What is this study about?

This questionnaire study examines how faculty in Swedish academia with permanent and fixed-term employment contracts experience the psychosocial work environment in relation to three outcomes: burnout, self-rated health, and conflict between work and family.

What are the important take-aways from this study?

In Swedish academia, the psychosocial work environment may have implications for the health of faculty, and also for their experiences of work interfering with family. Work-related rewards are a resource, which may help to alleviate burnout and ill health. In addition, permanent and fixed-term faculty experience some aspects of the work environment in academia in similar ways, while other aspects may be experienced differently. 

What is unique about this study?

Much of what is known about the working conditions in academia come from studies conducted outside of Sweden and there is little empirical research on how employment and working conditions in the Swedish context may affect the health and personal lives of faculty. As regulations for higher education institutions and employment legislation can differ substantially from one country to another, this study strives to elucidate the situation experienced by faculty working in Sweden.

Reference

Tanimoto, A. S., Richter, A., & Lindfors, P. (2023). How do Effort, Reward, and Their Combined Effects Predict Burnout, Self-rated Health, and Work-family Conflict Among Permanent and Fixed-term Faculty? Annals of Work Exposures and Health. DOI: 10.1093/annweh/wxac094