Job insecurity,coping resources and personality dispositions in occupational strain

This paper presents research on the relationships between the work-related stressor of perceived job insecurity and various indicators of occupational strain, taking into account employees' personality dispositions (trait negative and positive affectivity) and coping resources. Respondents were 222 Australian public servants surveyed during organizational restructuring that involved downsizing and threat to job certainty. The research was formulated within an adaptation of Osipow, Doty, and Spokane's (1985) framework of stress-strain-coping that included the possible direct as well as moderating effects of personality dispositions in reporting occupational strain (Parkes, 1990). Findings from hierarchical regression analyses indicate consistent significant independent effects of personality dispositions, coping resources and perceived job insecurity on various indicators of strain. There was also support for the moderating roles of negative affectivity and self-care in the relation between perceived job insecurity and physical strain. Implications for the role of dispositional factors, especially negative affectivity, and the utility of various coping resources in accounting for occupational strain in times of threatened job security are discussed.     

The four-dimensional symptom questionnaire (4DSQ): measuring distress and other mental health problems in a working population

In non-clinical (working) populations it is important to differentiate between general distress, on the one hand, and psychiatric symptoms—depression, anxiety and somatization—on the other hand. The Four-Dimensional Symptom Questionnaire (4DSQ) is a new instrument that measures these four symptom dimensions (Terluin, ). This study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the 4DSQ in a working population. A postal stress and health survey was sent to all employees of a Dutch telecom company, 51% of whom responded (N=3852). The mailing included the 4DSQ, a set of questionnaires concerning job stress (e.g. psychological demands), coping style (e.g. problem-focused coping, avoidant coping), and indicators of strain (e.g. emotional exhaustion, fatigue). Cronbach's α for the four sub-scales of the 4DSQ ranged from .79 to .90. Factor analysis showed four factors corresponding to the four scales of the 4DSQ: distress, depression, anxiety, and somatization. The validity of the 4DSQ was assessed using (partial) correlations with job stress, coping, and strain. As expected, the distress scale showed the strongest correlations with the indicators of strain, as well as with job stress and coping. In conclusion, the 4DSQ is a reliable and valid instrument that can be used in a working population to distinguish between stress-related symptoms and psychiatric illness.     

Discrepancies between chronological age and personal age as a reflection of unrelieved worker stress

Abstract

The general proposition that stress-related variables will be associated with discrepancies between chronological age and perceived personal age of working adults was examined. Responses from a field survey of day, afternoon, and night fixed-shift workers in a large manufacturing organization (n = 1674) were used to explore the relationships between a variety of reported stress-related variables and personal age constructs. Discrepancies between perceived personal age and chronological age were reported by a large proportion of the workers surveyed. Three categories of stress-related variables each accounted for a significant proportion of the variance in discrepancies. As hypothesized, the reported presence of stressors and the frequency/extent of strains (stress-related outcomes) were positively correlated with feeling older than one's chronological age. In addition, the reported presence of support mechanisms for coping with stressors was negatively correlated with feeling older than one's chronological age. The manner in which work and non-work stress may impinge upon personal age perceptions is discussed, and appropriate avenues for future research in this domain are considered.     

The measurement of occupational segregation and its component dimensions

The paper reviews different approaches to, and current knowledge of the measurement of occupational segregation, using the case of gender segregation. It shows that most popular segregation ‘indices’ are actually statistics of association in a 2x2 table, often with distorting weightings. The dimensions of segregation comprise a vertical dimension measuring inequality and an orthogonal horizontal one measuring difference without inequality. Together, the dimensions make up segregation as generally understood; so segregation and its dimensions require consistent measurements. Conditions for suitable measures are considered, and the limitations of the various measures noted. The alternative conception of segregation, where all occupations are treated as though they were the same size, is shown to be seriously flawed. The most useful measures are selected and shown to be related as Lorenz curves. Since all segregation measures vary with the number of occupations considered, standardisation on 200 occupations is introduced for the chosen measures.     

职业驱力、全面薪酬满意度对科研绩效的激励路径

在科技人才人力资源开发的理论研究和实务工作中,工作绩效及其激励问题一直处于核心地位。本研究利用679个本土科技工作者样本,运用结构方程模型、层次回归分析等数据分析方法,检验科技工作者职业驱力、全面薪酬满意度这两个分别反映个体特征因素与工作特征因素的变量在科技工作者科研绩效的激励机制中所发挥的效应。研究结果表明:科技工作者的科研结果绩效受到行为绩效的显著影响;行为绩效受个体特征因素与工作特征因素的协同激励,其中,事业型职业驱力起主导作用,非经济薪酬满意度居间起调节作用;经营型职业驱力则会侵蚀科研行为绩效与结果绩效。     

Reliability and validity of the French version of the 18-item Karasek job content questionnaire

Previous studies have shown that job strain, a combination of high psychological demands and low decision latitude, may be involved in the development of cardiovascular diseases and other health outcomes. In 1985, Karasek recommended a standard questionnaire to measure psychological demands (nine items) and job decision latitude (nine items). The internal consistency, factorial validity, discriminant validity, and 1-year stability of the French version of this instrument were evaluated in a population of 8263 white collar workers. Participants filled out the questionnaire during working hours in the context of a larger cardiovascular study. A subgroup of the study population completed the questionnaire again 1 year later (n = 953). Internal consistency was adequate: .74 for men and .73 for women for psychological demands and .83 for men and .81 for women for decision latitude. The results of the factor analysis were consistent with the two dimensions expected from the theory, although some items had high loading on two factors. Variations in the means of psychological demand and decision latitude scores and variations in the prevalence of high job strain by gender, job category, and age support the discriminant validity. These results were generally comparable to those observed with the English version. The percentages of workers remaining, after 1 year, in the same category of psychological demands, decision latitude, and job strain were 86.6, 86.1 and 75.2% respectively. These data provide evidence of the reliability and validity of the French version of these psychological demand and decision latitude scales     

Heart rate and blood pressure in male police officers and clerical workers on workdays and non-workdays

Male police officers from a city police station in Tasmania (n = 20) and a matched group of clerical workers (n = 20) monitored their heart rate, blood pressure and self-reported levels of stress and arousal over a two-week period. Measurements on workdays during which stressful events occurred were compared to non-event workdays and non-workdays. Two group differences were demonstrated, with the clerical workers reporting higher levels of stress, and the police officers reporting higher levels of arousal. Support was evident for the distinction between workdays and non-workdays, and support was demonstrated for differences between different types of workdays. Evidence suggested that restricting the time frame of such research may lead to results that are inaccurate or inconsistent because workdays differ in content.     

Estimating the 'appropriate' age for retirement as a function of perceived occupational characteristics

The 'appropriate' age for retirement as perceived by 120 young, 120 middle-aged, and 120 elderly adults was investigated. No participants displayed any difficulties in expressing an opinion about the minimum and maximum 'appropriate' ages for retirement for various different occupations. Participants' representations of the 'appropriate' retirement age varied primarily as a function of the perceived physical constraints involved in the occupation but also depended on their age (the younger the respondent, the lower the perceived 'appropriate' minimum retirement age). There was no tendency among the young adults to wish to prolong the work life of older individuals. There was no tendency in any of the three age groups to associate age of retirement with perceived cognitive or social and organizational characteristics of work: only the perceived physical demands of work predicted age at retirement.     

A re-analysis of the occupational stress indicator

This paper investigates the reliability of the Occupational Stress Indicator (OSI). Data from a sample of university staff, drawn from all areas of an urban university, are used to reassess the apparently low reliabilities of many of the OSI subscales reported by Cooper et al. (1988). In addition, factor analysis results are reported for the first time for the sources of pressure data. The reliability data reported here, while higher reliabilities than originally obtained, remain unacceptably low. A lack of stability in the device as it is currently formulated seems apparent. The paper also presents for the first time a detailed analysis of the sources of pressure scale, indicating a solution different from that proposed by Cooper et al. (1988). Certain areas of the OSI clearly need refinement; the inclusion of locus of control and type A behaviour as personality variables in particular is called into question. Observations regarding the particular strengths and weaknesses of this device, and suggestions for future refinements, are offered.     

The role of gender and job level in coping with occupational stress

The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between coping and health problems in the context of gender and level in the organization. Questionnaire data were collected from 279 women and men (100 managers and 179 non-managers) at a sales department in a Swedish telecom company in which men and women worked at similar tasks. It was hypothesized that, if gender and level in the organization were controlled for, the use of problem-focused strategies would be associated with fewer health problems and the use of emotion-focused strategies with greater health problems. It was also predicted that men and women at a similar organizational level would not differ in their use of problem-focused coping strategies. The results showed, contrary to the hypothesis, that when level and gender were controlled for, no relation between problem-focused strategies and health was obtained. Instead the emotion-focused strategy of Seeking emotional support was associated with fewer health problems, whereas Focus on emotions and Alcohol/drug disengagement were associated with more symptoms. Coping was at least partly related to level. At a managerial level the men and the women used basically the same strategies whereas at a non-managerial level traditionally-conceived coping patterns were evident.