Social resources, work demands and workplace commitment among Finnish school principals and teachers

Purpose This study examines whether associations of workplace social resources, work demands and workplace commitment differ between Finnish school principals and teachers. Since the educators' work environment is becoming more complex and fragmented, the study also examines whether social resources buffer the negative effects of work demands on workplace commitment. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional study design was employed using data from the Finnish Principal Barometer (N = 498) and Finnish Teacher's Occupational Wellbeing Study (N = 1855). The study used instruments from the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ), with a focus on social support from supervisor, social support from colleagues, social community at work, emotional demands, cognitive demands, role conflicts and commitment to the workplace. Multigroup structural equation modeling (MG-SEM) in R was used to analyze direct and interaction effects. Findings The findings indicate that in the Finnish educational system, social resources, work demands and workplace commitment are perceived similarly between teachers and school principals. Social support from supervisors and a sense of community were positively associated and role conflicts were negatively associated with workplace commitment. In addition, emotional and cognitive demands, and collegial support were not associated with workplace commitment. No significant interaction effects were identified. Originality/value This study contributes to the field by offering a nuanced understanding of the different roles that workplace social resources and demands play in emphasizing educators' workplace commitment. The unique setting of two groups involved in the same analysis offers new insights into the social structures of the educational settings.