

A cross-sectional study was conducted to gather data from employees of different self-managing organizations and non-self-managing organizations, and group comparisons and path analyses were applied to test the preregistered hypotheses.

Results

Increased method and decision autonomy, job crafting behaviors, error management orientation, work engagement, and job satisfaction were found in self-managing organizations. Additionally, a surplus of perceived autonomy compared to the ideal autonomy was associated with lower work engagement and job satisfaction compared to a fit between ideal and perceived autonomy. However, job crafting did not relate to a better fit between ideal and perceived autonomy. Decision autonomy predicted higher crafting of challenging demands and structural resources for employees with low error strain. Depending on the autonomy type, learning from errors enhanced or reduced the relationship between perceived autonomy and job crafting.

Discussion

This study showed the importance of addressing the higher level of individual autonomy in self-managing organizations and offered starting points for interventions to support employees with handling high autonomy. Reducing error strain but increasing error learning and risking errors could help increase job crafting and work engagement, particularly in self-managing organizations.

Workers' Sensation Seeking Matters: Development and Validation of the Need for Sensations at Work Scale (NSWS)

Although sensation seeking (SS) may be a highly relevant trait in the occupational context, it is still understudied in the field of work and organizational psychology. Probably, one reason is the lack of an appropriate SS instrument for the work context. We therefore developed a scale that measures work-related SS. Results based on a sample of 304 workers provided evidence for the convergent and discriminant validity of the instrument. In an independent sample of 271 workers, confirmatory factor analyses supported a bifactor structure with a global SS factor and three specific domain factors (tension seeking, adrenaline seeking, and heartbeat increase seeking). Based on bifactor indices, essential unidimensionality of the instrument could be assumed. Work-related SS was positively associated with increasing challenging job demands, and a moderating effect of task variety on the relationship between work-related SS and job satisfaction was found. SS was not associated with the number of past job terminations. Overall, the findings indicate that SS may be relevant with regard to workers' proactive work behaviors and job attitudes. The Need for Sensations at Work Scale (NSWS) now provides a promising measurement instrument to further investigate SS in the work context.

The Job Perception Inventory: considering human factors and needs in the design of human-AI work

Introduction

Artificial intelligence (AI) is seen as a driver of change, especially in the context of business, due to its progressive development and increasing connectivity in operational practice. Although it changes businesses and organizations vastly, the impact of AI implementation on human workers with their needs, skills, and job identity is less considered in the development and implementation process. Focusing on humans, however, enables unlocking synergies as well as desirable individual and organizational outcomes.

Methods

The objective of the present study is (a) to develop a survey-based inventory from the literature on work research and b) a first validation with employees encountering an AI application. The Job Perception Inventory (JOPI) functions as a work-analytical tool to support the human-centered implementation and application of intelligent technologies. It is composed of established and self-developed scales, measuring four sections of work characteristics, job identity, perception of the workplace, and the evaluation of the introduced AI.

Results

Overall, the results from the first study from a series of studies presented in this article indicate a coherent survey inventory with reliable scales that can now be used for AI implementation projects.

Discussion

Finally, the need and relevance of the JOPI are discussed against the background of the manufacturing industry.

Called to stay? The moderating roles of feedback from others and role clarity in the relationship between experiencing a calling and organizational embeddedness

Purpose

Organizational embeddedness of employees who are experiencing their work as a calling is of high relevance. Understanding what promotes staying in organizations can provide benefits for individuals with a calling while at the same time helping organizations to retain those valuable employees. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate how and when experiencing work as a calling relates to organizational embeddedness (OE). Based on assumptions from the theory of work adjustment (TWA), the authors hypothesized a conditional effects model with feedback from others and role clarity as moderating variables.

Design/methodology/approach

For this longitudinal study, the authors collected data at two measurement time points (N = 553). To tests the hypotheses, the authors performed hierarchical regression analysis. Additionally, the authors conducted simple slope tests to calculate the effects of calling on OE, depending on the different levels of the moderators.

Findings

The results indicated that higher levels of experiencing a calling are associated with higher levels of OE 18 months later while controlling for the initial levels of OE. Additionally, the moderation analysis revealed that feedback from others and role clarity strengthened the relationship between experiencing a calling and OE. Interestingly, for individuals with low feedback from others and low role clarity, experiencing a calling was not related to OE.

Originality/value

Addressing recent research calls that highlight more research on boundary conditions and diverse theoretical perspectives, this study contributes to the literature on calling and organizational retention and provides a more individual and career-related view of potential predictors of OE.

Investigating the effect of intelligent assistance systems on motivational work characteristics in assembly

Intelligent assistance systems (IAS) are designed to counteract rising cognitive demands caused by increasingly individualized manufacturing processes in assembly. How IAS affect work characteristics which are crucial for promoting work motivation of employees is yet unclear. Based on the cyber-physical systems transformation framework, the model of routine-biased technological change, and a comprehensive model of work design, we expected in- and decreases in motivational work characteristics (MWC) when working with IAS. Furthermore, we posited a buffering effect of the option of voluntary use on decreasing knowledge characteristics. Applying an online case study with experimental vignette methodology (EVM) allowed us to identify effects of the IAS on MWC before it is widely implemented. 203 German and British blue-collar workers evaluated an assembly workplace according to three experimental conditions (work without IAS, work with IAS, work with voluntary use of IAS). We identified enhanced feedback from the job and information processing in work with IAS in contrast to a traditional assembly workplace but found no restrictions (or elevations) in terms of other task (i.e., autonomy) or knowledge characteristics (i.e., job complexity, problem solving, specialization, skill variety). Thus, our results indicate that the IAS improves some motivational work characteristics of the assembly workplace, although it misses the primary goal of cognitive relief. Our study highlights the need for work design theories that specify the effect of IAS on motivational work characteristics and the potential benefit of IAS in assembly of the future.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10845-023-02086-4.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WORK CHARACTERISTICS AND SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING OF EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATION MANAGERS AND EMPLOYEES

OBJECTIVE

Aim: To empirically investigate the relationship between work characteristics and subjective well-being of managers and employees in educational organizations.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Materials and Methods: Analysis of work characteristics was done using The Work Design Questionnaire (WDQ). The modified BBC Subjective Well-being scale (BBC-SWB) was used to analyze educational staff's well-being. The research data were processed using mathematical statistics: descriptive statistics (mean, std. deviation), Pearson correlation, and independent samples t-test. 345 respondents from the Central region of Ukraine participated in the survey.

RESULTS

Results: Although educational staff had a generally positive assessment of work characteristics, there were certain disproportions in their assessments of individual work characteristics: work autonomy characteristics were rated lower than task characteristics, while social characteristics and work context characteristics were rated lower than knowledge characteristics. In addition, educational organization managers rated the vast majority of work characteristics higher than employees, which suggests a more favorable organizational environment for managers than employees. There were three work characteristics groups in the context of their associations with staff's subjective well-being: 1) work characteristics that had a positive statically significant relationship with both managers and employees' subjective well-being indicators; 2) work characteristics that had positive and negative statistically significant relationships with employees' subjective well-being indicators; 3) work characteristics that had positive and negative statistically significant relationships with managers' subjective well-being indicators.

CONCLUSION

Conclusions: The obtained findings may be helpful for managers and employees of educational organizations in promoting staff's subjective well-being and increasing educational organizations' effectiveness.

A scenario-based quasi-experimental study of co-workers’ cognitive responses to an individual’s resource-focused job crafting

Research on job crafting has demonstrated a more positive effect of an individual’s approach crafting on co-workers and supervisors compared to the effect of avoidance crafting, but how the availability of resources and demands affects this relationship remains unclear. Our study investigates co-workers’ cognitive responses to an individual’s resource-focused job crafting when resources are finite. We applied a scenario-based quasi-experimental research design to test the moderating effect of resource availability on the relationship between an individual’s resource-focused job crafting and co-workers’ evaluation. The results show that co-workers rate avoidance resources crafting as more destructive than approach resources crafting. When an individual steps away from unlimited resources, co-workers perceive the behavior more negatively than they do when the individual avoids limited resources. For approaching resources, the effect is reversed. The study provides insights into co-workers’ responses to job crafting and the influence of contextual factors.

Should I Stay or Should I Go (to the Office)?-Effects of Working from Home, Autonomy, and Core Self-Evaluations on Leader Health and Work-Life Balance

Leaders represent a high-demand group in organizations. The effects of leaders' personal and workplace resources on their health and work-life balance have often slipped under the radar, as most studies are directed outwardly and focus on follower outcomes. With this study, we closed a gap in the research and investigated the positive effects of remote work, autonomy, and leaders' core-self evaluations (CSE) on two important leader outcomes: health and work-life balance. We hypothesized that the relationship between remote work and the outcomes would be moderated by leaders' CSE and their autonomy-in such a way that leaders with lower resources benefit more from remote work and achieve better health and work-life balance the more days they spend working from home. A sample of 367 leaders reported their frequency of working from home, their autonomy, and CSE. Their health and work-life balance were assessed five months later. Results showed a moderating effect of CSE on both outcomes, indicating that leaders with low CSE benefit more in terms of health and work-life balance. There was no moderating effect of autonomy. Leaders with high resources (autonomy and CSE) had overall higher levels of health and work-life balance regardless of work location. Practitioners in organizations should consider working from home as a resource for leaders, particularly if personal resources are lower.

The work design contribution to educational workers' sustainable wellbeing and performance patterns

Brazilian education faces difficulties relating to performance and illness, suggesting that the characteristics of the work can affect both variables. This study aims to describe the work characteristics that increase the odds of having happy–productive patterns in education workers. A total of 4,598 employees of the Secretariat of Education of the Federal District (SEEDF) participated in the research, answering questionnaires about work design (Brazilian version, with 18 factors), wellbeing (containing three factors), and performance. The results showed that task, social, and contextual characteristics increase the probability of being in the happy–productive pattern, and specifically, Social Support, Feedback from Others, Task Significance, Task Identity, and Autonomy, in this order, should be considered for intervention purposes.

New work situations call for familiar work design methods: Effects of task rotation and how they are mediated in a technology-supported workplace

New digital assistive technologies strive to alleviate the completion of work tasks but thereby often threaten to make jobs increasingly monotonous. To counteract jobs becoming more and more monotonous, task rotation might be an appropriate technology feature. However, it is uncertain whether task rotation has unique positive effects, why it works, and whether there are any boundary conditions. To investigate this, we conducted two experimental vignette studies. In Study 1 (N₁ = 135), we drew on the job characteristics model and self-determination theory to examine perceived task variety, skill variety, and task identity, and expected satisfaction of the need for competence as mediators of the effect of task rotation on anticipated employee attitudes (job satisfaction, intrinsic work motivation), behavior (subjective performance), and well-being (positive and negative affect). The investigated vignette described a job where a digital assistance system either indicated the task rotation or only supported work steps. Regression analyses showed direct effects of task rotation on expected job satisfaction, intrinsic motivation, and positive affect. There were indirect effects of task rotation on all outcomes except expected negative affect. We used Study 2 (N₂ = 159) as an exact replication of Study 1. Additionally, to investigate the boundary conditions of task rotation effects, we drew on person-job fit theory and investigated openness to experience as a moderator of the effects of task and skill variety on the outcomes. Regression analyses showed direct effects of task rotation on expected job satisfaction, subjective performance, and positive affect. There were indirect effects of task rotation on all outcomes except expected negative affect and intrinsic motivation. Thus, the results of Study 1 could only be partly replicated. Openness to experience did not moderate the effects of task and skill variety on the outcomes. The results support the relevance of task rotation as a technology feature and indicate that rotations should offer especially skill variety and task identity, as these were the strongest mediators in our studies.

Facilitating Health-Oriented Leadership from a Leader’s Perspective

Abstract. Health-oriented leadership (HoL) is vital for the improvement of health and an essential part of psychological risk management. However, the relevance of different antecedent factors is unknown. We used data from a Germany-wide online survey with N = 738 leaders. Referring to the JD-R model, we analyzed leaders’ demands and resources that facilitate or impede health-oriented leadership from a leader’s perspective. Moreover, we examined the relevance of contextual factors like branch, company size, and management span. Whereas results show only small differences for contextual factors, we found positive relationships between leaders’ resources, like autonomy and social support, and negative relationships with workplace demands (availability, multitasking) and HoL from a leader’s perspective. At the organizational level, HoL is positively linked to high-performance work practices and health-oriented HRM strategies. From a leader’s perspective, the findings provide evidence for the relevance of favorable working conditions and human resources practices for improving HoL as part of psychological risk management.

Persian version of the work design questionnaire: measurement of its psychometric characteristics

Background

Work design questionnaire (WDQ), as a comprehensive and integrative tool, is one of the most important instruments frequently used to assess work characteristics. The aim of this study was to measure the psychometric characteristics of the Persian version of WDQ.

Methods

Translation and cross-cultural adaptation procedures were applied in translating the original WDQ into Persian. A total of 270 participants participated in this study. The validity of the questionnaire were measured using face validity, content validity, convergent validity, and construct validity based on confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Reliability was assessed through internal consistency.

Results

Mean content validity index was 0.95. The CFA results indicated support for a 21-factor solution. There were significant correlations between dimensions of WDQ and both job satisfaction and perceived stress. Cronbach's alpha of all items was 0.87.

Conclusion

Results indicated that the WDQ exhibited very good psychometric properties and can be applied as a useful tool to assess work characteristics among Iranian employees. Accordingly, the authors recommend its administration in future studies. The work characteristics was significantly associated with job satisfaction and job stress. Therefore, improved work design would reduce negative consequences, such as job stress, and increase positive behaviors, such as job satisfaction.

Activity-based working: How the use of available workplace options increases perceived autonomy in the workplace

BACKGROUND: If companies are building offices, nowadays, they mostly realize activity-based concepts as a response to growing flexibility requirements of a digitalized society. Activity-based concepts provide multiple workplace options to employees. After moving to new workspaces, employees need to get used to the facilities and learn how to use the available workplace options. OBJECTIVE: The effectiveness of activity-based working relies on the workplace options and on employees’ autonomy to use them according to their current work tasks. The present study examined the change in the use of workplace options, task-environment fit, and autonomy in the workplace after the implementation of an activity-based working concept. METHODS: The study was longitudinal with two time points (Time 1 and Time 2) that were one year apart. Data were obtained prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample consisted of 153 employees working in activity-based office environments in two organizations in Germany. The average age was 45 years (SD = 11); 44% were men, and 23% had leadership responsibilities. RESULTS: The increased use of available workplace options offered in activity-based working concepts was associated with better task-environment fit, which in turn led to an increase in perceived autonomy in the workplace. CONCLUSIONS: The results support the core idea of activity-based working and revealed how this office concept unfolds its effectiveness: Having different workplace options available and using them led to a higher perceived task-environment fit, which in turn, contributed to a higher perceived autonomy in the workplace.

Human-robot interaction: how worker influence in task allocation improves autonomy

Task allocation research is often efficiency-focussed, but procedural and work-psychological perspectives are required to enable human-centred human-robot interaction (HRI). Hence, the motivational and cognitive outcomes of the degree of worker influence over task allocation are relevant to research objects for allocation process design. In a laboratory experiment, 87 participants manufactured goods in collaboration with a robot under three conditions: (1) a support system decided the allocation, (2) a support-system allocation could be revised, (3) the participant determined the allocation. Conditions affected mental effort, process control and autonomy, resulting in higher values when participants allocated tasks themselves. Satisfaction with the process appears lower with no worker influence. Trust in the support-system moderates the condition effect, with higher satisfaction depending on trust when a system is involved in allocation. An allocation made by the workers and adaptability is preferred. Results show the importance of worker influence over task allocation in HRI. Practitioner Summary: Our experiment on allocation processes seeks to satisfy the gap in human-centred psychological research on task allocation in human-robot interaction (HRI). For successful, ergonomic HRI, it is found that workers should be provided with influence over task allocation.

What will mobile and virtual work look like in the future?—Results of a Delphi-based study

This contribution to the journal “Group. Interaction. Organization.” (GIO) takes a closer look at the mobile work of the future. Mobile work as well as virtual collaboration is becoming more and more integrated into our everyday working lives—not least reinforced by the COVID-19 Pandemic. In a Delphi-based study, we investigated the question of what mobile and virtual work will look like in the future. For this purpose, 35 future scenarios were described or processed in four rounds with a total of 460 experts and their desirability and probability of occurrence were evaluated. Positive developments are expected for the organization in terms of technology (e.g., advances in virtuality and artificial intelligence), leadership (e.g., increase in shared leadership and participation) and the work-life integration of employees (e.g., more flexibility and self-management). Negative effects are seen for teamwork (e.g., it becomes more difficult to build and maintain team cohesion and social exchange). How the challenges can be dealt with in terms of work design is shown and discussed.

Challenge Demands and Resilience

Abstract. This study investigates the relationship of challenge demands (i. e., time pressure, job complexity) on employee resilience. We provide insights into potential pathways (i. e., learning, cognitive irritation) for how challenge stressors influence employee resilience. We employed a two-wave, time-lagged design to examine the influences of challenge stressors and explanatory pathways on employee resilience 2 months later. The data from 359 participants (52.1 % male) were analyzed using a Bayesian time-lagged path model. Results indicate that time pressure and job complexity are negatively related to employee resilience via cognitive irritation. In contrast, we found a positive, indirect effect of job complexity and resilience via learning. This paper contributes to existing employee resilience and stress research by highlighting the roles of learning and cognitive irritation to explain the relationships of challenge stressors on employee resilience. Moreover, the results provide us with a deeper understanding of which factors foster or drain employee resilience.

Relationships between Agile Work Practices and Occupational Well-Being: The Role of Job Demands and Resources

Agile work practices have been adopted by most software development organizations and by many large organizations from other industries. The introduction of agile work practices is assumed to positively affect work characteristics and, in turn, well-being of employees. So far, there is only very little and methodologically limited empirical research on this topic. Based on job demands-resources theory, we developed and tested a model on the direct and indirect relationships between agile work practices, job demands and resources, and occupational well-being. Data were provided by 260 employees working in agile development teams who participated in two surveys that were approximately six weeks apart. Results of structural equation modeling provided support for the hypothesized model, suggesting that agile work practices have a negative indirect effect on emotional fatigue through lower job demands. At the same time, agile work practices also had a positive indirect effect on emotional engagement through higher job resources. Our research contributes to the literature by integrating agile work practices with job demands-resources theory, bridging an important gap between research and practice. Overall, the findings suggest that the implementation of agile work practices may have a positive impact on occupational well-being by improving employees' perceptions of key work characteristics.

Development and Initial Validation of a Scale to Measure Cognitive Demands of Flexible Work

With globalization, digitalization, and the spread of information and communication technologies, rules regulating work have been softened or completely abolished. Consequently, employees face additional cognitive demands to plan, structure, and coordinate their work. To capture these demands of contemporary work, we constructed and initially validated the Cognitive Demands of Flexible Work (CODE) scale. The scale comprises four subscales (i.e., structuring of work tasks, planning of working times, planning of working places, and coordinating with others). We initially validated the scale in three independent studies (overall N = 1,129) in German and English. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the four-factor structure, as well as scalar invariance, of the different language versions. Moreover, the subscales showed convergent and divergent validity with related constructs such as requirements for problem solving or autonomy. The criterion validity for emotional exhaustion, engagement, positive work rumination, negative work rumination, and problem-solving pondering suggested that cognitive demands of flexible work can be construed as challenge demands. However, relationships with emotional exhaustion were not significant. Overall, the CODE scale was shown to be a reliable and valid instrument to measure cognitive demands of flexible work.

Well-being in open space offices: The role of office features and psychosocial working conditions

BACKGROUND

There has been a trend to implement open space offices: wide-spread office floors with modern and colourful furniture. However, there is limited scientific knowledge on the effects of Open Space Offices (OSO). Studies are scarce and show heterogeneous results.

OBJECTIVE

By using the Job Demands-Resources model as a conceptual framework, the present study aimed at investigating the influence of subjective and objective features of the OSO (i.e., office size, desk-sharing, openness) next to classical psychosocial working conditions (i.e., demands, resources) on irritation and subjective well-being.

METHODS

Cross-sectional and longitudinal data out of four different organisations (490 participants, 43.73 years of age, SD = 12.02) were used.

RESULTS

Results showed that both features of the OSO and working conditions play a role in well-being at work. In line with current studies, job demands and resources contributed more to irritation and subjective well-being than features of the OSO.

CONCLUSION

The influence of traditional psychosocial working conditions has so far been neglected in research on OSOs. However, their contribution to employees' well-being next to features of the OSO could explain the heterogeneous findings of the existing research on well-being in OSOs. Thus, when implementing OSOs, employees' well-being can only be enhanced if working conditions are targeted in parallel.

Self-Regulation in Informal Workplace Learning: Influence of Organizational Learning Culture and Job Characteristics

The digital shift leads to increasing changes. Employees can deal with changes through informal learning that enables needs-based development. For successful informal learning, self-regulated learning (SRL) is crucial, i.e., to set goals, plan, apply strategies, monitor, and regulate learning for example by applying resource strategies. However, existing SRL models all refer to formal learning settings. Because informal learning differs from formal learning, this study investigates whether SRL models can be transferred from formal learning environments into informal work settings. More precisely, are all facets relevant, and what are the relational patterns? Because informal workplace learning occurs through interaction with the context, this study investigates the influence of context, i.e., organizational learning culture and job characteristics (autonomy, task identity, and feedback) on SRL. Structural equation modeling of N = 170 employees in various industries showed the relevance of the self-reported metacognitive strategies planning, monitoring, and regulation; the resource strategies help-seeking and effort regulation; and deep processing strategy elaboration. However, there was no evidence for organization strategies. The learning strategies were associated with self-efficacy and mastery-approach goal orientation. Regarding context, results supported indirect effects over self-motivational beliefs of learning strategies. Organizational learning culture was connected with mastery-approach goal orientation, whereas job characteristics autonomy and feedback were related to self-efficacy, which were again related to SRL strategies. Therefore, context can empower employees not only to accomplish their tasks but to develop themselves by applying SRL strategies. The results are discussed, and practical implications are outlined.

Der agil-Fragebogen

Zusammenfassung. Die Studie berichtet über die Entwicklung des agil-Fragebogens, ein für Orientierungszwecke konzipierter Kurzfragebogen zur Erfassung psychischer Belastungen am Arbeitsplatz. Insgesamt 29 Items messen die Belastungsdimensionen Aufgabenanforderungen, Sozial- und Organisationsklima, Arbeitsabläufe und Arbeitsumgebung. Faktorielle Struktur und Zuverlässigkeit wurden in einer Stichprobe von 1 006 Beschäftigten aus acht österreichischen Unternehmen geprüft, zur Validierung des Verfahrens wurden vier weitere Stichproben (Gesamt N = 1 041) herangezogen. Die internen Konsistenzen lagen im Bereich von .70 bis .86, die konvergenten Validitäten im Bereich von .65 bis .81 und die diskriminierenden Validitäten unter .40, womit das Instrument die einschlägigen psychometrischen Anforderungen an ein Messverfahren zur Erhebung psychischer Belastungen am Arbeitsplatz erfüllen konnte.

Midwifery Job Autonomy in New Zealand: I do it all the time

INTRODUCTION

This research aimed to identify what supports and what hinders job autonomy for midwives in New Zealand.

METHODS

Registered midwives participated in an open-ended, online survey in 2019. Anonymised participants were asked to describe an incident when they felt they were using their professional judgement and/or initiative to make decisions and the resultant actions. The data was analysed thematically.

FINDINGS

The participants identified that autonomy is embedded within midwifery practice in New Zealand. Self-employed midwives who provide continuity of care as Lead Maternity Carers, identified they practice autonomously 'all the time'. The relationship with women and their family, and informed decision making, motivated the midwife to advocate for the woman - regardless of the midwife's work setting. Midwifery expertise, skills, and knowledge were intrinsic to autonomy. Collegial relationships could support or hinder the midwives' autonomy while a negative hospital work culture could hinder job autonomy.

DISCUSSION

Midwives identified that autonomous practice is embedded in their day to day work. It strengthens and is strengthened by their relationships with the woman/whanau and when their body of knowledge is acknowledged by their colleagues. Job autonomy was described when midwifery decisions were challenged by health professionals in hospital settings and these challenges could be viewed as obstructing job autonomy.

CONCLUSION

The high job autonomy that New Zealand midwives enjoy is supported by their expertise, the women and colleagues that understand and respect their scope of practice. When their autonomy is hindered by institutional culture and professional differences provision of woman-centred care can suffer.

Efficacy of a smartphone-based intervention - "Holidaily" - promoting recovery behaviour in workers after a vacation: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

While work-related rumination increases the risk of acute stressors developing into chronic load reactions and adverse health, mental detachment has been suggested as a way to interrupt this chain. Despite the importance of mentally detaching from work during leisure time, workers seem to struggle to disengage and, instead, experience the constant mental representation of work-related stressors, regardless of their absence. Those who struggle with work-related rumination could benefit from an easy-access intervention that fosters mental detachment by promoting recreational activities. Especially during vacations, workers appear to naturally engage in sufficient recovery activities; however, this beneficial behaviour is not sustained. The smartphone app-based intervention "Holidaily" promotes recovery behaviour and, thus, mental detachment from work with the intension of extending the beneficial effects of workers' vacations into their daily working life.

METHODS

This randomised-controlled trial (RCT) evaluates the efficacy of "Holidaily". The Holidaily app is a German stand-alone program for mobile devices with either Android/iOS operating systems. The sample includes workers, who are awaiting to go on vacation and are randomly assigned to either the intervention (IG) or a waitlist-control group (CG). The IG receives two weeks pre-vacation access to Holidaily, while the CG receives access two weeks post-vacation. On a daily basis participants in the IG are provided with three options promoting recreational activities and beneficial recovery experiences. Online questionnaires are distributed to all participants at several timepoints. The primary outcome measure assesses participants' work-related rumination (Irritation Scale). A significant difference two weeks post-vacation is expected, favouring the IG. Secondary outcomes include symptoms of depression, insomnia severity, emotional exhaustion, thinking about work, recovery experiences, vacation specifics, work and personal characteristics. To help explain the intervention's effect, explorative analyses will investigate the mediation properties of the frequency of engaging in recreational activities and the moderation properties of Holidaily users' experiences.

DISCUSSION

If successful, workers will maintain their recovery behaviour beyond their vacation into daily working life. Findings could, therefore, provide evidence for low-intensity interventions that could be very valuable from a public-health perspective. App-based interventions have greater reach; hence, more workers might access preventative tools to protect themselves from developing adverse health effects linked to work-related rumination. Further studies will still be needed to investigate whether the vacation phenomenon of "lots of fun quickly gone" can be defied and long-term benefits attained.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

German Clinical Trials Registration DRKS00013650 . Registered retrospectively 15.01.2018.

Anwendungsszenarien und Technologiebewertung von digitalen Werkerassistenzsystemen in der Produktion – Ergebnisse einer Interview-Studie mit Experten aus der Wissenschaft, der Politik und der betrieblichen Praxis

Die Einführung neuer digitaler Technologien wie digitale Werkerassistenzsysteme (z. B. Datenbrillen und Tablets) im Produktionsbereich führen zu Veränderungen der Arbeitswelt. Bestehende Modelle der Arbeitsgestaltung betrachten Technologien als Antezedenzien für die Arbeitsgestaltung. Die Theorie der sozialen Gestaltung von Technologien nimmt an, dass unterschiedliche Akteure Einfluss auf die Gestaltung und Verbreitung von Technologien im betrieblichen Kontext nehmen. Bisher ist kaum bekannt, welche Erwartungen unterschiedliche Akteure an die Anwendung und Gestaltung digitaler Werkerassistenzsysteme stellen. Ziel dieses Beitrags der Zeitschrift Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation. (GIO) ist es, die Sichtweisen relevanter Akteure im Technologieentwicklungsprozess zu erfassen und basierende darauf Handlungs- und Gestaltungsempfehlungen für den Einsatz digitaler Werkerassistenzsysteme in der betrieblichen Praxis zu geben. Hierfür wurden 76 halbstrukturierte Interviews mit Wissenschaftlern, politischen Akteuren und betrieblichen Praktikern durchgeführt und inhaltsanalytisch ausgewertet. Als Ergebnis dieser Studie ist ein Kategoriensystem für die Einteilung von Anwendungsmöglichkeiten digitaler Werkerassistenzsysteme in der Produktion entstanden, das einen Ausgangspunkt für betriebliche Entscheidungsprozesse bei der Technologieeinführung darstellen kann. Die identifizierten Chancen und Risiken beim Einsatz von digitalen Werkerassistenzsystemen stellen Ansatzpunkte für die Technologiegestaltung und die Technologieimplementierung im Unternehmen bereit.

Employees First, Technology Second

Abstract. Digitization and connectivity are hot topics for nearly every company today; numerous new technologies offer diverse options. In this project, a specific technology − smart glasses − was implemented in a manufacturing company. The implementation process was innovative, as the employees’ perspective was taken into account from the beginning, rather than solely designing the technological aspects and involving the users after decisions were taken. Employees involved with the new technology were surveyed to take into account the employees’ expectations and fears regarding work design characteristics. This allowed us to customize features of the smart glasses, adapt the work organization, and inform employees about unclear points concerning the implementation process. Moreover, the competencies required for future work were analyzed using a comprehensive work analysis method. We report the results of two quantitative studies and summarize the lessons learned from this project, which can serve as a guideline for other companies.

Learning @ work: informal learning strategies of German craft workers

Purpose

In competitive labor markets, promoting employees’ learning becomes a key challenge for companies. However, in small German craft companies, employee development is always connected with worries about employee turnover. This study aims to investigate the current informal learning strategies of craft workers and how they use the strategies, the effect of learning on employees’ internal and external marketability and beneficial workplace characteristics (autonomy, feedback).

Design/methodology/approach

An online prestudy (N = 131) explored current informal learning strategies. In the main study (N = 526), cluster analysis was applied to identify patterns of informal learning strategies. The relations of these patterns to workplace characteristics and marketability were investigated.

Findings

Four informal learning strategies were found (informal learning from oneself, from others, from other sources and from new media). Craft workers used combinations of the strategies (i.e. patterns): three learning patterns (balanced high, person-oriented and balanced low) differed in intensity and combination with the learning strategy use. More intense learning patterns were positively related to internal marketability but were not related to external marketability. Higher autonomy and feedback availability were related to higher learning engagement.

Research limitations/implications

Studies should have a broader view of informal learning strategies concerning different learning patterns. The use of new media is a learning strategy that might increase in the future.

Practical implications

Craft companies could promote different informal learning strategies without worries about employee turnover.

Originality/value

The study reveals how German small- and medium-sized enterprise employees use informal learning strategies in digitalized times and how human resources development can use informal learning strategies.

Entwicklung eines Fragebogens zur Erfassung zentraler Merkmale der Arbeit 4.0

Zusammenfassung. Ziel dieses Beitrages ist es, ein Fragebogeninstrument zur Erfassung zentraler Merkmale der Arbeit 4.0 vorzustellen. Kerndimensionen des Fragebogens sind die Digitalisierung von Arbeitsprozessen, die Flexibilisierung der Arbeit in räumlicher und zeitlicher Hinsicht, die Entgrenzung der Arbeitstätigkeit, sowie die Möglichkeit zur Mitbestimmung bei der Arbeit und deren subjektive Relevanz. Die Faktorstruktur der erfassten fünf Dimensionen erweist sich als replizierbar stabil. Die Dimensionen lassen sich mittels konfirmatorischer Faktorenanalysen von verwandten Dimensionen des Job Diagnostic Survey ( JDS) und des Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire ( COPSOQ) trennen. In Bezug auf die Vorhersage von Außenkriterien besitzen die fünf Dimensionen inkrementelle Validität über den JDS hinaus. Insgesamt sprechen die Ergebnisse aus fünf unabhängig durchgeführten Erhebungen dafür, dass der Fragebogen ein kurzes, reliables und valides Instrument zur Erfassung zentraler Merkmale der modernen Arbeitswelt darstellt.

Antecedents of Health-Promoting Leadership and Workload as Moderator

This study builds on the theory of planned behavior and investigates antecedents of health-promoting leadership behaviors (HPL behaviors): positive health-promoting leadership attitude (HPL attitude) as well as perceived health-promoting leadership norms (perceived HPL norms), and lack of perceived health-promoting leadership behavioral control (perceived HPL behavioral control). Furthermore, based on the conservation of resources theory, these antecedents are conceptualized as personal and job resources with managers’ perceived workload being examined as a moderating boundary condition, suggesting that workload as a job demand facilitates resource loss. A survey was administered to 315 managers. Data were analyzed using hierarchical linear regression analysis and moderation analysis. Results revealed that HPL attitude and perceived HPL norms were positively related to HPL behaviors, whereas a lack of perceived HPL behavioral control was negatively related to HPL behaviors. Furthermore, high workload weakened the relationship between perceived HPL norms and HPL behaviors. Workload did not moderate the relationships between the antecedents HPL attitude and lack of perceived HPL behavioral control, and HPL behaviors. Organizations should offer interventions to foster positive HPL attitude, give managers opportunities for HPL behavioral control, and promote perceived HPL norms. They should acknowledge that high workload may inhibit perceived HPL norms. Intervention approaches with regard to personnel and organizational development for practitioners are discussed. This study contributes to the literature by testing direct antecedents of HPL behaviors. Moreover, this study is the first to test workload as a boundary condition.

Measuring Job Crafting Across Cultures: Lessons Learned From Comparing a German and an Australian Sample

Job crafting refers to the act of employees actively altering work aspects to better suit their values and interests. Slemp and Vella-Brodrick (2013) proposed a Job Crafting Questionnaire (JCQ) in English consisting of three facets: task crafting, cognitive crafting, and relational crafting. This is in line with the original conceptualization of job crafting by Wrzesniewski and Dutton (2001). However, there has not yet been an evaluated German translation of this measure. Therefore, this paper aims at evaluating the psychometric properties of scores from a German translation of the JCQ, using the original Australian dataset and a German sample of 482 employees. Our findings showed first evidence for the reliability and validity of the scores. We also extend prior research and include creative self-efficacy in the nomological network of job crafting. Importantly, strong factorial measurement invariance was demonstrated, allowing for comparisons between the job crafting scores of German- and English-speaking samples. Based on this example, we highlight the importance of enriching measurement invariance tests by including other key constructs. Our results suggest that the German JCQ is an acceptable tool for measuring job crafting, as originally conceptualized by Wrzesniewski and Dutton (2001).

The Perceived Influence of Role Models and Early Career Development in Native and Migrant Youth

Role models provide youth with valuable information on how to pursue their career goals. However, whether the presence of role models is related to career development beyond social support has not been sufficiently addressed. We investigated how perceived role model influence and social support were related to goal engagement among 191 students and to work engagement among 500 apprentices, and whether these effects were mediated by occupational self-efficacy. We further examined differences between native and migrant youth. Data were analyzed using multigroup structural equation modeling. Our results suggested that engagement was related to role model influence beyond its relationship with social support among students and apprentices. However, this relationship was not found for migrant students. There were no significant indirect effects of role model influence on engagement via self-efficacy among students and apprentices. Our results suggest that role models should be acknowledged as a distinct facilitator of adolescents’ work-related engagement.

Emotional exhaustion and innovation in the workplace-a longitudinal study

Emotional exhaustion and innovation at work are two major topics of interest to organization researchers, employees and employers. However, working conditions that foster innovation may also heighten employees' emotional exhaustion. By conducting a two-wave, longitudinal online study among the German working population (N=320), we analyzed the longitudinal impact of qualitative overload, unreasonable tasks, social support from a supervisor, and task variety on emotional exhaustion and innovation based on the categorization approach from the job demands-resources model research. Longitudinal structural equation modeling revealed that unreasonable tasks predicted emotional exhaustion (γ=0.111, p<0.01) and that task variety predicted individual innovation (γ=0.126, p<0.01) over time. Social support from a supervisor and qualitative overload, however, did not have any longitudinal influence on either emotional exhaustion or individual innovation. Rather unexpectedly, and in contrast to our hypotheses, no diverging effects from working conditions on emotional exhaustion or innovation could be found. The results demonstrate that the presence of unreasonable tasks impairs employees' psychological well-being and that a high task variety at work leads to innovation. Implications for practice and future studies are discussed.

Procrastination in Daily Working Life: A Diary Study on Within-Person Processes That Link Work Characteristics to Workplace Procrastination

Procrastination is a form of self-regulation failure characterized by the irrational delay of tasks despite potentially negative consequences. Previous research on procrastination was mainly conducted in academic settings, oftentimes combined with a focus on individual differences. As a consequence, scholarly knowledge about how situational factors affect procrastination in work settings is still scarce. Drawing on job stress literature, we assumed that work characteristics go along with cognitive appraisals of the work situation as a challenge and/or hindrance, that these cognitive appraisals affect employees' self-regulation effort to overcome inner resistances, and that self-regulation effort should in turn be related to workplace procrastination. In our study, we focused on three specific work characteristics that we expected to trigger both challenge and hindrance appraisal simultaneously: time pressure, problem solving, and planning and decision-making. We hypothesized serial indirect effects of these work characteristics on workplace procrastination via cognitive appraisal and self-regulation processes that unfold within individuals over short periods of time. Consequently, we conducted a diary study with three measurement occasions per workday over a period of 12 days. Overall, 762 day-level datasets from 110 employees were included in Bayesian multilevel structural equation modeling (MSEM; controlled for sleep quality and occupational self-efficacy). Our results revealed negative serial indirect effects of all three work characteristics on workplace procrastination via increased challenge appraisal and subsequently reduced self-regulation effort. Further, our results showed a positive serial indirect effect of time pressure (but not of problem solving or planning and decision making) on workplace procrastination via increased hindrance appraisal and subsequently increased self-regulation effort. Overall, our study showed that work characteristics are linked to workplace procrastination via within-person processes of cognitive appraisal and self-regulation. Because not all work characteristics triggered hindrance appraisal, we argue that it may make sense to further differentiate challenge stressors in the future. Moreover, cognitive appraisals affected self-regulation effort only on the within-person level. On the between-person level self-regulation effort was strongly negatively related with occupational self-efficacy. Thus, we conclude that depending the perspective on procrastination (e.g., differential psychology perspective vs. situational perspective) different variables will be considered relevant to explain the emergence of procrastination.

Exploring the differential impact of individual and organizational factors on organizational commitment of physicians and nurses

BACKGROUND

Physician and nursing shortages in acute and critical care settings require research on factors which might drive their commitment, an important predictor of absenteeism and turnover. However, the degree to which the commitment of a physician or a nurse is driven by individual or organizational characteristics in hospitals remains unclear. In addition, there is a need for a greater understanding of how antecedent-commitment relationships differ between both occupational groups. Based on recent findings in the literature and the results of a pilot study, we investigate the degree to which selected individual and organizational characteristics might enhance an employee's affective commitment working in the field of neonatal intensive care. Moreover, our aim is to examine the different antecedent-commitment relationships across the occupational groups of nurses and physicians.

METHODS

Information about individual factors affecting organizational commitment was derived from self-administered staff questionnaires, while additional information about organizational structures was taken from hospital quality reports and a self-administered survey completed by hospital department heads. Overall, 1486 nurses and 540 physicians from 66 Neonatal Intensive Care Units participated in the study. We used multilevel modeling to account for different levels of analysis.

RESULTS

Although organizational characteristics can explain differences in an employee's commitment, the differences can be largely explained by his or her individual characteristics and work experiences. Regarding occupational differences, individual support by leaders and colleagues was shown to influence organizational commitment more strongly in the physicians' group. In contrast, the degree of autonomy in the units and perceived quality of care had a larger impact on the nurses' organizational commitment.

CONCLUSIONS

With the growing number of hospitals facing an acute shortage of highly-skilled labor, effective strategies on the individual and organizational levels have to be considered to enhance an employee's commitment to his or her organization. Regarding occupational differences in antecedent-commitment relationships, more specific management actions should be undertaken to correspond to different needs and aspirations of nurses and physicians.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

German Clinical Trials Register ( DRKS00004589 , date of trial registration: 15.05.2013).

Empower, not impose!-Preventing academic procrastination

In the frame of the goal setting process between supervisor and student while writing a thesis, it is hypothesized that mutually set goals (participation) and writing down the results of the meeting (recording) can prevent procrastination and increase engagement of the student. With a questionnaire relating to the latest written thesis (n = 97, academic sample), the effects of goal setting characteristics (recording, participation) and task characteristics (ambiguity, control) on engagement and procrastination were examined. Results of a multiple mediation model indicate that recording indirectly influences engagement and procrastination through its effect on ambiguity. Moreover, participation indirectly influences engagement through its effect on control. It is concluded that goal setting characteristics and task characteristics can affect student's procrastination. Thus, the present research provides criteria for how supervisors can prevent students from procrastinating.

Staff working in hospital units with greater social capital experience less work-home conflict: Secondary analysis of a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

When the interplay between work and private life does not function correctly (work-home conflict), this constitutes a well-known risk factor for poorer health, increased absenteeism and lower work performance. Information about influencing factors of work-home conflict is therefore indispensable in order to avoid it. In this study, we analyse whether a good working atmosphere that fosters mutual trust, support and a 'sense of unity' (organizational social capital) can reduce an employee's conflict between work and private life.

OBJECTIVE

This study investigates the link between organizational social capital and work-home conflict in health professionals.

DESIGN

This issue was investigated using a cross-sectional study conducted in 2013.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Data from questionnaires completed by physicians and nurses (n=1733) were linked with structural data from 66 neonatal intensive care units in Germany.

METHODS

Using multi-level analyses, we investigated associations between organizational social capital at the ward level and work-home conflict at the level of individual employees, taking into account additional structural and individual characteristics.

RESULTS

Employees on wards with greater social capital reported significantly less work-home conflict. Our results support the hypothesis that organizational social capital is an important collective resource.

CONCLUSION

As such, more attention should be given to establishing a good working atmosphere that fosters mutual trust, support and a 'sense of unity', and this should be encouraged in a targeted fashion.

Coping With Daily Hindrance and Challenge Stressors in the Workplace

Abstract. This study examined daily hindrance and challenge stressors at work (rated after work) for effects on employees’ state negative affect at the beginning of the next workday. Building on the transactional stress model, the authors also examine whether general coping styles impact the relationships. Multilevel analyses show that previous-day hindrance stressors are positively related to next-day state negative affect, whereas previous-day challenge stressors are not significantly related to next-day state negative affect. The study identifies differential effects of problem-focused versus emotion-focused coping styles: High use of emotion-focused coping style increases state negative affect for both challenge and hindrance stressors; a lack of problem-focused coping style strengthens challenge stressors’ positive effect on state negative affect. The results suggest that occupational health can be promoted through specific stress management training and through workplace designs that reduce hindrance stressors.