Consequences of changing employers amongst young engineers

Abstract

Based on a sample of young professional engineers, this investigation studied the relationship between job change, job demands and psychological strain. Job change was studied by comparing those engineers who changed their employer (over a two‐year interval) with those who remained with the same employer. Respondents changing employer reported decreases in some job demand and psychological strain levels after their change, whereas those who stayed with their employer reported increases in demand and strain. Changing employer was also compared with other forms of job change, namely changes in work area and changes in field of engineering. Overall, the results lend more support to a ‘proactive growth’ model of job change than a ‘stress‐coping’ model (Nicholson & West, 1988).