Exploratory factor analysis on occupational stress in context of Malaysian sewerage operations

Abstract

Recently, the research on Occupational Stress (OS) has become known across industries. However, the research on OS still lacking in the context of Malaysian Sewerage Operations. Thus, this study put forwards to develop and validate instrument of Occupational Stress (OS) construct through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) which limited to operation workers in East Malaysia. Hence this study has examined Job Demand, Workload, Time Pressure, Work Pressure, and Conflict at Workplace and Family-Work Conflict as the core dimensions to measure OS and also presenting an instrument of OS. This study adopted a cross-sectional research design, while quantitative data was collected from 129 Sewerage Operation workers across twelve states in Malaysia excluding Kelantan, Sabah and Sarawak, using structured survey. Based on the reliability testing, this study finalized the instrument to eighteen (18) items yielding three (3) dimensions, i.e., Job Demand (3 items), Workload (3 items) Time Pressure (3 items), Work Pressure (3 items) and Conflict at Workplace (3 items) and Family-Work Conflict (3 items). In this regard, researchers calculated the value of internal reliability (i.e., Cronbach Alpha value) for the current OS instrument. This study explained in detail the procedures for carrying out EFA analysis for OS construct. The findings from this study could benefited to the applied researchers whose interested to the occupational stress research.Recently, the research on Occupational Stress (OS) has become known across industries. However, the research on OS still lacking in the context of Malaysian Sewerage Operations. Thus, this study put forwards to develop and validate instrument of Occupational Stress (OS) construct through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) which limited to operation workers in East Malaysia. Hence this study has examined Job Demand, Workload, Time Pressure, Work Pressure, and Conflict at Workplace and Family-Work Conflict as the core dimensions to measure OS and also presenting an instrument of OS. This study adopted a cross-sectional research design, while quantitative data was collected from 129 Sewerage Operation workers across twelve states in Malaysia excluding Kelantan, Sabah and Sarawak, using structured survey. Based on the reliability testing, this study finalized the instrument to eighteen (18) items yielding three (3) dimensions, i.e., Job Demand (3 items), Workload (3 items) Time Pressure (3 items), Work Pressur...