Employee and Workplace Well-being: A Multi-level Analysis of Teacher Personality and Organizational Climate in Norwegian Teachers from Rural, Urban and City Schools

Abstract

Although teaching is frequently cited as a stressful profession, limited recent Norwegian data is available. This study addressed the extent to which organizational climate and individual and organizational well-being outcomes vary between schools in rural, urban, and city locations. Participants were predominantly female (68%), aged 45+ years (63.2%) and reported 20+ years of teaching experience (51%). Teachers from rural schools reported smaller student and teacher numbers, a more positive organizational climate and better organizational well-being. Multi-level analyses, with teachers grouped within school location, indicated that personality is most strongly associated with employee well-being, and organizational climate most strongly related to school morale and distress. Schools in rural locations are smaller and possess workplace climates that are conducive to positivity in the workplace, and subsequently better workplace well-being outcomes.

Keywords:

• organizational climate
• personality
• teacher stress
• teacher well-being

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the participants from both studies, Mr Ross Bool and the Technical Services staff for organizing the online questionnaires, and the Norwegian Union of Education for their help in contacting the participants.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Richard Andrew Burns

Richard Andrew Burns, Centre for Research on Ageing, Health and Well-being, Australian National University

Michael Anthony Machin

Michael Anthony Machin, Department of Psychology, University of Southern Queensland.