Examining the Relationship Between Work Stress and Employee Outcomes: A Longitudinal Moderated-Mediation Model
Date
2018-10-18
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Abstract
The experience of work stress is widespread and often associated with deleterious employee outcomes. However, researchers have found that some types of work stress are associated with beneficial employee outcomes. Hindrance stress, which is evoked by threatening aspects of a job, has consistently been related to negative outcomes. On the other hand, stress that emanates from opportunities for growth and gain (challenge), has been associated with positive outcomes. Little is known about the psychological mechanisms responsible for these effects. The purpose of this dissertation is extend previous empirical and theoretical work on the relationship between work stress and employee outcomes. To this end, a new model of stress was developed to investigate perceptions of Need-Supply (N-S) fit (the match between employee needs and organizational supplies) as an explanation (mediator) for the relationship between the experience of challenge and hindrance stress with several employee outcomes. In addition, job self-efficacy (beliefs about the ability to perform work related tasks) was proposed of moderate the mediated effect of challenge stress; self-esteem (an overall appraisal of self-worth) was proposed to moderate the mediated effect of hindrance stress. A full three-wave panel study was carried out using sample of full-time employees across a wide range of industries, located in a large Western Canadian City. Generally, the results of this study provided mixed support for perceptions N-S fit as a mediating mechanism linking stress to employee outcomes. The data failed to support lagged relationships of stress on perceptions of N-S fit. Some support was found for a model where the relationship between stress and perceptions of N-S fit happens in the same temporal space. The moderating effects of job self-efficacy and self-esteem failed to find support. Overall, the results suggest that perceptions of N-S fit and job attitudes are relatively stable and resistant to lagged relationships of stress over a six month time span. Theoretical implications, limitations, suggestions for suture research, and managerial implications are discussed.
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Keywords
Job, Stress, Challenge Stress, Hindrance Stress, Perceived Need-Supply Fit, Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment, Turnover Intentions
Citation
Mayers, D. A. (2018). Examining the Relationship Between Work Stress and Employee Outcomes: A Longitudinal Moderated-Mediation Model (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/33216