Does a Flexibility/Support Organizational Initiative Improve High-Tech Employees’ Well-Being? Evidence from the Work, Family, and Health Network

Details

• Personal Author:
  Almeida D ; Buxton OM ; Fan W ; Kelly EL ; Kossek EE ; Lee S-R ; Moen P
• Description:
  This study tests a central theoretical assumption of stress process and job strain models, namely that increases in employees' control and support at work should promote well-being. To do so, we use a group-randomized field trial with longitudinal data from 867 information technology (IT) workers to investigate the well-being effects of STAR, an organizational intervention designed to promote greater employee control over work time and greater supervisor support for workers' personal lives. We also offer a unique analysis of an unexpected field effect-a company merger-among workers surveyed earlier versus later in the study period, before or after the merger announcement. We find few STAR effects for the latter group, but over 12 months, STAR reduced burnout, perceived stress, and psychological distress, and increased job satisfaction, for the early survey group. STAR effects are partially mediated by increases in schedule control and declines in family-to-work conflict and burnout (an outcome and mediator) by six months. Moderating effects show that STAR benefits women in reducing psychological distress and perceived stress, and increases non-supervisory employees' job satisfaction. This study demonstrates, with a rigorous design, that organizational-level initiatives can promote employee well-being. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Mental Health Nervous System Occupational Health Safety Stress, Psychological
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Subjective Well-being Employee Satisfaction Flexibility Gender Job Stress Mental Health Organizational Intervention Work-family Work-life Balance Work Organization Work Schedules

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• ISSN:
  0003-1224
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Indiana ; Massachusetts ; Minnesota ; Oregon ; OSHA Region 1 ; OSHA Region 10 ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 5 ; Pennsylvania
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  134-164
• Volume:
  81
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20069196
• Citation:
  Am Sociol Rev 2016 Feb; 81(1):134-164
• Contact Point Address:
  Phyllis Moen, Sociology Department, University of Minnesota, 1123 Social Science Building, 267 19th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55455
• Email:
  phylmoen@umn.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2016
• Performing Organization:
  Portland State University
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050901
• Source Full Name:
  American Sociological Review
• End Date:
  20081130
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:32e2860a2c4ae7514417d5c769faa9fb640cdf28d60b9da5940264c000ead455c5f061910d166a1819cd6142569b69a7a14748a0cd73ceedd7faa58c65e3db37
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/207724/cdc_207724_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.98 MB ]