Going beyond workplace stressors: Economic crisis and perceived employability in relation to psychological distress and job dissatisfaction.

Gabriele Giorgi,Jose M. Leon-Perez,Mindy K. Shoss

doi:10.1037/a0038900

Abstract

The macroeconomic context and crisis management are now becoming salient issues among employees. Low levels of fear about the economic situation and the belief that one is capable of obtaining new employment may enable individuals to maintain mental health and job satisfaction in austere times. The aim of the present study is to investigate the relationship of fear of the economic crisis and nonemployability with job satisfaction and psychological distress, while controlling for demographics factors, stress exposures, and high conflict perceptions. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 3 Italian organizations comprising 679 workers with a response rate of more than 60%. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that, after controlling for demographics, psychological demands, lack of job control, and workplace bullying, low perceived employability and fear of the economic crisis were positively associated with psychological distress and negatively associated with job satisfaction. As an emerging topic of study, it appears that economic stress is an important construct in the nomological network for studying organizational health. The present study complements existing stress theories by suggesting that features of the external environment are relevant and important determinants of psychological distress and job dissatisfaction.

Highlights

When examining work-related stress, perceived dysfunctions of the working environments are thought to be the main predictors of different health outcomes
In this study, we examine the impact that fear about the economic crisis and perceived employability have on job satisfaction and psychological distress over and above more classically-studied work stressors and an extreme form of interpersonal conflict - workplace bullying
The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between perceived employability and fear of the economic crisis with job satisfaction and psychological distress, while controlling for demographics and work environment exposures

Summary

Introduction

When examining work-related stress, perceived dysfunctions of the working environments are thought to be the main predictors of different health outcomes. Whereas workplace bullying as a harassment and social exclusion process in which an individual is subjected to indirect and subtle forms of psychological violence - referred as negative acts- in a systematic way and over a prolonged period of time (Einarsen, Hoel, Zapf, & Cooper, 2011), incivility and interpersonal conflict usually reflect less systematic forms of mistreatment in the workplace (see Hershcovis, 2011).

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