Organizational justice, selection, optimization with compensation, and nurses' work ability.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health Psychology
• Organizational Behavior

Background:

• Employee work ability is crucial for organizational success and individual well-being.
• Factors influencing work ability, particularly among aging workforces, require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationships between employee age, perceptions of organizational justice, and the use of selection, optimization with compensation (SOC) strategies.
• To determine how these factors are associated with maintaining work ability.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving 605 employees from a Finnish university hospital.
• Data collected in 2011, including self-reported measures of organizational justice, SOC behaviors, and work ability.
• Statistical analyses explored associations and mediation effects.

Main Results:

• A negative association was found between employee age and work ability.
• Higher levels of organizational justice and greater use of SOC behaviors were linked to better work ability.
• SOC behaviors mediated the positive impact of organizational justice on work ability.

Conclusions:

• Organizational justice directly supports employee mental resources, contributing to work ability.
• Organizational justice indirectly promotes work ability by facilitating the adoption of SOC strategies.
• Interventions enhancing organizational justice may improve employee work ability through direct and indirect pathways.