| Abstract: | Reviews of the literature show that there is inadequate attention to the development of appropriate measures for the impact of stress on women's health. The present study sought to (1) construct a new measure of occupational role stress which sourced categories of stress in the broad range of experienced female roles; (2) assess the validity and reliability of the new measure; (3) obtain discriminant validity with reference to another measure of occupational stress (the Occupational Stress Indicator); and (4) report on demographic differences in occupational stress. Two hundred and forty working managerial and professional women from different industries, educational backgrounds and marital and parental status took part in the study. Results of analyses revealed that the new role stress measure had good validity and internal consistency (reliability) and that it could be discriminated from other measures of occupational stress. Four scales were derived in exploratory factor analyses: organizational and task grievances, role conflict and self-misgivings, role excess and overload, responsibilities and commitments. Analyses of these factors by demographic variables such as marital status, education and number of children suggest that marriage and family were not a major stressor and in some cases were actually a positive feature of job satisfaction. The most significant factors in women's stress were those which appeared to come from their own desires and wants—to be promoted. |
