Carlos María Alcover

Emotional labour and emotional exhaustion: Interpersonal and intrapersonal mechanisms

Abstract In some occupations, particularly in the service sector, dealing with patients or clients may require an employee to pretend to have emotions that they do not really have, or to actually experience required emotions. The regulation of emotion can be either automatic or controlled. This study extends research on the consequences and processes of emotional labour in two ways. First, it examines how the use of different emotion regulation strategies with patients relates to doctors’ emotional exhaustion. Second, it tests two mechanisms that may explain those relationships. A survey of 345 general practitioners (GPs) working in a large urban community in Spain was conducted for the study. Based on Côtés (2005) social interaction model, GP satisfaction with the responses of their patients was tested as a potential interpersonal mediator between their use of automatic, surface, and deep emotion regulation strategies and their emotional exhaustion. Psychological effort was tested as a potential intrapersonal mediator in the same pathway. Regression analysis indicated that emotion regulation was associated with GP emotional exhaustion when it was performed automatically, but that it had a positive and a neutral association when it was performed using surface and deep acting respectively. The mediating role of interpersonal and intrapersonal factors helped explain the differential associations between the GPs’ emotion regulation strategies and their emotional exhaustion.

Change‐oriented leadership, satisfaction and performance in work groups

Purpose – To analyse the impact of change‐oriented leaders on group outcomes. An explanatory model is proposed, in which the team climate (in particular as it relates to innovation) mediates between change‐oriented leadership and group outcomes, while group potency reinforces this relationship.Design/methodology/approach – This study is designed as a correlative and cross‐level research. The sample comprises 318 health‐care professionals in 78 health‐care teams at different public hospitals throughout Spain.Findings – Hierarchical regression analysis was used to evaluate mediating and moderating effects. Results offer considerable empirical support for the proposed model.Research limitations/implications – It would be of interest to increase the sample, differentiate it by service, and to get samples from other sectors, as well as to carry out experimental and longitudinal research. It would also be interesting to further explore the conditions that implement change‐oriented leadership impact, analysing e...

Understanding the changing nature of psychological contracts in 21st century organizations A multiple-foci exchange relationships approach and proposed framework

In recent years, scholars have increasingly recognized that the theoretical underpinnings of employee-organization relationships (EOR) are in need of further extension in light of recent organizational changes. In prior research, the study of EOR has been based on social exchange theory, and the psychological contract (PC) has played a central role in understanding this crucial aspect of organizational life. The main objective of this paper is to provide an integration of the existing literature by adopting a multiple-foci exchange relationships approach. Specifically, we looked at identification; the quality of relationships and exchanges with the leader, coworkers, and other organizational agents; justice perceptions involving several organizational sources; and perceived organizational, leader, and coworker support to expand our understanding of the PC. Overall, we advocate a multiple-foci exchange relationships approach that will ultimately enable us to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the complex nature of PCs in 21st century organizations.

Relaciones entre factores sociodemográficos, motivación hacia el retiro temprano y satisfacción en la vida postlaboral: análisis exploratorio en una muestra de prejubilados españoles

La prejubilacion es una experiencia heterogenea en lo referente tanto a la forma en que se produce la salida laboral como a sus posteriores consecuencias personales y psicosociales. Con el objetivo de conocer la relacion entre variables sociodemograficas, motivos de la salida organizacional temprana, y ajuste a la vida postlaboral se administro una adaptacion del Retirement Satisfaction Inventory (Floyd et al., 1992) a una muestra de 638 prejubilados espanoles con una media de edad de 61.28 anos. Los datos obtenidos fueron analizados mediante ANOVA. Con respecto a la motivacion hacia el retiro, las mujeres tienen mas intereses en aceptar la oferta de retiro temprano que los hombres, mientras que estos senalan haber experimentado mas problemas de salud y presiones organizacionales. Los prejubilados con un mayor nivel formativo presentan un mayor interes en el retiro temprano, y los prejubilados con mayor nivel profesional mantienen una mayor satisfaccion con el retiro. Conocer las relaciones entre caracteristicas sociodemograficas, motivacion hacia el retiro temprano y satisfaccion en la vida post-laboral es un primer paso necesario para desarrollar analisis mas complejos sobre las experiencias de prejubilacion.

Multi-dependence in the formation and development of the distributed psychological contract

ABSTRACT The psychological contract (PC) describes the implicit and explicit promises and obligations exchanged by individuals and organizational agents in an employment relationship. While it has typically been assumed that each employee establishes the PC with a single agent (i.e., the organization), it seems more realistic to treat PCs as multi-focused, involving various organizational agents. In a qualitative study of 41 professors employed at two public universities in Spain, we investigate the organizational agents involved in the formation and development of PCs, the mutual promises and obligations made by each party and the degree of PC fulfilment. Our findings reveal the multiplicity of organizational sources involved in the development of PCs and the complications that arise owing to multiple dependence. Based on our results, we discuss the need for a deeper examination of PCs from a multi-foci perspective in order to more fully understand the complex nature of the PC.

Modalidades de retiro laboral en Europa: bienestar psicológico y factores psicosociales asociados: Introducción al número especial de la Revista de Psicología del Trabajo y de las Organizaciones

1 Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (Madrid), Departamento de Psicología, Unidad de Psicología Social. * Este trabajo forma parte de un proyecto de investigación más amplio financiado por el Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia a través del Programa de Acciones Integradas España-Italia (No Ref. HI2005-0336) y en parte por la Consejería de Educación de la Comunidad de Madrid a través del Programa de Creación y Consolidación de Grupos de Investigación cofinanciado por la URJC y la CAM, Referencia: URJC-CM2006-CSH-0506. Correspondencia con los autores: carlosmaria.alcover@urjc.es, antonio.crego@urjc.es En la última década las modalidades de retiro laboral o de salida de los trabajadores de edad avanzada de las organizaciones se han diversificado y flexibilizado en Europa, si bien este fenómeno es extensible a la mayoría de los países del mundo. Así, a la tradicional jubilación obligatoria se han sumado modalidades de jubilación anticipada o voluntaria, jubilaciones parciales o progresivas, prejubilaciones, etc. Estas diversas formas de salida del mercado de trabajo tienen su contexto en unas circunstancias sociodemográficas —envejecimiento progresivo de la población— y económicas —crisis o dificultades financieras en distintos sectores— determinadas. Al mismo tiempo, otros elementos centrales en ellas son las realidades social, organizacional y psicosocial que necesariamente implican, y que ya se han consolidado como foco de interés en nuestra disciplina (Beehr y Adams, 2003).