Structural empowerment, personal initiative, and job satisfaction in service employees: Exploring the mediating role of psychological empowerment.

INTRODUCTION: This study explores how empowering human resource management (HRM) practices based on structural empowerment (access to opportunities, resources, support, and information) affect both personal initiative and job satisfaction of service employees through individual-level factors (psychological empowerment). METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey study and collected 439 valid responses from service employees in Spain. The hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) with confidence intervals based on 10,000 resamples (i.e., bootstrapping technique). RESULTS: Our results showed that psychological empowerment partially mediated the relationship between structural empowerment and job satisfaction. It also fully mediated the relationship between structural empowerment and personal initiative at work. CONCLUSION: These findings emphasize the importance of HRM practices that can empower employees as key determinants of job satisfaction and personal initiative at service companies. Furthermore, a structural empowerment approach is a valid theoretical framework for studying and understanding employees' affective evaluations of work and, more specifically, their personal initiative.

Harmonious Passion at Work: Personal Resource for Coping with the Negative Relationship between Burnout and Intrinsic Job Satisfaction in Service Employees.

Research about harmonious passion as a personal resource that can have a protective effect in situations of stress and burnout is scarce but growing. Considering the job demands-resources (JD-R) model, the present study aims to address the above gaps by exploring the moderating role of harmonious passion at work in the relationship between burnout (physical fatigue, cognitive weariness, and emotional exhaustion) and intrinsic job satisfaction. The study sample consisted of 748 workers from service organizations (front-line employees) in southern Spain (Mage = 35.51, SD = 10.06, 52% women). Using statistical program R (R Core Team, 2022), the results of the regression models showed the moderating role of harmonious passion on the negative relationships between physical fatigue and intrinsic job satisfaction. In particular, at high levels of physical fatigue, employees with high scores on harmonious passion at work presented higher levels of intrinsic satisfaction compared with employees with low passion at work. That is, although service employees have high levels of physical fatigue, when they are passionate, they still possess satisfaction with their work. Therefore, our findings extend the JD-R theory by considering harmonious passion as a motivational resource that reduce feelings of burnout in service employees. Hence, it shows the importance of promoting the autonomous internalization of work, (through, i.e., job enrichment), which allows the development of harmonious passion at work and, therefore, increasing intrinsic job satisfaction.

Social support and job satisfaction in nursing staff: Understanding the link through role ambiguity.

AIM: This study aimed to analyse the mediator effect of role ambiguity between social support from supervisor and colleagues and job satisfaction in Portuguese nursing staff. BACKGROUND: Few studies have analysed the processes through which social support increases job satisfaction in the nursing context. DESIGN: A cross-sectional design using questionnaires. METHOD: A total of 124 registered nurses and 130 certified nursing assistants participated in the study. Mediation analysis was performed by calculating percentile confidence intervals (10,000 resamples). RESULTS: Mediation analysis revealed a partial mediation between social support and job satisfaction through role ambiguity. The direct effect was greater in the case of supervisor support. CONCLUSIONS: Social support is a crucial resource in the nursing work context with a beneficial effect on well-being (e.g. reducing role stress) and job satisfaction. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Managers of hospitals and health units can establish the organizational bases to facilitate this process, considering the importance of the role of the supervisors and colleagues in the provision of high levels of instrumental and socio-emotional support.

Interpersonal Conflicts in the Unit Impact the Service Quality Rated by Customers: The Mediating Role of Work-Unit Well-Being.

Social dynamics at work are crucial for understanding how internal processes in an organization are related to their performance and productivity. Following the Service-Profit Chain (SPC) theory, this study analyses, at the work-unit level, how interpersonal conflicts are related to service quality in the hospitality and tourism industry through the shared experience of well-being in the work unit. In other words, we examine the mediating role of two main aspects of work-related well-being in the unit (job satisfaction and burnout) on the relationship between interpersonal conflicts in the unit and customers' perceptions of service quality. To do so, we conducted a cross-sectional survey study that collected data from 398 service employees (91 work units) and 1233 customers from three and four-star hotels with restaurant in Spain. Using path analysis in Structural Equation Models, our results supported a full mediation model at the work-unit level: interpersonal conflicts in the work unit are related to customers' service quality perceptions through the work-unit's well-being (job satisfaction and burnout). Therefore, our findings extend the SPC theory by integrating group dynamics and employees' experiences, which should be enhanced through occupational health-oriented policies and practices to increase service quality. In this sense, this study has implications for the development of intervention programs aiming at improving the occupational well-being and quality of service in hospitality and tourism settings.

Understanding the link between work engagement and affective organisational commitment: The moderating effect of role stress.

This study aimed to explore the moderating effect of role ambiguity and role conflict on the relationship between work engagement and affective organisational commitment. Using convenience sampling, a final sample of 179 IT-specialists of services companies in southern Spain was obtained. Moderation analyses were performed using the hierarchical regressions and bootstrapping method (Bias-Corrected confidence intervals). Results showed that work engagement was positively related to affective commitment while role ambiguity and role conflict were negatively related to it. However, only role conflict moderated the relationship between work engagement and affective commitment. That is, at high levels of role conflict, IT-specialists perceiving higher levels of work engagement reported lower levels of affective commitment. This study highlights the hindrance effect of role conflict on one of the most important consequences of work engagement: affective commitment with the organisation. An adequate definition of role and positions could help to reduce the levels of role conflict, increasing the emotional bond to the organisation.

Exploring the link between structural empowerment and job satisfaction through the mediating effect of role stress: A cross-sectional questionnaire study.

BACKGROUND: Role stress (ambiguity and conflict) is a major psychosocial risk at work negatively associated with job satisfaction in the nursing context. According to Kanter's empowerment theory, high levels of structural empowerment reduce role stress, so role ambiguity and conflict could be potential mediators of the relationship between empowerment and job satisfaction. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the relationships between structural empowerment, role stress (ambiguity and conflict), and job satisfaction, assuming the mediating role of role stress on the relationship between structural empowerment and job satisfaction. DESIGN: A cross-sectional design was utilized, using questionnaires for data collection and convenience sampling. SETTING(S): Private health care organizations in southern Portugal. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred and twenty-four registered nurses (sample 1) and one hundred and thirty certified nursing assistants (sample 2) completed self-report measures of structural empowerment, role stress, and job satisfaction. METHODS: Mediation analysis was performed using linear regression models and the bootstrapping method. Bias-Corrected confidence intervals (95%) were calculated for the study of direct and indirect effects. RESULTS: In both samples, structural empowerment, role ambiguity, and role conflict were significant predictors of job satisfaction. Both ambiguity and role conflict partially mediated the effect of structural empowerment on job satisfaction. The effect mediated by ambiguity was greater than the effect mediated by role conflict in both registered nurses and certified nursing assistants. CONCLUSIONS: Two processes could explain the effect of structural empowerment on job satisfaction in the nursing context: a direct effect generating experiences and perceptions of power in professionals; and an indirect effect reducing role stress levels in the workplace. The creation of empowering workplaces which clarify work roles and functions of nursing staff should be a priority issue for health managers and nurse executives.

Social support, role clarity and job satisfaction: a successful combination for nurses.

AIM: To analyse the moderating effect of role clarity on the relationship between social support (supervisor and colleagues) and job satisfaction. BACKGROUND: The social support of supervisors and co-workers and the clarity of roles are important antecedents of job satisfaction. According to the Conservation of Resources theory, the interaction of the instrumental nature of role clarity and social support would result in higher levels of job satisfaction in nursing. METHODS: Through a convenience sample, a final sample of 191 participants (64.92% registered nurses, 35.08% nursing assistants) was obtained from a private hospital complex in Portugal. Hierarchical linear regression models were carried out to check the moderating function of role clarity. RESULTS: Regression models showed the moderating effect of role clarity. Nursing staff with high social support from their supervisors and peers showed higher scores in job satisfaction when role clarity was high. CONCLUSION: An adequate description of roles, through clear and detailed information regarding expected functions, responsibilities and behaviour, allows the effect of social support from supervisors and co-workers on job satisfaction to be stronger. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Strategies such as defining responsibilities, setting clear expectations and role analysis allow a reduction in sources of uncertainty in jobs. Training in communication and feedback skills would improve the social support given by supervisors and colleagues. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING POLICY: Hospital boards and nurse managers should be aware of the importance of clarifying roles, responsibilities, and functions of each professional category and hierarchical level for the provision of adequate quality of care.

Linking Self-efficacy to Quality of Working Life: The Role of Work Engagement.

The aim of this study was to explore the effect of work engagement, as an intermediary variable, on the relationship between self-efficacy, and job satisfaction and affective organizational commitment as individual indicators of quality of working life (QWL). A cross-sectional correlational design was utilized assessing a convenience sample of 321 nursing staff. All participants were employed in public hospitals and had more than five months of professional experience in the same hospital. Mediation analysis was performed using path analysis and bootstrapping confidence intervals (percentile-corrected). Work engagement partially mediated the relation between self-efficacy and job satisfaction, and fully mediated the relation between self-efficacy and affective organizational commitment. Self-efficacy seems to be an important predictor of QWL in nursing staff, although its effect is partially mediated (e.g., job satisfaction) or fully mediated (e.g., affective commitment) by work engagement.

Understanding the link between work engagement and job satisfaction: Do role stressors underlie this relationship?

Drawing upon Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) theory, most research on hindrance demands has focused on the antecedent role of work engagement. However, no studies have analysed the potential effects of hindrance demands as moderators in the engagement-job satisfaction link. The objective of this study was to examine the moderator effect of role stressors (conflict and ambiguity) as hindrance demands in the relationship between work engagement and job satisfaction in a Spanish working sample. The sample was composed of 634 Spanish workers from different Southern service organizations. Hierarchical multiple regression results showed that the association between work engagement and job satisfaction decreased when role stress (particularly ambiguity) increased. These results underline the need to clarify goals, specify norms about work and member roles in organizations and determine the deleterious effect of hindrance demands even in engaged workers.

Supervisor Support and Affective Organizational Commitment: The Mediator Role of Work Engagement.

The aim of the study was to verify the mediator role of work engagement between supervisor social support and affective organizational commitment. A cross-sectional and correlational study using questionnaires was conducted. We obtained a convenience sample of 267 participants from 403 nurses from two public hospitals (66.25% response rate). Participants were required to be registered nurses without a supervisor position and to have worked for at least 1 year in the same ward in a public hospital. The mediator role of work engagement was examined using path analysis and bootstrapping method (bias-corrected confidence intervals). Results showed that affective organizational commitment was positively and significantly predicted by supervisor support, vigor, and absorption. Supervisor support had both a direct effect and an indirect effect, through vigor and absorption, on affective organizational commitment. Social support from supervisors allows an increase both in nurses' engagement and their desire to remain in the organization.

Core Burnout and Power in Portuguese Nursing Staff: An Explanatory Model Based on Structural Empowerment.

In the nursing context, structural empowerment has proved to be an organizational tool leading to the prevention of stress and burnout. Structural empowerment is defined as the perception of the presence or absence of empowering conditions in the workplace. However, few studies have explored the particular relationships between power in organizations, structural empowerment, and burnout. The aim of this study was to examine the mediator role of structural empowerment (access to opportunities, information, support, and resources) in the relationship between formal and informal power, and core burnout among Portuguese nurses. We administered a questionnaire among a convenience sample of 304 nurses employed in public hospitals. Model fit and mediation analysis were conducted using path analysis and bootstrapping methods. Formal power, informal power, access to opportunities, and access to resources were significant and negative predictors of core burnout. Opportunities, resources, and informal power had a direct influence on core burnout. Formal power and informal power showed an indirect influence, mediated by opportunities and resources, on core burnout. These findings suggest that by providing nurses with high levels of formal and informal power, as well as access to resources and opportunities, their risk of core burnout can be lowered.

Workplace Empowerment and Job Satisfaction in Portuguese Nurses: An Explicative Model.

Greater effectiveness of health care does occur with a more effective management of interpersonal processes. A working management environment, which ensures sufficient access to information, support, resources, and opportunities (structural empowerment), probably can promote a personal perception of capacity and effectiveness (global empowerment) in caregivers to achieve organizational objectives and job satisfaction. This study evaluated the relationship between empowerment and job satisfaction, supported by Kanter's theory of structural empowerment. This study used a convenience sample of 151 nurses from public Portuguese hospitals. The adjustment of the model and the effect of mediation were carried out with a structural equation model (path analysis) through the statistical software STATA. The results show the mediator effect of global empowerment on the relationship between structural empowerment and job satisfaction and the direct and indirect effects of "access to opportunities" in job satisfaction. Managers of these health units should consider that the more the work environment is characterized by having the resources, opportunities, and support indispensable to the good execution of the work by the nurses, the greater the global empowerment and job satisfaction. The results obtained can be an important contribution that can be adopted as a strategy in any health institution without any harm.

Predictors of Organizational Commitment in Nursing: Results from Portugal.

OBJECTIVES: This work sought to assess the predictor role of work engagement and social support from the supervisor and coworkers on affective commitment with the organization in nursing staff from southern Portugal. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with participation from 215 nursing professionals from three public hospitals in southern Portugal. RESULTS: Of the respondents, 77.21% were women. Statistically significant and positive correlations were observed between affective organizational commitment and the three dimensions of engagement: vigor (r=0.48), dedication (r=0.49), and absorption (r=0.48). Likewise, support from the supervisor and support from coworkers were positively related with affective commitment (r=0.45 and r=0.24, p<0.01). The linear and hierarchical regression model showed the following significant predictors: support from the supervisor (beta=0.28), vigor (beta=0.26), and absorption (beta=0.17). CONCLUSIONS: Social support from the supervisor and work engagement (vigor and absorption) are important determinants of the affective bond of nursing professionals with their health organizations. Training and formation of the supervisors in leadership and coaching styles, and labor resources at work would permit increasing the levels of affective commitment in the health units.

Predictores del compromiso organizacional en enfermería: Resultados desde Portugal / Preditores do compromisso organizacional em enfermagem: Resultados desde Portugal / Predictors of Organizational Commitment in Nursing: Results from Portugal

Objective. This work sought to assess the predictor role of work engagement and social support from the supervisor and coworkers on affective commitment with the organization in nursing staff from southern Portugal. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted with participation from 215 nursing professionals from three public hospitals in southern Portugal. Results. Of the respondents, 77.21% were women. Statistically significant and positive correlations were observed between affective organizational commitment and the three dimensions of engagement: vigor (r=0.48), dedication (r=0.49), and absorption (r=0.48). Likewise, support from the supervisor and support from coworkers were positively related with affective commitment (r=0.45 and r=0.24, p<0.01). The linear and hierarchical regression model showed the following significant predictors: support from the supervisor (beta=0.28), vigor (beta=0.26), and absorption (beta=0.17). Conclusion. Social support from the supervisor and work engagement (vigor and absorption) are important determinants of the affective bond of nursing professionals with their health organizations. Training and formation of the supervisors in leadership and coaching styles, and labor resources at work would permit increasing the levels of affective commitment in the health units.(AU)

Objetivo. Evaluar el papel predictor del engagement en el trabajo y el apoyo social del supervisor y de los compañeros sobre el compromiso afectivo con la organización en personal de enfermería del sur de Portugal. Métodos. Se realizó un estudio de corte transversal. Participaron 215 profesionales de enfermería de tres hospitales públicos del sur de Portugal. Resultados. 77.21% de los respondientes fueron mujeres. Se observaron correlaciones estadísticamente significativas y positivas entre el compromiso organizacional afectivo y las tres dimensiones del engagement: vigor (r=0.48), dedicación (r=0.49) y absorción (r=0.48). Igualmente, el apoyo del supervisor y el apoyo de los compañeros se relacionó positivamente con el compromiso afectivo (r=0.45 y r=0.24, p<0.01). El modelo de regresión lineal y jerárquico mostró los siguientes predictores significativos: el apoyo del supervisor (beta=0.28), el vigor (beta=0.26) y la absorción (beta=0.17). Conclusión. El apoyo social del supervisor y el engagement en el trabajo (vigor y absorción) son importantes determinantes del vínculo afectivo de los profesionales de enfermería con sus organizaciones de salud. El entrenamiento y formación de los supervisores en estilos de liderazgo y coaching, y recursos laborales en el trabajo permitirían aumentar los niveles de compromiso afectivo en las unidades de salud. (AU)

Objetivo. Avaliar o papel preditor do engagement no trabalho e o apoio social do supervisor e dos companheiros sobre o compromisso afetivo com a organização no pessoal da enfermagem do sul de Portugal. Métodos. Se realizou um estudo de corte transversal. Participaram 215 profissionais de enfermagem de três hospitais públicos do sul de Portugal. Resultados. 77.21% dos respondentes foram mulheres. Se observaram correlações estatisticamente significativas e positivas entre o compromisso organizacional afetivo e as três dimensões do engagement: vigor (r=0.48), dedicação (r=0.49) e absorção (r=0.48). Igualmente, o apoio do supervisor e o apoio dos companheiros se relacionou positivamente com o compromisso afetivo (r=0.45 e r=0.24, p<0.01). O modelo de regressão lineal e hierárquico mostrou os seguintes preditores significativos: o apoio do supervisor (beta=0.28), o vigor (beta=0.26) e a absorção (beta=0.17). Conclusão. O apoio social do supervisor e o engagement no trabalho (vigor e absorção) são importantes determinantes do vínculo afetivo dos profissionais de enfermagem com suas organizações de saúde. O treinamento e formação dos supervisores em estilos de liderança e coaching, e recursos laborais no trabalho permitiriam aumentar os níveis de compromisso afetivo nas unidades de saúde.(AU)