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The role of gender and job level in coping with occupational stress

Torkelson, Eva LU and Muhonen, Tuija LU (2004) In Work & Stress 18(3). p.267-274
Abstract
The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between coping and health problems in the context of gender and level in the organization. Questionnaire data were collected from 279 women and men (100 managers and 179 non-managers) at a sales department in a Swedish telecom company in which men and women worked at similar tasks. It was hypothesized that, if gender and level in the organization were controlled for, the use of problem-focused strategies would be associated with fewer health problems and the use of emotion-focused strategies with greater health problems. It was also predicted that men and women at a similar organizational level would not differ in their use of problem-focused coping strategies. The results showed,... (More)
The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between coping and health problems in the context of gender and level in the organization. Questionnaire data were collected from 279 women and men (100 managers and 179 non-managers) at a sales department in a Swedish telecom company in which men and women worked at similar tasks. It was hypothesized that, if gender and level in the organization were controlled for, the use of problem-focused strategies would be associated with fewer health problems and the use of emotion-focused strategies with greater health problems. It was also predicted that men and women at a similar organizational level would not differ in their use of problem-focused coping strategies. The results showed, contrary to the hypothesis, that when level and gender were controlled for, no relation between problem-focused strategies and health was obtained. Instead the emotion-focused strategy of Seeking emotional support was associated with fewer health problems, whereas Focus on emotions and Alcohol/drug disengagement were associated with more symptoms. Coping was at least partly related to level. At a managerial level the men and the women used basically the same strategies whereas at a non-managerial level traditionally-conceived coping patterns were evident. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
job level, gender, health symptoms, coping, occupational stress
in
Work & Stress
volume
18
issue
3
pages
267 - 274
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • wos:000225619100006
  • scopus:10044254333
ISSN
1464-5335
DOI
10.1080/02678370412331323915
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e2af09c5-1166-4e5a-8f48-bbda3f1b4c4a (old id 897753)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:47:02
date last changed
2022-04-13 01:13:35
@article{e2af09c5-1166-4e5a-8f48-bbda3f1b4c4a,
  abstract     = {{The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between coping and health problems in the context of gender and level in the organization. Questionnaire data were collected from 279 women and men (100 managers and 179 non-managers) at a sales department in a Swedish telecom company in which men and women worked at similar tasks. It was hypothesized that, if gender and level in the organization were controlled for, the use of problem-focused strategies would be associated with fewer health problems and the use of emotion-focused strategies with greater health problems. It was also predicted that men and women at a similar organizational level would not differ in their use of problem-focused coping strategies. The results showed, contrary to the hypothesis, that when level and gender were controlled for, no relation between problem-focused strategies and health was obtained. Instead the emotion-focused strategy of Seeking emotional support was associated with fewer health problems, whereas Focus on emotions and Alcohol/drug disengagement were associated with more symptoms. Coping was at least partly related to level. At a managerial level the men and the women used basically the same strategies whereas at a non-managerial level traditionally-conceived coping patterns were evident.}},
  author       = {{Torkelson, Eva and Muhonen, Tuija}},
  issn         = {{1464-5335}},
  keywords     = {{job level; gender; health symptoms; coping; occupational stress}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{267--274}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Work & Stress}},
  title        = {{The role of gender and job level in coping with occupational stress}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02678370412331323915}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/02678370412331323915}},
  volume       = {{18}},
  year         = {{2004}},
}