Amanda Wernli

Date of Graduation

Spring 2013

Degree

Master of Science in Psychology

Department

Psychology

Committee Chair

Carol Shoptaugh

Abstract

This project examines the relationships between employees' perceptions of organizational culture, coworkers' perceptions of employees with eldercare, coworkers' behavioral reactions (i.e., social support, incivility), and occupational stress. These constructs were examined from dual points of view: those of employees with eldercare responsibilities and those of unaffiliated, direct coworkers of working caregivers. A questionnaire was distributed to participants online as well as in paper format. The sample consisted of 142 participants: 115 caregivers (12 males/103 females) and 27 coworkers (1 male/26 females). Coworker perceptions, coworker behavioral reactions, and organizational culture exhibited negative relationships to occupational stress for both caregivers and coworkers. Caregivers' work-family benefit utilization was not related to coworker perceptions or behavioral reactions. An exploratory path analysis was used to further examine caregivers' responses: a model displaying good fit suggests that organizational culture mediates the relationships of coworker perceptions and coworker behavioral reactions in predicting caregivers' occupational stress.

Keywords

coworker perceptions of eldercare, behavioral reactions to eldercare, social support, incivility, work-family culture, occupational stress, work-family benefits

Subject Categories

Psychology

Copyright

© Amanda Wernli

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