A cross-cultural comparison of the stress experienced by high-level career women

Abstract

A cross-culturAl compArison of the stress experienced by high-level cAreer women ABSTRACTThis study examines differences in the experience of work-related stress and of exposure to workrelated stressors among South African career women of different ethnic groups. A sample of 732 women working in administrative, semi-professional, professional and managerial positions was involved. Analyses of covariance found significant differences in the level of stress reported by the different groups, with black women reporting the highest level of stress. Stressors pertaining to a lack of infrastructure and resources in the environment significantly contributed to the stress experienced by black women. All four groups reported discontent with their remuneration and fringe benefits.Keywords: South African career women, occupational stress, job-related stressors, conservation-ofresources theory, criterion group design The composition of the South African labour force is rapidly changing. During the past three decades, the participation of women in the formal labour market, for example, has increased significantly. Msimang (2001), in fact, emphasises the increasing numbers of women, specifically black women, who are moving into high-level careers due to the impact of the Employment Equity Act. Unfortunately, these women are not exempt from the stressful consequences of their increased involvement in the formal labour market. Erasmus (1998) found in a study of the stress experiences of high-level career women from different ethnic groups that more than half reported problems with high levels of work-related stress. Some researchers (Erwee, 1994;Møller, 1998) even suggest that the impact of the Employment Equity Act, which encourages the promotion of more women to managerial positions, may lead to increased levels of stress among women because of their lack of training and the negative impact of gender discrimination on the adjustment of women. What seems to play an important role in the difficulties experienced by many career women is the lack of investment in resources like training, decision-making authority and social support.The conservation-of-resources model of stress (Hobfoll, 1989; was used as the guiding model to conceptualise this study. Hobfoll (1989) strongly supports an ecological approach to stress that emphasises the importance of thinking of people as members of social systems and structures. According to Hobfoll's model, stress develops due to an imbalance between the perceived threat and the perceived ability to master the threat. This model seems to fit in well with a cross-cultural perspective of stress because of its strong focus on the objective reality of stressful situations. Hobfoll (1988, p.25) Resources serve as a means of helping individuals to realise their goals and to gain control over their environment. They

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