Revisiting presenteeism to broaden its conceptualization: A qualitative study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Presenteeism is generally viewed as a symptom of organizational or individual dysfunction and is rarely considered as a behavioral response to positive triggering factors. Our study examines this issue in small enterprises (SEs), which are an unexplored environment in terms of presenteeism. OBJECTIVE: Through in-depth analysis, this study aims to understand the positive and negative factors that impact presenteeism in the context of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), with a particular focus on SEs. METHODS: We adopt a qualitative methodological approach in which we conducted 17 semi-structured interviews with employees and owner-managers of SEs with between 20 and 49 employees. RESULTS: Our thematic analysis shows that presenteeism can be explained by factors related to pressure to attend work, by individuals’ constraints and commitment, by organizational and individual characteristics and by a congenial work environment. Presenteeism can also be a type of “therapy” which helps individuals to avoid focusing on being sick and enables them to stay active and avoid social isolation. CONCLUSIONS: Our study differs from earlier research by providing a more in-depth analysis of the positive and negative factors that trigger presenteeism. This article will help to expand the current theoretical knowledge about presenteeism and encourage a more holistic interpretation of the phenomenon.