Sense of coherence : structure, stability and health promoting role in working life

Abstract

Four main questions based on Antonovsky's (1979, 1987a) sense of coherence theory were proposed in the present study. Firstly, the structure of the sense of coherence questionnaire (the 13-item Orientation to Life Questionnaire; Antonovsky, 1987a) was studied. Secondly, the stability of and mean changes in sense of coherence over time were investigated and, in addition, the relation of an individual's age and employment experiences to the changes in sense of coherence. Finally, sense of coherence was investigated as a mediator and as a moderator between the relationships of work characteristics and well-being. The study was based on five occupational samples: (1) technical designers (N = 989), (2) two age groups of technical designers (N = 352), (3) teachers (N = 1012), (4) managers (N = 1035) and, (5) employees in four organizations (N = 219). Samples 2 and 5 were longitudinal and the other three cross-sectional data designs. The results of confirmatory factor analysis showed that the 13-item Orientation to Life Questionnaire is not a unidimensional measure but the structures based on the item classification (meaningfulness, comprehensibility and manageability) characterized its structure fairly well. Sense of coherence was found to represent a moderately stable personality factor over 1-year and 5-year follow-up periods. Age did not play any role in stability of and mean changes in sense of coherence. Although the employment experiences were not related to the stability of sense of coherence, those subjects who had faced unemployment during the 5-year follow-up period had a weaker sense of coherence than those who had been in full-time employment throughout the follow-up. Sense of coherence showed a strong main effect on well-being: the stronger the subjects' sense of coherence was, the less they reported psychosomatic symptoms and emotional exhaustion at work. The mediator analyses of the study highlighted the major role of a good organizational climate as enhancing sense of coherence and consequently wellbeing. Sense of coherence moderated the work characteristics - well-being relationships in three ways: (1) subjects with a strong sense of coherence were better protected from the adverse work characteristics than subjects with a weak sense of coherence, (2) good social relations at the work place emphasized wellbeing among subjects with a very weak sense of coherence and, (3) high work demands had salutary effects on well-being when accompanied by a strong sense of coherence and pathogenic effects when accompanied by a weak sense of coherence.