Role of job and personal resources in the appraisal of job demands as challenges and hindrances.

Previous research has shown that challenge and hindrance job demands show different effects on employees' wellbeing and performance. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that employees' subjective appraisal of job demands as challenges and hindrances may vary: they can be appraised as challenges or hindrances or both. Subjective appraisal of job demands was found to be also related to employees' wellbeing and productivity. However, little is known about predictors of the appraisals of job demands made by employees. The aim of the study was to identify predictors of such appraisals among job and individual resources. Cross-sectional research was carried out among 426 IT, healthcare and public transport employees. COPSOQ II scales were used to measure job demands (emotional, quantitative, cognitive demands, work pace and role conflicts) and job resources (influence at work, possibilities for development, vertical and horizontal trust), single questions were used to measure employees' subjective appraisals of job demands as hindrances and challenges, and PCQ was used to measure psychological capital. Multiple hierarchical regression analyses showed that only horizontal trust predicted the appraisal of job demands as challenges, and vertical trust predicted the appraisal of job demands as hindrances among four analysed job resources. Individual resource-psychological capital-predicted only the appraisal of job demands as challenges. Control variables-occupation, age and job demands also played a significant role in predicting the appraisal of job demands. Implications and future directions are discussed.

[Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) - Psychometric properties of selected scales in the Polish version]. / Kopenhaski Kwestionariusz Psychospoleczny (COPSOQ) ­ wlasciwosci psychometryczne wybranych skal w polskiej wersji.

BACKGROUND: The Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionniare (COPSOQ) has many advantages as compared to other similar instruments, i.a., it is not related to one single theoretical model and it measures a wide spectrum of psychosocial working conditions that have shown proven impact on health. The aim of the article is to summarize information on psychometric properties of 11 scales in the Polish version: Quantitative Demands, Emotional Demands, Influence at Work, Social Support, Possibilities for Development, Meaning of Work, Role Clarity, Quality of Leadership, Job Insecurity, Job Satisfaction, and General Health. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Analyses were based on the results of 4 research projects, in which the Polish version of the COPCOQ scales has been used: on a representative sample of Polish nurses (N = 4354), job insecurity in 2 groups of civil servants (N = 295, N = 724), mobbing among teachers (N = 1037) and psychological consequences of restructuring (N = 1396). The following psychometric characteristics were analysed: internal reliability, theoretical validity, and factorial validity. RESULTS: Internal reliability of the following 8 scales was found satisfactory: Quantitative Demands, Influence at Work, Social Support, Possibilities for Development, Meaning of Work, Quality of Leadership, Job Satisfaction, and General Health (Cronbach's α = 0.7-0.91, depending on the scale). The results of exploratory factor analyses indicated factorial separateness of the above mentioned scales. Theoretical validity of 11 scales was confirmed; they were associated with variables that can be regarded as their validity criteria. CONCLUSIONS: The 8 COPSOQ scales, in the Polish version, can be recommended for using in the research involving psychosocial job characteristics. Mean scores on these scales and standard deviations given in the article can serve as reference points during an evaluation of received results. Med Pr 2017;68(3):329-348.

Do all types of restructuring threaten employees' well-being? An exploratory study.

OBJECTIVES: Most research on the negative impact of restructuring on employees' health considers restructuring involving personnel reduction. The aim of this study was to explore the assumption that the type of restructuring, business expansion versus restructuring not involving expansion (only reductions and/or change of ownership), influences its psychological responses: appraisal of the change, psychosocial working conditions and well-being after the change. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was carried out among 857 employees that experienced restructuring in 2009 and/or 2010 and 538 employees from companies not restructured at that time. The main variables, i.e., assessment of change in terms of personal benefits and losses, psychosocial job characteristics and well-being were measured using a questionnaire developed in "The psychological health and well-being in restructuring: key effects and mechanisms" project (PSYRES). RESULTS: It was found that the employees who experienced business expansion in comparison to those who experienced exclusively change of ownership had a higher appraisal of change, while those who experienced restructuring not involving business expansion did not differ from those who experienced change of ownership. As far as psychosocial working conditions are concerned, those employees who experienced exclusively business expansion did not differ from those in the not restructured companies (except for quantitative demands that were higher), while most psychosocial working conditions of the employees who experienced restructuring not involving expansion were poorer than in the not restructured companies. Also, well-being measures of the employees who experienced exclusively business expansion did not differ from those in the not restructured companies (except for innovative behavior that was even higher), while well-being measure of those who experienced restructuring not involving expansion was poorer than of those in the not restructured companies. CONCLUSIONS: Restructuring involving exclusively business expansion is not a threat to psychosocial job characteristics (except for quantitative demands) or to employees' well-being. Therefore, the type of restructuring should be taken into account when the restructuring--psychological health relationship is discussed.

Destructive managerial leadership and psychological well-being among employees in Swedish, Polish, and Italian hotels.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this cross-sectional exploratory study was to investigate destructive managerial leadership in the hotel industry in Sweden, Poland, and Italy in relation to psychological well-being among employees. METHODS AND PARTICIPANTS: 554 questionnaires were collected from employees in all occupational groups within hotels. The Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) measured working conditions, particularly iso-strain or high work demands combined with low control and poor social support, and psychological well-being, defined in terms of mental health, vitality, and behavioural stress. Items adapted from the Global Leadership and Organisational Behaviour Effectiveness (GLOBE) research program questionnaire measured autocratic, malevolent, and self-centred leadership styles. Differences in ratings between countries were estimated, as well as the relationship between destructive managerial leadership on an organisation level and employee psychological well-being on an individual level. The relationship between destructive leadership and psychological well-being among employees was adjusted for employees' reported iso-strain. RESULTS: Autocratic and malevolent leadership were at the organisation level related to low vitality among employees and self-centred leadership was significantly associated with poormental health, low vitality, and high behavioural stress. Autocratic and malevolent leadership were more strongly related to iso-strain than was self-centred leadership. Variations in leadership practice between countries were seen in autocratic and malevolent leadership. CONCLUSION: This exploratory study suggests a significant association between destructive managerial leadership on the organisation level and poor psychological well-being among employees on an individual level. Interventions to decrease iso-strain and enhance psychological well-being among employees could be directed at an organisation level.

Job strain, overtime, life style, and cardiovascular risk in managers and physical workers.

The purpose of the study was to determine the relation between overtime, job strain and life style, and cardiovascular risk (CVR) in 97 managers and 98 physical workers. CVR was measured with the Framingham method. Information about job strain, overtime, life style and extra-occupational activities was obtained with a self-administered questionnaire. The results showed that both groups had a similar, medium-level job stress. Being a manager and having extra-occupational activities (self-education) were significantly related with CVR (p = .000, p = .035, respectively), whereas other factors that were analysed (i.e., physical work and overtime) were not. The managers were older than the physical workers; that may be why the factor of being a manager was significantly related to CVR. The extra-occupational activities connected with improving workers' skills may play an important role in the development of workers' overload and an increase in CVR.

A comparative study of objective and subjective assessment of occupational risk.

Measurement of dangerous, harmful and annoying factors in the working environment are used to assess occupational risk. Surveys on workers' subjective perception of risk are used, too. This study aimed to compare subjective assessment of work-related factors with their objective measurements and a national database on occupational risk. Spearman's correlation analysis, stepwise regression analysis and structural modelling were used to determine the relationship between subjective and objective risk assessment and to acquire knowledge about the role of psychosocial job characteristics as predictors of subjective assessment. Subjective assessment of hazards was related not only to their objective measurements but also to psychosocial job characteristics, workers' individual characteristics and work load. Even though subjective and objective assessments of hazard are strongly related, they are distinct phenomena. Hence, risk assessment should be carried out with both objective and subjective methods.

Employee direct participation in organisational decisions and workplace safety.

Managers from 192 companies filled out the Employee Direct Participation in Organisational Change questionnaire measuring employees' direct participation (DP) in organisational decisions. Four main forms of DP were identified: individual and group consultations, and individual and group delegation. Workplace safety was measured with the number of accidents, the number of employees working in hazardous conditions, accident absenteeism and sickness absence. Results showed that the 2 latter indicators were significantly related to some parameters of DP. Thus, companies that used face-to-face individual consultation had lower accident absenteeism than ones that did not. The same effect was true for group consultation with temporary groups, and individual and group delegation. Workplaces with high scores for scope for group consultation had lower accident absenteeism, and those with high scores for scope for group delegation had lower sickness absence. It was concluded that employee DP had a positive influence on workplace safety, even if involvement was not directly related to safety.

Perceived work-related stress and early atherosclerotic changes in healthy employees.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between perceived work-related stress and preclinical atherosclerosis. METHODS: A total of 100 managers and 50 office workers aged 35-65 participated in a questionnaire study. Individual, family and work-related stress risk factors and coping were evaluated in all the studied individuals. Serum levels of biochemical (total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, TG, glucose) and serological risk factors of atherosclerosis (anticardiolipin, anti-beta(2) GPI, anti-oxLDL, anti-HSP and anti-hsCRP antibodies) were evaluated. A computer analysis of B-mode ultrasound images was used to assess carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) and atherosclerotic plaque in carotid arteries. Statistical analysis was conducted with SPSS v. 11.5. RESULTS: The studied individuals showed average ranges of both the global stress level and of coping results. In 71% no changes were found in the ultrasound image and in 29% of individuals (43) the presence of plaque was shown. The mean value of the IMT measure was 0.0618 +/- 0.013 mm. IMT and plaque correlated negatively with the level of global work-related stress (r = -0.26; P < 0.01; and r = -0.28; P < 0.01; respectively). No correlation was found either between work-related stress and coping, or between coping and IMT (P > 0.05), or between work-related stress and healthy lifestyle (no smoking, no excessive use of alcohol, high physical activity), or between healthy lifestyle and IMT (P > 0.05). Positive correlation between IMT and LDL and smoking did not result from higher stress reaction in the studied individuals. CONCLUSIONS: The explanation of the negative correlation between perceived work-related stress and preclinical atherosclerosis was not confirmed either by the subjects under high stress undertaking healthy protective activities or by their escaping into unhealthy behaviour. The most probable interpretation of the results is that in individuals with a low level of perceived work-related stress, somatization of stress takes place.

Nurses' health, age and the wish to leave the profession--findings from the European NEXT-Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In many industrialised countries the number of workers with low health is expected to increase in the nursing profession. This will have implications for occupational health work in health care. The European NEXT-Study (www. next-study. net, funded by EU) investigates working conditions of nurses in ten European countries and provides the opportunity to evaluate the role of health with respect to age and the consideration of leaving nursing. METHODS: 26,263 female registered nurses from Belgium, Germany, Finland, France, England, Italy, Netherlands, Poland and Slovakia were eligible for analysis. RESULTS: In most countries, older nurses considered leaving the profession more frequently than younger nurses. 'Health' was--next to 'professional opportunities' and 'work organisational factors'--strongly associated with the consideration of leaving nursing. However, more than half of all nurses with low health wanted to remain in the profession. This group reported rather positive psychosocial working conditions--but also the highest fear for unemployment. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that 'the nurse with low health' is reality in many health care settings. Both positive supporting working conditions but also lack of occupational alternatives and fear of unemployment may contribute to this. Current economic, political and demographic trends implicate that the number of active nurses with low health will increase. Occupational health surveillance will be challenged by this. But NEXT findings implicate that prevention also will have to regard work organisational factors if the aim is to sustain nurses' health and to enable nurses to remain healthy in their profession until retirement age.

The effect of an ergonomic intervention on musculoskeletal, psychosocial, and visual strain of VDT data entry work: the Polish part of the international study.

A group of routine data entry operators (female) was included in the Polish MEPS (musculoskeletal--eyestrain--psychosocial--stress) study. Before the intervention, ergonomic assessment revealed improper working conditions such as inadequate lighting, uncomfortable chairs, and lack of forearm and wrist support while medical examination revealed that trapezius muscle load along with upper arm, head and back angles were higher than advisable. Subjects complained about neck and shoulder pain, visual problems, and psychosocial conditions. The ergonomic intervention included installation of new luminaires and Venetian blinds, new chairs, repair of ventilators, and optometric corrections. The results after the intervention showed mainly improvement in chair comfort, lighting conditions, visual strain, and sitting posture. However, financial limitations did not allow satisfactory completion of the intervention leading to a mixed interpretation of the results.

Dimensions of Job Control in Computerized and Traditional Office Work and Its Health Effects.

This study investigates whether a consistent relationship exists between computerization and job control. It also examines the role of job control as a predictor of stress symptoms typical for data entry and word processing (VDU) work. Two groups of VDU users and two comparable non-VDU-user groups took part in this study. A special questionnaire made it possible to assess global job control and four indexes of control related to specific aspects of work (control over choice of tasks and methods, control over time frame, control related to one's skill, and control related to participation in the decision-making process). Results did not show an unequivocal relation between computerization and the latitude of control. The latitude of control depends on the task performed and the aspect of control we are considering. Regression analyses showed that global control is a good predictor of job satisfaction, some mood disturbances, and visual complaints. The other aspects of control are related in a variety of ways to stress symptoms. The role of a Type A behavior pattern in the relationship between job control and stress symptoms varies depending on which aspect of control is being considered. It was concluded that because of the high functional differences between various aspects of control, it is better to avoid using the concept of global control and, when possible, apply specific indexes of control.