Anna Nyberg

Gender differences in psychosocial work factors, work–personal life interface, and well-being among Swedish managers and non-managers

Purpose To explore differences in psychosocial work factors, work–personal life interface, and well-being between managers and non-managers, female and male managers, and managers in the public and private sectors.MethodsData were drawn from the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH) 2010, including 602 female managers, 4174 female non-managers, 906 male managers, and 2832 male non-managers. Psychosocial work factors, work–personal life interface, satisfaction, and well-being were investigated among non-managers and managers and male and female managers, using logistic regression analyses adjusted for age, educational level, staff category, and labour market sector.ResultsBoth female and male managers reported high job demands and interference between work and personal life, but also high influence, high satisfaction with work and life, and low amount of sickness absence more often than non-managers of the same sex. However, female managers reported high quantitative and emotional demands, low influence, and work–personal life interference more frequently than male managers. More psychosocial work stressors were also reported in the public sector, where many women work. Male managers more often reported conflicts with superiors, lack of support, and personal life–work interference. Female managers reported poor well-being to a greater extent than male managers, but were more satisfied with their lives.ConclusionLack of motivation due to limited increase in satisfaction and organisational benefits is not likely to hinder women from taking on managerial roles. Managerial women’s higher overall demands, lower influence at work, and poorer well-being relative to men’s could hinder female managers from reaching higher organisational levels.

Do Predictors of Career Success Differ between Swedish Women and Men? Data from the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH)

The aim of this prospective study was to explore predictors of objective career success among Swedish women and men, focussing on gender differences. Data were drawn from the 2008 and 2010 waves of the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH) with a total of 3670 female and 2773 male participants. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for job promotion and an above-average salary increase between 2008 and 2010 were obtained through binary logistic regression analyses. Individual and organisational factors measured in 2008 were used as predictors in analyses stratified by sex. Mutual adjustment was performed for these variables, as well as for labour market sector and staff category at baseline. In both sexes, younger age predicted both job promotion and an above-average salary increase. Job promotion was also in both sexes predicted by being part of decision-making processes, having conflicts with superiors, and being eager to advance. Furthermore, promotion was predicted by, among men, being educated to post-graduate level and having an open coping strategy and, among women, working >60 hours/week. An above-average salary increase was predicted in both sexes by having a university education. Postgraduate education, having children living at home, and being very motivated to advance predicted an above-average salary increase among women, as did working 51–60 hours/week and being part of decision-making processes in men. Gender differences were seen in several predictors. In conclusion, the results support previous findings of gender differences in predictors of career success. A high level of education, motivation to advance, and procedural justice appear to be more important predictors of career success among women, while open coping was a more important predictor among men.

Occupational gender composition and mild to severe depression in a Swedish cohort: The impact of psychosocial work factors:

Aims: The aim of the present study was to investigate associations between occupational gender composition, psychosocial work factors and mild to severe depression in Swedish women and men with various educational backgrounds. Methods: The study included 5560 participants from two waves of the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health, an approximately representative sample of the Swedish working population. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals of mild to severe depression in 2014 were estimated for five strata of occupational gender composition with >20–40%, >40–60%, >60–80% and >80–100% women, using 0–20% women as the reference. Analyses were stratified by gender and education. Job strain, organisational injustice, poor social support and effort–reward imbalance in 2012 were added in separate models, and changes in OR of mild to severe depression for strata of occupational gender composition were evaluated. Results: Among women, the odds of mild to severe depression did not vary by occupational gender composition. Among men with low to intermediate education, the odds were higher in the stratum with >80–100% women, and among men with high education, the odds were higher in strata with >20–40% and >60–80% women. Psychosocial work factors affected the odds ratios of mild to severe depression, but most of the variation remained unexplained. Conclusions: Odds of mild to severe depression appeared to vary by occupational gender composition among Swedish men but not women. This variation seemed only to a small extent to be explained by psychosocial work factors.

Socio-economic predictors of depressive symptoms around old age retirement in Swedish women and men

ABSTRACT Objectives: To estimate trajectories of depression around old age retirement in Swedish women and men and examine if socio-economic status predicted the trajectories Methods: The analytic sample comprised 907 women and 806 men from the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health. B-spline smoothers and group-based trajectory modelling were used to identify groups of individuals with similar trajectories of depressive symptoms around retirement. Multinomial regression analyses were conducted to investigate if socio-economic factors were associated with odds of belonging to trajectory groups with higher depression scores. Results: Four depressive symptoms trajectories were identified in both genders, all showing similar symptom levels across the retirement transition. Low levels of depressive symptoms were observed in the three largest groups. In the last trajectory group among women (2.5%) depression scores were moderate to severe and among men (3.3%) depression scores were persistent moderate. Higher educational level and lower subjectively rated social status were associated with higher odds of belonging to trajectory groups with higher levels of depressive symptoms in both genders. Conclusion: Retirement transition was not associated with symptoms of depression. Higher educational level and lower subjective social status may predict higher depressive symptom levels the years around old age retirement.

Developing Leadership and Employee Health Through the Arts

This book examines the problems that a “laissez faire” attitude from managers can create in the workplace, as well as the ensuing illness such problems may cause among employees. The book offers ne ...

Does work-personal life interference predict turnover among male and female managers, and do depressive symptoms mediate the association? A longitudinal study based on a Swedish cohort

BackgroundIn the present study we used a longitudinal design to examine if work-personal life interference predicted managerial turnover, if depressive symptoms mediated the association, and if the relationships differed by gender.MethodsData were drawn from four waves (2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016) of the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH), a cohort of the Swedish working population. Participants who in any wave reported to have a managerial or other leading position were included (nu2009=u2009717 men and 741 women). Autoregressive longitudinal mediation models within a multilevel structural equation modelling (MSEM) framework, in which repeated measures (level 1) were nested within individuals (level 2), were fitted to data. First, bivariate autoregressive and cross-lagged paths between the variables were fitted in gender stratified models. Secondly, a full gender stratified mediation model was built to estimate if the association between work-personal life interference and turnover was mediated through depressive symptoms. Gender differences in cross-lagged paths were estimated with multiple-group analysis. All analyses were adjusted for age, education, labour market sector, civil status and children living at home, and conducted in MPLUS 7.ResultsIn both genders there were significant paths between work-personal life interference and turnover. Depressive symptoms were, however, not found to mediate in the relationship between work-personal life interference and turnover. The models differed significantly between genders.ConclusionsEstablishing organisational prerequisites for good work-personal life balance among managers may be a means to retain both male and female managerial talent.

Interactional justice at work is related to sickness absence: a study using repeated measures in the Swedish working population

BackgroundResearch has shown that perceived unfairness contributes to higher rates of sickness absence. While shorter, but more frequent periods of sickness absence might be a possibility for the individual to get relief from high strain, long-term sickness absence might be a sign of more serious health problems. The Uncertainty Management Model suggests that justice is particularly important in times of uncertainty, e.g. perceived job insecurity. The present study investigated the association between interpersonal and informational justice at work with long and frequent sickness absence respectively, under conditions of job insecurity.MethodsData were derived from the 2010, 2012, and 2014 biennial waves of the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH). The final analytic sample consisted of 19,493 individuals. We applied repeated measures regression analyses through generalized estimating equations (GEE), a method for longitudinal data that simultaneously analyses variables at different time points. We calculated risk of long and frequent sickness absence, respectively in relation to interpersonal and informational justice taking perceptions of job insecurity into account.ResultsWe found informational and interpersonal justice to be associated with risk of long and frequent sickness absence independently of job insecurity and demographic variables. Results from autoregressive GEE provided some support for a causal relationship between justice perceptions and sickness absence. Contrary to expectations, we found no interaction between justice and job insecurity.ConclusionsOur results underline the need for fair and just treatment of employees irrespective of perceived job insecurity in order to keep the workforce healthy and to minimize lost work days due to sickness absence.

Destructive Leadership – Processes and Consequences

This chapter starts with a case describing the development of a leadership process over the time period of three years. Theories and empirical evidence regarding destructive leadership processes and their outcomes are thereafter reviewed and discussed in relation to the case. The focus is on individual characteristics and the processes linking destructive leaders with destructive followers. Bullying processes and their consequences as well as possibilities to counteract destructive leadership and for targets to change their situation is also discussed. A specific focus is given the role of followers or bystanders in destructive leadership processes.