Browsing by Author "Maksniemi, Marie"

Objectives. The present study used person-oriented approach to identify subgroups of principals characterized by unique patterns of work engagement and work passion. Drawing on the dualistic model of passion, both harmonious and obsessive passion were assessed. Furthermore, it was examined whether the subgroups differed in regard to work satisfaction, work pace, burnout, life satisfaction and work-family conflict. Methods. Data was collected with self-report questionnaires assessing Finnish school principals’ well-being. The final sample consisted of 535 principals, of which majority (68.7 %) worked in elementary school or high school (23.8 %). Study of work engagement and work passion profiles was conducted by K-means cluster analysis and differences between the profiles regarding the assessed variables were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). To furthermore explore the differences, Tukey’s post hoc tests were performed. Results. Four groups of engagement and passion were identified: Moderately engaged (31 %), Harmonious–Engaged (26 %), Disengaged (25 %) and Obsessive–Engaged (18 %). The groups differed significantly with regard to all the variables examined. Principals belonging to the group Harmonious–Engaged were most satisfied with their work and life in general whereas Disengaged principals were experiencing high levels of dissatisfaction, burnout and work-family conflict. Conclusions. The results show that principals display variegated patterns of work engagement and that work passion and work engagement play an important role in well- being both in work and non-work contexts. The results draw attention to the Finnish school principals’ well-being, which is not only crucial in its own right, but also effects the teachers’ and students’ well-being and thus can be seen as an important societal matter.