title: General job stress: a unidimensional measure and its non-linear relations with outcome variables.
abstract: This article aims to examine the non-linear relations between a general measure of job stress [Stress in General (SIG)] and two outcome variables: intentions to quit and job satisfaction. In so doing, we also re-examine the factor structure of the SIG and determine that, as a two-factor scale, it obscures non-linear relations with outcomes. Thus, in this research, we not only test for non-linear relations between stress and outcome variables but also present an updated version of the SIG scale. Using two distinct samples of working adults (sample 1, N = 589; sample 2, N = 4322), results indicate that a more parsimonious eight-item SIG has better model-data fit than the 15-item two-factor SIG and that the eight-item SIG has non-linear relations with job satisfaction and intentions to quit. Specifically, the revised SIG has an inverted curvilinear J-shaped relation with job satisfaction such that job satisfaction drops precipitously after a certain level of stress; the SIG has a J-shaped curvilinear relation with intentions to quit such that turnover intentions increase exponentially after a certain level of stress.
authors.affiliation: PDRI Inc., Arlington, VA 22202, USA. myankelevich@pdri.com
authors.forename: Maya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yankelevich
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Broadfoot
authors.forename: Jennifer Z
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Gillespie
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gillespie
authors.forename: Ashley
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guidroz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D010563:Personnel Turnover; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology*