Characteristics of Work Stations as Potential Occupational Stressors

Abstract

A field study of 109 clerical workers explored work stations' characteristics as potential occupational stressors. Contrary to predictions, intrusions from atmospheric conditions and intrusions from other employees were not consistently related to negative reactions. As predicted, however, the evidence suggested that intrusions were more strongly associated with reactions to employees' work stations than with general reactions to their work. Results also indicated that employees reporting high role overload had relatively fewer negative reactions to hotness and density. The findings provide modest support for the detachment hypothesis, which predicts that overworked employees concentrate harder on their work than other employees and ignore intrusions stemming from their physical environment.