Mentoring in China: Enhanced Understanding and Association with Occupational Stress

Purpose  

Given the increased usage of mentoring programs in multi-cultural settings, including the Chinese workplace, the present study examined Chinese employees’ understanding of mentoring relationships and whether mentoring played a role in their occupational stress process.     

Occupational Stress in University Staff

A survey was conducted of all staff members of an established Australian metropolitan university. The overall response rate for noncasual staff was 72% (77% for general staff and 65% for academic staff) resulting in a sample of N = 2,040. High levels of psychological stress were observed, despite the fact that trait anxiety and job satisfaction were normal. Psychological distress was highest and job satisfaction lowest among academic staff engaged in both teaching and research. In general, university staff reported high levels of autonomy and social support from colleagues. However those engaged in both teaching and research reported increased pressure arising from funding cuts to universities, resulting in heavier teaching loads and greater difficulty in securing research funds, as well as a decline in facilities and support for both teaching and research. The results are discussed in relation to the Demand–Control and Person–Environment Fit models of job stress.     

Employee Control and Occupational Stress

Occupational stress has been recognized as a major health issue for modern work organizations. Conditions of the workplace have been shown to lead to negative emotional reactions (e.g., anxiety), physical health problems in both the short term (e.g., headache or stomach distress) and the long term (cardiovascular disease), and counterproductive behavior at work. Perceptions of control play an important role in this process, being associated with all of these variables. Evidence is growing that enhanced control at work can be an important element in employees'health and well–being. These relationships can be understood in the context of the control–stress model.     

工作压力的研究现状与方向

工作压力的研究在西方已经进行了多年,并受到越来越多的注意,但在我国研究还较少。本文从工作压力的定义、对于工作压力的测量、影响工作压力产生的因素、工作压力的后果、以及应对这几个方面介绍这一领域目前的研究现状并提出作者认为这一领域现存的问题和今后的研究方向。     

新闻工作者职业压力问卷的编制

该研究旨在探究新闻工作者的压力源,编制出有针对性的职业压力问卷。对578名新闻工作者进行了访谈、半封闭式问卷调查、正式问卷测试,对收集的资料进行整理和统计分析,编制出含有32个题目的新闻工作者职业压力问卷,由组织特征、工作特征、工作负荷、人际关系、个体因素和社会评价6个维度构成。结果表明该问卷具有良好的信度和效度。     

Social Class Differences and Occupational Stress

This paper examines the findings of a large community-wide survey on occupational stress. Data were collected on a random sample of the general population within the North East of England. A total of 2345 people returned completed questionnaires, which represented all socioeconomic groups. The bivariate results revealed that job satisfaction is significantly greater among the higher socioeconomic groups, but no differences were found in mental and physical (psychosomatic) health among the various socioeconomic groups. The results from a multiple regression analysis provided evidence that the issue of control is significant in predicting greater job satisfaction among all social classes, but not for mental or physical well being.     

Understanding Clients' Perceptions of Stress

The association of individual behavioral and personality characteristics with the stress response provides a natural role for stress management and the development of coping responses within the counseling process. The incorporation of stress management within the counseling process requires a theoretical framework for examining clients' perceptions of their coping capabilities as they experience difficulty with stressful life events. In this article the author presents a framework based on learned helplessness, called systematic rationalization. Empirical support and applications of the framework for working with clients experiencing difficulties coping with stressful life events are discussed.     

Occupational Stress in Workers and Managers in Steelworks in China

Occupational stressors and strains of 121 Chinese steelwork employees and 122 managers were measured using the Chinese version of the Occupational Stress Indicator (OSI). It was found that factors intrinsic to the job, Type A behavior, logic, and organizational structure and climate were the main predictors of mental ill-health and physical ill-health in managers. Organizational structure and climate and relationships with other people were important predictors for workers. Management processes and organizational forces were the strongest predicting factors of job satisfaction in both samples. On certain OSI scales and subscales, managers scored statistically higher than workers. It is proposed that these results reflect the enormous economic and social changes currently taking place in China, together with certain features inherent in Chinese organizational and managerial processes.     

幼儿教师职业压力、心理资本和职业认同对职业幸福感的影响机制

为探索幼儿教师职业压力、心理资本和职业认同对职业幸福感的影响机制,随机选取川渝两地幼儿教师328名,用幼儿教师工作压力源问卷(KTOSQ)、幼儿教师职业认同问卷(KTPIQ)、教师心理资本问卷(TPCQ)和幼儿教师职业幸福感量表(KTOWBS)进行调查.结果表明:(1)幼儿教师职业压力是风险性因素,降低其职业幸福感.心理资本是保护性因素,提高其职业幸福感,且心理资本的保护作用主要表现为直接效应;(2)幼儿教师职业认同在职业压力和心理资本对职业幸福感的影响中起完全中介作用.以上研究结果对保护和提高幼儿教师职业幸福感具有重要理论价值和实践意义.     

高职院校教师职业压力的初步研究

本研究采用自编压力问卷和SCL-90问卷对397名高职院校教师进行测验,发现高职院校男女教师在总体职业压力方面并无显著差异,中青年组教师压力最大,各项压力因子与心理健康状况存在显著相关。根据调查结果,本文探讨了高职院校教师压力的原因与对策。     

The Relationship Between Burnout and Occupational Stress in Genetic Counselors

Burnout represents a critical disruption in an individual’s relationship with work, resulting in a state of exhaustion in which one’s occupational value and capacity to perform are questioned. Burnout can negatively affect an individual’s personal life, as well as employers in terms of decreased work quality, patient/client satisfaction, and employee retention. Occupational stress is a known contributor to burnout and occurs as a result of employment requirements and factors intrinsic to the work environment. Empirical research examining genetic counselor-specific burnout is limited; however, existing data suggests that genetic counselors are at increased risk for burnout. To investigate the relationship between occupational stress and burnout in genetic counselors, we administered an online survey to members of three genetic counselor professional organizations. Validated measures included the Maslach Burnout Inventory—General Survey (an instrument measuring burnout on three subscales: exhaustion, cynicism, and professional efficacy) and the Occupational Stress Inventory—Revised (an instrument measuring occupational stress on 14 subscales). Of the 353 respondents, more than 40 % had either considered leaving or left their job role due to burnout. Multiple regression analysis yielded significant predictors for burnout risk. The identified sets of predictors account for approximately 59 % of the variance in exhaustion, 58 % of the variance in cynicism, and 43 % of the variance in professional efficacy. Our data confirm that a significant number of genetic counselors experience burnout and that burnout is correlated with specific aspects of occupational stress. Based on these findings, practice and research recommendations are presented.     

幼儿教师胜任力和职业压力对职业幸福感的影响:职业认同和职业倦怠的作用

为探索幼儿教师胜任力、职业压力、职业认同以及职业倦怠对职业幸福感的影响机制,选取四川、重庆、西藏、贵州和北京五地幼儿教师326名,用幼儿教师职业幸福感量表、幼儿教师胜任力问卷、幼儿教师工作压力源问卷、幼儿教师职业认同问卷和教师职业倦怠量表进行调查。结果表明：（1）控制学校性质、每月收入、教师教龄和年龄影响后,幼儿教师职业认同是胜任力提升职业幸福感的中介。（2）幼儿教师职业倦怠和职业认同是职业压力降低职业幸福感的中介,具体包括职业倦怠和职业认同的单独中介效应以及职业倦怠--职业认同的链式中介效应三条路径。（3）幼儿教师胜任力缓解职业压力对职业倦怠的影响;职业压力放大胜任力对职业认同的影响。以上研究结果拓展了职业幸福感的JD-R模型,并对提升幼儿教师职业幸福感具有重要价值。     

职业紧张与组织对策分析:LISREL建模

本研究以职业紧张的认知中介理论为出发点 ,分析了管理措施、个体控制感和职业紧张之间的相互关系 ,并在此基础上 ,运用 L isrel建模方法 ,提出了职业紧张的组织参与对策、目标设置对策和领导支持对策。     

Occupational Stress and Wellness Among Italian Secondary School Teachers

As a part of a larger cross-cultural investigation (Euroteach) which involves 11 European countries and 2 182 secondary school teachers, two were the aims of the present study: (1) to examine the relationship between job conditions and wellness/health outcomes on a group of 169 Italian secondary school teachers, by using the Job Demand-Control-Support (JDCS) Model (Karasek and Theorell, <citeref rid="bib24">1990</citeref>); (2) to analyse the differences with other European countries in the light of specific cultural differences. Controlling for age and gender, results of hierarchical regression indicated that job control and social support combine in different additive patterns with job demands to explain the well-being outcomes (job satisfaction, emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, somatic complaints). The predictor's linearity check indicated that the job demands variable is curvilinearly associated both with emotional exhaustion ( p<0.005) and with somatic symptoms ( p<0.01). As compared to the average of the other European countries, on the positive side, the Italian teachers manifest both a higher degree of personal accomplishment and a lesser degree of depersonalisation; on the other hand, they claim a lesser degree of social support and a higher degree of somatic complaints.     

职业紧张对企业医院医务人员的影响

探讨企业医院医务人员职业紧张现状及其主要影响因素.随机抽取郑州市15家企业医院医务人员828人,采用OSI-R量表对其职业紧张进行测量.企业医院医务人员的职业任务过重和工作环境较差,个体紧张反应较高,人口学特征是职业紧张的重要影响因素.企业医院医务人员职业紧张水平较高,控制或消除生产环境和劳动过程中的紧张因素,是减少职业紧张危害的根本途径.     

Satisfaction With Subordinates: A Neglected Research Issue Concerning Supervisors1

Satisfaction with subordinates, a relatively neglected facet of job satisfaction, was examined via questionnaires administered to both a sample of 37 retail store supervisors and a second sample of 58 bank supervisors regarding 274 of their subordinates. Functional relationships between supervisors and subordinates, in which subordinates help get things done in the workplace, were related to satisfaction with subordinates even after entity relationships (similarity between supervisors and subordinates on biodata and values) were controlled.     

Gender-Based Biases in Occupational Hiring Decisions1

Two studies which investigated gender-based decision making in an occupational setting are reported. Participants judged the suitability of a male or a female applicant with identical résumés for a male-dominated or a female-dominated position. In Study 1. where participants gave their own judgments of the suitability of the applicants for the positions, there was no evidence of gender-based biases. In Study 2. participants were required to take the perspective of the applicant in providing their judgments of suitability. In this experiment, gender-based biases were apparent, with a positive bias toward the male applicant. Results are discussed in terms of occupational stereotyping and subtle sexism.     

The Role of Human Resource Practices in Reducing Occupational Stress and Strain

The current study examined the occupational stress-strain relationship among a sample of 109 white-collar employees in Singapore. Participants completed a survey that assessed the presence of 8 human resource practices (job training, communication, job redesign, promotional opportunities, employee involvement, family-friendly policies, pay systems, and individual-focused stress interventions [SMIs]), 2 major stressors (role overload and responsibility), 2 types of strain (vocational and interpersonal), and organizational commitment. Results indicate that human resource (HR) practices did not reduce the sources of stress (role overload and responsibility) within the workplace. However, there was a direct negative relationship between HR practices and interpersonal strain. In particular, family-friendly practices, job training, and SMIs reduced interpersonal strain. An examination of vocational strain showed that it was negatively associated with SMIs and job training. In addition, organizational commitment mediated the relationship between HR practices and vocational strain. It was concluded that HR practices may be effective as part of a symptom-directed approach to stress intervention and that further replication of these results in both Asian and Western samples is required.