Job Stress Across Gender: The Importance of Emotional and Intellectual Demands and Social Support in Women

Abstract

This study aims to analyse whether any differences exist between the genders with respect to the effect of perceived Job Demands, Control and Support (JDCS model) on how individuals reach high levels of job stress. To do this, the perceived risk of suffering an illness or having an accident in the workplace is used as an outcome measure. The study is based on the First Survey on Working Conditions in Andalusia, which has a sample of 5,496 men and 2,779 women. We carry out a multi-sample analysis with structural equation models, controlling for age and sector. The results show that the generation of job stress has a different pattern in men and women. In the case of men, the results show that only one dimension of the job demands stressor is significant (quantitative demands), whose effect on job stress is weakened slightly by the direct effects of control and support. With women, in contrast, emotional and intellectual aspects (qualitative demands) are also statistically significant. Moreover, social support has a greater weakening effect on the levels of job stress in women than in men. These results suggest that applying the JDCS model in function of the gender will contribute to a greater understanding of how to reduce the levels of job stress in men and women, helping the design of more effective policies in this area.

Symptoms and risks for musculoskeletal disorders among male and female footwear industry workers

“…Manufacturing footwear requires intense manual labor with psychological pressure for productivity (Guimaraes et al, 2014). These factors associated with interpersonal relationships and work conditions influence stress and musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) prevalence (Da Costa, 2010;Rivera-Torres et al, 2013;Nimbarte et al, 2012). Work-related stress is defined by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health as a result of an imbalance between the demands of work and capabilities/features/needs of the worker (National Institute, 1999).…”

The effect of occupational stress, psychological stress and burnout on employee performance: Evidence from banking industry

“…They reported that the effect of role stress on job satisfaction was substantially stronger for female employees and supervisory employees than male employees and non-supervisory employees. Rivera-Torres et al (2013) investigated the effects of job stress across gender by studying the relative importance of emotional and intellectual demands and social support in women. They reported that applying the Job Demands, Control and Support technique in function of the gender could contribute to a bigger understanding of how to reduce the levels of job stress in men and women, helping the design of more effective policies in this area.…”

Sex and gender identity differences in psychological job outcomes among salespeople

“…Gender is assumed as a significant factor determining the stress in workplace (Bickford, 2005;Gaur & Jain, 2013;Rivera-Torres, AraquePadilla, & Montero-Simó, 2013) and it is suggested that women feel negative impacts of stress more than men (Bickford, 2005;Rivera-Torres et al, 2013). However, in their leading study on gender differences in sales force, Monciref et al (2000) show that there is no difference of job stress among saleswomen and salesmen, and a recent research confirms this result (Mulki, Jaramillo, Goad, & Pesquera, 2015).…”