Showing papers in "Work & Stress in 1991"
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors report a study, conducted in a European company, which collected and factor analyzed data on employee attitudes to safety, and the results suggested that employees' attitudes towards safety, within this company (across occupation/occupational level and country), could be mapped by five orthogonal factors: personal scepticism, individual responsibility, the safeness of the work environment, the effectiveness of arrangements for safety and personal immunity.
Abstract: This paper concerns organizational safety culture and the structure or architecture of employee attitudes to safety as part of that culture. It begins by reviewing the somewhat scant literature relevant to this area, and then reports a study, conducted in a European company, which collected and factor analysed data on employee attitudes to safety. The framework provided for the study was that offered by Purdham (1984), and the results suggested that employees' attitudes to safety, within this company (across occupation/occupational level and country), could be mapped By five orthogonal factors: personal scepticism, individual responsibility, the safeness of the work environment, the effectiveness of arrangements for safety, and personal immunity. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed, and attention is drawn to their subsequent use in an intervention to enhance safety culture within the organization by attacking supervisors' attitudes to safety.
474 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated whether or not factors of teacher burnout were associated with adaptive and maladaptive coping behaviour. And they found that many physical and psychological problems (e.g., stomach aches and depression) were related to teacher burn out factors.
Abstract: This study investigated whether or not factors of teacher burnout were associated with adaptive and maladaptive coping behaviour. It was found, in a sample of 365 US (north Texas) school teachers, that many physical and psychological problems (e.g., stomach aches and depression) were related to teacher burnout factors. Furthermore, the data showed that certain maladaptive coping mechanisms (e.g., excessive alcohol consumption) were associated with higher teacher burnout, while adaptive coping strategies (e.g., hobbies) were related to lower burnout levels among school teachers. An association was also revealed between certain demographic factors (e.g., gender) and coping behaviour.
101 citations
TL;DR: Overall, the results suggest that there are non-auditory health effects of noise, however, these require confirmation in prospective, longitudinal studies with interventions reducing noise levels.
Abstract: This paper reviews epidemiological studies, human experimental studies, and animal research on the non-auditory effects of noise on health. The following topics are covered: vegetative responses (e.g., blood pressure, digestion), biochemical effects, excretion of catecholamines, sleep, physical illness, subjective annoyance, and mental health. Combined effects of noise and other occupational health hazards on physiological functioning and health are also reviewed. Overall, the results suggest that there are non-auditory health effects. However, these require confirmation in prospective, longitudinal studies with interventions reducing noise levels.
90 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the intensity and frequency of occurrence of 30 job stressors as measured by the job stress survey (JSS) were examined in white-collar employees of a large manufacturing firm, consisting of 68 managers, 171 professional and 69 clerical personnel.
Abstract: The intensity and frequency of occurrence of 30 job stressors as measured by the job stress survey (JSS) were examined in white-collar employees of a large manufacturing firm, consisting of 68 managers, 171 professional (mostly engineers), and 69 clerical personnel. The highest levels of stress intensity were attributed to ‘lack of opportunity for advancement’ and ‘poor or inadequate supervision’. Individual stressors rated as occurring most often during the past six months were ‘frequent interruptions', ‘meeting deadlines’, and ‘dealing with crisis situations’. Factor analyses of the ratings of individual job stressors identified two job-stress factors, job pressure and lack of support, which were differentially related to age, gender, occupational level, locus of control, and job tenure and satisfaction. All three occupational groups attributed greater intensity to stressors that reflected lack of organizational support than to job pressures. Managers reported experiencing job pressures more of...
87 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated factors associated with the perceptions of stress reported by nurses in a general hospital environment in the UK, and found that the levels and sources of stress experienced by nursing staff were examined in relation to the type of ward or department, and nursing grade.
Abstract: This study investigated factors associated with the perceptions of stress reported by nurses in a general hospital environment in the UK. The levels and sources of stress experienced by nursing staff were examined in relation to the type of ward or department, and nursing grade. The association between reported stress and job satisfaction was also examined. By means of a self-completion questionnaire survey, data were collected from 234 nurses from 24 wards in a single general hospital. The Brayfield and Rothe job satisfaction index was used to provide data for analysis. Factor analysis, analysis of variance, and Pearson product moment correlation procedures were performed on these data. The factor analysis identified two main factors concerned with sources of stress: interpersonal relations and resource problems, and dealing with death. Although there were no differences found across wards, the analyses of variance revealed that reported stress varied over different nursing grades. It was also f...
76 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors evaluated the performance and alertness of control room operators at a continuous processing plant working a 12 h/3-4 day rotating shift schedule for over 3 years.
Abstract: Control room operators at a continuous processing plant have been working a 12 h/3–4 day rotating shift schedule for over 3 years. After 7 months on this schedule, our initial assessment indicated decrements in performance and alertness, and a mild to moderate sleep debt, when the 12 h shift schedule was compared to the previously-worked 8 h shift schedule. In an effort to track long-term adaptation to the schedule, we conducted a 3 & 5 year follow-up evaluation using the same set of measures. Long-term follow-up testing revealed persistent decrements in performance and alertness attributable to 12 h shifts, and 1–3 h reductions in total sleep time after 12 h night shifts. Little deterioration in performance or alertness was observed across the workweek, which suggested day-to-day recovery from the extended workshift. The popularity of the 12 h shift schedule at this worksite indicates that the workers are willing to tolerate extra fatigue to derive other benefits from this schedule.
69 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe a study in two residential care homes for the elderly which examined inter-group differences in perceptions of the innovation process and found that managers stressed positive influences on the process to a greater extent than did other staff.
Abstract: Innovation research has tended to take a ‘top-down’ approach, and has failed to take account of the varying perspectives on the innovation process of different groups within organizations. This paper describes a study in two residential care homes for the elderly which examined inter-group differences in perceptions of the innovation process. Staff were asked to describe the histories of a selected innovation. Content-analysis of transcripts showed that managerial and non-managerial staff groups differed in their emphasis on particular phases of the innovation process, and that managers stressed positive influences on the process to a greater extent than did other staff. The groups agreed on what the sources of influence were. Four factors are suggested which might explain these findings: a group's stake in the innovation, role in the innovation process, identity with the organization, and the effectiveness of inter-group communications. Implications for management and future research are discussed.
68 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the relationship between specific psychosocial factors and health status was examined, in a sample of male and female adults, in order to identify factors that contribute to physical health status.
Abstract: This prospective study examined, in a sample of male and female adults, the relationship between specific psychosocial factors and health status. Measures of stress, health habits, social support, Type A behaviour, and coping style were collected for 203 professional employees in a large aerospace organization in 1988. One year later a follow-up questionnaire assessing self-reported physical illness and job burn-out was administered resulting in a final sample of 95 employees. When adjustments for age, sex, education, and initial psychological well-being were made, perceived stress, physical exercise, and an avoidant coping style significantly contributed to predictions of physical illness in multiple regression analyses. Employees who possessed less hardy appraisals of work/life and expressed greater Type A behaviour reported significantly more fatigue and exhaustion one year later. Type A individuals also reported being significantly less sensitive and caring towards others. Finally, individual...
57 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigate what it is we are measuring when we assess work stressors, and find that it is a need to use rating scales that measure demand associated with work roles rather than just imply it.
Abstract: In recent years a number of authors have suggested that progress towards a better understanding of the stressor-stress relationship can only be achieved by altering the way in which work stress is investigated. One strategy is to investigate what it is we are measuring when we assess work stressors. More particularly there is a need to use rating scales that measure demand associated with work roles rather than just imply it. Dimensions such as frequency, duration, and level of demand were measured in addition to the traditional method of simply asking individuals to indicate whether they agree/disagree that stressors are present at work. The results point to the incremental increase in variance explained when these additional facets are measured over and above the variance explained by traditional methods. This result confirms the ned to develop a better understanding of the concept of demand, the difference between chronic and acute stressors, and the interaction effects of the different facets.
47 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a consecutive sample of 24 employees of a psychiatric hospital were questioned over a three-week period following an assault by a patient, and the ways in which these staff spontaneously attempted to cope with these assaults was used as a basis for a classification scheme.
Abstract: This study investigates how people deal with the stress of being the victim of a violent assault at work. A consecutive sample of 24 employees of a psychiatric hospital were questioned over a three-week period following an assault by a patient. The ways in which these staff spontaneously attempted to cope with these assaults was used as a basis for a classification scheme. In addition their psychological difficulties were measured. Despite the restricted sample some interesting associations were found. Ignoring the incident by avoiding thinking about it and taking time away from work or work colleagues was associated with decreases in psychological difficulties over time. Although the causal link is still unclear, further studies using similar analyses may be able to tease this out.
45 citations
TL;DR: This paper found that 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 and negatively correlated with coping with stressors.
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 chr...
TL;DR: The authors investigated the effects of gender on the job satisfaction of accountants in Singapore and found that older male accountants were more satisfied with their jobs than older female accountants and younger female accountant was more satisfied than their male counterparts.
Abstract: The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of gender on the job satisfaction of accountants in Singapore. A questionnaire comprising the Job Descriptive Index (Smith et al. 1969) and several demographic questions (including gender, age, and job type) was administered to 1130 Singaporean government auditors, internal auditors, non-auditors, and external auditors. A total of 608 responses were received, a response rate of 53£8%. The results indicated that generally accountants are satisfied with their jobs, and that gender does not affect the job satisfaction directly. However, the interaction effect of gender and age was statistically significant. Overall, older male accountants were more satisfied than older female accountants and younger female accountants were more satisfied than their male counterparts. For those accountants who were 25 to 35 years old, the men were more satisfied than the women.
TL;DR: This paper found no relationship between perceived work environment and affective measures, and no relationship was found between objective and perceived danger, and alternative explanations for perceived job stress relationships were discussed. But, they did not find any correlation between perceived stress and the objective work environment.
Abstract: Most research on job stress is based on the assumption that correlations between perceived work environment and affective measures reflect a relationship between the objective work environment and affective measures. Correlations found among perceived stress measures were similar in magnitude to those found in other work stress studies that had greater variation in the subject sample and jobs. Also, no relationship was found between objective and perceived danger. Alternative explanations for perceived job stress relationships are discussed.
TL;DR: The authors examined the relationship between unrealistic expectations of organizational newcomers regarding job stressors and subsequent adjustment to the new job using a sample of 91 new employees, measures of expected stressors (gathered prior to the first day of work) were compared with stressors reported after six months on the job.
Abstract: This study examined the relationship between unrealistic expectations of organizational newcomers regarding job stressors and subsequent adjustment to the new job. Using a sample of 91 new employees, measures of expected stressors (gathered prior to the first day of work) were compared with stressors reported after six months on the job. The study examined the relationship between the accuracy of expected stressors (demands) and three indicators of job adjustment: job satisfaction; job involvement; and distress symptoms. The results provided partial support for the hypothesis that newcomers who underestimate job stressors have more difficulty adjusting on the new job than do newcomers who overestimate job stressors.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the immunological correlates of stress and work in a group of 96 Norwegian female bank employees and found that stress, emotional state, ego-strength, and defensiveness were examined in relation to measures of cellular immunity, including T-cell response to Con A and number of T4 and T8 cells.
Abstract: This study concerned the immunological correlates of stress and work. Self reported stress, emotional state, ego-strength, and defensiveness were examined in relation to measures of cellular immunity (T-cell response to Con A and number of T4 and T8 cells) and humoral immunity (concentrations of immunoglobulins and complement components in plasma) in a group of 96 Norwegian female bank employees. The analyses showed that workload, the stress factor with the highest group mean, was associated with number of T-cells, while strain due to body posture during work was related to concentrations of IgM and C3. Further, depression was significantly correlated with IgM concentration and T-cell number, and anxiety with C3 concentration. T-cell activity was the immunological parameter most consistently associated with psychological well-being, showing positive correlations with defensiveness and ego-strength and negative correlations with anxiety and depression. In conclusion, T-cell number and concentratio...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors report on the short-term effects of an educational program for immediate supervisors on employees' back pain problems, which is designed to help supervisors more efficiently deal with employees returning to work after being treated for back pain.
Abstract: This study reports on the short-term effects of an educational programme for immediate supervisors on employees' back pain problems. The course was designed to help supervisors more efficiently deal with employees returning to work after being treated for back pain. Forty-seven supervisors who had personnel either undergoing treatment for back pain problems or were candidates for this treatment were invited to attend a one-day course. This educational package consisted of information about back pain and stressed specific behaviours which supervisors could use to help their employees successfully return to work. The results showed that 78% of the supervisors found the course to be satisfactory enough to recommend it to a colleague without hesitation. Furthermore, independent ratings made by the supervisors and their employees suggested that supervisors complied with the recommended programme. Returning employees, moreover, gave their supervisors significantly higher ratings of support than a contr...
TL;DR: Examination of relationships between occupational stress, job satisfaction, and stress outcomes in a national sample of Canadian physicians showed that major sources of stress indicated by physicians were largely related to time pressures, and that ability to help patients and relationships with colleagues were major source of satisfaction.
Abstract: Literature reviews in the area of stress in the medical profession (e.g. Scheiber 1987) reveal that research has primarily focused on identifying specific work stressors, and few studies have reported relationships between occupational stress, job satisfaction, and stress outcomes, as well as the particular practice characteristics and individual differences that may contribute to stress and satisfaction. The present paper examines the relationships among such variables in a national sample of Canadian physicians. Data were collected from 2584 physicians representing all ten Canadian provinces using questionnaires. Results showed that major sources of stress indicated by physicians were largely related to time pressures, and that ability to help patients and relationships with colleagues were major sources of satisfaction. A number of stressors and work demands contributed to overall stress, and satisfaction with several aspects of practice contributed to overall satisfaction. Results indicated t...
TL;DR: It was found that operator injuries were most closely associated with transit hazards, which were more frequent at night and on the least desirable routes, which may have hampered the operators' ability to respond effectively to potentially dangerous situations.
Abstract: This research applied a paradigm for the study of occupational safety and health risks in manufacturing settings to the risks associated with urban and regional transit operation. Subjects were 290 transit operators who completed a questionnaire measuring safety management, danger ratings, beliefs about accident control, work experience, physical stress, social stress, anxiety, environmental hazards, transit hazards (assaults and insults upon the operator, the need to reprimand passengers for various infractions, etc.), vehicle crashes and operator injuries, and alcohol and drug use. Principal findings were that operator injuries were most closely associated with transit hazards, which were more frequent at night and on the least desirable routes. Injuries occurred in a climate of elevated stress and anxiety which may have hampered the operators' ability to respond effectively to potentially dangerous situations. The cusp catastrophe model provided a non-linear dynamic explanation for accident oc...
TL;DR: In an attempt to identify the number, nature, and effectiveness of coping mechanisms used by long-term prisoners to cope with stress, a sample of inmates was administered scales measuring depression, coping strategies, and sensation-seeking.
Abstract: In an attempt to identify the number, nature, and effectiveness of coping mechanisms used by long-term prisoners to cope with stress, a sample of inmates was administered scales measuring depression, coping strategies, and sensation-seeking. It was found that the prisoners' depression scores were very high, placing several inmates into the category of severe clinical depression. However, the number of coping mechanisms used by prisoners to deal with a stressful situation was not reflected by the depression scores. Extensive use of coping mechanisms was, if anything, associated with an increased level of depression. The expected relationship between sensation-seeking and proneness to depression in prison failed to emerge.
TL;DR: Work and stress: Organizational culture, stress, and stress management as mentioned in this paper, Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 1-4, 1991, New York, USA.
Abstract: (1991). Organizational culture, stress, and stress management. Work & Stress: Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 1-4.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the relationship between immunoglobulin levels and work stress and personality factors in a population of healthy air force aviators, and also if such factors were related to health complaints.
Abstract: The present study investigated the relationship between immunoglobulin levels and work stress and personality factors in a population of healthy air force aviators, and also if such factors were related to health complaints. Sixty-four aviators participated, 31 fighter pilots and 33 from a Hercules C130 squadron. Significant correlations were found between environmental stress factors, perceived health complaints and levels of immunoglobulin and complement components. ‘Psychological defence’ correlated with immunoglobulin levels. In a multiple regression analysis, 31% (p<0.05) of the variance for C3 could be explained by perceived work stress and 15% (p<0.05) of the IgA variance by ‘psychological defence’ and ‘complaints related to immune status'. The results confirm that immunological parameters may be used as psychological stress indicators, but the relationships are complex and can be best understood if individual coping and defence strategies are considered.
TL;DR: In this paper, the incidence of various stressors at work and outside work was examined in a group of public service workers with a large Canadian federal government department, where workers were either in clerical, technical and supervisory (‘officers’), or management positions.
Abstract: The incidence of various stressors at work and outside work was examined in a group of public service workers with a large Canadian federal government department. Workers were either in clerical, technical and supervisory (‘officers’), or management positions. Measures of work stress included role stressors (load, insufficiency, conflict ambiguity and responsibility), as well as stress due to the physical environment. Both life events and daily hassles were included as measures of non-work stress. The consequences of stress were considered in terms of vocational, psychological, interpersonal, and physical strain, as well as in terms of job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Potential moderators of stress included social support and self-esteem. Among work stressors conflict, ambiguity and insufficiency were the more closely associated with vocational outcomes. MANCOVA followed by discriminant function analysis showed that clerical workers were distinguished by higher levels of insufficie...
TL;DR: In this article, four personality characteristics which may be responsible for both exercise and psychological reactions to work are considered, and a model is then presented, concluding that future studies examining the impact of exercise should consider this dispositional model.
Abstract: Evidence on the psychological effects of exercise on employees is considered. Studies which examined the effect of company-sponsored exercise programmes as well as those examining the more general effect of exercise in work settings are reviewed. It is concluded that the evidence for psychological benefits is equivocal. Due to methodological problems, it is difficult to determine whether exercise is responsible for the positive effects reported. Four personality characteristics which may be responsible for both exercise and psychological reactions to work are considered, and a model is then presented. It was concluded that future studies examining the impact of exercise should consider this dispositional model.
TL;DR: The UK courts are no strangers to claims by employees who have been injured at work and who are seeking compensation for their injuries as discussed by the authors, and workers regularly become trapped by machinery, slip on factory floors, strain their backs whilst lifting equipment or develop industrial diseases such as pneumoconiosis.
Abstract: The UK courts are no strangers to claims by employees who have been injured at work and who are seeking compensation for their injuries. Workers regularly become trapped by machinery, slip on factory floors, strain their backs whilst lifting equipment or develop industrial diseases such as pneumoconiosis.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the relationship between priorities in job tasks and stress-related experiences among health workers in long-term care (n = 322) and found that emotional involvement was a relatively strong moderator.
Abstract: The study examined the relationship between priorities in job tasks and stress-related experiences among health workers in long-term care (n = 322). Employees' priorities were measured in terms of role orientation, represented by two different ‘profiles’: expressive and instrumental role orientation. Job stress assessed included potential workload and emotional involvement. Stress-related experiences assessed were psychosomatic and interpersonal consequences. Sub-group analyses were used to test the nature of the relationship between stressors and the criterion variables in the study. The sub-group analyses indicated that role orientation only partially moderated the relationship between job stressors and employees' stress-related experiences. It was in relation to emotional involvement that role orientation was a relatively strong moderator.
TL;DR: This article found that corporate financial performance and culture variables were more strongly associated with many of the felt stresses than were the individual and role-related predictors, and found that these factors were correlated with stress in marketing managers working in 14 electronics companies.
Abstract: Although a great deal of research has been carried out in the occupational stress field, little work has focused on the link between corporate financial performance and corporate culture on individual stress. The sample comprised senior marketing managers working in 14 electronics companies selected on the basis of their recent profit/loss performance. It was found that corporate financial performance and culture variables were more strongly associated with many of the felt stresses than were the individual and role-related predictors.
TL;DR: Job factors and overall satisfaction turned out to be related independently to stress in both groups, and the strongest relation was found between stress and organizational job characteristics.
Abstract: Factors related both to the experience of prolonged stress and to recurrent low back pain were analysed by means of questionnaire responses of planners (n = 146) and workers (n = 315) in the Finnish metal industry. Job factors and overall satisfaction turned out to be related independently to stress in both groups. The strongest relation was found between stress and organizational job characteristics. Among the workers physical exhaustion and defects in ergonomy were also related to the experience of stress. Factors related to low back pain were mainly physical in origin, although organizational factors also made some contribution to such pain.
TL;DR: In this paper, a case study on stress and health in UK organizations is presented, where a trade union case study is used to study the effects of stress on workers' health.
Abstract: (1991). Case study stress and health in UK organizations: A trade union case study. Work & Stress: Vol. 5, No. 4, pp. 325-329.