Lower Job Stress Research Articles

The Effect of Friendship Level and Type on Organizational Performance - Focusing on Tertiary Hospitals in Seoul and Kyongin Area -

Purpose: In this study the level and type of friendship in a hospital was identified, and the influence of the level and type of friendship on the organizational performance was investigated, and then the role and direction of a hospital that can improve the organizational performance was searched. Methods: A structured survey tool suitable to achieve the study purpose was utilized, and surveys were made on the nurses, administrators and medical technicians that work at 24 tertiary hospitals in Seoul and Kyongin area, and the recovered 401 questionnaires were analysed by the metho ds such as frequency analysis, T-test, One-way ANOVA, Chi-square test, two-way ANOVA and hierarchical regression analysis. Results: As for the influences of friendship level and type on organiza tional performance as follows: in case of job satisfaction, the higher the friendship level with superiors and subordinates, the higher t he job satisfaction and the type of heart is higher in job satisfaction than that of brain; in case of organizational commitment, the higher the friendship level with superiors, subordinates and fellows, the higher the organizational commitment but, there is no statistically significant difference in the friendship type; in case of job stress, the higher the friendship level with superiors and fellows, the lower job stress and the type of hea rt is lower in job stress than that of brain. Conclusion: Integrating above study result the friendship in an organization is thought to influence very much on the factors of achievement of an organization such as job satisfaction, organizational commitment and job stress.

The Association Between Correctional Orientation and Organizational Citizenship Behaviors Among Correctional Staff

This study sought to examine the relationship between correctional orientation (support for rehabilitation or punishment) and organizational citizenship behaviors (going above and beyond what is expected at work). All available staff at a Midwestern, high-security prison that housed juvenile offenders sentenced as adults were surveyed. Regression results suggest that correctional orientation does have a direct impact on organizational citizenship. Those staff indicating greater support for rehabilitation were more likely to report engagement in organizational citizenship behaviors. Support for punishment, however, had a nonsignificant association. Even among custody staff (i.e., correctional officers) and staff who spent half or more of their day interacting with inmates, support for rehabilitation had a significant positive association with organizational behaviors and support for punishment was not a significant predictor. In addition to the benefits of increased support for rehabilitation, such as better inmate relations, job satisfaction, and lower job stress, the current results suggest that another benefit of increasing support for rehabilitation among staff could result in greater engagement in organizational citizenship behaviors. Correctional administrators should explore different ways to promote support for rehabilitation among staff.

Are rural and urban newly licensed nurses different? A longitudinal study of a nurse residency programme.

This study aimed to compare rural and urban nurse residency programme participants' personal and job characteristics and perceptions of decision-making, job satisfaction, job stress, nursing performance and organisational commitment over time. Nurse residency programmes are an evolving strategy to foster transition to practice for new nurses. However, there are limited data available for programme outcomes particularly for rural nurses. A longitudinal design sampled 382 urban and 86 rural newly licensed hospital nurses during a 12-month nurse residency programme. Data were collected at the start of the programme, at 6months and the end of the programme. At the end of the programme, rural nurses had significantly higher job satisfaction and lower job stress compared with urban nurses. Across all time-periods rural nurses had significantly lower levels of stress caused by the physical work environment and at the end of the programme had less stress related to staffing compared with urban nurses. Perceptions of their organisational commitment and competency to make decisions and perform role elements were similar. Differences in these outcomes may be result from unique characteristics of rural vs. urban nursing practice that need further exploration. Providing a nurse residency programme in rural and urban hospitals can be a useful recruitment and retention strategy.

일부 지역 경찰공무원의 직무스트레스 정도에 따른 건강관련 형태 및 영양소 섭취량에 관한 연구

현대사회의 다양한 직업 중에서 경찰공무원의 업무는 힘들고 위험한 직업으로 각종 정신적, 신체적, 환경적 스트레스 발생 가능성이 매우 높다. 스트레스에 대한 대처능력은 평상시 건강 행태 및 영양소 섭취 정도에 따라 사회심리적인 스트레스 상황에 유효하게 대처할 수 있다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 전북지역 경찰공무원 166명을 대상으로 경찰공무원의 직무스트레스 정도에 따른 식생활 및 영양섭취와의 관계를 조사하였다. 경찰공무원은 주된 직무스트레스 요인으로는 ‘직무요구’, ‘조직체계’ 및 ‘직무자율성 결여’이었으며, 95% 이상의 대상자들이 본인이 건강하다고 인식하고 있었다. 전체의 86.1% 정도가 음주를 하고, 42.7% 정도 흡연을 하며, 89.6%가 운동을 지속적으로 하여 한국 성인의 평균과 비교하여 비교적 건강행태가 양호한 것으로 나타났으며, 직무스트레스에 따른 음주, 흡연, 운동 빈도의 차이는 보이지 않았다. 식습관 조사 결과 43% 정도가 아침식사를 하는 것으로 나타났고, 직무스트레스가 적은 집단이 높은 집단에 비해 아침 결식 비율도 낮고(p＜0.01), 식사 속도도 양호하며(p＜0.05), 간식습관도 양호한 것(p＜0.001)으로 조사되었다. 직무스트레스에 따른 맛의 기호도는 스트레스가 높은 집단이 단 음식을 덜 선호하는 것으로 나타났다(p＜0.05). 직무스트레스 정도에 따라 영양소 섭취정도는 유의한 차이는 없었으나, 스트레스가 높은 집단에서 칼슘 및 비타민 B2 섭취량이 권장섭취량의 75% 미만으로 매우 불량한 것으로 나타났다. 이상과 같이 경찰공무원의 건강관련 행태 분석 결과 경찰공무원은 직업특성 상 일반성인과 비교하여 건강에 대한 인식 및 흡연, 음주, 운동 등의 생활습관은 비교적 양호한 편으로 나타났으나, 부족한 영양소 섭취, 잦은 아침결식과 간식섭취, 빠른 식사 속도 등 식습관 및 영양 섭취 부분에서는 문제점이 확인되었다. 따라서 건강유지와 만성질환의 발병을 예방하기 위하여 경찰공무원 스스로 올바른 식습관을 인식하고 실천을 유도하기 위한 식생활 개선 교육프로그램이 직장 내에서 주기적으로 이루어져야 하겠으며, 또한 직장차원에서의 직무스트레스 관리도 병행되어야 할 것으로 사료된다.

Arrange of Shift Schedule and Work Stress in Taiwan Nurses

ISEE-0367 Background: Shared governance in job arrangement of nurses is related to job satisfaction. Hence, we examined the associations of rotation schedule and autonomy in arranging rotation schedule with work stress among nurses in Taiwan. Methods: The study recruited 458 female nurses working in shift-time schedule in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. In 2006, they answered a structured questionnaire, which included demographic characteristics, shift-work schedule, and work stress defined by the Effort-Reward Imbalance Model, in which the score of overcommitment ≥17 point is considered as high overcommitment and effort-reward ratio >1 as effort-reward imbalance. Results: Among these nurses, 51.0% were of high overcommitment and 38.6% were of effort-reward imbalance. Duration of night shift (<7, 7–14 and >14 night shift) in past two months is not related with overcommitment and effort reward imbalance. Prevalences of high overcommitment were 52.1%, 46.6% and 55.5% respectively, and of effort reward imbalance were 36.9%, 37.4%, and 45.3%. Percentages of high overcommitment and effort-reward imbalance were 64.2% and 65.0% in low/no satisfaction of rotation time group while only 27.3% and 24.2% in high satisfaction of rotation time group. Percentages of high overcommitment (61.9%) or effort-reward ratio >1 (62.4%) were highest in the non-autonomy of schedule arrangement group, and only 34.8% and 18.2% in high autonomy of schedule arrangement group. Adjusted for other confounders, the lower/no satisfaction and non-autonomy were significantly associated with overcommitment and effort-reward imbalance. The OR of low/no satisfaction for overcommitment and effort-reward imbalance were 5.28 (95%CI: 2.65∼10.9), 6.42 (95%CI: 3.1∼14.0) and the OR of non autonomy of schedule arrangement were 7.63 (95%CI: 2.51∼28.8), respectively. Conclusion: In this study, we found that increased satisfaction and autonomy of rotation schedule arrangement are associated with lower job stress. This suggests that shared governance in shift schedule arrangement may improve job stress.

Satisfied in the Jail?

This study investigated the predictors of job satisfaction among 373 jail correctional officers in one state in the Northeast. The research questions were guided by the plethora of literature on the workplace experiences of prison correctional officers, including the “Importation-Differential Experiences” and “Work-Role Prisonization” models. This study advances the literature on the workplace experiences of correctional officers by focusing on officers who work in a jail setting. The results indicated that for jail correctional officers in this study, a lower level of education, greater supervisory support, lower job stress and lower general stress were significant predictors of higher job satisfaction. Based on the findings, suggestions are made for future research.

Relationship between Job Stress Contents, Psychosocial Factors and Mental Health Status among University Hospital Nurses in Korea

The present study was intended to assess the mental health of nurses working for university hospitals and to establish which factors determine their mental health. Self-administered questionnaires were given to 1,486 nurses employed in six participating hospitals located in Daejeon City and Chungnam Province between July 1st and August 31st, 2006. The questionnaire items included sociodemographic, job-related, and psychosocial factors, with job stress factors (JCQ) as independent variables and indices of mental health status (PWI, SDS and MFS) as dependent variables. For statistical analysis, the Chi-square test was used for categorical variables, with hierarchical multiple regression used for determining the factors effecting mental health. The influence of psychosocial and job-related factors on mental health status was assessed by covariance structure analysis. The statistical significance was set at p<0.05. The factors influencing mental health status among subject nurses included sociodemographic characteristics such as age, number of hours of sleep, number of hours of leisure, and subjective health status; job-related characteristics such as status, job satisfaction, job suitability, stresses such as demands of the job, autonomy, and coworker support; and psychosocial factors such as self-esteem, locus of control and type A behavior patterns. Psychosocial factors had the greatest impact on mental health. Covariance structure analysis determined that psychosocial factors affected job stress levels and mental health status, and that the lower job stress levels were associated with better mental health. Based on the study results, improvement of mental health status among nurses requires the development and application of programs to manage job stress factors and/or psychosocial factors as well as sociodemographic and job-related characteristics.

The relationship between hardiness, supervisor support, group cohesion, and job stress as predictors of job satisfaction.

This study tested a conceptual model based on research supporting the relationship between the predictors of hardiness, supervisor support, and group cohesion and the criterions of job stress and job satisfaction and between the predictor of job stress and the criterion of job satisfaction. The study employed a cross-sectional research design. Survey data were collected as part of the baseline measures assessed prior to an organizational hardiness intervention. Worksite of Dell Computer Corporation in Austin, Texas. The subjects included 160 full-time Dell employees recruited from a convenience sample representing nine work groups (response rate = 90%). Hardiness was measured using the Dispositional Resilience Scale (DRS), job stress was measured using the Perceived Work Stress Scale (PWSS), and supervisor support, group cohesion, and job satisfaction were measured using a proprietary employee attitude survey. In the proposed model, high hardiness, supervisor support, and group cohesion were related to lower levels of job stress, which in turn was related to higher levels of job satisfaction. The model also proposed direct paths from hardiness, supervisor support, and group cohesion to job satisfaction. Path analysis was used to examine the goodness of fit of the model. The proposed model was a good fit for the data (chi 2[1, N = 160] = 1.85, p = .174) with the exception of the direct path between group cohesion and job satisfaction. Substantial portions of the variances in job stress (R2 = .19) and job satisfaction (R2 = .44) were accounted for by the predictors. Implications for targeted worksite health promotion efforts to lower job stress and enhance job satisfaction are discussed.

A Study of Remote Workers and Their Differences from Non-Remote Workers

Information technology (IT) is enabling the creation of virtual organizations and remote work practices. As this practice of working remotely grows, so does the importance of making these remote end-users of technology effective members of organizations. This study tested a number of relationships that were suggested in the literature as being relevant in a remote work environment. Interpersonal trust of the employee in their manager was found to be strongly associated with higher self-perceptions of performance, higher job satisfaction and lower job stress. There was weak support for the impact of physical connectivity (i.e., the availability of IT) on job satisfaction, supporting the enabling role of IT. These findings were similar for both remote employees (i.e., those that worked in a different building than their managers) and non-remote employees. However, more frequent communications between the manager and employee was associated with higher levels of interpersonal trust only with the remote workers. Cognition-based trust was also found to be more important than affect-based trust in a remote work environment, suggesting that managers of remote employees should focus on activities that demonstrate competence, responsibility and professionalism.

An Investigation of Information Technology-Enabled Remote Management and Remote Work Issues

A two phase research study was done to investigate remote work and remote management issues. In Phase 1, focus groups were carried out with remote managers and remote employees to identify key issues. The most common key issues dealt with communications, information technology, leadership and coaching, teamwork, building trust, and performance management. In the second phase, a questionnaire was used to test hypotheses developed from phase 1. The findings supported that higher trust leads to higher job satisfaction and lower job stress, and that more communication between the manager and the remote employee develops higher levels of employee organizational commitment.

Factors affecting turnover among family child care providers: A longitudinal study

The high turnover rates evident among family child care providers undermine the quality of care provided to children. In this study, we followed 57 family child care providers longitudinally to identify precursors of turnover. Job stress, education, and training directly affected turnover. Providers most likely to leave the profession were more educated, less trained, and reported higher levels of stress. Training and the presence of the provider's own young children indirectly affected turnover through their relationship to job stress. Providers who cared for their own preschool children experienced higher levels of job stress. In contrast, training was associated with lower job stress, but only for less educated providers. The presence of the provider's own young children and training also were associated with greater job satisfaction, but job satisfaction was unrelated to turnover. Finally, there was a curvilinear relationship between job tenure and job stress and, to a lesser extent, turnover. Providers who had been caring for children between 2 and 8 years reported the highest levels of job stress and turnover, although turnover rates were also high during the first 2 years of beginning family child care.