El Engagement de los empleados: un reto emergente para la Dirección de los Recursos Humanos

Este trabajo ha sido seleccionado y ha obtenido el accésit Premio Estudios Financieros 2004 en la modalidad de Recursos Humanos. En este trabajo de investigación introducimos un nuevo concepto (Engagement) para poder explicar el funcionamiento óptimo de las personas en las Organizaciones. El Engagement es un estado psicológico positivo caracterizado por altos niveles de energía y vigor, dedicación y entusiasmo por el trabajo, así como total absorción y concentración en la actividad laboral. Es un concepto «nuclear» del nuevo movimiento científico de la Psicología Positiva que: (1) a pesar de su «corta vida» ha demostrado tener una base empírica y contrastada a través de la investigación científica, y que (2) es valioso para la Dirección de Recursos Humanos (DRH), debido a que puede optimizarse. Demostraremos su fiabilidad y validez, así como su utilidad para la DRH en las organizaciones modernas. El objetivo de este trabajo es conocer qué podemos hacer desde la DRH para optimizar el Engagement entre los empleados. Desde el fenómeno de la creación de espirales de sinergias positivas, nos centraremos en analizar su optimización mediante el uso apropiado y aportando una visión nueva de las principales estrategias de DRH de las Organizaciones de hoy día: la selección y evaluación del personal, el (re/) diseño de puestos, el liderazgo, la formación y el desarrollo de los empleados

The strengthening starts at home: Parent–child relationships, psychological capital, and academic performance – a longitudinal mediation analysis

This longitudinal study examines how academic psychological capital mediates between parent–child relationships and academic performance in a group of high school students. The sample consisted of 402 students (217 girls and 187 boys) aged between 12 and 17 years. Using a three–wave design, as hypothesized, a significant indirect effect was found between (good) parent–child relationships (assessed at time 1) and academic performance (assessed at time 3) via academic PsyCap (assessed at time 2). Students who perceived high–quality relationships with their parents reported high levels of academic psychological capital and obtained better objective academic performance over time. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed, as well as strengths and weaknesses and future research directions

Good Relationships, Good Performance: The Mediating Role of Psychological Capital – A Three-Wave Study Among Students

Academic Psychological Capital, or PsyCap, – a set of positive psychological resources encompassing hope, efficacy, resilience, and optimism – has begun to gain attention in academia, showing positive relationships with desirable academic outcomes. However, studies in the field have paid limited attention to the social factors that may increase PsyCap and therefore may lead to positive outcomes. In the present study, we examine whether academic PsyCap mediates between teacher-student relationships and academic performance as assessed by student’s GPA, using a three-wave longitudinal design. Through structural equation modeling, as expected, a statistically significant indirect effect was found between teacher-student relationships and academic performance via academic PsyCap. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed; strengths and weaknesses are mentioned; and future research directions are proposed

The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale for Students (UWES–9S): Factorial Validity, Reliability, and Measurement Invariance in a Chilean Sample of Undergraduate University Students

This brief report examines the within–network construct validity of the UWES–9S in a convenience sample of 1502 Chilean students (52% were female) ranging between 18 and 25 years old. The results of confirmatory factor analysis supported a solution with three related factors that fit significantly better than a one-factor solution. The three subscales (i.e., vigor, dedication, and absorption) and the overall UWES–9S showed satisfactory internal consistency. The results of multiple–group confirmatory factor analysis supported gender invariance. Overall, the UWES–9S was found to be a reliable and valid scale to assess academic engagement in Chilean undergraduate university students

How to enhance service quality through organizational facilitators, collective work engagement, and relational service competence

This study aims to test how collective work engagement and relational service competence, as affective and cognitive-competent collective states, mediate the relationship between organizational facilitators and customers' perceptions of service quality. In all, 107 service-oriented units were aggregated from 615 service workers and 2165 customers. Structural equation modelling confirmed that organizational facilitators are related to collective work engagement andrelational service competence, which play a mediating role between organizational facilitators and service quality. Whereas collective work engagement plays a partially mediating role between organizational facilitators and relational service competence, relational service competence plays a fully mediating role between collective work engagement and service quality. A discussion and limitations are also provided

A newer and broader definition of burnout: Validation of the "Burnout Clinical Subtype Questionnaire (BCSQ-36)"

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Burnout syndrome has been clinically characterised by a series of three subtypes: frenetic, underchallenged and worn-out, with reference to coping strategies for stress and frustration at work with different degrees of dedication. The aims of the study are to present an operating definition of these subtypes in order to assess their reliability and convergent validity with respect to a standard burnout criterion and to examine differences with regard to sex and the temporary nature of work contracts.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>An exploratory factor analysis was performed by the main component method on a range of items devised by experts. The sample was composed of 409 employees of the University of Zaragoza, Spain. The reliability of the scales was assessed with Cronbach's α, convergent validity in relation to the Maslach Burnout Inventory with Pearson's <it>r</it>, and differences with Student's t-test and the Mann-Whitney U test.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The factorial validity and reliability of the scales were good. The subtypes presented relations of differing degrees with the criterion dimensions, which were greater when dedication to work was lower. The frenetic profile presented fewer relations with the criterion dimensions while the worn-out profile presented relations of the greatest magnitude. Sex was not influential in establishing differences. However, the temporary nature of work contracts was found to have an effect: temporary employees exhibited higher scores in the frenetic profile (<it>p </it>< 0.001), while permanent employees did so in the underchallenged (<it>p </it>= 0.018) and worn-out (<it>p </it>< 0.001) profiles.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The classical Maslach description of burnout does not include the frenetic profile; therefore, these patients are not recognised. The developed questionnaire may be a useful tool for the design and appraisal of specific preventive and treatment approaches based on the type of burnout experienced.</p

Making things happen : a model of proactive motivation

Being proactive is about making things happen, anticipating and preventing problems, and seizing opportunities. It involves self-initiated efforts to bring about change in the work environment and/or oneself to achieve a different future. The authors develop existing perspectives on this topic by identifying proactivity as a goal-driven process involving both the setting of a proactive goal (proactive goal generation) and striving to achieve that proactive goal (proactive goal striving). The authors identify a range of proactive goals that individuals can pursue in organizations. These vary on two dimensions: the future they aim to bring about (achieving a better personal fit within one’s work environment, improving the organization’s internal functioning, or enhancing the organization’s strategic fit with its environment) and whether the self or situation is being changed. The authors then identify “can do,” “reason to,” and “energized to” motivational states that prompt proactive goal generation and sustain goal striving. Can do motivation arises from perceptions of self-efficacy, control, and (low) cost. Reason to motivation relates to why someone is proactive, including reasons flowing from intrinsic, integrated, and identified motivation. Energized to motivation refers to activated positive affective states that prompt proactive goal processes. The authors suggest more distal antecedents, including individual differences (e.g., personality, values, knowledge and ability) as well as contextual variations in leadership, work design, and interpersonal climate, that influence the proactive motivational states and thereby boost or inhibit proactive goal processes. Finally, the authors summarize priorities for future researc