JOB STRESS, DRINKING NETWORKS, AND SOCIAL SUPPORT AT WORK:

Most research examining the problem drinking behaviors of employees has sought to demonstrate that variation in alcohol consumption derives from nonrewarding or stressful aspects of modern work that promote intrapsychic stress and/or alienation. These inquiries have ignored additional job factors that might influence employee drinking patterns. We extend this literature by developing and testing a comprehensive model of influences on employee problem drinking. The model includes the simultaneous influences of stressful working conditions, participation in job-based drinking networks, and perceived social support on the job. Analyses of data from the 1991 National Employee Survey (NES) indicate that this explanatory model significantly improves our understanding of the job-related influences on employee problem drinking. We also demonstrate that each class of job factors has important mediated influences on problem drinking that result from their association with individualized job escapist-oriented reasons for drinking.