Spanish and Swedish eldercare managers' influence on employees

Area of Science:

• Gerontology and organizational psychology.
• Cross-cultural management studies.
• Healthcare management and employee well-being.

Background:

• Spain and Sweden exhibit distinct organizational structures in eldercare: hierarchical versus flat.
• Understanding the influence of managerial behaviors on employee outcomes is crucial for optimizing eldercare services.
• Managerial commitment and work overcommitment (WOC) are key factors potentially impacting employee well-being and job perception.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between eldercare employees' exposure to managers' commitment and WOC.
• To examine the impact of these managerial factors on employee mental well-being and job perception.
• To determine how these associations differ between Spanish and Swedish eldercare contexts.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire-based study involving eldercare managers and employees in Spain and Sweden.
• Validated instruments measured commitment, WOC, mental well-being, and job perception (quality of care, turnover intent).
• Statistical analyses included t-tests, chi-square tests, and linear regression to assess associations and cross-country differences.

Main Results:

• Spanish eldercare employees' well-being and job perception were significantly influenced by their managers' commitment and WOC.
• Managerial commitment positively affected Spanish employees, whereas WOC negatively impacted them.
• Swedish eldercare employees did not exhibit similar responses to their managers' commitment or WOC.

Conclusions:

• The influence of managerial commitment and WOC on eldercare employees varies significantly between Spain and Sweden.
• Differences in organizational structures (hierarchical vs. flat) may explain the divergent findings.
• Self-reported managerial data enhanced the ecological validity of the study's findings.