A study of occupational stress, job satisfaction and quitting intention in Hong Kong firms: the role of locus of control and organizational commitment

Abstract

The authors investigated the direct and moderating effects of locus of control and organizational commitment on the relationship of sources of stress with psychological distress, job satisfaction and quitting intention of 122 employees (66 males, 54 females, two unclassified) working in Hong Kong firms. The instruments included parts of Occupational Stress Indicator-2 measuring sources of stress and job satisfaction, Work Locus of Control and the nine-item Organizational Commitment Questionnaire. In addition, 10 items measuring psychological distress and two items measuring quitting intention were constructed by the first author. A series of validation procedures were conducted, and the authors concluded that the instruments used were valid to be used on Chinese employees in Hong Kong. The results of the study suggested that locus of control and organizational commitment had strong direct effects (externals were dissatisfied with the job itself and thought of quitting the job quite often; employees who had a high commitment had higher job satisfaction) and moderating effects (the stressor–strain relationships were significant in externals, and commitment buffered most of the stressor–strain relationships). © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.