ISSN 0798 1015

Vol. 39 (Number 34) Year 2018 • Page 30

Structural model of personal qualities influence on professional health of sales managers

Structural model of personal qualities influence on professional health of sales managers

Elena Stanislavovna STARCHENKOVA 1; Anzhelika Vladimirovna KORNIENKO 2

Received: 19/03/2018 • Approved: 30/05/2018

Content

1. Introduction

2. Methodology

3. Results

4. Conclusions

Bibliographic references

1. Introduction

The urgency of the public health issue in Russia is confirmed with the Russian Federation Federal Law No. 323-FZ of November 21, 2011 "On fundamental healthcare principles in the Russian Federation " (last updated on December 29, 2017). Furthermore, according to the Concept of long-term social and economic development till 2020 one of the state policy priorities is protection and promotion of the public health, disease record reduction and increase in the duration of the active creative life.

The majority of foreign researchers consider that the negative factors that affect the professional health are stress (R. S. Lazarus, 1984; J. & R. Useem, 1958; U. Lundberg & M. Frankenhaeuser, 1999; J. Turnage & Charles D. Spielberger, 2007; etc.), emotional burnout (A. Pines & E. Aronson, 1988, etc.), harassment and mobbing (N. P. Serantes, M. A. Suares, 2006, etc.), presenteeism and abstenism (M. Miraglia, G. Johns, 2016, etc.), pro-active behavior as negative factor (D. Fay, A. Hüttges, 2017) and others.

The positive factors are viability (S. Maddi, 1998, etc.), enthusiasm for work (G.Becker, 2010; W. Shaufeli, M. Salanova, 2010), human capital (G. Becker, 1964, etc.), preventive behavior (C. S. Wilbur, T. D. Hartwell, P. V. Piserchia, 1986) emotions as personal resources (G. Buruck, D. Dörfel, J. Kugler, S. Brom, 2016) and pro-active behavior together with self-efficiency (A. Schmitt, F. Belschak, D. Hartog, N. Deanne, 2017), etc.

The Russian psychologists point out such positive psychological factors influencing the professional health as emotional competence (R. A. Berezovskaya, A. A. Kirilova, 2013), style and emotional features of humour (A. G. Buyenok, R. A. Berezovskaya, 2013), fulfilled existence (L. R. Pravdina, O. S. Vasilyeva, E. W. Gauss, 2015), etc. The psychologists describe criteria for professional health, such as adaptability of coping strategies, mature mechanisms of psychological protection (A. L. Katkov, 2002), emotional and behavioral flexibility, internal control locus, synergy, time competence, creativity (T. G. Glukhova, 2003), working capacity (G. S. Nikiforov, V. I. Shostak, L. A. Yanshina, 2006), reflexive self-control (G. G. Verbina, 2011), psychological safety (N. V. Kozlova, A. S. Gulyaev, 2012), high level of consciousness development (S. D. Tsydypova, 2013), etc.

However, personality factors and determinants of the professional health, including the health of sales managers are still an acute research area.

In total, the business efficiency depends on the professional success of sales managers, where one of the basic factors is the ability to maintain their health required for personal and professional potential. On the other hand, the profession of the sales manager stands at the top of the list of stressful professions, for it deals with the high informational and emotional overload leading to the loss of the professional health and decrease in the company efficiency. All this determined the choice of the research topic.

2. Methodology

Research techniques

1) The empirical techniques: A. Shostrom’s self-actualisation test adapted by L. Ya. Gozman, Yu. E. Alyoshina, M. V. Zagika and M. V. Kroz; the motivation test of H. Hekhauzena in L. N. Sobchik’s adaptation; Californian personality questionnaire of G. Goukh adapted by N. A. Grafinina and N.V. Tarabrina; the professional health questionnaire developed by G. S. Nikiforov, N. E. Vodopyanov, E. S. Starchenkova, R. A. Berezovskaya; the SF-36 questionnaire; rigidity and flexibility questionnaire of G. V. Zalevsky.

2) Mathematical statistics methods: SEM (Structural Equation Modeling), with calculations carried out by means of the statistical program SPSS IBM AMOS.

The research target is to study and reveal personality determinants of the professional health of sales managers.

To create the model we have used structural modeling, or SEM (Structural equation modeling). The structural modeling is based on a number of preliminary mathematical procedures to develop a structural model, such as correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, etc.

The model is considered valid (confirming the initial hypotheses) if it corresponds to the original data according to the accepted criteria (criteria of consent) (2).

The model is a flowchart transformed by the computer program into the system of linear equations. The basic elements of the model are variables (explicit, implicit, measurement errors) and links between them (directed and not directed).

To recognize the model as corresponding to the data we applied the following consent indexes and their admissible values: chi-square /df<2; p>0,05; GFI>0,95;  AGFI>0,9; CFI>0,95; RMSEA<0,05 (2). Figure 1 shows that all the consent indexes have admissible values and, therefore, the developed model is possible to interpret (Figure 1).

At the first stage of the structural equation modeling we developed an aprioristic model that reflects hypothetic concepts on interrelation of explicit variables and implicit variables. The hypothetic assumption was that the integrative indicator of the professional health is influenced by such exogenous factors as gender and nationality, the level of the development of personal maturity and self-actualisation and motivators in the activities aimed at avoiding failures.

Our assumptions were based on the confirmatory factor analysis that had been previously carried out with the structural equation modeling program IBM SPSS AMOS. We calculated "secondary factors" to be saved as new variables for the data reduction and reduction of the quantity of the studied variables according to the statistical requirements. The sampling is acceptable on quantity (n), if it is ratio n>5T (where T is the quantity of the estimated parameters).

In the described case, the sampling is possible to consider acceptable after reduction of variables (N=244, T=47).  The names of the reduced variables are given in Table 1.

Table 1
Decoding of the shortcut names of the variables of the model

Having developed the aprioristic measuring model we constructed the structural model of influence that includes two secondary factors (implicit variables F1 and F2.). 

The indicators of the first self-actualisation factor (F1) are such explicit variables as self-acceptance, synergy, sociability, cognition, intellectual efficiency. Almost all explicit variables (indicators) are scales of the self-actualisation test of E. Shostrom, which caused the name of the first factor. According to K. Rogers the high level of self-acceptance development assumes authenticity, acceptance of oneself with all one’s merits and demerits and a certain level of personal maturity. The data obtained within this research agree with interrelation of self-actualisation and psychological health which is considered in the research as one of the structural components of the professional health.

It is characteristic for psychologically healthy people to show interest in life, to be initiative and involved in activities and work engagement. So, sociability and cognition indicate the high level of the psychological health.

E. Fromm describes efficiency as one more characteristic of a self-actualized person; it is considered to be a condition of full life together with activity satisfaction and success as an objective factor (6).

The second personal maturity factor (F2) includes such indicators as socialization, self-control, tolerance, achievement through independence and values. The variable of value belongs to E. Shostrom’s SAT scales and defines to what extent the testee shares values of the self-actualised personality. Achievement through independence factor describes people capable to work efficiently and independently to make effective decisions in a crisis.

Figure 1
Structural model of the influence of personal qualities
on the sales managers’ professional health

The variables of socialization, tolerance and self-control form a class of scales that show maturity of the personality. That is why the second factor is called personal maturity (6). Almost all the regression weights that we have gained have statistical validity (р< 0,001).

Figure 1 shows that the second factor explicating 63% of dispersion has the greatest influence on the integrative indicator of the professional health. The first self-actualisation factor comes second in its influence on the professional health and explicates 26% of dispersion. The premorbid rigidity follows next to influence the professional health. This indicator has a negative regression weight and, accordingly, negative impact on the professional health of sales managers. G.V. Zalevsky interprets premorbid rigidity as personal features that prevent personality from showing flexibility and tolerance in social interaction and "getting stuck" on negative experiences in stressful situations (21). The premorbid rigidity influences self-actualisation and personal maturity, with the greatest impact on the last factor.

The significant determinants of the professional health are also nationality that explicates 13% of dispersion, gender with 11% and instrumental activities aimed at avoiding failures (10%).  Besides the last indicator shows a negative regression weight and, as a result, has negative impact on the professional health.

So, we assume that our hypothetical assumptions have been confirmed.  The personal qualities marked out during our research do influence the integrative indicator of the professional health.  We particularized the participation of each factor by means of the aprioristic model. The model of the personal qualities influence on the professional health can be described consistently, according to the largest regression weight gained:

personal maturity factor including such indicators as socialization, achievement through independence, tolerance, self-control and values;

self-actualisation factor including such indicators as intellectual efficiency, synergy, sociability, cognition, self-acceptance;

personal qualities presented with the dichotomy “rigidity – flexibility”, namely, premorbid personality features;

exogenous factors of nationality and gender;

motivation associated with the activities to avoid failures.

Therefore, the fundamental determinants influencing the professional health level are personal qualities as well as exogenous factors and motivational features.

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1. Department of psychological support of professional activity. St. Petersburg State University. Сandidate of psychological sciences, associate professor. Contact e-mail: annhel07@gmail.com

2. Department of psychological and pedagogical education. Katanov Khakass State University. Senior lecturer. Contact e-mail: annhel07@gmail.com