Department

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Dept. of Psychology

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Abstract

Construction work is one of the most high-risk and psychologically demanding industries globally, with workers facing long hours, intense physical labor as well as hazardous and unstable conditions. Contributing to reduced well-being, burnout and elevated stress, with evidence stating that psychosocial demands-referring to workload, conflict, low control and role ambiguity are key predictors of strain. The awareness of these challenges does exist by leadership, but responses to worker mental health remain inconsistent and understudied. Leading to insufficient responses from leadership and leaving gaps when it comes to the effectiveness of interventions and support systems. This study investigates how psychological demands, leadership responsiveness, and organizational practices combined impact worker well-being and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) in construction settings. Piloted by Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, Job Demand-Control (JD-C), Personal-Environment Fir theory, and Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, this study questions: (1) How psychosocial demands predict well-being, burnout and stress? (2) Does leadership responsiveness moderate the negative effects of job demands? (3) Do organizational-level interventions (e.g., mentoring, feedback systems) improve mental health outcomes? (4) How psychological capital (PsyCap) and prosocial motivations influence OCB? Hypothesizing that high demands and low control will predict greater strain (H1), leadership responsiveness will moderate the demands-well-being relationship (H2), organizational interventions will reduce strain (H3), PsyCap will predict OCB (H4), and prosocial motivation will mediate the PsyCap-OCB relationship (H5). Data collection will be conducted using a mixed-methods design, gathered across multiple job sites from construction workers, site supervisors and project managers. Quantitative measures comprise of validated JD-R and JD-C scales, leadership responsiveness scales, mental health outcomes (Well-being, burnout, stress, anxiety), and OCB/PsyCap measures. Exploring contextual factors that shapes worker experiences through qualitative interviews. Analyses including regression, moderation, mediation (PsyCap  prosocial motivation  OCB), and thematic analysis. Expected results will contribute a comprehensive psychosocial framework, emphasizing the understanding of construction worker well-being, the critical protective factors that leadership responsiveness uphold, and identifying which organizational interventions has the strongest potential impact. Practical implications involve designing targeted mental health programs for construction firms, fostering workplaces that are psychologically safe, and improve supervisory training. Research implications involve addressing the gap that exist in construction psychology. Integrating a unified model of worker well-being, based on psychosocial demands, leadership behavior, and resource-based theories.

Date

November 2026

Subject

Industrial and organizational psychology

Document Type

posters

Language

English

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Nov 7th, 12:45 PM Nov 7th, 1:45 PM

Psychosocial Demands, Leadership Responsiveness, and Worker Well Being in the Construction Industry

Construction work is one of the most high-risk and psychologically demanding industries globally, with workers facing long hours, intense physical labor as well as hazardous and unstable conditions. Contributing to reduced well-being, burnout and elevated stress, with evidence stating that psychosocial demands-referring to workload, conflict, low control and role ambiguity are key predictors of strain. The awareness of these challenges does exist by leadership, but responses to worker mental health remain inconsistent and understudied. Leading to insufficient responses from leadership and leaving gaps when it comes to the effectiveness of interventions and support systems. This study investigates how psychological demands, leadership responsiveness, and organizational practices combined impact worker well-being and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) in construction settings. Piloted by Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, Job Demand-Control (JD-C), Personal-Environment Fir theory, and Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, this study questions: (1) How psychosocial demands predict well-being, burnout and stress? (2) Does leadership responsiveness moderate the negative effects of job demands? (3) Do organizational-level interventions (e.g., mentoring, feedback systems) improve mental health outcomes? (4) How psychological capital (PsyCap) and prosocial motivations influence OCB? Hypothesizing that high demands and low control will predict greater strain (H1), leadership responsiveness will moderate the demands-well-being relationship (H2), organizational interventions will reduce strain (H3), PsyCap will predict OCB (H4), and prosocial motivation will mediate the PsyCap-OCB relationship (H5). Data collection will be conducted using a mixed-methods design, gathered across multiple job sites from construction workers, site supervisors and project managers. Quantitative measures comprise of validated JD-R and JD-C scales, leadership responsiveness scales, mental health outcomes (Well-being, burnout, stress, anxiety), and OCB/PsyCap measures. Exploring contextual factors that shapes worker experiences through qualitative interviews. Analyses including regression, moderation, mediation (PsyCap  prosocial motivation  OCB), and thematic analysis. Expected results will contribute a comprehensive psychosocial framework, emphasizing the understanding of construction worker well-being, the critical protective factors that leadership responsiveness uphold, and identifying which organizational interventions has the strongest potential impact. Practical implications involve designing targeted mental health programs for construction firms, fostering workplaces that are psychologically safe, and improve supervisory training. Research implications involve addressing the gap that exist in construction psychology. Integrating a unified model of worker well-being, based on psychosocial demands, leadership behavior, and resource-based theories.