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Научни трудове на Съюза на учените в България-Пловдив, Серия A. Обществени науки, изкуство и култура том III, ISSN 1311-9400 (Print) ; ISSN 2534-9368 (On-line), 2017, Scientific works of the Union of Scientists in Bulgaria-Plovdiv, seriesA. Public sciences, art and culture, Vol. III, ISSN 1311-9400 (Print); ISSN 2534-9368 (On-line), 2017.
ПРЕДИКТОРИ НА АКУЛТУРАЦИЯТА И ВЪЗПРИЕТИТЕ СТРЕС И ПОДКРЕПА В МУЛТИКУЛТУРНА РАБОТНА СРЕДА Стоянка Христова СУ „Св. Климент Охридски"
PREDICTORS OF ACCULTURATION AND PERCEIVED STRESS AND SUPPORT IN MULTICULTURAL WORK SETTING Stoyanka Hristova SU "St. Kliment Ohridski"
Abstract: This paper presents empirical study of the causal relations between organizational acculturation, perceived stress and organizational support, and their determining by coping strategies and values, in multicultural work setting. The multivariate regression analysis indicated two mutual and one unidirectional causality between the three variables, falling within the focus of the study. The findings also implied that separate components of the other two phenomena, considered only as independent variables regarding the purposes of this study, appeared to be predictors of either organizational acculturation, or perceived stress, or organizational support.
Keywords: Acculturation, Work stress, Organizational support, Coping, Cultural values
Although widely discussed and analyzed in numerous theoretical works and empirical studies, the phenomena of perceived work stress and its moderating factors, such as organizational support and coping strategies, have recently acquired new dimensions and features due to today's globalization and workforce mobility. In particular, the importance of culture and its components regarding stressors, appraisals of events as stressful and the choice of coping strategies, was explicitly proved in recent decades (Aldwin, 2007; Palmer, et al., 2001). Certain cultural factors in organizations, such as the ever increasing cultural diversity of workforce resulting in a rather multicultural context of the workplace, may be a reason for higher levels of experienced work stress. That necessitates the updating of techniques for providing organizational support so as to be adequately performed its functions, defined by Eisenberger (Eisenberger et al., 2002) as satisfying the social-emotional needs and reducing the tension of negative psychological and psychosomatic effects of stressors when individuals have to deal with the high demands of the workplace. The widespread multicultural character of contemporary work setting induces also upgrading of the strategies for overcoming the adverse stress effects (such as confidence in success, increasing efforts, seeking social support, time management, etc.), defined by Latack (1986) as problem-focused coping (Ilieva, 2008). All that requires the reviewing of theoretical notions on stress and its moderating factors in the context of cultural phenomena such as employees' values and acculturation within the organization. One of the most common models for describing cultural differences in work values is that of Hofstede (Hofstede, 2001). He considered values as the main component of culture and identified four key dimensions: Individualism/Collectivism; Masculinity /Femininity; High/Low power distance; Avoiding/Tolerating uncertainty, determined by specific differences in attitudes, beliefs and behavior and influencing the organizational structure and culture. Culturally diverse working environment, in turn, puts employees on the need to constantly
adapt to different cultural values, beliefs and norms on individual, group and organizational level, defined as a process of acculturation (Berry, 2006).
Based on these theoretical views, in the hypotheses formulated it was assumed that:
1. The organizational acculturation, perceived work stress and organizational support mutually predict each other.
2. The organizational acculturation, perceived work stress and organizational support are predicted
by coping strategies and value dimensions.
The main tasks of the empirical study included:
1. Finding statistically significant two-way causal relations between organizational acculturation, perceived work stress and organizational support.
2. Finding statistically significant one-way causal relations by coping and value dimensions towards organizational acculturation, perceived work stress and organizational support.
The research tools included: the Organizational Acculturation Scale (OAS; Gailliard, et al., 2010) measuring the degree of acceptance and utilization of organizational norms and standards; Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale - PSS (1988), adapted for Bulgarian conditions (Karastoyanov & Roussinova-Hristova, 2000); the Survey of Perceived Organizational Support (SPOS; Eisenberg-er, et al., 1986) measuring the possible perceptions and attitudes towards forms of support provided by organizations; Latack's Coping Strategies Scale - CSS (1986), standardized for Bulgarian conditions (Ilieva, 2008) consisting of 28 items divided into seven factors: Increase of efforts, Escape from situation, Confidence in success, Seeking social support, Change of situation, Time management, Reconciliation with situation; Hofstede's Values Survey Module - VSM (1994) applied to Bulgarian samples (Davidkov, 2009) measuring the aforementioned key value dimensions by applying a 5-point Likert scale, where the lowest scores demonstrated the presence of, respectively, individualism, masculinity, large power distance and strong uncertainty avoidance. Conversely, the highest scores indicated the presence of, respectively, collectivism, femininity, low power distance and strong uncertainty tolerance. All the instruments showed high reliability in this sample (a=0.86 for OAS, a=0.85 for PSS, a=0.90 for SPOS, a=0.74 for CSS, and a=0.80 for VSM). Through factor analysis method of the main components applied to the first three tools, was outlined a general factor that explained over 50% of the total variance regarding each of the tools and confirmed their validity (63.79% for OAS; 56.62% for PSS; and 57.92% for SPOS). The latter two tools' validity was also confirmed. The factor analysis identified the formation of 7 factors covering all items of the CSS and explaining 63.54% of the total variance, and 4 factors comprising all items of the VSM and explaining 63.74% of the total variance.
The sample comprised 219 respondents, collected at random: women (73.5%; N=161) and men (26.5%; N=58), aged between 18 and 67 years (M=34.32), working in monocultural (50.7%; N=111) and multicultural (49.3%; N=108) setting.
Predictors of organizational acculturation: The hypotheses raised, were verified through mul-tivariate regression analysis of empirical data from this study as a result of which were outlined only two predictors of organizational acculturation, as it was determined in a greater degree by perceived organizational support (P=0.397; p=0.000) and to a lesser extent by the coping strategy of Increasing efforts (P=0.220; p=0.001). The model consisting of these two variables explained a relatively large proportion (30.1%) of the variance of organizational acculturation (AR2= 0.301). The correlation coefficients for both independent variables were with a positive sign indicating the presence of directly proportional causalities between the dependent variable and them. Therefore, the lower level of perceived organizational support and laying less effort to cope with stress situations in the workplace are the reason for an inconsiderable and superficial perception and utiliza-
tion of organizational standards and practices. Conversely, the feeling for one>s own significance along with the positive perception of support, respect and fair stimulation by the organization and active problem-focused coping of increasing efforts in difficult situations are prerequisites to better adapt to the culture of organization.
Predictors of perceived work stress: As the strongest predictor of perceived work stress was outlined the coping strategy of Confidence in success (P = -0.273; p = 0.000), followed by the values associated with Uncertainty tolerance (P = -0.231; p = 0.000). Third by degree of influence was the perceived organizational support (P = -0.200; p = 0.004), and to a least extent the perceived work stress was determined by the degree of acculturation to organizational culture (P = -0.136; p = 0.047). These variables explained 31.1% of the variance of the perceived work stress (AR2 = 0.311). It was noteworthy that the four independent variables> correlation coefficients were negative, indicating an inverse dependence between phenomena. Consequently, the level of perceived stress in a multicultural environment was so lower as the higher were levels of confidence in success, perceived support from organization and organizational acculturation, together with a higher level of uncertainty tolerance (indicated by higher scores for the Uncertainty avoidance / tolerance variable). These results confirm on the empirical level the conditionality of experienced work stress by cognitive appraisals and perceptions regarding the uncertainty, stressful situation and organizational support as well as the degree of adjustment to organizational values, norms and practices.
Predictors of perceived organizational support: In terms of perceived organizational support, it was found that it is determined mainly by organizational acculturation (P=0.396; p=0.000), to a lesser extent by the stress perceived at workplace (P=-0.203; p=0.004) and the coping strategy of Escaping the situation (P=-0.191; p=0.006), and to a least degree by the coping strategy of Seeking social support (P=0.139; p=0.39). Similar to the aforementioned two models, the predictors deduced here, explained a relatively large percent (30.2%) of the variance of perceived organizational support (AR2=0.302). In this model conditionality of perceived organizational support was characterized by directly proportional causal relations with organizational acculturation and frequency of choosing the Seeking social support coping strategy, as well as the inverse dependence on the level of perceived stress and the use of Escaping from situation coping strategy. Therefore, the higher the degree of acculturation to organizational values and norms and frequency of seeking social support in difficult situations, the more positive the perceptions of provided by organization support, recognition and respect of personal contribution and professional qualities. In this regard, lower levels of perceived work stress and less frequent use of passive coping strategy of escape from difficult situations, are also of great importance.
In summary, the results of the multivariate regression analysis evidenced directly or inverse proportional relationships between the variables studied in multicultural work context. Organizational acculturation was outlined as a predictor of the perceived stress (where the correlation was with negative sign) and perceived organizational support (where the correlation was with positive sign). In turn, perceived organizational support turned out to be both predictor of organizational acculturation and predicted by it, which proved the existence of two-way causal relationship between these two variables. Similarly, perceived organizational support was both a determinant of the perceived stress (where the correlation was with negative sign) and determined by it, which again indicated the presence of mutual conditionality between the two phenomena. As opposed to the latter two variables, perceived work stress was deduced only as a consequence of organizational acculturation, but not as its cause, suggesting the existence of one-way causal relationship between them and a subject of further research and analysis by taking into account additional factors and indicators. Thus, these findings gave grounds for partial confirmation of the first hypothesis raised.
The second hypothesis was also partially supported by statistical data obtained from the
multivariate regression analysis through which was found that only perceived work stress was determined by the surveyed value dimensions and that conditionality was just in terms of the opposition between avoiding uncertainty or tolerating it. Similarly, only four out of the seven coping strategies appeared as predictors in the three models of tested phenomena. In more details, besides the degree of acculturation to organizational culture and positive perceptions of organizational support, low levels of perceived stress in a multicultural work setting were mostly a consequence of the high level of uncertainty tolerance and confidence in success (one of the most effective strategies to cope with stress). Another active problem-focused coping strategy related to increasing efforts in difficult situations, appeared as the second strongest predictor of organizational acculturation. Perceived organizational support was also determined by two coping strategies: one of them was the active strategy of seeking social support and the other was the passive strategy of escaping the stressful situations. The remaining three coping strategies did not show up as determinants in the statistically deduced models. Similarly, contrary to initial assumptions, the value dimensions of Individualism/Collectivism, Masculinity/Femininity and Large/Low power distance were not found as predictors of acculturation, stress and organizational support. The issue whether they, in turn, are determined by the other variables surveyed, remains a matter of further empirical studies and statistical verification.
In conclusion, as empirical findings implied, the perceptions of stress and organizational support in multicultural work setting are determined by both coping strategies and cultural factors such as organizational acculturation and, to some extent, values. Levels of acculturation, in turn, are predicted by perceived organizational support and problem-focused coping. Therefore, the effective management of work stress in multicultural setting should aim at stimulating problem-focused coping, as well as achieving and maintaining positive perceptions of organizational support by recognizing, respecting and positively evaluating the cultural diversity as a benefit and a great opportunity for keeping the organizations up to date with current trends and developments.
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