The Psychological Climate and Reported Well-Being of Underground Miners: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

This study explored the dimensions of underground miners' work-environment perceptions, how these dimensions related to measures of well-being, and to what extent such factors as age, seniority, and work assignment accountedfor perceptions of the environment and one's well-being. Four hundred sixty-nine nonmanagement employees participated in this investigation. Results indicated that the dimensions of work-environment perceptions were, to a large extent, similar to dimensions found in other occupational groups. Further, perceptions of the interpersonal behaviors of supervisors and of promotion practices in the mine seemed to have greatest significance for the miners' reports of well-being. Analyses of the effects of age, seniority, and work assignment yielded few statistically meaningful associations with selfand environmental perceptions, thereby suggesting that other variables may be more salient determinants of miners' attitudes. It was also noted that perceptions of the environment as well as indices of well-being had negligible correlations with life satisfaction. Some implications of these findings are discussed both in terms of future research directions and intervention strategies.

The Multisystem Approach to Resilience in the Context of Organizations

“…To date, considerable research has demonstrated the relationship between supervisor behavior and employee well-being. Foundational work by Gavin and Kelley (1978) demonstrated a positive association between the self-reported well-being of underground miners and their perceptions of how considerate their supervisors were. Similarly, studies in the 1980s demonstrated that nurses whose supervisor rated low in consideration and high in structure (i.e., tasks and processes highly structured) were most likely to report symptoms of burnout (Duxbury, Armstrong, Drew, & Henly, 1984).…”

The association between direct supervisor's behavior and employee presenteeism in Korean wage workers: findings from the fifth Korean Working Condition Survey

“…Studies have shown that direct supervisors can have a strong influence on workers and their behavior can affect workers' psychological well-being and absenteeism. 26 Additionally, the behavior of direct supervisors is related to workers' health problems and musculoskeletal and psychological symptoms. 27 28 In addition, significantly higher levels of hypertension have been reported in workers who have less-favored supervisors than in those who do not.…”

Ineffective-Leader-Induced Occupational Stress

“…Leadership has been noted as the most influential psychosocial factor in the workplace for many employees, because it affects employees' psychological well-being (Fleishman & Harris, 1962;Gavin & Kelley, 1978;Thoroughgood, Padilla, Hunter, & Tate, 2012). Employees' social, psychological, and psychosomatic social stress symptomatic of ineffective leaders can negatively influence employees' self-efficacy and abilities to perform his or her job duties (Shaw et al, 2011), and they suffer from anxiety and depression as well as experience low levels of job satisfaction, lower levels of commitment, and psychological distress (Tepper, 2000;Tepper , Moss, & Duffy, 2011).…”