Aleksandra Luksyte

How do stressors lead to burnout? The mediating role of motivation.

We extend existing stressor-strain theoretical models by including intrinsic motivation as a mediator between well-established job stressors and burnout. Though the link between situational stressors and burnout is well established, little is known about mechanisms behind this relationship. With a sample of 284 self-employed individuals, we examined motivation as a mediator to explain why situational factors impact 3 dimensions of burnout: emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy. Motivation is an explanatory mechanism that drives human behavior and thought, and thus may have an impact on important well-being outcomes. As expected, intrinsic motivation was a full mediator for the effect of perceived fit on the inefficacy dimension of burnout. Unexpectedly, neither perceived fit nor motivation was related to the other 2 dimensions of burnout, and role ambiguity had only a direct effect on the inefficacy dimension; it was also unrelated to exhaustion and cynicism. We discuss implications of these findings for researchers as well as for practitioners.

Why do overqualified incumbents deviate? Examining multiple mediators.

In the modern marketplace, especially when unemployment is high, more and more Americans find themselves overqualified (i.e., possessing more competencies than the job requires). Using and extending person-environment fit theory and the stressor-emotion model of counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs), we examine whether overqualified employees are more likely to display CWBs than employees who feel their positions match their qualification levels. Further, we examine why overqualified employees may behave in counterproductive ways and compare the empirical viability of several theoretically derived competing mediators. Based on data from a sample of full-time employees (n = 215), we found that consistent with the theoretical frameworks, overqualified incumbents display nondesirable counterproductive work behaviors because they become cynical about the meaningfulness of their activities. We further show that although poor person-job fit or inadequate psychological contracts can motivate such misbehavior, cynicism dominates as a reason for why overqualified employees engage in counterproductive work behaviors.

Behavioral Science Approaches to Studying Underemployment

As with economic approaches (see Wilkins & Wooden, this volume), there is a lack of agreement as to what constitutes underemployment (i.e., a broad term referring to inadequate employment relative to some standard; Feldman, 1996) among behavioral scientists. In this chapter, we attempt to shed some light into this issue. In structuring our chapter, we use Feldman’s (1996) Journal of Management review of underemployment as a springboard to examine how measurement of underemployment has progressed since its publication. Specifically, Feldman detailed the conceptual and methodological state of the underemployment construct and outlined specific recommendations to improve its measurement. Feldman sketched several methodological avenues for future scholars striving to better understand the underemployment phenomenon.

Does Your Supervisor Stress You Out? How Support Influences Sex Differences in Stress Among Immigrants

Despite the influx of immigrants in the American workplace, little is known about their well-being. The authors built on literature pertaining to gender-specific stressors and organizational support theory to examine a model of stress for immigrants. Analysis of a national, archival data set (N = 150) demonstrated that, consistent with research involving U.S. citizens, immigrant women reported higher stress than immigrant men. The authors extended the literature, however, by showing that the sex–stress relationship is not straightforward for this population. Specifically, supervisor support moderated the effect of sex such that male–female stress differences were twice as large when supervisors were less supportive. Despite the influx of immigrants in the American workplace, little is known about their well-being. The authors built on literature pertaining to gender-specific stressors and organizational support theory to examine a model of stress for immigrants. Analysis of a national, archival data set (N = 150) demonstrated that, consistent with research involving U.S. citizens, immigrant women reported higher stress than immigrant men. The authors extended the literature, however, by showing that the sex–stress relationship is not straightforward for this population. Specifically, supervisor support moderated the effect of sex such that male–female stress differences were twice as large when supervisors were less supportive.

On the Association between Perceived Overqualification and Adaptive Behavior

Purpose – The purpose of this research was to offer an autonomous motivation perspective to explore the relationship between perceived overqualification and adaptive work behavior and examine job autonomy as a factor that may moderate the association.Design/methodology/approach – The hypotheses were tested in two culturally, demographically, and functionally diverse samples: Sample 1 was based on North American community college employees (N = 215); sample 2 was based on full-time workers, employed in a Chinese state-owned enterprise specializing in shipping (N = 148).Findings – In Study 1, perceived overqualification was negatively related to self-rated adaptive behavior. A follow-up Study 2 extended these findings by demonstrating that perceived overqualification was negatively related to supervisor-rated adaptive work behavior when job autonomy was low, rather than high.Implications – The results of this research offer an autonomous motivation perspective to explain why perceived overqualification relates to adaptive behavior and suggests a job design approach to encourage adaptive behaviors of people who feel overqualified – a sizable segment of the current workforce.Originality/value – This is one of the first studies to explore adaptive behavior of workers who feel overqualified – an outcome that has not been examined in this domain. Our findings further point out what can be done to encourage adaptive behaviors among overqualified employees.

Factors relating to wellbeing of foreign-born Hispanic workers

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine stressor-strain relationships that play a role in foreign-born Hispanic workers’ well-being and family-to-work facilitation (FWF) as a moderator in this relationship. Design/methodology/approach – The authors used a unique sample of foreign-born Hispanic workers employed in blue-labor jobs in Texas (n=163). Findings – Consistent with the theoretical assertions, the authors found support for the negative relationship between legal status concern and Hispanic workers’ psychological and perceived physical health. Further, FWF attenuated the negative consequences of lack of English language proficiency on psychological well-being. Research limitations/implications – Both organizations and Hispanic workers can benefit from the results of the study. Hispanic immigrants can enhance their well-being by relying more on their families and seeking more support from their friends and families when dealing with immigration-related stressors. Organizations and policymak...

Predictors of effective formal mentoring: Is the mentor’s commitment all that matters?

ABSTRACT The present research explores how the intersection of motivation and ability contributes to mentoring success. Extending the motivation-aptitude model of performance to mentoring effectiveness and building on socioanalytic theory, we examined whether mentor commitment and other mentor attributes impacted supervisors’ evaluation of mentors’ effectiveness. Using self-report and third-party rating data from a sample of 102 mentors and 14 supervisors from a multinational organization, support was found for our hypotheses. Consistent with our theorizing about the importance of supplementing mentor commitment with important aptitudes, the results of the multilevel analyses showed that mentor commitment did not translate to mentoring effectiveness as rated by one’s supervisor when mentors lacked getting along (i.e., self-monitoring and political skill) or getting ahead (learning goal orientation and strategic outlook) attributes.