Traumatic Attachments and Self-Harm Behaviors

Abstract

Work and the structure it affords is one of the most important vehicles for the expression of worth in our society. With so much invested in the external world of position and achievement, threats to job security pose fundamental challenges to individual identity. Recent upheavals in the workplacedownsizings, early retirements, and corporate reorganizationshave shaken the psychological equilibrium of many of our clients, giving rise to feelings of despair and hopelessness. When disruptive and unwanted changes occur later in life, they become additionally tinged with latent concerns about aging and finding meaning as a mature adult.     

Le rôle modérateur des orientations vers les objectifs dans la relation entre l’envergure de poste et l’engagement organisationnel

This paper examines the moderating role of goal orientations (learning, performance and avoidance orientation) in the relationship between job scope (i.e., a composite measure capturing task variety, autonomy, feedback and significance) and organizational commitment. Based on a sample of 314 participants, the analyses indicate that job scope is positively related to commitment and that performance orientation and avoidance orientation act as negative moderators of job scope. Specifically, job scope was more strongly related to commitment at low levels of these traits. We discuss the importance of considering the role of employee personality in the study of the effect of work context on commitment.     

Specific relationships between job demands, job resources and psychological outcomes and the mediating role of negative work-home interference

This study among 115 US and 260 Dutch nurses and nurse assistants tested a theoretically derived model of specific relationships between work characteristics and two theoretically distinct outcomes (i.e., emotional exhaustion and job satisfaction). Furthermore, the mediating role of negative work-home interference (NWI) in this context was examined. It was hypothesized that emotional exhaustion is related to job demands (i.e., psychological and emotional demands), and that job satisfaction is primarily associated with job resources (i.e., job control). Workplace social support was proposed to relate to both outcomes. In addition, we expected NWI to partially mediate the hypothesized relationships. Finally, we expected this pattern to be similar across the two samples. Structural equation modeling (LISREL) indicated (1) that our postulated model largely fitted to the data in both samples (same pattern), and (2) that NWI partially mediated the relationship between psychological job demands and emotional exhaustion in the Dutch sample. It can be concluded that the results supported our proposed pattern of specific relationships and, to a lesser extent, the partial mediating role of NWI. Practical implications and methodological limitations were discussed.     

A comparison of types of support for lower-skill workers: Evidence for the importance of family supportive supervisors

The work–family literature to date does not offer a clear picture in terms of the relative importance of different types of supports for balancing work and family demands. Grounded in conservation or resources theory, we develop an integrative model relating multiple forms of social support, both formal (i.e., work–life benefit use) and informal (supervisor work–family support and family support) to work-interference-with-family and family-interference-with-work and task and contextual performance. We chose to focus our study on lower-skill workers because, despite being a relatively large segment of the workforce, these workers are relatively understudied in the work–family literature. Results revealed that supervisor support is a key form of support in this sample. Supervisor support had negative same domain (work-interference-with-family) and cross domain (family-interference-with-work) effects with work–family conflict, as well as positive relationships with task and contextual performance. Family support was negatively related to family-interference-with-work; whereas use of work–life benefits was not significantly related to either form of work–family conflict or any of the performance variables. The implications of our results for conservation of resources theory and practical implications to employers of lower-skill workers are discussed.     

Socioanalytic theory and work behavior: Roles of work values and political skill in job performance and promotability assessment

Socioanalytic theory postulates that job performance ratings are predicted by basic social motives moderated by social competency. The two motives are the motive to get along with others and the motive to achieve status and power. The present two-study investigation assessed these motives as work values and collected supervisors' job performance and promotability assessments. Social competency was assessed as political skill at work. The results provided strong and consistent support for the hypotheses, thus providing a more direct test of socioanalytic theory and extending it to demonstrate effects beyond overall job performance ratings on contextual performance and promotability assessments. Contributions and implications of these results, strengths and limitations, directions for future research, and practical implications are discussed.     

Trans employees,transitioning, and job satisfaction

While trans employees have become more widely recognized in society, our understanding of their work experiences remains underdeveloped. In the current study, we investigate whether transitioning is associated with job satisfaction in England, Wales and Scotland. Using longitudinal data collected before and after sex reassignment surgery associations between job satisfaction and mental health/life satisfaction are examined for trans men and women. The estimations suggest that employees experience higher job satisfaction, mental health and life satisfaction after sex reassignment surgery than before. In addition, the estimations suggest that after sex reassignment surgery, the associations between job satisfaction and mental health/life satisfaction are stronger than before. Moreover, the estimations suggest that employees not only experience higher job satisfaction after sex reassignment surgery, but also during transitioning. The results suggest that, firms should not treat transitioning employees in a biased way, since their transition might entail positive personal and workplace advancements.     

中小学教师工作家庭冲突与职业倦怠的关系:自我决定动机的中介作用

以348名中小学教师为被试, 运用《教师工作家庭冲突问卷》、《教师自我决定动机问卷》与《教师职业倦怠问卷》, 探讨了自我决定动机在中小学教师工作家庭冲突与职业倦怠关系中的中介作用。研究发现: (1) 中小学教师自我报告的工作干扰家庭水平高于家庭干扰工作水平;(2)家庭干扰工作、工作干扰家庭与自我决定动机、职业倦怠之间均存在显著的相关关系;(3)自我决定动机在中小学教师工作家庭冲突对职业倦怠的影响过程中所起的中介效应显著, 具体为在家庭干扰工作与职业倦怠的关系中起部分中介作用, 在工作干扰家庭与职业倦怠的关系中起完全中介作用。     

An examination of blue- versus white-collar workers’ conceptualizations of job satisfaction facets

This study examined the degree to which blue- versus white-collar workers differentially conceptualize various job facets, namely the work itself, co-workers, supervisors, and pay. To examine these potential differences, we conducted a series of analyses on job satisfaction ratings from two samples of university workers. Consistent with the study hypothesis, results revealed that blue- and white-collar workers held different conceptualizations regarding the nature of co-workers, pay, and the work itself, but not of supervisors. In general, more dimensions for each facet emerged for the white-collar workers, suggesting that these individuals possess more differentiated and multidimensional evaluations of these job facets than do blue-collar workers. Discussion focuses on the meaning and implications of the findings.     

Exploring the effects of congruence and Holland’s personality codes on job satisfaction: An application of hierarchical linear modeling techniques

This study applied hierarchical linear modeling to investigate the effect of congruence on intrinsic and extrinsic aspects of job satisfaction. Particular focus was given to differences in job satisfaction by gender and by Holland’s first-letter codes. The study sample included nationally represented 1462 female and 1280 male college graduates who held full-time jobs in 2000. Congruence was measured by using actual occupational and academic major codes. After controlling for the differences across three-letter Holland personality codes, results indicate that job satisfaction was largely a function of individual attributes rather than disparities in personality types. Holland’s congruence was most effective in explaining intrinsic dimensions of job satisfaction for females, and less effective for extrinsic job satisfaction for both genders. Social females and males were less satisfied with extrinsic satisfaction, while Conventional and Social females were more satisfied with intrinsic features in their vocational environments.     

Job stressors, emotional exhaustion, and need for recovery: A multi-source study on the benefits of psychological detachment

This paper examines psychological detachment (i.e., mentally “switching off”) from work during non-work time as a partial mediator between job stressors and low work-home boundaries on the one hand and strain reactions (emotional exhaustion, need for recovery) on the other hand. Survey data were collected from a sample of protestant pastors (N = 136) and their spouses (N = 97). Analyses showed that high workload, emotional dissonance, and low spatial work-home boundaries were related to poor psychological detachment from work during non-work time. Poor psychological detachment in turn predicted high levels of emotional exhaustion and need for recovery. Psychological detachment was a partial mediator between job stressors and strain reactions. This study avoids same-source bias and demonstrates the importance of psychological detachment in the stressor–strain relationship.