Occupational stressors and well-being among Chinese employees : the role of organizational commitment

This paper examines occupational stressors and well-being for blue- and white-collar occupations with Chinese and Hong Kong samples using standardised instruments validated in Western research. The study demonstrates that occupational stressors play a significant role in determining job satisfaction, mental and physical well-being. The reliability of standardised instruments used in Western research (including the Occupational Stress Indicator-2 [Williams and Cooper, 1996] and Organizational Commitment Questionnaire [Mowday, Steers, and Porter, 1979]) is demonstrated. The results of the study show that organisational commitment and well-being are positively related. A number of hierarchical regressional analyses (Cohen and Cohen, 1983) are used to demonstrate the moderating effects of organisational commitment in the stress outcomes that are evidenced in Western societies. The replication of research with Chinese subjects contributes to the generalisability of theories in organisational psychology.