W6: Knowledge Clips

Question 1

Well-being at work

Answer 1

Refers to the holistic health and happiness dimension of employees within the workforce. It encompasses various dimensions, including the physical, mental, social, and financial well-being. It is a multi-faceted concept that requires efforts from both leaders and employees

Question 2

Well-being measurements

Answer 2

E.g. job satisfaction and work engagement. This can be studied using subjective measures such as self-report surveys. It can also be measured through objective measures, e.g. absenteeism and turnover rates. The lack of well-being can manifest itself as burnout. This can be measured with the burnout inventory.

Question 3

Burnout

Answer 3

Characterised by chronic stress, exhaustion, and decreased productivity. It is a psychological and physiological syndrome that emerges as a prolonged response to chronic interpersonal stressors. On the job, it is characterised by three dimensions; emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and reduced personal accomplishment

Question 4

Maslach burnout inventory

Answer 4

Widely used to measure burnout levels, including emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and feeling a lack of personal accomplishment

Question 5

Absenteeism

Answer 5

High rates can indirectly indicate poor well-being

Question 6

Physiological measures

Answer 6

Objective measures of well-being. E.g. data from health assessments, fitness trackers, and wearable devices can monitor physical activity, sleep patterns, and heart rate variability

Question 7

Digital overload

Answer 7

The pressure to be constantly available, giving this feeling of always needing to be on, can lead to stress

Question 8

Managers

Answer 8

Play a crucial role in supporting employee well-being. Only a small percentage actively check in on their team’s well-being or encourage healthy behaviours

Question 9

Primary obstacles to improving well-being

Answer 9

Heavy workloads, stressful jobs, and long work hours

Question 10

Human sustainability

Answer 10

Includes the well-being of employees, their families, and the broader community

Question 11

Emotional exhaustion

Answer 11

Involves feelings of being emotionally drained and depleted of emotional resources. Individuals experiencing it feel fatigued due to the demands of their work, personal life, or a combination of both

Question 12

Depersonalisation

Answer 12

Marked by a negative and excessively detached response to various aspects of the job. It often involves a loss of idealism and a sense of disconnect from the work or the people associated with the work. It leads to an impersonal or dehumanised view of clients or colleagues

Question 13

Reduced personal accomplishment

Answer 13

Reflects the decline in one’s feeling of competence and successful achievement in one’s work. Individuals might feel ineffective, lack of sense of accomplishment, and experience a diminished sense of productivity

Question 14

Conservation of Resources (COR) model

Answer 14

Explains how people respond to stress and cope with it. It is based on the idea that individuals strive to obtain, retain, and protect their resources. People are motivated to conserve their resources and minimise net loss. The threat of resource loss is the primary driver of stress and individuals will take active measures to prevent such losses

Question 15

Resources

Answer 15

Include objects, personal characteristics, and energies (like time or money)

Question 16

Stress

Answer 16

Occurs when there is a significant threat of resource loss, an actual resource loss, or the lack of resource gain following an investment of resources. Gaining resources can reduce stress and lead to positive outcomes

Question 17

Jobs-Demands-Resources model

Answer 17

States that every job has certain demands and resources, which affect employee well-being and performance. To maintain well-being and high performance, job demands must be balanced with sufficient job resources

Question 18

Job demands

Answer 18

All of the physiological, psychological, social, or organisational aspects of the job that require sustained effort and are associated with physical and psychological costs, e.g. high work load or emotional demands. High job demands can lead to stress if not managed properly

Question 19

Job resources

Answer 19

The physiological, psychological, social, or organisational aspects of the job that can help achieve work goals. They reduce job demands and stimulate personal growth, e.g. autonomy, social support, or performance feedback. Sufficient job resources can help buffer job demands and promote engagement and motivation