Psychosocial risk factors in the work of basic education and higher education managers

A comparative study

Abstract

Educational management professionals present high psychosocial risks, and the pandemic apparently made this worse. This study aimed to understand the degree of psychosocial risk in the work of education managers, testing whether and how the level at which they work (basic and higher) impacts this risk. To achieve this objective, two studies were carried out, through the lens of the Person-Environment Model, applying a mixed-method approach: Study 1, carried out before the pandemic, described and compared the psychosocial risk in the two groups. Study 2 delves deeper and differentiates the perception of these risk factors for each group of managers. The results showed that, in both groups, the dimensions perceived as most critical are Control and Support from Management. In Study 2, the results suggest that there is more emotional demand in the basic education group, but they also experience more support. However, in the higher education group, there is no perceived balance; the risk lies in the exorbitantly competitive demands and excessive bureaucratization. In analyzing the reports, no different demand was attributed to the pandemic period, i.e. these conditions are associated with managers' routines, suggesting that the psychosocial risk in higher education management is latent.