Based on the recent changes in the working world and the associated increase in psychological stress at work, this thesis examines whether high mental stress at workplace leads to an elevated alcohol consumption. Furthermore, it investigates whether job and personal resources like social support at work, organizational identification as well as an internal locus of control can buffer this relationship.
This was addressed by examining all variables with corresponding questionnaires in an online-survey (N = 290). The results indicated that there was no relationship between mental stress at workplace and alcohol consumption and thus no predictive power. Moreover, the moderation hypotheses could not be confirmed. Neither social support, nor organizational identification, nor an internal locus of control had a significant impact on the relationship between mental stress at workplace and alcohol consumption.
Nowadays, especially in western nations it can be observed that the term "stress" became an increasingly frequent topic that seems to be almost inevitable for everyone. In a survey conducted by the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) in 2016, around 63% of women and 58% of men surveyed stated that they felt stressed in everyday life. Often this increasing stress is tried to be reduced by consuming alcohol, above all beer and wine.
Thus, for understanding this trend, it is important to first define the construct stress and give an explanation of how it arises. Furthermore, it will be focused on mental stress especially at work and its assumed effect of increased alcohol consumption. Finally, three possible buffer resources are described that may influence the relationship between mental stress at work and alcohol consumption.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1. Inauguration
1.2. Mental Stress at Workplace and Alcohol Consumption
1.3. Social Support at Work
1.4. Organizational Identification
1.5. Internal Locus of Control
1.6. Research Issues and Hypotheses
2. Method
2.1. Sample
2.2. Material
2.3. Procedure
2.4. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Descriptive Statistics
3.2. Regression Analysis
3.3. Moderation Analyses
4. Discussion
4.1. Main Findings
4.2. Additional Findings
4.3. Limitations and Perspective
4.4. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This thesis aims to clarify the extent to which mental stress at the workplace predicts alcohol consumption and whether specific personal and organizational resources can buffer this relationship to prevent negative consequences for employees and companies.
- The relationship between workplace mental stress and alcohol consumption.
- The buffering role of social support at work as a resource.
- The impact of organizational identification on stress regulation.
- The influence of internal locus of control on stress appraisal.
- Quantitative assessment of these variables via an online survey.
Excerpt from the Book
1.2. Mental Stress at Workplace and Alcohol Consumption
According to DIN/ÖNORM EN ISO 10075-1 (Joiko, Schmauder, & Wolff, 2002), mental stress is defined as the sum of all external influences that affect a person psychologically. The term psychologically refers to cognitive, information-processing and emotional processes in humans. Based on the data that the work context is one of the largest mental stress factors, it is important to consider what has led to this clear tendency and what exactly are the stress factors that are increasingly encountered in today's work context.
Since the last decades, the world of work seems to be changing fundamentally. Increasing globalisation, technical progress, new communication media and information technologies seem to increase the demands placed on the work environment. In his book, Treier (2019) divides psychological stress factors into the categories "work environment", "social relations", "work activity" and "work organisation". Treier (2019) sees many new challenges and stress factors, especially in terms of work activity and work organisation. On one hand, more and more tasks have to be completed in the same or shorter time, often in parallel, whereas breaks and vacant time are reduced and working hours are generally extended. For example, the need to work towards tight deadlines at high speed has grown significantly and in addition, more and more employees find a high level of work intensity burdensome.
A Pronova BKK study also shows that constant deadline pressure and the emotional stress associated with it, as well as overtime hours, are among the most frequent stress factors at work in Germany (Pronova BKK, 2018). The requirements of information and communication technology also seem to represent a considerable burden factor in work (Stich, Gudergan, & Senderek, 2015). The constant expectation of responsiveness and accessibility leads to recurring interruptions, resulting in a loss of work quality and, in the long term, a reduction in recovery time and thus stress-related consequences (Barber & Santuzzi, 2015).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the definition of stress and the focus on workplace stress as a predictor for alcohol consumption, introducing potential buffer resources.
2. Method: Describes the study design, participant sample, utilized measuring instruments, and the statistical methods employed for analysis.
3. Results: Presents descriptive statistics and the outcomes of regression and moderation analyses regarding the hypothesized relationships.
4. Discussion: Interprets the findings, addresses the failure to confirm hypotheses, explains potential limitations of the measurement tools, and suggests future research directions.
Keywords
Mental stress, alcohol consumption, workplace, social support, organizational identification, internal locus of control, job demands-resources model, work design, moderation analysis, AUDIT-C, employee health, stress management.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this thesis?
The research investigates whether high levels of mental stress at the workplace lead to increased alcohol consumption among employees.
Which specific factors are examined as potential buffers?
The study examines social support at work, organizational identification, and an internal locus of control as potential moderators that might mitigate the link between stress and alcohol use.
What is the primary research goal?
The primary goal is to determine if these resources can buffer the relationship between mental stress and alcohol consumption to avoid negative long-term health and performance outcomes.
Which scientific methodology was used?
The study employed a quantitative cross-sectional design using an online survey with 290 participants, analyzing data through linear regression and moderation models.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body covers theoretical definitions of stress and the three resources, the methodology of the data collection, descriptive results, and a discussion of why the hypothesized moderation effects were not statistically confirmed.
Which keywords best characterize the study?
Key terms include mental stress, alcohol, social support, organizational identification, and locus of control.
Why could the hypotheses not be confirmed?
The results suggest that the primary issue lies in the lack of an observed correlation between stress and alcohol consumption, potentially exacerbated by the poor reliability of the AUDIT-C instrument in this sample.
What is the significance of the AUDIT-C test in this study?
The AUDIT-C was intended to measure alcohol consumption, but it showed poor internal consistency, leading the author to conclude that it may not be suitable for everyday alcohol drinking assessments in this context.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Isabella Lenz (Autor:in), 2019, Mental Stress and Alcohol Consumption. Resources that may prevent alcohol consumption, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/932126
