Social support and acculturative stress in the multicultural workplace

Abstract Organizational dynamics are changing due to cultural variability among employees. Little communication research explores ways in which organizations attempt to adapt to multicultural issues such as cultural stereotyping, language barriers, and employee attempts to acculturate. This study explores cultural differences in employee perceptions of social support received from sources in a multicultural organization. In addition, the study explores the relationship between Hispanic employees’ emotional acculturative stress and the social support they perceive receiving from organizational sources. Hispanics reported receiving more social support from their Hispanic coworkers than Anglo‐Americans reported receiving from that source. No differences were found in either group's perceptions of the amount of social support received from Anglo‐American coworkers and persons in supervisory positions. Social support received from Anglo‐American coworkers was found to be significantly related to Hispanics’ emo...

[1]  G. Hofstede,et al.  Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind , 1991 .

[2]  A. Jaeger,et al.  The Transfer of Organizational Culture Overseas: An Approach to Control in the Multinational Corporation , 1983 .

[3]  M. Bond,et al.  Hofstede's Culture Dimensions , 1984 .

[4]  M. Collier.  A comparison of conversations among and between domestic culture groups: How intra‐ and intercultural competencies vary , 1988 .

[5]  M. Stephens,et al.  Social support during extreme stress: Consequences and intervention. , 1990 .

[6]  J. Neff,et al.  Acculturation and Alcohol Use: Drinking Patterns and Problems among Anglo and Mexican American Male Drinkers , 1987 .

[7]  R. Brislin.  Cross-cultural research methods , 1973 .

[8]  Julie F. Smart,et al.  Acculturative Stress of Hispanics: Loss and Challenge. , 1995 .

[9]  G. Marín,et al.  Research with Hispanic Populations , 1991 .

[10]  Juan I. Sanchez,et al.  Acculturative Stress Among Hispanics: A Bidimensional Model of Ethnic Identification , 1993 .

[11]  B. J. Hirsch.  Natural support systems and coping with major life changes , 1980 .

[12]  D. Etzion,et al.  Moderating effect of social support on the stress-burnout relationship. , 1984, The Journal of applied psychology.

[13]  H. Triandis,et al.  Review of Culture's Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values , 1982 .

[14]  K. James,et al.  Identity-Related Influences on the Success of Minority Workers in Primarily Nonminority Organizations , 1991 .

[15]  R. Mendoza,et al.  An Empirical Scale to Measure Type and Degree of Acculturation in Mexican American Adolescents and Adults , 1989 .

[16]  J. A. Wall,et al.  Managers in the People's Republic of China , 1990 .

[17]  Yong-Joo Kim.  Cross-cultural adaptation: An integrative theory. , 1995 .

[18]  Judith N. Martin,et al.  The influence of cultural and situational contexts on Hispanic and non‐Hispanic communication competence behaviors , 1994 .

[19]  T. E. Zorn,et al.  Leadership and identity: A reinterpretation of situational leadership theory , 1991 .

[20]  S. Jayaratne,et al.  Effects of social support and undermining on African American workers' perceptions of coworker and supervisor relationships and psychological well-being. , 1993, Social work.

[21]  Terrance L. Albrecht,et al.  Facilitating talk about new ideas: The role of personal relationships in organizational innovation , 1991 .

[22]  H. Triandis,et al.  Intercultural education for multicultural societies , 1985 .

[23]  K. Miller,et al.  The Influence of Communication Structure and Social Support on Job Stress and Burnout , 1991 .

[24]  H. K. Lee,et al.  Spontaneous self-descriptions and ethnic identities in individualistic and collectivistic cultures. , 1995, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[25]  K. Miller,et al.  An Integrated Model of Communication, Stress, and Burnout in the Workplace , 1990 .

[26]  Sharon M. Lee.  Racial classifications in the US census: 1890–1990 , 1993 .

[27]  Mariah E. de Forest.  Thinking of a plant in Mexico , 1994 .

[28]  A. Bandura.  Self-efficacy: toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. , 1977, Psychological review.

[29]  R. Albert.  8 – The Intercultural Sensitizer or Culture Assimilator: A Cognitive Approach* , 1983 .

[30]  Nancy J. Adler,et al.  Cross-Cultural Management: Issues to Be Faced , 1983 .

[31]  R. Rawson,et al.  Drug Abuse and Identity in Mexican Americans: Theoretical and Empirical Considerations , 1991 .

[32]  A. Padilla,et al.  Acculturative Stress and Specific Coping Strategies among Immigrant and Later Generation College Students , 1987 .

[33]  V. Shackleton,et al.  Work-Related Values of Managers , 1990 .

[34]  M. N. Bhrolcháin,et al.  Social Class and Psychiatric Disturbance among Women in an Urban Population , 1975 .

[35]  J. Berman.  Cross-cultural perspectives , 1992 .

[36]  C. Negy.  Anglo- and Hispanic-Americans' Performance on the Family Attitude Scale and its Implications for Improving Measurements of Acculturation , 1993 .

[37]  G. Hofstede,et al.  Culture′s Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values , 1980 .

[38]  P. McLeod,et al.  Effects of Ethnic Group Cultural Differences on Cooperative and Competitive Behavior On a Group Task , 1991 .

[39]  A. Mainous.  Self-Concept as an Indicator of Acculturation in Mexican Americans , 1989 .

[40]  J. House.  Work stress and social support , 1981 .

[41]  A. Davids,et al.  Self-esteem, ethnic identity, and behavioral adjustment among Anglo and Chicano adolescents in West Texas. , 1985, Journal of adolescence.

[42]  William B. Gudykunst.  Toward a theory of effective interpersonal and intergroup communication: An anxiety/uncertainty management (AUM) perspective. , 1993 .

[43]  F. Korzenny,et al.  Hispanic Perceptions of Communication Discrimination , 1987 .

[44]  George B. Graen,et al.  The Interaction of Job Stress and Social Support: A Strong Inference Investigation , 1983 .

[45]  J. Berry,et al.  Field Methods in Cross-Cultural Research , 1986 .

[46]  M. Adelman.  Cross-cultural adjustment: A theoretical perspective on social support☆ , 1988 .

[47]  J. W. Hunt,et al.  2. Applying American behavioral science: Some cross-cultural problems , 1981 .

[48]  S. Folkman,et al.  Stress, Appraisal, and Coping. New York, NY: Springer; , 1984 .

[49]  Allan P. Jones,et al.  Co-worker and leader support as moderators of stress-strain relationships in work situations. , 1978 .

[50]  C. Cooper.  Social Support at Work and Stress Management , 1981 .

[51]  J. Watt,et al.  Research Methods for Communication Science , 1995 .

[52]  Irwin G. Sarason,et al.  Social support: The sense of acceptance and the role of relationships. , 1990 .

[53]  Myria W. Allen,et al.  A Decade of Organizational Communication Research: Journal Articles 1980–1991 , 1993 .

[54]  B. Buunk,et al.  Social support and occupational stress: a causal analysis. , 1988, Social science & medicine.

[55]  Patricia A. Galagan.  Tapping the Power of a Diverse Workforce. , 1991 .

[56]  J S Norbeck,et al.  The Development of an Instrument to Measure Social Support , 1981, Nursing research.

[57]  Hamaguchi Esyun,et al.  A Contextual Model of the Japanese: Toward a Methodological Innovation in Japan Studies , 1985 .

[58]  Nancy K. Schlossberg,et al.  Counseling Adults in Transition: Linking Practice with Theory , 1984 .

[59]  S. Folkman,et al.  Stress, appraisal, and coping , 1974 .

[60]  A. Bandura.  Social Foundations of Thought and Action , 1986 .

[61]  R. Malgady,et al.  Acculturation and Mental Health Status Among Hispanics. Convergence and New Directions for Research , 1991 .

[62]  E. Ray,et al.  The relationship among communication network roles, job stress, and burnout in educational organizations , 1991 .

[63]  Eva S. Kras,et al.  Management in Two Cultures: Bridging the Gap Between U.S. and Mexican Managers , 1995 .

[64]  S Gore,et al.  The effect of social support in moderating the health consequences of unemployment. , 1978, Journal of health and social behavior.

[65]  C. Berger,et al.  SOME EXPLORATIONS IN INITIAL INTERACTION AND BEYOND: TOWARD A DEVELOPMENTAL THEORY OF INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION , 1975 .

[66]  Job Burnout from a Communication Perspective , 1983 .

[67]  Irwin G. Sarason,et al.  Perceived social support and working models of self and actual others , 1991 .

[68]  J. E. Sheridan,et al.  Contextual Model of Leadership Influence in Hospital Units , 1984 .

[69]  J. Cassel,et al.  Psychosocial assets, life crisis and the prognosis of pregnancy. , 1972, American journal of epidemiology.

[70]  A. Kanner,et al.  Conspicuous in its absence: the lack of positive conditions as a source of stress. , 1978, Journal of human stress.

[71]  Gerald Caplan,et al.  Support systems and community mental health;: Lectures on concept development , 1974 .

[72]  J. Griffith,et al.  Relationships among Acculturation, Sociodemographic Characteristics and Social Supports in Mexican American Adults , 1985 .

[73]  S. Jayaratne,et al.  The Buffering Effects of Four Types of Supervisory Support on Work Stress , 1989 .

[74]  S. West,et al.  Social support in the workplace: Tests of six theoretical models , 1988, American journal of community psychology.

[75]  P. Koch,et al.  Social Support and the Job Satisfaction of Female Clerical Workers. , 1992 .

[76]  R. Brislin.  The wording and translation of research instruments. , 1986 .

[77]  L. Cronbach.  Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests , 1951 .

[78]  Intercultural Communication Training: Review, Critique, and a New Theoretical Framework , 1996 .

[79]  G. Jm,et al.  The Hispanic population in the United States: March 1990. , 1991 .

[80]  B. Burleson,et al.  Communication of social support: Messages, interactions, relationships, and community. , 1997 .

[81]  J. House,et al.  Social support, occupational stress, and health. , 1980, Journal of health and social behavior.