My teaching includes various areas of work and organizational psychology, organizational theory, change management, work and health psychology, pay setting, research methods and statistics, research design, questionnaire design, and structural equation modeling. I am/have been responsible for a number of courses at undergraduate level (since 1994), advanced level (since 1998) and postgraduate level (since 1999) at the Department of Psychology, Stockholm University. I have also taught at other departments at Stockholm University (mainly Stockholm Business School), at other universities in Sweden (Karolinska Institutet and Linköping University) and abroad (mainly New Zeeland, South Africa and Spain, more sporadically in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Norway). I regularly participate as a lecturer at seminars and training programs arranged by labor market parties, interest organizations, and companies/governmental authorities.

Student adviser

I have supervised 24 doctoral dissertations to completion (of which 12 as main aadviser) and am currently involved as research adviser for another six people. See list of supervised doctoral students below. In addition to this, I have supervised 1 licentiate dissertation, 25 student Master's theses and 65 Bachelor's theses.

Supervised PhD projects (169 Kb)

My research interests include organizational change and its effects on employees, job insecurity, employment contracts, pay and job performance, work climate in relation to employee attitudes, behavior, and well-being, union member attitudes and behavior, as well as career development. Several of the studies I am involved in investigate the effects of organizational characteristics (e.g., structure, leadership, pay systems) and change (downsizing, mergers, privatization) on the individual.

Since my dissertation in 1995, I have received research grants totaling around SEK 70 million as the main applicant (AFA Försäkring, Alecta, Forte, Handelsrådet, Svenskt Näringsliv, SALTSA, Sveriges kommuner och regioner) and as a co-applicant for around SEK 70 million. I am currently leading a Forte-funded research program on non-standard employment arangements (NOWSTARS) and a project on working conditions in the retail sector (Retail as an attractive workplace: The importance of work environment factors for attitudes, behaviors and health) and have just completed a research project on individual pay setting in the private sector (Legitimacy in pay setting).

Review activities

Research councils: I have reviewed research applications for the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (Forte, chair of evaluation committee 2010-2015), AFA Insurance (2015-2020), Finnish Academy (2017-2018) and the Research Council of Norway (2006). In addition, I have had more sporadic assignments for research councils in Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Slovenia and South Africa.

Scientific journals: I have served as associate editor for the European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology (2007- 2011), Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies (2018-), and PsyCh Journal (2011-2014). I have been member of the Editorial Board for Arbetsmarknad & Arbetsliv (2013-2021), European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology (2005-2007), German Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology (2012-), Journal of Occupational Health Psychology (2006-2010), Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology (2006-), Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies (2018-), NUST Journal of Business and Economics (2008-), Occupational Health Science (2017-), PsyCh Journal (2011-2014), Scandinavian Journal of Work Environment and Health (2007-2013), and Scandinavian Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology (2015-).

Entrusted positions

I have been member of the board of the Swedish Research Council of Health, Working Life and Welfare (Forte; 2009-2015), the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences (GIH; 2007-2013), the Department of Psychology, Stockholm University (2006-2020), and the Institute of Applied Behavioral Science, Stockholm University (chairperson 2009-2013). Since 2012 I am member of the Scientific Council of the Swedish Psychological Association. I was Extraordinary Professor at Northwest University im Sydafrika during 2009-2012. In 2014 I was appointed as Fellow of the International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP), in recognition of outstanding contributions to applied psychology.

Publications

My publications (389 Kb)  (2021-10-18) include 11 books, 113 articles in scientific journals, 50 book chapters, 40 research reports, 2 degree projects and more than 230 conference presentations (including invited lectures). See my list of publications, publications in ResearchGate and Google Scholar, and a selection of publications below.

A selection from Stockholm University publication database

• On the same path? Profiles of proximal socialization outcomes among new police officers

  2022. Stefan Annell (et al.). Nordic Psychology

  Article

  Answering calls for an interactionist approach that would help clarify complex relationships among organizational socialization variables, this study applied a person-centered analytic approach aiming to examine the role of proximal socialization outcome profiles for distal outcomes. This approach is novel to organizational socialization research, contrasting the variable-centered approach dominating the field. Data from new police officers in Sweden (N = 430) were analyzed using latent profile analysis (LPA). Three proximal outcome profiles – a vulnerable (n = 151), a troublesome (n = 47), and a successful (n = 232) – were identified, with distinct patterns in the proximal outcome indicators role conflict, task mastery, and social integration. Complementary analysis showed subgroup differences in some antecedents and distal outcomes, which emphasized the role of personality and psychosocial working conditions. Thus, the findings show that proximal socialization outcome indicators may yield profiles characteristic of subgroups of newcomers who follow different socialization paths. Importantly, the findings show that a person-centered approach can add nuance to the understanding of how socialization processes differ among newcomers. While these results are promising, their generalizability to other professions and organizations remains to be investigated, which calls for continued person-centered research of organizational socialization processes. 

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• Approaching retirement

  2022. Marta Sousa-Ribeiro (et al.). Journal of Aging Studies 60

  Article

  In many countries, eldercare workers are approaching retirement. To remain attractive to older and experienced workers, organizations need to understand how employees nearing retirement think about and experience theirwork situation. This qualitative study investigated how older nursing assistants within residential care for older people experienced aging at work, their psychosocial work environment, and their late-career planning. Semistructured interviews with eight nursing assistants (aged 55–61 years) in Sweden were analyzed using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis approach. The results show that the psychosocial work environment was perceived as stressful and considered a long-term health risk, and that (future) health and work ability were key factors determining nursing assistants' late-career planning. Moreover, personal resources and social support from colleagues seemed protective against job demands. Aspects considered in late-career planning also included personal finances and meaningfulness of work. While these findings may be sample-specific, they still provide insights into the experiences of an important occupational group. This means that the findings can be useful for organizations aiming at promoting successful and sustainable aging-in-workplace and encouraging extended working lives.

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• Qualitative job insecurity and extra-role behaviours

  2022. Irina Nikolova, Marjolein C. J. Caniëls, Magnus Sverke. Economic and Industrial Democracy

  Article

  This article examines how qualitative job insecurity, work motivation and perceived investment in employee development (PIED) are associated with employees' contextual performance in terms of extra-role behaviours (ERBs). The authors propose a three-way interaction model and suggest that the way qualitative job insecurity relates to employees' ERBs is contingent upon their work motivation and PIED. Results showed that there was a significant three-way interaction between job insecurity, PIED and intrinsic motivation (but not for extrinsic motivation) for ERBs. Employees who reported high qualitative job insecurity but had low intrinsic motivation engaged in more ERBs when they were given ample opportunities for development, while highly intrinsically motivated individuals exhibited fewer ERBs when the organization supported their professional development. This study contributes to the job insecurity and motivation literatures. To increase ERBs, organizations are advised to reduce qualitative job insecurity and to provide ample learning opportunities for employees who have low levels of intrinsic motivation.

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• Anställningsotrygghet och prestation

  2021. Lena Låstad (et al.). Konferensbok FALF 14–16 juni 2021, 88-88

  Conference

  Bakgrund: Anställningsotrygghet, det vill säga en oro för att mot den egna viljan förlora jobbet, har visatsig vara kopplat till olika prestationsrelaterade utfall. Antalet studier är dock få med resultatsom pekar åt delvis olika håll. Därför är det angeläget att försöka sammanställa tidigareforskning på ett systematiskt sätt genom en meta-analys.

  Syfte: Den här studien syftade till att undersöka hur anställningsotrygghet hänger samman med olikaaspekter av prestation i arbetet, däribland arbetsprestation och medarbetarbeteenden. I detingick också att undersöka faktorer som kan påverka dessa samband, såsom metodrelateradefaktorer samt kontextuella faktorer som speglar vilken typ av välfärdssystem en studiegenomförts i.

  Metod: En meta-analys genomfördes på primärstudier som identifierades genom systematisklitteratursökning i för området relevanta databaser

  Resultat: Över lag visar resultaten att anställningsotrygghet hänger samman med försämrad prestation iarbetet. Resultaten är jämförbara oberoende av om studiedesignen var tvärsnittlig ellerlongitudinell. Sambandet mellan hög anställningsotrygghet och försämrad prestation framstårsom svagare i välfärdssystem som är förenade med en högre grad av skyddsnät för den enskildaindividen. Även om merparten av resultaten visar på entydiga samband mellananställningsotrygghet och försämrad prestation behövs dock forskning som inkluderar mer avlongitudinella studier i olika välfärdskontexter för att ytterligare klargöra sambandens karaktär.

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• Individual Job Insecurity and Job Insecurity Climate

  2021. Ümran Yüce-Selvi (et al.).

  Conference

  Job insecurity (JI), “the overall concern about the continued existence of the job in the future” is a worry and stress source for many employees. This concern may be related to the continued existence of the job itself (i.e., quantitative JI) or valued job features (i.e., qualitative JI). Both dimensions reflect a subjective perception involving a threat of loss in the future. A large number of studies have provided evidence for the detrimental effects of JI (in both forms) on various outcomes. Traditionally, JI has been defined as an individual phenomenon; however recent research indicates that it can also be shared and represent climate level perceptions. The limited number of studies having examined JI climate show that also “the shared concern about the continued existence of the job in an organization” may have negative outcomes. However, how JI climate is measured matters. While some previous studies have measured JI climate by aggregating individuals’ ratings of their individual JI to unit levels, there is also a recently developed measure to assess individuals’ ratings of JI climate at their workplace.

  The present study aims to investigate the measurement properties and construct validity of individual JI and JI climate, both with quantitative and qualitative dimensions, in a Turkish sample. The sample was composed of 245 employees (51% women, Mage = 34, age range: 19-59). Confirmatory factor analysis results showed that the proposed four-factor model (individual JI and JI climate, both with quantitative and qualitative dimensions) provided a good fit to data and outperformed rivalling models. In general, the Cronbach's alpha reliability estimates were above .70 (the exception being individual quantitative job insecurity, α=0.64). Comparisons of associations between the four JI dimensions and demographic variables provided some evidence for the discriminant validity of the proposed four-factor representation of individual JI and JI climate.

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• Non-standard Employment Contracts

  2021. Anna Sofia Tanimoto (et al.). Flexible Working Practices and Approaches, 191-211

  Chapter

  Non-standard employment includes a variety of contractual arrangements which deviate from permanent, open-ended, full-time work. There are several types of non-standard work, including project work, seasonal work, on-call work, solo self-employment, and temporary agency work. Non-standard workers are typically younger, have lower levels of education, and are more often women in comparison with standard employees. Despite substantial heterogeneity between different types of non-standard work, and research illustrating that the consequences may vary between contract forms, the overall picture suggests that non-standard employment is associated with more negative work-related, safety-related, and health-related outcomes than standard employment. Findings also suggest that these associations may be influenced by factors related to an individual’s preference for their employment contract or the job specifically. Non-standard employment may have implications for the individual, policy-makers, employers, and unions. There is a need for additional research focusing on disentangling various contractual arrangements and investigating how various types of non-standard workers differ in terms of demographic characteristics, work environment conditions, and consequences.

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• Health- and Age-Related Workplace Factors as Predictors of Preferred, Expected, and Actual Retirement Timing

  2021. Marta Sousa-Ribeiro (et al.). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18 (5)

  Article

  To address the challenges of demographic aging, governments and organizations encourage extended working lives. This study investigates how individual health- and age-related workplace factors contribute to preferred, expected and actual retirement timing, as well as to the congruency between preferences vs. expectations, and preferences vs. actual retirement. We used data from a representative Swedish longitudinal sample comprising 4058 workers aged 50–64, with follow-up data regarding actual retirement timing available for 1164 respondents. Multinomial logistic regression analyses suggest that later preferred, expected, and actual retirement timing were, to different extent, influenced by better health, an age-friendly workplace and feeling positive regarding the future at work. Emotional exhaustion, age-related inequalities at work and experiencing aging as an obstacle increased the likelihood of preferring to retire earlier than one expected to, over retiring at the time one expected to. Those with better health and positive work prospects were less likely to prefer retiring earlier than they expected to, and more likely to being “pulled toward working until 65 and beyond”, compared to being “pulled toward early retirement”. Experiencing aging as an obstacle decreased the chances of being “pulled toward working until 65 and beyond”. The results provide insights on how to facilitate extended working lives.

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• Political skill in higher military staff

  2021. Alicia Ohlsson (et al.). Scandinavian Journal of Psychology

  Article

  Social effectiveness, including political skill, reflects individuals' ways of handling interpersonal processes at work. Most research has used a variable-oriented approach to investigate associations between political skill and key organizational factors, including performance, in civil settings. Thus, little is known of whether political skill transfers to a military context and whether there are specific profiles of political skill. Combining variable-oriented and person-oriented approaches, this study used self-reports from two samples of military student officers to: (1) investigate measurement properties of the 18-item political skill inventory; (2) explore whether it is possible to identify different profiles of political skill; and (3) investigate whether such profiles differ in demographics, personality, and job performance. Exploratory (sample 1: n = 185) and confirmatory (sample 2: n = 183) factor analyses supported a four-dimensional representation of political skill including networking ability, apparent sincerity, social astuteness, and interpersonal influence. Latent profile analysis (samples 1 and 2: N = 368) identified four distinct combinations of these dimensions, namely: (1) weak political skill; (2) weak political skill with strong sincerity; (3) moderate political skill; and (4) strong political skill. Importantly, profiles differed consistently in networking ability. Subsequent comparisons suggested potentially important differences in demographics, personality, and job performance. Despite needing additional research of how profiles of political skill develop over time, these findings may have practical implications for recruitment and training in organizational settings where social effectiveness is important.

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• Does occupational self-efficacy mediate the relationships between job insecurity and work-related learning? A latent growth modelling approach

  2021. Anahi Van Hootegem, Magnus Sverke, Hans De Witte. Work & Stress

  Article

  This study investigates whether job insecurity is related to employee learning (i.e. the acquisition of knowledge, skills and competencies/characteristics; KSAOs) and whether occupational self-efficacy functions as a mediating mechanism in this relationship. We used three-wave longitudinal data, with a time lag of six months, collected among Flemish employees (N = 1708), and employed a latent growth curve modelling approach. The results provide support for a dynamic relationship between job insecurity and employee learning. More specifically, changes in employees' levels (i.e. the slope) of job insecurity were related to changes in occupational self-efficacy. Changes in self-efficacy, in turn, were related to changes in levels of newly acquired KSAOs, in such a way that occupational self-efficacy operated as a mediator between job insecurity and newly acquired KSAOs. These results contribute to the understanding of the relationship between job insecurity and work-related learning, and to the general understanding of the mechanisms linking job insecurity to outcomes.

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• Vad vet vi om fackets roll i ett föränderligt arbetsliv?

  2021. Johnny Hellgren (et al.). Konferensbok FALF 14-16 juni 2021, 58-58

  Conference

  Bakgrund: Genom att samverka med arbetsgivarparter och organisera yrkesverksamma personer har fackföreningar bidragit till flera förändringar som främjat en positiv utveckling på arbetsmarknaden. Den här utvecklingen inkluderar reglering av arbetstid, semester, sjukfrånvaro och säkerhet i arbetet. Sammantaget har detta fackliga arbete bidragit till att främja en god arbetsmiljö. Likväl finns idag en diskussion kring legitimiteten i fackföreningarsarbete. Den diskussionen utgår från det faktum att den fackliga anslutningsgraden minskat över tid, med lägre anslutningsgrad särskilt bland individer som arbetar deltid, har tidsbegränsade anställningskontrakt eller i övrigt har osäkra anställningsvillkor. Det bidrar till frågor om vilken kunskap som egentligen finns när det gäller fackets roll och attityder till facklig anslutning i ett arbetsliv som i allt högre grad utmärks av osäkra anställningsvillkor.

  Syfte: Mot bakgrund av det syftade den här systematiska litteraturöversikten till att sammanställa aktuell forskning om facket och anställda med olika typer av osäkra och tillfälliga anställningar. Mer specifikt var fokus riktat mot att undersöka attityder till facket och facklig anslutningsgrad bland anställda med otrygga anställningar, i vilken utsträckning fackligt medlemskap kan utgöra ett skydd mot otrygga anställningsvillkor, vad fackligt medlemskap kan betyda för arbetsrelaterade attityder och beteenden samt olika aspekter av hälsa samt hur fackliga organisationer arbetar för att rekrytera personer med atypiska anställningskontrakt.

  Metod: Tidigare studier identifierades genom systematisk litteratursökning i för området relevanta databaser med avgränsning till litteratur publicerad från 2010 och framåt. Dessa bedömes sedan av oberoende bedömare som relevanta eller irrelevanta för frågeställningen. Slutligen sammanställdes resultat för olika delområden.

  Resultat: Över lag visar resultaten att medlemskap i facket kan ha en stödjande funktion för individer med osäkra anställningsvillkor och för dem som upplever otrygghet, men att benägenheten att organisera sig fackligt är lägre bland anställda med otrygga anställningar jämfört med anställda med mer typiska anställningskontrakt. I linje med vad som konstaterats i tidigare studier är kunskapen fortfarande begränsad kring attityder till facket och kopplingar till olika arbets- och hälsorelaterade aspekter, inte minst hos de grupper som innehar olika former av tidsbegränsade och osäkra anställningar. Det motiverar ytterligare empiriska studier som fokuserar på olika aspekter av fackets roll i ett föränderligt arbetsliv där det finns en större variation i olika typer av anställningsformer.

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• The Effect of Shared Job Insecurity Perceptions on Exit, Voice, Loyalty, and Neglect Behaviours

  2021. Ümran Yüce-Selvi (et al.).

  Conference

  Job insecurity represents a source of worry and stress for many employees, and the detrimental effects of job insecurity on various outcomes have been shown by numerous studies (including meta-analyses). Traditionally, job insecurity has been considered as an individual-level phenomenon; however, recent findings provide evidence for the existence of a “shared concern about the continued existence of the job in an organization” (i.e., job insecurity climate). The limited number of studies focusing on the job insecurity climate construct provide insights about the construct distinctiveness between individual job insecurity and job insecurity climate, and indicate that job insecurity climate may have negative effects on work-related (e.g., job satisfaction, organizational commitment) and health-related outcomes (e.g., higher levels of work-family conflict and psychological distress).

  This study aims to contribute to the literature by examining the role of job insecurity climate for employees’ exit, voice, neglect, and loyalty behaviours, also by testing the predictive ability beyond individual job insecurity perceptions.

  The sample was composed of 245 employees in Turkey (51% women, Mage = 34, age range: 19-59). Multiple regression analysis results indicated that quantitative job insecurity climate (i.e., the perception of a shared concern about the continued existence of the job itself) predicted higher levels of exit, aggressive voice, loyalty, and neglect. Qualitative job insecurity climate (i.e., the perception of a shared concern about the continued existence of valued job features) predicted higher levels of exit and aggressive voice, and lower levels of loyalty. The results also provide evidence for the incremental validity of job insecurity climate perceptions above and beyond individual job insecurity in explaining employees’ exit, aggressive voice, and loyalty behaviours.

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• “It’s [Not] All ‘Bout the Money”

  2020. Alexander Nordgren Selar (et al.). Scandinavian Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology 5 (1), 1-14

  Article

  The use of performance-based pay is increasing rapidly, but empirical evidence on how and why it relates to job performance, as well as its relative strategical importance, remains unclear. The present study examined the relative importance of performance-based pay variables and support of psychological needs variables for task and contextual performance in a sample of 582 white-collar employees in Sweden. Multiple regression results, based on survey and register data, showed that the instrumentality of the pay system related to lower levels of task and contextual performance. However, supplementary relative weight analysis (RWA) showed that, in relative terms, instrumentality of the pay system was of minor importance for performance. Performance-based pay-raise amount was positively related to contextual performance but not predictive of task performance. Procedural pay-setting justice was unrelated to both outcomes. Among the support of psychological needs variables, feedback and job autonomy had positive associations with both outcomes while social support from colleagues was not predictive of performance. Considering the explained variance (16–17%), the performance-based pay variables combined accounted for up to a third (12.6–29.2%) while support of psychological needs variables accounted for more than half of the explained variance (56.1–68.1%) in task and contextual performance. The results indicate that organizations would benefit from putting support of psychological needs to the forefront of their motivational strategies as a complement to administrating complex compensation systems.

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• Temporal and person-oriented perspectives on job insecurity

  2020. Katharina Klug (et al.). Handbook on the Temporal Dynamics of Organizational Behavior, 91-104

  Chapter

  Job insecurity, the subjectively perceived risk of involuntary job loss, has been widely researched as a stressor and linked to negative individual, organizational and extra-organizational outcomes. After providing a brief state-of-the-art review of research on the antecedents and consequences of job insecurity, as well as theoretical frameworks to explain mechanisms underlying the relationship between job insecurity and outcomes, this chapter introduces a dynamic perspective on job insecurity. First, we scrutinize existing theory and research concerning temporal dynamics between job insecurity and outcomes when discussing mechanisms of recovery, adaptation and deterioration. Second, we review an emerging literature of person-oriented research on job insecurity, which investigates patterns of job insecurity with other stressors and resources, as well as patterns of change in job insecurity and its consequences over time. We conclude with a research agenda to advance the field towards a dynamic perspective on job insecurity.

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• Organiserad psykosocial arbetsmiljö

  2020. Petra Lindfors, Helena Falkenberg, Magnus Sverke. Att synliggöra och motverka ojämställdhet i arbetslivet

  Chapter

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• Just What I See? Implications of Congruence Between Supervisors’ and Employees’ Perceptions of Pay Justice for Employees’ Work-Related Attitudes and Behaviors

  2020. Sofia Malmrud (et al.). Frontiers in Psychology 11

  Article

  Perceiving a pay system as just has been suggested to be a precondition for individualized pay to have a motivating effect for employees. Supervisors’ enacted justice is central for understanding the effects that pay setting can have on employee attitudes and behavior. Yet, enacted justice has received little research attention, in regard to both organizational justice and pay-related topics. This study examines the effects of employees’ perceived pay justice and supervisors’ enacted justice, as well as the degree of congruence, on employees’ work-related attitudes and behaviors. Questionnaire data from employees (N = 566) matched with data from their pay-setting supervisors (N = 208), employed in a Swedish manufacturing company, were analyzed. Results of polynomial regression with response surface analysis show that employees’ perceptions of pay justice were important for their work-related attitudes and behaviors and that supervisor–employee congruence regarding pay justice was positively related to employees’ attitudes and behavior, particularly when the ratings concerned high levels of justice. The results not only highlight the importance of developing a pay system that is perceived as just by employees but also emphasize the importance of reaching a congruence between supervisors’ and employees’ perceptions of high fairness, as this has positive implications for employees’ attitudes and behaviors.

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• Engagement in meaningful activities during unemployment and subjective well-being

  2020. Marta Sousa-Ribeiro, Magnus Sverke, Joaquim Luís Coimbra. Revista E-PSI 9 (3), 4-34

  Article

  In an unstable and unpredictable labor market, older workers are in a particularly disadvantaged situation. Indeed, from the moment an individual becomes unemployed, age is the most powerful individual attribute affecting how long it will take to find a new job, and for many older individuals, job loss in fact leads to their permanent exclusion from the labor market. Nevertheless, older unemployed individuals are an understudied population in unemployment research. In the literature, unemployment has consistently been associated with reduced well-being, and research has shown that an important determinant of well-being during unemployment is an individual’s involvement in personally meaningful activities. Yet, studies on the psychological mechanisms underlying the positive association between activity and well-being during unemployment seem to be relatively scarce. This study investigates to what extent engagement in meaningful activities by older unemployed people is associated with their well-being and if this relationship is mediated by the perceived quality of the psychosocial environment – operationalized as the perceived access to the latent benefits of employment and the environmental “vitamins” included, respectively, in the latent deprivation model and the vitamin model. The sample comprised 185 Portuguese unemployed individuals aged 40+, who were asked to fill in self-report questionnaires in job- and training centers located in the Porto metropolitan area. Ordinary least squares path analyses were calculated to investigate the mediational model. Results show that the activities in which participants were most engaged were passive activities at home, followed by family-related activities and domestic chores. Furthermore, results suggest that the engagement in certain activities during unemployment – social and cultural activities and work-related activities – is beneficial for well-being through the perception of greater social contacts and the perception of greater contribution to society and integration in the community. These findings may be useful for both policy-making and practitioners aiming to turn unemployment into a less psychologically harmful experience.

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Show all publications by Magnus Sverke at Stockholm University