Job Stress Change Research Articles

A Dynamic Perspective on Job Knowledge Characteristics during the COVID-19 Pandemic

AbstractJob knowledge characteristics have long been regarded as relatively fixed. However, this may no longer be the case given the dynamic and complex situations faced by employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the basis of event system theory and the work design literature, we argue that the onset of COVID-19 created an immediate decrease in job knowledge characteristics, which gradually increased over time in the post-onset period because of employees’ coping with the pandemic. The rate of increase in job knowledge characteristics is higher for those with higher individual task adaptivity than for others. We further argue that changes in job knowledge characteristics produced changes in job stress, and that this effect is weakened by job security. We conducted a 6-month, 6-wave longitudinal survey to gather data from 235 employees in Macau, China covering the pre-onset, onset, and post-onset periods of the COVID-19 outbreak. The results, based on discontinuous growth modeling and latent change score modeling, support our arguments. Our study advances the dynamic view of work design by identifying how a macro event may shape job knowledge characteristics and the implications of a time-to-time change in job knowledge characteristics. Overall, we suggest that there are psychological costs when employees cope at work with the business interruptions caused by COVID-19.

The Effect of Resilience Indicators on the Job Stress Level among Nurses

Introduction: Resilience is one of the competencies that enable nurses to adapt to stressful risk factors at work and demonstrate a healthy and stable psychological performance. The present study aimed to investigate the predictive role of resilience on job stress among Iranian nurses. Methods: The current cross-sectional study was conducted in Ahvaz, Iran, with participation of 200 nurses in May 2019. Participants were recruited via stratified random sampling. The resilience indicators and job stress data were collected by the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale and OSIPOW Job Stress Questionnaire. Results: The results showed a significant negative correlation between resilience and job stress (r = −0.824, P < 0.05). Similarly, a significant linear regression existed between job stress and resilience (β = −0.824, P < 0.05) in such a way that resilience predicted 67.9% of the job stress variance in the participants (R 2 = 0.679). In addition, it was revealed that the multi-aspect model could significantly predict job stress based on linear resilience indicators (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The results indicated that resilience indicators have a significant relationship with job stress, and this relationship can be used to predict changes in job stress based on resilience. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that resilience improvement programs should be developed and implemented for nurses.

Changes in job stress and coping skills among caregivers after dementia care practitioner training.

Dementia care practitioner training is essential for professional caregivers to acquire medical knowledge and care skills for dementia patients. We investigated the significance of training in stress management by evaluating caregivers' job stress and coping style before and after they have completed training. The subjects included 134 professional caregivers (41 men, 93 women) recruited from participants in training programmes held in Kanagawa Prefecture from August 2008 to March 2010. A survey using a brief job stress questionnaire and a coping scale was carried out before and after they completed their training. A t-test and multiple regression analysis were performed to evaluate the effects of the training. After the training, the scores of modifiers on the job stress scale and of the coping scale increased, whereas the scores of stress reactions on the job stress scale decreased. However, there were no changes in participants' subjective cognition concerning their workplace environment. Furthermore, the change in stress reaction score tended to correlate with the change in consultation score in all participants and with the change in problem-solving and consultation in male participants. Among female participants, the change in stress reaction score tended to correlate with change in support from superiors and colleagues as modifiers. The factors that correlated to the change in stress reaction score differed between genders. The findings suggest that training caregivers improves their stress reaction and coping skills.

The relationship between increased job stress and weight gain: a 2-year longitudinal study

ObjectivesTo examine whether or not there is a relationship between job stress change and weight gain in white collar male workers.MethodsTotal 277 male workers who had worked in a Korean...

Measures of Cognitive Function and Work in Occupationally Active Breast Cancer Survivors

This study investigated performance-based and patient-reported cognitive limitations on work output. Working breast cancer survivors (BCS) (n = 122) and a non-cancer comparison group (NCCG; n = 113) completed measures of cognitive function, fatigue, distress, job stress, and work output. Distress, fatigue, and job stress were higher in the BCS group who were on average 3-years post-treatment. Patient-reported cognitive limitations at work were related to work output in BCS (memory beta = 0.29; executive function beta = 0.26) only. Changes in work output were more responsive to changes in job stress and fatigue in the BCS group. Reports of cognitive problems at work should be carefully followed up.

Changes in job stress, musculoskeletal symptoms, and complaints of unfavorable working conditions among nurses after the adoption of a computerized order communication system.

Order communication system (OCS) is a real-time computerized hospital information system that supports communication of orders from the ward users to the service departments. The adoption of an OCS may profoundly alter the service patterns of healthcare workers. As a result, job stress, musculoskeletal symptoms, and complaints of unfavorable working conditions can be expected to increase. This study investigated changes in job stress, musculoskeletal symptoms, and complaints of unfavorable working conditions among nurses after an OCS had been adopted and whether adoption of the system affected the changes. A group of nurses employed in a university hospital in Korea was surveyed 1 month before and 3 months after the OCS had been adopted. We used Karasek's job contents questionnaire (JCQ) to evaluate job stress. The cumulative trauma disorder (CTD) questionnaire was used to assess the presence of musculoskeletal symptoms. The presence of unfavorable working conditions was also assessed. Next, we evaluated whether non-work factors (such as demographic factors and life events) had influence on job stress, musculoskeletal symptoms, and complaints of unfavorable working conditions after adoption of the OCS. One hundred thirty nurses from the hospital (51.2%) responded to both surveys. Several JCQ scales were notably altered after OCS adoption; psychological job demand was significantly decreased (P < 0.01), although subjective assessment for hazardous conditions was significantly increased (P < 0.01). There was a significant increase in back complaints (P < 0.05). There was considerable decrease in the number of nurses who complained of 'increase in work intensity' (P < 0.05), 'increase of staying time to deal with remaining duties' (P < 0.05), and 'abrupt change of duties' (P < 0.01). According to the analysis for the associations between non-work factors and significantly changed variables, only two non-work factors, 'tenure' and 'conflicts with friend(s)', showed statistical significance with complaints of 'increase in work intensity' (P < 0.05) CONCLUSIONS. This study suggests that a newly adopted computerized system might have provoked changes in job stress, musculoskeletal symptoms, and the complaints of unfavorable working conditions. It was found that, despite the overall favorable changes, complaints of hazardous conditions and back symptoms increased.

Implementation of Office Automation and Its Effects on Job Characteristics and Strain in a District Court

Using a longitudinal case study design, the implementation of office automation was examined at a district court office during a 4-year period. The aims of the study were to examine the effects of the implementation of office automation on perceived job characteristics and on the personnel's short-term mental strain, long-term mental strain, and job satisfaction. All occupational groups at the district court, that is, the office workers, the judges, and the court clerks, participated in the study. After the implementation, the office workers perceived their job as slightly more interesting than before the implementation. After the implementation, their short-term mental strain was slightly lower than before it. However, this effect seemed to diminish in the long run. On the other hand, a slight increase in the office workers' long-term strain was found. Moreover, the judges' job characteristics changed slightly. Using a longitudinal research design, the development of job stress among the personnel at the district court could be followed up, and the changes in job stress could be compared according to the phases of the implementation of office automation.

Getting a Better Job: Antecedents and Effects

The effect of improvement of working conditions on symptoms of mental distress was examined in a longitudinal study of metal industry employees. The aim was to investigate the changes in working conditions, job satisfaction, and indices of mental health among the employees who were promoted or changed employer compared to those who had stayed in the same job during the 5-year follow-up period. Results show that work content and physical work environment had significantly improved in the job change groups compared to the control group. Job dissatisfaction, life dissatisfaction, and stress symptoms had decreased significantly in the job change groups only among the male blue-collar workers. The most powerful predictors of changes in job stress and general distress were changes in work content and changes in the quality of physical work environment. The multiple correlations obtained in the regression analyses ranged between 0.29-0.36.

Effects of job change on job satisfaction and mental strain.

The effect of improved work conditions on symptoms of mental strain was examined in a longitudinal study of metal industry employees. The aim was to study the changes in work conditions, job satisfaction, and indices of mental strain among the employees who were promoted or who changed employer in comparison to those who had stayed in the same job during the five-year follow-up period (matched groups, N 136). During the study period, work content and physical work environment had significantly improved in the job-change group compared to the reference group. Job dissatisfaction, life dissatisfaction, and stress symptoms had decreased significantly in the job-change group. The most powerful predictors of changes in job stress or general mental strain were changes in work content and changes in the quality of the physical work environment. However, the multiple correlations obtained in the regression analyses were not high.