Work environment correlates of WAI

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Work environment correlates of WAI

• R. J. Mykletun and T. Furunes

"Contemporary Problems of Prolonging Work
Ability.Age Management Extending the Work
Life"October 9-10, 2008. Tallinn
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Purpose

• This study tests a four item version of the Work
  Ability Index (WAI-4) and relates the scale to
• Perceived work environment factors as measured by
  the QPS-Nordic ADW, and
• Other psychological factors related to work
• Work and life satisfaction
• Perceived stress
• Organisational Commitment
• Self-efficacy
• Ageing well at work, and
• Health related behaviour (sick leave)
• Demographics (age and gender)

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Previous research on WAI and work environment
factors - 1

• Ilmarinen (2005) Finland, national
  representative sample, n3774. WAI relates to
• Mental strain (highest effect)
• Physical demands
• Supervisory support
• Joy of work, enthusiasm
• Competence
• Camerino et al (2005) Six European countries,
  nurses, n27146. WAI relates to
• High job demands and harassment
• Job control had buffering effect only for
  younger nurses
• Estryn-Behar et al (2005) French nurses, n4306.
  WAI related to
• Work demands, uncertainty, collegial support,
  uneven and high work pace
• Dissatisfaction with physical working conditions
  and work postures

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Previous research on WAI and work environment
factors - 2

• Freude et al. (2005) German female teachers,
  n100. WAI relates to
• efforts rewards balance at work
• Goedhard Goedhard (2005) Dutch army servants,
  n144. WAI relates to
• Stress defined by boredom, lack of support,
  quantitative overload, qualitative overload,
  salary and physical working conditions
• Bugajska Lastowiecka (2005) Polish
  cross-occupational sample, n1485. WAI relates to
• Collegial support, work pace, time for breaks

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Background few published studies report scale
properties

• Torgen, 2005 Swedish sample, n3493
• Ten item questionnaire version of WAI grouped to
  seven scores
• Factor analysis showed homogeneity (one factor)
• Ceiling effect and unstable correlations of
  items to sum-score for healthy workforce and for
  younger male workers for three scores
• Gender differences, increasing average over time?
• Geissler et al (2005) German home care workers,
  n126
• WAI score influenced by interviewers profession
• Radkiewcz Widerzahl-Bazyl (2005) NEXT-study in
  nine European countries, n38000
• Seven item questionnaire version
• Factor structures (1 2) vary across national
  samples
• Alpha coefficient varies across national samples
  from .54 to 79 average Alpha .72
• Predictive validity (health, burnout)

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Background different versions of the WAI in use

• Different scales used
• Full version with medical doctor examination
• Ten item questionnaire version grouped to seven
  subscales (Torgen, 2005 Seibt et al, 2005)
• Seven item questionnaire version (Radkiewcz
  Widerzahl-Bazyl, 2005)
• Short version (Geissler et al, 2005)
• One item What is your work ability compared to
  your life-time best (e.g., Nygård et al, 2005)

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Design and sample present study

• Data were collected by the QPS-Nordic ADW (Nordic
  Questionnaire for monitoring the Age Diverse
  Workforce)
• Sample 1050 randomly selected teachers in Norway
• Response rate 39 percent
• 34 males, 66 females
• Age ranges 24 70 years (M52)

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QPS-Nordic ADW (Nordic Questionnaire for
monitoring the Age Diverse Workforce)(Pahkin,
Björklund, Mykletun, Furunes, Gard Lindström,
2008)
Task level Social and organisational level Individual level
Quantitative demands Decision demands Learning demands Co-worker support Predictability at work Predictability of change
Role clarity Role conflict Leader support, empowerment and fairness Organisational commitment Self-efficacy
Control at work HR Primacy Work motivation
Harassment Discrimination of older workers
Social climate Innovative climate WAI-4 Satisfaction Stress Ageing well at work
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WAI-4 sum-score properties
Item Mean and st.dev. Factor loading Item corr with sum Alpha if deleted
Current work ability 3.06 (1,36) .87 .68 .81
Health compared to others 3.98 (.91) .85 .71 .77
Work ability physical demands 3.88 (.94) .83 .75 .75
Work ability mental demands 3.98 (.79) .74 .60 .82
Overall 3,7 (.64) 61 expl. var Alpha .83
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Distribution four-items WAI-4 sum-score
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Ageing well at work (AWAW) sum-score properties
Item Mean and st.d. Factor loading Item cor. with sum Alpha if deleted
Can use my skills here 3.92 (.79) .78 .42 .68
Experience appreciated here 3.42 (.97) .66 .58 .61
Same treatment of age groups 3.7 (1.03) .69 .46 .67
Small problems in ageing here 3.28 (.92) .64 .42 .68
Positive future here 3,27 (.99) .63 .46 .67
Overall 3,5 (.64) 47 expl. Var Alpha .71
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Distribution five items Ageing well at work
sum-score
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Self-efficacy sum-score properties
Item Mean and st.dev. Factor loading Item corr with sum Alpha if deleted
Manage as well as others 4.47 (.91) .80 .64 .81
I can fit work tasks to my capacity 4.22 (1.00) .83 .68 .79
Handling most work situations 4.3 (.92) .90 .79 .74
I hold positive attitudes to my work 4.43 (.87) .76 .59 .83
Overall 4.35 (.78) 68 expl. var Alpha .84
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Distribution of Self-efficacy sum-score
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Satisfaction sum-score properties
Item Mean and st.dev. Factor loading Item corr with sum Alpha if deleted
Satisfied with work 3.96 (.82) .91 .64
Satisfied with life in general 3,91 (.81) .91 .64
Overall 4.35 (.78) 81 of variance Alpha .78
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Distribution of satisfaction sum-score
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QPSNordic-AWD Work environment correlates of WAI-4
Age discrim
Harassment
Quant dem
.10
.00
.26
.13
.05
LMX
HR primacy
Relative age
.02
.21
Decis dem
WAI-4 sum-score
.18
.18
Soc climate
Learn dem
.26
Pred 2 years
Role clarity
.08
-.15
.24
Fair leader
Role confl
Pred change
Pred change
.14
.06
Control wp
Fair leader
.22
-.12
.13
-.11
Co-work support
Superv support
Empowerment
Control dec
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Psychological, demographic and behavioural
correlates of Work Ability sum-score
Ageing well at work
.42
Age
.55
-.21
Self efficacy
.18
Gender
Commitment
.02ns
WAI sum-score
.33
.35
Satisfaction
Motivation
.13 ns
Planned exit age
-.30
-.39
Sick leave
Stress
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Predicting Work Ability sum score
Mod 1 Mod 2 Mod 3 Mod 4
Age discrimination Learning demands Predictability of change Predictability 2 years Age relative to own leader -.13 -.15 .16 .13 .14 .04(ns) .01(ns) .07(ns) .06(ns) .14 -.03(ns) -.02(ns) -.10 .04(ns) .14 .01(ns) .01(ns) .07(ns) .03(ns) .05(ns)
Control over decisions Ageing well at work Self efficacy Stress Motivation -.11 .21 .29 -.14 .08(ns) -.11 .17 .27 -.12 .10(ns) -.11 .17 .28 -.12 .12
Sick leave -.23 -.22
Age -.18
Adjusted R2 .16 .33 .38 .40
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Conclusions 1

• Work environment factors relate to ability as
  measured by WAI-4, but correlations are low to
  moderate
• Social factors, discrimination, support
• Change and lack of predictability
• Learning demands
• Leadership, control, role conflict
• In the multiple regression, the work environment
  factors explain 16 of the WAI-4 variance
• Psychological factors relate more strongly to
  ability as measured by WAI-4
• Self-efficacy, ageing well at work, motivation
• Stress, satisfaction
• Sick leave and age relate to ability as measured
  by WAI-4

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Conclusions 2

• The relationships between the various work
  environment factors and ability as measured by
  the WAI-4 become less significant when controlled
  for
• Self-efficacy
• Ageing well at work
• Stress
• Control over decisions remains significantly
  related to ability as measured by the WAI-4
• These psychological factors account for 17 of
  the WAI-4 variance
• In this model,
• Sick leave has a separate effect, explaining
  additionally 5 , without influencing other
  observed relationships
• Age has a separate effect, explaining
  additionally 2 of the WAI-4 variance
• A total of 40 of the WAI-4 variance was
  explained by this model

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Conclusions 3

• The four item WAI version (WAI-4) has excellent
  scale properties
• One factor uni-dimensional
• High reliability
• The concept of Work Ability - as measured by the
  WAI-4 has strong conceptual validity,
  representing also important psychological factors
  of high significance to coping and well-being at
  work
• Further research should position the Work Ability
  concept to work environment, psychological
  factors and health variables on the same data
• The study should be repeated across samples with
  different occupations and working conditions

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Thank you questions and comments, please

• Reidar J. Mykletun
• University of Stavanger
• 4036 Stavanger, Norway
• Email to reimykle_at_gmail.com