信息性与控制性:工作压力源的性质研究

本研究在自我决定理论(self-determination theory,SDT)的框架指导下,对264名企业员工所感受的压力源的性质进行了分析.结果发现,根据作用方式或者个体评价方式的不同,同一个压力源可以再分为信息性或控制性;信息性压力源所产生的压力感受显著地低于控制性的压力源所产生的压力感受；人际与角色压力、工作特征压力、组织结构和氛围压力均可以再分为信息性与控制性,两种性质的压力源产生的压力感受均存在显著性的差异；对不同代际的员工而言,两种性质的压力源所产生的压力感受存在显著性的差异.研究结论启发管理者应关注员工对压力源的个人评价,同时注意不同年龄的员工所感受到的压力特点,在压力源无法改变的前提下,为员工创造信息性的环境,可以显著缓解员工的压力感受.

Investigating the Nature of Occupational Stressors:Informational and Controlling Stressors

Occupational stressor is the external and environmental factor resulting in stress.It is an important research area in the stress management.There have been a lot of studies investigating the structure of occupational stressor.These results indicate that some possible factors that can intervene work stress.However,previous study focuses on the source of the stressor,and has not fully investigated the nature of the stressor.Therefore,the deeper relationship between the occupational stressors and the work stress has not been fully explored.For example,previous study cannot explain why there is no steady correlation between the number of stressors and stressful feeling.Although some people are experiencing only one stressor,they would feel more stressful than others who are experiencing a lot of stressors.Such a situation is hard to be explained in practice. Cognitive evaluation theory,which is a sub-theory of Self-Determination Theory,points out thatsocial factors can be divided into three kinds: informational(autonomy-support),controlling,and de-motivational factors according to their impact on the individual.Different kinds of social factors play different roles on individual motivations.Because of the difference of cognitive evaluations,a same stressor may have different influences on different individual motivations and may result in different stress intensity.This study adopts different individual cognitive evaluations,and divides the nature of the stressors into two kinds: informational and controlling.For instance,oral encouragement is able to improve self-value and confidence without compromising self-evaluation.Controlling stressors,such as threats,deadlines,instructions,pressured evaluation,and mandatory targets,can degrade self-value,self-evaluation,and confidence,thereby making people feel neglected and hurt. Based on random and convenient sampling methods,the study obtained 264 employees as valid subjects resided in Beijing,Shenyang,Hebei and other places in China.Subjects in this study include 155 "Post-80" staff(who were born after 1980) and 109 "70" and "60" staff(who were born between 1960 and 1980).Questionnaire contains 24 items,9 items of which measure the intensity of work stress,and 14 items measure the occupational stressors.Following each item measures the occupational stressors.The questions used to measure occupational stressors consist of three dimensions: interpersonal relationship and role,organizational structure,and atmosphere.The nature of the stressors is classified into informational and controlling stressors.All questions adopt Likert scale of 1 to 5. By employing T test and variance analysis on the data,we compared the occupational stress among different groups and found that it is suitable and valuable to divide a stressor into different natures.The feeling of stress which is caused by informational stressors is significantly less intensified than the controlling stressors.The specific stressors such as interpersonal relationship and role,the characteristics of jobs,the organizational structure,and the atmosphere can be further divided into informative stressors and controlling stressors.Significant differences were found in these two kinds of stressors,as well as in groups of different ages.The results have many managerial implications on the influence of the individual evaluation on stressors and the age of employees.While the stressors cannot be changed,the stress can be significantly relieved by creating informative environment.