This investigation examined the buffering model of social support with respect to the moderating effect of supervisory support on the relationship between job stress and job dissatisfaction for 96 employed graduate and undergraduate business students. Although a cross-sectional design was employed, results are consistent with the hypothesis that supervisory support acts as a stress buffer only for individuals who are relationship—oriented—as measured by Fiedler's (1967) esteem for least preferred co-worker (LPC) scale. Implications for organizational interventions and for linking of leadership theory with the stress-buffering model of supervisory support are discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Ashour, A.S. (1973). The contingency model of leadership effectiveness: An evaluationOrganizational Behavior and Human Performance , 9, 339-355.
2.
Bamundo, P.J. & Kopelman, R.E. (1980). The moderating effects of occupation, age, and urbanization on the relationship between job satisfaction and life satisfactionJournal of Vocational Behavior , 17, 106-123.
3.
Beehr, T.A. & Newman, J.E. (1978). Job stress, employee health, and organizational effectiveness : A facet analysis, model, and literature reviewPersonnel Psychology, 31 , 665-669.
4.
Brief, A.P. & Aldag, R.J. (1976). Correlates of role indicesJournal of Applied Psychology, 61, 468-472.
5.
Brown, L.D. (1980). Planned change in underorganized systems In T. Cummings (Ed.), Systems theory for organization development (pp. 181-203). Chichester, England: John Wiley & Sons.
Chemers, M., Hayes, R., Rhodewalt, F., & Wysock, J. (1985). A person-environment analysis of job stress: A contingency model explanationJournal of Personality and Social Psychology, 49 , 628-635.
9.
Cohen, J. & Cohen, P. (1975). Applied Multiple Regression/Correlation Analysis for the Behavioral SciencesHillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
10.
Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., & Mermelstein, R. (1983). Aglobal measure of perceived stressJournal of Health and Social Behavior , 24, 385-396.
11.
Cohen, S. & Wills, T. (1985). Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesisPsychological Bulletin, 98, 310-357.
12.
Cummins, R.C. (1985). The intercorrelations of measures of stress, individual differences, and social support Unpublished manuscript.
13.
Cummins, R.C. & Tombaugh, J.T. (1986, November). The role of chronic stress and social support in work and non-work life domainsPaper presented at the National Conference of the Association of Human Resources Management and Organizational Behavior, New Orleans.
14.
Cummins, R.C. & Tombaugh, J.T. (1987, November). Locus of control and social support as moderators of the effects of stress on job satisfaction and distressPaper presented at annual meeting of the Southern Management Association, New Orleans.
15.
Dansereau, F., Jr., Graen, G., & Haga, W.J. (1975). Avertical dyad linkage approach to leadership within formal organizations: A longitudinal investigation of the role making processOrganization Behavior and Human Performance , 13, 46-78.
16.
Dawes, R.M. (1969). Interaction effects in the presence of asymmetrical transferPsychological Bulletin, 71, 55-57.
17.
Fiedler, F. (1967). A theory of leadership effectivenessNew York: McGraw-Hill.
18.
Fiedler, F., & Chemers, M.M. (1984). Improving leadership effectiveness: The leader match concept (2nd ed.). New York: Wiley.
19.
Fisher, C.D. (1985). Social support and adjustment to work: A longitudinal studyJournal of Management, 11, (3), 39-53.
20.
Friend, K.E. (1982). Stress and performance: Effects of subjective work load and time urgencyPersonnel Psychology , 35, 623-633.
21.
Golembiewski, R.T., Hilles, R., & Daly, R. (1987). Some effects of multiple OD interventions on burnout and work site featuresJournal of Applied Behavioral Science, 23(3).
22.
House, J.S. & Wells, J.A. (1978). Occupational stress, social support, and health In A. McLean, G. Black, and M. Colligan (Eds.), Reducing Occupational Stress: Proceedings of a Conference.DHWE (NIOSH) Publication 78-140: 8-29.
23.
Ilfeld, F. (1976). Further validation of a psychiatric symptom index in a normal populationPsychological Reports , 39, 1215-1228.
24.
Jamal, M. (1984). Job stress and job performance controversy: An empirical assessmentOrganizational Behavior and Human Performance, 33, 1-21.
25.
Kanner, A.D., Coyne, J., Schaefer, C., & Lazarus, R. (1981). Comparison of two modes of stress management: Daily hassles and uplifts versus major life eventsJournal of Behavioral Medicines, 4, 1-39.
26.
Kaufman, G. and Beehr, T. (1986). Interactions between job stressors and social supportJournal of Applied Psychology , 71, 522-526.
27.
Kessler, R., Price, R., & Wortman, C. (1985). Social factors in psycho-pathology: Stress, social support, and coping processesAnnual Review of Psychology , 36, 531-572.
28.
Kim, K. & Organ, D. (1982). Determinants of leader-subordinate exchange relationshipsGroup and Organization Studies, 7, 77-89.
29.
LaRocco, J., House, J., & French, J. (1980). Social support, occupational stress, and healthJournal of Health and Social Behavior , 21, 202-218.
30.
Lefcourt, H.M., Martin, R.A., & Saleh, W.E. (1984). Locus of control and social support: Interactive moderators of stressJournal of Personality and Social Psychology, 47, 378-389.
31.
Leiter, M.P. & Meechan, K.A. (1986). Role structure and burnout in the field of human servicesJournal of Applied Behavior Science , 22(1), 47-52.
32.
Maslach, C. & Jackson, S.E. (1981). The measurement of experienced burnoutJournal of Occupational Behavior, 2, 99-113.
33.
McMahon, J.T. (1972). The contingency model: Logic and method revisitedPersonnel Psychology, 25, 697-710.
34.
Quinn, R.P., & Shepard, L.J. (1974). The 1972-73 quality of employment surveyAnn Arbor, Mich.: Survey Research Center, University of Michigan.
35.
Rice, R. (1978). Construct validity of the esteem for least preferred co-worker (LPC) scalePsychological Bulletin , 85, 1199-1237.
36.
Sandler, I.N. & Lakey, B. (1982). Locus of control as a stress moderator: The role of control perceptions and social supportAmerican Journal of Community Psychology, 10, 65-80.
37.
Schuler, R.S. (1980). Definition and conceptualization of stress in organizationsOrganizational Behavior and Human Performance , 25, 184-215.
38.
Smith, P.C., Kendall, L.M., & Hulin, C.L. (1969). The measurement of satisfaction m work and retirementChicago: Rand McNally.
39.
Snyder, R.A. & Bruning, N.S. (1985). Quality of vertical dyad linkages: Congruence by supervisor and subordinate competence and role stress as explanatory variablesGroup and Organization Studies, 10, 81-94.
40.
Szilagyi, A.D., Sims, H.P., & Keller, R.T. (1976). Role dynamics, locus of control, and employee attitudes and behaviorAcademy of Management Journal , 19, 259-276.
41.
Zedeck, S. (1971). Problems with the use of "moderator" variablesPsychological Bulletin, 76, 295-310.
