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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.
ПРОФЕСИОНАЛЕН СТРЕС И КОПИНГ СТРАТЕГИИ ПРИ ОРГАНИЗАЦИИ В БЪЛГАРИЯ И ЧУЖБИНА Стоянка Христова СУ „Св. Климент Охридски"
WORK STRESS AND COPING STRATEGIES IN ORGANIZATIONS IN BULGARIA AND ABROAD Stoyanka Hristova SU "St. Kliment Ohridski"
Abstract: This paper presents empirical study of the relation between perceived work stress and the choice of coping strategies as well as their dependence on a particular socio-cultural factor: the status of living in a foreign country. The results obtained through statistical analysis indicated that only three coping strategies were influenced by this factor. Likewise, only part of the coping strategies correlated with perceived stress.
Key words: Work stress, Coping strategies, Problem-focused coping
In today's dynamic processes of globalization and international migration the issue concerning the impact of sociocultural factors upon experiencing work stress becomes particularly topical, especially in organizations of multicultural type formed during mergers and acquisitions of companies in internationalization and transnationalization of business and industry. Stress in organizations is widespread, with significant practical, economic and health consequences that can be quite alarming for the organization and individuals involved in it. This necessitates its management, aimed at helping people in recognition of stressors and use of active problem-focused coping strategies (such as confidence in success, increasing efforts, seeking social support, time management, etc.) to minimize the adverse effects (Hellriegel & Slocum, 2007). Along with permanent job insecurity caused by the global economic crisis, current sources of work stress include also the increasing cultural diversity of workforce and environment in which organizations operate, that often causes communication difficulties and conflicts, increases turnover in organizations and compromises organizational commitment. In their model of stress, Palmer, et al. (2001, 2004) added culture as one of the main categories of potential stressors. As such, it has a significant influence on the experience of stress in terms of stressors, appraisals of events as stressful and the choice of coping strategies (Aldwin, 2007; Wong et al., 2006).
On these theoretical views is based the assumption, underlying this study, that the experience of work stress and the choice of strategies for coping with it are not just related to each other, but are also determined by certain socio-cultural factors. In this regard, the main objective of this study was to establish empirically the relation between perceived work stress and coping strategies in contemporary organizations, and their dependence on the socio-cultural factor of living in a foreign country. 242
In the hypotheses formulated it was assumed that:
1. The status of living in a foreign country has a statistically significant impact on the level of perceived stress and the choice of coping strategies in the workplace.
2. The use of active problem-focused coping strategies is related to lower level of perceived stress.
The main tasks in response to the needs of the empirical study, were:
1. To define the mean values of the variables studied.
2. To find statistically significant differences in the level of variables observed, depending on the status of living in a foreign country.
3. To find out if there were statistically significant correlations between perceived stress and the coping strategies used.
The research tools included: the Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen et al., 1988), adapted for Bulgarian conditions by Karastoyanov and Roussinova-Hristova (Karastoyanov & Roussinova-Hristova, 2000); and Coping Strategies Scale (Latack, 1986), standardized for Bulgarian conditions by Ilieva (Ilieva, 2008). It consists 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. Both questionnaires showed high reliability in this sample (a = 0.85 for the Perceived Stress Scale, and a = 0.74 for the Coping Strategies Scale).
The sample comprised 219 Bulgarians - women (73.5%; N = 161) and men (26.5%; N = 58), with 18 to 67 years of age (M = 34.32), living and working in Bulgaria (78.6%; N = 172) or abroad (21.4%; N = 47), collected at random.
The hypotheses raised, were verified through descriptive analysis, analysis of variance and correlation analysis of empirical data from this study.
The descriptive analysis outlined moderate levels of perceived work stress (M = 15.94; SD = 4.55) which largely corresponds to the results obtained in another study with the same instrument (Naydenova & Ilieva, 2006) and denies expectations for higher levels of stress among workers, due to difficult economic situation worldwide. The mean values in terms of coping strategies showed that in the event of a stressful situation at work, the most frequently used coping strategy for this sample was the Increase of efforts (M = 24.42; SD = 3.93), which is related to making actions and cognitive reappraisals, improving the performance of working duties. The second most preferred strategy for coping with work stress was the Confidence in success (M = 18.92; SD = 3.87), which includes a positive perception of stressful situations as an opportunity to acquire new skills and experience (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Frequency of use of coping strategies
■ Increase of efforts
Confidence in success
■ Change of situation
■ Seeking social support
■ Time management
Escape from situation Reconciliation with situation
Copingstrategies
At the third place by preferences and frequency of use, was ranked the pursuit of Change of situation (M = 16.29; SD = 3.82), followed by the strategies associated with Seeking social support (M = 13.1; SD = 2.68) and Time management (M = 7.93; SD = 1.41). At the penultimate place was the strategy aimed at Escape from situation (M = 6.84; SD = 2.06). Reconciliation with situation (M=5.94; SD = 1.68) was the least preferred coping strategy. Overall, these results suggest a dominant positive and proactive position to cope with stress by the majority of respondents, which is typical for active, problem-focused coping, pointed out in specialized literature as the most effective option for dealing with stressful factors.
As a result of the analysis of variance conducted, were found statistically significant differences, at the level of p<0.05, concerning only three of the coping strategies: Escape from stressful situation (t = -2.276; p = 0.024), Time management (t = -2,134; p = 0.034) and Reconciliation with situation (t = -2.533; p = 0.012). All the three strategies were chosen in a greater extent by respondents living outside Bulgaria (with mean values, respectively: M = 17.35; SD = 3.71, M = 8.31; SD = 1.26 and M = 6.46; SD = 1.69). A possible explanation of these results could be found in terms of immigrant status, language barriers and discrimination that are often a prerequisite for choosing passive coping strategies, such as reconciliation with stressful situations or avoiding them. The pursuit of effective planning of worktime, then, is probably dictated by the specific characteristics of the host culture (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Frequency of use of coping strategies depending on the status of
living in Bulgaria or abroad (p<0.05)
Results obtained when applying correlation analysis indicated statistically significant correlations between perceived work stress and only three of the coping strategies studied. With the highest value was the negative correlation between work stress and the second by frequency of use in this sample coping strategy - Confidence in success (r = -0.330; p = 0.000), at p<0.01. It turns out that positive thinking and perception of stressful situations as an opportunity to acquire new skills and experience has related to low levels or even absence of work stress. Again, with negative sign, indicating inversely proportional relationship, and with the lowest value was the correlation between work stress and the fourth by preferences coping strategy: Seeking social support (r = -0.143; p = 0.035), at p<0.05. This coping strategy is a significant factor in terms of stress experiencing - here may be suggested the existence of two-way interdependence, i.e. active actions aimed at obtaining help and support in difficult situations, may cause and / or be a consequence of
low levels of stress at work. In any case, however, more frequent use of this strategy is associated with rare experience of stress in the workplace. Reconciliation with situation, the least preferred strategy in this sample, was the third coping strategy found in a statistically significant correlation with stress (r = 0.172; p = 0.011), at p<0.05. Apparently, those who choose the passive behavior of reconciliation with difficult, problematic situations, reported higher levels of perceived stress.
In conclusion, the results obtained from the analysis of variance, verified, although partially, the first hypothesis raised in terms of the phenomena studied. The level of perceived stress did not depend on the status of living in a foreign country. Likewise, the choice of four (out of seven) coping strategies was also not influenced by this socio-cultural factor. These results could have various explanations and imply the need of more detailed analysis including other variables and factors.
The findinigs of correlation analysis indicated that the use of active problem-focused coping strategies (such as Confidence in success and Seeking social support) related to lower levels of perceived stress, which completely confirmed the second hypothesis formulated.
Although the study results pointed out only three of the coping strategies as determined by the socio-cultural factor examined, they give grounds for future research on other significant socio-cultural factors in defining the new stress characteristics and effectiveness of coping strategies in multicultural settings, and improving both employees' health and organizational performance.
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