Papers by Wilmar Schaufeli
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
The Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) has been gaining increased attention as a sound and innovative ... more The Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) has been gaining increased attention as a sound and innovative instrument in its conceptualization of burnout. BAT has been adapted for several countries, revealing promising validity evidence. This paper aims to present the psychometric properties of the Brazilian and Portuguese versions of the BAT in both the 23-item and 12-item versions. BAT’s validity evidence based on the internal structure (dimensionality, reliability, and measurement invariance) and validity evidence based on the relations to other variables are the focus of research. A cross-sectional study was conducted with two non-probabilistic convenience samples from two countries (N = 3103) one from Brazil (nBrazil = 2217) and one from Portugal (nPortugal = 886). BAT’s original structure was confirmed, and it achieved measurement invariance across countries. Using both classic test theory and item response theory as frameworks, the BAT presented good validity evidence based on the inte...
Frontiers in Psychology, 2020
It is generally assumed that a corporate purpose aiming to benefit all stakeholders has a positiv... more It is generally assumed that a corporate purpose aiming to benefit all stakeholders has a positive effect on employee motivation and engagement, but no empirical studies into these specific effects were found. To examine this assumption, a corporate mission and vision matching the definition of a higher purpose were tested in two subsequent studies. The first study (N = 270) was a cross-sectional self-report study. The second study included a longitudinal design (N = 56) modeling purpose, motivation, and engagement in a crosslagged panel model over three time-points. The results associated purpose with motivation and engagement. The subsequent longitudinal analysis confirmed the presumed directionality from purpose to engagement, but not to motivation. Hence, while a corporate purpose can be added to the list of antecedents to work engagement, the relationship with motivation, despite the significant association with purpose in the cross-sectional study, remains more complicated. The present study adds to the knowledge of the beneficial effects of a broader purpose and responds to the current surge of interest in purpose as an instrument for sustainable business.
Gedrag & Organisatie, 2012
The motivation and performance of workaholic, engaged and burned-out workers The motivation and p... more The motivation and performance of workaholic, engaged and burned-out workers The motivation and performance of workaholic, engaged and burned-out workers Based on Deci and Ryan’s Self-Determination Theory, the present study investigated the work motivation of workaholic, work engaged, and burned-out employees. Furthermore, it investigated how these employees perform. Data were collected among employees of a Dutch bank (N = 680). Using Structural Equation Modeling, the present study showed that workaholism is primarily associated with introjected motivational regulation, work engagement is primarily associated with intrinsic regulation, and burnout is primarily associated with amotivation. Furthermore, a positive relation was observed between work engagement and extra-role performance and a negative relation between burnout and in-role performance. The present study provides insight into the motivational regulation of workaholic, work engaged, and burned-out employees, suggests that ...
Tijdschrift voor Arbeidsvraagstukken, 2013
Burnout: the state of the art Burnout: the state of the art This manuscript presents an overview ... more Burnout: the state of the art Burnout: the state of the art This manuscript presents an overview of the state-of-the-art in burnout research. Burnout is a work-related syndrome of extreme fatigue (exhaustion), distancing from work (cynicism), and low levels of professional efficacy, that is rooted in either the characteristics of one’s job or on individual’s way of coping with these characteristics. Being a work-related phenomenon, burnout can be distinguished from other, more general mental illness such as depression. Further, burnout and engagement can be distinguished as well.Burnout can be assessed by asking workers about their personal and subjective experience of their health. Objective ways of measuring burnout (e.g., using psychophysiological measures) have as yet not been useful. The emphasis on burnout as a work-related phenomenon is also evident from current theoretical perspectives. On the one hand, these perspectives highlight the role of work-related factors, whereas o...
Tijdschrift voor Arbeidsvraagstukken, 2012
In search of the differences between workaholism and work engagement In search of the differences... more In search of the differences between workaholism and work engagement In search of the differences between workaholism and work engagement Employees may have different motives to work hard. Both in research and practice, the interest in work engagement, a particular form of intrinsic motivation to work hard, is increasing. However, at first glance work engagement does not seem very different from workaholism. In this research the authors want to confirm insights from the literature on workaholism and engagement as well as formulate new questions for future research. More specifically, in this research the authors investigate how workaholism and work engagement relate to each other. Are they different or mutually exclusive categories? And – when different categories – on what basis can they be distinguished from each other? On the basis of 23 interviews with engaged and workaholic employees, it is concluded that despite of the similarity of working hard – workaholism and work engageme...
Gedrag & Organisatie, 2011
Workaholism Workaholism Work addiction or workaholism is defined as the uncontrollable need to wo... more Workaholism Workaholism Work addiction or workaholism is defined as the uncontrollable need to work excessively hard. Based on this definition, the DUWAS (Dutch Workaholism Scale) is introduced, a brief two-dimensional self-report instrument that includes two correlated subscales of five items each: Working Excessively (WE) and Working Compulsively (WC). Using a national Dutch database (n = 11.060) cut-off scores were computed that allow a classification of levels of workaholism. Analyses (n = 1.166) reveal that particularly the combination of high scores on both WE and CW is unfavorable. It is concluded that the DUWAS is a reliable and valid inventory that can, for instance, be used as a screening tool to identify workaholic employees.
Gedrag & Organisatie, 2004
Work Engagement: The measurement of a concept Work Engagement: The measurement of a concept Wilma... more Work Engagement: The measurement of a concept Work Engagement: The measurement of a concept Wilmar B. Schaufeli & Arnold B. Bakker, Gedrag & Organisatie, volume 17, April 2004, nr. 2, pp 89-112. The first part of this article reviews research on work engagement, a concept that has recently been introduced as the antipode of burnout. Engaged workers are vigorous and dedicated, and totally absorbed by their work. Typically, research on work engagement uses the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), which psychometric qualities seem to be confirmed by numerous (inter)national studies. However, a more detailed and systematic study on psychometric qualities of UWES has not yet been performed. Therefore, the second part of this article discusses the results of UWES analyses, performed on a database consisting of almost 10.000 Dutch speaking (i.e. Dutch and Flemish) workers. The study shows that the three subscales of the UWES (i.e. vigor, dedication and absorption) are sufficiently interna...
Gedrag & Organisatie, 2013
The Job Demands-Resources Model: A critical review The Job Demands-Resources Model: A critical re... more The Job Demands-Resources Model: A critical review The Job Demands-Resources Model: A critical review The Job Demands-Resources model (JD-R model) has become popular among both researchers and practitioners. The current version of the model proposes that high job demands lead to strain and ill-health (the health impairment process), whereas high resources lead to increased motivation and productivity (the motivational process). We first review the model’s development and its assumptions and then present an overview of the main findings obtained with the model. Although the model’s predictions are largely supported, several critical comments can be made. These include the model’s epistemological status, the differentiation between demands and resources, the role of personal resources, the interdependence of the health impairment and the motivational processes, the direction of causality, and the model’s applicability at the collective/team level. Based on these issues, suggestions fo...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020
The present quasi-experimental study tested the business impact of a leadership development progr... more The present quasi-experimental study tested the business impact of a leadership development program focusing on psychological well-being through the satisfaction of basic psychological needs. Based on the concept of engaging leadership and self-determination theory, the 8-month program targeted midlevel team leaders of the customer fulfilment center of a health systems multinational organization. The program was designed in co-creation between senior leadership and the team leaders that participated in the program. Outcomes showed positive business results through significant increases in a preselected key performance indicator and decreased employee absenteeism. Through changes in autonomy satisfaction and intrinsic motivation, the team leaders (N = 14) benefitted in a moderate to very large extent relative to a similar control group (N = 52). In contrast, team members (N = 148) displayed no such benefits. Specifically, higher levels of autonomy satisfaction are said to lead to hig...
TBV – Tijdschrift voor Bedrijfs- en Verzekeringsgeneeskunde, 2014
Work & Stress, 2016
This article reports a systematic review of findings on the long-term development of employee wel... more This article reports a systematic review of findings on the long-term development of employee well-being, taking into account the effects of time lag, age, and job change. High-quality quantitative empirical studies focusing on employee affective well-being based on the circumplex model and utilizing measurements at more than two points in time were searched from eight databases. The systematic analysis of the 40 studies revealed that the level of employee well-being was generally high but not fixedinstead changes in mean levels over time were typical. In addition, the stability of well-being was found to be relatively low, as the explained variances were below 50%. Age and change of job were the major factors influencing stability: younger employees and job changers tended to display larger across time changes in wellbeing than older employees and job stayers, both at the mean level and in terms of their position relative to others. The findings of this review suggest that the indicators of employee affective well-being studied here (i.e. burnout, engagement, and job satisfaction) can meaningfully be applied in future research in measuring changes in employees' well-being. In conclusion, based on the designs, methodologies, and main findings of the reviewed studies, seven avenues for future longitudinal research on employee well-being are proposed.
De psychologie van arbeid en gezondheid, 2013
Journal of occupational and environmental medicine / American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2014
To investigate the correlates of job boredom in 87 Finnish workplaces (N = 11,468) and to examine... more To investigate the correlates of job boredom in 87 Finnish workplaces (N = 11,468) and to examine the associations between job boredom, health outcomes, and job attitudes. We applied the Dutch Boredom Scale to measure job boredom. Hierarchical logistic regression analysis and odds ratio estimates were used for further examination of the variables. Male, under-36-year-old employees and employees working in transportation, manufacturing, arts, recreation, and entertainment experienced the most job boredom. Job boredom increased the likelihood of employees' turnover and early retirement intentions, poor self-rated health, poor workability, and stress symptoms. Job boredom is a phenomenon that concerns a wide range of industries. We found a clear association between job boredom and negative health- and work-related perceptions. The results support the notion that job boredom can be harmful to employee health.
Industrial Health, 2015
The present study investigated the factor structure of the 10-item version of the Dutch Work Addi... more The present study investigated the factor structure of the 10-item version of the Dutch Work Addiction Scale (DUWAS). The DUWAS-10 is intended to measure workaholism with two correlated factors: working excessively (WE) and working compulsively (WC). The factor structure of the DUWAS-10 was examined among multi-occupational samples from the Netherlands (n=9,010) and Finland (n=4,567) using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). CFAs revealed that the expected correlated two-factor solution showed satisfactory fit to the data. However, a second-order factor solution, where WE comprised the first-order factors "working frantically" and "working long hours", and WC the first-order factors "obsessive work drive" and "unease if not working", showed significantly better fit to the data. The expectation of factorial group invariance of the second-order factor structure between the Dutch and Finnish samples was also supported. Moreover, factorial time invariance was observed across a two-year time lag in a sub-sample of Finnish managers (n=459). In conclusion, the DUWAS-10 was found to be a comprehensive measure of workaholism, meeting the criteria of factorial validity in multiple settings, and can thus be recommended for use in both research and practice.
Coping with Occupational Transitions, 2009
This part of the project involved two major elements: conducting qualitative interviews with two ... more This part of the project involved two major elements: conducting qualitative interviews with two groups of employees on the one hand, and case studies in several Dutch companies on the other. The first group consisted of workers in an insecure job situation following the (future) restructuring of their company. These respondents were asked what elements would help them in such a situation, and which organisational factors obstructed them in adequately coping with their insecurity. The aim of these interviews was to gain insight in key issues for workers in an insecure job situation, and to develop innovative intervention strategies that assisted employees in coping with occupational transitions. The second group was composed of successfully re-employed individuals having found a new job as a result of outplacement/replacement counselling provided by their previous employer. These interviewees were asked about their experiences with different elements in the outplacement programme and how this support has helped them in recovering from the shock of dismissal and in successfully finding another job.
Journal of Vocational Behavior, 2006
This study used a sample of 154 cabin attendants to examine the role of self-eYcacy in the perfor... more This study used a sample of 154 cabin attendants to examine the role of self-eYcacy in the performance of emotion work. On the basis of the literature, we hypothesized that self-eYcacy would have a moderating inXuence on the relationship between emotional job demands (i.e., feeling rules and emotionally charged interactions with passengers) and emotional dissonance, and on the relationship between emotional dissonance and well-being (emotional exhaustion and work engagement). In addition, we predicted that emotional dissonance mediates the relationship between emotional job demands and well-being. The results of a series of hierarchical multiple regression analyses generally supported these hypotheses. Results conWrmed that emotionally charged interactions with passengers are related to emotional exhaustion and engagement through their inXuence on emotional dissonance. Furthermore, self-eYcacy buVers the relationship between emotional job demands and emotional dissonance, and the relationship between emotional dissonance and work engagement (but not exhaustion).
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Papers by Wilmar Schaufeli