The use of the occupational stress indicator (OSI) in factory workers in China

The purpose of the study was to investigate occupational stress among Chinese factory workers (N=342), from three cities of South East China, using the shortened version of the Occupational Stress Indicator (OSI)-2. The results showed that the reliabilities and predictive validity of the OSI-2 subscales and other subscales used for the study were reasonably high. Quite a high percentage of workers perceived high work pressure. The main sources of stress were intrinsic to the job; and the coping strategies that were most frequently used to tackle stress were “control” methods. In addition, “satisfaction on environmental condition” seemed to be a common predictor for job satisfaction, and mental and physical well-being. The logical relationships between job satisfaction, mental well-being and physical well-being in Chinese workers have provided support to the findings obtained in Western countries.     

Job Preference in the People's Republic of China: Distinguishing the Self From Others

Job-preference rankings were collected from a sample of middle-level managers and cadres in the People's Republic of China in 1986. Respondents provided rankings of 10 job factors as they applied to themselves, other Chinese, and United States workers. Chinese managers viewed their own job preferences as different from the preferences of the other two groups and perceived other Chinese and U.S. workers to have relatively similar job preferences. The Chinese managers also ranked an intrinsic job factor more highly for themselves and extrinsic job factors more highly for other Chinese and U.S. workers. These findings are discussed in terms of management training, leadership roles, perceptual and attributional processes, and cultural factors.     

Job Satisfaction,Organizational Commitment,and Religious Commitment of Full-Time University Employees

This study investigated the relationship of job satisfaction and organizational and religious commitment among full time workers at Akra University (a pseudonym) based on a number of demographic factors. Analysis of variance using the Games-Howell procedure revealed that workers who were older than age 46 years had higher job satisfaction and organizational and religious commitment than younger employees. It was also noted that workers holding doctoral degrees had higher levels of job satisfaction and religious commitment than individuals with a high school diploma only. It was evident that the longer employees stayed at this institution, the higher the levels of organizational commitment and extrinsic job satisfaction, and administrators and sector managers had higher levels of intrinsic job satisfaction and religious commitment than those in other occupational areas.     

On the relationship between mobbing factors,and job content,social work environment,and health outcomes

Abstract

This article analyses the relationship between mobbing, job characteristics, social environment variables, and psychological ill-health. The Leymann Inventory of Psychological Terrorization (LIFT) was factor analysed and led to seven factors in two samples of mobbing victims (N = 50 and N = 99): Mobbing by organizational measures, social isolation, attacking the victim's private life, attacking the victim's attitudes, physical violence, verbal aggression, and rumours. Mobbing was correlated with bad job content, a bad social environment, and psychological ill-health. The findings suggest that the more social support supervisors gave, the less the victims reported being shouted at, being constantly criticized, and receiving verbal threats. In contrast, the more social support the victims received from their colleagues the less they reported being socially isolated or being ridiculed with regard to their private life. Moreover, having private life attacked showed the strongest correlation with psychological ill-health. The data suggest that organizational factors are potential causes of mobbing at work.     

Abusive leadership versus objectifying job features: Factors that influence organizational dehumanization and workers’ self-objectification

Recent research has revealed that work often can undermine people's humanness by promoting a view of them as mere objects. In particular, the workers’ meta-perceptions of being treated as company resources (i.e., organizational dehumanization) and their self-perceptions of being instrument-like (i.e., self-objectification) could be triggered by several factors. Previous research has identified that abusive supervisors and engaging in objectifying (repetitive, fragmented and other oriented) tasks are two of the main key factors that affect worker's dehumanization. The present project aims to disentangle the extent both factors (perceptions of abusive leadership and performing objectifying tasks) contribute to created perceptions of organizational dehumanization and self-objectification among workers that, ultimately, affects workers job satisfaction. In Study 1 (N = 208 workers), we measured the extent perceived abusive supervisors and objectifying job features predicted organizational dehumanization, self-objectification, and job satisfaction. The results indicate that abusive supervisors predicted perceptions of organizational dehumanization and workers self-objectification in a higher extent than objectifying job features, while workers job satisfaction was predicted in a higher extent by objectifying job features. In Study 2 (N = 141), we experimentally manipulated the abusive (versus nonabusive) supervisors and the objectifying (versus nonobjectifying) tasks in a laboratory setting. Results also indicated that the abusive supervisor exerts a greater influence than performing objectifying tasks on organizational dehumanization, self-objectification, and job satisfaction. The detrimental effect of an abusive supervisor in comparison with other working conditions on workers’ humanness is discussed, and practical implications are highlighted.     

Evolving team cognition: The impact of team situation models on team effectiveness

The current research examined a moderated mediation model for the relationships among indicators of objective career success (salary and job level), subjective career success (career satisfaction), and turnover intention, as well as the boundary conditions of this process. Based on a survey study among a sample of Chinese managers (N = 324), we found that both salary and job level were negatively related to turnover intention, with these relations fully mediated by career satisfaction. The results further showed that the relation between job level and career satisfaction was weaker among managers who perceived a higher level of organizational career management, but stronger among managers with a higher managerial career anchor. In support of our hypothesized model, the indirect effect of job level on turnover intention through career satisfaction existed only among managers who perceived a lower level of organizational career management or managers with a higher managerial career anchor. These findings carry implications for research on career success and turnover intention.     

The Effect of Organizational Climate on Job Satisfaction,Anxiety, and Propensity to Leave

This study examined the prediction of job-related attitudes from organizational climate dimensions. Ss were 111 supermarket department managers who returned an anonymous questionnaire which tapped perceptions of the organizational environment (i.e., climate) along 11 dimensions and also contained measures of job satisfaction, propensity to leave, and job-related anxiety. Each attitude variable was regressed on the 11 climate dimensions with use of stepwise multiple regression. The dimension of “Organizational clarity” emerged as the most significant predictor for each of the three outcome variables, a finding that is congruent with previous research in the area of role ambiguity. The dimension of “Performance-reward dependence” contributed significantly to the prediction of job satisfaction and propensity to leave, but not to the prediction of job-related anxiety. This is consistent with theories linking dissatisfaction and turnover with unsatisfactory reward systems.     

An investigation of age-related factors in the age-job-satisfaction relationship

Most researchers have found a positive linear relation between age and job satisfaction. We attempted to account for this relationship by measuring variables that had been proposed to be causal factors. Subjects were 496 city and county managers working in Florida. Potential explanatory variables were (a) job congruence (the difference between what managers prefer and what they perceive they have in a job), (b) internal-external locus of control, and (c) related demographics-age, salary, organizational tenure, position tenure, and organizational level. Multiple regression analyses found that job congruence and work locus of control accounted for almost all of the variance in the age-satisfaction relationship. This study supports the job change hypothesis, which proposes tha older workers get more of what they want out of work.     

教师工作满意度的影响因素结构模型研究

通过对317名教师的问卷调查,建立了教师工作满意度的影响因素结构模型。研究发现,组织氛围、课程改革参与性是教师工作满意度的直接影响因素,其对教师工作满意度的作用是正向的。工作满意度是影响教师职业承诺、工作主动性,以及职业倦怠的重要中介变量。组织氛围能提升教师的职业承诺。课程改革参与性不仅能增强教师的工作主动性,而且能降低教师的职业倦怠。     

The Role of Occupational Self-Efficacy in Mediating the Effect of Job Insecurity on Work Engagement,Satisfaction and General Health

This study explores the associations among job insecurity, occupational self-efficacy, work engagement, job satisfaction and health and the mediation role of occupational self-efficacy. Two hundred and forty-one workers, were asked to fill in the Occupational Self-Efficacy Scale, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, the Satisfaction Scale of Occupational Stress Inventory and the General Health Questionnaire. Mediation analysis was performed using the boot-strapping method. Job insecurity was negatively related to work engagement, job satisfaction and general health. Occupational self-efficacy mediated the relationship between job insecurity, work engagement, job satisfaction and health on employees in the private and public sectors. The originality of this work is that it shows the effect of job insecurity on engagement, satisfaction and health, and the mediational role of occupational self-efficacy. In a time of economic crisis, when it is not possible to guarantee permanent contracts, Human Resource managers might consider occupational self-efficacy as a resource when planning interventions.     

Exchange Ideology as a Moderator of Job Attitudes-Organizational Citizenship Behaviors Relationships1

Following work on organizational citizenship behaviors (cf. Organ, 1988). the present study examined job satisfaction, perceptions of organizational support, and organizational commitment as predictors of organizational citizenship behaviors. Regression analyses on data collected from workers in a small tooling plant indicated that exchange ideology moderated the relationships between ratings of OCB's and organizational support scores. For tool workers whose attitudes and behaviors were more dependent on organization reinforcement, OCB ratings were positively related to organizational support. However, for those whose attitudes and behaviors were more independent of organization reinforcement. OCB ratings were considerably less related to organizational support scores. The pattern was similar for OCB ratings and job satisfaction scores. These data are consistent with those reported previously (e.g., Eisenberger. Huntington. Hutchinson, & Sowa, 1986) and suggest that the salience of job attitudes in the decision to manifest organizational citizenship behaviors may be influenced by the individual's exchange ideology.     

The role of temporal shifts in turnover processes: it's about time

To better understand the process of organizational withdrawal, a turnover model incorporating dynamic predictors measured at 5 distinct points in time was examined by following a large occupationally and organizationally diverse sample over a 2-year period. Results demonstrated that turnover can be predicted by perceived costs of turnover, organizational commitment, and critical events measured soon after entry into the organization. Occupational unemployment rates, job satisfaction, and search for alternative jobs also become significant predictors when measured over time. Critical events predicted turnover in a manner distinct from the operation of attitudes, consistent with the unfolding model (Lee & Mitchell, 1994). The path to turnover was marked by consistently low perceived costs of turnover and satisfaction, decreases in commitment, and increases in job search over time.     

Developing a French version of the Occupational Stress Indicator (OSI)

This research presents the validation of a French version of the Cooper, Sloan and Williams’ Occupational Stress Indicator – OSI – (1988), which consists of seven specific scales: Sources of Pressure, Type A Behaviour, Locus of Control, Coping Strategies, Mental Health, Physical Health and Job Satisfaction. After a translation and back-translation procedure, committee evaluation and a pilot trial on 20 managers, 290 volunteer managers provided data to test its psychometric qualities. Confronted with the difficulty of reproducing and validating the original factorial structure and the weakness of some subscales reliability results, a complementary procedure, including exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, was used to further improve the psychometric qualities of the French OSI. Even though the main seven-factor structure was maintained, little similarity existed between the published 25-subscale score keys of the original version and the more parsimonious 12-subscale structure, which the present study brought to light.     

Job Satisfaction of Child Welfare Workers in an Urban Setting: Status and Predictors

Large urban areas present many challenges to those children and adults who reside in those settings. The social service workers in urban areas have clients with complex, multiple needs. Reliable and consistent workers are essential to successfully working with these families. In the current study, the job satisfaction of 29 social service workers in an urban child welfare agency was assessed using the Job Satisfaction Scale (JSS). The JSS measures satisfaction in 7 areas of one's job (i.e., work, supervision, coworkers, pay and promotion, work environment, training, and position). Data indicated that the staff were relatively satisfied, that satisfaction did not vary by staff position (family worker vs. social worker/supervisor), and that neither demographic factors nor prior experiences were predictors of job satisfaction. Implications for agency management and the provision of social services to urban families are discussed.     

Occupational stress within a U.K. higher education institution

Occupational stress in a U.K. higher education institution was investigated during a period of considerable organizational change. All employees, including academic, support and manual staff, were invited to participate anonymously in the survey. The results, based on the Occupational Stress Indicator, showed that employees reported significantly poorer mental and physical well-being, and greater job dissatisfaction, than a normative group. The findings suggested that female employees were at greater risk from adverse effects of occupational stress. Predictors of distress and job dissatisfaction were identified. The study concluded that occupational stress is a significant problem, and that further investigation is required in other similar institutions.     

Attendance pressure during organizational change

The present study examines the relationships between aspects of the concept attendance pressure and sickness absenteeism. The study was carried out in a large public company in Norway during a major reorganization. It was hypothesized that employees with sickness absenteeism during this period would experience a high degree of attendance pressure in the form of reactions from managers, fellow workers, and job insecurity. Two surveys were carried out with the same sample (N=401). Attendance pressure in the form of censure pressure explained significant parts of the variance in sickness absenteeism. Employees with sickness absenteeism during the reorganization were a vulnerable group with low job satisfaction, significant health problems and low personal work ethics. Implications for preventive work on organizational level are discussed.Financed by the Research Council of Norway.     

Thinking Outside the Clocks: The Effect of Layered‐Task Time on the Creative Climate of Meetings

The turbulence of the new economy puts demands on organizations to respond rapidly, flexibly and creatively to changing environments. Meetings are one of the organizational sites in which organizational actors “do” creativity; interaction in groups can be an important site for generating creative ideas and brainstorming. Additionally, Blount (2004) demonstrated the importance of organizational temporalities for group performance. We draw on both of these literatures and examine how temporal structures influence the climate for creativity, or the extent to which creativity is fostered, within groups. Specifically, we develop a hypothesis linking organization‐ and job‐level temporal structures to the extent to which managers structure meetings with a climate supportive of creativity. Our results demonstrate that a nuanced relationship exists between temporal structures and creative climate such that certain temporal structures appear to either enhance or decrease the creative climate of meetings. We end with a discussion of the implications of the findings for management.     

A new inventory for assessing worry in managers: correlates with job involvement and self-reliance

This work introduces the ‘Worry Inventory for Managers’ (WIM), a 24-item measure of jobrelated worries in managers. A sample of 138 managers responded to the WIM and to measures of pathological worry, job involvement, and self-reliance. Factor analysis of the WIM revealed two facets of job-related worry, namely worry about

1. (1) organizational processes and about

2. (2) work overload.

Results indicate that job-related worry shows differential correlations from pathological worry with the three factors of self-reliance (counterdependence, overdependence, and interdependence).     

African American Women in the Workplace: Relationships Between Job Conditions, Racial Bias at Work, and Perceived Job Quality

Although studies have described work processes among employed African American women, few have examined the influence of these processes on job outcomes. This study examined relationships between African American women's exposure to a range of occupational stressors, including two types of racial bias—institutional discrimination and interpersonal prejudice—and their evaluations of job quality. Findings indicated that institutional discrimination and interpersonal prejudice were more important predictors of job quality among these women than were other occupational stressors such as low task variety and decision authority, heavy workloads, and poor supervision. Racial bias in the workplace was most likely to be reported by workers in predominantly white work settings. In addition, Black women who worked in service, semiskilled, and unskilled occupations reported significantly more institutional discrimination, but not more interpersonal prejudice, than did women in professional, managerial, and technical occupations or those in sales and clerical occupations.     

中学组织气氛与教师工作满意度的相关分析

本研究在国内外相关研究的基础上,通过自编中学组织气氛量表调查分析中学组织气氛与其教师工作满意度的关系。结果表明学校组织气氛各因子与其教师工作满意度除人际关系因子外的各因子相关显著;回归分析进一步发现,学校组织气氛与教师工作满意度的工作性质、领导管理、薪水、进修晋升和物质条件等因子回归显著。