Steve M. Jex

Development of Four Self-Report Measures of Job Stressors and Strain: Interpersonal Conflict at Work Scale, Organizational Constraints Scale, Quantitative Workload Inventory, and Physical Symptoms Inventory

Despite the widespread use of self-report measures of both job-related stressors and strains, relatively few carefully developed scales for which validity data exist are available. In this article, we discuss 3 job stressor scales (Interpersonal Conflict at Work Scale, Organizational Constraints Scale, and Quantitative Workload Inventory) and 1 job strain scale (Physical Symptoms Inventory). Using meta-analysis, we combined the results of 18 studies to provide estimates of relations between our scales and other variables. Data showed moderate convergent validity for the 3 job stressor scales, suggesting some objectively to these self-reports. Norms for each scale are provided.

Relation of job stressors to affective, health, and performance outcomes: a comparison of multiple data sources.

Dans le cadre des recherches sur leffet des stress de la vie professionnelle, les auteurs evaluent les relations avec les rapports dun superviseur et avec les estimations du stress par lemploye lui-meme. Dans le cas du superviseur, les correlations stress/facteurs professionnels stressants sont plus faibles

Work stressors and coworker support as predictors of individual strain and job performance

This study examined job stressors and coworker social support in relation to both psychological strains and performance. One hundred and ninety-eight door-to-door bookdealers, employed on a seasonal basis, completed self-report measures of job stressors, psychological strains, coworker social support, and job performance. Performance data were also obtained from company records. Results indicated that stressors predicted both psychological strains and one of the two measures of performance. The strongest predictor was a job-specific measure of chronic stressors. Social support predicted psychological strains, although it was only weakly related to performance. There was no evidence that social support moderated the effects of any of the stressors. Implications of these findings are discussed. Copyright

Relations of job characteristics from multiple data sources with employee affect, absence, turnover intentions and health

Much of the evidence in support of job characteristics theory is limited to incumbent reports of job characteristics. In this study, job characteristics data from three independent sources--incumbents, ratings from job descriptions, and the Dictionary of Occupational Titles--were used. Convergent validities of incumbent reports with other sources were quite modest. Although incumbent reports of job characteristics correlated significantly with several employee outcomes (job satisfaction, work frustration, anxiety on the job, turnover intentions, and number of doctor visits), the other sources showed few significant correlations, except for number of doctor visits. Caution is urged in the use of incumbent self-reports of job characteristics as indicators of actual work environments. New methods for studying job characteristics are suggested.

Relationships Between Time Management, Control, Work-Family Conflict, and Strain

This article incorporates recent research regarding time management into a model of work-family conflict. The authors hypothesized that 3 types of time management behavior would have both direct and indirect (through perceived control of time) relationships, with work interfering with family and family interfering with work. It was also hypothesized that both of these types of work-family conflict would be related to the strain outcomes of job dissatisfaction and health complaints. This model was tested with a sample of 522 workers. In general, the hypothesized relationships were supported.

Self‐esteem as a moderator: A comparison of global and organization‐based measures

This study examined whether self-esteem moderates the relationship between role stressors and both psychological and physical strains. Unlike previous studies, however, both global and organization-based self-esteem measures were utilized. Based on previous research, it was hypothesized that moderator effects would be most prevalent using the organization-based measure when both stressors and strains were measured from an organizational frame of reference. When both stressors and strains were not measured from an organizational frame of reference, it was felt that an organization-based self-esteem measure would not necessarily produce more moderator effects. Overall, results showed some support for moderator effects. However, these differed very little as a function of self-esteem measurement. Implications for the study of self-esteem in occupational stress research are discussed.

The impact of negative affectivity on stressor-strain relations: A replication and extension

Abstract The present study was a replication and extension of the results of Brief et al. (1988), who found that partialling out negative affectivity reduced the magnitude of stressor-strain correlations considerably. The effect of both trait anxiety and dispositional optimism was partialled out from stressor-strain correlations. Unlike Brief et al. (1988), however, work stress was measured with specific stressor scales rather than life events. Results from two samples of university employees showed that partialling out trait anxiety, dispositional optimism, or both, reduced the magnitude of stressor-strain correlations very little. Thus, it does not appear that stressor-strain correlations can be attributed to negative affectivity. The possibility that the results of the study by Brief et al. (1988) may have been due to problems with the life events approach used to measure work stress is discussed. Future research on the impact of dispositions is suggested.

An examination of the discriminant validity of the Strain‐Free Negative Affectivity scale

This study reports evidence supporting the discriminant validity of the Strain-Free Negative Affectivity (SFNA) scale (Fortunato & Stone-Romero, 1999). Stressor-strain correlations controlling for neuroticism and negative emotional reactivity (NER), both considered markers of negative affecrivity (NA), were examined using partial correlation and latent variable procedures. Support was found for the authors hypothesis that correlations between self-reports of work-related stres sors and physiological and psychological strain would be attenuated to a much greater degree when neuroticism was controlled than when NER was controlled. Thus the SFNA is a viable measure of NA, especially for research examining stressor-strain relations.

Factors influencing employee perceptions of customer service climate

This study examines the relationships between certain organizational variables and employees perceptions of the customer service climate in their organization. In addition, the role of organizational commitment in this process is examined. Results indicate that rewarding employees for service excellence, allowing their voice to be heard by upper management, providing employees with the information and technology needed to do their jobs, providing adequate training to customer contact employees, allowing employees enough time to get their tasks done, and providing a work environment conducive to getting work done are all positively associated with employee perceptions of customer service climate. Based on mediated regression and a LISREL analysis, these relationships are all found to be partially mediated by organizational commitment. These results are consistent with previous customer service research, which has found organizational support and rewards to be positively related to customer service. We extend this literature by showing that organizational commitment may be a key variable linking organizational support and rewards to customer service. Implications of these findings are discussed and suggestions for further research are offered.

Locus of control of unemployed people and its relationship to psychological and physical well-being

Abstract This study examines the relationship between locus of control (general and work) and the psychologcal and physical well-being of 190 unemployed people. Results indicate that an internal locus of control was associated with lower levels of anxiety and depression, and higher levels of self-esteem and life satisfaction than externals. Intenals also tended to report fewer physical symptoms not requiring medical attention. There was no relationship between either measure of locus of control and physical symptoms requiring medical attention. Future research on unemployment is suggested.