Summary. The influence of self-construals. & thinking styles on the relationship between workplace stressors & strain.

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1 The influence of self-construals & thinking styles on the relationship between workplace stressors & strain Greg A. Chung-Yan Yan, Ph.D. Catherine T. Kwantes, Ph.D. Yating Xu Cheryl A. Boglarsky, Ph.D. Summary Differences in Self-Construals affect how workers respond to different workplace stressors Workers who are higher in directness (independent construal) are more negatively affected by lack of job autonomy, limited job performance feedback & interpersonal conflict. Workers who are higher in self-sacrifice sacrifice (interdependent construal) are more negatively affected by limited workloads. Study Purpose Individual differences in personality & coping have been shown to moderate the relationship between taxing environmental stimuli (stressors) & the negative impact on individuals (strain) (Cooper, Dewe & O Driscoll,, 2001) This study is an investigation into the differential impact of cultural differences on the stressor-strain strain relationship. Cultural Differences in Self-Image Self-Construals What people believe about the relationship between the self and others and, especially, the degree to which they see themselves as separate from others or as connected with others. -Markus & Kitayama,, 1991, p. 226 Independent self-construal emphasizes internal abilities, thoughts, feelings being unique direct communication Interdependent self-construal emphasizes status, roles belonging, intertwining of self & others acting appropriately,, indirect communication

2 Method Questionnaire Stress Processing Report 193 young workers Demographic Variable Sex Statistics 22.8% men; 77.2% women Age range (M( = 20.9, SD = 3.79) Job tenure 0 to 318 months (M( = 31.2, SD = 33.44) Occupation n Management 22 (11.4%) Business, Finance & Admin 22 (11.4%) Sciences 6 (3.1%) Health 10 (5.2%) Soc. Sciences, Education, Gov t & Religion 19 (9.8%) Sample Art, Culture, Recreation & Sport 13 (6.7%) Sales & Service 99 (51.3%) Trades, Transport & Equipment Operators 5 (2.6%) Primary Industry 4 (2.1%) Processing, Manufacturing & Utilities 5 (2.6%) Measures Self-Construal Scale (Singelis Singelis,, 1994) Individual-related work demands Decision-making Autonomy (Morgeson & Humphrey, 2006) Quantitative Workload (Spector & Jex,, 1998) Group-related related work demands Feedback from Others (Morgeson & Humphrey, 2006) Interpersonal Conflict at Work (Spector & Jex,, 1998) Work Strain (Cammann, Fichman,, Jenkins & Klesh,, 1983) Emotional well-being (GHQ-12; Goldberg, 1972) Psychological work withdrawal (Lehman & Simpson, 1992) Stress Processing Stress Processing Report (Human Synergistics International, 1994) Directness (independent construal) on Job Satisfaction Figure 1a

3 Directness (independent construal) on Job Satisfaction Sacrifice (interdependent construal) on Job Satisfaction Figure 1b Figure 2a Sacrifice (interdependent construal) on Job Satisfaction Figure 2b Work Demand Independent Construal Directness X Work Demands Low decision-making autonomy Low feedback from others High interpersonal conflict Outcome β Note: All finding are controlled for Negative Affect p <.05. p <.01. one-tailed People high in directness were more negatively affected by work demands than people low in directness (see Figures 1a & 1b for graphical examples)

4 Work Demand Interdependent Construal Sacrifice X Work Demands Low decision-making autonomy Limited feedback from others Limited workload Note: All finding are controlled for Negative Affect p <.05. p <.01. one-tailed Outcome Emotional well-being Withdrawal β = high self-sacrifice: less negatively affected (vs. low self-sacrifice) by work demands (see figures 2a & 2b for examples) = high self-sacrifice: more negatively affected (vs. low self-sacrifice) by demands Construals and Stress Processing Dimension Control: Belief in causes of life events Approval: Dependence on others for decision-making Growth: Belief in ability to self- develop Independent Construal Interdependent Self-Image: Acceptance of self.36 Inclusion: : Feeling of being appreciated by others Interpersonal: Comfortable & confident in social interactions Construals and Stress Processing Description Satisfaction: : Pleasure in achieving self-set set goals Directedness: Goal-directed behaviour Expectations: Realistic expectations of achieving goals Future-View: Seeing the future in positive terms Receptiveness: Openness to & seeking out the ideas of others Cooperation: Willingness & ability to work with others Independent Construal Interdependent Discussion The degree to which work demands (as well as the levels of the work demands) result in negative outcomes differed depending on worker s s self-construals High levels of stressors (e.g., Quantitative Workload) are not necessarily stressful for all individuals e.g., Low workloads were comparatively stressful for workers with interdependent construals e.g., Low job autonomy is more detrimental to workers with independent construals

5 Discussion All study measures of stressors & strains were created by Western researchers. It may be that the comparatively stronger relationships found with independent construals reflects the Western values of what is deemed to be important stress- related outcomes. Future research should address whether negative outcomes often used by Western researchers are equally important to people with different construals References Cammann,, C., Fichman,, M., Jenkins, D., & Klesh,, J. (1983). Assessing the attitudes and perceptions of organizational members. In S. Seashore, E. Lawler, P. Mirvis,, & C. Cammann (Eds.). Assessing Organizational Change: A Guide to Methods, Measures, and Practices. New York, NY: John Wiley. Cooke, R. A. (1986). Measureing stressful thinking styles: An analysis of the stress processing report Form II. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 46, ) 282) Cooper, C. L., Dewe,, P. J., & O Driscoll,, M. P. (2001). Organizational stress: A review and critique of theory, research, and applications. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Duvall, C. K. (2001). The relationship between thinking patterns s and physiological symptoms of stress. Social Behaviour and Personality, 29, Goldberg, D. (1972). The detection of psychiatric illness by questionnaire. London: Oxford University Press. Human Synergistics International (1994). Stress-Processing Report: Self Development Guide. Author. Kelly, M., & Cooper, C. (1981). Stress among blue collar workers: : A case study of the steel industry. Employee Relations, 32, 6-9. Kushmir,, T., & Melamed,, S. (1991). Workload, perceived control and psychological distress in Type A/B industrial workers. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 12, Lehman, W. E. K., & Simpson, D. D. (1992). Employee substance use e and on-the the-job behaviors. Journal of Applied Psychology Retrieved 3, 77 Markus, H. R., & Kitayama,, S. (1991). Culture and the self: Implications for cognition, emotion, e and motivation. Psychological Review, 98,, Morgeson,, F. P., & Humphrey, S. E. (2006). The Work Design Questionnaire (WDQ): Developing and Validating a Comprehensive Measure for Assessing Job Design and the Nature of Work. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91, Spector,, P. E., & Jex,, S. M. (1998). Development of four self-report measures of job stressors and strain: Interpersonal Conflict at Work Scale, Organizational Constraints Scale, Quantitative tative Workload Inventory, and Physical Symptoms Inventory. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 3,