Sarah-Geneviève Trépanier

On the psychological and motivational processes linking job characteristics to employee functioning: Insights from self-determination theory

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to provide insight into the differential relationships between job characteristics (job demands and resources) and employee functioning by examining the psychological and motivational processes involved. Drawing on self-determination theory, we tested a model in which job demands are positively related to negative manifestations of employee functioning (psychological distress and psychosomatic complaints) through psychological need frustration and low-quality work motivation (controlled motivation), whereas job resources are positively related to positive manifestations of employee functioning (work engagement and job performance) through need satisfaction and high-quality work motivation (autonomous motivation). Data were collected from 699 Canadian nurses. Structural equation modelling (SEM) results support the proposed model: psychological needs and work motivation partially mediated the relationship between job characteristics and employee functioning. Specifically, job demands negatively predicted employee functioning (high distress and psychosomatic complaints, low engagement and performance) through need frustration and controlled motivation. In contrast, while positively predicting need satisfaction and negatively predicting need frustration, job resources fostered optimal work motivation (more autonomous and less controlled motivation) and employee functioning. The implications for self-determination theory (SDT) and research on occupational health and stress are discussed.

Transformational leadership and optimal functioning at work: On the mediating role of employees' perceived job characteristics and motivation

This study aimed to deepen our understanding of the motivational mechanisms involved in the relationship between transformational leadership (TFL) and employee functioning. Drawing on the TFL literature, the job demands–resources model and self-determination theory, we propose an integrative model that relates TFL to employee psychological health (burnout and psychological distress), attitudes (occupational commitment and turnover intention) and performance (professional efficacy, self-reported individual and objective organizational performance) through two explanatory mechanisms: perceived job characteristics (job demands and resources) and employee motivation (autonomous and controlled). This research was conducted in two occupational settings (nurses and school principals), using a distinct variable operationalization for each. Results of both studies provide support for the hypothesized model, suggesting that TFL relates to optimal job functioning (psychological health, job attitudes and performance) by contributing to favourable perceptions of job characteristics (more resources and less demands) and high-quality work motivation (more autonomous motivation and less controlled motivation) in employees. Theoretical contributions and managerial implications as well as directions for future research are presented.

Workplace Psychological Harassment in Canadian Nurses: a Descriptive Study

This descriptive study investigated workplace psychological harassment in a sample of 1179 Canadian nurses. Two complementary types of assessment were used: exposure to negative behaviors and perceived victimization. Results revealed that exposure to negative behaviors was associated with certain sociodemographic variables (i.e. job status and the amount of overtime performed weekly), lower psychological health, and poorer functioning at work. Although many nurses reported being exposed to negative behaviors, few perceived these behaviors as psychological harassment per se. However, regardless of perceptions of victimization, exposure to negative behaviors was detrimental to nurses’ psychological health and functioning at work. Practical implications are discussed.

Work environment antecedents of bullying: a review and integrative model applied to registered nurses

OBJECTIVES AND DESIGN This review paper provides an overview of the current state of knowledge on work environment antecedents of workplace bullying and proposes an integrative model of bullying applied to registered nurses. DATA SOURCES AND REVIEW METHODS A literature search was conducted on the databases PsycInfo, ProQuest, and CINAHL. Included in this review were empirical studies pertaining to work-related antecedents of workplace bullying in nurses. RESULTS A total of 12 articles were maintained in the review. An examination of these articles highlights four main categories of work-related antecedents of workplace bullying: job characteristics, quality of interpersonal relationships, leadership styles, and organizational culture. A conceptual model depicting the interplay between these factors in relation to bullying is also presented. Suggestions regarding other factors to incorporate within the model (e.g., individual factors, outcomes of bullying) are provided to increase our understanding of bullying in registered nurses. CONCLUSIONS This paper hopes to guide future efforts in order to effectively prevent and/or address this problem and ultimately ensure patient safety and quality of care provided by health care organizations.

Testing and extending the triple match principle in the nursing profession: a generational perspective on job demands, job resources and strain at work

AIM The Triple Match Principle offers insight into the interactive interplay between job demands and job resources in the prediction of work-related strain. The aim of this article was to examine the interplay among job demands, job resources and strain in the nursing profession (the Triple Match Principle) and to gain insight into potential generational differences by investigating generation as a moderator of that interplay. BACKGROUND No research has been done to evaluate generational differences in the Triple Match Principle. In a context of nursing shortages, it seems important to examine the relevance of the Triple Match Principle with respect to different generations of nurses. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. METHODS A total of 1254 public healthcare sector nurses in Quebec, Canada, completed a questionnaire in the autumn of 2010. The questionnaire was used to assess cognitive, emotional and physical job demands and resources; psychological distress; psychosomatic complaints; and turnover intention. RESULTS The results supported the Triple Match Principle and showed that job resources were more likely to buffer the effect of job demands on strain as the degree of match in qualitative dimension among demands, resources and strain increased (33·3% of triple-match interactions, 22·22% of double-match interactions and 16·67% non-match interactions were significant). Moreover, generation played a key role in this interplay, as it increased the number of significant qualitative interactions among job demands, job resources and strain. CONCLUSIONS The results underscore the necessity of providing adequate job resources tailored to the specific job demands nurses face, to counteract the negative effects of those demands.

Longitudinal relationships between workplace bullying, basic psychological needs, and employee functioning: a simultaneous investigation of psychological need satisfaction and frustration

The aim of this cross-lagged study was to provide new insight into the interplay between workplace bullying, basic psychological needs (for autonomy, competence, and relatedness), and employee functioning. Based on new developments in self-determination theory (SDT) research, we simultaneously examined the temporal relationships between workplace bullying, need satisfaction and frustration, as well as two indicators of psychological functioning: life satisfaction and psychosomatic complaints. Data were collected at two time points over a 12-month period from a sample of 508 Canadian nurses. Results suggest that bullying not only negatively predicted satisfaction for the needs of autonomy and competence, it actively frustrated all three needs. Frustration of the needs for competence and relatedness as well as satisfaction of the need for relatedness also predicted the psychological functioning of employees exposed to bullying behaviour over time. Taken together, the results suggest that evaluating need frustration provides in-depth insight into the detrimental effects of bullying on employees’ psychological inner resources and may explain the impoverishment of employees’ psychological functioning when confronted with bullying behaviour. The implications for the bullying and SDT literature are discussed.

Mental health self-management questionnaire: Development and psychometric properties

BACKGROUND Through self-management, people living with depression, anxiety or bipolar disorders can play an active role in their recovery. However, absence of a validated questionnaire limits empirical research on self-management. The study aimed to develop a French instrument, the Mental Health Self-Management Questionnaire (MHSQ), and to investigate its psychometric properties METHODS A pool of 86 items was created based on a qualitative study with 50 people in recovery from depression, anxiety or bipolar disorders. The 64 most pertinent items were identified following ratings from 14 experts. A sample of 149 people in recovery completed these items and criterion-related measures (specific aspects of self-management, clinical and personal recovery, social desirability), and 93 participants also completed MHSQ two weeks later RESULTS Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses show that MHSQ is composed of three subscales: Clinical (getting help and using resources), Empowerment (building upon strengths and positive self-concept to gain control) and Vitality (active and healthy lifestyle). These subscales had satisfying consistency and test-retest reliability, and were mostly unrelated to social desirability. Correlations with criterion variables support convergent and concurrent validity, especially for Empowerment and Vitality. Comparison of structural models provides evidence of the distinct nature of MHSQ in comparison to the constructs of clinical and personal recovery LIMITATIONS Longitudinal studies with larger samples are needed to explore the validity of MHSQ for predicting recovery over time CONCLUSION MHSQ is a psychometrically-sound instrument, useful for establishing the role of self-management in recovery and monitoring the efficacy of self-management support programs.