Vânia Sofia Carvalho

Perceived High-Performance Work Systems and Subjective Well-Being Work-to-Family Balance and Well-Being at Work as Mediators

Perceived high-performance work systems (HPWS) have presented mixed results related to subjective well-being. Additionally, there remains a lack of an integrative analysis of the relationship between work–family balance and these practices. To explore this relationship more fully, we developed and tested a model that proposed work–family balance and well-being at work as mediators. Data gathered from 218 participants employed in a city council with different occupations indicated a positive relationship between perceived HPWS and work-to-family enrichment and a negative relationship between perceived HPWS and work-to-family conflict. More interestingly, based on Conservation of Resources theory and on Job-Demands Resources, the results also indicated the presence of a serial mediation model where work–family balance and well-being at work act as mediators of perceived HPWS and subjective well-being.

Work-family conflict and employee well-being over time : the loss spiral effect

Objective: The development of work-family conflict over time was analyzed using Conservation of Resources Theory. Method: The reciprocal effect between work-family conflict and employee well-being was tested with cross-lagged analyses on the basis of three waves. The sample comprised 713 employees of a Portuguese service organization. Results: Structural equation modeling analyses, with sex, age, and parental demand controlled, indicated that the work-family conflict at T1 and T2 decreases the employee psychological well-being at T2 and T3, respectively. Furthermore, employee psychological well-being at T2 had a longitudinal cross-lagged effect on work-family at T3. We concluded that employee psychological well-being at T2 predicted work-family at T3, which was a subsequent outcome of work-family conflict on T1. Conclusions: This paper highlighted the importance of organizations to consider work-family conflict to ensure employees’ well-being because they develop reciprocal relationship with a loss spiral effect.

Psychological contract profiles among permanent and temporary agency workers

Purpose – Based on the psychological contract (PC) theory, the purpose of this paper is to identify PC profiles, differentiating between permanent and temporary agency workers (TAW). Moreover, the authors analyzed whether different profiles presented different levels of work engagement. Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional survey data analysis of 2,867 workers, of whom 1,046 were TAW, was analyzed using latent profile analyses. Findings – Four PC profiles were identified, which differed quantitatively in terms of the overall dimension levels (i.e. balanced, relational and transactional) for PC (i.e. content and fulfillment). ANCOVAs showed that the relational/balanced dominant and transactional dominant profiles presented similar engagement levels for TAW, but for permanent workers the former profile showed higher engagement than the latter. However, for both permanent and TAW the fulfillment profile showed higher engagement than the unfulfillment profile. Research limitations/implications – Th...

Be well at work, be well outside work: a study with university workers

ABSTRACT University workers have been marginalized in efforts to establish well-being at work and well-being outside the workplace. To date, no studies analyzing well-being have distinguished between teaching and research academic staff (TRAS) from the service and administrative staff (SAS). The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the promotion of the well-being of university workers. Data were collected from a representative sample of workers (N = 565) at the University of Extremadura (Spain) and were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling and multi-group analyses. The results show that well-being at work is distinct for the TRAS and the SAS in terms of engagement, professional efficacy, and cynicism. The results also indicate that well-being at work has effects on well-being outside the workplace and that these effects vary according to the professional activity of university staff. This paper discusses these differences as well as their practical implications and makes suggestions for future research.

Does Work-Family Conflict Mediate the Associations of Job Characteristics With Employees’ Mental Health Among Men and Women?

Job characteristics are important to work-family conflict (WFC). Additionally, is well established that WFC has a negative impact on mental health. As such, this research aims to examine the role of WFC as a mechanism that explains the relationship between job characteristics (i.e., those establishing by the Job Demands-Control-Support Model) and workers’ mental health. Moreover, based on gender inequalities in work and non-work roles, this study analyzed gender as moderator of this mediation. Specifically, the relationship between job characteristics and WFC and the relationship between WFC and mental health could be stronger for women than for men. With a sample of 254 workers from a Portuguese services company, (61% males), and based on a multiple-group analysis, the results indicated that the WFC mediates the relationship between job characteristics (i.e., job demands and job control) and mental health. It was reinforced that job demands and lack of control could contribute to employees’ stress and, once individual’ energy was drained, the WFC could emerge. Ultimately, may be due to the presence of this conflict that individuals mental health’ is negatively affected. Contrary to our expectations, this relationship is not conditioned by gender (Z-scores were non-significant). The study results have implications for human resource management, enhancing the knowledge on the relationship between the WFC and workers’ mental health.

The work-to-life conflict mediation between job characteristics and well-being at work: Part-time vs full-time employees

The purpose of this paper is to compare part-time and full-time employees, analyzing the relationship between job characteristics and workplace well-being (i.e. burnout and engagement) and the mediating role of the work-to-life conflict with a sample of 736 employees from 14 Portuguese call center companies.,The hypotheses were tested with multiple group analysis on two samples: part-time and full-time employees.,The results confirm that in both the part-time and full-time subsamples employees’ perceptions of job characteristics are related to their well-being, and the work-to-life conflict partially mediates this relationship. Moreover, the study confirms that the relationship between employees’ perceptions of job demands and the work-to-life conflict and between the work-to-life conflict and workplace well-being were stronger for full-time than for part-time employees.,The co-relational and cross-sectional design should be regarded as limitations. Moreover, each variable was only assessed with self-reported measures, and the sample comprised call center employees from only one country (Portugal), which may constrain the generalization of these results.,Part-time work is a good solution in order to prevent the work-to-life conflict. Furthermore, a reduced workload and time pressure, enhanced decision latitude and supervisory support appear to be crucial work characteristics for employees juggling their work with other roles and in the promotion of well-being at work.,This research study provides evidence that the traditional vision of the work-family conflict requires a broader conceptualization by considering the interference between life roles, particularly in the case of full-time young employees.

Work–Family Conflict and Enrichment Mediates the Relationship Between Job Characteristics and Well-Being at Work With Portuguese Marine Corps:

This study of 175 military employees working in three units of the Portuguese Marine Corps tested the mediated effect of work–family conflict and enrichment on the relationship between job characteristics and well-being at work (i.e., burnout; engagement). Using job demands, job autonomy, and supervisor support as job characteristics, and consistent with the assumptions of acclaimed work well-being models (i.e., job demands–control and support, job demands–resources model, and conservation of resources theory), the structural equation modeling analysis revealed that job characteristics are related to both work–family conflict and enrichment, which, in turn, explain militaries’ burnout and engagement. Work–family enrichment mediated the relationship between job characteristics (i.e., autonomy and supervisor support) and engagement, and work–family conflict not only mediated the relationship between job characteristics (i.e., demands and supervisor support) and burnout but also acted as a mediator between these variables and engagement.