A Conversation with Dr. Johan Wiklund: Job Demands & Employee Sick Leave in Scale-ups
Saunders College of Business is proud to host Professor Johan Wiklund, Ph.D. on Friday, September 26, 2025, in the Susan R. Holliday Center (4050). This event is open to all faculty, staff, and graduate students. Lunch will be provided, and registration is required.
Johan Wiklund is the Al Berg Chair and Professor of Entrepreneurship at Whitman School of Management, Syracuse University, USA. His research interests include neurodiversity and mental well-being in entrepreneurship. He is considered a leading authority in entrepreneurship research with over 100 articles appearing in leading entrepreneurship and management journals and over 35,000 citations to his research. He is Editor-in-Chief for Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, a premier entrepreneurship journal. A prolific advisor of Ph.D. students, he received the Academy of Management Entrepreneurship Division Mentor Award in 2011.
Registration is now closed.
Deadline to register was Monday, September 22, 2025
Johan Wiklund, Ph.D.
Al Berg Chair and Professor of Entrepreneurship
Whitman School of Management, Syracuse University
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Topic: Job Demands–Resources and Employee Sick Leave in Scale-ups: A Gender-Inequality Paradox
Abstract: Sickness-related absenteeism differs significantly between men and women, with job demands playing a key explanatory role. While JD-R theory robustly links job demands to health outcomes, less is known about their organizational antecedents. We propose that employment in rapidly growing scale-up firms—characterized by high pressure and structural volatility—elevates job demands, potentially increasing sick leave. Integrating JD-R theory with the scaling literature, we test whether scale-up employment predicts higher demands and absenteeism, whether these effects vary by gender, and whether job resources buffer these outcomes. Using a matched sample of 9,748 employees from 6,635 Swedish firms, we find that scale-up firms significantly increase job demands, with stronger effects found among women. Importantly, we find that job resources mitigate the detrimental effects of job demands on sick leave, and this buffering effect is particularly strong for female employees. In our supplementary analysis, we test the mediation effect, confirming that job demands fully mediate the relationship between scale-up and increased sick leave. We conclude that scale-up firms impose highly demanding work conditions that disproportionately affect women. This aligns with the gender-inequality paradox, suggesting that even in seemingly progressive or opportunity-rich environments, women may face more intense pressures to meet both performance and gendered expectations. Job resources play a crucial protective role—especially for women—in buffering the impact of these heightened demands in scale-up contexts.
Interpreters provided upon request – please Cara Decker if you need interpreters.
This event is funded by the Benjamin Forman Professor for Collaborative Research
Event Snapshot
When and Where
Who
This is an RIT Only Event
Interpreter Requested?
No