This study examines the determining factor of nurses' occupational stress in public hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Despite the increasing number of occupational stress studies in the healthcare industry, occupational stress studies are still at an early stage of development in Saudi Arabia, and further research is recommended. The objectives of this research are: (1) to identify the occupational stress levels among nurses in public-sector hospitals in Saudi Arabia; (2) to examine the influence of job demands on the anxiety and turnover intention of nurses working in public-sector hospitals in Saudi Arabia; (3) to investigate the influence of job resources on the turnover intention and happiness of nurses working in public-sector hospitals in Saudi Arabia; (4) to determine the mediating effects of emotional exhaustion on the relationship between job demands and anxiety and turnover intention on nurses working in public-sector hospitals in Saudi Arabia; and (5) to ascertain the mediating effects of work engagement on the relationship between job resources and the turnover intention and happiness of nurses working in public-sector hospitals in Saudi Arabia. The study was conducted as a two-stage empirical study employing sequential exploratory mixed-methods approach starting with interviews with 15 nurses, analysing the data then revising the questionnaire and distributing to a sample of nurses at five hospitals. The study used thematic analysis to analyse the qualitative data and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and AMOS to analyse the 512 questionnaires. The conceptual model was validated through Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), which includes two kinds of models: the measurement model or confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and the structural model which is conducted to approve the hypotheses and the performance of the suggested conceptual framework. The study findings indicated that the level of nurses' stress is very high and has negative outcomes if the job demands (stressors) exceed the nurses' abilities. Emotional demands, work-family conflict and workload are the main job demands identified. Procedural fairness and perceived organizational support are identified as the main job resources. This study also examines the mediation role of emotional exhaustion and work engagement. More specifically, its shows that emotional exhaustion mediates the relationship between emotional demands, work-family conflict, workload and anxiety, whereas emotional exhaustion only mediates the relation between work-family conflict and turnover intention. Conversely, work engagement mediates the relation between procedural fairness and turnover intention and happiness. Contributions of the study, research and practical implications, and future research directions are also discussed.

Första linjens chefer balanserar kraven mellan överordnade och medarbetare. Speciellt problematiskt kan det bli i offentlig verksamhet där politik styr och negativa resultaträkningar präglar sjukvården. För att klara av höga krav och begränsade resurser är olika typer av stöd en viktig faktor för chefernas hållbarhet. Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur första linjens chefer upplever stöd, vilket stöd som saknas och vilken betydelse stöd har i yrkesrollen. Undersökningen bygger på kvalitativa semistrukturerade enskilda intervjuer med nio enhetschefer från två regioner. En tematisk analys gjordes för att identifiera väsentligt stöd, vilket stöd som anses vara otillräckligt och vilket stöd som är tillgodosett och betydelsen det har i yrkesrollen. Resultatet visade att stödet, framför allt från medarbetarna, ger den viktiga kraften att orka. Resultatet mynnade i slutsatsen att det finns ett behov av stöd för ledarskapsutveckling, ett behov av avlastning, en delaktighet i beslutsprocessen, regelbunden feedback och tydliga ramar och mandat.

Thesis advisor: Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes / The productive aging paradigm emphasizes the importance of continued engagement in productive roles for maintaining health and vitality in later life. The word "engagement" is frequently used within this literature to refer to physical engagement with a role--or one's involvement in the categorical sense. However, psychological engagement--or one's subjective experience of a role as positive, meaningful, invigorating, and inspiring--is less frequently discussed. While there is a well-developed body of knowledge on the antecedents and consequences of psychological engagement with paid work, little is known about the role of age or age-related factors in these relationships. This dissertation begins to fill this gap in the knowledge base by drawing upon important insights from the business management and industrial/organizational psychology literature to understand factors that may contribute to and/or detract from older adults' ability to psychologically engage in work roles and whether these relationships vary for older adults (age 50 or older, n = 543) compared to midlife (age 35 to 49, n = 653) or younger adults (under age 35, n = 664). Results of multi-level regression analyses suggest that personal resources (i.e., core self-evaluations) and job resources (i.e., task variety, autonomy, friendship, task identity, task significance, supervisor support, job security, inclusion in decision-making, opportunities for learning and development, and team culture of flexibility) were main predictors of engagement for older adults as well as midlife and younger adults. Interestingly, the strength and nature of several of the job resource-engagement relationships were dependent upon job demands and/or core self-evaluations for older adults; however, in general, this was not the case for younger or midlife adults. Age differences remained even after controlling for several factors that could account for age-based differences in predictors of engagement (e.g., tenure). These findings provide a fuller understanding of the conditions that promote or impede psychological engagement with work in later life and will help policymakers and practitioners to better recognize and advocate for work contexts that maximize well-being for older adults. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2011. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Social Work. / Discipline: Social Work.

En utgångspunkt för arbetslivet bör vara att skapa en arbetsmiljö som ger individer förutsättningar att ingå, kvarstå och utvecklas i arbetet. Arbetsmiljön är betydande för både individers hälsa och verksamheters utveckling samt förutsättningar för tillväxt. Arbetsplatsen betonas därmed vara en betydande arena för förebyggande insatser. Det är arbetsgivaren som har huvudsakligt ansvar för arbetsmiljön. Ingen arbetstagare ska riskera att skadas eller drabbas av ohälsa i arbetet. Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur psykosocial arbetsmiljö och stress upplevs hos arbetstagare inom restaurangbranschen. För att besvara syftet användes en kvalitativ metod och fem semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes. Intervjupersonerna för studien var serviceanställda inom restaurangbranschen. Analys av datamaterial utfördes med en manifest kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Det resultat som framkom visar att arbetstagarna främst har negativa upplevelser av sin psykosociala arbetsmiljö och stress, dock framkommer några variationer gällande nivå av problematik. Deras arbete beskrivs innebära ständig stress och omfattar ett flertal arbetsmiljöbrister. Obalans råder mellan höga krav i arbetet och bristande resurser som påverkar arbetstagarnas hälsa negativt både psykiskt och fysiskt. Arbetstagarna betonar faktorer som överbelastande arbete, bristande återhämtning och ledarskap som påfrestande vilka resulterar i arbetsmiljöproblem. / A starting point for working life should be to create a work environment that gives individuals the ability to enter, remain and progress in work. The work is significant both for individual health and development activities as well as opportunities for growth. Workplace therefore constitutes to be an important setting for preventive interventions. It is the employer who has the principal responsibility for the work. No employee should risk being injured or suffer ill health at work. The purpose of the study was to investigate the psychosocial work environment and stress experienced by workers in the restaurant industry. To answer the purpose a qualitative approach been used and five semi-structured interviews were conducted. Those interviewed for the study were service employees in the restaurant industry. Analysis of the data was performed with a manifest content analysis. The results obtained show that works mostly have negative experiences of their psychosocial work environment and stress, however, is any variations regarding the level of problems. Their work is described involve constant stress and includes a number of work deficiencies. There is an imbalance between the demands of work and lack of resources that affect the health negatively both mentally and physically. Workers emphasize factors of stressful work, a lack of recovery and leadership resulting in health and safety problems.

Att arbeta inom missbruksvården med klienter med beroendeproblematik kan medföra vissa påfrestningar i arbetsmiljön för den anställda. Antalet studier rörande vilka krav respektive resurser anställda inom missbruksvården upplever i den sociala arbetsmiljön är dock få. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka hur anställda inom missbruksvården upplever sin sociala arbetsmiljö, relaterat till krav samt resurser i arbetet. Semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med 11 anställda inom missbruksvården och materialet bearbetades med hjälp av en tematisk innehållsanalys. Studiens teoretiska ramverk var krav- och resursmodellen. I studiens resultat återfanns tre arbetskrav: begräsningar i arbetet, emotionella krav samt interpersonella konflikter. Tre resurser i arbetet framkom i resultatet: inflytande på arbetsplatsen, utvecklingsmöjligheter i arbetet och socialt stöd. Resultatet visade att det förelåg en relativt god balans mellan kraven som upplevdes som påfrestningar och resurserna som motiverar och hjälper de anställda i arbetet. Studien kan bidra till en större förståelse kring arbetet inom missbruksvården samt dess utvecklingsmöjligheter.

Tidigare studier visar att arbetsförhållandena för anställda inom psykiatrisk vård i Sverige har tydliga brister. Utifrån krav- och resursmodellen undersöktes hur krav respektive resurser påverkar psykiatripersonals arbetstillfredsställelse och arbetshälsa. Semi-strukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med tre psykiatrisjuksköterskor och fem skötare från sex olika slutenvårdsenheter runt om i Mellansverige. Materialet analyserades tematiskt. Studiens resultat belyser att de krav som påverkar personalens arbetsvillkor är: underbemanning, okunniga kollegor, emotionella krav, vårdtyngd, dokumentationskrav och hot och våld. Studiens resultat om resurser som kan underlätta arbetsvillkoren är: allians med patienter, kollegialt stöd, säkerhet och arbetsutrymme. Resultatet visade på att de krav som ställs på personal inom psykiatrisk vård var övervägande i förhållande till de resurser som fanns till hands. De krav som inte anpassades med adekvata resurser var underbemanning, dokumentationskrav och okunniga kollegor.

Denna studie ämnar undersöka om det existerar ett samband mellan självskattad arbetsbelastning och välbefinnande. Ytterligare ämnar studien undersöka hur stort detta samband är och i vilken riktning sambandet är. Tidigare undersökningar visar att nästan alla svaranden ansåg att normen på arbetsplatsen var att ha en hög arbetsbelastning och att de inte vågade ta upp sina bekymmer kring arbetsbelastning och välbefinnande. Ytterligare visar forskning att en tredjedel av svaranden upplevde en mycket hög arbetsbelastning. Detta är därmed ett aktuellt problem. För att undersöka syftet har en enkätundersökning genomförts med 60 respondenter mellan åldrarna 20–64 (M=34.07; SD=11.48), varav alla hade ett arbete. Resultatet visar att det existerar ett signifikant samband mellan självskattad arbetsbelastning och välbefinnande. Sambandet indikerar att låga skattningar på välbefinnande är relaterat till höga skattningar på arbetsbelastning. Resultatet visar även att det existerar olika bakgrundsfaktorer som påverkar välbefinnandet, dessa faktorer är ålder och om den anställda är heltidsanställd eller deltidsanställd. Slutsatserna är att det existerar ett signifikant samband mellan självskattad arbetsbelastning och välbefinnande på en måttlig nivå. Ytterligare slutsatser är att välbefinnandet även påverkas av anställdas ålder och typ av anställning.

While many employees are engaged in their jobs, others suffer from poor working conditions and impaired well-being. Research suggests that job demands may impair employee work attitudes and health while both job resources and personal resources can have positive effect. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the relative importance of job demands, job resources, and a personal resource (self-efficacy) for employees’ health and motivation at work. Questionnaire data were collected from white-collar employees of a Swedish construction company (n = 156). Results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed the relative importance of job demands, job resources and personal resources. The job demands were negatively related to health and motivation at work, while the job resources and the personal resource were linked to better health and motivation. The findings generally supported the hypotheses. The specific types of demands and resources were significant varied across outcomes and, unexpectedly, workload was positively correlated with job performance. The findings contribute to a growing literature which indicates that lower job demands and access to both job resources and personal resources may improve employees' health and motivation at work.

Todays workers are living in a rapidly changing environment and adaptability has become one of the most valued competences. Because of economical competition, demands imposed on workers are getting more and more elevated. The opposition between constraints of efficiency, search for performance, workload and private life, combined with a loss in work meaning and in social support, contribute to expose workers to job stress and burnout. Besides dealing with high workload and exigencies of adaptability, workers are expected to create their own career opportunities and development. More specifically, in order to stay competitive, organizations need workers that are active and creative at work, workers that are ready to invest not only their time, but also their mind into their work. In other words, they need workers to be engaged in their work. Given this apparent opposition between increased risk for job stress and burnout on the one hand, and increased need of engaged workers on the other, it is necessary to investigate which conditions are prevalent in the development of those phenomena. In this thesis, we present a theoretical overview of burnout and engagement concepts (chapter1 and chapter2, respectively). We then expose how they are integrated into the theoretical framework of the Job Demands-Resources (JDR) model, and what criticism it can be addressed (chapter3). Chapter4 is dedicated to our research objectives, which are declined in five empirical studies. In study1(chapter5) and study2 (chapter6), we aim at validating the Positive and Negative Occupational States Inventory (PNOSI), a tool that was designed to measure positive and negative workers reactions to their working environment. Results indicate that the tool is composed of two factors, one measuring negative occupational state and the other measuring positive occupational state. This structure was replicated on a variety of samples. Negative occupational state can be conceived as an intermediate state occurring before burnout, while positive occupational state seems to be similar to work engagement. Both are different from commitment and workaholism. The impact of item wording, and interactions between items on the one hand and gender and age on the other were also investigated. In study3 (chapter7), we aim at validating the JDR model on three-wave longitudinal data that we collected among workers of a Belgian public administration. In addition, this study aims at validating the JDR model using predictors derived from stigma and social identity literature. Results indicate that perceived prejudice predicts higher burnout, whereas group identification predicts higher engagement. This was found above the effects of job demands and job resources, respectively. An interaction effect was also observed: among those who identify strongly to their occupational group, engagement was lower when workers also perceived high prejudice towards this group. Study4 and study5 also aim at validating the model using new types of predictors. Study4 (chapter8) more specifically focuses on the health-impairment process of the JDR model. It investigates whether person-related factors (namely workaholism) predict burnout in addition to job demands. Study4 also longitudinally testes whether job strain can indeed be considered as an intermediate state occurring in response to high job demands before burnout develops. We found that job strain acts as an intermediate, shorter term reaction to high job demands, before the occurrence of burnout. Results were mitigated as to the role of workaholism. It was hypothesized that this variable would initiate another kind of process, dealing with person-related issues. In study5 (chapter9), we focus more specifically on the energetic process, and investigate whether workers work-related personal demands (namely, the expectations they develop with regards to their own performance) predict engagement above the effects of job and personal resources. Results indicate that work-related personal demands predict high future engagement, above the impact of job and personal resources. However, no reciprocal impact of engagement was observed. We end this thesis with a discussion of our results and a general conclusion.

The purpose of the present study is to find the relationship between characteristics of working life such as job demands (e.g. workload), and job resources (e.g. colleague support) and job attachments of employees, such as burnout, work engagement, and workaholism. Moreover, the effects of work characteristics on physical health, organizational commitment and work-family balance are investigated. Additionally, the relationship between three major employee attachment styles to work, namely, burnout, workaholism and work engagement was examined. Psychometric qualities of the main study scales were established through a pilot study. Data for the main study were collected from 266 Turkish hotel and health care service employees. The results of regression analyses showed that job demands have effect on burnout and work engagement / whereas job resources are related to increased workaholism and decreased burnout. Work engagement predicted physical well-being, increased organizational commitment, and work-family harmony whereas burnout had a negative effect on these outcomes. Workaholism was related only to organizational commitment. Mediation analyses showed that burnout mediated between job demands, and resources and perceived health, organizational commitment and work-family harmony, whereas work engagement mediated only between job resources and the above consequences. A proposed job stress framework was tested through Job Demand and Resources (JD-R) Model. Structural Equation Modeling results exhibited good fit to the model, thus providing support for employee well-being aspect of JD-R Model. The analyses also showed that burnout, workaholism and work engagement are different constructs. Implications for managers, limitations of the study and suggestions for future studies were presented.