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1 – 10 of over 3000Lore Bellemans, Geert Devos, Melissa Tuytens and Eva Vekeman
Work-related stress is a significant occupational health issue. Stress cannot be viewed separately from the perceptual or interpretive act by the individual. Self-efficacy is a…
Abstract
Purpose
Work-related stress is a significant occupational health issue. Stress cannot be viewed separately from the perceptual or interpretive act by the individual. Self-efficacy is a personal characteristic that explains a high proportion of variation in the performance of school principals.
Design/methodology/approach
The current study examines if the COVID-pandemic is related to burnout among school principals. Additionally, the study analyzes if the self-efficacy of school principals plays a mediating role in the impact that the COVID-19 crisis had on their burnout level. To explore this, the authors used survey data of 981 Flemish school principals.
Findings
The findings indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic is related to feelings of burnout among Flemish school principals. In addition, self-efficacy mediated the relationship between the COVID-19 scale and the four core subscales of burnout: exhaustion, mental distance, emotional impairment and cognitive impairment. No mediating effect of self-efficacy was found for the secondary symptoms of burnout, psychological distress and psychosomatic complaints.
Originality/value
This paper emphasizes the importance of school principal's self-efficacy experiences for crisis management. Implications for school leadership training and support are discussed.
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Hannah Vivian Osei, Justice Arthur, Francis Aseibu, Daniel Osei-Kwame, Rita Fiakeye and Charity Abama
The purpose of the study is to examine the psychological impact of COVID-19 on health workers' career satisfaction and intention to leave the health profession, with neurotic…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the study is to examine the psychological impact of COVID-19 on health workers' career satisfaction and intention to leave the health profession, with neurotic personality type as a moderator.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 277 health workers in two public hospitals in Ghana were included in this study. Purposive and convenience sampling techniques were adopted for the study, focusing on eight departments that were involved in the management of COVID-19 cases. Validated instruments were used to measure burnout, intention to leave, neurotic personality and career satisfaction. Using AMOS and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), various techniques were employed to analyze mediating and moderating mechanisms.
Findings
The departments had staff sizes ranging from 19 to 40, with 67% female and 33% male, with an average age of 31. Nurses accounted for the majority of responses (67.8%), followed by physicians (13.9%), sonographers (0.9%), lab technicians (0.9%) and other respondents (16.5%). The study found that health workers’ level of burnout during COVID-19 had a positive effect on their intention to leave the health profession. Career satisfaction does not mediate this relationship; however, career satisfaction negatively influences the intention to leave the health profession. A neurotic personality does not moderate this relationship.
Originality/value
This study provides validation of burnout and intention to leave among health workers in Ghana during COVID-19 and supports the proposition that threats to resources (burnout) and having a resource (career satisfaction) have effects on the intention to leave one’s profession.
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The governmental public health workforce provides essential public health services to communities from public health agencies operations at the local, state, and federal levels of…
Abstract
The governmental public health workforce provides essential public health services to communities from public health agencies operations at the local, state, and federal levels of government. The roles and duties of public health workers range from infectious disease tracking and control to healthy eating promotion to checking food service establishments for safety. Unfortunately, most of the time, the general public is unaware of, and unconcerned with, public health’s primary mission of disease prevention. This behind-the-scenes, service-oriented workforce has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by working long hours, extra days, and ever-changing job roles, all while becoming targets of political attacks and enduring substantially elevated psychological distress and burnout. Though this workforce is not well enumerated, existing studies indicate that public health workers face higher anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and burnout than other frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic response. Several strategies have been suggested to address these vulnerabilities, including increasing the amount and stability of available funding, implementing organizational-level policies and programming to boost resilience, and providing individual-level social support, both instrumental and emotional, to protect against burnout and other psychological distresses.
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Yvette Mucharraz y Cano, Diana Davila Ruiz and Karla Cuilty Esquivel
This study aims to understand how the recent COVID-19 pandemic impacted burnout levels among working mothers in leadership positions and how income and work schemes play an…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to understand how the recent COVID-19 pandemic impacted burnout levels among working mothers in leadership positions and how income and work schemes play an important role in their burnout.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 961 working mothers and fathers in leadership positions in Mexico under different work schemes during the COVID-19 lockdown. Snowball sampling was used in this study. The Maslach Burnout Inventory General Survey was distributed online, using the burnout scale, with income and work schemes as categorical variables.
Findings
Burnout levels among working mothers in leadership positions were higher than those among working fathers. The hybrid work scheme (i.e. working from home combined with working from office) lessens burnout in working mothers, contributing both theoretically and empirically to better understanding burnout levels of mothers in leadership positions.
Practical implications
The findings can encourage human resource areas to reflect on the overexertion and work stress of mothers in leadership positions, and potential support resources can be provided to motivate them and retain their talent.
Originality/value
The introduction of the notion of lockdown in a conceptual model to observe its interaction with burnout and hybrid work schemes (i.e. working from the office and home) has rarely been discussed in existing literature. The impact, especially for working mothers in leadership positions, must be thus carefully considered while dealing with future crises, thereby helping to develop policies and processes accordingly.
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Chin Ann Chong, Lee Peng Ng and I-Chi Chen
This study evaluates the moderating role of work-based social supports (i.e. supervisor support and co-worker support) in the relationship between job insecurity and job burnout…
Abstract
Purpose
This study evaluates the moderating role of work-based social supports (i.e. supervisor support and co-worker support) in the relationship between job insecurity and job burnout among hospitality employees in Malaysia. Besides, the direct effect between job insecurity and job burnout is examined.
Design/methodology/approach
The cross-sectional data of this study were based on a total of 220 self-administered questionnaires that have been completed by hospitality employees from three different states in Malaysia. Respondents were recruited based on a snowball sampling approach. The data were collected during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was from October 2020 to January 2021.
Findings
Partial least square-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was performed via SmartPLS software. The finding confirmed that job insecurity significantly intensifies employees' job burnout. Supervisor support and co-worker support were found to moderate the link between job insecurity and burnout. As anticipated, the relationship between job insecurity and job burnout increased when supervisor support is low. But high co-worker support was found to strengthen the impact of job insecurity on job burnout instead of the reverse.
Originality/value
This study supplements the existing literature by clarifying which sources of work-based social support (i.e. co-worker support or supervisor) is more salient in alleviating the adverse impact of job insecurity on job burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic among hospitality employees in Malaysia.
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There is a link between stress experienced during adversity and negative outcomes, which demands the identification of mechanisms to minimize the harm. However, to date, these…
Abstract
Purpose
There is a link between stress experienced during adversity and negative outcomes, which demands the identification of mechanisms to minimize the harm. However, to date, these mechanisms remain unclear. This study will help us understand how to reduce the negative impact of COVID-19 stress (CS) on COVID-19 burnout (CB). The purpose of this study is to investigate the mediating role of meaning in life (MIL) in the relationship between CS and CB in the general population.
Design/methodology/approach
During the second wave of COVID-19 in India, 514 adults aged 18–75 years (M = 33.11 ± SD =10.42) completed the survey online. Testing of the model was conducted using the structural equation modeling technique.
Findings
Results indicated that CS had a positive impact on CB. CS explained 49% of the variance in CB. A mediation model was used to examine the relationship between CS and CB through MIL, which was also supported.
Practical implications
These findings explain the efficacy of MIL in reducing harm. It is imperative to promote MIL to prevent negative outcomes. Instead of treating symptoms of disorders, psychologists, mental health professionals and health-care workers should focus on prevention.
Originality/value
The model explains the underlying mechanisms between CS and CB. This is among the very few studies attempting to explore these variables among the general population. Therefore, it adds to the literature on ways to reduce the negative impact of stressors.
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Preeadashnie Pillay, Caren Brenda Scheepers and Rick Diesel
The COVID-19 pandemic has burdened the health-care system and exposed nurses to immense stress. This study therefore aims to investigate nurses’ mental well-being who are working…
Abstract
Purpose
The COVID-19 pandemic has burdened the health-care system and exposed nurses to immense stress. This study therefore aims to investigate nurses’ mental well-being who are working with COVID-19-positive patients. Burnout leads to decreased productivity and manifests as emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation (cynicism) and low personal accomplishment (professional efficacy). Authentic leadership is built on a humanistic value system, which is the core value of nurses and other health-care professionals. This study therefore used authentic leadership as the independent variable.
Design/methodology/approach
A cross-sectional quantitative research method was adopted by distributing validated online questionnaires to 1,334 nurses in a private pathology laboratory and 241 questionnaires were analysed with 93.4% female respondents. Multiple linear regression model testing was conducted.
Findings
Multiple regression analyses showed statistically significant negative correlations between authentic leadership and emotional exhaustion, cynicism, job stress and job-stress-related presenteeism, and a positive correlation between authentic leadership and professional efficacy.
Practical implications
This study provides empirical data to encourage organisations to focus on developing authentic leaders to decrease nurses’ burnout, job stress and presenteeism. The health-care sector should strive to create an environment where nurses are valued and their talent is recognised to increase employee engagement and commitment.
Originality/value
There were two contributions in this study: first, to determine whether there is a relationship between authentic leadership job stress and job-stress-related presenteeism. Second, to determine whether there is a relationship between authentic leadership and the three sub-constructs of burnout.
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Kristina W. Kintziger and Jennifer A. Horney
Little attention has been given to the mental and physical health impacts of COVID-19 on the academic public health workforce. Academic public health is an important support…
Abstract
Little attention has been given to the mental and physical health impacts of COVID-19 on the academic public health workforce. Academic public health is an important support mechanism for public health practice, providing expertise and workforce training, conducting research, disseminating evidence-based scientific information to both public health and lay audiences, and serving as a supplementary workforce when additional resources are needed. These roles become more important during a public health emergency, particularly during a prolonged public health crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the COVID-19 response, the roles of academic public health have expanded to include developing and implementing contact tracing, surveillance, testing, and vaccination programs for universities and their surrounding communities, all while continuing to prepare students and support the public health practice workforce in their ongoing efforts. As in other responder groups, this has resulted in significant mental health effects and burnout among public health academicians. The authors suggest important steps that can be taken to improve the resilience of the academic public health workforce and to support their contributions during prolonged public health emergencies.
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Inzamam Ul Haq and Chunhui Huo
The objective of this paper is to examine the profound repercussions of workplace bullying (WB), emotional exhaustion (EE), and psychological distress (PD) on poor job performance…
Abstract
Purpose
The objective of this paper is to examine the profound repercussions of workplace bullying (WB), emotional exhaustion (EE), and psychological distress (PD) on poor job performance (PJP) within the intricacies of Thailand’s healthcare sector. It also seeks to elucidate the moderating influence of COVID-19 burnout (CBO) on these variables.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper utilized a quantitative research approach. A total of 230 responses were collected from healthcare workers using convenience sampling during a significant surge of the coronavirus in March 2022. To assess the reliability and correlations between constructs, a dual-stage structural equation modeling (SEM) technique was applied.
Findings
During the global health crisis caused by COVID-19, WB and PD were found to positively predict PJP, except for EE. The presence of WB elevated EE and PD among Thai hospital staff. PD and EE partially mediated the relationship between WB and PJP. The positive moderating role of CBO among hospital employees significantly buffered the relationship between WB and EE.
Originality/value
The originality of this study lies in the examination of the poor mental health of Thai healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare reforms are required to protect the mental health of Thai healthcare staff to prevent poor job performance following unprecedented circumstances.
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Building on social exchange and leader-member exchange theories, this paper aims to propose a model of the impact of coronavirus-induced anxiety on health-care professionals’…
Abstract
Purpose
Building on social exchange and leader-member exchange theories, this paper aims to propose a model of the impact of coronavirus-induced anxiety on health-care professionals’ burnout and turnover intention through the mediation role of servant leadership.
Design/methodology/approach
This model was examined by adopting partial least square-based structural equation modeling using data collected from 271 health professionals (doctors, nurses, midwives and analysts) from Turkey.
Findings
The findings of the research illustrate that coronavirus-induced anxiety is positively associated with burnout and turnover intention. Furthermore, servant leadership mediates the relationship between coronavirus-induced anxiety, burnout and turnover intention. Yet, according to factor loadings, the mediating role of servant leadership is not strong (β : 0.035 and 0.053, respectively).
Research limitations/implications
First, this study targeted the health-care professionals from Turkey. Therefore, this population may not be able to provide general information on the topic. Thus, this study suggests that the subject be addressed in other populations as well. Second, the data were self-reported by the participants. Although common method bias and social desirability bias were not an issue in this study, it should be known that the results are based on the subjective judgments of the participants. Third, this study was limited to investigating the mediating role of servant leadership only.
Practical implications
This study gives much beneficial information to both administrators and organizations by mirroring highly stressed workers’ inside throughout statistically results. Hence, it is assumed that the findings will help leaders to cope with several difficult situations, especially in crisis moments. As the chaotic circumstances occurred, achieving organizational goals became more and more difficult. To do this, some leaders play critical roles for members like servant leaders by contributing uniquely spiritual dimensions.
Social implications
Struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated the health-care professionals’ existing mental health and has loaded more agitation on them. According to Mozes (2021), suicide cases among nurses have doubled the number of women in the general population. Thus, leaders should do something to lower those ratios. This study points out that servant leaders could break down those unwanted issues by decreasing burnout and turnover intention rates of health workers. Barbuto and Wheeler (2006) highlighted this situation by creating a dimension called “The Natural Desire to Serve Others.”
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, to date, this study is the first to examine the mediating role of servant leadership in the effect of coronavirus-induced anxiety on burnout and turnover intention. Furthermore, this research reveals that servant leadership may play a role in avoiding burnout and turnover intention in the health sector.
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