High-Performance Work Systems, Thriving at Work, and Job Burnout among Nurses in Chinese Public Hospitals: The Role of Resilience at Work

Abstract

The overall purpose of this study is to explore and examine whether high-performance work systems (HPWS) can impact thriving at work and job burnout via resilience at work among nurses in Chinese public hospitals. Specifically, it draws on social exchange theory to conceptualize a positive relationship between HPWS and resilience at work. Then, based on a socially embedded model of thriving at work and knowledge about job burnout in the literature, it further proposes the differentiated mediation roles of resilience at work in the relationship of HPWS to thriving at work and job burnout. A time-lagged survey involving three rounds of data collection with self-reported online questionnaires was employed. A total of 160 nurses from 20 public hospitals in China were invited to participate in the research. Finally, a sample of 845 responses was obtained. The response rate was 52.8%. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to test the hypotheses. It was found that HPWS (time 1) positively impacted resilience at work (time 2). The results also demonstrated that HPWS (time1) enhanced thriving at work (time 3) and reduced job burnout (time 3) via developing resilience at work (time 2). To conclude, being resilient in the workplace is crucial for nurses to enhance thriving at work, and inhabit job burnout among nurses. HPWS is a valid management tool that can be used to cultivate a nurse’s resilience at work, which further reduces job burnout and enhance thriving at work.

The mediating role of thriving at work between organizational inducements and work outcomes

“…It was demonstrated that OIs were associated with HCWs’ TW. The findings were consistent with prior research dedicated to employees’ perceptions of perceived organizational support and service employees’ TW (Alothmany et al., 2022; Yun et al., 2022).…”

“…Such OIs are aimed at enhancing employees’ work outcomes and, consequently, organizational performance (Shin et al., 2012). OIs may enhance HCWs’ TW, as employees’ perceptions of perceived organizational support and experienced service‐oriented high‐performance work systems have been proved to enhance service employees’ TW (Yun et al., 2022) and consequently their health and performance (Jo et al., 2020; Zhu et al., 2021).…”

The Association Between Intimate Partner Violence and Work Thriving/Work Alienation Among Chinese Female Nurses: The Mediating Impact of Resilience

“…Management approaches targeting workplace resilience, such as implementing high-performance work systems, improving organizational practices, strengthening team cohesion, and providing cognitive-behavioral coaching, may help address the work-related challenges these nurses face. 16,36,37 However, the existing literature on this topic is somewhat fragmented, pointing to the value of adopting a more comprehensive theoretical framework, such as the self-determination theory, which highlights the fundamental human needs for relatedness, competence, and autonomy. 38 A study has also revealed that work engagement and communication skills act as mediators in the relationship between work-family conflict and nurses' ability to maintain job satisfaction, within the context of the job-demand-requirement (JD-R) model, 19 providing a work environment that meets individual needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness can improve intrinsic motivation, 39 balancing individual-organizational mismatch, organizational factors (eg, workload, control, reward, community, fairness, organizational values).…”

“…Research has suggested that the development of resilience can lead to increased thriving and decreased work alienation. 16 In Chinese nurses, work-family conflict has been found to be linked to alienation, with psychological capital acting as a mediator in this relationship. [16][17][18] Psychological capital represents an advantageous asset in mitigating nurses' sense of alienation.…”

“…16 In Chinese nurses, work-family conflict has been found to be linked to alienation, with psychological capital acting as a mediator in this relationship. [16][17][18] Psychological capital represents an advantageous asset in mitigating nurses' sense of alienation. 19 Specifically, increasing psychological resilience has the potential to minimize the conflict between work and family responsibilities, thereby alleviating the problem of work alienation that is pervasive in the nursingfield.…”