Work intensification (WI) is a notable job stressor, which has been hypothesised to result in various negative outcomes for employees. However, earlier empirical studies regarding this stressor hypothesis have not yet been reviewed. Our narrative review focused on the outcomes for employees of WI as a perceived job stressor. Our review was based on selected qualitative and quantitative empirical studies (k = 44) published in peer-reviewed journals between the years 2000 and 2020. Altogether, the findings of these studies showed that WI was related to various negative outcomes for employees, such as impaired well-being and motivation, supporting the stressor hypothesis. Stressful WI manifested as perceived accelerated pace of work and increased effort and demands for effectivity at work. Nevertheless, other manifestations of WI (e.g. increased demands for learning) were not always associated with negative outcomes. The implications of these findings are discussed together with future directions.

Research on the associations between family and school social capital, school burnout and academic achievement in adolescence is scarce and the results are inconclusive. We examined if family and school social capital at the age of 13 predicts lower school burnout and better academic achievement when graduating at the age of 16. Using data from 4467 Finnish adolescents from 117 schools and 444 classes a three-level multilevel analysis was executed. School social capital, the positive and supportive relationships between students and teachers, predicted lower school burnout and better academic achievement among students. Classmates’ family social capital had also significance for students’ academic achievement. Our results suggest that building school social capital is an important aspect of school health and education policies and practices.

The aims of this study were twofold: first, to investigate whether illegitimate tasks and job crafting are associated longitudinally with meaning of work, and, second, to explore whether job crafting strategies moderates longitudinally the relationship between illegitimate tasks and meaning of work. The study was based on one-year follow-up data from Finnish teachers (N = 453). A latent change model with interaction terms was conducted using structural equation modeling. The results showed that high level of unnecessary tasks was associated with low subsequent level of meaning of work. Moreover, changes in both dimensions of illegitimate tasks and meaning of work were negatively associated: the greater the increase in illegitimate tasks, the greater the decrease in meaning of work across one year. Also, latent change factors of job crafting strategies (seeking job resources and optimizing job demands) and meaning of work were positively associated. Furthermore, increased levels of seeking job resources protected against the detrimental effects of unreasonable tasks on meaning of work. To conclude, job crafting strategies should be promoted due to their direct and protective effects on meaning of work.

Purpose: In order to understand the driving forces behind intensified job demands (IJDs), the purpose of this paper is to examine demographic factors, structural work-related factors, personal and job resources as antecedents of IJDs.Design/methodology/approach: The study is based on cross-sectional (n=4,963) and longitudinal (n=2,055) quantitative data sets of Austrian employees. Data sets were analyzed via regression analyses.Findings: The results showed that IJDs, as assessed through five sub-dimensions: work intensification, intensified job-related, career-related planning and decision-making demands, intensified demands for skills and for knowledge-related learning, remained fairly stable overtime. The most consistent antecedents of IJDs were personal initiative and ICT use at work. Job resources, e.g. variety of tasks and lacking support from supervisor, related to four sub-dimensions of IJDs.Research limitations/implications: The findings suggest that personal (being initiative) and job resources (task variety) may have negative effects as they associated with IJDs. Moreover, supervisors’ support is crucial to counteract IJDs.Practical implications: Employers should recognize that certain personal (e.g. personal initiative) and job-related resources (e.g. lacking supervisory support) might implicate higher IJDs, which, in turn, may cause more job strain as IJDs can be conceived as job stressors.Originality/value: IJDs have received very little research attention because they are new job demands, which however, can be expected to increase in future due to faster technological acceleration in working life. The study has methodological value as longitudinal design was applied.