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Original Article

Coping With Daily Hindrance and Challenge Stressors in the Workplace

Coping Style Effects on State Negative Affect

Published Online:June 27, 2017https://doi.org/10.1026/0932-4089/a000244

Abstract

Abstract. This study examined daily hindrance and challenge stressors at work (rated after work) for effects on employees’ state negative affect at the beginning of the next workday. Building on the transactional stress model, the authors also examine whether general coping styles impact the relationships. Multilevel analyses show that previous-day hindrance stressors are positively related to next-day state negative affect, whereas previous-day challenge stressors are not significantly related to next-day state negative affect. The study identifies differential effects of problem-focused versus emotion-focused coping styles: High use of emotion-focused coping style increases state negative affect for both challenge and hindrance stressors; a lack of problem-focused coping style strengthens challenge stressors’ positive effect on state negative affect. The results suggest that occupational health can be promoted through specific stress management training and through workplace designs that reduce hindrance stressors.


Umgang mit täglichen Hindrance und Challenge Stressoren am Arbeitsplatz: Effekte des Coping-Stils auf den negativen Affekt (State)

Zusammenfassung. In der vorliegenden Tagebuchstudie wird der Effekt täglicher Hindrance und Challenge Stressoren des vorherigen Arbeitstages auf den negativen Affekt (State) der Mitarbeiter zu Beginn des nächsten Arbeitstages untersucht. Basierend auf dem transaktionalen Stressmodel wird getestet, ob der habitualisierte Coping-Stil den Zusammenhang zwischen den täglichen Stressoren und dem negativen Affekt (State) beeinflusst. 122 Mitarbeiter eines Unternehmens der Automobilbranche nahmen an der Studie teil und füllten einmalig einen generellen Fragebogen sowie über fünf aufeinanderfolgende Tage hinweg zwei tägliche Kurzfragebögen zu Arbeitsbeginn und Arbeitsende aus. Mehrebenenanalysen zeigen, dass Hindrance Stressoren des Vortages in positivem Zusammenhang mit dem negativen Affekt (State) stehen, während kein signifikanter Zusammenhang von Challenge Stressoren und negativem Affekt (State) bestätigt wird. Ein signifikanter positiver Zusammenhang von Challenge Stressoren und negativem Affekt (State) wird nur nach Hinzunahme der Moderatoren gefunden. Die Studie deckt außerdem differentielle Effekte des problem-fokussierten versus emotions-fokussierten Coping-Stils auf: eine hohe Ausprägung des emotions-fokussierten Coping-Stils verstärkt den Zusammenhang sowohl bei Challenge als auch Hindrance Stressoren des Vortages und dem negativen Affekt (State) am Morgen des Folgetages. Hingegen verstärkt eine niedrige Ausprägung des problem-fokussierten Coping-Stils den überdauernden Effekt der Challenge Stressoren auf den negativen Affekt (State). Die Befunde implizieren, dass ein emotions-fokussierter Coping-Stil den Zusammenhang von Stressoren – unabhängig von der Art des Stressors – und dem negativen Affekt (State) verstärkt. Um diesem Effekt entgegenzuwirken, wird Unternehmen dazu geraten, sowohl verhältnis- als auch verhaltenspräventive Maßnahmen zu implementieren. Im Rahmen der Verhältnisprävention sollte zunächst angestrebt werden, Arbeitsplätze gesundheitsförderlich zu gestalten, indem Hindrance Stressoren reduziert werden (z. B. durch klare Rollen- und Verantwortungsdefinition und Abbau von Bürokratie). Darüber hinaus können verhaltenspräventive Stressmanagement-Trainings als nachgelagerte Intervention genutzt werden, um den Umgang mit Coping-Stilen bewusst zu nutzen und so die Gesundheit im Arbeitskontext dadurch nachhaltig zu fördern (z. B. Psychoedukation zur Wirkung von Coping-Stilen und Trainingselemente zur Änderung von habitualisierten Verhaltensweisen).

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