Work characteristics and employee health and well-being: Test of a model of healthy work organization

This paper presents an initial test and validation of a model of healthy work organization. A questionnaire based on the proposed model was completed by 1,130 employees of a national retailer. The instrument measured 29 first-order constructs underlying the six higher-order domains of the model. The overall model fit and relationships among the second-order factors were examined using AMOS structural equation-modelling procedures. The structural analyses presented here support the proposed model. An acceptable overall fit was demonstrated, and all second-order, and second- to first-order, relationships were significant. Employees' perceptions of their organization affect their perception of the climate, which impacts the way people relate to their job and see their future in the organization, ultimately impacting their work adjustment, health and well-being. This model has implications for both research and practice.