Measuring Organizational Stressors and Individual Reactions

This study is undertaken to create a generic work stress scale (WSS) and a stress reaction scale (SRS) in Turkey. Additionally, the buffering hypothesis of job satisfaction between work related stressors and stress reactions is tested. Factor analysis of the WSS based on 222 participants coming from the different work places in Ankara show that five-factor solution is the most adequate one. The factors are “expected and unexpected work overload”, “negative organisational climate”, “perceived lack of autonomy”, “lack of resources”, and “role ambiguity”. The results of four-factor solution of SRS are “psychosomatic reactions”, “burnout”, “withdrawal”, and “irritability”. The short form of the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire is utilized to measure job satisfaction. Furthermore, to test the buffering hypothesis of job satisfaction, four hierarchical regression analyses are used for each of the factors of stress reaction scale after controlling for the demographic variables. No buffering effect of job satisfaction is found. However, job satisfaction appears to be one of the major predictors of stress reactions at work. The implications of the results for employees are considered.