米国における海外赴任者のストレスに関する研究

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine stress sources and responses for Japanese workers under a different culture from their own. Fifty nine male Japanese workers who had been employed in the U.S. –Japan joint company were classified into two district area groups in term of types of occupation (office work: OW; and factory: F). These workers were individually interviewed about their occupational stess, daily life stress, family problem, health, and stress coping style. In addition, the score in the Eysenck Personality Inventory(EPI), Spielberger Trait-State Inventory(STAI), and Cornel Medical Index(CMI) for the OW and F groups were compared to those for fifteen Japanese male worker group in the home country(C). As a result, there were no differences in the EPI and STAI between three groups. However, concerning the CMI, Group OW had significantly higher percentage of response in Cardiovascular system items than Group F. In Digestive tract items, Group OW showed the highest percentage of response of all groups. Furthermore, Group OW and F had higher Habits response than Group C. Concerning mood and feeling patterns of the CMI, only Anger for Group OW showed the higher response compared to Group F and C. Finany, most of the Japanese workers, especially Group OW, complained about the conflicts with American workers through the interview. Also, some episodes for some workers who had a tendency to be neurotic by the CMI diagnosis were introduced. These findings suggest that Japanese workers who frequently had come in contact with many Americans in sales and office work situations had higher stress than others. It indicates that they have larger risk of having stress related diseases, as shown in some higher responses of the CMI.