Towards a further Understanding on the Nature and Psychological Effects of Job Demands: Examining the Challenge-Hindrance-Threat Distinction of Job Demands, Demand Appraisals and the Role of Job Resources

Doctoral thesis (2023)

The experience of work-related stress and ill-/health is of major concern for employers and organizations in the European Union (EU-OSHA, 2022). From an occupational health perspective, work-related ... [more ▼]

The experience of work-related stress and ill-/health is of major concern for employers and organizations in the European Union (EU-OSHA, 2022). From an occupational health perspective, work-related stress is expected to result from employees’ exposure to certain psychological and social characteristics of the work, so called job demands, which are presumed to lead to diminished health and performance among employees (Eurofound & EU-OSHA, 2014). To explain associations between such job characteristics and employees’ health, scholars have generally relied on prominent theoretical frameworks, such as the Job Demands-Resources model (JD-R; Bakker & Demerouti, 2017). Although the JD-R model has successfully contributed to the prediction of work-related health and motivational outcomes in the past years, it has also resulted in a number of unresolved issues (Bakker & Demerouti, 2017). Drawing on multiple theoretical frameworks, the present dissertation examined in greater detail inconsistencies related to the nature and functioning of job demands; and in doing so, aimed to provide a further understanding on work-related demands and their psychological effects. The present thesis encompasses three published articles and addresses open research avenues as regards to (i) the categorization of job demands, (ii) the cognitive appraisal of job demands, and (iii) organizational determinants of demand appraisal. A review of the occupational health literature revealed that most research conducted on the categorization of work-related demands continues to apply a two-fold differentiation of job demands (i.e., Challenge-Hindrance framework, Cavanaugh et al., 2000). However, a more differentiated approach to distinguish between different types of job demands has recently been introduced (i.e., Challenge-Hindrance-Threat framework; Tuckey et al., 2015). Few studies have been conducted on Tuckey et al.'s (2015) extended dimensionality of workplace stressors (e.g., Espedido & Searle, 2018) and not much is known on how job threats, job hindrances and job challenges relate to well-being outcomes, once job resources (i.e., motivational aspects of the job) are taking into account. Therefore, the first aim of the present dissertation (i.e., Article 1) was to examine Tuckey et al.'s (2015) expanded dimensionality of workplace stressors within the JD-R framework by analyzing job threats, job hindrances and job challenges alongside job resources. Results from a heterogenous occupational sample of Luxemburgish employees supported the distinctiveness of Tuckey et al.'s (2015) threefold differentiation of job demands based on their associations with well-being outcomes, while accounting for the effects of job resources. Results further corroborated the health-impairing nature of job threats, job hindrances and job challenges, and supported the motivational nature of job resources. Contrary to expectations, job challenges did not relate to employees’ experiences of vigor. Prior research has often relied on classification frameworks to categorize job demands a priori and to explain their effects (Mellupe, 2020). However, a more recent stream of research has moved towards the examination of employees’ subjective evaluations (i.e., appraisals) of work-related demands (LePine, 2022). Although first studies examining employees’ appraisal of job demands have yielded promising insights into the nature of work-related demands, research does not yet consider appraisal in a systematic manner (Li et al., 2019). In addition, scholars have exclusively considered primary appraisal (i.e., motivational relevance of the stressor) when examining job demands and their associated effects, thereby ignoring the notion of secondary appraisal (i.e., individuals’ assessment to cope with the stressor; Lazarus & Folkman, 1984; Podsakoff et al., 2023). To address these limitations, and taking into account previous findings on the well-being of nurses during the Covid-19 pandemic (e.g., Mo et al., 2020), the second aim of the present dissertation (i.e., Article 2) was to examine how nursing professionals appraise job demand during the health crisis, and to analyze the predictive contribution of nurses’ secondary appraisal of job demands in view of their proximal affective responses. Results from a sample of nursing professionals working in Luxembourg indicated that secondary appraisal was the most important predictor of nurses’ affective states. In addition, negative affective states were predicted by threat appraisals and job demands (i.e., time pressure, emotional demands), whereas positive affect was predicted by challenge appraisals of emotional and physical demands. Results further showed that emotional and physical demands were exclusively appraised as threatening, whereas time pressure associated with challenge and threat appraisal. Lastly, a literature review revealed that not much is known about which organizational factors might contribute to employees’ demand appraisals (LePine, 2022). Therefore, the third aim of the present dissertation (i.e., Article 3) was to investigate determinants and possible boundary conditions of nurses’ demand appraisals among matching job resources. Results showed that corresponding job resources predicted challenge appraisals of job demands. Regarding the prediction of threat appraisal, with the exception of social support, all proposed job resources significantly associated with nurses’ threat appraisal of corresponding job demands. Contrary to expectations, job resources did not moderate the associations between matching job demands and their respective challenge/threat appraisals. In sum, findings of the present dissertation highlight the importance (i) to adopt a threefold understanding of job demands (i.e., challenges, hindrance, threats) while taking into account job resources, (ii) to consider secondary appraisals alongside job demands and their primary appraisals, and (iii) to consider matching job resources as organizational determinants of challenge and threat appraisals. These findings may serve to guide occupational health interventions strategies. [less ▲]

Examining the challenge-hindrance-threat distinction of job demands alongside job resources.

in Frontiers in Psychology (2023), 14(1011815),

Purpose: Previous research conducted on the Job Demands-Resources model has mostly ignored the newly introduced Challenge-Hindrance-Threat distinction of workplace stressors. Thus, to better understand ... [more ▼]

Purpose: Previous research conducted on the Job Demands-Resources model has mostly ignored the newly introduced Challenge-Hindrance-Threat distinction of workplace stressors. Thus, to better understand the nature of job demands, the present study aimed to explore this distinction of job demands within the framework of the Job Demands-Resources model. Moreover, it examined competing theoretical frameworks by investigating the associations between job characteristics and psychological health variables (i.e., burnout, vigor). Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected via computer assisted telephone interview among a representative sample of employees working in Luxembourg (n = 1,506). Findings: Structural Equation Modeling supported the distinctiveness of the proposed demand categories in terms of their effects. The health impairing nature of threats, hindrances, and challenges, as well as the motivational potential of resources was supported. Yet, scarce support was found for the moderating effects of demands and resources on employees’ well-being. Research implications: Based on these findings, we argue for an extended framework of job characteristics, which will more accurately describe their nature and effects on employees. Practical implications: In order to promote employee’s well-being, occupational health advisors need to be aware of the distinct demand-wellbeing relations when implementing job redesign measures. Originality/value: Combining multiple theoretical frameworks is considered a leading principle in occupational health research. The present study implements an extended classification framework of workplace stressors into one of today’s most influential theoretical framework of job characteristics. [less ▲]

„LetzCare“- ein Projekt zur Beurteilung der Arbeitsanforderungen im luxemburgischen Pflegesektor. Zweiter Forschungsbericht zur ersten Onlinebefragung.

Report (2022)

Last Man Standing: Battle Royale Games Through the Lens of Self-Determination Theory

in Games and Culture (2022), 0(0), 1-22

The highly popular video game genre of Battle Royale (BR) games is characterized by survival and exploration elements that feature a last-man-standing gameplay, thus, motivating players to be the final ... [more ▼]

The highly popular video game genre of Battle Royale (BR) games is characterized by survival and exploration elements that feature a last-man-standing gameplay, thus, motivating players to be the final contestant in the game. Drawing on the Self-Determination Theory the present study investigated the role of personal values, psychological needs and well-being in a self-selected sample of 303 BR gamers recruited online. The association between players’ value orientation and well-being was found contingent on players’ BR gaming experience and their need for relatedness. Whereas frequent interaction with this game genre was associated with the basic psychological need satisfaction of autonomy and relatedness, player preference for BR games was related to their need of competence and autonomy. The present study supports the importance of exploring player motives and provides initial insights into the association between BR gaming and basic psychological needs. [less ▲]

How to categorize job demands? Revising the challenge-hindrance distinction of job demands

Poster (2021, July 19)

The Job demands-resources model: A validation with employees working in Luxembourg

Poster (2020, September 02)

Purpose: The present study aimed to validate the job demands-resources model (Bakker & Demerouti, 2017) among a representative sample of the worker population in Luxembourg. Moreover, our purpose was to ... [more ▼]

Purpose: The present study aimed to validate the job demands-resources model (Bakker & Demerouti, 2017) among a representative sample of the worker population in Luxembourg. Moreover, our purpose was to identify which specific job demands and resources contribute the most to burnout and work engagement, respectively. Design: Data were collected via computer assisted telephone and web interview in a large sample of 1689 employees working in Luxembourg (55.2% male, Mage = 44.1, SDage = 10.3). Most participants worked in academic professions (31.4%, n = 531), followed by technicians and associate professionals (24.0%, n = 406), clerical support workers (11.7%, n = 197) and others (32.86%, n = 555). We employed the Quality of Work Index – Luxembourg (QoWIL) to measure several areas of work, including work intensity, job design, physical and social conditions (Sischka & Steffgen, 2019). Additionally, different employment conditions were measured to get an indicator of the employment quality in Luxembourg. Findings: Results of latent moderated structural equation modelling (LMS) indicated a good fit of the model to the data, χ2(411) = 1738.017, RMSEA = .04 (95% CI = 0.04 - 0.05), CFI =.92, SRMR = .06. All job resources (i.e. social support, autonomy and job security) significantly predicted work engagement, whereas all demands (i.e. workplace mobbing, work-life inference, emotional demands) significantly predicted burnout. Particularly, social support was the most important resource (ß = .29, p < .001, R2 = 11.4%), followed by job security (ß = .17, p < .001, R2 = 3.9%) and autonomy (ß = .11, p < .001, R2 = 1.4%). Workplace mobbing explained the largest percentage of variance in burnout (ß =. 47, p < .001, R2 = 41.6%), followed by work home inference (ß = .30, p < .001, R2 = 13.0%) and emotional demands (ß = 15, p < .001, R2 = 2.2%). While burnout had a negative impact on job performance (ß = -18, p < .001), work engagement did not predict the latter (ß = .07, p > .05). Besides, only one out of nine hypothesized interaction effects had a significant effect on work engagement (i.e. social support x mobbing, ß = 0.15, p < .001) and on burnout (i.e. social support x emotional demands, ß = -0.08, p < .05). Conclusion: Whereas the present findings provided strong support for the motivational and health impairment processes proposed by the JDR model, we found limited support for the interaction hypotheses. The results outline the importance of social conditions in explaining employees’ health, illustrating important starting points for organizational interventions that aim to promote well-being. Contributions: While other studies have tested the propositions of the JDR model by focusing on different work sectors, the present study includes a more comprehensive range of occupations,classified according to the ISCO-08. Given its large data set, it provides enough statistical support to detect interaction effects and allows for the correction of measurement errors using LMS. Furthermore, it follows the parsimony principle by specifying the most important starting points for interventions across occupations. [less ▲]

The Quality of Work Index and the Employment Quality Index: A multidimensional approach of job quality and its links to well-being at work

in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2020)

(1) Background: Job quality is a multidimensional and elusive concept that is back in vogue among social scientists and policymaker. The current study proposes a new job quality approach that is compared ... [more ▼]

(1) Background: Job quality is a multidimensional and elusive concept that is back in vogue among social scientists and policymaker. The current study proposes a new job quality approach that is compared with the EuropeanWorking Conditions Survey framework and structured with the help of the Job Demands-Resources model. Two new measures of job quality, the Quality ofWork Index (QoW) and the Quality of Employment Index (QoE) are developed and validated in three different languages (German, French, Luxembourgish). The QoW is composed of 43 items, focusing on four areas of work—work intensity, job design, social conditions, and physical conditions (subdivided in eleven components)—which are particularly important for employees’ well-being. The QoE is composed of 13 items that cover training opportunities, career advancement, job security, employability, work life conflict, and income satisfaction. (2) Methods: Data were collected via computer-assisted telephone interviews in a representative sample of 1522 employees working in Luxembourg (aged 17–67 years; 57.2% male). (3) Results: Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the proposed factors structure and scalar measurement invariance for the three different language versions. Internal consistencies were satisfactory for all subscales (Cronbach’s Alpha between 0.70 and 0.87). Correlations and hierarchical regression analyses with different psychological health measures (i.e., burnout, general well-being, psychosomatic complaints, work satisfaction, vigor) and subjective work performance confirmed the construct validity of the new instruments. (4) Conclusions: The QoW and the QoE are globally and on the level of the sub-categories effective tools to measure job quality, which could be used to compare job quality between organizations and different countries. Furthermore, the current study confirms associations between the different components of the QoW and QoE and employees’ health. [less ▲]

Erster Forschungsbericht zur Weiterentwicklung der „Enquête concernant la qualité de vie et la motivation au travail“.

E-print/Working paper (2019)

Das Ministère de la Fonction publique et de la Réforme administrative hat 2017 eine Befragung mit dem Titel “Enquête concernant la qualité de vie et la motivation au travail” unter den Mitarbeitern des ... [more ▼]

Das Ministère de la Fonction publique et de la Réforme administrative hat 2017 eine Befragung mit dem Titel “Enquête concernant la qualité de vie et la motivation au travail” unter den Mitarbeitern des öffentlichen Dienstes durchgeführt. Die Universität Luxembourg wurde damit betraut, die psychometrische Qualität des Fragebogens zu prüfen, die Zusammenhänge zwischen den Gruppenvariablen zu untersuchen, die gruppenbezogene Vergleiche vorzulegen, die Befunde mit mit denen anderer Studien zu vergleichen sowie Handlungshinweise zur Optimierung der Arbeitsqualitàt vorzulegen (siehe Convention de recherche entre l‘Université du Luxembourg et le Minsitère de la Fonction Publique et de la Réforme administrative du 24. mai 2018). Entsprechend der Vorgaben der Konvention werden in dem vorliegenden ersten Bericht, die Befunde a) zu der psychometrischen Testung der Güte des aktuellen Erhebungsinstruments (Punkt 2.1.1 der Konvention), b) zu den gruppenbezogenen Vergleiche (Punkt 2.1.3, Satz 1 der Konvention) sowie c) zu den Zusammenängen zwischen den Gruppenvariablen (Punkt 2.1.2 der Konvention) vorgelegt. In einem ersten Schritt erfolgt zunächst eine Beschreibung der Items mittels verteilungsbe-schreibender Maßzahlen und Balkendiagramme, wobei die Items auch auf fehlende Werte un-tersucht werden. Ergebnisse der inhaltlichen und psychometrischen Itemprüfung zeigen, dass der Fragebogen z.T. noch wichtige Entwicklungsfelder aufweist. In einem zweiten Schritt werden exploratorische Faktorenanalysen durchgeführt, um einen Überblick über die Faktorstruktur des Fragebogens zu erhalten. Die Faktoranalysen erfolgen bezogen auf die einzelnen Themenblöcke (Zufriedenheit, Motivation, Wohlbefinden, Arbeits-bedingungen). Auf Basis der identifizierten Faktorstruktur wurden geeignete Items aus den vier Bereichen zu 17 Skalen zusammengefasst. In einem dritten Schritt erfolgt eine Analyse der internen Konsistenz der neu gebildeten Skalen. Zudem werden die Inter-Korrelationen dieser Skalen vorgelegt. Befunde zeigen, dass die meisten Skalen akzeptable bis exzellente Reliabilitätskoeffizienten aufweisen. Allerdings lassen sich erhöhte Inter-Korrelationen zwischen einigen Skalen identifizieren, die auf eine vorliegende Redundanz der Skalen deuten. In einem vierten Schritt werden gruppenbezogene Vergleiche hinsichtlich Geschlecht, Alters-gruppen, Beschäftigungssituation, Jahre im öffentlichen Dienst, Gehaltsgruppen, Anzahl Zusammenfassung II zugeordneter Mitarbeiter sowie Länge des Arbeitswegs zu den neu gebildeten Skalen durchgeführt und die Befunde präsentiert. Beispielsweise zeigen Mitarbeiter mit den wenigsten Jahren im öffentlichen Dienst tendenziell günstigere Werte hinsichtlich der vier Themenblöcke auf. In einem fünften Schritt werden Regressionsanalysen durchgeführt, um Zusammenhänge zwischen den Gruppenvariablen, Arbeitsbedingungen und den einzelnen Themenblöcken zu veranschaulichen. Die Befunde verdeutlichen, dass Zufriedenheit, Motivation und Wohl-befinden mit verschiedenen Arbeitsbedingungen assoziiert sind. In einem abschließenden Schritt wird das gesamte Erhebungsinstrument zusammenfassend diskutiert und Empfehlungen bezüglich der weiteren Entwicklung des Fragebogens und der Skalen gegeben. [less ▲]