Quality of Work Life and Contribution to Productivity: Assessing the Moderator Effects of Burnout Syndrome

Burnout and Quality of Work Life among Physicians during Internships in Public Hospitals in Thailand

Physicians are exposed to occupational stress and burnout, which have been identified as contributing to a decrease in the quality of work life (QWL). Thailand's medical education program, consisting of a six-year curriculum with government tuition support followed by three years of internships, provides the context for this investigation. This study aimed to assess the QWL among intern physicians (IPs) in public hospitals and investigated the association between burnout and QWL. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 241 IPs in public hospitals in Thailand utilizing an online self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire included a Thai version of a 25-item QWL scale and the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey for Medical Personnel. Data analysis was performed using multivariable logistic regression. A significant proportion of IPs experienced low to moderate QWL (72.6%), with low levels of home-work interface (39.4%) and employee engagement (38.6%). In the exploratory model, after adjusting for sex and age, IPs with high depersonalization and low personal accomplishment demonstrated an association with low QWL (adjusted OR, aOR 2.08, 95% CI 1.01 to 4.31; aOR 2.74, 95% CI 1.40 to 5.39). Healthcare organizations should regularly assess intern physicians' QWL and burnout, prioritizing interventions; ensure reasonable work hours, schedule adjustments, and open communication; and develop support systems for cost-effective interventions. Further research on the dynamic relationship between burnout and QWL is crucial for targeted and culturally sensitive interventions.

The effect of circadian on the productivity of nurses with the mediating role of quality of work life

BACKGROUND

Circadian rhythms, as an integral part of daily life, govern the scheduling, management, and coordination of living organisms. Given the irregular nature of shift patterns in nurses' work schedules, investigating their implications is paramount to increasing Quality of Work Life (QWL) and productivity. The study aimed to investigate the impact of circadian rhythm on the efficiency of nurses working in hospitals in Qazvin, Iran, with QWL serving as a mediating variable.

METHODS

This study employed a descriptive-analytical research design, utilizing cross-sectional data collected in 2022-2023 based on the implementation of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The number of participants was 378 nurses. The data were obtained by administering a questionnaire and various tools, organized into four sections: demographic information, the Circadian Questionnaire, the Quality of Work Life Questionnaire, and the Nurses' Efficiency Questionnaire. The collected data were subsequently analyzed using SEM techniques within the R software.

RESULTS

The findings demonstrated statistically significant variations in mean scores about gender and efficiency (p = 0.008), marital status and efficiency (p = 0.000), and employment type and efficiency (p = 0.002) among the study participants. There was a significant association between shift patterns and QWL (p = 0.004). Expressly, the confirmed results indicated a direct impact of circadian on QWL (with a path coefficient of 0.013), as well as an indirect impact on efficiency mediated by the variable QWL (with a path coefficient of 0.037) (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Due to the critical role of nurses in the healthcare system, implementing strategies that promote their efficiency is paramount. Therefore, managers can create an environment that enhances nurses' productivity by improving methods that positively impact their QWL.

Effects of work-family conflict on turnover intention among primary medical staff in Huaihai Economic Zone: a mediation model through burnout

Background

Countries worldwide face the challenge of how medical personnel manage conflicts between work and family. Especially after the challenge of the COVID-19 epidemic, it is necessary to explore the possible mechanisms of work-family conflict, burnout, and turnover intention among primary medical staff.

Objectives

This study aims to observe the turnover intention of Chinese primary medical staff and explore the relationship between work-family conflict, burnout, and turnover intention.

Methods

A cross-sectional study included a turnover intention questionnaire, the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS), and the Work-Family Conflict Scale (WFCS) to understand turnover intention, burnout, and work-family conflict among primary medical staff in four cities (Xuzhou, Linyi, Huaibei, and Shangqiu cities) within the Huaihai Economic Zone. Spearman correlation analysis and hierarchical multiple regression analysis were used to examine the related factors of turnover intention. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to study the mediating role of burnout between work-family conflict and turnover intention.

Results

In this study, there is a positive correlation between work-family conflict and turnover intention (P < 0.01). Demographic characteristics, work-family conflict, and burnout explained 2.3%, 20.3%, and 8.8% of the incremental variances, respectively. Burnout mediated the association between work-family conflict and turnover intention.

Conclusions

Burnout can be regarded as a mediator between two different variables: work-family conflict and turnover intention. Improving work-family conflict and alleviating burnout may play a key role in reducing the willingness of primary medical staff to resign. Corresponding measures can be taken to balance the conflict between work and family, alleviate burnout, reduce turnover rates, and build a primary medical staff team with higher medical service quality and stability.

Managing healthcare employees' burnout through micro aspects of corporate social responsibility: A public health perspective

Background

Globally, an increasing number of healthcare workers (HCW) suffer from the issue of burnout (BO) annually. The critical issue of BO undermines the capacity of HCW to deliver superior healthcare services on the one end, it negatively affects the mental health of HCW on the other hand. Although HCW in developed and developing countries face the risk of BO, however, this issue is more critical in developing countries due to poor infrastructure, resources and social inequalities. The BO syndrome has recently been recognized as a public health concern, and new approaches are required to manage this epic, especially in healthcare management, effectively. In this respect, past research recognizes the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in influencing employee outcomes. Especially the micro aspects of CSR (MCSR) have recently received growing attention from academicians and practitioners. However, most existing MCSR investigations relate to the positive aspects of individual psychology, leaving the terrain unattended on how MCSR can help employees in reducing negative work outcomes for example, BO. To close this critical gap, the basic aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between MCSR and BO. Further, to understand the underlying mechanism of how and why MCSR may reduce employees' BO, this study introduces two mediators, work engagement (WE) and intrinsic motivation (IM) and one moderator, compassion at work (CW).

Method

The data for the current study were gathered randomly from HCW serving in different hospitals of a developing country. Specifically, we collected the data in three separate waves. A self-administered questionnaire was used as a data collection instrument by following a paper-pencil methodology. The response rate in this study remained close to 64%. Both male and female HCW participated in this study. We validated the hypothesized relationships with the help of structural equation modeling in AMOS software.

Results

The results confirmed that MCSR negatively predicts BO, and WE and IM mediated this relationship. Moreover, the moderating effect of CW was also confirmed.

Conclusion

The findings of this study help healthcare administrators to mitigate the epic of BO among HCW by carefully planning and executing MCSR policies.

Workplace policies and quality of working life (QoWL) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Jordanian hospitals

BACKGROUND

Many healthcare organizations place a high value on quality of work-life (QoWL). The healthcare system's long-term sustainability and capability to offer high-quality services to patients depend on improving QoWL for their healthcare workers.

OBJECTIVE

The study aimed to explore the impact of Jordanian hospitals' workplace policies and measures in three main domains: (I) Infection prevention and control (IPC) measures, (II) Supply of personal protective equipment (PPE), and (III) COVID-19 precautionary measures on the QoWL among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted from May to June 2021 through an online self-reported questionnaire (Google Form) targeting hospital healthcare professionals working at Jordanian hospitals (public, private, military, and university). The study used a valid work-related quality of life (WRQoL) scale to study the QoWL.

RESULTS

A total of 484 HCWs in Jordanian hospitals participated in the study with a mean age of (34.8 ± 8.28 years). 57.6% of the respondents were females. 66.1% were married, with 61.6% having children at home. An average QoWL among healthcare workers in Jordanian hospitals during the pandemic was observed. The study results also showed a significant positive correlation between workplace policies (IPC measures, supply of PPE, and COVID-19 preventive measures) and the WRQoL among healthcare workers.

CONCLUSION

Our findings highlighted the vital need for QoWL and psychological well-being support services for healthcare staff during pandemics. Improved IPC systems and other precautionary measures at the national and hospital management levels are required to help minimize the stress and fear that healthcare workers experience and lower the risk of COVID-19 and future pandemics.

Bibliometric and systemic analysis of the relationship between quality of work life and productivity during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it changes in the way of working and the well-being of workers.

OBJECTIVE

To identify research trends on work life quality and its impact on productivity in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHOD

The Proknow-C constructivist methodology was used, with which a bibliographic portfolio of 49 articles obtained from the Web of Science was prepared, resulting from four stages of search between 2012 and 2022; a bibliometric analysis was performed on that database and bibliometric networks were created with the software VOSviewer; the systemic analysis of the articles was carried out, thus showing theories, definitions and indicators; and areas of opportunity of research were identified.

RESULTS

The most important high-impact specialized journals and authors, articles considered central, most used keywords such as job satisfaction, quality of work life and COVID-19, as well as the most representative countries such as European and Asian, are presented.

CONCLUSION

It was found that the health sector is one of the most studied, allowing researchers from other sectors the opportunity to delve into the issue of the affectations of the quality of work life reflected in productivity and common variables were synthesized such as job satisfaction, well-being, motivation and security, among others.

Interplay between Safety Climate and Emotional Exhaustion: Effects on First Responders' Safety Behavior and Wellbeing Over Time

Various job demands continuously threaten Emergency Medical Service (EMS) first responders' safety and wellbeing. Drawing on Job Demands-Resources Theory, the present study examines the effects of the organizational context-safety climate-and the psychological context-emotional exhaustion-on safety behaviors and wellbeing over time. We tested our hypotheses in a longitudinal study of 208 EMS first responders nested within 45 stations from three fire departments in US metropolitan areas over 6 months during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Multilevel modeling showed that the relationship between safety climate and safety compliance behaviors can be attenuated when EMS first responders experience high emotional exhaustion. Emotional exhaustion was also negatively associated with morale while safety climate was positively associated with morale. Additionally, EMS first responders experienced increased depression when their emotional exhaustion levels were high. Higher safety climate was associated with decreased depression when emotional exhaustion was within a low-to-medium range. Higher safety climate was also associated with lower absolute levels of depression across the entire range of emotional exhaustion. These findings suggest that promoting safety climate and mitigating emotional exhaustion can augment EMS first responders' safety behaviors and wellbeing.].

Burnout and Quality of Work Life among Municipal Workers: Do Motivating and Economic Factors Play a Mediating Role?

This study analyzes the relationship between burnout and quality of work life among municipal workers subjected to higher levels of stress and emotional exhaustion, impacting their occupational health in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. With a sample of 459 municipal workers, the relationship between burnout and quality of work life is tested by considering the isolated mediating effect of the feeling of contributing to productivity and the combined effects of two mediators representing the feeling of contributing to productivity and receiving an appropriate salary. The main findings include a negative association between the three dimensions of burnout: emotional exhaustion, feelings of cynicism, and a sense of being less effective, and the mediators: contribution to productivity and appropriate salary. Also detected was an important mediating role associated with the effects of not feeling contributive at work, as well as not being well paid, on the relation between the burnout syndrome dimension of low effectiveness and quality of work life. For future action by public authorities and public managers, the need is highlighted to create innovative human resource management frameworks and flexible work organization, with remuneration plans based on productivity goals and aimed at an improved balance between personal life and work.

Frontiers in Occupational Health and Safety Management

This Special Issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is devoted to the "Frontiers in Occupational Health and Safety Management" [...].

Temporary Work, Permanent Strain? Personal Resources as Inhibitors of Temporary Agency Workers’ Burnout

Temporary workers already represent a relevant percentage of the total workforce in several European countries. This type of employment is usually associated with more precarious contractual and working conditions. This situation can lead to several negative outcomes in terms of workers’ physical and mental health. According to Job Demands-Resources (JD-R), the precarious situation of temporary workers can reduce the number of available resources and lead to mental health problems. This research aims to examine the importance of personal resources—in the form of resilience—with burnout and its three dimensions (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal fulfillment), as a consequence of the job strain generated by this employment. The empirical study follows a quantitative, correlational, and cross-sectional approach. A sample of 2050 individuals participated in the study. Responses were collected through an online questionnaire for Portuguese temporary workers in March 2021. The questionnaire was sent to active temporary workers registered in temporary agencies The hypotheses established through a structural model were tested by the Partial Least Square method. The results show that resilience, as a personal resource, is related to the three dimensions of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal fulfillment). As such, personal resources can be considered an important aspect to take into account when managing temporary agency workers’ burnout levels. Theoretically, this research contributes to understanding the role of personal resources, especially resilience as an important inhibitor of negative effects on workers’ mental health, such as burnout. Empirically, this study contributes to the discussion of the mental health challenges of temporary agency workers, reinforcing the importance of developing strategies to strengthen personal resources as a way to improve mental health.

Factors Contributing to Burnout among Healthcare Workers during COVID-19 in Sabah (East Malaysia)

The third wave of COVID-19 in Malaysia has significantly strained the healthcare system of the country and increased the level of burnout among the healthcare workers (HCWs) in the country. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the various factors associated with burnout among HCWs. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 150 HWCs in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. An online survey was administered using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Brief COPE, and Fear of COVID-19 scales. Pearson correlations were assessed amongst all variables. Subsequently, a multiple linear regression analysis was performed using burnout dimensions as dependent variables. Multiple linear regression results showed: (a) lower work-related burnout (β = −0.217, p < 0.01) among married HCWs; (b) higher personal-related burnout (β = 0.228, p < 0.01), work-related burnout (β = 0.425, p < 0.01), and client-related burnout (β = 0.359, p < 0.01) among doctors; (c) fear towards COVID-19 was significantly associated with client-related burnout (β = 0.243, p < 0.01); (d) an avoidant coping strategy was significantly associated with personal-related burnout (β = 0.322, p < 0.01); (e) social support from family was significantly associated with personal-related burnout (β = −0.264, p < 0.01), work-related burnout (β = −0.186, p < 0.05), and client-related burnout (β = −0.326, p < 0.01);(f) and social support from friends was significantly associated with work-related burnout (β = −0.202, p < 0.05). This study demonstrated significant theoretical contributions and clinical implications in the healthcare system in Sabah by addressing the impact of various factors on burnout among HWCs.

Investigating Strategies of Emotion Regulation As Mediators of Occupational Stressors and Mental Health Outcomes in First Responders

The aim of this study was to investigate whether two emotion regulation strategies, expressive suppression or cognitive reappraisal, mediated the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depression (MD), and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in first responders (FR) who experienced occupational stressors, using cross-sectional data. An aggregate of 895 first responders (M = 37.32, SD = 12.09, 59.2% male, 91.3% Caucasian) who were recruited through professional organizations and social media sites across North and South American states participated in an online Qualtrics survey. Bivariate correlation analyses demonstrated that occupational stressors were positively correlated with expressive suppression and each mental health outcome but were not significantly correlated with cognitive reappraisal. Mediation analyses demonstrated expressive suppression as a significant mediator between occupational stressors and PTSD, MD, and GAD symptoms, but not cognitive reappraisal. Even though these findings are in purview of a cross-sectional research design, they suggest the importance of practices that bolster first responders’ ability to use more effective and adaptive emotion regulation strategies such as emotion expression, effective communication, and cognitive reappraisal that might help enhance psychological resilience.

Respiratory Inductance Plethysmography to Assess Fatigability during Repetitive Work

Cumulative fatigue during repetitive work is associated with occupational risk and productivity reduction. Usually, subjective measures or muscle activity are used for a cumulative evaluation; however, Industry 4.0 wearables allow overcoming the challenges observed in those methods. Thus, the aim of this study is to analyze alterations in respiratory inductance plethysmography (RIP) to measure the asynchrony between thorax and abdomen walls during repetitive work and its relationship with local fatigue. A total of 22 healthy participants (age: 27.0 ± 8.3 yrs; height: 1.72 ± 0.09 m; mass: 63.4 ± 12.9 kg) were recruited to perform a task that includes grabbing, moving, and placing a box in an upper and lower shelf. This task was repeated for 10 min in three trials with a fatigue protocol between them. Significant main effects were found from Baseline trial to the Fatigue trials (p < 0.001) for both RIP correlation and phase synchrony. Similar results were found for the activation amplitude of agonist muscle (p < 0.001), and to the muscle acting mainly as a joint stabilizer (p < 0.001). The latter showed a significant effect in predicting both RIP correlation and phase synchronization. Both RIP correlation and phase synchronization can be used for an overall fatigue assessment during repetitive work.

Occupational Burnout and Productivity Loss: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Academic University Staff

Background

Burnout has been endorsed with serious negative health- and work-related outcomes. This study is aimed to assess the prevalence of burnout and its association with work productivity among academic staff.

Methods

This cross-sectional study involved 240 academic staff working at a public university in Egypt. Participants were invited to complete a web-based questionnaire involving basic personal, health, and work-related characteristics. Besides, Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) was used to assess occupational burnout dimensions (i.e., emotional exhaustion "EE," depersonalization "DP," and personal accomplishment "PA"), while work productivity was assessed with the Health and Work Performance Questionnaire (HPQ).

Results

In total, 28% of respondents scored high in EE [95% confidence interval (CI): 22.5-33.8%], 18.3% high in DP (95% CI: 13.8-3.6%), and 88.3% scored low in PA (95% CI: 83.8-91.9%). Seventy percent of respondents scored high in only one burnout dimension, 21.7% scored high in two dimensions, while 7.1% scored high in all three dimensions. Multivariable analysis showed that EE was the only burnout dimension that showed a statistically significant association between absenteeism and presenteeism rates. The absenteeism rates among respondents with moderate and high EE were 2.1 and 3.3 times the rates among those with low EE, respectively. Likewise, the presenteeism rates among respondents with moderate and high EE were 2.4 and 4.7 times the rates among those with low EE, respectively.

Conclusions

Academic staff showed a high prevalence of at least one burnout dimension. Moderate and high EE scores were significantly associated with increased productivity loss when compared to low EE.

Exploring the Factors Affecting Sustainable Human Resource Productivity in Railway Lines

This study aimed to identify the critical factors and items affecting the productivity of sustainable human resources in a Railway Operation Company based on the perceptions of employees and managers in the Human Resources Department. The study was motivated by research which was applied in terms of the objectives of the study and a descriptive survey was employed as the method. The statistical population of the current study consisted of all employees and managers of the Human Resources Department of the company. Random sampling was employed to collect data and the sample size was 191 people according to Morgan’s Table. Methods including the correlation coefficient, multivariate regression, and factor analysis were employed for data analysis. The findings highlight the main factors and items affecting labor productivity in the Urban and Suburban Railway Operation Company as perceived by the Human Resources Department, which were mainly related to human resources management and could be attributed to motivation and requirements for their effective contribution to the improvement of public welfare. Organizational Attitude and Culture, Leadership Style, and Bonus and Ergonomics were extracted as factors affecting productivity or as independent variables. This study is the first study that has aimed to discuss the perceptions of the Human Resources Department active in a company. As such, the study highlights the standpoint of the main decision makers in the Urban and Suburban Railway Operation Company with regard to labour productivity in the urban and suburban sector.

Teaching Disruption by COVID-19: Burnout, Isolation, and Sense of Belonging in Accounting Tutors in E-Learning and B-Learning

This study examines burnout syndrome, feelings of isolation, and sense of belonging in a sample of accounting tutors enrolled in e-learning and b-learning modalities before and after COVID-19 disruption. The study also includes several sociodemographic and labour variables to better understand the three dimensions. The participants were tutors enrolled in two accounting courses at higher education during the academic years 2019-2020 and 2020-2021. Our results do not show high levels of tutor burnout syndrome, neither before COVID-19 disruption nor after COVID-19 disruption. Findings also reveal that the isolation perception of accounting tutors is not high in both periods, while the sense of belonging of the teaching community is high in both periods. The evidence also suggests some variations in dimension scores according to sociodemographic and labour variables, but the evidence should be interpreted with caution due to the sample size. Despite this limitation, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that evaluates burnout, feelings of isolation, and sense of belonging in a tutor collective in e-learning and b-learning before and after COVID-19 disruption.

Mediating Effect of Burnout on the Association between Work-Related Quality of Life and Mental Health Symptoms

The purpose of this study was: (1) to assess levels of burnout, work-related quality of life (WRQoL) and mental health symptoms among a sample of active workers living in Portugal; (2) to analyze differences in burnout, WRQoL and mental health symptoms by gender and shift work; (3) to analyze association levels among all variables under study; (4) to determine the predictive effect of burnout and WRQoL on mental health symptoms; and (5) to assess the mediating effect of burnout on the association between WRQoL and mental health symptoms. Eight-hundred and forty-one Portuguese active workers between 18 and 67 years of age participated in this study (Mean = 37.23; SD = 11.99). Results showed that women participants scored higher in burnout and mental health symptoms, and lower in overall WRQoL, than men; additionally, participants who worked in shifts presented higher mental health symptoms. Significant correlations were found for all variables and regression analysis demonstrated that 56% of the overall variance of mental health symptoms was explained by older age, shift work, lower WRQoL, and burnout (exhaustion and cognitive impairment). Finally, the mediation effect of burnout on the association between WRQoL and mental health symptoms was statistically significant. These findings are useful for health professionals and health managers who work in the field of occupational health in identifying variables affecting burnout, WRQoL and mental health symptoms.