Supervisor Autonomy and Considerate Leadership Style are Associated with Supervisors’ Likelihood to Accommodate Back Injured Workers

Abstract

PURPOSE-To determine the association between supervisors' leadership style and autonomy and supervisors' likelihood of supporting job accommodations for back-injured workers.METHODS-A cross-sectional study of supervisors from Canadian and US employers was conducted using a web-based, self-report questionnaire that included a case vignette of a backinjured worker. Autonomy and two dimensions of leadership style (considerate and initiating structure) were included as exposures. The outcome, supervisors' likeliness to support job accommodation, was measured with the Job Accommodation Scale. We conducted univariate analyses of all variables and bivariate analyses of the JAS score with each exposure and potential confounding factor. We used multivariable generalized linear models to control for confounding factors.RESULTS-A total of 796 supervisors participated. Considerate leadership style (β= .012; 95% CI: .009-.016) and autonomy (β= .066; 95% CI: .025-.11) were positively associated with supervisors' likelihood to accommodate after adjusting for appropriate confounding factors. An initiating structure leadership style was not significantly associated with supervisors' likelihood to accommodate (β = .0018; 95% CI: −.0026-.0061) after adjusting for appropriate confounders.

Supervisor and Organizational Factors Associated with Supervisor Support of Job Accommodations for Low Back Injured Workers

“…When comparing factors included in our conceptual framework, the model accounting for the most variance in the outcome suggested considerate leadership style to have the greatest influence on a supervisors' likelihood to accommodate a low back injured worker. McGuire et al discuss the existing research on leadership style and supervisor training programs [29]. We reiterate and support the notion that further study of training programs designed to improve supervisors' use of considerate leadership style is warranted.…”

“…A previous etiologic analysis examining the specific direct effect of considerate supervisor leadership on supervisors' likelihood to accommodate back injured workers found a small positive association (β = .012; 95% CI: . 009-.016) [29]. When comparing factors included in our conceptual framework, the model accounting for the most variance in the outcome suggested considerate leadership style to have the greatest influence on a supervisors' likelihood to accommodate a low back injured worker.…”

“…The JAS was recently used to show that supervisor autonomy and considerate leadership style were independently and positively associated with supervisors' likelihood to accommodate a back-injured worker [29].…”

Einflussfaktoren auf die Rückkehr zur Arbeit bei chronischen Rückenschmerzen

“…Diese Datenbank empfiehlt basierend auf den über PsycINFO und MEDLINE gefundenen Volltexten jeweils noch weitere Publikationen. Außerdem wurden die Literaturverzeichnisse der folgenden 7 Artikel aufgrund ihrer inhaltlichen Qualität nach weiteren relevanten Artikeln durchsucht: Besen, Young und Shaw [14], Campbell, Wynne-Jones, Muller und Dunn [15], Dionne et al [16], Mc-Cluskey, Brooks, King und Burton [17], McGuire et al [18], Ryan et al [19], sowie von Wertli, Eugster et al [20]. Nach [20,22,23] ein, sowie eine weitere Studie [24] in ein Review [7].…”

“…Sowohl die Autonomie von Vorgesetzten als auch ein mitarbeiterorientierter Führungsstil wiesen dabei einen positiven Zusammenhang auf mit der Wahrscheinlichkeit, mit der Anpassungen des Arbeitsplatzes angeboten wurden. Für einen aufgabenorientierten Führungsstil konnte dagegen kein Zusammenhang nachgewiesen werden [18].…”