Academic literature on the topic 'Job Demands-Resources Model'

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) within the framework of the job demands-resources (JD-R) model. Design/methodology/approach The sample of N=597 white-collars in the German media and IT industry is drawn via the professional network XING. Cross-sectional mediator models are used to test the hypothesis. Findings The processes proposed by the JD-R model find empirical support. Job demands primarily cause exhaustion while job resources increase job satisfaction. Besides, job demands reduce job satisfaction and job resources lead to less exhaustion. An exception is found for cognitive workload which rather acts like a job resource. EO mediates these effects in a favorable way. High job resources foster EO, which in turn reduces exhaustion and enhances job satisfaction. For job demands, EO shows a negative mediation reducing the health-impairment process and increasing job satisfaction. Research limitations/implications Future research should broach the issue of adverse effects related to extreme employee entrepreneurship and potential negative effects. Practical implications Supporting and supervising an EO may help employees to cope with modern job profiles in agile organizations. Originality/value The findings provide support for a favorable mediating role of an entrepreneurial personal resource within the JD-R model. This knowledge may be used to consider individual work orientations and to organize work in a “healthy” way.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to test the hypothesized relationships between job demands, job resources and personal resources toward work engagement, by utilizing a cross section of Thai employees.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, a group of employees (n=416) responded to a set of self-report surveys on job demands, job resources, personal resources and work engagement.FindingsThe results of the hierarchical regression analysis supported the relationships between job demands (i.e. workload and role conflict), job resources, personal resources (self-efficacy) and work engagement. In addition, the results supported the role of (positive) self-esteem as moderator in the role ambiguity and work engagement relationship, and the role of self-efficacy in buffering the effect of role conflict and workload on work engagement. The final model explained 43 percent of the variance in the dependent variable.Research limitations/implicationsThis study will help managers in understanding employee expectations and providing appropriate feedback. Devising effective jobs, which lead to perceptions of meaningfulness, safety and availability leading to improved engagement.Originality/valueThis is the first study employing the job demands resources model in a cross-sectional study in Thailand.

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to investigate whether the main propositions of the job demands-resources (JDR) model are moderated by type of contract (i.e. temporary contract vs permanent contract). Design/methodology/approach – Survey data were collected in a large, heterogeneous sample from different countries, sectors, and jobs (n=3,845). Hypotheses were tested by means of multilevel analyses. Findings – Results showed moderate support for the main effects of job demands (job insecurity and time pressure) and job resources (autonomy and social support) and weak support for the buffer effect of job resources in the prediction of job satisfaction and general health. The impact of contract type on the main propositions of the JDR model appeared to be weak. Yet, the evidence that was found suggests that temporary workers may be more tolerant to job insecurity and more likely to benefit from the buffering role of autonomy than permanent workers. Originality/value – This is the first study to investigate whether the relation between job demands and job resources and employee health and well-being differs for permanent workers and temporary workers.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to integrate leadership into the job demands-resources (JD-R) model. Based on self-determination theory, it was argued that engaging leaders who inspire, strengthen, and connect their followers would reduce employee’s levels of burnout and increase their levels of work engagement. Design/methodology/approach – An online survey was conducted among a representative sample of the Dutch workforce (n=1,213) and the research model was tested using structural equation modeling. Findings – It appeared that leadership only had an indirect effect on burnout and engagement – via job demands and job resources – but not a direct effect. Moreover, leadership also had a direct relationship with organizational outcomes such as employability, performance, and commitment. Research limitations/implications – The study used a cross-sectional design and all variables were based on self-reports. Hence, results should be replicated in a longitudinal study and using more objective measures (e.g. for work performance). Practical implications – Since engaged leaders, who inspire, strengthen, and connect their followers, provide a work context in which employees thrive, organizations are well advised to promote engaging leadership. Social implications – Leadership seems to be a crucial factor which has an indirect impact – via job demands and job resources – on employee well-being. Originality/value – The study demonstrates that engaging leadership can be integrated into the JD-R framework.

Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The South African health care system is tormented by various challenges ranging from income inequalities, extreme resource scarcities to discrimination and violence. This makes the health care industry a tough work environment for health care personnel to operate in. South Africa has experienced the loss of thousands of nurses over the past decade, either emigrating or leaving the nursing profession altogether (Tshitangano, 2013). Consequently, this trend drew the attention to the well-being of nurses in South Africa. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the level of work engagement among private sector nurses in the Western Cape, together with their levels of job demands, job resources, personal resources, performance and job crafting. This was done using the Job Demands-Resources model (JD-R) of work engagement. The comprehensive JD-R model was tested and the validity of the proposed relationships between the constructs was examined. Moreover, additional paths in the model were proposed and tested. Managerial implications along with practical interventions were derived from the results with the aim to increase nurse well-being and retention. An ex post facto correlational design was used to test the formulated hypotheses in this research study. Quantitative data were collected from 311 nurses employed by a private hospital group by means of non-probability convenience sampling. A self-administered paper copy survey was distributed to hospitals given that they agreed to participate in the research. The survey was voluntary, anonymous and confidential. The survey consisted of five sections and included questions from five existing questionnaires, namely, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-17) (Schaufeli & Bakker, 2003), the Job Demands-Resources Scale (Rothman, Mostert & Strydom, 2006), the Work Design Questionnaire (Morgeson & Humhprey, 2006), the Psychological Capital Self-Rated Version (PsyCap-24) (Luthans, Avolio, Avey & Norman, 2006), and the Job Crafting Scale (Tims, Bakker & Derks, 2012). In order to test the statistical significance of the hypotheses, the data were subjected to Structural Equation modelling and regression analyses. The results indicated that the nurses experienced a high level of work engagement, and elucidated the fact that job resources, job demands, and job crafting aspects of their jobs are in need of industrial psychologist or managerial interventions.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Suid-Afrikaanse gesondheidsisteem word geteister deur verskeie uitdagings wat onder andere inkomste ongelykhede, ekstreme hulpbron skaarshede, diskriminasie en geweld insluit. Dit maak die gesondheidsindustrie ʼn moeilike werksomgewing vir gesondheidspersoneel om in te werk. Suid-Afrika het duisende verpleegsters oor die laaste dekade verloor as gevolg van emigrasie, terwyl ander die professie in geheel verlaat het (Tshitangano, 2013). Gevolglik het hierdie tendens die aandag getrek na die welstand van verpleegsters in Suid-Afrika. Die primêre doel van hierdie studie was om die vlak van werksbetrokkenheid onder ʼn steekproef van privaatsektor verpleegsters in die Wes-Kaap te ondersoek, tesame met hulle vlakke van werkseise, werkshulpbronne, persoonlike hulpbronne, werksprestasie en posverryking. Die Job Demands-Resources model (JD-R) of work engagement is vir hierdie doel ingespan. Die omvattende model tesame met die geldigheid van die voorgestelde verhoudings tussen die konstrukte is getoets. Addisionele verhoudings is ook voorgestel en getoets. Bestuursimplikasies en praktiese intervensies is van die resultate afgelei en word aan bestuurders voorgelê as moontlike oplossings om verpleegsters se welstand en retensie te verhoog. ʼn Ex post facto korrelasie-ontwerp is gebruik om die geformuleerde hipoteses in hierdie studie te toets. Kwantitatiewe data is van 311 verpleegsters ingesamel wat deur ʼn private hospitaalgroep in diens geneem word. Nie-waarskynlikheid gerieflikheidsteekproeftrekking is gebruik om die steekproef te bepaal. ʼn Self-geadministreerde vraelys is ontwikkel en as harde kopie uitgestuur na dié hospitale wat ingestem het om aan die navorsing deel te neem. Die vraelys is vrywillig, anoniem en konfidensieel ingevul en het uit vyf seksies bestaan. Die vyf seksies se vrae is opgemaak uit verskeie bestaande vraelyste, naamlik, die Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-17) (Schaufeli & Bakker, 2003), die Job Demands-Resources Scale (Rothman, Mostert & Strydom, 2006), die Work Design Questionnaire (Morgeson & Humhprey, 2006), die Psychological Capital Self-Rated Version (PsyCap-24) (Luthans, Avolio, Avey & Norman, 2006), en die Job Crafting Scale (Tims, Bakker & Derks, 2012). Ten einde die statistiese beduidendheid van die hipoteses te toets, is die data deur strukturele vergelykingsmodellering en regressie-ontledings ontleed. Die resultate dui daarop dat die verpleegsters 'n hoë vlak van werksbetrokkenheid ervaar, en dat werkshulpbronne, werkseise en posverrykende aspekte van hulle werk bestuurs- of bedryfsielkundige intervensies verlang.

Although the Job Demands-Resources Model (JD-R) is the dominant theoretical framework used to understand the relationship between workplace factors and employee well-being, the cross-cultural generalizability of this model has seldom been directly tested. Therefore, this study examined whether and to what extent relationships between: 1) job demands (i.e., organizational constraints) and strain (i.e., job satisfaction, and turnover intentions) and 2) job resources (i.e., job control, participation in decision-making, direct supervisor support, senior leader support, and clear goals and performance feedback) and strain were moderated by cultural dimensions (i.e., individualism-collectivism and uncertainty avoidance). Survey data from workers in 28 countries were used to examine these questions. Results revealed that culture-level individualism-collectivism and uncertainty avoidance independently and significantly moderated some job demands-strain and job resources-strain outcomes relationships. Specifically, job control and senior leaders support was consistently and more strongly, negatively related to strain in more individualistic cultures, and participation in decision-making was more strongly, negatively related to strain in more collectivistic cultures when using cultural scores from both Hofstede and GLOBE taxonomies. In contrast, although I also uncovered some significant moderating effects of culture-level uncertainty avoidance on job demands-strain and job resources-strain relationships, the results from these analyses were often in the opposite pattern when GLOBE versus Hofstede cultural scores were used. Overall, the present study sheds light on the generalizability versus specificity of the JD-R model across cultural contexts.

Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model (Bakker & Demerouti, 2007) provides valuable insight in identifying the antecedents and consequences of work stress and engagement. Nevertheless, the roles of personal resources and differentiated job demands (i.e., challenge demands and hindrance demands) have received less attention in the literature. Studies on their interaction effects are even rarer. This thesis reports two studies intending to fill this gap of knowledge. Study 1 aimed to develop a new scale of energy management strategies (EMS) at work and to demonstrate its reliability. A self-administered questionnaire survey adopting a cross-sectional design was conducted among 323 employees recruited from different occupations in Hong Kong. Results of exploratory factor analyses showed that the new scale comprised three main factors with good reliabilities. The aims of Study 2 were two-fold: a) to cross-validate the new EMS scale developed in Study 1; b) to investigate the roles (i.e., as antecedent and moderator) of personal resources (energy management strategies and recovery experiences) and different job demands in the JD-R model. A self-administered questionnaire survey adopting a cross-sectional design was conducted among 173 teachers in Hong Kong. Consistent with the results of Study 1, results of confirmatory factor analyses also suggested a three-factor structure of the energy management strategies scale. As hypothesized, EMS and recovery experiences were positively associated with work engagement, such association was especially strong under challenge demands. Besides, both challenge and hindrance demands were positively related to exhaustion. EMS was the only tested personal resource that could mitigate the relationship between challenge demands and exhaustion. None of the tested personal resources mitigated the relationship between hindrance demands and exhaustion. Theoretical contribution and practical implications of research findings are discussed in the thesis.

While many employees are engaged in their jobs, others suffer from poor working conditions and impaired well-being. Research suggests that job demands may impair employee work attitudes and health while both job resources and personal resources can have positive effect. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the relative importance of job demands, job resources, and a personal resource (self-efficacy) for employees’ health and motivation at work. Questionnaire data were collected from white-collar employees of a Swedish construction company (n = 156). Results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed the relative importance of job demands, job resources and personal resources. The job demands were negatively related to health and motivation at work, while the job resources and the personal resource were linked to better health and motivation. The findings generally supported the hypotheses. The specific types of demands and resources were significant varied across outcomes and, unexpectedly, workload was positively correlated with job performance. The findings contribute to a growing literature which indicates that lower job demands and access to both job resources and personal resources may improve employees' health and motivation at work.

Probation officers are subject to a great deal of stress. The goal of this study is to examine occupational stress and burnout by testing and modifying the Job Demands-Resources model. This model suggests that organizational characteristics have implications for individual outcomes related to stress. However, the model neglects the role of individual factors, such as resilience and coping. In coordination with the Probation Association of New Jersey, this study tests the modified model using cross-sectional surveys from 184 probation officers. Results suggest that resilience influences how individuals perceive and cope with stress, maladaptive strategies lead to burnout, and burnout is associated with increased health concerns and turnover.

Organisations in the chemical industry face many demands. They have to distinguish themselves from their competitors in the market through technological advancement, market changes and the constant drive to be the best. Other demands include political pressures, e.g. employment equity and diversity management. Furthermore they have to attempt to reduce costs as well as to increase productivity. These pressures may have either a negative or positive effect on employees which could in turn impact on their energy and motivation. Higher job demands and a lack of job resources could result in high levels of exhaustion, demotivation, dissatisfaction and disengagement. Job demands refer to those physical, psychological or organisational aspects of the job that require specific effort and are associated with physiological and psychological costs. Job resources refer to the aspects of the job that may be functional in meeting task requirements and may reduce the physiological and psychological costs; they may also stimulate growth as well as the development of an individual. The objective of this study was to test a structural model of work-related well-being showing the relationships amongst the variables of job demands, job resources, exhaustion, mental distance, vitality, work devotion, health and organisational commitment. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The participants (JV=265) included employees working for a business within the chemical industry. The South-African Employee Health and Wellness Survey (SAEHWS) was used to gather data on the work-related well-being of employees. Descriptive statistics, Cronbach's alpha coefficients, correlation coefficients and structural equation modelling were used to analyse the data. The results indicated that high job demands and insufficient job resources resulted in high levels of burnout (exhaustion and mental distance), which led to physical and psychological ill health. Adequate job resources on the other hand resulted in work-related well-being (low burnout and high work engagement), which in turn resulted in organisational commitment. Growth opportunities within the job and organisational support played an important role in the well-being of the employees. Recommendations for future research were made.
Thesis (M.A. (Industrial psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

This study examines the determining factor of nurses' occupational stress in public hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Despite the increasing number of occupational stress studies in the healthcare industry, occupational stress studies are still at an early stage of development in Saudi Arabia, and further research is recommended. The objectives of this research are: (1) to identify the occupational stress levels among nurses in public-sector hospitals in Saudi Arabia; (2) to examine the influence of job demands on the anxiety and turnover intention of nurses working in public-sector hospitals in Saudi Arabia; (3) to investigate the influence of job resources on the turnover intention and happiness of nurses working in public-sector hospitals in Saudi Arabia; (4) to determine the mediating effects of emotional exhaustion on the relationship between job demands and anxiety and turnover intention on nurses working in public-sector hospitals in Saudi Arabia; and (5) to ascertain the mediating effects of work engagement on the relationship between job resources and the turnover intention and happiness of nurses working in public-sector hospitals in Saudi Arabia. The study was conducted as a two-stage empirical study employing sequential exploratory mixed-methods approach starting with interviews with 15 nurses, analysing the data then revising the questionnaire and distributing to a sample of nurses at five hospitals. The study used thematic analysis to analyse the qualitative data and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and AMOS to analyse the 512 questionnaires. The conceptual model was validated through Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), which includes two kinds of models: the measurement model or confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and the structural model which is conducted to approve the hypotheses and the performance of the suggested conceptual framework. The study findings indicated that the level of nurses' stress is very high and has negative outcomes if the job demands (stressors) exceed the nurses' abilities. Emotional demands, work-family conflict and workload are the main job demands identified. Procedural fairness and perceived organizational support are identified as the main job resources. This study also examines the mediation role of emotional exhaustion and work engagement. More specifically, its shows that emotional exhaustion mediates the relationship between emotional demands, work-family conflict, workload and anxiety, whereas emotional exhaustion only mediates the relation between work-family conflict and turnover intention. Conversely, work engagement mediates the relation between procedural fairness and turnover intention and happiness. Contributions of the study, research and practical implications, and future research directions are also discussed.

The present dissertation focuses on burnout and work engagement among teachers, with especial focus on the Job-Demands Resources Model: Chapter 1 focuses on teacher burnout. It aims to investigate the role of efficacy beliefs using negatively worded inefficacy items instead of positive ones and to establish whether depersonalization and cynism can be considered two different dimensions of the teacher burnout syndrome. Chapter 2 investigates the factorial validity of the instruments used to measure work engagement (i.e. Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, UWES-17 and UWES-9). Moreover, because the current study is partly longitudinal in nature, also the stability across time of engagement can be investigated. Finally, based on cluster-analyses, two groups that differ in levels of engagement are compared as far as their job- and personal resources (i.e. possibilities for personal development, work-life balance, and self-efficacy), positive organizational attitudes and behaviours (i.e., job satisfaction and organizational citizenship behaviour) and perceived health are concerned. Chapter 3 tests the JD-R model in a longitudinal way, by integrating also the role of personal resources (i.e. self-efficacy). This chapter seeks answers to questions on what are the most important job demands, job and personal resources contributing to discriminate burned-out teachers from non-burned-out teachers, as well as engaged teachers from non-engaged teachers. Chapter 4 uses a diary study to extend knowledge about the dynamic nature of the JD-R model by considering between- and within-person variations with regard to both motivational and health impairment processes.

The present dissertation focuses on burnout and work engagement among teachers, with especial focus on the Job-Demands Resources Model: Chapter 1 focuses on teacher burnout. It aims to investigate the role of efficacy beliefs using negatively worded inefficacy items instead of positive ones and to establish whether depersonalization and cynism can be considered two different dimensions of the teacher burnout syndrome. Chapter 2 investigates the factorial validity of the instruments used to measure work engagement (i.e. Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, UWES-17 and UWES-9). Moreover, because the current study is partly longitudinal in nature, also the stability across time of engagement can be investigated. Finally, based on cluster-analyses, two groups that differ in levels of engagement are compared as far as their job- and personal resources (i.e. possibilities for personal development, work-life balance, and self-efficacy), positive organizational attitudes and behaviours (i.e., job satisfaction and organizational citizenship behaviour) and perceived health are concerned. Chapter 3 tests the JD-R model in a longitudinal way, by integrating also the role of personal resources (i.e. self-efficacy). This chapter seeks answers to questions on what are the most important job demands, job and personal resources contributing to discriminate burned-out teachers from non-burned-out teachers, as well as engaged teachers from non-engaged teachers. Chapter 4 uses a diary study to extend knowledge about the dynamic nature of the JD-R model by considering between- and within-person variations with regard to both motivational and health impairment processes.

Includes bibliographical references.
Employee wellbeing has become a major concern for organisations globally, with an increased interest in the prevention of burnout and the maximisation of employee work engagement. Burnout and work engagement are of particular importance to organisations due to their respective negative and positive outcomes on employees. While burnout is linked to high turnover intentions and low performance, work engagement has a positive correlation with job satisfaction, life satisfaction and extra-role performance. Accordingly, the job demands-resources (JD-R) model was developed as a theoretical framework, highlighting those work characteristics that predict employee work engagement and burnout. A main criticism of the JD-R model is its lack of consideration for the impact of personal resources on employee wellbeing. Emanating from this concern, the current study used the conservation of resources (COR) theory to empirically test whether the personal resource of psychological capital or PsyCap (conceptualised as self-efficacy, hope, optimism and resilience) interacted within the health impairment and motivation processes of the JD-R model. More specifically, this study examined whether PsyCap moderated the relationship between job demands and burnout and mediated the relationship between job resources and work engagement.

Latin America and the Caribbean, unlike other regions, is still quite young demographically: people over age 60 make up around 11% of the total population. However, the region is expected to experience the fastest rate of population aging in the world over the coming decades. This projected growth of the elderly population raises challenges related to pensions, health, and long-term care. At the same time, it opens up numerous business opportunities in different sectorshousing, tourism, care, and transportation, for examplethat could generate millions of new jobs. These opportunities are termed the “silver economy,” which has the potential to be one of the drivers of post-pandemic economic recovery. Importantly, women play key roles in many areas of this market, as noted in the first report published by the IDB on this subject (Okumura et al., 2020). This report maps the actors whose products or services are intended for older people and examines silver economy trends in the region by sector: health, long-term care, finance, housing, transportation, job market, education, entertainment, and digitization. The mapping identified 245 actors whose products or services are intended for older people, and it yielded three main findings. The first is that the majority of the actors (40%) operate in the health and care sectors. The prevalence of these sectors could be due to the fact that they are made up of many small players, and it could also suggest a still limited role of older people in active consumption, investment, and the job market in the region. The second finding is that 90% of the silver economy actors identified by the study operate exclusively in their countries of origin, and that Mexico has the most actors (47), followed by the Southern Cone countriesBrazil, Chile, and Argentinawhich have the regions highest rates of population aging. The third finding is that private investment dominates the silver economy ecosystem, as nearly 3 out of every 4 actors offering services to the elderly population are for-profit enterprises. The sectors and markets of the silver economy differ in size and degree of maturity. For example, the long-term care sector, which includes residential care settings, is the oldest and has the largest number of actors, while sectors like digital, home automation, and cohousing are still emerging. Across all sectors, however, there are innovative initiatives that hold great potential for growth. This report examines the main development trends of the silver economy in the region and presents examples of initiatives that are already underway. The health sector has a wealth of initiatives designed to make managing chronic diseases easier and to prevent and reduce the impact of functional limitations through practices that encourage active aging. In the area of long term careone of the most powerful drivers of job creationinitiatives to train human resources and offer home care services are flourishing. The financial sector is beginning to meet a wide range of demands from older people by offering unique services such as remittances or property management, in addition to more traditional pensions, savings, and investment services. The housing sector is adapting rapidly to the changes resulting from population aging. This shift can be seen, for example, in developments in the area of cohousing or collaborative housing, and in the rise of smart homes, which are emerging as potential solutions. In the area of transportation, specific solutions are being developed to meet the unique mobility needs of older people, whose economic and social participation is on the rise. The job market offers older people opportunities to continue contributing to society, either by sharing their experience or by earning income. The education sector is developing solutions that promote active aging and the ongoing participation of older people in the regions economic and social life. Entertainment services for older people are expanding, with the emergence of multiple online services. Lastly, digitization is a cross-cutting and fundamental challenge for the silver economy, and various initiatives in the region that directly address this issue were identified. Additionally, in several sectors we identified actors with a clear focus on gender, and these primarily provide support to women. Of a total of 245 actors identified by the mapping exercise, we take a closer look at 11 different stories of the development of the silver economy in the region. The featured organizations are RAFAM Internacional (Argentina), TeleDx (Chile), Bonanza Asistencia (Costa Rica), NudaProp (Uruguay), Contraticos (Costa Rica), Maturi (Brazil), Someone Somewhere (Mexico), CONAPE (Dominican Republic), Fundación Saldarriaga Concha (Colombia), Plan Ibirapitá (Uruguay), and Canitas (Mexico). These organizations were chosen based on criteria such as how innovative their business models are, the current size and growth potential of their initiatives, and their impact on society. This study is a first step towards mapping the silver economy in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the hope is to broaden the scope of this mapping exercise through future research and through the creation of a community of actors to promote the regional integration of initiatives in this field.

AbstractThis chapter presents models, measures, and intervention approaches that relate to the double nature of work and its salutogenic quality. Hereby, the view of Aaron Antonovsky is enhanced insofar that health-promoting, salutogenic job characteristics are not solely understood as mitigating the pathogenic effects of stressors at work but have a distinct effect on positive health outcomes. In the chapter, Antonovsky’s original model is first specified and simplified for the context of work. Next, Antonovsky’s line of thinking is related to frameworks researching job resources and demands. After a review of the prevalence of salutogenic measures in worksite health promotion, the point of making salutogenesis more visible in work-related research and practice is elaborated. This is illustrated with a practical example of a survey-feedback process promoting salutogenic work.

The purpose of this chapter is to report on the findings of a study that was conducted by the author to investigate the impact of job demands variables on emotional exhaustion and emotional ill-health. A sample of 173 drawn from employees who worked for different organizations in the Pacific, mainly Australia, the African region, the Indian subcontinent of India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, and employees who professed Christian and Hindu religions. A broad range of ages, occupations, ethnicities, religions, and cultures was represented in the sample, that is, the targeted population were employees whose different contexts and characteristics (e.g., attitudes, occupations, ages, marital status, religion, opinions, behaviors, and other defined variables) could be measured and allowed to generalize the results. The study used a quantitative research design. A diversity of findings were established with some findings being consistent with the JD-R theory and previous studies across the cultures while other findings were not consistent with previous studies and the JDR theory.

Working from anywhere relies heavily on information communication technologies (ICT). Scholars are increasingly utilizing a tension-based research lens to investigate organisational paradoxes which are rooted in opposite tendencies that might negate one another. Thus, computer-mediated communication can be both demanding and resourceful. The aim of this chapter is to present an analytical framework integrating three distinct but interrelated perspectives (task, medium and individual) to account for individuals' perceptions of job demands and job resources associated with the usage of ICT when working from anywhere. This chapter draws on insights from theories of media choice and communication performance, the self-determination theory and the job demands-resources model to better understand the impact of communication in the remote setting.

This study investigated the effects of spiritual resource variables on employee emotional exhaustion and emotional ill-health across different geographical regions in the context of job demands and resources (JD-R) theory. Overall, the findings largely confirmed the JD-R hypothesis as spiritual resources did not directly predict emotional exhaustion and subsequently emotional ill-health. The study further confirmed that spiritual resources are relatively independent since spiritual resources were seen to be directly associated with the motivation process of the JD-R model. The findings also suggested that the effects of spiritual resources on emotional exhaustion and emotional ill-health may differ across cultures. Although these findings largely supported the JD-R model and previous studies, in some cases, some findings were not similar across cultures. The findings provided tangible information and data to decision-makers allowing them to make informed choices about which spiritual resource variables mitigate emotional exhaustion and emotional ill-health in different cultures.

Community pharmacists are one of the most accessible front-liners against the COVID-19 pandemic. Whilst playing a vital role in medication supply and patient education, exposure to pandemic demands and prolonged stressors such as risk of infection increases their risk of burnout. Using the Job Demands-Resources theory, this research aims to identify factors affecting community pharmacists’ COVID-19-related burnout, their coping strategies against it, and recommendations on interventions to mitigate it. This is a qualitative study in which Qatar community pharmacists, with informed consent, took part in semi-structured focus groups/interviews which were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using inductive/deductive analysis. Twelve themes emerged from six focus groups, six dyadic interviews and mini focus groups, and four individual interviews. The contributing factors to community pharmacist’ burnout were identified as practical job demands, and emotional demands such as fear of infection. However, government and workplace-specific resources, pharmacists’ personal characteristics such as resiliency and optimism, as well as implementation of coping strategies, reduced their stress and burnout. This is the first study to explore the contributing factors to community pharmacists’ COVID-19-related burnout using the job-demands resource model. In turn, individual, organizational, and national recommendations can be made to mitigate burnout in community pharmacists during the pandemic.

"The ongoing outbreak of COVID-19 is severely affecting many areas of everyday life, including family, education, and work. Hence, safety at work – both physical and psychological – plays a central role for organizations, which need to be productive while, at the same time, preserving employees' health and well-being. Building on the job demands-resources (JD-R) model applied to safety at work, in this study we proposed that the perceived risk of being infected with COVID-19 at work can be conceptualized as a job demand (i.e., a risk factor for work-related stress). We also proposed that negative affectivity (i.e., a dispositional dimension that reflects pervasive individual differences in negative emotionality and self-concept; NA) may be conceived as a personal demand, that is, an individual characteristic that hinders employees' abilities to effectively cope with their work environment. Hence, according to the health impairment process of the JD-R, in this study we hypothesized that the perceived risk of being infected at work (PRIW) is positively associated with psycho-physical strain (i.e., stress-related psycho-physical symptoms), which, in its turn, is negatively associate with employees’ job performance. We also hypothesized that NA affects the association between PRIW and psycho-physical strain, which is expected to be stronger for high-NA individuals. The study was carried out on a sample of 353 workers who completed a self-report questionnaire aimed at determining PRIW, NA, psycho-physical strain, and job performance. Data were analyzed using path analysis. Results showed that PRIW was positively associated with psycho-physical strain, which, in its turn, was negatively associate with job performance. The association between PRIW and job performance was not significant. Interestingly, NA moderated the association between PRIW and psycho-physical strain, which was stronger for high-NA individuals, and not significant for low-NA individuals. Overall, this study suggests that the JD-R can be successfully applied to safety at work during the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19. In line with the JD-R, PRIW (a job demand) was negative associated with workers' health and job performance, although indirectly in the latter case. Moreover, NA (a personal demand) exacerbated the association between PRIW and psycho-physical strain. From a practical standpoint, this study suggests that organizations should provide workers with adequate job resources to manage the risk of infection and achieve their objectives safely (i.e., primary prevention). Furthermore, in terms of secondary prevention, interventions could help high-NA employees to develop skills to cope effectively with the risk of infection at work."

Attention to safety and health are of ever-increasing priority to industrial organizations. Good Safety is demanded by stockholders, employees, and the community while increasing injury costs provide additional motivation for safety and health excellence. Safety has always been a strong corporate value of DuPont and a vital part of its culture. As a result, DuPont has become a benchmark in safety and health performance. Since 1990, DuPont has re-engineered itself to meet global competition and address future vision. In the new re-engineered organizational structures, DuPont has also had to re-engineer its safety management systems. A special Discovery Team was chartered by DuPont senior management to determine the “best practices’ for safety and health being used in DuPont best-performing sites. A summary of the findings is presented, and five of the practices are discussed. Excellence in safety and health management is more important today than ever. Public awareness, federal and state regulations, and enlightened management have resulted in a widespread conviction that all employees have the right to work in an environment that will not adversely affect their safety and health. In DuPont, we believe that excellence in safety and health is necessary to achieve global competitiveness, maintain employee loyalty, and be an accepted member of the communities in which we make, handle, use, and transport products. Safety can also be the “catalyst” to achieving excellence in other important business parameters. The organizational and communication skills developed by management, individuals, and teams in safety can be directly applied to other company initiatives. As we look into the 21st Century, we must also recognize that new organizational structures (flatter with empowered teams) will require new safety management techniques and systems in order to maintain continuous improvement in safety performance. Injury costs, which have risen dramatically in the past twenty years, provide another incentive for safety and health excellence. Shown in the Figure 1, injury costs have increased even after correcting for inflation. Many companies have found these costs to be an “invisible drain” on earnings and profitability. In some organizations, significant initiatives have been launched to better manage the workers’ compensation systems. We have found that the ultimate solution is to prevent injuries and incidents before they occur. A globally-respected company, DuPont is regarded as a well-managed, extremely ethical firm that is the benchmark in industrial safety performance. Like many other companies, DuPont has re-engineered itself and downsized its operations since 1985. Through these changes, we have maintained dedication to our principles and developed new techniques to manage in these organizational environments. As a diversified company, our operations involve chemical process facilities, production line operations, field activities, and sales and distribution of materials. Our customer base is almost entirely industrial and yet we still maintain a high level of consumer awareness and positive perception. The DuPont concern for safety dates back to the early 1800s and the first days of the company. In 1802 E.I. DuPont, a Frenchman, began manufacturing quality grade explosives to fill America’s growing need to build roads, clear fields, increase mining output, and protect its recently won independence. Because explosives production is such a hazardous industry, DuPont recognized and accepted the need for an effective safety effort. The building walls of the first powder mill near Wilmington, Delaware, were built three stones thick on three sides. The back remained open to the Brandywine River to direct any explosive forces away from other buildings and employees. To set the safety example, DuPont also built his home and the homes of his managers next to the powder yard. An effective safety program was a necessity. It represented the first defense against instant corporate liquidation. Safety needs more than a well-designed plant, however. In 1811, work rules were posted in the mill to guide employee work habits. Though not nearly as sophisticated as the safety standards of today, they did introduce an important basic concept — that safety must be a line management responsibility. Later, DuPont introduced an employee health program and hired a company doctor. An early step taken in 1912 was the keeping of safety statistics, approximately 60 years before the federal requirement to do so. We had a visible measure of our safety performance and were determined that we were going to improve it. When the nation entered World War I, the DuPont Company supplied 40 percent of the explosives used by the Allied Forces, more than 1.5 billion pounds. To accomplish this task, over 30,000 new employees were hired and trained to build and operate many plants. Among these facilities was the largest smokeless powder plant the world had ever seen. The new plant was producing granulated powder in a record 116 days after ground breaking. The trends on the safety performance chart reflect the problems that a large new work force can pose until the employees fully accept the company’s safety philosophy. The first arrow reflects the World War I scale-up, and the second arrow represents rapid diversification into new businesses during the 1920s. These instances of significant deterioration in safety performance reinforced DuPont’s commitment to reduce the unsafe acts that were causing 96 percent of our injuries. Only 4 percent of injuries result from unsafe conditions or equipment — the remainder result from the unsafe acts of people. This is an important concept if we are to focus our attention on reducing injuries and incidents within the work environment. World War II brought on a similar set of demands. The story was similar to World War I but the numbers were even more astonishing: one billion dollars in capital expenditures, 54 new plants, 75,000 additional employees, and 4.5 billion pounds of explosives produced — 20 percent of the volume used by the Allied Forces. Yet, the performance during the war years showed no significant deviation from the pre-war years. In 1941, the DuPont Company was 10 times safer than all industry and 9 times safer than the Chemical Industry. Management and the line organization were finally working as they should to control the real causes of injuries. Today, DuPont is about 50 times safer than US industrial safety performance averages. Comparing performance to other industries, it is interesting to note that seemingly “hazard-free” industries seem to have extraordinarily high injury rates. This is because, as DuPont has found out, performance is a function of injury prevention and safety management systems, not hazard exposure. Our success in safety results from a sound safety management philosophy. Each of the 125 DuPont facilities is responsible for its own safety program, progress, and performance. However, management at each of these facilities approaches safety from the same fundamental and sound philosophy. This philosophy can be expressed in eleven straightforward principles. The first principle is that all injuries can be prevented. That statement may seem a bit optimistic. In fact, we believe that this is a realistic goal and not just a theoretical objective. Our safety performance proves that the objective is achievable. We have plants with over 2,000 employees that have operated for over 10 years without a lost time injury. As injuries and incidents are investigated, we can always identify actions that could have prevented that incident. If we manage safety in a proactive — rather than reactive — manner, we will eliminate injuries by reducing the acts and conditions that cause them. The second principle is that management, which includes all levels through first-line supervisors, is responsible and accountable for preventing injuries. Only when senior management exerts sustained and consistent leadership in establishing safety goals, demanding accountability for safety performance and providing the necessary resources, can a safety program be effective in an industrial environment. The third principle states that, while recognizing management responsibility, it takes the combined energy of the entire organization to reach sustained, continuous improvement in safety and health performance. Creating an environment in which employees feel ownership for the safety effort and make significant contributions is an essential task for management, and one that needs deliberate and ongoing attention. The fourth principle is a corollary to the first principle that all injuries are preventable. It holds that all operating exposures that may result in injuries or illnesses can be controlled. No matter what the exposure, an effective safeguard can be provided. It is preferable, of course, to eliminate sources of danger, but when this is not reasonable or practical, supervision must specify measures such as special training, safety devices, and protective clothing. Our fifth safety principle states that safety is a condition of employment. Conscientious assumption of safety responsibility is required from all employees from their first day on the job. Each employee must be convinced that he or she has a responsibility for working safely. The sixth safety principle: Employees must be trained to work safely. We have found that an awareness for safety does not come naturally and that people have to be trained to work safely. With effective training programs to teach, motivate, and sustain safety knowledge, all injuries and illnesses can be eliminated. Our seventh principle holds that management must audit performance on the workplace to assess safety program success. Comprehensive inspections of both facilities and programs not only confirm their effectiveness in achieving the desired performance, but also detect specific problems and help to identify weaknesses in the safety effort. The Company’s eighth principle states that all deficiencies must be corrected promptly. Without prompt action, risk of injuries will increase and, even more important, the credibility of management’s safety efforts will suffer. Our ninth principle is a statement that off-the-job safety is an important part of the overall safety effort. We do not expect nor want employees to “turn safety on” as they come to work and “turn it off” when they go home. The company safety culture truly becomes of the individual employee’s way of thinking. The tenth principle recognizes that it’s good business to prevent injuries. Injuries cost money. However, hidden or indirect costs usually exceed the direct cost. Our last principle is the most important. Safety must be integrated as core business and personal value. There are two reasons for this. First, we’ve learned from almost 200 years of experience that 96 percent of safety incidents are directly caused by the action of people, not by faulty equipment or inadequate safety standards. But conversely, it is our people who provide the solutions to our safety problems. They are the one essential ingredient in the recipe for a safe workplace. Intelligent, trained, and motivated employees are any company’s greatest resource. Our success in safety depends upon the men and women in our plants following procedures, participating actively in training, and identifying and alerting each other and management to potential hazards. By demonstrating a real concern for each employee, management helps establish a mutual respect, and the foundation is laid for a solid safety program. This, of course, is also the foundation for good employee relations. An important lesson learned in DuPont is that the majority of injuries are caused by unsafe acts and at-risk behaviors rather than unsafe equipment or conditions. In fact, in several DuPont studies it was estimated that 96 percent of injuries are caused by unsafe acts. This was particularly revealing when considering safety audits — if audits were only focused on conditions, at best we could only prevent four percent of our injuries. By establishing management systems for safety auditing that focus on people, including audit training, techniques, and plans, all incidents are preventable. Of course, employee contribution and involvement in auditing leads to sustainability through stakeholdership in the system. Management safety audits help to make manage the “behavioral balance.” Every job and task performed at a site can do be done at-risk or safely. The essence of a good safety system ensures that safe behavior is the accepted norm amongst employees, and that it is the expected and respected way of doing things. Shifting employees norms contributes mightily to changing culture. The management safety audit provides a way to quantify these norms. DuPont safety performance has continued to improve since we began keeping records in 1911 until about 1990. In the 1990–1994 time frame, performance deteriorated as shown in the chart that follows: This increase in injuries caused great concern to senior DuPont management as well as employees. It occurred while the corporation was undergoing changes in organization. In order to sustain our technological, competitive, and business leadership positions, DuPont began re-engineering itself beginning in about 1990. New streamlined organizational structures and collaborative work processes eliminated many positions and levels of management and supervision. The total employment of the company was reduced about 25 percent during these four years. In our traditional hierarchical organization structures, every level of supervision and management knew exactly what they were expected to do with safety, and all had important roles. As many of these levels were eliminated, new systems needed to be identified for these new organizations. In early 1995, Edgar S. Woolard, DuPont Chairman, chartered a Corporate Discovery Team to look for processes that will put DuPont on a consistent path toward a goal of zero injuries and occupational illnesses. The cross-functional team used a mode of “discovery through learning” from as many DuPont employees and sites around the world. The Discovery Team fostered the rapid sharing and leveraging of “best practices” and innovative approaches being pursued at DuPont’s plants, field sites, laboratories, and office locations. In short, the team examined the company’s current state, described the future state, identified barriers between the two, and recommended key ways to overcome these barriers. After reporting back to executive management in April, 1995, the Discovery Team was realigned to help organizations implement their recommendations. The Discovery Team reconfirmed key values in DuPont — in short, that all injuries, incidents, and occupational illnesses are preventable and that safety is a source of competitive advantage. As such, the steps taken to improve safety performance also improve overall competitiveness. Senior management made this belief clear: “We will strengthen our business by making safety excellence an integral part of all business activities.” One of the key findings of the Discovery Team was the identification of the best practices used within the company, which are listed below: ▪ Felt Leadership – Management Commitment ▪ Business Integration ▪ Responsibility and Accountability ▪ Individual/Team Involvement and Influence ▪ Contractor Safety ▪ Metrics and Measurements ▪ Communications ▪ Rewards and Recognition ▪ Caring Interdependent Culture; Team-Based Work Process and Systems ▪ Performance Standards and Operating Discipline ▪ Training/Capability ▪ Technology ▪ Safety and Health Resources ▪ Management and Team Audits ▪ Deviation Investigation ▪ Risk Management and Emergency Response ▪ Process Safety ▪ Off-the-Job Safety and Health Education Attention to each of these best practices is essential to achieve sustained improvements in safety and health. The Discovery Implementation in conjunction with DuPont Safety and Environmental Management Services has developed a Safety Self-Assessment around these systems. In this presentation, we will discuss a few of these practices and learn what they mean. Paper published with permission.