Occupational Self-Efficacy as a Mediator in the Reciprocal Relationship between Job Demands and Mental Health Complaints: A Three-Wave Investigation

Abstract

The most recent version of the job demands-resources (JD–R) theory proposes that demanding working conditions and employee strain form a self-perpetuating loss cycle. By acknowledging that such cycles are detrimental for both employees and organizations, the present study aimed to contribute to enhancing the current scarce understanding regarding their explanatory mechanisms. For this purpose, it applied social cognitive theory to propose that occupational self-efficacy mediates the effects of two role stressors (i.e., role ambiguity and role conflict) on employee mental health complaints and vice versa. The hypothesized reciprocal mediation effects were tested using a three-wave full panel research design and a dataset of 917 (NT1 = 513, NT1+T2 = 122, NT1+T3 = 70, NT1+T2+T3 = 212) Croatian employees working in heterogeneous private sector industries. The results demonstrated that role conflict, but not role ambiguity, undermined employees’ beliefs in their capabilities to successfully master their jobs which, in turn, led them to experience more mental health complaints over time. Contrary to expectations, poor mental health did not lead to diminished efficacy beliefs nor, in turn, more job demands over time. Overall, the results of this study demonstrated an additional mechanism in the job demands-strain relationship and, at the same time, shed new light on the role of personal resources within the JD–R theory. Accounting for the malleable nature of employee efficacy beliefs, the study proposes several ways in which organizations can enhance occupational self-efficacy and thereby curb the causal chain linking job demands and employee strain reactions.

Aging engineers’ occupational self-efficacy—a mixed methods study

“…Sufficient individualized support ( Eurofound, 2022 ), enhancing a feeling of success ( Bandura, 2004 ), must be offered to the worker by the workplace leaders as well as the occupational health service. Even though occupational self-efficacy cannot cure the effects of every adverse job demand, high occupational self-efficacy might decrease perceived stress and promote individual and organizational well-being ( Onyishi et al, 2018 ; Tomas, 2021 ; Galanakis and Tsitouri, 2022 ), thus support the importance of enhancing occupational self-efficacy.…”

“…People with high occupational self-efficacy have reported higher well-being at work ( Bakker and Demerouti, 2017 ), despite high job demands ( Onyishi et al, 2018 ). Tomas (2021) suggested that by increasing occupational self-efficacy, perceived mental strain might decrease and individual and organizational well-being might be promoted. However, Rigotti et al (2018) found in their study that high job demands, and high strain negatively affected the relationship between career-related self-efficacy and career satisfaction.…”

Personality traits, role ambiguity, and relational competence as predictors for teacher subjective wellbeing

“…Lack of clarity about the fundamental requirements of the job can be the cause of repeated failures that consistently diminish the employee’s sense of occupational self-efficacy. Ambiguous role circumstances can deter him/her from putting even more effort into the job, effort that can create frustration, anxiety, and fatigue over time ( Acker, 2003 ; Tomas, 2021 ). Role ambiguity negatively affects job performance and can result in job burnout ( McCormack and Cotter, 2013 ; Olivares-Faúndez et al, 2014 ; Wu et al, 2019 ).…”