WORK LOAD, TENSION, AND COPING: MODERATING EFFECTS OF SUPERVISOR SUPPORT

Abstract

This research investigated the buffering role of social support in the relationship of work load to both tension‐anxiety and coping for police radio dispatchers ( N = 60). Each dispatcher was observed throughout an entire 8‐hour work shift by a trained observer. Objective load consisted of the hourly rate of incoming telephone calls, police radio transmissions, and face‐to‐face or written communications from superiors, co‐workers, and others. At the end of each shift, measures were taken of dispatchers' perceived load, felt tension‐anxiety, and coping actions. Hierarchical regression revealed that support from superiors moderated the effects of both objective and perceived loads; no main effects of support were found. Statistically significant interactions confirmed the hypothesized buffering role of support: under high perceived load, dispatchers with high social support engaged in more coping actions and felt less tension‐anxiety than did low‐support dispatchers. No differences were found when perceived load was low. Support also buffered effects of objective load on tension‐anxiety but not on coping.