The individual determinants of presenteeism; the mediation of psychological distress among academics in Malaysia

In Malaysia, presenteeism among academics is a significant issue that has not been widely studied. Academics in higher education often face high job demands and responsibilities, which lead them to work even when they are mentally or physically unfit. This research was designed based on two underlying theories: Self-Determination Theory and the Presenteeism Model by Coutu et al. The study aimed to identify the level of presenteeism among academics in Malaysia, determine the individual factors contributing to presenteeism (including self-determination, organizational commitment, self-esteem, and life stress events), and examine the mediating role of psychological distress in the relationship between these factors and presenteeism. Nine hypotheses were tested to answer the research questions. Utilizing a quantitative research methodology, data were gathered from 382 academics representing both public and private universities in Malaysia through a cross-sectional survey. The data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 28 and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) 4.The research findings indicate a high level of presenteeism among academics in Malaysia. The findings revealed that self-determination and life stress events were positively related to psychological distress, whereas organizational commitment and self-esteem were negatively related to presenteeism. However, the findings also revealed that psychological distress had a negative relationship with presenteeism. There was a significant mediation effect between individual factors, psychological distress, and presenteeism. In conclusion, this study highlights the individual determinants of presenteeism, emphasizing the mediating role of psychological distress in the presenteeism phenomenon. The study offers recommendations to key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Higher Education, universities, and academics, and concludes by identifying potential avenues for future research.