Validity and Psychometric Properties of the ILO-WHO Workplace Stress ScaleA Study with Workers from the Canary Islands

  1. Juan Martinez Torvisco 1
  2. Giuseppe Santisi 2
  3. Alice Garofalo 3
  4. Tiziana Ramaci 3
  5. Massimiliano Barattucci 4
  1. 1 Universidad de La Laguna
    info

    Universidad de La Laguna

    San Cristobal de La Laguna, España

    ROR https://ror.org/01r9z8p25

  2. 2 University of Catania
    info

    University of Catania

    Catania, Italia

    ROR https://ror.org/03a64bh57

  3. 3 Università degli Studi di Enna Kore
    info

    Università degli Studi di Enna Kore

    Enna, Italia

    ROR https://ror.org/04vd28p53

  4. 4 University of Bergamo
    info

    University of Bergamo

    Bérgamo, Italia

    ROR https://ror.org/02mbd5571

Journal:
EJIHPE: European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education

ISSN: 2174-8144 2254-9625

Year of publication: 2022

Volume: 12

Issue: 7

Pages: 677-691

Type: Article

DOI: 10.3390/EJIHPE12070051 DIALNET GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openDialnet editor

More publications in: EJIHPE: European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education

Sustainable development goals

Abstract

Occupational stress, as a negative facet, is a pervasive problem with significant implications for organizations, employees, welfare systems and health. The implementation of measurement tools that can capture the different organizational dimensions that determine stress in workers is part of the stress management and troubleshooting strategy that every company must manage daily. The aim of the present study was to adapt and validate the 25-item version of the ILO-WHO stress scale by Ivancevich and Matteson in the context of the Canary Islands of Spain. The tool assesses specific organizational dimensions of work-related stress determinants: organizational climate and structure, leader influence, cohesion, territory, technology and group support. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) on a sample of 1510 Canary Islands workers was carried out. The results indicate that the job stress scale revealed adequate psychometric properties, construct validity and internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.972), and it can be profitably used to measure stress. At the end of the paper, theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Bibliographic References

  • Álvarez-Silva, L.A.; Espinoza-Samaniego, C.E. Estrés laboral en trabajadores formales de la bahía de Guayaquil. Labor stress in formal workers of the Bay of Guayaquil. Espirales Rev. Multidiscip. Investig. 2019, 3, 77–88.
  • Bakker, A.B.; de Vries, J.D. Job Demands–Resources theory and self-regulation: New explanations and remedies for job burnout. Anxiety Stress Coping 2021, 34, 1–21.
  • Bakker, A.B.; Demerouti, E. Job Demands–Resources Theory: Taking Stock and Looking Forward. J. Occup. Health Psychol. 2017, 22, 273–285.
  • Bakker, A.B.; Xanthopoulou, D.; Damerouti, E. How does chronic burnout affect dealing with weekly job demands? A test of central propositions in JD-R and COR-theories. Appl. Psychol. 2022, 1–22.
  • Balducci, C.; Fraccaroli, F. Stress lavoro-correlato: Questioni aperte e direzioni future. G. Ital. Psicol. 2019, 1, 39–66.
  • Barattucci, M.; Padovan, A.M.; Vitale, E.; Rapisarda, V.; Ramaci, T.; De Giorgio, A. Mindfulness-Based IARA Model®Proves Effective to Reduce Stress and Anxiety in Health Care Professionals. A Six-Month Follow-Up Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16, 4421.
  • Birk, R.H. On stress and subjectivity. Theory Psychol. 2020, 31, 254–272.
  • Böckerman, P.; Bryson, A.; Kauhanen, A.; Kangasniemi, M. Does job design make workers happy? Scott. J. Political Econ. 2020, 67, 31–52.
  • Carreño, G.S.; Medina-Mora, M.E.; Martínez, V.N.; Juárez, G.F.; Vázquez, P.L. Características organizacionales, estrés y consumo de alcohol en trabajadores de una empresa textil mexicana. Salud Ment. 2006, 29, 63–70.
  • Colin-Chevalier, R.; Pereira, B.; Benson, A.C.; Dewavrin, S.; Cornet, T.; Dutheil, F. The Protective Role of Job Control/Autonomy on Mental Strain of Managers: A Cross-Sectional Study among Wittyfit’s Users. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 2153.
  • Cooper, H.M. Organizing knowledge syntheses: A taxonomy of literature reviews. J. Knowl. Soc. 1988, 1, 104–126.
  • Cousins, R.; Mackay, C.J.; Clarke, S.D.; Kelly, C.; Kelly, P.J.; McCaig, R.H. ‘Management Standards’ and work-related stress in the UK: Practical development. Work Stress 2004, 18, 113–136.
  • Elo, A.-L.; Leppänen, A.; Lindström, K. OSQ: Occupational Stress Questionnaire: User’s Instructions; Institute of Occupational Health: Helsinki, Finland, 1992.
  • European Agency for Safety and Healt Work.
  • Ferrando, P.J.; Lorenzo-Seva, U. Assessing the quality and appropriateness of factor solutions and factor score estimates in exploratory item factor analysis. Educ. Psychol. Meas. 2018, 78, 762–780.
  • Ferrando, P.J.; Lorenzo-Seva, U. Program FACTOR at 10: Origins, development and future directions. Psicothema 2017, 9, 236–240.
  • Ferrando, P.J.; Lorenzo-Seva, U. The Appropriateness of Sum Scores as Estimates of Factor Scores in the Multiple Factor Analysis of Ordered-Categorical Responses. Educ. Psychol. Meas. 2021, 81, 205–228.
  • Hair, J.F., Jr.; Black, W.C.; Babin, B.J.; Anderson, R.E. Multivariate Data Analysis, 7th ed.; Pearson Prentice Hall: Hoboken, NJ, USA, 2009.
  • Hair, J.F.; Sarstedt, M. Factors versus Composites: Guidelines for Choosing the Right Structural Equation Modeling Method. Proj. Manag. J. 2019, 50, 619–624.
  • Hancock, G.R.; Mueller, R.O. Rethinking construct reliability within latent variable systems. In Structural Equation Modeling: Present and Future; Cudek, R., duToit, S.H.C., Sorbom, D.F., Eds.; Scientific Software: Lincolnwood, IL, USA, 2000; pp. 195–216.
  • International Labour Organization. Global Wage Report 2020–2021: Wages and Minimum Wages in the Time of COVID-19; International Labour Office: Geneva, AL, USA, 2020.
  • International Labour Organization. Workplace Stress. A Collective Challenge; International Training Centre of the ILO: Turin, Italy, 2016.
  • Isaacs, T.; Massyn, L. Stressing about work: How are academics doing? Re-Imagining Management Research: Past Insights for Future Foresights. In Proceedings of the 32nd Annual Conference of the Southern Africa Institute for Management Scientists, Potchefstroom, Southern Africa, 13–14 September 2021; pp. 512–526.
  • Ivancevich, J.M.; Matteson, T. Organizational Behavior and Management, 2nd ed.; Irwin Professional Publishing: Burr Ridge, IL, USA, 1989.
  • Karasek, R.A. Job Content Questionnaire and User’s Guide; University of Massachusetts Lowell, Department of Work Environment: Lowell, MA, USA, 1985.
  • Karimi, L.; Oakman, J. The Work Organisation Assessment Questionnaire: Validation for use with community nurses and paramedics. Int. J. Evid. Based Healthc. 2022, 18, 222–230.
  • Leka, S.; Jain, A.; World Health Organization. Health Impact of Psychosocial Hazards at Work: An Overview; WHO: Geneva, Switzerland, 2010.
  • Lin, C.-Y.; Alimoradi, Z.; Griffiths, M.D.; Pakpour, A.H. Psychometric properties of the Maslach Burnout Inventory for Medical Personnel (MBI-HSS-MP). Heliyon 2022, 8, e08868.
  • Lorenzo-Seva, U. SOLOMON: A method for splitting a sample into equivalent subsamples in factor analysis. Behav. Res. 2021.
  • Lorenzo-Seva, U.; Ferrando, P.J. Factor 9.2: A comprehensive program for fitting exploratory and semiconfirmatory factor analysis and IRT models. Appl. Psychol. Meas. 2013, 37, 497–498.
  • Lorenzo-Seva, U.; Ferrando, P.J. FACTOR: A computer program to fit the exploratory factor analysis model. Behav. Res. Methods 2006, 38, 88–91.
  • Magnano, P.; Zammitti, A.; Santisi, G. Representations of work and decent work and life planning. Qualitative research on a group of socially vulnerable people. TPM Test. Psychom. Methodol. Appl. Psychol. 2021, 28, 99–111.
  • Marcatto, F.; Di Blas, L.; Luis, O.; Festa, S.; Ferrante, D. The Perceived Occupational Stress Scale: A brief tool for measuring workers’ perceptions of stress at work. Eur. J. Psychol. Assess. 2021.
  • Mardia, K.V. Measures of Multivariate Skewness and Kurtosis with Applications. Biometrika 1970, 57, 519–530.
  • Medina, S.; Preciado, M.; Pando, M. Adaptación de la escala de estrés laboral organizacional para trabajadores mexicanos. Rev. Salud Pública y Nutr. 2007, 8, 7–10.
  • Medzo-M’engone, J. Job demands and psychological well-being among Gabonese civil servants: The mediating role of perceived organizational support. J. Workplace Behav. Health 2021, 36, 335–350.
  • Nappo, N. Job stress and interpersonal relationships cross country evidence from the EU15: A correlation analysis. BMC Public Health 2020, 20, 1143.
  • Pfaffinger, F.K.; Reif, J.A.M.; Spiess, E. Dealing with Stress in a Modern Work Environment: Resources Matter, 1st ed.; Springer: Berlin/Heidelberg, Germany, 2021.
  • Platania, S.; Caponnetto, P.; Morando, M.; Maglia, M.; Auditore, R.; Santisi, G. Cross-Cultural Adaptation, Psychometric Properties and Measurement Invariance of the Italian Version of the Job Satisfaction Scale. Eur. J. Investig. Health Psychol. Educ. 2021, 11, 1073–1087.
  • Ramaci, T.; Barattucci, M.; Vella, F.; Senia, P.; Cannizzaro, E.; Scorciapino, A.; Ledda, C.; De Giorgio, A.; Rapisarda, V. Straining at Work and Its Relationship with Personality Profiles and Individual Consequences in Healthcare Workers (HCWs). Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 610.
  • Ramaci, T.; Faraci, P.; Santisi, G.; Valenti, G.D. Employability and job insecurity: The role of personal resources on work-related stress. Eur. J. Psychol. 2021, 17, 28–42.
  • Ramaci, T.; Rapisarda, V.; Bellini, D.; Mucci, N.; De Giorgio, A.; Barattucci, M. Mindfulness as a Protective Factor for Dissatisfaction in HCWs: The Moderating Role of Mindful Attention between Climate Stress and Job Satisfaction. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 3818.
  • Rosenstock, L. Work organization research at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. J. Occup. Health Psychol. 1997, 2, 7–10.
  • Sanabria, C.; Rojas, L. Caracterización del estrés en trabajadores de un hospital Infantil universitario, como estrategia para evaluar la Competitividad organizacional. CICAG 2009, 7, 1–14.
  • Sari, D.L.; Sinaga, R.I.P.; Storyna, H.; Gunawan, F.E.; Asrol, M.; Redi, A.A.N.P. The Relationship between Job Stress and Employee Performance in Manufacturing Industry in Indonesia. JARES J. Acad. Res. Sci. 2021, 6, 26–38.
  • Siegrist, J.; Li, J. Effort-Reward Imbalance and Occupational Health. In Handbook of Socioeconomic Determinants of Occupational Health; Theorell, T., Ed.; Springer: Cham, Switzerland, 2020; pp. 355–382.
  • Stanhope, J. Effort–Reward Imbalance Questionnaire. Occup. Med. 2017, 67, 314–315.
  • Stanhope, J.; Weinstein, P. A Scoping Review of the Effort-Reward Imbalance Model Applied to Musculoskeletal Symptom Outcomes. Occup. Health Sci. 2021, 5, 55–68.
  • Suárez, Á. Adaptación de la Escala de estrés Laboral de la OIT-OMS. PsiqueMag 2013, 2, 33–50.
  • Tatar, A. Development of A Job Stress Scale-20 by using Item Response Theory: Study of reliability and validation/Madde Yanit Kuramiyla A Is Stresi Olcegi-20’nin gelistirilmesi: Guvenilirlik ve gecerlilik calismasi. Anadolu Psikiyatri Derg. 2020, 21, 14.
  • Timmerman, M.E.; Lorenzo-Seva, U. Dimensionality assessment of ordered polytomous items with parallel analysis. Psychol. Methods 2011, 16, 209–220.
  • Torres-Martínez, M.C. Estrés en condiciones laborales en el trabajo docente. Digital Ciencia@UAQro 2015, 1, 1–11.
  • Vagg, P.R.; Spielberger, C.D. The Job Stress Survey: Assessing perceived severity and frequency of occurrence of generic sources of stress in the workplace. J. Occup. Health Psychol. 1999, 4, 288–292.
  • Velez-Arias, M.A. Niveles de Estrés Laboral en Trabajadores de Una Empresa de Artículos Tecnológicos; Universidad Internacional SEK: Quito, Ecuador, 2021; pp. 1–5.
  • Watkins, M.W. Exploratory Factor Analysis: A Guide to Best Practice. J. Black Psychol. 2018, 44, 219–246.