Meta Self-efficacy Internet Intervention to Improve Work Self-efficacy and Occupational Well-being in Young Employees

Meta Self-efficacy Intervention to Improve Work Self-efficacy and Occupational Well-being in Young Employees: Internet Intervention Co-creation and a Randomized Controlled Trial

This randomized controlled trial aims to test whether enhancing meta self-efficacy through a self-guided internet intervention improves young employees' work self-efficacy and occupational well-being. The trial will evaluate primary (work self-efficacy) and secondary (three dimensions of occupational well-being) outcomes. It is hypothesized that boosting meta self-efficacy will lead to improvements in outcomes, with effects assessed immediately after the intervention, and at 3- and 6-month follow-ups.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Occupational Stress; Self Efficacy; Work Related Stress; Well-Being, Psychological
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Meta self-efficacy internet intervention; Behavioral: Placebo

Detailed Description

This study investigates the efficacy of a self-guided internet intervention designed to enhance meta self-efficacy in young employees. Meta self-efficacy is a psychological resource that encompasses the ability to leverage self-efficacy sources (mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, persuasion, and affective & physiological states) to boost context-specific self-efficacy. In this two-arm randomized controlled trial, participants (young employees) will be randomly assigned to an experimental group, which will receive internet intervention with activities aimed at enhancing meta self-efficacy, or to a placebo control group, which will receive educational content. Primary and secondary outcomes (including work self-efficacy, job stress, job affective well-being, and work capabilities), as well as the manipulation check (meta self-efficacy), will be assessed immediately after the intervention and at 3- and 6-month follow-ups. The trial aims to evaluate the effect of enhancing meta self-efficacy and explore the impact of factors such as adherence and engagement on the intervention's efficacy.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 600
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Jan Maciejewski; Phone Number: +48690688375; Email: jmaciejewski1@swps.edu.pl

Study Locations

• Poland
  • Warsaw, Poland, 00-864
    • SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• must be between 18 and 30 years old
• must be empolyed (working at least 20 h / week, for at least the prior two months, regardless of the type of contract)

Exclusion Criteria:

• none

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Meta self-efficacy internet intervention; The meta self-efficacy intervention is a three-week program comprised of activities designed to enhance meta self-efficacy (the ability to leverage self-efficacy sources). The intervention is contextualized to young employees.	Behavioral: Meta self-efficacy internet intervention; The meta self-efficacy intervention is a three-week program comprised of activities designed to enhance meta self-efficacy (the ability to leverage self-efficacy sources). The intervention is contextualized to young employees.
Placebo Comparator: Placebo; The placebo condition contains educational material delivered with the same modality as in the experimental condition.	Behavioral: Placebo; The placebo condition contains educational material delivered with the same modality as in the experimental condition.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Work Self-Efficacy	Work Self-Efficacy will be measured with the Work Self-Efficacy scale (WSES). The questionnaire consists of 26 items. The responses range from 1 (not at all) to 7 (completely).	Posttest (after 3 weeks), 3-months follow-up, 6-months follow-up

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Job Affective Well-Being	Job Affective Well-Being will be measured with the Job Affective Well-Being Scale (JAWS). The questionaire consists of 12 items. The responses rage from 1 (never) to 5 (very often).	Posttest (after 3 weeks), 3-months follow-up, 6-months follow-up
Job Stress	Job Stress will be measured with the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The scale consists of 4 items rated on a scale ranging from 0 (never) to 4 (very often). It will be applied to measure job stress. The questionnaire's instructions have been modified to align with the occupational context.	Posttest (after 3 weeks), 3-months follow-up, 6-months follow-up
Work Capabilities	Work capabilities will be measured with the Capability Set for Work Questionaire (CSWQ). The questionaire consists of 7 capabilities, for each there are three aspects to evaluate. The responses range from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).	Posttest (after 3 weeks), 3-months follow-up, 6-months follow-up

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Meta self-efficacy.	Meta self-efficacy will be measured with the meta self-efficacy scale (MSES). The questionnaire consists of 13 items. The responses range from 0 (cannot do at all) to 10 (certain can do). Higher score indicates higher level of meta self-efficacy.	Posttest (after 3 weeks), 3-months follow-up, 6-months follow-up

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Jan Maciejewski, SWPS University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Bandura A. Self-efficacy: toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychol Rev. 1977 Mar;84(2):191-215. doi: 10.1037//0033-295x.84.2.191. No abstract available.
• Smoktunowicz E, Lesnierowska M, Carlbring P, Andersson G, Cieslak R. Resource-Based Internet Intervention (Med-Stress) to Improve Well-Being Among Medical Professionals: Randomized Controlled Trial. J Med Internet Res. 2021 Jan 11;23(1):e21445. doi: 10.2196/21445.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): March 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 11, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 17, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): April 25, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 25, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 17, 2025
• Last Verified: April 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: self-efficacy; work stress; meta self-efficacy; job affective well-being; sustainable employability; work self-efficacy
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavioral Symptoms; Stress, Psychological; Occupational Diseases; Occupational Stress
• Other Study ID Numbers: MSE intervention

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No