The Effects of Occupational Stress and Stress Management on the Performance of Frontline Healthcare Service Workers
Ngqabutho Moyo1, Anita D Bhappu1
1Department of Management of Complex Systems, School of Engineering, University of California Merced, 5200 North Lake Rd., Merced, CA 95343, USA.
Abstract:
Background: Managing occupational stress in healthcare services is critical because frontline workers operate under multiple job demands. Objective: We extend the literature on health psychology and organizational behavior by examining how two types of occupational stress-eustress and psychological distress-impact the performance of frontline healthcare service workers. We also investigate the interactive influence of stress management strategies-savoring and avoidance coping-on the performance effects of occupational stress. Methods: We surveyed 400 frontline healthcare service workers across the globe using MTurk. We used Smart PLS4 to assess our measures and test our hypotheses. Results: Job demands-a higher-order construct comprising workload, role conflict, and work complexity-had a non-significant effect on eustress (β = 0.037, p = 0.596) but a significant positive effect on psychological distress (β = 0.566, p < 0.001). Eustress had a positive effect on employee engagement (β = 0.229, p < 0.001) and savoring (β = 0.437, p < 0.001). Psychological distress had a positive effect on turnover intention (β = 0.275, p < 0.001) and avoidance coping (β = 0.525, p < 0.001). The interaction between savoring and eustress had a negative effect on employee engagement (β = -0.162, p = 0.003). The interaction between avoidance coping and psychological distress had a negative effect on turnover intention (β = -0.058, p = 0.054). Conclusions: Job demands in frontline healthcare services manifest as hindrance stressors that increase workers' psychological distress. Avoidance coping is an effective strategy for managing psychological distress and reducing workers' turnover intention.
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