Till stress do us part: On the interplay between perceived stress and communication network dynamics.

Abstract

This study of perceived stress and communication networks fills 2 theoretical gaps in the literature: First, drawing predominantly on conservation of resource theory and faultline theory, we demonstrate the role of stress as an "engine of action" in network evolution. Second, we extend the stress literature to the interpersonal domain by arguing that others' levels of stress influence the individual's communication network, and this, in turn, changes his or her stress level. At 3 time points, we evaluated the communication ties and perceived stress in a unique field setting comprising 115 male participants (in 6 groups) performing group-based tasks. We introduce stochastic actor-based models for the coevolution of network ties and actor attributes, statistical models that enable causal inferences to be drawn regarding the interplay between dynamic networks and individual attributes. Using these models, we find that over time, individuals experiencing higher levels of perceived stress were less likely to create new communication ties and were more likely to maintain existing ties to others. Participants also tended to communicate with similarly stressed others. Such communication network dynamics further increased individuals' levels of perceived stress over time, leading to stress-related vicious cycles. We discuss organizational implications that relate to stress and network-related interventions.

The effect of change in supervisor support and job control on change in vigor: Differential relationships for immigrant and native employees in Israel

“…This finding is in line with two cross‐sectional studies confirming that formal and informal social support serves a core resource among former USSR immigrants in Israel (Lerner, Kertes, & Zilber, ; Mirsky et al, ). As argued in the preceding texts that social connections serve as resource passageways (Kalish et al, ), and that reports of supervisor support among immigrants who are in greater need of resources may indicate that such resource passageways are indeed utilized. These differences between immigrants and natives accentuate the importance of considering immigration status among study participants, especially in samples that constitute a large proportion of immigrants.…”

The centrality of health behaviours: A network analytic approach

“…Theories of resources (e.g., Conservation of Resources Theory, Hobfoll, 2001;Hierarchy of Needs, Maslow, 1943) maintain that individuals are driven to obtain and retain resources. Thus, obtaining resources can enhance health (Hobfoll, 2011), while inability to obtain or retain resources can cause stress (Kalish, Luria, Toker, & Westman, 2015) and impair the capacity to engage in higher level behaviours (Maslow, 1943). Consequently, we predicted that health behaviours pertaining to basic physiological needs, such as adequate sleep or food consumption that fulfils nutritional requirements, may be necessary in order to provide individuals with sufficient resources for engaging in higher level behaviours (e.g., physical exercise or medical check-ups).…”

‘Burnout contagion’ among teachers: A social network approach

“…However, although interpersonal interactions are proposed as the mechanism through which the convergence of emotions occurs, actual interpersonal interactions among employees have largely remained unexplored in research on burnout contagion. With the exception of a study conducted by Kalish, Luria, Toker, and Westman (), previous studies have measured exposure to levels of burnout among colleagues through self‐report scales that either measured perceptions of burnout or aggregated individual burnout scores at a team level. This study aimed to fill this gap in the literature and open the black box that elucidates the process of burnout contagion.…”

“…The focus remains largely on the individual and his/her perceptions of others. However, a study by Kalish et al () was an exception and demonstrated the value of taking a truly interpersonal perspective. The results showed that stress levels affect communication patterns: Individuals with higher stress levels were less likely to engage in interaction with new colleagues and primarily maintained existing communication ties.…”

“…They also tended to communicate with individuals with similar stress levels. Stress‐related vicious circles were thus identified and showed that communication networks increased stress levels over time (Kalish et al , ). However, Kalish et al ’s () research was conducted in a very specific setting across a short time span, namely a 2‐day military assessment boot camp.…”