The Effect of Perceived Overqualification on Time Theft: The Mediating Roles of Presenteeism and Occupational Humorous Coping Among Healthcare Professionals

Abstract

When medical professionals perceive that their accumulated expertise, formal education, and competencies surpass the actual demands of their assigned roles, it triggers a cascade of complex organizational and behavioral repercussions. Consequently, this study explores the direct impact of perceived overqualification on time theft within the healthcare sector, while specifically investigating the potential mediating mechanisms of presenteeism and occupational humorous coping. Utilizing a quantitative, cross-sectional methodology, empirical data were gathered from a sample of 608 medical personnel actively working across four public hospitals in Konya, Türkiye. The theoretical framework was empirically evaluated using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to comprehensively assess the interplay among the focal constructs. Analytical results demonstrate a significant positive relationship between perceived overqualification and both time theft and presenteeism, alongside a substantial negative correlation with humor-oriented coping strategies. Furthermore, presenteeism was found to escalate time theft, whereas employing humor to cope diminished such deviant workplace behaviors. Crucially, mediation assessments established that presenteeism acts as a significant psychological conduit linking overqualification perceptions to time theft. Conversely, occupational humorous coping did not exhibit a statistically significant mediating influence within this dynamic. These empirical insights suggest that optimizing the person-job fit, actively mitigating presenteeism, and bolstering the psychological resilience of healthcare staff are critical administrative strategies for minimizing unapproved time misappropriation. Ultimately, this research advances the organizational behavior domain by contextualizing perceived overqualification within the spectrum of counterproductive work behaviors and presenting a tailored, holistic theoretical paradigm for the healthcare industry.

Keywords

• Perceived overqualification
• time theft
• presenteeism
• occupational humorous coping
• healthcare professionals

Ethical Statement

The research was found ethically appropriate by the Süleyman Demirel University Social and Human Sciences Research Ethics Committee with decision number 877 dated February 13, 2020.

Algılanan Üstün Nitelikliliğin Zaman Hırsızlığına Etkisi: Sağlık Çalışanları Üzerinde Presenteizm ve Mizah Yoluyla Başa Çıkmanın Aracı Rolü

Abstract

Sağlık kurumlarında çalışanların sahip oldukları bilgi, beceri ve deneyim düzeyinin iş gereklerinden daha yüksek olduğunu düşünmeleri, çeşitli örgütsel ve davranışsal sonuçlar doğurabilmektedir. Bu araştırmanın amacı, sağlık çalışanlarında algılanan üstün nitelikliliğin zaman hırsızlığı üzerindeki etkisini incelemek ve bu ilişkide presenteizm ile mizah yoluyla başa çıkmanın aracılık rollerini belirlemektir. Araştırma, nicel araştırma yöntemiyle gerçekleştirilmiştir. Veriler, Konya ilinde faaliyet gösteren 4 kamu hastanesinde görev yapan 608 sağlık çalışanından anket yöntemiyle elde edilmiştir. Araştırmada algılanan üstün niteliklilik, presenteizm, mizah yoluyla başa çıkma ve zaman hırsızlığı ölçekleri kullanılmıştır. Araştırma modelinin test edilmesinde Doğrulayıcı Faktör Analizi (DFA) ve yapısal eşitlik modellemesi kullanılmıştır. Elde edilen bulgular, algılanan üstün nitelikliliğin zaman hırsızlığını ve presenteizmi pozitif yönde etkilediğini, mizah yoluyla başa çıkmayı ise negatif yönde etkilediğini göstermiştir. Ayrıca presenteizmin zaman hırsızlığını artırdığı, mizah yoluyla başa çıkmanın ise zaman hırsızlığını azalttığı belirlenmiştir. Aracılık analizleri sonucunda presenteizmin algılanan üstün niteliklilik ile zaman hırsızlığı arasındaki ilişkide anlamlı bir aracılık rolüne sahip olduğu tespit edilirken, mizah yoluyla başa çıkmanın aracılık etkisinin anlamlı olmadığı görülmüştür. Araştırma sonuçları, sağlık çalışanlarının sahip oldukları nitelikler ile iş gerekleri arasındaki uyumun sağlanmasının, presenteizmin azaltılmasının ve çalışanların psikolojik kaynaklarının güçlendirilmesinin zaman hırsızlığı davranışlarının azaltılmasında önemli rol oynayabileceğini ortaya koymaktadır. Çalışma, algılanan üstün niteliklilik literatürünü üretkenlik karşıtı iş davranışları bağlamında genişletmesi ve söz konusu ilişkileri sağlık sektörü özelinde bütüncül bir modelle incelemesi bakımından literatüre katkı sağlamaktadır.

Keywords

• Algılanan üstün niteliklilik
• zaman hırsızlığı
• presenteizm
• mizah yoluyla başa çıkma
• sağlık çalışanları

Ethical Statement

Araştırma, Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi Sosyal ve Beşeri Bilimler Araştırma Etik Kurulu tarafından 13 Şubat 2020 tarihli 877 numaralı kararla etik açıdan uygun bulunmuştur.

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