Occupational Stress, Job Satisfaction, Physical/Psychological Well-being,
Intent to quit, and Supervisor/Coworker Support
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Gil Choi
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University of South Carolina
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Columbia SC 29208
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803-777-7178
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FAX: 803-777-3498
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gil.choi@sc.edu
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Jim Ward
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University of South Carolina
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Columbia SC 29208
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803-777-5293
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FAX: 803-777-3498
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jim.ward@sc.edu
Purpose: Despite the frequent reporting of high levels of occupational
stress among social workers, apart from studies which look at burnout,
relatively few studies have attempted to quantify the level of stress experienced
by social workers. The purpose of this study was designed to meet four
main objectives: 1) to increase understanding of occupational stress experienced
by social workers; 2) to obtain data which could be used as the basis for
the effective management of resources in planning stress management interventions;
3) to investigate the role of social support as a stress-buffer; 4) to
examine the effect of occupational stress on physical and psychological
well-being and on intent to quit.
Methods: Of a total of 336 field instructors, 296 participated
in this study. Occupational stress was measured on 10 areas (ex., role
ambiguity, value conflict, workload). Social support was measured on two
indices of support (supervisor, co-worker). Psychological well-being was
measured on four indices of work related psychological strains (anxiety,
depression). General physical health was also measured on an index of health
concerns.
Results: The findings revealed work overload, value conflicts,
and role ambiguity were strong predictors for occupational stress. Occupational
stress was positively correlated with intent to quit and negatively correlated
with physical/psychological well-being. Peer support appeared to be a stronger
factor than supervisor support in predicting psychological well-being.
The findings supported the buffering hypothesis for physical/psychological
well-being but failed to support the buffering hypothesis in regard to
job-related strains (job dissatisfaction, work overload).
Implications for practice: The presentation will address the
potential benefits of this study that include the expansion of knowledge
in the area of occupational stress, the role of social support, the effect
of occupational stress on physical/psychological well-being, intent to
quit, and the effective management of resources in planning stress management
interventions.