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The Impact of Environmental Stressors and Types of Work Contract on Occupational Stress

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2013

Ana Paula Corrêa  and
Maria Cristina Ferreira
Ana Paula Corrêa
Affiliation:
Universidade Salgado de Oliveira (Brazil)
Maria Cristina Ferreira*
Affiliation:
Universidade Salgado de Oliveira (Brazil)
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Maria Cristina Ferreira. Rua Marquês de Valença, 80 apto. 602. Tijuca. 20550-030 Rio de Janeiro. (Brazil). E-mail: mcris@centroin.com.br
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Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the impact of seven environmental stressors (role conflict, work overload, interpersonal difficulties, work-family conflict, work instability, lack of autonomy and pressure of responsibility) and the nature of the employment contract (permanent or atypical) on three psychological reactions to occupational stress (job satisfaction, positive emotions, and negative emotions at work). 305 Brazilian workers from both sexes participated in this research, distributed between permanent and atypical workers. The results showed that the role conflict and the work overload had a negative impact on job satisfaction. The role conflict had a negative impact on the positive emotions at work, while the pressure of responsibility interfered positively in it. The work overload interfered positively in the negative emotions at work, while the pressure of responsibility interfered negatively in it. The type of contract did not affect significantly any one of the dependent variables. The implications of the results for future research are discussed.

El objetivo de este estudio fue investigar el impacto de siete estresores ambientales (rol de conflicto, sobrecarga de trabajo, dificultades interpersonales, conflicto trabajo-familia, inestabilidad en el trabajo, falta de autonomía y presión de responsabilidad) y de la naturaleza del contrato de trabajo (permanente o atípico), en tres reacciones psicológicas de estrés ocupacional: satisfacción laboral, emociones positivas y emociones negativas en el trabajo. Participaron 350 trabajadores brasileños de ambos sexos, distribuidos entre trabajadores permanentes y atípicos. Los resultados mostraron que el rol de conflicto y la sobrecarga de trabajo tuvieron un impacto negativo en la satisfacción laboral; el rol de conflicto tuvo un impacto negativo en las emociones positivas en el trabajo, mientras que la presión de responsabilidad interfirió positivamente. La sobrecarga de trabajo interfirió positivamente en las emociones negativas en el trabajo, mientras que la presión de responsabilidad interfirió negativamente en ellas. El tipo de contrato no afectó significativamente a ninguna de las variables dependientes. Se discuten las implicaciones de los resultados para la investigación futura.

Keywords

occupational stressjob satisfactionpositive emotions at worknegative emotions at workestrés ocupacionalsatisfacción laboralemociones positivas en el trabajo emociones negativas en el trabajo
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 14 , Issue 1 , May 2011 , pp. 251 - 262
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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