Filipa Castanheira

Work context support and Portuguese soldiers’ well-being: The mediating role of autonomous motivation.

Using self-determination theory ( Deci & Ryan, 2008) as the theoretical framework, we tested a model for this study that considers soldiers’ perceptions of organizational support and leader–member exchange (LMX), work motivation, and well-being at work. The hypothesized model was tested using a representative sample of 1,045 Portuguese soldiers. Results revealed that autonomous work motivation was significantly related to both contextual factors (organizational support and LMX). In addition, autonomous work motivation was positively related to work engagement and negatively related to burnout, and controlled motivation showed the opposite pattern. More interesting, the results showed that autonomous work motivation as a mechanism that helped to explain the relationship between both contextual factors and workplace well-being. The present results underscore the importance of understanding the mechanisms through which higher work engagement and lower burnout take place, eventually leading to appropriate interventions.

Burnout in salespeople: A three-wave study to examine job characteristics’ predictions and consequences for performance

The present study aims to test (1) the main effects of job demands and control on burnout and (2) the contribution of burnout to explaining variance in job performance, namely in-role performance and service-oriented organizational citizenship behaviour (service-OCB). The hypotheses were tested in a three-wave study among a sample of 94 Portuguese salespeople. The results provided partial evidence for the main cross-sectional effects of demands and control on burnout, but they did not provide evidence of carry-over effects six months later. Exhaustion was found to reduce extra-role performance over a six-month period.

Temporary agency versus permanent workers: A multigroup analysis of human resource management, work engagement and organizational commitment

The aim of this study is to compare the employment relationship of temporary agency and permanent workers in two different sectors analyzing the relationship between human resource practices systems and workers’ affective commitment and the mediating role of work engagement. The hypotheses were tested with multiple group analysis on two samples: from a call center and from two industrial companies. Results confirm that in both the temporary agency and the permanent subsamples in the two sectors workers’ perception of the human resource practices system relates positively with affective commitment toward the organization, and work engagement partially mediates this relationship. Moreover, the study confirms that the relationship between workers’ perception of the human resource practices system and affective commitment was stronger for temporary agency than for permanent workers. However, this moderation occurred only in the manufacturing sector. Contrarily, the relationship between workers’ perception of the human resource practices system and engagement was stronger for permanent workers than for temporary agency workers (TAWs) in this sector and the relationship between this psychological state and affective commitment was also stronger for permanent than for TAWs, in both sectors (call center and manufacturing).

Corporate social responsibility and organizational attractiveness:implications for talent management

Purpose - Talent management is a 21st century concern. Attracting talented individuals to organizations is an important source for firm competitive advantage. Building on signaling theory we propose that corporate social responsibility can be an important tool for talent recruitment. Design/methodology/approach - Across two studies we find support for this hypothesized relationship. In Study 1 we manipulated a job advertisement to include information about CSR and tested it in two groups of 120 Masters students who would be in the job market within the year. We found that CSR was an important factor that increased organizational attractiveness. In Study 2 with 532 external talented stakeholders of 16 organizations we replicated and advanced our findings by testing whether perceptions of corporate social responsibility practices (internal and external) influenced perceptions of organizational attractiveness and if this relationship was mediated by organizational reputation. Findings - We found that perceptions of internal CSR practices were directly related to both organizational attractiveness and firm reputation. However, perceptions of external CSR practices were related only to organizational attractiveness through organizational reputation. Research limitations/implications - One of the articles main limitations have to do with generalibility of our results and potential common method variance bias. Practical implications - Our findings demonstrate that CSR can play an effective role in attracting potential employees, through enhancement of organizational reputation and organizational attractiveness. If organizations are willing to implement practices that protect and develop their employees, along with practices that improve the quality of the natural environment and the well being of the society, they can become an employer-of-choice. Originality/value - Our studies expand on the previous studies by including an experimental design, including two types of CSR practices and a mediating variable in our field study.

Relational job characteristics and work engagement: Mediation by prosocial motivation.

This study tested the relation between perceived social impact, social worth, and work engagement in the military, and mediating effects of prosocial motivation. We tested hypotheses using structural equation modeling analysis in a field study with 322 officers and sergeants and 1,045 soldiers of the Portuguese Army. Results confirmed that perceived social impact and social worth were associated with work engagement. Furthermore, regardless of the rank category, perceived social impact was associated with higher prosocial motivation, which in turn was associated with higher work engagement. In the soldiers subsample, results further indicated that soldiers’ perceived social worth was associated with higher prosocial motivation, which in turn was related to higher work engagement. The direct effects of perceived social impact and social worth on work engagement, and the mediating role of prosocial motivation supported the hypothesis that perceptions of social impact and social worth may strengthen the motives to “do good” (prosocial motivation), leading to an upward spiral that cultivates work engagement among members of the military.

Reflexive work and the duality of self-leadership

The concept of self-leadership is known and accepted, but still under-researched. By considering the reflexive work involved in the process of self-leadership, we seek to understand what factors are relevant for managers to be effective in a sustainable and productive way. We ask how managers engage in self-leadership. Empirically, we find that self-leadership is a process that can be translated into the capability of handling and sustaining four dualities: challenge and routine; self and others; nonwork and work; mind and body.

Managing motivation in the contact center: The employment relationship of outsourcing and temporary agency workers

Grounded in self-determination theory (SDT), this research builds a motivation profile typology of contingent workers in the contact center industry, compares outsourcer (OW) and temporary agency workers’ (TAW) profiles, and differentiates their human resources practices (HRP) perceptions and affective commitment. The hypotheses were tested in a sample of 2078 Portuguese contingent workers, through several statistical procedures, including latent profile analysis. Six profiles were identified. As expected, OW were mostly in the more intrinsic profiles, whereas TAW were in the more extrinsic ones. However, the contingent employment format did not moderate the relationship between motivation, HRP perceptions, and affective commitment.

Measuring Job Satisfaction in Portuguese Military Sergeants and Officers: Validation of the Job Descriptive Index and the Job in General Scale.

This article presents the psychometric properties of the Job Descriptive Index (JDI) and Job in General (JIG) instruments with a Portuguese representative sample of military sergeants and officers. Demographic correlates of job satisfaction are also investigated. The sample consists of 413 sergeants and 362 officers in different hierarchical positions, who equally perform different functions. The results show high internal consistency coefficients for the scores on the JDI and JIG subscales, ranging from .76 to .92. The data support a 6-factor structure of job satisfaction. The results offer empirical support for the Portuguese adaptation of the JDI and JIG scales with these militaries. Pay and promotion opportunities emerge as the job satisfaction dimensions more related to the demographic variables.