Changes in Leadership Behaviors Predict Changes in Job Satisfaction and Well-Being in Low-Skilled Workers

Abstract

About 16% of the German workforce is low skilled (Lyly-Yrjänäinen, 2008), including formally qualified employees who work in positions that do not require formal training. These educated employees in the low-skilled workforce are often immigrants with meager German language skills or workers who lack an occupational qualification that is accepted in Germany. Therefore, low-skilled workforces are characterized by a high proportion of immigrant workers (Hoppe, 2011;Seebaß & Siegert, 2011). On the other hand, workers who have completed their vocational educations are also often employed in low-skilled jobs due to poor employment opportunities in their regular professions. Low-skilled jobs have comparatively unfavorable general working conditions such as high physical demands, job insecurity, rotating shift work, and time pressure (e.g.,

The effect of change in supervisor support and job control on change in vigor: Differential relationships for immigrant and native employees in Israel

“…De Lange and colleagues (De Lange, Taris, Kompier, Houtman, & Bongers, ) have argued that specifically for investigating effects of change in social support, shorter time lags of approximately 6 months are more suitable. Indeed, among a sample of immigrant and native employees in Germany, there were effects of change in supervisor support on change in job satisfaction and work‐related affective well‐being over a 6‐month period (Winkler, Busch, Clasen, & Vowinkel, ). When approaching time lags of 1 year, change in supervisor support no longer affected change in performance‐related outcomes (Li, Fay, Frese, Harms, & Gao, ).…”

Linking perceived management support with employees’ readiness for change: the mediating role of psychological capital

“…Given this evidence, the current study hypothesizes that perceived management support will be positively related to PsyCap (Hypothesis 3). It should be noted that the causal directionality in this proposed relationship is debatable; it is plausible that employees who enjoy high levels of wellbeing are more likely to perceive their leaders as supportive (Nielsen et al, 2008;Winkler, Busch, Clasen, & Vowinkel, 2015). While there is likely some level of mutual reinforcement between PsyCap and perceived managerial support, previous research has established that perceptions of supervisors have a causative effect on employees' psychological capital and job performance (Rego et al, 2012).…”

Training and maintaining autonomy-supportive supervisory style in low-skilled occupations

“…Supervisors' support in low-skilled occupations tends to be a major predictor of employees' well-being (Ariza-Montes, Arjona-Fuentes, Han, & Law, 2018;Winkler, Busch, Clasen, & Vowinkel, 2015). Nevertheless, SAS is distinct from supervisors' support, as SAS specifically enhances employees' sense of autonomy through autonomy-supportive behaviours, therefore giving a more precise indicator of the type of supervision which contributes to the well-being of employees in low-skilled occupations.…”

“…Nevertheless, SAS is distinct from supervisors' support, as SAS specifically enhances employees' sense of autonomy through autonomy-supportive behaviours, therefore giving a more precise indicator of the type of supervision which contributes to the well-being of employees in low-skilled occupations. Winkler et al (2015) called for future studies to train supervisors in low-skilled occupations on being supportive to improve employees' well-being. Relatedly, autonomysupportive training studies have shown the positive effect of the training on supervisors and employees' well-being (Deci, Connell, & Ryan, 1989;Hardré & Reeve, 2009).…”