Outcomes of occupational stress in a higher education institution

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to determine the occupational stressors for support staff at a higher education institution in the North West Province and to investigate the relationship between occupational stress, ill health, organisational commitment and organisational outcomes. An Organisational Screening Tool (ASSET) and a biographical questionnaire were administered. The results showed that, compared with normative data, support staff overall demonstrated average levels of occupational stress. However, Job Control, Resources, Communication and Work Relationships were found to be problematic stressors that mainly influenced organisational commitment. The prediction of losses suffered by the higher education institution due to absenteeism, presenteeism and turnover intention indicate that occupational stress is costly to the institution.