Mediating Effects of Core Self-Evaluations on The Relationship Between Social Support and Life Satisfaction

This study examined the mediating effect of core self-evaluations on the relationship between social support and life satisfaction in Chinese adults. Three hundred and forty-two (141 males and 201 females) from Mainland China completed the Multi-Dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Core self-evaluations scale and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Correlational results indicated that social support was associated with core self-evaluations and life satisfaction, and core self-evaluations were associated with life satisfaction. Results using structural equation modeling showed that core self-evaluations partially mediated the relationship between social support and life satisfaction. Moreover, multi-group analyses indicated that the paths in the mediation model did not differ across gender. The significance and limitations of the results are discussed.     

The Impact of Core Self-evaluations on Job Satisfaction: The Mediator Role of Career Commitment

The present study investigated the impact of core self-evaluations on job satisfaction, with a primary focus on confirmation of the mediator role of career commitment. Three hundred and twelve male soldiers completed the Core Self-Evaluations Scale, the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire, and The Chinese Career Commitment Scale. The results revealed that both career commitment and core self-evaluations were significantly correlated with job satisfaction. Structural equation modeling indicated that career commitment partially mediated the relationship between core self-evaluations and job satisfaction. The final model also revealed a significant path from core self-evaluations to job satisfaction through career commitment. The findings extended prior reports and shed light on how core self-evaluations influence job satisfaction; this provides valuable evidence on promoting job satisfaction in non-commercial organizations.     

Loneliness and Subjective Happiness as Mediators of the Effects of Core Self-evaluations on Life Satisfaction Among Chinese College Students

The primary goal of this study was to investigate the mediator effects of loneliness and subjective happiness on the relationship between core self-evaluations and life satisfaction in Chinese college students. A total of 301 participants were all students who were attending three different Chinese colleges in Nanchang, Xi’an and Yan’an. Data were collected by using the Core Self-evaluations Scale, UCLA Loneliness Scale, Subjective Happiness Scale and Satisfaction with Life Scale. Path revealed that subjective happiness fully mediated the relationship between core self-evaluations and life satisfaction. Furthermore, the association between core self-evaluations and life satisfaction was not mediated by loneliness and subjective happiness partially mediated the association between core self-evaluations and loneliness. The final model also showed a significant path from core self-evaluations through subjective happiness to life satisfaction and loneliness. Limitations of the study are considered and implications of the results for increasing individuals’ life satisfaction are discussed.     

Depletion Effect of Work-Leisure Conflict: A Daily Diary Study

The negative effect of work-leisure conflict has attracted the attention of researchers. However, no previous research has determined the relationship between work-leisure conflict and ego depletion. Therefore, this study explores the relationship between daily work-leisure conflict and ego depletion, as well as the role of individuals’ negative emotions and core self-evaluations in this process based on ego depletion theory. Through the method of daily diary research, 77 employees were tracked for 7 consecutive work days. The results show that work-leisure conflict is positively related to employee ego depletion, that the negative emotions play a mediating role in this relationship and that core self-evaluations moderate the indirect effect of work-leisure conflict on ego depletion through negative emotions. In this study, daily diary method is used to verify the dynamic characteristics of work-leisure conflict, negative emotions and ego depletion, and some new insights into how to reduce employee ego depletion are provided.

     

Linking Social Support to Psychological Distress in the Unemployed: The Moderating Role of Core Self-Evaluations

In this study, an integrative analysis involving social support and core self-evaluations (CSE) as concurrent predictors of psychological distress among unemployed adults was conducted. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between perceptions of social support and CSE with psychological distress among unemployed adults, as well as whether levels of CSE moderated the relations between social support and psychological distress. Results indicated that, along with the expected direct and additional influence, a significant social support × CSE interaction was found in explaining several dimensions of psychological distress beyond the independent effect of socio-demographic variables, social support and CSE independently. Specifically, we found significant interaction for social support × CSE in explaining stress and anxiety symptoms. Our data provide empirical support for theoretical and conceptual work connecting social support, CSE and psychological distress associated with unemployment suggesting that alone, but also in combination, these contextual and personal resources may be particularly relevant for leading to reduced psychological distress during unemployment. Finally, theoretical implications of the joint study of these constructs and their relation with psychological distress in unemployed people are discussed.     

The Role of Co-worker and Supervisor Support in the Relationship Between Job Autonomy and Work Engagement Among Portuguese Nurses: A Multilevel Study

The objective is to analyze the relationship between job resources (i.e., job autonomy and social support) and work engagement in nurses. Hypotheses have been tested through hierarchical linear modeling using data from 313 Portuguese nurses (individual level) nested in 33 work teams (team level), after aggregating individual perceptions to the group level and testing the agreement among these perceptions using the r_wg(j) and the intraclass correlations indices. Results confirmed first, that individual job autonomy and team-level social support (from the supervisor as well as from co-workers) are positively related to individual work engagement and second, that team-level social support has a moderating effect on the relationship between individual job autonomy and individual work engagement (but not in the case of co-workers’ support). This study provides evidence that nurses’ work engagement results from individual job autonomy and collective social support. Accordingly, fostering job autonomy and social support in order to promote work engagement among nurses can be useful for both hospital managers and practitioners.     

Shyness and Subjective Well-being: The Role of Emotional Intelligence and Social Support

This study examined the role of emotional intelligence (EI) and social support on the relationship between shyness and subjective well-being (SWB) in Chinese college students. The participants were 496 students, with an age range of 18–24, who were attending two different Chinese colleges. Data were collected by using the paper and pencil assessments including Cheek and Buss shyness scale, Wong and Law emotional intelligence scale, multi-dimensional scale of perceived social support, positive affect and negative affect scale and satisfaction with life scale. Path analysis showed that EI and social support partially mediated the relationship between shyness and SWB. The final model also revealed a significant path from shyness through EI and social support to SWB. Furthermore, a multi-group analysis found that the paths did not differ across sexes, but significantly differed between urban and rural areas. The results are discussed in terms of the conceptional context.     

Psychosocial adversities at work are associated with poorer quality marriage-like relationships

The characteristics of work have an impact on individuals?? personal lives, including on health and close personal relationships. Previous research into the negative spillover effects from work to marital quality has predominantly examined structural job characteristics, such as job hours and shift work. This study used data from a large representative community sample of midlife (aged 40?C44 at baseline) employed persons in marriage-like relationships (n?=?2,054) to investigate the relationship between psychosocial job characteristics and relationship quality. Data from three waves of the Personality and Total Health (PATH) Through Life Survey were analysed. The results show that all psychosocial job adversities (high job demands, low job control, and job insecurity) were independently associated with lower levels of positive support from partners for both men and women. In addition, there was a linear relationship between the number of psychosocial adversities reported and lower levels of positive support from partners. These findings are relevant to policy makers in the areas of employment and family services. They identify the potential broader social costs of adverse psychosocial characteristics at work. This study sets the scene for further longitudinal research to examine the causal links between psychosocial job quality and relationship quality.     

Do Job Control,Support, and Optimism Help Job Insecure Employees? A Three-Wave Study of Buffering Effects on Job Satisfaction,Vigor and Work-Family Enrichment

Job insecurity (threat of job loss) is widespread and becomes a permanent phenomenon for a lot of employees. Based on the response of 926 Finnish employees, this study investigated the direct lagged relationship between job insecurity, coping resources (job control, social support, and optimism), and employees’ work- (vigor at work and job satisfaction) and family-related outcomes (work-family enrichment). Particular interest was in the moderating role of job control, support, and optimism in the job insecurity–employee outcome relationship. Our analyses of three-wave longitudinal data, collected in 2008, 2009, and 2010, showed that job control was the strongest lagged buffer against job insecurity in relation to vigor at work. In addition, social support longitudinally buffered against the negative effects of job insecurity on job satisfaction and vigor at work. However, optimism did not function as a buffering factor in any of the tested models.     

Self-Esteem as Mediator and Moderator of the Relationship Between Social Support and Subjective Well-Being Among Chinese University Students

This study examined both the mediating and moderating effects of global self-esteem on the relationship between social support and subjective well-being among Chinese university students. Three hundred and ninety-one university students (260 males and 131 females) from two different Chinese universities completed the social support scale, the self-esteem scale and the subjective well-being scale. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that global self-esteem partially mediated the influence of social support on life satisfaction and positive affect, whereas it fully mediated the influence of social support on negative affect. Moreover, global self-esteem moderated the relationship between social support and life satisfaction, and positive affect, but not negative affect. When students reported a high level of global self-esteem, those with high social support reported higher scores in life satisfaction and positive affect than those with low social support. However, there were no differences in life satisfaction or positive affect between groups with high and low social support when global self-esteem was low. The significance and limitations of the results are discussed.     

Older Unemployed Women and Job Search Activity:

Thirty unemployed female workers over the age of fifty were interviewed in order to examine the relationship between the quality of social support provided by family and friends for their job search efforts and their job search intensity. The fmdings indicate that receiving positive social support for job search activities was significantly related to job search intensity. In addition, these workers perceived the supportive messages provided by unemployed friends as more positive than the support messages provided by employed and retired family or friends. Implications of these fmdings for assessing the presence of positive social supports and for developing successful job search assistance programs for older unemployed women are discussed.     

Social Capital Associated with Quality of Life Mediated by Employment Experiences: Evidence from a Random Sample of Rural-to-Urban Migrants in China

Working-age migrants need to possess adequate social capital in order to secure a stable and satisfactory job so that they can pursue a better quality of life (QOL). The positive relationship between social capital and vocational experiences, including successful employment, has been well established. In this study we focused on testing a multi-step mediation model linking social capital with employment experiences, and further to QOL. Survey data from rural-to-urban migrants randomly selected from Wuhan, China were analyzed. Social capital, including bonding and bridging capital, was measured using the Personal Social Capital Scale; employment experiences were measured using five job-related items; and QOL was measured using the Brief Symptoms Inventory. Structural equation modeling analysis indicated that job security and job satisfaction were positively and significantly associated with QOL, and social capital measures were significantly associated with higher QOL (primarily for males). Furthermore, job security and job satisfaction fully mediated the relationship between social capital and QOL after controlling for covariates. Findings of this study suggest the significance of social capital, job security and satisfaction in improving migrants’ QOL, implying the importance of vocational experiences in mediating the effect from social capital to QOL. If the findings can be confirmed with longitudinal data, these factors should be considered in decision making to improve rural-to-urban migrants’ QOL in China.     

The effects of quality of working life (QWL) on employee behavioral responses

Quality of work life (QWL) was conceptualized in terms of need satisfaction stemming from an interaction of workers' needs (survival, social, ego, and self-actualization needs) and those organizational resources relevant for meeting them. It was hypothesized that need satisfaction (or QWL) is positively related to organizational identification, job satisfaction, job involvement, job effort, job performance; and negatively related to personal alienation. A survey study was conducted based on a sample of 219 service deliverers to the elderly in a large midwestern city. The results were consistent with the hypotheses. Managerial implications were also discussed.     

Exploring the Relationship Between Employment History and Retired Women's Social Relationships

This study explores the relationship between retired women's employment history and their social integration and social support networks in retirement. Employment history is defined by former occupation (professional, paraprofessional, nonprofessional) and job continuity (discontinuous and continuous). The sample consists of 330 retired women ranging in age from 50 to 83 years, with diverse occupational histories, who were retired an average of 3.5 years. Results indicate occupational status may influence women's social integration, part-time employment, caregiving tasks, and satisfaction with social support. Continuity of employment appears to only marginally influence social integration with no impact on social support or satisfaction with social support.     

Generational Differences in Work Values,Perceived Job Rewards,and Job Satisfaction of Chinese Female Migrant Workers: Implications for Social Policy and Social Services

This cross-sectional survey study is a pioneering attempt to investigate the generational differences in the work values, perceived job rewards, and job satisfaction of Chinese female migrant workers. The study targeted two toy factories in the Guangdong Province of China and recruited a total of 1,307 female workers as participants. Among them were 577 female migrant workers who comprised the target group for this research. The authors hypothesized that the younger generation of female migrant workers would have higher levels of cognitive work values (such as self-enhancement and career development) but lower levels of perceived job rewards and job satisfaction than those of the older generation. The results indicate that there are no generational differences in work values among the three birth cohorts of Chinese female migrant workers. The older generation felt more satisfied with the job rewards that they received, and their sense of job satisfaction was higher than that of the younger generation. Furthermore, the findings showed a substantial positive influence of perceived social job rewards (such as support from co-workers and supervisors) on job satisfaction among the younger generation. The current findings suggest that in China, generational differences in work are affected by both the generation factor and the rural–urban stratification factor. The authors hope that the study will provide a knowledge base for understanding the perceptions of Chinese female migrant workers toward work and for exploring the ways in which new policies and social services can be developed in order to address their needs.     

Measuring Social Isolation in Older Adults: Development and Initial Validation of the Friendship Scale

Although there are many excellent published scales measuring social isolation, there is need for a short, user-friendly, stand alone scale measuring felt social isolation with good psychometric properties. This study reports the development and preliminary validation of a short, user-friendly scale, the Friendship Scale. The six items measure six of the seven important dimensions that contribute to social isolation and its opposite, social connection. The psychometric properties suggest that it has excellent internal structures as assessed by structural equation modelling (CFI = 0.99, RMSEA = 0.02), that it possesses reliability (Cronbach α = 0.83) and discrimination when assessed against two other short social relationship scales. Tests of concurrent discriminant validity suggest it is sensitive to the known correlates of social isolation. Although further work is needed to validate it in other populations, the results of this study suggest researchers may find the Friendship Scale particularly useful in epidemiology, population surveys or in health-related quality of life evaluation studies where a parsimonious measure of felt social support or social isolation is needed.     

The Effects of Employee Involvement and Participation on Subjective Wellbeing: Evidence from Urban China

This study examines how perceptions of the work context affect the job and career satisfaction of Chinese employees. Perceived organizational support (POS), procedural justice, and gender bias against women are considered as antecedents. Gender is expected to moderate the relationships between these antecedents and the outcome variables. The results of hierarchical regression analysis on data from 591 Chinese employees indicated that POS and procedural justice are positively related to employees’ job and career satisfaction. Additionally, gender acts as a moderator in the relationship between POS and job satisfaction, and between gender bias against women and career satisfaction.     

Gender as a Moderator of the Relation Among Social Support Functions and Life Satisfaction in Older Malaysians

The aim of this study was to examine the moderating role of gender on relations among social support functions and life satisfaction in older Malaysians. The study sample was 1,800 older residents in a community; all were at least 60 years old. This study was a cross-sectional and corelational survey, and the data were collected by multistage stratified sampling. This study revealed that fewer social support functions, and therefore less life satisfaction, were available for females than for males. The results of moderated regression analyses demonstrated that gender interacted only on the relationship between positive social interaction support and tangible support with life satisfaction. Specifically, at a high tangible support level, females had lower life satisfaction when compared to a low tangible support level. There may be a need for new programs and services to provide other aspects of social support to older female adults to improve and maintain life satisfaction in later life.     

Loneliness and Self-Esteem as Mediators Between Social Support and Life Satisfaction in Late Adolescence

This study examined both the mediation effects of loneliness and self-esteem for the relationship between social support and life satisfaction. Three hundred and eighty nine Chinese college students, ranging in age from 17 to 25 (M = 20.39), completed the emotional and social loneliness scale, the self-esteem scale, the satisfaction with life scale and measure of social support. Structural equation modeling showed full mediation effects of loneliness and self-esteem between social support and life satisfaction. The final model also revealed a significant path from social support through loneliness and self-esteem to life satisfaction. Furthermore, a multi-group analysis found that the paths did not differ across sexes. The findings provided the external validity for the full mediation effects of loneliness and self-esteem and valuable evidence for more complicated relations among the variables.     

Predictors of Quality of Life in Economically Disadvantaged Populations in Montreal

Most epidemiological studies agree that economically disadvantaged populations are the groups most vulnerable to mental health problems and report lower quality of life among these populations. However, it appears that access to social support plays a role in protecting against the chronic stress resulting from conditions such as poverty. This study is an attempt to clarify the relative contribution of social support to the quality of life of economically disadvantaged populations in two low-income neighbourhoods of Montreal. A random sample of 417 social assistance recipients were interviewed in the respondents?? homes. The Quality of Life scale used was the Satisfaction with Life Domains Scale. The availability of social support components was assessed using the Social Provisions Scale. Social support measures were entered into a multidimensional model that included a number of variables identified as having a relationship to mental health. Among the 17 variables included in a multiple regression analysis, emotional support and support providing reassurance of worth accounted for most of the variance in the QOL predicted by the model. Psychological distress also accounted for a fair amount of variance in QOL and younger people and people experiencing food insecurity showed a lower QOL.