Skip to main content
Log in

OCCUPATIONAL ROLE STRESSORS, COPING, SUPPORT, AND HARDINESS AS PREDICTORS OF STRAIN IN ACADEMIC FACULTY: AN EMPHASIS ON NEW AND FEMALE FACULTY

  • Published:
Research in Higher Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The presence of work-related stress and strainis viewed as a serious concern for faculty, particularlynewer and female faculty. The present study examineddifferences in levels of occupational stress and personal strain experienced by new andexperienced female and male faculty. Factors affectingthe stress-strain relationship were also examined. Therewere no significant differences on measures of stress or strain between male and femalefaculty or between new and more experienced facultymembers. Role overload and avoidant coping weresignificant predictors of strain measures with hardinessand responsibility for home-centered tasksaccounting for variance in some, but not all, of thestrain measures. Results on the negative impact of roleoverload and avoidant coping on measures of personalstrain are consistent with the literature and suggestthe need for promoting different coping strategies inthe academic workplace as well as working with facultyto help them prioritize and balance their daily work loads.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Aldwin, C. M., and Revenson, T. A. (1987). Does coping help? A reexamination of the relation between coping and mental health. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology53(2): 337-348.

    Google Scholar 

  • Amatea, E. S., and Fong, M. L. (1991). The impact of role stressors and personal resources on the stress experience of professional women. Psychology of Women Quarterly15(3): 419-430.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnett, R. C., and Baruch, G. K. (1985). Women' s involvement in multiple roles and psychological distress. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology49(1): 135-145.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnett, R. C., and Rivers, C. (1992, February), The myth of the miserable working woman. Working Woman, pp. 62-65, 83, 88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beena, C., and Poduval, P. R. (1992). Gender differences in work stress of executives. Psychological Studies37(2-3): 109-113.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bender, B. E. (1980). Job satisfaction in student affairs. NASPA Journal18: 2-10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berwick, K. R. (1992). Stress among student affairs administrators: The relationship of personal characteristics and organizational variables to work-related stress. Journal of College Student Development33(1): 11-19.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowman, G. D., and Stern, M. (1995). Adjustment to occupational stress: The relationship of perceived control to effectiveness of coping strategies. Journal of Counseling Psychology42(3): 294-303.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, R. D., Bond, S., Gerndt, J., Krager, L., Krantz, B., Lukin, M., and Prentice, D. (1986). Stress on campus: An interactional perspective. Research in Higher Education24(1): 97-112.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burden, D., and Googins, B. (1986). Boston University Balancing Jobs and Homelife Study. Boston, MA: Boston University School of Social Work.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cherniss, C. (1984, August). Motivational strategies for young professionals in the human services. Paper presented at the symposium ª New Approaches to Early Career Development: Solutions for Declining Motivationº at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association, Toronto, Ontario.

  • Cohen, S., and Hoberman, H. (1983). Positive events and social support as buffers of life change stress. Journal of Applied Social Psychology13(2): 99-125.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooke, R., and Rousseau, D. (1984). Stress and strain from family roles and work-role expectations. Journal of Applied Psychology69(2): 252-260.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, C. L., and Kelly, M. (1993). Occupational stress in head teachers: A national UK study. British Journal of Educational Psychology63(1): 130-143.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cushway, D., & Tyler, P. A. (1994). Stress and coping in clinical psychologists. Stress Medicine10(1): 35-42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Decker, P. J., and Borgen, F. H. (1993). Dimensions of work appraisal: Stress, strain, coping, job satisfaction, and negative affectivity. Journal of Counseling Psychology40(4): 470-478.

    Google Scholar 

  • Duquette, A., K Âerouac, S., Sandhu, B. K., Ducharme, F., and Saulnier, P. (1995). Psychosocial determinants of burnout in geriatric nursing. International Journal of Nursing Studies32(5): 443-456.

    Google Scholar 

  • Folkman, S., and Lazarus, R. S. (1988). Manual for the Ways of Coping Questionnaire. Palo Alto: Consulting Psychologists Press, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fouad, N. A., and Carter, R. T. (1992). Gender and racial issues for new counseling psychologists in academia. The Counseling Psychologist20(1): 123-140.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frone, M. R., Russell, M., and Cooper, M. L. (1991) Relationship of work and family stressors to psychological distress: The independent moderating influence of social support, mastery, active coping, and self-focused attention. In P. L. Perrew Âe (ed.), Handbook on job stress [Special Issue]. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality6(7): 227-250.

  • Gadzella, B. M., Ginther, D. W., Tomcala, M., and Bryant, G. W. (1990). Stress as perceived by professionals. Psychological Reports67(3): 979-983.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gmelch, W. H., Wilke, P. K., and Lovrich, N. P. (1986). Dimensions of stress among university faculty: Factor-analytic results from a national study. Research in Higher Education24(3): 266-286.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenglass, E. R. (1993). The contribution of social support to coping strategies. Applied Psychology: An International Review42(4): 323-340.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenglass, E. R., Burke, R. J., and Ondrack, M. (1990). A gender-role perspective of coping and burnout. Applied Psychology: An International Review39(1): 5-27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, L. S. (1986). The superwoman myth. Social Casework67(7): 436-441.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holmes, D., Verrier, D., and Chisholm, P. (1983). Persistence in student affairs work: Attitudes and job shifts among master 's program graduates. Journal of College Student Personnel24(5): 438-443.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horowitz, S. M., Blackburn, R. T., and Edington, D. W. (1984). Some correlates of stress with health work/life satisfaction for university faculty and administrators. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL.

  • Horowitz, S. M., Blackburn, R. T., Edington, D. W., and Klos, D. M. (1988). Association between job stress and perceived quality of life. Journal of American College Health37(1): 29-35.

    Google Scholar 

  • House, J. S. (1981). Work Stress and Social Support. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hurrell, J. J., Jr., and Murphy, L. R. (1991). Locus of control, job demands, and health. In C. L. Cooper and R. Payne (eds.), Personality and Stress: Individual Differences in the Stress Process(pp. 133-149). Chichester, England: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jaccard, J., Turrisi, R., and Wan, C. K. (1990). Interaction Effects in Multiple Regression. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Karasek, R. A., Jr., and Theorell, T. (1990). Healthy Work: Stress, Productivity, and the Reconstruction of Working Life. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klenke-Hamel, K. E., and Mathieu, J. E. (1990). Role strains, tension, and job satisfaction influences on employees' propensity to leave: A multi-sample replication and extension. Human Relations43(8): 791-807.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kobasa, S. C. (1979). Stressful life events, personality, and health: An inquiry into hardiness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology37(1): 1-11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kobasa, S. C. (1982). Commitment and coping in stress resistance among lawyers. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology42(4): 707-717.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kobasa, S. C. (1985). Personal Views Survey. Caspar, WY: The Hardiness Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kobasa, S. C., and Puccetti, M. C. (1983). Personality and social resources in stress resistance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology45(4): 839-850.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kobasa, S. C., Maddi, S. R., and Puccetti, M. C. (1982). Personality and exercise as buffers in the stress-illness relationship. Journal of Behavioral Medicine5(4): 391-404.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kobasa, S. C., Maddi, S. R., and Zola, M. A. (1983). Type A and hardiness. Journal of Behavioral Medicine6(1): 41-51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kobasa, S. C., Maddi, S. R., Puccetti, M. C., and Zola, M. A. (1985). Effectiveness of hardiness, exercise and social support as resources against illness. Journal of Psychosomatic Research29(5): 525-533.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lazarus, R. S., and Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, Appraisal and Coping. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leiter, M. P., Clark, D., and Durup, J. (1994). Distinct models of burnout and commitment among men and women in the military. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science30(1): 63-82.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maddi, S. R., and Kobasa, S. C. (1984). The Hardy Executive: Health Under Stress. Homewood, IL: Dow Jones-Irwin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Magnusson, D. (1982). Situational determinants of stress: An interactional perspective. In L. Goldberger and S. Breznitz (eds.), Handbook of Stress: Theoretical and Clinical Aspects(pp. 231-253). New York: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Manning, M. R., Williams, R. F., and Wolfe, D. M. (1988). Hardiness and the relationship between stressors and outcomes. Work and Stress2(3): 205-216.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maslach, C., and Jackson, S. E. (1986). Maslach Burnout Inventory Manual, 2nd ed. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCrae, R. R., and Costa, P. T. (1986), Personality, coping, and coping effectiveness in an adult sample. Journal of Personality54(2): 385-405.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mintz, L. B. (1992). Assistant professor: Paranoid or self-preserving? The Counseling Psychologist20(1): 39-46.

    Google Scholar 

  • Niles, S. G., and Anderson, W. P., Jr. (1993). Career development and adjustment: The relation between concerns and stress. Journal of Employment Counseling30(2): 79-87.

    Google Scholar 

  • Northwestern National Life (1991). Employee Burnout: America's Newest Epidemic. Minneapolis, MN: Northwestern National Life Insurance Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nowack, K. M. (1991). Psychosocial predictors of health status. Work and Stress5(2): 117-131.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oblander, D., and Strange, C. (1989). ª Jumping inº: Case studies of the first year in the profession. Connections1: 4-7

    Google Scholar 

  • Ogus, E. D., Greenglass, E. R., and Burke, R. J. (1990). Gender-role differences, work stress and depersonalization. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality5(5): 387-398.

    Google Scholar 

  • Osipow, S. H. (1979). Occupational mental health: Another role for counseling psychologists. The Counseling Psychologist8(1): 65-70.

    Google Scholar 

  • Osipow, S. H., and Spokane, A. R. (1992). A Manual for the Occupational Stress Inventory. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessm ent Resources.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pithers, R. T., and Fogarty, G. J. (1995). Occupational stress among vocational teachers: Special section: Symposium on teacher stress. British Journal of Educational Psychology65(1): 3-14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reifman, A., Biernat, M., and Lang, E. L. (1991). Stress, social support, and health in married professional women with small children. Psychology of Women Quarterly15(3): 431-445.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rich, V. L., and Rich, A. R. (1987). Personality hardiness and burnout in female staff nurses. Image Journal of Nursing Scholarship19(2): 63-66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richard, G. V., and Krieshok, T. S. (1989). Occupational stress, strain, and coping in university faculty. Journal of Vocational Behavior34(1): 117-132.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ross, R. R., Altmaier, E. M., and Russell, D. W. (1989). Job stress, social support, and burnout among counseling center staff. Journal of Counseling Psychology36(4): 464-470.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharpley, C. F., Dua, J. K., Reynolds, R., and Acosta, A. (1995). The direct and relative efficacy of cognitive hardiness, Type A behavior pattern, coping behavior and social support as predictors of stress and ill-health. Scandinavian Journal of Behaviour Therapy24(1): 15-29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sorcinelli, M. D. (1988). Satisfaction and concerns of new university teachers. To Improve the Academy7: 121-133.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sorcinelli, M. D. (1994). Effective approaches to new faculty development. Journal of Counseling and Development72(5): 474-479.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sorcinelli, M. D., and Near, J. (1989). Relations between work and life away from work among university faculty. Journal of Higher Education60(1): 59-81.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sowa, C., May, K. M., and Niles, S. G. (1994). Occupational stress within the counseling profession: Implications for counselor training. Counselor Education and Supervision34(1): 19-29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spielberger, C. D., and Reheiser, E. C. (1994). The job stress survey: Measuring gender differences in occupational stress. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality9(2): 199-218.

    Google Scholar 

  • Super, D. E. (1980). A life-span, life space approach to career development. Journal of Vocational Behavior16(3): 282-298.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swanson, V., Power, K., and Simpson, R. (1996). A comparison of stress and job satisfaction in female and male GPs and consultants. Stress Medicine12(1): 17-26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tabachnick, B. G., and Fidell, L. S. (1989). Using Multivariate Statistics(2nd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • van der Pompe, G., and de Heus, P. (1993). Work stress, social support, and strains among male and female managers. Anxiety, Stress, and Coping6(3): 215-229.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiebe, D. J., and Williams, P. G. (1992). Hardiness and health: A social psychophysiological perspective on stress and adaptation. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology11(3): 238-262.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilke, P. K., Gmelch, W. H., and Lovrich, N. P. (1984). Stress and productivity: EviOCCUPATIONAL dence of the inverted U function in a national study of university faculty. Paper presented for the American Association for the Study of Higher Education, San Francisco.

  • Wood, C. (1987) Buffer of hardiness: An interview with Suzanne C. Ouellette Kobasa. Advances4(1): 37-45.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lease, S.H. OCCUPATIONAL ROLE STRESSORS, COPING, SUPPORT, AND HARDINESS AS PREDICTORS OF STRAIN IN ACADEMIC FACULTY: AN EMPHASIS ON NEW AND FEMALE FACULTY. Research in Higher Education 40, 285–307 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018747000082

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018747000082

Keywords

Navigation