Michael T. Ford

Work and family satisfaction and conflict: A meta-analysis of cross-domain relations.

This meta-analysis is a review of the literature examining the relations among stressors, involvement, and support in the work and family domains, work-family conflict, and satisfaction outside of those domains. Results suggest that a considerable amount of variability in family satisfaction is explained by work domain-specific variables, whereas a considerable amount of variability in job satisfaction is explained by family domain-specific variables, with job and family stress having the strongest effects on work-family conflict and cross-domain satisfaction. The authors propose future directions for research on work and family issues focusing on other explanatory mechanisms and moderators of cross-domain relations.

Perceived unfairness and employee health: a meta-analytic integration.

A growing body of research has suggested that the experience of injustice, psychological contract breach, or unfairness can adversely impact an employees health. We conducted a meta-analysis to examine the effects of unfairness perceptions on health, examining types of fairness and methodological characteristics as moderators. Results suggested that perceptions of unfairness were associated with indicators of physical and mental health. Furthermore, psychological contract breach contributed to the prediction of strain-related indicators of health above and beyond that accounted for by injustice alone.

Perceived Organizational Support A Meta-Analytic Evaluation of Organizational Support Theory

Organizational support theory (OST) proposes that employees form a generalized perception concerning the extent to which the organization values their contributions and cares about their well-being (perceived organizational support, or POS). Based on hypotheses involving social exchange, attribution, and self-enhancement, we carried out a meta-analytic assessment of OST using results from 558 studies. OST was generally successful in its predictions concerning both the antecedents of POS (leadership, employee–organization context, human resource practices, and working conditions) and its consequences (employee’s orientation toward the organization and work, employee performance, and well-being). Notably, OST successfully predicted the relative magnitudes of different relationships, influences of process variables, and mediational effects. General implications of the findings for OST and research on POS are discussed.

How do occupational stressor-strain effects vary with time? A review and meta-analysis of the relevance of time lags in longitudinal studies

Through a meta-analysis of longitudinal studies from 68 samples, this study examines the role of time in three types of occupational stressor-strain effects. First, this study reviews the extent to which correlations between stressors and strains when both are measured at the same time point (i.e. synchronous effects) change with the passage of time. Second, this review examines the extent to which stressors predict increases in strain (i.e. lagged effects) and whether these effects vary across different time lags. Third, this paper considers the extent to which strains predict increases in stressors (i.e. reverse causation effects), and whether these effects vary across different time lags. Results indicate that synchronous effects tend to increase over time, suggesting that the effects of chronic stressors build up through cumulative exposure. Lagged effects were generally small but their magnitude increased over time for about three years before declining, whereas the average size of reverse causation effects was also small but tended to increase across time. The lagged and reverse causation effects were highly variable, especially among studies with sample sizes under 500, suggesting that large sample sizes are needed to detect them reliably. Implications for longitudinal occupational stress theory and research are discussed.

Relationships between psychological, physical, and behavioural health and work performance: A review and meta-analysis

The relationships between health and job performance problems have received increased attention in business and scientific communities. This paper attempts to synthesize theoretical and empirical work in this arena. First, the theoretical links between health and work performance are presented. This is followed by a meta-analysis of the relations between psychological, physical, and behavioural health variables and work performance criteria. Meta-analytic results from 111 independent samples obtained from a search of the literature indicate that psychological health, in the form of psychological well-being, depression, general anxiety, and life satisfaction, is a moderate-to-strong correlate of work performance. Associations between physical health, particularly somatic complaints and hypertension, and performance were weak-to-moderate. Regarding health behaviour, alcohol consumption, and smoking were weakly and sleep problems moderately associated with performance problems. Effect sizes sometimes differed across performance dimensions and data sources. The results are consistent with the notion that ill-health is associated with substantial reductions in work performance. This implies that interventions to improve health may have an impact on performance. However, as most of the research in this area has been cross-sectional, more longitudinal research is needed to test theoretical and alternative causal explanations for the relations summarized in this review.

Investment in workforce health: exploring the implications for workforce safety climate and commitment.

The relationship between investment in employee health and non-health outcomes has received little research attention. Drawing from social exchange and climate theory, the current study uses a multilevel approach to examine the implications of worksite health investment for worksite safety and health climate and employee safety compliance and commitment to the worksite. Data were collected from 1932 personnel working on 31 offshore installations operating in UK waters. Installation medics provided corporate workforce health investment details for 20 of these installations. The findings provide support for a strong link between health investment practices and worksite safety and health climate. The results also found a relationship between health investment practices and organizational commitment among employees. These results suggest that health investment practices are associated with committed workforces and climates that reflect a priority on health and safety.

Negative and positive spillover between work and home

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to test a model of the relations between positive and negative work‐to‐home interference home‐to‐work interference on perceived stress, and job satisfaction.Design/methodology/approach – The mediating role of negative and positive work‐to‐home interference (WHI) and home‐to‐work interference (HWI) was examined. Perceived stress as a mediator was also tested. Data were obtained from a sample of 283 French employees.Findings – The results of structural equation modeling indicated that perceived stress partially mediated the relationship between negative or positive work‐home/home‐work interference and job satisfaction. The implications and methodological limitations are discussed.Practical implications – The study suggests the importance of studying relationships between work life and home life in organizational policies. Current research suggests that employee commitment is particularly high in organizations that have work‐life balance policies.Originality/value – How...

A work–family conflict/subjective well-being process model: A test of competing theories of longitudinal effects.

In the present study, we examine competing predictions of stress reaction models and adaptation theories regarding the longitudinal relationship between work-family conflict and subjective well-being. Based on data from 432 participants over 3 time points with 2 lags of varying lengths (i.e., 1 month, 6 months), our findings suggest that in the short term, consistent with prior theory and research, work-family conflict is associated with poorer subjective well-being. Counter to traditional work-family predictions but consistent with adaptation theories, after accounting for concurrent levels of work-family conflict as well as past levels of subjective well-being, past exposure to work-family conflict was associated with higher levels of subjective well-being over time. Moreover, evidence was found for reverse causation in that greater subjective well-being at 1 point in time was associated with reduced work-family conflict at a subsequent point in time. Finally, the pattern of results did not vary as a function of using different temporal lags. We discuss the theoretical, research, and practical implications of our findings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

Intrinsic motivation, performance, and the mediating role of mastery goal orientation: a test of self-determination theory.

ABSTRACT Although intrinsic motivation has been linked repeatedly to performance and outcomes, the causal relationship between the two has remained unclear. To explain the link, this study considered the focusing influence of mastery goals. Using a three-wave panel study and hypotheses drawn from self-determination theory and achievement goal theory, the current study sought to clarify the relationships between intrinsic motivation, mastery goal orientation, and performance. Specifically, the current study hypothesized and found that mastery goals mediated (explained) the relationship between intrinsic motivation and performance.

Relations among occupational hazards, attitudes, and safety performance.

This study examined psychological empowerment and organizational identification as outcomes of occupational context and predictors of occupational safety performance. In this study, 171 hospital employees from 17 units and 21 occupations completed surveys measuring psychological empowerment, organizational identification, and supervisor safety practices. They also completed measures of 2 dimensions of safety performance: use of personal protective equipment and safety participation. These data were merged with Occupational Information Network (O*NET) context ratings of occupational hazards and physical demands. Results indicated that occupational hazards were negatively related to individual-level psychological empowerment and organizational identification, which were in turn positively related to safety participation. Psychological empowerment and organizational identification also interacted with perceptions of supervisor safety actions in the prediction of personal protective equipment use. Results have implications for organizational safety performance and point to the role of occupational context in psychological empowerment and the extent to which employees participate in the safety of their worksite.