Moderating the stress impact of environmental conditions : the effect of organizational commitment in Hong Kong and China

The purpose of the study is to investigate the relationship between environmental conditions and employee health in Chinese white and blue-collar samples, and to examine the role of organizational commitment as a stress moderator. Data are collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The participants are 158 white and 138 blue-collar workers in Hong Kong and 372 blue-collar workers in China. The results show that environmental conditions (including ventilation, workable space, illumination, temperature, noise, air pollution, and freedom to move around at work) are positively related to job satisfaction, and physical and mental well-being. These relationships are particularly true in the Hong Kong white-collar and China blue-collar groups. Further, organizational commitment moderated some of the relationships between environmental conditions and health. Inconclusive results of the buffering role of organizational commitment are obtained.