Extending the challenge-hindrance model of occupational stress: The role of appraisal

Interest regarding the challenge-hindrance occupational stress model has increased in recent years, however its theoretical foundation has not been tested. Drawing from the transactional theory of stress, this study tests the assumptions made in past research (1) that workload and responsibility are appraised as challenges and role ambiguity and role conflict are appraised as hindrances, and (2) that these appraisals mediate the relationship between these stressors and outcomes (i.e., strains, job dissatisfaction, and turnover intentions). For a sample of 479 employees, we found that although workload, role ambiguity, and role conflict could be appraised primarily as challenges or hindrances, they could also simultaneously be perceived as being both to varying degrees. Support was also found for a model in which primary appraisal partially mediated the stressor-outcome relationship.     

Linking the fits, fitting the links: Connecting different types of PO fit to attitudinal outcomes

In this paper we explore the linkages among various types of person-organization (PO) fit and their effects on employee attitudinal outcomes. We propose and test a conceptual model which links various types of fits—objective fit, perceived fit and subjective fit—in a hierarchical order of cognitive information processing and relate them to employee organizational commitment and job satisfaction. By unveiling how the different types of fit relate to each other in influencing individual outcomes, we address some of the theoretical and methodological concerns in the use of different methods in measuring PO fit.     

The impact of career boundarylessness on subjective career success: The role of career competencies, career autonomy, and career insecurity

Based on the theoretical frameworks of the career enactment and the stress perspectives, this study develops and tests a model in which career boundarylessness affects subjective career success through its effect on three career competencies—knowing-why, knowing-how, and knowing-whom—and career autonomy and career insecurity. The results provided empirical support for the importance of career autonomy, career insecurity, and the development of knowing-why and knowing-how competencies in the successful pursuit of a boundaryless career. The implications of these findings are discussed.     

The vocational well-being of workers with childhood onset of disability: Life satisfaction and perceived workplace discrimination

Workers with disabilities are understudied, and workers with childhood onset of disability have been excluded from many of the studies on disability and work that do exist. This research compares the effects of childhood and adult onset of disability in a nationally representative sample of workers with disabilities. Educational disruptions due to disability status in childhood are negatively associated with life satisfaction and positively associated with perceived discrimination. Although age is associated with increased life satisfaction and decreased perceptions of discrimination for workers with adult disability onset, age is unrelated to these outcomes for workers with childhood disability onset. Receiving workplace accommodations is positively associated with satisfaction and negatively associated with discrimination for both groups, however, these relationships are stronger in magnitude for the childhood disability onset group. Organizational environments, both in education and in the workplace, play a critical role in the vocational well-being of workers with childhood disability onset.     

Assortative mating in morningness-eveningness

Individuals differ in their morningness-eveningness preference (circadian preference); that is, some prefer morning hours for intellectual and physical activities and others prefer late afternoon or evening hours. This has been viewed as an interesting facet of personality. Assortative mating has been studied in personality research, but assortative mating in circadian preference has rarely been examined. Eighty-four couples participated in this study. They filled in the Composite Scale of Morningness; they also supplied data about rise times and bedtimes as well as information about relationship satisfaction and duration. The results revealed a moderate positive relationship between couple partners in morningness-eveningness which persisted after correcting for age. Similarly, correlations existed between the sleep-wake variables (rise time and bedtime) on weekdays and on the weekends, the association being higher for weekends. There was no significant correlation between length of the relationship and dissimilarity in morningness-eveningness, suggesting that the above-reported correlations reflect an initial assortment rather than convergence effects. Further, no significant correlation was found between dissimilarity in morningness-eveningness and relationship satisfaction. The results suggest that assortative mating in morningness-eveningness is likely and is probably based on an initial assortment. The likelihood to meet and mate may also be linked to chronotype. When differences in circadian preferences exist between possible partners, this reduces the likelihood that these persons meet either by accident or during work and leisure activities. Therefore, two extreme chronotypes are unlikely to meet each other because they have the smallest overlap in their preferred active time during the day due to the circadian rhythmicity.     

One-year follow-up analysis of cognitive and psychological consequences among survivors of the Wenchuan earthquake

The catastrophic Wenchuan earthquake measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale occurred on May 12, 2008 in the West of the Sichuan basin in China and caused severe damage. A project was undertaken to examine the cognitive and psychological effects one year after the disaster among 2080 individuals in the local area. We evaluated the influence of gender, age, education level, and ethnic group on five aspects: work satisfaction, living satisfaction, health self-perception, psychological pressure, and psychological recovery. Male subjects had a better performance in all five aspects, which indicated that women were more affected. Subjects of different ethnic groups showed significantly different attitudes with respect to psychological pressure and psychological recovery. Significant differences for all the five aspects were also found in education level and age. The results showed that older people and those with a lower education level probably had more psychological problems. There were significant correlations between work satisfaction and living satisfaction, living satisfaction and health self-perception, living satisfaction and psychological recovery, and psychological pressure and psychosocial recovery. Living satisfaction and education level were significant predictors of psychological pressure. For psychological recovery, significant predictors were living satisfaction, age, work satisfaction, education level, and gender. The study findings indicated that government programs should provide more support for females, older people, those with a lower education level, and those in lower living conditions. Attention should be given not only to the psychological effects on each victim, but also to related issues such as work and living conditions to promote psychological wellbeing. Limitations of this study are addressed.     

Controverse relative à la relation entre le stress et la performance au travail : recherche d’explications

Despite many efforts, the relationship between stress and performance remains very controversial. No relational assumption seems to dominate and empirical results present contradictory observations. Pursuing to clarify this relationship, this study has two objectives: countercheck the relation between stress and performance at work and document the potential moderating effects of commitment and job satisfaction on this relation. From information collected by self-administered questionnaires, the statistical analysis demonstrates the absence of relation between stress and performance in the restoration sector and a negative relation for workers in the health sector. As for the moderating properties of commitment and satisfaction, it appears that these variables do not permit to enlighten the relational ambiguities between stress and performance. The discussion presents supporting explanation to the disparity of results between samples.     

Représentations professionnelles,satisfaction au travail et choix de carrière des personnels infirmiers : le rôle des valeurs d’autonomie

We are interested in factors which can incite nurses to abandon their profession. In this frame, job satisfaction appears as a major explanatory factor, depending on the status granted to nurses’ “own role”. Besides, several studies show the importance of values concerning job satisfaction. Then, and in reference to the concept of professional representations, we consider that nurses’ job satisfaction depends on the importance of the own role in the representation of their function, all the more that Autonomy values are essential for them. A study, realized with regis tered and student nurses, confirm this approach, so underlining the crucial role of these values for the job satisfaction of nurses.     

普通高校辅导员的职业认同与工作满意度的关系

研究探讨了普通高校辅导员的工作压力、核心自我评价、职业认同和工作满意度的关系。研究发现:(1)辅导员的工作压力、职业认同和工作满意度与专业教师存在差异;(2)工作压力、核心自我评价、职业认同影响着辅导员的工作满意度;(3)核心自我评价调节着工作压力和职业认同的关系;工作压力经由职业认同影响着工作满意度,且这一中介效应受到核心自我评价的调节作用。     

企业员工工作伦理、工作满意度和离职意向的关系

目的:考察工作伦理与工作满意度、离职意向的关系。方法:对252名企业员工进行工作伦理问卷调查,并建立结构方程模型考察工作伦理、工作满意度与离职意向的关系。结果:员工的工作伦理能显著预测离职意向(反向),工作满意在工作伦理对离职意向的影响中起着完全中介的作用。结论:企业在招聘员工的过程中要重视员工的工作伦理。