Interpersonal Stressors in the Chinese Organizations: Construct Development and Validation

Job stress is still an important topic in organizational behavior research. However, most previous researchers focused on viewing work itself as the central source of job stress, but understanding the meaning and influence of interpersonal stressors is more important than job stressors for Chinese workers. In the Chinese context, workers have to view interpersonal issues as the primary task. If they cannot properly deal with an interpersonal problem, it will be difficult for them to complete their job tasks. Although some researchers have conducted studies about interpersonal stressors in the Western context, the results cannot be generalized to non-Western societies. Researchers have suggested that considering cultural values in interpersonal stressor research is a critical factor to solve this dilemma. Yet, there has been no systematic interpersonal stressor study. Thus, this study adopts an inductive approach to offer a comprehensive definition of interpersonal stressors in Confucius-based societies. In three interconnected studies, both quantitative and qualitative methods are used to explore the constructs of interpersonal stressors in Chinese organizations, develop and test a new instrument to measure interpersonal stressors, demonstrate its incremental validity, and examine the nomological network. The findings revealed context-specific interpersonal stressors in Chinese organizations. Additionally, interpersonal stressors were negatively related to employees’ performance and health. This stress response process of interpersonal stressors could be moderated by collectivism. Overall, this study clarifies the constructs of Chinese workers’ interpersonal stressors and develops a new measurement tool. It also demonstrates the importance of considering cultural values when exploring interpersonal stressors. Finally, theoretical contributions and managerial implications are discussed, and limitations and suggestions for future studies are mentioned.