NCJ Number
142424
Date Published
Unknown
Length
79 pages
Annotation
Correctional personnel from six public and two private institutions participated in this study, designed to examine the relationship between stress levels of correctional employees, their perceptions of participation in workplace decision making, and their ideations about quitting their jobs. The subjects completed a four-part questionnaire consisting of the Occupational Environment Scale of the Occupational Stress Inventory, the Selye Health Scale, the Attitudes on Participation Survey (constructed for this research), and several demographic questions.
Abstract
Researchers created a structural model which accounted for 31 percent of the variation in the employees' thoughts about quitting their jobs; occupational stress levels, the perceptions regarding participatory management, and physical stress levels were all predictive of thoughts about quitting. The pivotal variable for organizational focus and intervention seemed to be the atmosphere for employee participation in the workplace, which could possibly decrease stress levels and employee turnover. Reduction of stress could also affect employee use of inpatient hospital services and disability retirement benefits. An appropriate organizational intervention into workplace stress at correctional facilities would include implementing participatory management. 3 tables, 1 figure, 165 notes, and 206 references