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Article
Publication date: 27 April 2023

Xiao-Hua Jin, Sepani Senaratne, Ye Fu and Bashir Tijani

The problem of stress is increasingly gaining attention in the construction industry in recent years. This study is aimed at examining the causes, effects and possible alleviation…

Abstract

Purpose

The problem of stress is increasingly gaining attention in the construction industry in recent years. This study is aimed at examining the causes, effects and possible alleviation of stress of project management (PM) practitioners so that their stress could be appropriately managed and reduced, which would contribute to improved mental health.

Design/methodology/approach

Primary data were collected in an online questionnaire survey via Qualtrics. Questions ranged from PM practitioners’ stressors, stress and performance under stress to stress alleviation tools and techniques. One hundred and five PM practitioners completed the questionnaire. Their responses were compiled and analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation and regression.

Findings

The results confirmed that the identified stressors tended to increase stress of PM practitioners. All stressors tested in this study were found to have negative impact on the performance of PM practitioners. In particular, the burnout stressors were seen as the key stressors that influence the performance of PM practitioners and have a strong correlation with all the other stressors. It was also found that a number of tools and techniques can reduce the impact of stressors on PM practitioners.

Originality/value

This study has taken a specific focus on stress-related issues of PM practitioners in the construction industry due to their critical role in this project-dominated industry. Using the Job Demand-Resource theory, a holistic examination was not only conducted on stress and stressors but also on alleviation tools and techniques. This study has thus made significant contribution to the ongoing research aimed at finding solutions to mental health-related problems in the project-dominated construction industry, thereby achieving the United Nations’ social sustainability development goals.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 December 2022

Yung-Shen Yen

This study is based on the stimulus–organism–response (SOR) model to examine how job demands and technology overload affect work stress for workers using video conferencing apps…

Abstract

Purpose

This study is based on the stimulus–organism–response (SOR) model to examine how job demands and technology overload affect work stress for workers using video conferencing apps (VCAs) in organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the moderating effect of technology self-efficacy was tested in the model on the relationship between technology overload and work stress.

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey was conducted to investigate workers on PTT forums in Taiwan. A sample was obtained of 253 workers, and structural equation modeling was conducted using AMOS to test the hypotheses.

Findings

Job demands positively affect work stress through information overload, communication overload and system feature overload. Moreover, high technology self-efficacy may weaken the relationship between technology overload and work stress.

Research limitations/implications

The study may have sample bias because our sample was obtained from an online survey on social networking sites. Regarding the theoretical implications, this study demonstrated that technology overload, as an internal organism, is a critical mediator influencing the relationship between job demands (stimulus) and work stress (response). Thus, this study extended the applicability of the SOR model in the context of working with VCAs in organizations.

Practical implications

Company managers need to effectively control the information amount, communication interruptions and system features of social media at optimum levels for workers. Moreover, companies should recruit workers with high technology self-efficacy or provide technology training and technology-related consulting to those with low technology self-efficacy.

Originality/value

The extant work stress knowledge is extended to workers using VCAs in organizations.

Details

Aslib Journal of Information Management, vol. 76 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-3806

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 January 2023

Kamelia Chaichi, Alexander Trupp, Mageswari Ranjanthran and K. Thirumaran

Employee well-being in a casino work environment is crucial for the quality of work-life and employees' performance. This study examines the dimensions of well-being at a casino…

Abstract

Purpose

Employee well-being in a casino work environment is crucial for the quality of work-life and employees' performance. This study examines the dimensions of well-being at a casino in Malaysia to gain deeper insights into employee challenges and motivational factors to arrive at practical mitigation efforts.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted a qualitative approach involving 14 semi-structured interviews with casino employees in Malaysia. Interviews lasted 30 min to 2 h at a time when Covid-19 was raging in 2021. Responses were analysed via a data-driven approach and coded using NVivo software to delineate the contents into analytical categories of well-being dimensions.

Findings

The findings suggest that employees at the casino face challenges in achieving work-life balance. Employee's well-being suffers from insufficient break time, irregular working hours affecting family time, managing customer temper tantrums and lack of emotional support systems and remunerations altered by the pandemic. Women employees were particularly vulnerable.

Research limitations/implications

The findings suggest a need to create better working conditions and address well-being with counselling support for stress management, a balanced approach by employers to the “customer is always right” mantra, creating promising career pathways and supervisors to have better oversight of workaholics. The research focused only on one casino and there was limited access to management departments for an organizational perspective.

Originality/value

This study adds to the body of knowledge on employee well-being in the context of a casino. It suggests hospitality and tourism organizations review their human resource practices that would ease the stresses at the workplace and create support systems to promote employee well-being. Crucially, in a pandemic crisis, well-being dimensions must be accommodating and integrative to employee sentiments, sensitivity and self-actualization.

Details

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, vol. 42 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-7149

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 December 2023

Vijay Kuriakose and Sumant Kumar Bishwas

This study aims to understand the relationship between family incivility and employees' organisational citizenship behaviour. It also explores the mediating role of negative…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to understand the relationship between family incivility and employees' organisational citizenship behaviour. It also explores the mediating role of negative rumination and the moderating roles of workplace friendship and optimism.

Design/methodology/approach

To test the hypothesised relationships, 381 responses were collected from employees at two-time points. The hypothesised relationships were tested using process macros.

Findings

The results indicated that family incivility is negatively related to organisational citizenship behaviour and increases negative rumination. The study also established the mediating role of negative rumination in the relationship between family incivility and organisational citizenship behaviour. The study also supported the buffering role of workplace friendship and optimism in the relationship between family incivility and negative rumination.

Research limitations/implications

The study findings extend the understanding of how a non-work stressor can influence employee behaviour in the organisation. The study findings provide valuable directions to mitigate family incivility's adverse effects and extend the existing body of knowledge.

Originality/value

The study is unique as it links family events to work outcomes. Only a few scholarly attempts were undertaken to understand the effect of family incivility on employees' work behaviours. By explaining the mechanism and conditions, the study has a unique value to the scholarship.

Details

Evidence-based HRM: a Global Forum for Empirical Scholarship, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2049-3983

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 29 January 2024

David Hampton-Musseau

This study aims to contribute novel insights into understanding and mitigating the harmful consequences of abusive supervision (AS) by examining the association between AS…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to contribute novel insights into understanding and mitigating the harmful consequences of abusive supervision (AS) by examining the association between AS experiences, revenge, forgiveness, and the moderating role of emotional intelligence (EI). The key argument is that employees' EI can influence the AS experience through affective processes, countering supervisors' abusive behaviors.

Methodology

A between-person scenario-based experiment was conducted with 366 participants divided into AS and control groups. The study explored the association between AS experience and revenge/forgiveness, mediated by core affect (valence and activation). EI abilities were measured as a moderator. Data analysis examined the relationships and interactions among AS, revenge/forgiveness, EI, and affective experiences.

Findings

The study reveals significant findings indicating that AS experiences were positively associated with revenge and negatively associated with forgiveness. The mediation analysis confirmed the role of core affect in these relationships. EI emerged as a moderator, shaping the association between AS experiences and revenge/forgiveness. Importantly, participants with higher EI exhibited lower revenge intentions, demonstrating the potential of EI to mitigate the adverse effects of AS. Unexpectedly, individuals with high EI also expressed fewer forgiveness intentions.

Originality/Value

This study provides a comprehensive understanding of how employees can effectively counterbalance the impact of AS through higher levels of strategic EI. Examining core affect as a mediator offers novel insights into coping mechanisms in response to AS experiences and their consequences.

Limitations

The study acknowledges several limitations, as the scenarios may only partially capture the complexities of real-life AS situations. The focus on a specific context and the sample characteristics limit the generalizability of the findings. Future research should explore diverse organizational contexts and employ longitudinal designs.

Implications

The findings have practical implications for organizations as enhancing employees' EI skills through training programs interventions and integrating EI into organizational culture and leadership conduct.

Details

Emotion in Organizations
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83797-251-7

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 October 2023

Mirna Koričan Lajtman

This paper aims to understand how context-related factors impacted productivity for managers while working from home in the Luxembourgish market during the COVID-19 pandemic. It…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to understand how context-related factors impacted productivity for managers while working from home in the Luxembourgish market during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also screens for coping mechanisms causing better mental and work-related results.

Design/methodology/approach

A focus group approach was applied with 46 participants. Participants were placed into 11 groups, and the research was conducted from July 2021 to October 2021. The findings are based on the in-depth analysis of the qualitative data using atlas.ti software.

Findings

Challenges that the participants had faced while working from home during COVID-19 revealed issues in all four layers of the context-related framework. Social challenges, namely loneliness, communication and trust, were most present among those four layers. Ensuring a better person-environment fit by using different coping mechanisms by participants, produced a healthier psychological and mental state, claimed by participants.

Research limitations/implications

This research was conducted in Luxembourg and on middle managers and did not involve a large sample. Additionally, future research might strive for quantitative data to better understand the phenomenon of work from anywhere and its relations to work-life integration, stress and resilience.

Practical implications

The paper adds more clarification on the application of the context-related factors and person-environment fit necessary for resilience and thus productivity of employees. In addition, the paper may serve managers and HR managers to develop more impactful practices, processes, education and tools to support working from home.

Originality/value

The paper explores personal challenges and coping mechanisms while working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic in Luxembourg.

Details

International Journal of Organization Theory & Behavior, vol. 26 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1093-4537

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 January 2024

Mansik Yun, Nga Do and Terry Beehr

The purpose of the current research is to examine the crucial role of employees' perception of an incivility norm in predicting supervisors' incivility behaviors, which in turn…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the current research is to examine the crucial role of employees' perception of an incivility norm in predicting supervisors' incivility behaviors, which in turn, results in employees enacting incivility toward their coworkers and employees' emotional exhaustion.

Design/methodology/approach

In Study 1, an experience sampling method (a daily-diary approach) in which 143 male participants from several construction sites completed a total of 1,144 questionnaires was used . In Study 2, cross-sectional data from 156 male employees working in a manufacturing organization was collected. In Study 3, a quasi-experiment was conducted in which 33 and 36 employees were assigned to the intervention and control groups, respectively.

Findings

In Studies 1 and 2, it was revealed that employees are likely to experience their supervisor’s incivility behaviors when perceiving such incivility behaviors are more acceptable within the organization (incivility norm). Further, once employees experience incivility from their supervisor, they are more likely to enact incivility toward their coworkers and experience emotional exhaustion. In Study 3, changing organizational policies via implementing grievance procedures was effective in improving the study’s outcome variables.

Originality/value

Incivility norms predict some negative work outcomes such as incivility behaviors as both a victim and instigator, and emotional exhaustion. Further, reducing an adverse organizational norm (i.e. incivility norm) via instituting grievance procedures was effective in reducing incivility behaviors and emotional exhaustion.

Details

Leadership & Organization Development Journal, vol. 45 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7739

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 September 2022

Mei-Yung Leung, Khursheed Ahmed and Ibukun Oluwadara Famakin

Construction professionals (CPs) are often exposed to various challenges and pressures at work including urgent deadlines, high demands, uncertainty in tasks, and complex…

Abstract

Purpose

Construction professionals (CPs) are often exposed to various challenges and pressures at work including urgent deadlines, high demands, uncertainty in tasks, and complex problems, which may induce stress and affect performance directly. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) training has been used for several years to reduce stress among various types of people, such as nurses, teachers, and family caregivers, but its application to CPs with highly dynamic environment remains uncertain. This study aimed to investigate the impact of MBSR training on the performance of CPs via an intervention study involving two groups (MBSR and control).

Design/methodology/approach

Participants in both groups were assessed using a questionnaire survey and a semi-structured interview at the pre- and post-intervention stage. Multiple research methods were used to derive quantitative and qualitative analyses, including factor analysis, independent t-test, Pearson correlation, and contextual analysis.

Findings

The findings overall confirm that MBSR has a direct effect on CPs, improving their mindfulness characteristics and enhancing performance by reducing their stress.

Practical implications

A number of practical recommendations are made such as (1) arranging standard eight-week MBSR training for CPs; (2) giving special leave for attending the full mindfulness training; (3) establishing a suitable environment in the office for meditation;(4) allowing CPs an opportunity to pause at difficult moments to create space to respond instead of simply reacting; and (5) expressing love and kindness through gratitude, recognition, and regular feedback.

Originality/value

This research can be considered as valid evidence to convince construction organizations conducting MBSR to the CPs, which is indeed not too remote to enhance their performance as well as the holistic construction performance.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 31 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 October 2023

Kyra Voll and Andreas Pfnür

The world of work is constantly changing. The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced working from home, and there is an increasing demand for flexibility regarding the workplace. There…

Abstract

Purpose

The world of work is constantly changing. The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced working from home, and there is an increasing demand for flexibility regarding the workplace. There is little empirical evidence on the mechanisms and factors that influence employee outcomes, such as productivity and turnover intention, at the workplace and at home. In addition, it is unclear whether the workplace characteristics that influence employee outcomes vary between different nations due to country-specific circumstances. The paper aims to address these two issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The research model applied in this study is based on the job demands-resources (JD-R) and environmental demands-resources models using German (n = 429) and USA (n = 507) survey samples. Partial least squares structural equation modelling is used to analyse the influence of workplace characteristics (isolation, family–work interference, equipment/facilities and skill variety) on employee outcomes (satisfaction, burnout, productivity and turnover intention). Additionally, a multi-group analysis is used to explore group differences in the factors influencing satisfaction, burnout, productivity and turnover intention between employees in Germany and the USA.

Findings

The results reveal that significant determinants of productivity and turnover intention include isolation, family–work interference, equipment/facilities and skill variety. Isolation and equipment/facilities are identified as the most important demands and resources of the home workplace. Some significant differences are found between Germany and the USA. The positive effect of isolation on burnout is significantly stronger in the USA than in Germany, whereas the positive effect of family–work inference on burnout is stronger in Germany than in the USA. The negative effects visible for the relations between burnout and satisfaction, and satisfaction and turnover intention are stronger in Germany than in the USA. The positive effect of burnout on turnover intention is stronger in the USA compared to Germany.

Originality/value

The study adds empirical evidence to the JD-R theory by analysing the influence of the home workplace characteristics on employee outcomes in different countries for the first time using a multi-group analysis. In addition, the study reveals new insights into the differences between the knowledge workforces in Germany and the USA by uncovering how key factors influence employee outcomes such as productivity and turnover intention, partially carried by varying length of experience in work from home between both of these countries. Insights from this study can support corporate real estate managers to make better decisions on the design of employees’ home workplaces and the integration of work from home into the company’s workspace concept.

Details

Journal of Corporate Real Estate , vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-001X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 January 2024

Xiaolong Yuan, Feng Wang, Mianlin Deng and Wendian Shi

Based on conservation of resources (COR) theory, this study aims to examine the impact of daily illegitimate tasks on employees' daily silence and daily voice behavior, as well as…

Abstract

Purpose

Based on conservation of resources (COR) theory, this study aims to examine the impact of daily illegitimate tasks on employees' daily silence and daily voice behavior, as well as the mediating role of daily ego depletion and the moderating role of trait mindfulness.

Design/methodology/approach

Through daily diary approach, 81 employees were followed for 10 consecutive workdays. Multilevel analysis was employed to examine the hypothesized relationships.

Findings

The results showed that daily illegitimate tasks are positively related to daily silence behavior and negatively related to daily voice behavior; daily ego depletion plays a mediating role in these relationships. Trait mindfulness moderates the effect of daily illegitimate tasks on daily ego depletion and the indirect effect of daily illegitimate tasks on daily silence and daily voice.

Practical implications

Managers should be mindful of minimizing the assignment of illegitimate tasks. Additionally, it is recommended that the organization provide training courses for employees to help them reduce ego depletion. Finally, organizations should focus on fostering high levels of mindfulness among their employees.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the existing literature by investigating the immediate impact of illegitimate tasks on employee voice and silence at within-person level. By doing so, it enhances comprehension of the consequences associated with illegitimate tasks. Meanwhile, this study offers additional insights into the underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions of the effect of illegitimate tasks from a resource perspective.

Details

Journal of Managerial Psychology, vol. 39 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0268-3946

Keywords

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