Santé mentale des cadres : travail, identité et pratiques de gestion des ressources humaines

ABSTRACT  This thesis is interested in studying managers’ mental health in the workplace.  It attempts to establish the specific direct and indirect contribution of mangers’ identity verification in explaining mental health issues among managers in the workplace. In this case, the focus is on two dimensions of mental health: 1) symptomatic dimensions, which refer to psychological distress, depression and burnout. 2) behavioral dimensions that refer to alcohol consumption and psychotropic drugs consumption. This thesis was inspired by the limitations noted after a review of the literature. It tries to answer the call of certain authors, on the one hand to study the population of managers which seems to be little studied compared to the non-manager staff (Björklund et al., 2013; Byrne et al., 2014; Gadinger et al., 2010; Hentrich, Zimber, Sosnowsky-Waschek, Gregersen, et al., 2016; Mohr et Wolfram, 2010; Rodham et Bell, 2002; Salmela-Aro et al., 2011). And on the other hand, to integrate the theory of identity into research on mental health problems in the workplace (Arnett et al., 2003; Burke et Harrod, 2005; Haines III et Saba, 2012; Marcussen, 2006; Stets et Burke, 2005; Thoits, 1991, 2013), whereas it may lead to the discovery of new factors that may explain these problems (Haines III et Saba, 2012). We propose, in this thesis, an integrating theoretical framework that encompasses both the dominant theoretical models of occupational stress (Demerouti et al., 2001; Karasek et Theorell, 1990; Karasek, 1979; Siegrist, 1996) and the theory of identity borrowed from sociology. In this case, we have mobilized two approaches of this theory: the structural approach of identity (Stets, 2005, 2006; Stets et Serpe, 2013) and the theory of perceptual control of identity.     From this model emerge four major hypotheses. The first hypothesis postulates that the verification of manager’s identity contributes directly to the explanation of mental health problems among managers. The second argues that the effect of the verification of manager’s identity on mental health is mediated by self-esteem. The third posits that identity salience, hierarchical level, human resource management practices, and gender play a moderating role in the link between the verification of manager’s identity and managers’ mental health in the workplace. Finally, the fourth hypothesis assumes that identity salience, hierarchical level, human resource management practices and gender play a moderating role in the link between the verification of manager’s identity and self-esteem. These hypotheses were tested using cross-sectional data obtained from SALVEO study, conducted by the University of Montreal's research team on Work and Mental Health (ERTSM). Multilevel regression models and causality path analyzes were performed on a sample of 317 Canadian managers from this study (SALVEO). The results obtained, in this thesis, revealed that the verification of manager’s identity regarding recognition is significantly associated with psychological distress, depression and burnout. In addition, the verification of manager’s identity regarding decision control and supervisor’s support is significantly associated with alcohol consumption. Thus, the verification of manager’s identity regarding job demands and peer support is not significantly related to the dimensions of mental health. In addition, these results show that there is no direct effect of the verification of manager’s identity on the consumption of psychotropic drugs. In addition, this thesis reveals that the link between the verification of manager’s identity and psychological distress is completely mediated by self-esteem only at the level of decision control. The mediating effect of self-esteem is also complete in the link between the verification of manager’s identity and depression regarding decision control and the supervisor’s support. On the other hand, the mediating effect of self-esteem is partial in the link between the verification of manager’s identity regarding recognition and depression. Moreover, the results obtained in this thesis reveal that identity salience plays a moderating role in the link between the verification of manager’s identity regarding work demands; supervisor’s support; recognition and emotional exhaustion. Finally, the results of this thesis do not allow us to conclude that identity salience, hierarchical level, human resources management practices and gender do not play a moderating role in the verification of executive role identity and self-esteem. This thesis concludes on the benefits of these results for executives and organizations.

Keyphrases: Managers’ mental health, Psychological distress, Burnout, Alcohol, Psychotropic drugs, Executive identity