How social media usage affects employees’ job satisfaction and turnover intention: An empirical study in China

Social media are frequently used in enterprises for both work-related and non-work-related (social) purposes. Drawing on the organizational commitment theory, we developed a research model to explore how different purposes of social media usage affect employees’ job satisfaction and turnover intention in the Chinese context. Online and offline surveys were conducted in China, generating 298 valid responses for analysis. The results suggest that the following: (1) work-related and social-related social media usage positively affects employees’ organizational commitment through their organizational engagement; (2) social media usage improves job satisfaction and reduces employees’ turnover intention through improving their engagement and organizational commitment; and (3) in the process of social media usage influencing employees’ job satisfaction and turnover intention, employees of different genders show significant differences.     

Sedentary behaviour and health at work: an investigation of industrial sector,job role,gender and geographical differences

This article presents baseline data from 1120 employees across 10 worksites enrolled in a workplace physical activity intervention. The study provides new data on physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and health and highlights gender, geographical, job type and industrial sector differences. Sitting at work accounted for more than 60% of participants’ total daily sitting time on work days. Weekly and monthly hours worked, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference were significantly higher for workers in the private sector compared to the public sector. Employees in sales and customer services had significantly higher BMI scores and significantly lower scores for workability index (WAI), job satisfaction, organisational commitment and job motivation, compared to other groups. This study provides further evidence that work is a major contributor to sedentary behaviour and supports the pressing need for interventions particularly targeting private sector industries and sales and customer service sectors.

Practitioner Summary: Work accounts for more than 60% of the daily sitting time. Private sector employees had higher BMIs than those in the public sector and employees in sales and customer services had higher BMIs and poorer health compared to other occupations, suggesting that these groups should be targeted in workplace interventions.     

Impact of the quality of information products on information system users' job satisfaction: an empirical investigation

Abstract. In recent years, researchers and practitioners have paid increasing attention to the effects of information systems on work-related outcomes. The purpose of the reported research is to investigate the influence of information systems on work-related outcomes. A model is derived from prior research that considers direct effects of quality of information product on job satisfaction along with indirect effects through role conflict and role ambiguity. Results from a field study of 368 users indicated that quality of information product has a positive relationship with job satisfaction. However, role ambiguity and role conflict mediated this relationship. A causal path model identified that quality of information product influenced job satisfaction through role conflict and role ambiguity. Role conflict and role ambiguity fully mediated the relationship between quality of information product and job satisfaction. The results identify the role of information systems in influencing users' work related outcomes. In view of the importance of job satisfaction in motivating employees, IS designers and researchers should pay greater attention to the need for designing quality systems that not only meet their primary information delivery objectives, but also take into account the task and organizational design issues that may influence the work environment of users.     

Should I stay or should I go? The moderating effect of self-image congruity and trust on social networking continued use

Recent reports show that although users of large online social networks (such as Facebook) score low in terms of satisfaction, they manage to retain, or even increase, their user base. This study sheds an exploratory light on the reuse behaviour of online social network services (SNS). Specifically, we investigate the moderating effects of self-image congruity and trust on the relationship between satisfaction and continuance to use online SNS. To capture post-adoption behaviour of SNS users, we employ the expectation–confirmation model as a core structure for our theoretical model. The model is empirically tested using survey data collected from 288 Facebook users. Results reveal a possible trend suggesting that users perceiving a high match of the SNS with their self-image will be more loyal even if they experience low satisfaction levels. The same trend has been extracted for trust and its moderating effect on the relationship between satisfaction and usage continuance intention. This paper concludes with a discussion on the theoretical and practical implications of our findings.     

Is workplace satisfaction associated with self-reported quad bike loss of control events among farm workers in New Zealand?

This study investigated whether rural workers who have higher workplace satisfaction are less likely to report quad bike loss of control events (LCEs). Two independent samples of farmers completed a survey regarding LCEs and workplace satisfaction. In the first sample (n = 130) analysis revealed no relationship (p = 0.74) between workplace satisfaction and LCEs but lower rates of LCEs were reported by employees (IRR 0.52, 95%CI 0.31–0.86) compared to self-employed participants. In the second sample (n = 112), workplace satisfaction was weakly related to LCEs (IRR 1.04, 95%CI 1.00, to 1.09) with participants who found their job more psychologically demanding more likely to have had an LCE (IRR 1.14, 95%CI 1.05–1.23). Exploring the role of psychological demands on safety behaviour with respect to quad bike use, may help to address this important safety issue.     

Social media at work: The roles of job satisfaction,employment status,and Facebook use with co-workers

Limited research has studied workplace satisfaction in a computer-mediated context, particularly with the use of social media. Based on an analysis of an online survey of working adults (N = 512) in various companies and organizations in a metropolitan area in Southern California, we tested the relationships among time spent on Facebook interacting with co-workers, employment status, and job satisfaction. Results show that an employee's satisfaction at work is positively associated with the amount of time they spend on Facebook interacting with co-workers. Contrary to our initial predictions, results to the second and third hypotheses revealed that part time employees reported having spent the highest amount of time on Facebook with their co-workers, and contract employees reported the highest degree of job satisfaction at work. Results have implications for Facebook as a strategic platform for promoting employee satisfaction at work, and Facebook a social network/ing platform for part time employees seeking further social integration and professional connection.     

Relationships between job organisational factors,biomechanical and psychosocial exposures

The relationships between work organisational, biomechanical and psychosocial factors were studied using cross-sectional data from a pooled dataset of 1834 participants. The work organisational factors included: job rotation, overtime work, having second jobs and work pace. Task and job level biomechanical variables were obtained through sub-task data collected in the field or analysed in the laboratory. Psychosocial variables were collected based on responses to 10 questions. The results showed that job rotations had significant effects on all biomechanical and most psychosocial measures. Those with job rotations generally had higher job biomechanical stressors, and lower job satisfaction. Overtime work was associated with higher job biomechanical stressors, and possibly self-reported physical exhaustion. Those having second jobs reported getting along with co-workers well. Work pace had significant influences on all biomechanical stressors, but its impact on job biomechanical stressors and psychosocial effects are complicated.

Practitioner Summary: The findings are based on a large number of subjects collected by three research teams in diverse US workplaces. Job rotation practices used in many workplaces may not be effective in reducing job biomechanical stressors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Overtime work is also associated with higher biomechanical stressors.     

How technostressors influence job and family satisfaction: Exploring the role of work–family conflict

Recent developments in information and communication technology have blurred the line between the workplace and the home. This can have a negative influence on employees' well-being and thus has gained increasing attention from academics and practitioners. In this study, we developed a research model based on the transactional perspective of stress and the challenge–hindrance stressor framework. We defined the two dimensions of work–family conflict as the perceptual stress resulting from a chronic challenge and hindrance technostressors, which ultimately affect employees' satisfaction in both the work and family domains. We tested our model using a three-wave time-lagged survey study with data collected from 268 employees. Challenge and hindrance technostressors had different effects on these two main forms of work–family conflict (time-based and strain-based) but further induced negative effects on both job and family satisfaction. Overall, we make both scientific and practical contributions to the fields of work-related technology use and work–family conflict.     

Enhancing Employee Job satisfaction via E-learning: The Mediating Role of an Organizational Learning Culture

Although e-learning systems have been widely employed to develop employee learning at a workplace, discerning what influences the interaction between employee acceptance of an e-learning system within an organizational learning culture (OLC) and the resultant impact on job attitudes remains under-researched and requires further investigation. This study examined the relationship between employee perceptions of an e-learning system, the existing OLC, and job satisfaction. Structural equation modeling was applied to analyze data collected from 297 employees of a telecommunications company. The results suggest that employee acceptance of e-learning is a positive predictor of the OLC and employee job satisfaction. OLC mediates the relationship between the use and acceptance of e-learning by employees and their job satisfaction. Recommendations and implications are subsequently provided in terms of the future for human resource development researches and practices.     

The effects of organizational learning environment factors on e-learning acceptance

Workplace learning is an important means of employees’ continuous learning and professional development. E-learning is being recognized as an important supportive practice for learning at work. Current research on the success factors of e-learning in the workplace has emphasized on employees’ characteristics, technological attributes, and training design elements, with little attention to workplace contextual effects. The study aims to investigate the impacts of organizational learning environment factors, including managerial support, job support, and organizational support, on employees’ motivation to use a workplace e-learning system. A model was proposed based on the expectancy theory of training motivation and the social influences and facilitating conditions in technology acceptance models. The model was tested on sample data collected from mainland China using Structural Equation Modeling and Moderated Structural Equation Modeling. The results suggested that employees’ perceived managerial support and job support had a significant impact on their perceived usefulness of the e-learning system for individual learning, and that perceived organizational support had a significant influence on the perceived usefulness of the e-learning system for social learning. Perceived usefulness for individual learning was found to completely mediate the environmental influences on individuals’ motivation to use the system, while perceived usefulness for social learning made partial mediation in the effects of the environmental factors on intention to use. In addition, perceived job support was found to have moderating effects on the relationship between employees’ perceived usefulness of the e-learning system and their intention to use the system. Consistent with previous findings, employees’ perceptions about the usefulness of the e-learning system have significant effects on their intention to use the system in the work setting.     

A manufacturing-oriented model for evaluating the satisfaction of workers – Evidence from Turkey

Job satisfaction, in terms of worker's satisfaction, is one of the intensively studied areas in human resource and management. However, there is little information available on how ergonomics and the manufacturing environment affect job satisfaction. This study analyzes the extent of the relationship between job satisfaction and work and workplace related conditions. A conceptual model is proposed to evaluate job satisfaction that considers 34 elements in four categories: manufacturing systems, facility design, safety and ergonomics, and human resources and management. A survey of 169 blue-collar workers working in the automotive industry was conducted to investigate the applicability of the model. A comprehensive exploratory factor analysis was used to determine inter-related elements, their underlying factors and their effects on job satisfaction. The analysis revealed 6 factors with 18 related elements. From a multi linear regression analysis, we develop a job satisfaction model built on factors of human resource policies, safety, ergonomics, air quality, thermal comfort and disturbing equipment. The results reveal that ergonomics plays the most important role in workers' satisfaction for the respondent Turkish automotive workers. In contrast, human resource policies seem not play a critical role in job satisfaction because of higher standards in automotive industry compared to other industries in Turkey.     

Computer attitude as a moderator in the relationship between computer anxiety,satisfaction, and stress

The present study empirically examines the relationship between computer anxiety, job satisfaction, career satisfaction, and stress. Based on self-efficacy theory and self-worth theory of achievement-motivation, it is hypothesized that the relationship between computer anxiety and job satisfaction is curvilinear and attitude towards computer moderates such relationship. The relationship between computer anxiety and career satisfaction and job stress were empirically examined in this study. Two hundred and thirty undergraduate students (125 female and 105 male students) at a university in south-western part of Louisiana completed computer anxiety, computer attitude, job satisfaction, career satisfaction and stress surveys. Hierarchical moderated regression results support that the attitude towards computer acts as a moderator in the relationship between (i) computer anxiety and stress, (ii) computer anxiety and job satisfaction, and (iii) computer anxiety and career satisfaction. Implications for management are discussed.     

From improper to acceptable: How perpetrators neutralize workplace bullying behaviors in the cyber world

Workplace cyberbullying is a growing phenomenon with important consequences ranging from employee mental strain and low job satisfaction to hostile organizational climates. In this paper, we examine how workplace cyberbullies justify their bullying behaviors and how cyber communication features influence workplace cyberbullying behaviors. Drawing from the neutralization theory and the social presence theory, we develop a research model that incorporates cyber communication features that explain how perpetrators legitimize their workplace cyberbullying acts. To empirically test our model, we collected 473 responses from employees across a variety of job positions, companies, and industries. Our results highlight three denial neutralization techniques used by perpetrators to justify their workplace cyberbullying behaviors and demonstrate the moderating effects of cyber communication features.     

Association between objective and subjective assessments of environmental ergonomic factors in manufacturing plants

The association between objective and subjective assessments of environmental ergonomic factors including noise, lighting and heat were conducted in a field study in three manufacturing plants. Data were collected from 130 workstations using questionnaire and physical measurements of the noise (noise dosimetry), lighting (task area illuminance) and heat (wet bulb globe temperature – WBGT) levels. The recommended noise, illuminance and WBGT levels were not met in about half of the workstations surveyed, which was in agreement with low satisfaction levels with the environmental factors in the workplace. A considerable effect of the environmental factors was found on perceived workers' job performance, safety and health. The results from contingency coefficient analysis indicated a relatively good agreement between the measured noise, illuminance and WBGT levels and the workers' perception of these factors. The results suggest that quantitative physical measurements should be supplemented by qualitative subjective assessments to provide more specific and additional details about the environmental conditions in each workplace and consequently to improve workers' satisfaction, job performance, safety and health.Relevance to industryThe findings highlight the importance of environmental ergonomics and have implications for improvements in the design of the workplace to enhance workers' satisfaction, job performance, safety and health on areas where the environmental factors are not favourable. A better understanding of the environmental conditions and their effects in each working environment has the potential for a notable impact on productivity and workers' quality of life.     

Influence of occupational stress on the mental health of Ghanaian professional women

Managerial women experience a number of work-related stressors which produce strain symptoms that function as predictors of their ill-health in organizations. This finding is made from a study that examined the existing relationships among job characteristics symptoms of stress, and the development of health outcomes (depression, anxiety and physical symptoms) among women in lower and middle management positions in some organizations in Ghana. The stratified and simple random sampling procedure was used to select the study participants which numbered 170 female managers. Data was collected using both questionnaires and interviews, and analyzed using the Occupational Stress Indicator, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale, and the Beck's Anxiety Inventory. It is concluded that since work-related stressors are predictors of women managers' ill-health in the work environment, organizations should be aware of the stressors in order to be able to guard against the deterioration of job performances of their women managers.Relevance to Industry: This study highlights the high prices organizations pay for the work-related stresses their women managers experience at the workplace, which impact negatively on their mental health, and by implication their productivity. Recommendations made can be used to enhance the managerial capacity and productivity of female managers at the workplace.     

The impact of psychological climate on employees’ innovative use of information systems: The moderating role of goal orientation

The objectives of this study are to investigate climates that could facilitate innovative use of information systems (IS), and to examine how psychological climate and individual goal orientation interact to promote employees’ innovative IS use. A total of 174 questionnaires were collected from enterprise resource planning (ERP) users from nine firms in China. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the research hypotheses. The empirical results suggest that (1) psychological climates (psychological autonomy climate and psychological innovation climate) are positively associated with IS users’ innovative use, (2) avoidance orientation weakens the relationship between psychological autonomy climate and innovative use, (3) learning orientation weakens the relationship between psychological innovation climate and innovative use, and (4) learning orientation strengthens the relationship between psychological autonomy climate and innovative use. This study contributes to IS literature by identifying psychological climate as a critical antecedent of innovative use. The findings also fulfil an identified need for more empirical studies of the combined effect of individual and environmental factors on employees’ innovative behaviour in the workplace, especially in the context of IS innovation.     

On the Relation of Job Insecurity,Job Autonomy,Innovative Work Behaviour and the Mediating Effect of Work Engagement

European policy is focusing on innovation as a way out of the economic crisis. At the same time, job insecurity is rising as Europe is still in crisis. In this paper, we examine whether job insecurity affects the innovative work behaviour of employees by focusing on the relation between job insecurity, job autonomy, work engagement and innovative work behaviour (IWB). Using employee level survey data, we use structural equation modelling to disentangle the relations between these variables. The partially mediated model shows the best fit with the data. This model shows that job insecurity and autonomy are both directly and indirectly, through work engagement, related with IWB. For autonomy these relations are positive, while they are negative (and smaller) for job insecurity. Moreover, a negative covariance is observed between job insecurity and autonomy.     

Age as a moderator of attitude towards technology in the workplace: work motivation and overall job satisfaction

Given the prevalence of technology in the workplace, an understanding of employees' attitudes towards technology is essential. Such attitudes have been linked to such important issues as the successful implementation of new technologies in the workplace, employee intent to use technology, and the actual usage of technology by employees. As a result of the rapidly aging workforce, and because age has been linked to computer use and comfort, it is important to examine the relationship that may exist between age and attitudes towards technology. This study examines age as a moderator of 612 employees' attitudes towards technology in relation to work motivation (intrinsic and extrinsic) and overall job satisfaction. Further, given the technological socialisation of the Generation X (Gen X) versus the Baby Boomers, our sample comprised these two demographics. Hierarchical moderated multiple regression indicates age moderates the relationship between attitude towards technology and intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and to a lesser extent, overall job satisfaction. In each instance, older employees exhibit the strongest relationships with the outcome variables when possessing a high attitude towards technology. In contrast, older employees exhibit the weakest relationships when possessing a low attitude towards technology. These results are supportive of the moderating effect of age on attitude towards technology. Lastly, implications and directions for future research are discussed.     

The interplay between users’ intraorganizational social media use and social capital

The wide acceptance of social media by the public has caused companies try to use intraorganizational social media to increase employee work performance. However, simply implementing a platform is insufficient for success. Companies must encourage employees to use social media for work-related purposes. This study divided the use of intraorganizational social media into social- and work-related use and proposed a model based on the theory of social capital to explore the effects of social-related use on work-related use. The model was tested using a survey of users of intraorganizational microblog systems in China. The results indicate the relationships among two types of intraorganizational use and the dimensions of social capital, and that social-related use fosters work-related use directly and indirectly by enhancing social capital. These results facilitate an understanding of the value of social activities conducted using intraorganizational social media in organizations.     

Social support and leaving intention among computer professionals

Although prior studies have established a number of reasons why computer professionals leave their organizations, they have rarely suggested that lack of social support may be one reason. This study attempted to explain why social support is salient to computer professionals’ leaving intention. It developed a model that posits that (i) social support is positively related to job satisfaction, (ii) social support is negatively related to leaving intention, and (iii) social affiliation needs moderate the relationship between social support and leaving intention. The model was tested using data from a questionnaire. The results indicated that social support from supervisor and colleagues were negatively related to leaving intention for computer professionals with high social affiliation needs, and that job satisfaction mediated the relationship between social support and leaving intention. Social support from family and friends was not related to leaving intention, but it was positively related to job satisfaction.