The Critical Role of Psychological Risk and Safety in Eliciting Worker Well-Being

Abstract

Psychosocial factors are well-known determinants of workers' health and well-being, and considerable research exists on how organisations can manage stress at work. Most existing research draws on theories from psychological sciences and applies them using a narrow approach, and consequently, recommendations usually involve organisations minimising demands on employees and maximising organisational resources. Despite these advances, research continues to find differences between the well-being of workers operating under similar working conditions, suggesting a broader understanding of the mechanism through which psychosocial hazards impact well-being is needed. Based on survey data from over 800 employees in Malaysia, we find that deterioration in worker well-being resulting from psychosocial hazards at work is moderated by how safe employees feel to speak up about interpersonal problems at work (known as psychological safety). We conclude that a broader HR approach that looks beyond individual factors in work demands and resources is needed to manage stress at work.