A new source of job stress, inability to leave, was investigated with role over-load, role ambiguity, participation in decision making, equity, and group cohesiveness and support for their predictive impact on acute and chronic mental health problems. Canonical correlation analysis was performed on this predictor-criteria framework across two hospitals consisting of 140 and 95 respondents, respectively. One significant canonical variate was derived for each hospital. Inability to leave one's job and role overload predicted acute and chronic mental health problems in both hospitals. Role ambiguity and lower group cohesiveness and support also predicted both health phenomenon in the smaller hospital. Discussion focused on the implications, limitations, and conclusions of these findings.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
ARTHUR, R. J. , & GUNDERSON, E. K.Promotion and mental illness in the Navy . Journal of Occupational Medicine, 1965, 7, 452-456 .
2.
BEEHR, T. A.Perceived situational moderators of the relationship between subjective role ambiguity and role strain . Journal of Applied Psychology, 1976, 61, 35-40 .
3.
BEEHR, T. A. , & NEWMAN, J. E.Job stress, employment health, and organizational effectiveness: A facet analysis, model and literature review . Personnel Psychology, 1978, 31, 665-699 .
4.
BEEHR, T. A. & SCHULER, R.Current and future perspectives on stress in organizations. In K. Rowland & G. Ferris (Eds.), Personnel management: New perspectives. Boston: Allyn and Beacon , 1980.
5.
BEEHR, T. A. , WALSH, J. T. , & TABER, T. D.Relationship of stress to individually and organizationally valued stress: Higher order needs as moderators . Journal of Applied Psychology, 1976, 61, 41-47 .
6.
chology, 1951, 35, 307-311 .
7.
BRIEF, A. P. , SCHULER, R. S. , & VAN SELL, M.Managing job stress. Boston: Little, Brown and Company , 1981.
8.
CAPLAN, R. D. , & JONES, K. W.Effects of work load, role ambiguity, and type A personality on anxiety, depression, and heart rate . Journal of Applied Psychology, 1975, 60,
9.
CAPLAN, R. D. , COBB, S. , FRENCH, J. R. P. , VAN HARRISON, R. V. , & PINNEAU, S. R.Job demands and worker health: Main effects and occupational differences. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office , 1975.
10.
COOLEY, W. W. , & LOHNES, P. R.Multivariate data analysis. New York: Wiley , 1971.
11.
COOPER, C. L. , & MARSHALL, J.Occupational sources of stress: A review of the literature relating to coronary heart disease and mental health . Journal of Occupational Health, 1976, 49, 11-28 .
12.
CRONBACH, L. J.Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests . Psychomnetrika, 1951, 16, 297-334 .
13.
FRENCH, J. R. P. , & CAPLAN, R. D.Psychological factors in coronary heart disease . Industrial Medicine, 1970, 39, 383-397 .
14.
GOLDBERG, D. P.The detection of psychiatric illness by questionnaire. London: Oxford University Press , 1972.
15.
GURIN, G. , VEROFF, J. , & FELD, S.Americans view their mental health. New York: Basic Books , 1960.
16.
HAIR, J. F. , ANDERSON, R. E. , TATHAM, D. L. , & GRABLOWSKY, B. J. , Multivariate data analysis: With readings. Tulsa: Petroleum Publishing Co. , 1979.
17.
HOLZBACK, R. L.Rater bias in performance ratings: Superior, self-, and peer rating . Journal of Applied Psychology, 1978, 63, 579-588 .
18.
HOUSE, J. S. , & WELLS, J. A.Occupational stress, social support and health. In A. McLean (Ed.), Reducing occupational stress, DHEW (NIOSH), Publication No. 78-140. Cincinnati: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health , 1978.
19.
HOUSE, J. S. , WELLS, J. A. , LANDERMAN, L. R. , McMICHAEL, A. J. , & KAPLAN, B. H.Occupational stress and health among factory workers . Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 1979, 20, 139-160 .
20.
IVANCEVICH, J. W. , & MATTESON, M. T.Stress and work: A managerial perspective. Glenview, Illinois: Scott, Foresman and Company , 1980.
21.
IVANCEVICH, J. W. , MATTESON, M. T. , & PRESTON, C.Organizational stress, type A behavior and physical well-being . Academy of Management Journal, 1982, 25, 373-391 .
22.
JICK, T. D. , & PAYNE, R.Stress at work . Exchange, The Organizational Behavior Teaching Journal, 1980, 5(3), 50-56 .
23.
KAHN, R. L. , WOLFE, D. M. , QUINN, R. P. , SNOEK, D. , & ROSENTHAL, R. A.Organizational stress: Studies in role conflict and ambiguity. New York: Wiley , 1964.
24.
KASL, S. V.Mental health and work environment: An examination of the evidence . Journal of Occupational Medicine, 1973, 15, 509-518 .
25.
KIM, J-O. , & KOHOUT, F. J.Multiple regression analysis: Subprogram regression. In N. Niew , C. H. Hull , J. G. Jenkins , K. Steinbrenner , & D. H. Brent (Eds.), Statistical package for the social sciences (2nd ed.), New York: McGraw-Hill , 1975.
26.
KORNHAUSER, A.Mental health of the industrial worker. New York: Wiley , 1965.
27.
KROES, W.Psychological job stress and worker health: A programmatic effort. In L. Levi (Ed.), Society, stress, and disease, Volume 4: Working life. Oxford: Oxford University Press , 1981.
28.
LAMBERT, Z. V. , & DURAND, R. M.Some precautions in using canonical analysis . Journal of Marketing Research, 1975, 12, 468-475 .
29.
LaROCCO, J. M. , HOUSE, J. S. , & FRENCH, J. R. P.Social support, stress, and health . Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 1980, 21, 202-218 .
30.
MARGOLIS, G. L. , KORES, W. H. , & QUINN, R. P.Job stress: An unlisted occupational hazard . Journal of Occupational Medicine, 1974, 16, 659-661 .
31.
MARTIN, T. N. , & SCHERMERHORN, J. R.Work and nonwork influences on health: A research agenda using inability to leave as a critical variable . Academy of Management Review, 1983, 8, 650-659 .
32.
MILES, R. H. , & PERREAULT, W. D.Organizational role conflict: Its antecedents and consequences . Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 1976, 17, 19-44 .
33.
NEFF, W. S. , Work and human behavior. New York: Atherton Press , 1968.
34.
NIE, N. H. , HULL, C. H. , JENKINS, J. G. , STEINBRENNER, K. , & BRENT, D. H.Statistical package for the social sciences (2nd ed.), New York: McGraw-Hill , 1975.
35.
NORMAN, J. E. , & BEEHR, T. A.Personal and organizational strategies for handling job stress: A review of research and opinions . Personnel Psychology, 1979, 32, 1-43 .
36.
PRICE, J. L. , & MUELLER, C. W.White-collar turnover: The case of nurses. New York: Spectrum , 1980.
37.
RIZZO, J. R. , HOUSE, R. J. , & LIRTZMAN, S. I.Role conflict and ambiguity in complex organizations . Administrative Science Quarterly, 1970, 15, 150-163 .
38.
SALES, S. M.Some effects of role overload and role underload . Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 1970, 5, 592-608 .
39.
SAS user's guide. Raleigh: SAS Institute , 1979.
40.
SCHULER, R. S.Definition and conceptualization of stress in organizations . Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 1980, 25, 184-215 .
41.
VAN SELL, M. , BRIEF, A. P. , & SCHULER, R. S.Role conflict and role ambiguity: Integration of the literature and directions for future research . Human Relations, 1981, 34, 43-71 .
42.
WOOD, D. A. , & ERSKINE, J. A.Strategies in canonical correlation with application to behavioral data . Educational and Psychological Measurement, 1976, 86, 861-878 .
