New Technologies Smart, or Harm Work-Family Boundaries Management? Gender Differences in Conflict and Enrichment Using the JD-R Theory

Empowering the helping hands: A positive psychological intervention for enhancing work engagement and reducing stress among preschool social workers in Hong Kong

This study explores the efficacy of the Early Advancement in Social-Emotional Health and Positivity (EASP) programme, designed to enhance personal resources, namely self-compassion and positivity among preschool social workers, to reduce stress and bolster work engagement. A total of 84 preschool social workers (Mage = 32.47 years, SD = 6.86, range = 22-55; female = 90.48%) participated in a 5-week randomized control trial. Participants were randomly allocated to either the intervention group (n = 38), which received four online workshops and an online activity, or the wait-list control group (n = 46), which received the intervention post-data collection. Self-compassion, positivity, work engagement, and work stress were measured before and after the intervention. Results from a path analytic model indicated excellent fit with the data, χ2 = 2.08, df = 3, Comparative Fit Index = 1.00, Tucker-Lewis Index = 1.00, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation = 0.00 (90% CI = 0.00-0.16), SRMR = 0.03. The intervention demonstrated direct effects on changes in self-compassion (β = 0.21, p = 0.04) and positivity (β = 0.28, p = 0.03), with indirect effects on work engagement (β = 0.13, p = 0.02), while no significant impact was observed on work stress (β = -0.09, p = 0.06). These findings underscore the efficacy of positive psychological interventions in fostering work engagement among social workers. Incorporating the EASP programme into ongoing professional development activities is recommended to enhance the job engagement and psychological well-being of social workers in early childhood education and care sectors.

First validation of the technical and administrative staff quality of life at work tool (TASQ@work) in academia

Introduction

Based on the job demands-resources (JD-R) model, the present study aimed to validate "The Technical and Administrative Staff Quality of Life At Work" (TASQ@work), a new tool to assess the quality of life at work in academia focused on technical and administrative staff.

Methods

This tool was developed by the QoL@Work research team, a group of expert academics in the field of work and organizational psychology affiliated with the Italian Association of Psychologists. The TASQ@work was elaborated in different steps. The first phase was aimed at the identification of the dimensions of the tool. The second phase was aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the tool. The validation process involved confirmatory analysis and measurement invariance of the various constructs selected. The analyses were performed in a convenience sample of two Italian universities in different regions (one in the Northwest and the second in Central Italy).

Results

The sample was composed of 1820 Administrative Staff, comprising 69.4% from University 1 (N = 1,263) and 30.6% from University 2 (N = 557). The TASQ@work presented satisfactory psychometric properties (normality of the items, reliability and content, construct and nomological validity) and measurement invariance across gender, seniority, and Athenaeum.

Discussion

The results indicate that the tool can be considered a reliable and valid instrument to assess job demands, job resources, and outcomes in the working life of technical and administrative academic staff. In this perspective, the present study represents the first contribution to the debate on the psychosocial risks in academic contexts by presenting a new tool, the TASQ@work, aimed at contextualizing the JD-R model to understand the role played by psychosocial aspects in affecting the well-being of the academic employees.

Stop (to Work) and Go (to Recover) During Mandatory Work From Home: A Three-Wave Study

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many workers have been forced to work from home. In this situation, the boundaries between work and private life have become particularly blurred, and recovering from work was even more difficult than in traditional times, with negative consequences for workers' health. Among the psychological experiences that might underlie the recovery process, mastery played a crucial role as people sought new stimuli and challenging situations. However, there are few articles that have explored the role of this specific recovery experience, its antecedents, and the health consequences under conditions of work from home. Therefore, in this multiwave study, we aimed to investigate the role of mastery as a mediator between supervisor support and insomnia problems. The study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy and had a three-wave design. A convenience sample of 130 employees (67% women) completed an online questionnaire. Hypotheses were tested using a three-wave autoregressive cross-lagged panel model. According to the results, supervisor support at Time 1 was positively related to mastery at Time 2, which in turn showed a negative association with insomnia at Time 3. The results demonstrated that mastery experiences have played a crucial role during COVID-19 mandatory work from home, which points to some potential implications for workers' health in the adoption of teleworking beyond the emergency situation.

Digital Job Demands and Resources: Digitization in the Context of the Job Demands-Resources Model

This study comprehensively investigates the effects of digitization in the workplace, with a specific focus on white-collar employees, using the job demands-resources (JD-R) model as a theoretical framework. By examining the intricate interplay between digital job demands and digital job resources, the research offers valuable insights to help organizations navigate the complexities caused by technological advancements. Utilizing a qualitative triangulation approach, the research combines a systematic literature review with a thematic analysis of 15 interdisciplinary expert interviews. Thereby, the study establishes a robust theoretical foundation for exploring stress, motivation, and the organizational consequences arising from integrating technology in the workplace. The JD-R model is extended to incorporate digital job demands and resources, enabling a thorough examination of both the positive and negative aspects of digitization within organizations. Moreover, the study highlights the necessity for the consistent adaptation of the JD-R model across diverse job contexts in the ever-evolving digital landscape. It advocates for organizations to effectively leverage digital resources and proactively manage job demands, aiming to transform digitization into a valuable job asset while preventing the onset of overwhelming burdens. In conclusion, the research encourages organizations to embrace the vast potential of digitization while prioritizing digital health in the workplace.

Work-Family Boundaries in the Digital Age: A Study in France on Technological Intrusion, Work-Family Conflict, and Stress

BACKGROUND

Since previous studies have shown that the request of off-work technology-assisted supplemental work (off-TASW) can contribute to blurring the boundaries between the work and family domain by increasing work- family conflict (WFC), the purpose of this study is to go further, investigating how this relationship impacts stress perceptions.

METHOD

A cross-sectional study that involved a sample of 221 French workers was carried out using a self-reported questionnaire. The data collected were analyzed by IBM SPSS 25.0 software, and a mediation model was tested.

RESULTS

The results showed that off-TASW was associated with higher levels of WFC (b=.32; p=.000), which was in turn associated with stress perceptions (b=.42; p=.000).

CONCLUSIONS

This study contributes to un- derstanding how the intrusion of technologies during off-work times impacts workers' perceptions of psychological wellbeing through work-family conflict. These findings should encourage the debate on the risks of staying connected to work through technologies during off-work and leisure time and stimulate the promotion of campaigns to make workers aware of their right to disconnection, to the benefits of detachment from work and recovery experiences.

To Work or Not to Work Remotely? Work-to-family Interface Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

BACKGROUND

This paper provides a brief, evidence-based reflection on the differences between 'old-normal' remote working and mandatory work-from-home during the Covid-19 pandemic. From the perspective of applied psychology in the field of work and organizations, we used self-report instruments to assess variations in work-family conflict and enrichment, frequency of information and communication technologies use, and recovery in two longitudinal studies.

METHODS

The first study involved 148 individuals from the technical-administrative staff of a large Italian University, during an experimentation of remote working (one day per week) in 2019. The second study, conducted during the first lockdown in 2020, involved 144 individuals (occasional sample, heterogeneous by profession). All participants completed a self-report online questionnaire two times six months apart.

RESULTS

Although the two studies are not directly comparable, the results showed two different situations: in the condition of experimental remote working (one day per week), participants reported a decrease in work-family conflict and an improvement in recovery experiences, while in the emergency remote working condition, a deterioration in work-family enrichment was found.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlighted that some differences exist between a planned remote working condition and a mandatory one in an emergency. We briefly discuss these aspects to inform future organizational decisions and actions for the 'new normal'.

Information and communication technologies-assisted after-hours work: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis of the relationships with work-family/life management variables

The phenomenon of information and communication technology (ICT)-assisted after-hours work has led to rising academic interest in examining its impact on workers' lives. ICT-assisted after-hours work may intrude on the home domain and contribute to higher work-family/life conflict, lower work-family/life balance, or higher work-family/life enrichment (the last one owing to the acquisition of competencies transferable to the home domain). Additionally, owing to cultural and societal differences in gender roles, the relationships between ICT-assisted after-hours work and work-family/life management variables may differ between female and male workers. To analyze the current empirical findings, this study performed a literature review with 38 articles and a meta-analysis with 37 articles. Our findings showed that ICT-assisted after-hours work was positively related to work-family/life enrichment (r = 0.335, p < 0.001; 95% CI [0.290, 0.406]), but also to work-family/life conflict (r = 0.335, p < 0.001; 95% CI [0.290, 0.406]). However, neither gender nor pre-/post-COVID significantly affect the relationship between ICT-assisted after-hours work and work-family/life conflict. Finally, future research and implications are discussed.

Use of work-related communication technology outside regular working hours and work-family conflict (work interference with family and family interference with work): results from the 6th Korean working conditions survey

Background

Recently, use of work-related communication technology-smartphones, tablets, and laptops-is increasing rapidly by development of technology with the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Some studies have suggested that work-related communication technology has a significant link with work-family conflict (WFC) but these studies included only limited number of participants and lacked essential covariates. Therefore, this study analyzes this association using large representative data sample and selected waged workers who were married-couples with children.

Methods

This study was conducted based on data from the 6th Korean Working Conditions Surveys (KWCS). A total of 17,426 waged workers having a marriage partner and one or more children were selected. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine whether WFC was associated with communication technology use. The odds ratios (ORs) for WFC were stratified by sex and working hours.

Results

In fully adjusted model, WFC was higher those who used communication technology outside regular working hours compared with those who did not use it (OR: 1.66; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.39-1.97). When stratified by sex and working hours, the effect was greater in women than in men (OR: 1.79; 95% CI: 1.42-2.26 vs. OR: 1.52; 95% CI: 1.17-1.97) and women who worked over 52 hours per week had the highest OR (3.40; 95% CI: 1.25-9.26).

Conclusions

This study revealed that the work-related communication technology use outside regular working hours was associated with WFC. The association were greater among those having longer working hours and female workers. These results suggest that appropriate policy should be implemented to reduce working hours and right to disconnect after work, particularly in female workers.

Spillover and crossover effects of working time demands on work-life balance satisfaction among dual-earner couples: the mediating role of work-family conflict

To examine the spillover and crossover effects of working time demands (specifically, work contact in leisure time, evening work, and long work hours) on satisfaction with work-life balance among dual-earner couples, path analyses were conducted using data from the 2017/2018 German Family Panel (pairfam; N = 1,053 dual-earner couples). Working time demands were measured based on (a) answering work emails/phone calls in leisure time, (b) evening work, and (c) weekly work hours. High working time demands impaired workers' work-life balance satisfaction due to higher levels of work-life conflict. They indirectly affected partners' work-life balance satisfaction through two pathways: (a) workers' and partners' work-life conflict and (b) workers' work-life conflict and work-life balance satisfaction. These findings indicate that high working time demands negatively impact the work-life balance satisfaction of workers and their partners because of work-life conflict experienced either by the workers only or by both partners. In an increasingly digitalized labor market, measures are needed to reduce working time demands-and thus work-life conflict-for workers and their partners.

The association of work-related extended availability with recuperation, well-being, life domain balance and work: A meta-analysis

Work-related extended availability (WREA; the availability of employees for work-related matters in their leisure time) seems to be associated with decreases in well-being and life-domain balance, but to date there is no quantitative synthesis of the scattered evidence. We conducted a random-effects meta-analysis (113 articles with 121 studies relying on k = 117 independent samples with N = 131,872) on the associations between WREA and employee outcomes while examining potential moderators as well as differences between availability demands and behaviors. WREA was adversely associated with recuperation, well-being and private life, but favorably with some work-related criteria. There were no systematic differences in effect sizes between availability demands and behaviors; however, segmentation preferences were a moderator. Overall, these results suggest that WREA may pose a threat to employee recuperation, well-being and private lives, especially when employees prefer separating work and private life. However, positive potentials of WREA should not be overlooked. Plain Language Summary Work-related extended availability (WREA) refers to the availability of employees for work-related matters in their leisure time. Studies have shown that WREA may go along with primarily negative consequences for employees, but to date, there is no comprehensive overview of the literature statistically summarizing the current state of research, which was done in the study at hand. We assumed that WREA be related to problems with recovery, poorer well-being and difficulties to find a balance between work and private life. We also assessed in how far WREA goes along with attitudes towards work, absence from work and the intention to change jobs. Moreover, we considered differences between demands to be available and behaviors of actually taking care of work-related matters during leisure time. Finally, we investigated factors that may be associated with stronger consequences of WREA. We included 113 scientific papers with a total of 131,872 participants. WREA was related to problems with recovery, poorer well-being and difficulties to find a balance between work and private life, but also to more positive attitudes towards work. We did not find systematic differences between demands to be available and availability behaviors. However, we found that the relationship between WREA and work creating conflict with family life were stronger in samples with higher preferences to segment work and private life. Our findings suggest that WREA may pose a threat to employee recuperation, well-being and private lives, especially when employees prefer separating life domains. Still, positive potentials of WREA should not be overlooked.

A Qualitative and Longitudinal Study on the Impact of Telework in Times of COVID-19

Mandatory teleworking has become a major tool of public authorities for mitigating the spread of COVID-19 when work activity allows it. A lexical and morphosyntactic analysis was performed with 22 employees interviewed at home by phone on two occasions during and after a national lockdown (April 2020 and March 2021). The results indicate that the organizational changes initially implemented became sustainable and highlight a change in work practices. Changes in working time structure were observed and led to a feeling of intensification and/or increase in working hours. The preservation of the professional bond through informal exchanges required a deliberate communicative effort. The lack of face-to-face social relations deprived employees of both their usual ways of working and the meaning they found in them. Finally, the continuation of the health crisis (phase 2) and the multiple reorganizations generated a decrease in wellbeing (mental wear and tear). Employees feared that the company’s management would retain a working model based mainly on remote working.

A New Academic Quality at Work Tool (AQ@workT) to Assess the Quality of Life at Work in the Italian Academic Context

The present study provides evidence for a valid and reliable tool, the Academic Quality at Work Tool (AQ@workT), to investigate the quality of life at work in academics within the Italian university sector. The AQ@workT was developed by the QoL@Work research team, namely a group of expert academics in the field of work and organizational psychology affiliated with the Italian Association of Psychologists. The tool is grounded in the job demands-resources model and its psychometric properties were assessed in three studies comprising a wide sample of lecturers, researchers, and professors: a pilot study (N = 120), a calibration study (N = 1084), and a validation study (N = 1481). Reliability and content, construct, and nomological validity were supported, as well as measurement invariance across work role (researchers, associate professors, and full professors) and gender. Evidence from the present study shows that the AQ@workT represents a useful and reliable tool to assist university management to enhance quality of life, to manage work-related stress, and to mitigate the potential for harm to academics, particularly during a pandemic. Future studies, such as longitudinal tests of the AQ@workT, should test predictive validity among the variables in the tool.

Headache in the Workplace: Analysis of Factors Influencing Headaches in Terms of Productivity and Health

Headache is a very common condition that can have a significant impact on work. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of headaches and their impact on a sample of 1076 workers from 18 small companies operating in different sectors. The workers who volunteered to participate were asked to fill in the Headache Impact Test-6 (HIT-6) and answer questions designed to assess stressful and traumatic factors potentially associated with headaches. The volunteers subsequently underwent a medical examination and tests for diagnosing metabolic syndrome. Out of the 1044 workers who completed the questionnaire (participation rate = 97%), 509 (48.8%) reported suffering from headaches. In a multivariate logistic regression model, female gender, recent bereavement, intrusive leadership, and sleep problems were significantly associated with headaches. In univariate logistic regression models, headache intensity was associated with an increased risk of anxiety (OR 1.10; CI95% 1.09; 1.12) and depression (OR 1.09; CI95% 1.08; 1.11). Headache impact was also associated with the risk of metabolic syndrome (OR 1.02; CI95% 1.00, 1.04), obesity (OR 1.02, CI95% 1.01; 1.03), and reduced HDL cholesterol (OR 1.03; CI95% 1.01; 1.04). The impact of headache calls for intervention in the workplace not only to promote a prompt diagnosis of the different forms of headaches but also to improve work organization, leadership style, and the quality of sleep.

Emotional Dissonance, Job Stress, and Intrinsic Motivation of Married Women Working in Call Centers: The Roles of Work Overload and Work-Family Conflict

This research was designed to test and extend the model of emotional dissonance. Previous models of emotional dissonance, such as the Job Demand-Resource (JD-R) and the Stress-Strain-Outcome (SSO) models, are limited in that they do not account for the influences of work and work–family-related conflicts. The present paper focused on emotional labor carried out by married women working in call centers. We developed the model of emotional dissonance influencing intrinsic motivation and job stress, with the moderating effects of work overload and work–family conflict. The data of 468 employees analyzed using least square regression showed that that emotional dissonance is positively related to job stress, but is negatively related to intrinsic motivation. Both work overload and work–family conflict were found to be significant moderators that aggravate the positive relationships between emotional dissonance and job stress, and the negative relationships between emotional dissonance and intrinsic motivation. Theoretical and practical implications on emotional labor and emotional dissonance are discussed.

Might insecurity and use of ICT enhance internet addiction and exhaust people? A study in two European countries during emergency remote working

Facing the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, we have witnessed a strong recourse to generalised lockdowns and to the deployment of remote working. These emergency measures have also thrown employers and employees into uncertainty regarding the present and future existence of their job. The present study aimed to examine the role of job insecurity and job demands in non-working hours through technologies on emotional exhaustion mediated by Internet addiction. A total of 999 remote workers, 501 of whom live in France and 498 in Italy, completed a self-report questionnaire during the first lockdown. Results suggest that both job insecurity and the requests to use technology for work purposes during non-work time exacerbate emotional exhaustion through the mediation of Internet Addiction. Limitations, future perspectives, and implications for management are discussed.

How Does Mobile Workplace Stress Affect Employee Innovative Behavior? The Role of Work-Family Conflict and Employee Engagement

The new wave of interest in mobile workplaces is profoundly changing the internal ecology of Chinese companies and creating new stress for employees. To investigate the mechanisms of mobile workplace stress on employee innovative behavior and the role of work–family conflict and employee engagement, we collected 426 valid samples from married male employees in the software and information service industries. The results show that mobile workplace stress has a significant negative effect on employee innovative behavior. In contrast, it has a significant positive effect on work–family conflict and employee engagement. In addition, work–family conflict partially mediates the relationship between mobile workplace stress and employee innovative behavior; employee engagement produces the suppressing effects. The chain intermediary effect of work–family conflict and employee engagement between the mobile workplace and employee innovative behavior is present. When we focus on the high performance of the mobile workplace, we should also pay attention to its impact on the company’s ability for innovation.

[Do digital technologies at work impact mental health of employees?]

Hintergrund

Die traditionelle Arbeitsstressforschung identifizierte eine große Zahl von Stressoren. Die Technik als Stressquelle stand dagegen lange nicht im Fokus des Interesses.

Fragestellung

Dieser Artikel beschreibt das Konzept des Technostresses und diskutiert mögliche Risiken und Chancen digitaler Technologien bei der Arbeit und deren Auswirkungen auf die psychische Gesundheit.

Material und Methode

Übersicht zur Konzeptualisierung von Technostress, potenzieller Wirkmechanismen und Zusammenfassung empirischer Ergebnisse zum Einfluss auf die psychische Gesundheit.

Ergebnisse

Bisher wurden mehrere Domänen von Technostress definiert. Obgleich die Evidenzbasis schmal ist und Studien mit methodischen Einschränkungen behaftet sind, so legen erste Ergebnisse zumindest nahe, dass sich bestimmte Arten von technischem Stress bei der Arbeit ungünstig auf die psychische Gesundheit auswirken können. Zugleich können digitale Technologien auch positive Auswirkungen auf das psychische Wohlbefinden von Arbeitnehmern haben, wenn sie z. B. eine bessere Arbeitsorganisation ermöglichen.

Schlussfolgerung

Die Digitalisierung der Arbeit scheint sowohl Chancen als auch Risiken für die psychische Gesundheit der Beschäftigten zu haben. Implikationen für weitere Forschung in diesem sich entwickelnden Feld werden herausgearbeitet.

The Good, the Bad and the Blend: The Strategic Role of the "Middle Leadership" in Work-Family/Life Dynamics during Remote Working

The ongoing epidemiological crisis has suddenly steered us towards a new futuristic work scenario in which most service sector employees work remotely, which could be a permanent reality for most service sector employees. This paper focuses on the strategic role that leadership could play in the radical change process that is taking place in work environments. Particular attention was paid to the role of ‘middle managers’ who perform an important function as a link between the strategic vision of top management and the workforce. In addition, special attention was paid to gender differences in work-life dynamics, which are particularly relevant in countries with traditional cultural identities. As this is a conceptual contribution, the most recent studies on this specific role of middle managers have been taken into account and embedded in the current scenario. Therefore, the main contribution in terms of originality was that the current review aimed to leverage such a legacy of knowledge and create a system of evidence-based practical implications for effectively supporting change in organizational culture through the identification of the most appropriate middle management leadership models for remote working that could prevent and/or limit any psychosocial risks (e.g., workaholism and technostress) and longer-term outcomes such as sustainable work-life interface.

Employee-Spouse Perceptual Congruence in Employee Work-to-Family Enrichment Affects Family and Work Outcomes: The Mediating Role of Relationship Conflict

Various studies have demonstrated that work-to-family enrichment (WFE) benefits employees in both the work and home domains. However, these findings may overstate the benefits of WFE and ignore its potential dark side. We advance the research on WFE by integrating conflict theory into the concept of WFE to investigate whether and how employee–spouse perceptual congruence in employee WFE influences employee family cohesion and emotional exhaustion. The results of polynomial regressions on 225 employee and spouse dyads revealed that the perceptual congruence in employee WFE between employees and spouses was negatively associated with relationship conflict. Additionally, asymmetrical incongruence effects were found, wherein spouses perceived a higher relationship conflict with employees when their perceptions of employee WFE were lower than those of the employees. Furthermore, spouses' perceived relationship conflict with employees mediated the influences of employee–spouse perceptual congruence in employee WFE on employee family cohesion and emotional exhaustion.

Is it ok to be connected outside the office? The impact on well-being at work and the mediating role of the work and family relationship

Purpose

To analyze the relationship between technology-assisted supplemental work (TASW) and well-being in the workplace – burnout and engagement. Furthermore, this study aims to test the relationship between TASW and burnout, mediated by work-to-family conflict (WFC) and the relationship between TASW and engagement mediated by work-to-family enrichment (WFE).

Design/methodology/approach

The data was collected from a service company operating in Portugal. A total of 338 responses from a services company in Portugal were analyzed. Two statistical programs were used for the data analysis: IBM statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS 25.0) and SPSS analysis of moment structures (AMOS 25.0).

Findings

The results highlight the positive relationship between TASW and engagement and the relationship between TASW and burnout, which only exists when WFC is present. Moreover, the relationship between TASW and engagement is stronger through WFE.

Originality/value

Using the conservation of resources theory as a framework, the results contribute to the literature by shedding further light upon the positive effects of TASW on employees’ well-being and the work and family relationship.

Can Leaders Prevent Technology From Backfiring? Empowering Leadership as a Double-Edged Sword for Technostress in Care

Purpose: Recent studies have called for more contextual studies of technostress and the role leaders can have in this experience. While technostress is an increasingly prevalent and severe phenomenon in care professions, limited studies have addressed its potential negative consequences for employee well-being and quality of care delivered in this sector or, more importantly, examined how the adverse consequences of technostress could be mitigated. Therefore, the present study addresses this gap by investigating how technostress in childcare affects quality of care delivered via emotional exhaustion and what influence empowering leadership plays in this relationship. Design/methodology approach: Incorporating the views of 339 Dutch childcare workers, this study tests a model in which technostress influences quality of care delivered, mediated by emotional exhaustion and moderated by empowering leadership. Findings: Results confirm that techno-invasion and techno-overload predict higher emotional exhaustion and lower quality of care delivered among childcare workers. Empowering leadership reduced the influence of techno-invasion on emotional exhaustion but strengthened the influence of techno-overload. Originality/value: Our results provide childcare organizations with relevant information on the increasing use of ICT that influences both childcare workers' well-being and quality of care they deliver. Important implications are suggested for leadership geared at stimulating employees' responsibility and accountability for different dimensions of technostress.

Work-family conflict during the Covid-19 pandemic: teleworking of administrative and technical staff in healthcare. An Italian study

BACKGROUND

Remote working (more appropriately, mandatory work from home) during the Covid-19 healthcare emergency has increased significantly. Amidst many critical issues, work-family conflict (WFC) remains a central topic, due to the hardships in separating different life domains, the pervasiveness of technology, and decreased opportunities for recovery, all considering new, emerging job demands. Although many studies have involved healthcare workers, less attention has been paid to technical-administrative staff (TA); moreover, previous studies about the impact of remote working on WFC have provided mixed results.

OBJECTIVES

The study aims at examining the relationships between WFC and cognitive demands, off-work hours technology assisted job demands (off-TAJD) and recovery, in the TA of a hospital in northwest Italy.

METHODS

A sample of 211 individuals (response rate of 58%), in line with the population, filled in an online self-report questionnaire in the second half of April 2020.

RESULTS

Multiple regression analysis showed a positive relationship between WFC and perceived ICT stress, off-TAJD and cognitive demands, and a negative relationship with recovery.

CONCLUSIONS

The results confirm the role of cognitive demands, technology overload and invasiveness, as potential predictors of WFC. The results also indicate the mitigating role of recovery, even in the face of a prolonged and forced experience of remote work. The study emphasises the need for transparent policies, based on trust, autonomy and right to disconnect, and the centrality of training, especially for supervisors, on topics such as evaluation of results, proper recovery management and correct use of technology.

Does the End Justify the Means? The Role of Organizational Communication among Work-from-Home Employees during the COVID-19 Pandemic

During the first months of 2020, the world, and Italy at an early stage, went through the COVID-19 emergency that had a great impact on individual and collective health, but also on working processes. The mandatory remote working and the constant use of technology for employees raised different implications related to technostress and psycho-physical disorders. This study aimed to detect, in such a period of crisis and changes, the role of organizational communication considering the mediating role of both technostress and self-efficacy, with psycho-physical disorders as outcome. The research involved 530 workers working from home. A Structural Equations Model was estimated, revealing that organizational communication is positively associated with self-efficacy and negatively with technostress and psycho-physical disorders. As mediators, technostress is positively associated with psycho-physical disorders, whereas self-efficacy is negatively associated. As regards mediated effects, results showed negative associations between organizational communication and psycho-physical disorders through both technostress and self-efficacy. This study highlighted the potential protective role of organizational communication that could buffer the effect of technostress and enhance a personal resource, self-efficacy, which is functional to the reduction of psycho-physical disorders. This study contributed to literature underlying the role of communication in the current crisis and consequent reorganization of the working processes.

Telecommuting, Off-Time Work, and Intrusive Leadership in Workers' Well-Being

Telecommuting is a flexible form of work that has progressively spread over the last 40 years and which has been strongly encouraged by the measures to limit the COVID-19 pandemic. There is still limited evidence on the effects it has on workers’ health. In this survey we invited 905 workers of companies that made a limited use of telecommuting to fill out a questionnaire to evaluate intrusive leadership of managers (IL), the request for work outside traditional hours (OFF-TAJD), workaholism (Bergen Work Addiction Scale (BWAS)), effort/reward imbalance (ERI), happiness, and common mental issues (CMIs), anxiety and depression, assessed by the Goldberg scale (GADS). The interaction between these variables has been studied by structural equation modeling (SEM). Intrusive leadership and working after hours were significantly associated with occupational stress. Workaholism is a relevant moderator of this interaction: intrusive leadership significantly increased the stress of workaholic workers. Intrusive leadership and overtime work were associated with reduced happiness, anxiety, and depression. These results indicate the need to guarantee the right to disconnect to limit the effect of the OFF-TAJD. In addition to this, companies should implement policies to prevent intrusive leadership and workaholism.

Technology Intense Workplaces, Boundary Preferences and Work–Life Conflict: Evidence from Sri Lanka

Workplaces today are more technologically pervasive than ever before, and communication devices such as smartphones have blurred traditional boundaries between work and non-work spheres of people. In fact, employers need to be mindful about this phenomenon when they have technology-based work expectations from their employees. Within this backdrop, this study attempts to reveal how the technological intensity at workplaces affects work–life conflict of employees who have different boundary preferences. The analysis based on 225 respondents shows that technological intensity is a significant mediator between work–life boundary preferences and work–life conflict of employees. Further, this study validates the findings of prior research based on Western samples on non-Western countries, followed by a discussion on the implications to practice and avenues for future research.

Far Away, So Close? The Role of Destructive Leadership in the Job Demands–Resources and Recovery Model in Emergency Telework

During the Covid-19 pandemic, people started teleworking intensively, which has led to some benefits in terms of economic continuity, but also some complaints. International teams of scholars have pointed out the new work-related challenges, underlining leaders’ role in successfully managing them. This study aimed at investigating the role of destructive leadership in the job demands–resources and recovery model during the Covid-19 pandemic. In detail, this study intended to assess (1) whether destructive leadership is positively associated with off-work-hours technology-assisted job demand (off-TAJD) and cognitive demands, as well as whether it decreases autonomy, (2) whether two demands—off-TAJD and cognitive demands—and two resources—social support and autonomy—are respectively negatively and positively related to recovery, and (3) whether recovery mediates the relationship between demands, resources, and exhaustion. A total of 716 French remote workers (61% were women) took part in this study. Data were collected using a self-report questionnaire. A multi-group structural equation model was used to test the hypotheses. The findings confirmed a significant association between destructive leadership, the two job demands, and autonomy; furthermore, all three variables mediated the relationship between destructive leadership and recovery. The findings showed the key role played by recovery as a mediator between, on one hand, off-TAJD, cognitive demands, autonomy, and social support, and, on the other hand, exhaustion. This study highlighted the role of destructive leadership, job resources, job demands, and recovery as determinants of exhaustion, illustrating their relationships in a sample of remote workers. Practical implications are discussed.

Wellbeing Costs of Technology Use during Covid-19 Remote Working: An Investigation Using the Italian Translation of the Technostress Creators Scale

During the first months of 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic has affected several countries all over the world, including Italy. To prevent the spread of the virus, governments instructed employers and self-employed workers to close their offices and work from home. Thus, the use of remote working increased during the pandemic and is expected to maintain high levels of application even after the emergency. Despite its benefits for both organizations and workers, remote working entails negative consequences, such as technostress. The present study had a double aim: to test the psychometric characteristics of the Italian translation of the brief version of the technostress creators scale and to apply the scale to investigate technostress during the Covid-19 emergency. The research involved 878 participants for the first study and 749 participants for the second one; they completed a self-report online questionnaire. Results confirmed the three-factor structure of the Italian technostress creators scale and highlighted positive relationships between workload, techno-stressors, work–family conflict and behavioural stress. The role of remote working conditions has been analysed as well. The study provided a useful tool for the investigation of technostress in the Italian context. Moreover, it provided indications for practice in the field of remote working and workers’ wellbeing.

Secondary Traumatic Stress in Italian Police Officers: The Role of Job Demands and Job Resources

Police officers are among the workers most exposed to acute or chronic stressful events, which compromises their psychosocial well-being and physical health. Exposure to traumatic events, human suffering, problematic situations and episodes of violence can cause psychological damage and lead to the development of secondary traumatic stress. The aim of this research is to explore the effect of job demands and job resources on secondary traumatic stress in police officers. To better understand this phenomenon and its consequences in this population, police officers were compared with health care professionals working as first responders. An ad hoc questionnaire was administered to 112 and 286 health care professionals. The findings showed that compared with health care workers, police officers suffer from secondary traumatic stress to a greater extent. Moreover, the results showed that some police officers suffered more than health care professionals regarding certain consequences of secondary traumatic stress, such as negative emotions and burnout. This study suggests implications and offers insights for both police officers and the organizations in which they work: police officer organizations should contribute to preventing the phenomenon of secondary traumatic stress by proposing programs that implement resilience training and adaptive coping strategies.

Technostress at work and mental health: concepts and research results

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The ongoing digitalization has profound consequences for work in modern economies. It is, therefore, important to investigate if digital technologies increase stress at work (i.e. 'technostress') and lead to impaired mental health. This article describes the concept of technostress and discusses possible risks and opportunities of digital technologies at work and their effect on mental health.

RECENT FINDINGS

Studies report that the use of digital technologies is associated with specific psychosocial demands (e.g. higher workload, complexity, conflicts between work and other life domains) and resulting psychobiological stress reactions. It is, however, still unclear if this kind of technostress causes mental disorders because epidemiological studies are missing. Yet, an increasing number of studies suggests that well designed digital work may promote good health if it optimizes work organization or enables greater flexibility, and increases control and autonomy at work.

SUMMARY

Digitalization of work seems to have both opportunities and risks for the mental health of employees. The number of studies is currently limited and further research is necessary to describe the advantages and disadvantages more precisely.

I Am a Leader, I Am a Mother, I Can Do This! The Moderated Mediation of Psychological Capital, Work–Family Conflict, and Having Children on Well-Being of Women Leaders

Gender equality is one of the Sustainable Development Goals. Management is one of the jobs that more clearly needs a gender perspective. Women leaders have found a way around the labyrinth to get to the top, which might have developed their personal resources such as psychological capital. Women leaders experience an inter-role conflict when work and family demands are mutually incompatible, affecting negatively their well-being. This study aims to analyze the mediation role that work–family and family–work conflict plays between psychological capital and well-being (engagement and burnout) when moderated by the number of children. In total, 202 Spanish women leaders participated in the study. Results of the mediated moderation model using Model 14 of the macro PROCESS for SPSS software show that psychological capital buffers the negative effects that experiencing work–family conflict has on well-being when having children. The well-being of women leaders is not affected when dealing with family interfering work conflict and having children. As such, women leaders who have children rely on their psychological capital to successfully manage the family demands affecting their work and to reduce the negative effect of work–family conflict on their well-being. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed from the psychology of a sustainability perspective.

Identifying Work-Related Internet's Uses-at Work and Outside Usual Workplaces and Hours-and Their Relationships With Work-Home Interface, Work Engagement, and Problematic Internet Behavior

Many studies have analyzed the uses of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for work, with some focusing on use at the office and others on use outside the traditional workplace and workday. However, there is little research encompassing all work uses of ICTs, both in and out of the office, and on the ways in which they affect employees' attitudes toward their work and quality of life. Thus, the present study aims to (a) explore the links between intensity, places, and time periods of using the Internet for work; (b) examine whether Internet uses for work are related to the perceived impact of work on personal life, work engagement, and Internet addiction. An empirical study was conducted based on a questionnaire survey of 502 executives. We measured their use of the Internet for business purposes both in and outside of the standard workday/workplace; the perceived impact of work on their personal life; their work engagement; and their relationship to the Internet. Four categories of Internet use for work were identified (Cluster analysis). They differed with respect to intensity, places, and time periods dedicated to Internet uses (at standard workplace, at home, while traveling; during a typical workday, a day off, or vacation). The results obtained from Multinomial Logistic Regression show that technological devices provided by the employer and personal uses of the Internet are related to the intensity, places, and time periods of executives' work-related Internet uses. Furthermore, ANCOVAs reveal that high-intensive, extensive, and porous Internet uses for work appear to foster the permeability between work and personal life, diminish managers' dedication and vigor at work, and favor Internet addiction. Based on these findings, we discuss the importance of the "right to disconnect" and prevention programs regarding Internet uses, two major issues that attract the attention of organizations as well as public health authorities.

Organizational Culture and Job Demands and Resources: Their Impact on Employees' Wellbeing in a Multivariate Multilevel Model

(1) The present study aims to explore the impact of job demands and resources (JDR), personal resources, and the organizational culture on workers' wellbeing and health. (2) A cross-sectional survey of Spanish workers in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) was conducted with a sample of 1599 workers from 154 SMEs. A multivariate multilevel analysis was performed to analyze the different relationships. (3) In light of the results obtained, we observed that job demands were negatively associated with workers' health, while job resources were positively correlated to workers' health and wellbeing. Secondly, the different types of identification at work are positively related to job satisfaction and organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs), but the intensity of this association differs with the form of identification. Finally, at the organization level, the dimensions of organizational culture are related differently to employees' job satisfaction, OCBs, and health; (4) these results confirm the role of organizational culture and its association with desirable outcomes, allowing us to expand the JDR model.

Development and Validation of a Pioneer Scale on Service Leadership Behavior in the Service Economies

In response to the severe lack of leadership assessment tools in the Chinese context, the Service Leadership Behavior Scale was developed based on the Service Leadership Model proposed by Po Chung, the co-founder of DHL International. Utilizing responses from 4,486 Hong Kong undergraduates, this paper reports the findings of a validation study on the Short-Form Service Leadership Behavior Scale (SLB-SF-65). Previous findings based on exploratory factor analysis supported a six-factor 48-item solution (SLB-SF-48). With the removal of ten items, confirmatory factor analysis showed that the final 38-item scale (SLB-SF-38) possessed excellent internal consistency, concurrent validity, and factorial validity based on multigroup invariance analyses. Overall speaking, the present study underscores the utility of the SLB-SF-38 as an objective assessment instrument of service leadership behavior in the education, research and personnel training contexts.

The Evaluation of Organizational Well-Being in An Italian Teaching Hospital Using the ANAC Questionnaire

In Italy, the Italian National Anti-Corruption Authority (Autorità Nazionale Anti-corruzione—ANAC) has developed a questionnaire to assess the organizational well-being of employees within public agencies. The study aimed to explore the relationship among variables in the ANAC questionnaire: Several job resources (lack of discrimination, fairness, career and professional development, job autonomy, and organizational goals’ sharing) and outcomes of well-being at work, such as health and safety at work and sense of belonging. The research was carried out among workers in an Italian hospital in Northwest Italy (N = 1170), through an online self-report questionnaire. Data were grouped into two job categories: Clinical staff (N = 939) and non-clinical staff (N = 231). The hypothesized model was tested across the two groups through multi-group structural equation modeling. Results showed that health and safety at work and sense of belonging had significant positive relationships with the other variables; some differences emerged between the determinants of the two outcomes and among groups. The study aims to identify some reflections and suggestions regarding the assessment of well-being in the health care sector; implications for practice are identified to promote organizational well-being and health in organizations.

Unsustainable Working Conditions: The Association of Destructive Leadership, Use of Technology, and Workload with Workaholism and Exhaustion

Job demands typical of the current working environments and negative leadership styles may be considered unsustainable factors able to decrease workers well-being. Moreover, contrary to the idea that workaholism is an innate individual characteristic, a recent perspective considers the working context able to foster its insurgence. In order to investigate unsustainable dynamics within organizations, this study aimed at examining whether (1) destructive leadership increases workload and supplemental work supported by technology, (2) the three job demands increases workaholism, and (3) workaholism mediates their relationship with exhaustion. A convenience sample of 432 workers filled in a self-report questionnaire. The structural equation model results showed a positive relationship between destructive leadership and workload, off-work hour Technology-Assisted Job Demand (off-TAJD), and workaholism. Moreover, both workload and off-TAJD partially mediated the relationship between destructive leadership and workaholism. Finally, workaholism was a mediator between the three demands and exhaustion. The study confirmed a positive association between job demands and workaholism, and, in turn, their association with exhaustion, highlighting in particular the role of two under-investigated determinants, namely destructive leadership and off-TAJD, as unsustainable working conditions. Despite limitations, above all the cross-sectional design, this study provided useful indications for research and practice.

Work and Organizational Psychology Looks at the Fourth Industrial Revolution: How to Support Workers and Organizations?

With rapid advances in technology in several fields of human life, we are entering the Fourth Industrial Revolution (FIR), which is changing the way businesses create value, people do their work and individuals interact and communicate with each other. In this framework, many questions have arisen about how these transformations affect workers, organizations and societies, and Work and Organizational Psychology (WOP) has been called upon to address some of these open issues. In particular, this article focuses on two aspects of the FIR. The first considers the expansion of automation in the workplace and raises questions such as: how is the relationship between workers and technology changing? How is it affecting people's well-being? How can we expect it to affect employment and equality in the future? The second is related to how job transformation will influence requirements for knowledge and skills; the main question is: which competence profile, considering hard and soft skills, is required and expected in the work of the future? The aim of the present paper is to improve the understanding of some of the major issues that workers and organizations are, or will be, asked to face, by providing information that will be useful to facilitate debate, research and interventions. In the conclusion section, research, and practical implications at organizational, political and institutional levels are discussed.

[The evaluation of organizational well-being in the public sector: an integration of the ANAC questionnaire]

BACKGROUND

In Italy, the work-related stress and organizational well-being evaluation is subject to specific norms and regulations. The Italian National Anti-Corruption Authority (Autorità Nazionale Anticorruzione - ANAC) has developed a questionnaire to assess the organizational well-being of the employees in Public Administration Institutions.

OBJECTIVES

The study aims to analyse, according to the Job Demands-Resources Theory, the relationship between some job demands (workload, discrimination) and job resources (supervisors and colleagues support, job autonomy, fairness, career opportunities, membership), and some outcomes (work-related stress, emotional exhaustion, job satisfaction).

METHODS

The research involved a public administration and was conducted through a self-report questionnaire (N=414, 60% of the employees). The ANAC questionnaire was integrated with measures from national and international literature on the topic of well-being and stress at work.

RESULTS

Multiple regression analyses highlighted the relationship between outcomes, job demands and resources. Work-related stress showed a positive relation with demands (work load β coefficient=0.22; perceived discrimination β=0.14) and a negative one with some resources (supervisors' support β=-0.21 and membership β=-0.11). Emotional exhaustion had a negative relationship with some job resources, specifically career opportunities (β=-0.14), autonomy (β=-0.21) and membership (β=-0.25). Job satisfaction showed a positive relationship with all job resources considered.

CONCLUSIONS

The study seeks to integrate the assessment of well-being and work-related stress thus highlighting the importance of linking the different outcomes with job demands and resources. The results identify possible practices to promote well-being in the organization.