Abstract
Work Engagement: Is it Something More or Too Much of a Good Thing?
12th EAOHP Conference: Book of Proceedings, p.141
European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology: Occupational Health Psychology in Times of Change: Society and the workplace, 12th (Athens, Greece, 11-Apr-2016–13-Apr-2016)
2016
Abstract
Work engagement is viewed as an outcome of the employees' experiences in the workplace, as it increases with more resources and reduces with excessive demands. In this paper, we examine the role of work engagement as an indicator variable, compared against personal and work resources and work demands, in three diverse populations. It was hypothesised that work engagement could be an additional resource that increases, for example, job satisfaction and prevents, for example, burnout. Moreover, it was also possible to determine if work engagement could be considered as 'too much'. If so, then the presence of resources and demands would account for the benefits of work engagement, leaving only the negative aspects of excessive engagement (evident by negative suppression in the regression models). Centre directors, teachers and room assistants (N = 214) working in early childhood; registered nurses and nursing assistants (N = 198) working in aged care; and a sample of employees across diverse occupations (N = 117) independently completed online surveys consisting of work and personal characteristics. The analyses consisted of two stages: first, hierarchical multiple regressions (HMRs) added work engagement as the final block; and second, the PROCESS macros for SPSS using mediation to explore the indirect pathways that included the effects of work engagement. The outcomes were job satisfaction, emotional exhaustion, cynicism and professional efficacy. The HMRs for each outcome used the same format, as Block 1: personal resources (e.g., dispositional optimism), Block 2: workplace resources (e.g., skill discretion), Block 3: workplace demands (e.g., workload) and Block 4: work engagement. Each block in the HMRs added significant variance to the outcomes, and this pattern was observed across all samples. Work engagement was a positive and significant predictor of greater job satisfaction, higher professional efficacy, less emotional exhaustion, lower cynicism, and did not show evidence of negative suppression. Across the samples, the general pattern was that personal resources were initial strong predictors of the outcomes, then the successive additions of workplace resources and demands partially mediated their effect. Work engagement predicted strongly and positively the outcomes over and above the first three blocks of variables. Whilst the effects of job demands were not mediated by work engagement, resources lead to work engagement, which in turn predicted all of the outcomes. The enthusiasm that the participants felt about their work provided a balance to cope with the work demands. When enthusiasm was lessened, demands would increase, leading to lower levels of job satisfaction and increased burnout. Mediation analyses in each sample explored the indirect effects of work engagement as contributors to the outcomes. In a similar manner to the regressions, the indirect pathways through work engagement were significant, over and above the direct effects of personal and workplace resources. Regardless of place or type of employment, work engagement provided the participants with an additional and substantial benefit. In these samples, engagement provided a buffer for burnout and added to job satisfaction, highlighting the importance of enthusiasm and zest to sustaining individuals at work.
Details
- Title
- Work Engagement: Is it Something More or Too Much of a Good Thing?
- Authors
- Prudence M Millear (Author) - University of the Sunshine CoastRoxane Gervais (Author)
- Contributors
- Kevin Teoh (Editor)Vlad Dediu (Editor)Nathalie Jean Sadde (Editor)Juliet Hassard (Editor)
- Publication details
- 12th EAOHP Conference: Book of Proceedings, p.141
- Conference details
- European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology: Occupational Health Psychology in Times of Change: Society and the workplace, 12th (Athens, Greece, 11-Apr-2016–13-Apr-2016)
- Publisher
- European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology
- Date published
- 2016
- ISBN
- 9780992878627
- Organisation Unit
- School of Social Sciences - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; Engage Research Lab; School of Health - Psychology; School of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Legacy
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99451480402621
- Output Type
- Abstract
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