Illegitimate tasks and occupational outcomes: the impact of vertical collectivism

Abstract

PurposeThis study aims to understand essential work and occupational consequences of employees’ illegitimate task (ILT) experiences (unreasonable and unnecessary task demands) under the influence of vertical collectivist (VC) values.Design/methodology/approachData were collected via a survey from 503 teachers in the Turkish public education sector. The hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling.FindingsFindings of this study reveal that unnecessary tasks decrease employees’ professional identification and perceived occupational prestige, whereas unreasonable tasks weaken their workplace well-being. Results also show that employees with higher VC orientation feel these adverse effects to a lesser extent.Research limitations/implicationsThis study demonstrates that individual-level cultural values play a significant role in understanding task-related dynamics and consequences at the workplace. It brings new theoretical insights to job design and work stress literature regarding what similar factors can mitigate task pressures on employees.Practical implicationsA key practical insight from the findings is that human resources management experts should create a positive task environment where ILT demands are not welcome by analyzing jobs and skill requirements in detail, communicating task decisions regularly with employees and providing them with the necessary work support.Social implicationsUnderstanding the impact of ILT can greatly help to assess the quality of the education system and the value of teaching occupation in society.Originality/valueILT have been mainly discussed without considering the effect of different cultural orientations. This is the first study empirically showing the diverse effects of two ILT dimensions on essential occupational outcomes in connection to individual-level cultural influences.

The impact of job-related stress on township teachers’ professional well-being: A moderated mediation analysis

“…Job satisfaction also has an indirect impact on this process (Lu et al, 2022). In conclusion, enhancing township teachers' professional identities can stimulate positive behaviors and help them cope effectively with job-related stress, which can elevate their professional well-being (Akyurek and Can, 2022;Hamelin et al, 2022).…”

“…Excessive stress weakens teachers’ professional identity, with negative coping strategies partially mediating the relationship between job-related stress and teachers’ professional identity ( Wang and Zhang, 2017 ) and resilience acting as a moderator ( Zhou and Ning, 2020 ). Additional tasks in schoolwork increase teachers’ workload and generate more job-related stress, which affects their professional identity and diminishes their professional well-being ( Akyurek and Can, 2022 ). Subsequently, the decline in teachers’ professional identity affects the professional well-being of township teachers by reducing their positive experiences and behaviors, which leads to burnout and a tendency to resign ( Akyurek and Can, 2022 ; Hamelin et al, 2022 ).…”

“…Additional tasks in schoolwork increase teachers’ workload and generate more job-related stress, which affects their professional identity and diminishes their professional well-being ( Akyurek and Can, 2022 ). Subsequently, the decline in teachers’ professional identity affects the professional well-being of township teachers by reducing their positive experiences and behaviors, which leads to burnout and a tendency to resign ( Akyurek and Can, 2022 ; Hamelin et al, 2022 ). Therefore, this study proposes hypothesis 2: Teachers’ professional identity mediates the relationship between job-related stress and township teachers’ professional well-being.…”

Meşru Olmayan Görevler Yazınına Dair Sistematik Bir Derleme ve Kavramsal Model Önerisi

“…Unnecessary tasks are tasks that, if organized effectively, can be completed with less effort or needless to be done. In the face of such tasks, the employee has the thought "I don't need to do this" (Akyürek, 2020). Examples of such tasks are "filling out paperwork that no one has ever seen or used" .…”

“…Unreasonable tasks are tasks that are not in line with that employee's professional position and status and should not be expected from the employee because they are outside the acceptable limits of the profession. In the face of such tasks, the employee has the idea that "I should not do this task" (Akyürek, 2020). An example of this type of task can be given as "the dry cleaning of the boss by an employee" (Pindek et al, 2019).…”