Focus of attention at work and organization‐based self‐esteem

The relation between Self-Esteem and Productivity: An analysis in higher education institutions

Background

Due to the importance of academic training, allowing upward socioeconomic mobility, and being key to getting out of poverty, as indicated by the United Nations in its 2030 Agenda, investment in quality education is key. The objective of this study is to analyze the impact of Self-Esteem in the work environment on Teaching and Research Productivity within the field of higher education in Spain.

Method

The research is carried out among the teaching staff of the Rey Juan Carlos University of Madrid (Spain). A structured questionnaire was used to ask about Self-Esteem and Productivity. Data analysis is conducted using 272 valid questionnaires analyzed with R-commander software. The validity of the variables is analyzed to check the quality of the questionnaire. Linear regression analysis is used to examine the relationship between Self-Esteem and Productivity and is completed with ANOVA analysis to study the most significant differences between these variables.

Results

We identified a positive correlation between Self-Esteem and Productivity, where significant differences have been observed depending on the age and seniority of the teaching staff.

Conclusion

This research contributes positively to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 3 (SDG3) (Good Health and Wellbeing) and 4 (Quality Education), in addition to highlighting the importance of universities ensuring the Self-Esteem of their teachers, having a very positive impact on the education received by the students, on the quality and prestige of the teaching center, and society, increasing academic research and educational quality. Similarly, the results achieved can be extrapolated to other sectors.

Leader roles, organization-based self-esteem, and employee outcomes

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between different managerial roles and organization-based self-esteem (OBSE), and employee job satisfaction, organization commitment, and turnover and absence intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

– Survey data were collected from 1,386 employees in a high technology industry. Employees described the roles their managers fulfilled, and then rated their own OBSE, satisfaction, commitment, and turnover and absence intent.

Findings

– Different managerial roles had different relationships with OBSE, which mediated the relationships between some of the management roles and employee outcomes.

Research limitations/implications

– This study used a cross-sectional design with single source data in a single industry. Future research should examine these relationships using longitudinal designs, multiple data sources, and a variety of industries.

Practical implications

– Managers should be aware that their behaviors affect employee self-esteem, which in turn has strong relationships with a variety of important outcomes. Managers should be trained to manifest behaviors that increase employee self-esteem.

Originality/value

– This is the first study to examine the effects of management roles on organization-based self-esteem, and ultimately employee satisfaction, commitment, and withdrawal intentions.