Affiliations: [a] Department of Education, Career Counselling, Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada
| [b] Centre de Recherche de l’Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Canada
| [c]
Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| [d]
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| [e]
Department de Psychologie, Université de Montréal, Canada, Centre de Recherche de l’Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Canada
| [f] Department of Organisation and Human Resources, School of Management, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| [g]
Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
Correspondence:
[*]
Address for correspondence: Marc Corbière, Full Professor, Université du Québec á Montréal (UQAM), 1205, rue Saint-Denis Montréal (Québec) Canada, H2X 3R9. Office N-6720. Tel.: +1 514 987 3000 /Ext. 5574; Email: Corbiere.marc@uqam.ca.
Abstract: BACKGROUND:Several factors impact work productivity in employees with a psychiatric condition. OBJECTIVE:In the context of social firms (SFs) the goal of this study is to test a theoretical model to predict work productivity across time, while considering worker and workplace factors. METHODS:222 people with a psychiatric disability employed in SFs were enrolled in a longitudinal study (6 month follow up) and completed the baseline battery of questionnaires on health (severity of symptoms), individual (self-esteem as a worker) and organizational factors (organizational constraints and supervisory support), and their work productivity (also measured at follow-up). Path analysis was used to test the hypothetical model, assessing individual and organizational factors in the context of social firms that could facilitate or hamper work productivity in the immediate term (T1), as well as the stability of work productivity in the middle/long term (T2 or 6 month follow up). RESULTS:Work productivity of people with a psychiatric disability was affected negatively by severity of the symptoms, organizational constraints, and positively by self- esteem as a worker at T1. The stability of work productivity was significant across time (T2). Supervisor support was only related to work productivity at 6 month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS:The results highlight the importance of the supportive workplaces for people with mental disorders that SFs provide, and the stability of work productivity across time. Supervisor support seems to have a delayed impact on work productivity. In future studies, researchers could determine how individual and organizational variables influence job tenure of employees with a psychiatric disability.
Keywords: Health, individual and organizational factors, job tenure, supervisor
