Objectives While occupational stress has long been a central focus of psychological research, few studies have investigated how immigrant microbusiness owners (MBOs) respond to their unusually demanding occupation, or how their unresolved occupational stress manifests in psychological distress. Based on the job demands-resources model, this study compared MBOs to employees with regard to the relationships among emotional demands, job resources, and depressive symptoms.
Methods Data were derived from a cross-sectional survey of 1288 Korean immigrant workers (MBOs, professionals, office workers, and manual workers) aged 30 to 70, living in Toronto and surrounding areas. Face-to-face interviews were conducted between March 2013 and November 2013.
Results Among the four occupational groups, MBOs appeared to endure the greatest level of emotional demands, while reporting relatively lower levels of job satisfaction and job security; but MBOs reported the greatest job autonomy. The effect of emotional demands on depressive symptoms was greater for MBOs than for professionals. However, an inspection of stress-resource interactions indicated that though MBOs enjoyed the greatest autonomy, the protective effects of job satisfaction and security on the psychological risk of emotional demands appeared to be more pronounced for MBOs than for any of the employee groups.
Conclusions One in two Korean immigrants choose self-employment, most typically in family-owned microbusinesses that involve emotionally taxing dealings with clients and suppliers. However, the benefits of job satisfaction and security may protect MBOs from the adverse mental health effects of job stress.
Summary
Korean summary
이 연구는 고용직(전문직, 사무직, 육체직)에 비교하여 영세사업자의 감정노동이 우울 수준에 미치는 영향과 직무자원(직업자율성, 직업만족도, 직업안정성)의 조절효과를 분석하였다. 연구결과 영세사업자가 전문직에 비하여 감정노동이 우울감에 미치는 영향이 유의하게 높았다. 또한 전문직에 비하여 영세사업자에서 직업만족도와 직업안정성이 감정노동의 우울 영향을 유의하게 감소시켰으나, 직업자율성은 큰 영향을 미치지 않았다.
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