A New Academic Quality at Work Tool (AQ@workT) to Assess the Quality of Life at Work in the Italian Academic Context

Margherita Brondino, Fulvio Signore, Agnese Zambelli, Emanuela Ingusci, Silvia Pignata, Amelia Manuti, Maria Luisa Giancaspro, Alessandra Falco, Damiano Girardi, Dina Guglielmi, Marco Depolo, Barbara Loera, Daniela Converso, Sara Viotti, Andreina Bruno, Silvia Gilardi, Michela Cortini, Francesco Pace, Vincenza Capone, Silvia Platania, Margherita Zito, Margherita Pasini, Massimo Miglioretti, Giuseppina Dell’Aversana, Giuseppe Carrus and Paola Spagnoli
Additional contact information
Margherita Brondino: Department of Human Sciences, University of Verona, Lungadige Porta Vittoria 17, 37129 Verona, Italy
Fulvio Signore: History, Society and Human Studies Department, University of Salento, Via di Valesio 24, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Agnese Zambelli: Department of Education Studies “Giovanni Maria Bertin”, Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Via Zamboni 33, 40126 Bologna, Italy
Emanuela Ingusci: History, Society and Human Studies Department, University of Salento, Via di Valesio 24, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Silvia Pignata: STEM Unit, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Boulevard, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia
Amelia Manuti: Department of Education, Psychology, Communication, University of Bari, Palazzo Chiaia Napolitano Via Crisanzio 42, 70121 Bari, Italy
Maria Luisa Giancaspro: Department of Education, Psychology, Communication, University of Bari, Palazzo Chiaia Napolitano Via Crisanzio 42, 70121 Bari, Italy
Alessandra Falco: Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology, University of Padova, Via 8 Febbraio 2, 35122 Padova, Italy
Damiano Girardi: Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology, University of Padova, Via 8 Febbraio 2, 35122 Padova, Italy
Dina Guglielmi: Department of Education Studies “Giovanni Maria Bertin”, Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Via Zamboni 33, 40126 Bologna, Italy
Marco Depolo: Department of Education Studies “Giovanni Maria Bertin”, Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Via Zamboni 33, 40126 Bologna, Italy
Barbara Loera: Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Via Verdi 10, 10124 Turin, Italy
Daniela Converso: Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Via Verdi 10, 10124 Turin, Italy
Sara Viotti: Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Via Verdi 10, 10124 Turin, Italy
Andreina Bruno: Department of Education Sciences, University of Genoa, 16128 Genova, Italy
Silvia Gilardi: Department of Labour and Welfare Studies, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
Michela Cortini: Department of Psychological Sciences, Health and Territory, University G. d’Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Francesco Pace: Department of Economic, Business and Statistic Science, University of Palermo, 90133 Palermo, Italy
Vincenza Capone: Department of Humanities, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80138 Napoli, Italy
Silvia Platania: Department of Educational Sciences, Section of Psychology, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy
Margherita Zito: Department of Business, Law, Economics and Consumer Behaviour “Carlo A. Ricciardi”, Università IULM, Via Carlo Bo 1, 20143 Milan, Italy
Margherita Pasini: Department of Human Sciences, University of Verona, Lungadige Porta Vittoria 17, 37129 Verona, Italy
Massimo Miglioretti: Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy
Giuseppina Dell’Aversana: Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy
Giuseppe Carrus: Department of Cultural and Educational Studies, University of Roma Tre, Via del Castro Pretorio 20, 00185 Roma, Italy
Paola Spagnoli: Psychology Department, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81100 Caserta, Italy

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 6, 1-22

Abstract: The present study provides evidence for a valid and reliable tool, the Academic Quality at Work Tool (AQ@workT), to investigate the quality of life at work in academics within the Italian university sector. The AQ@workT was developed by the QoL@Work research team, namely a group of expert academics in the field of work and organizational psychology affiliated with the Italian Association of Psychologists. The tool is grounded in the job demands-resources model and its psychometric properties were assessed in three studies comprising a wide sample of lecturers, researchers, and professors: a pilot study (N = 120), a calibration study (N = 1084), and a validation study (N = 1481). Reliability and content, construct, and nomological validity were supported, as well as measurement invariance across work role (researchers, associate professors, and full professors) and gender. Evidence from the present study shows that the AQ@workT represents a useful and reliable tool to assist university management to enhance quality of life, to manage work-related stress, and to mitigate the potential for harm to academics, particularly during a pandemic. Future studies, such as longitudinal tests of the AQ@workT, should test predictive validity among the variables in the tool.

Keywords: job demands-resources model; quality of life in academia; validation; academic teaching staff; assessment tool (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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