Present, But at What Cost? Unpacking Job Demands, Presenteeism and Underlying Motivations Among Teachers

Abstract

Now a days employees’ presence while working unwell has become an important concern for the organizations as it affects the employee contentment and performance. The main purpose of the research is to investigate the relationship between job demands and presenteeism and thus studying its effect on the job satisfaction of employees. The research also lays emphasis on the factors motivations and psychological factors that cause teachers to exhibit such behavior. The study adopted quantitative approach by distributing and collecting data through questionnaires from teachers of both [public and private schools of 9 divisions of Punjab, Pakistan. By adopting quota sampling technique 767 responses were collected. Analysis was done using Smart PLS-SEM. It has been identified and confirmed that job demands (physical, cognitive and emotional) play an important role in teachers exhibiting presenteeism. The study also highlights that presenteeism motivations both voluntary and involuntary play an important role in deriving teachers to exhibit presenteeism and thus affecting job satisfaction. The study unrevealed the need for strategic interventions thus putting emphasising the policy makers and school leadership to balance job demands and increase the job satisfaction of teachers. This in turn will improve the educational effectiveness. These insights provide valuable implications for policymakers, school administrators, and mental health professionals in fostering a healthier work environment for teachers. This research offers a novel contribution by examining the psychological mechanisms linking job demands to presenteeism among teachers in Punjab, an under-researched region in the field of management research. The study also contextualizes this phenomenon within the unique socio-cultural and institutional landscape of Punjab’s education system, thereby providing culturally grounded insights that can will be useful and helpful for policymakers in similar educational contexts globally.