The impact of work and organizational characteristics on the health status, job dissatisfaction and turnover intentions of workers in an information service industry

Abstract

Based on the conceptual model of "healthy work organization", we conducted a questionnaire survey of 612 Japanese workers in an information service industry company to investigate the effect of work stressors and organizational characteristics on workers' health status, job dissatisfaction and turnover intentions from July to August 2001. The response rate was 96.2%. For the statistical analysis, data on 488 computer technical support staff were used. To grasp the occupational stressors, we used a focus group to clarify work stressors and organizational characteristics. After factor analysis, we identified seven factors composed of 29 items and created seven scales of work and organizational characteristics. As scales of "organizational characteristics", "insufficient evaluation system", "undeveloped management system", and "career and future ambiguity" were used. The remaining scales, "poor coworker support", "poor supervisor support", "insufficient office amenities" and "high job demands and control", were used as scales of "work and workplace characteristics". The results of multiple regression analysis showed significant relevance of organizational characteristics to health status, job dissatisfaction and turnover intentions of workers. They supported "healthy work organizations" as useful conceptual tools for the study of organizational health.