Autonomy, social support at work and stress among employees in Abidjan

The aim of this study was to analyse the effect of autonomy and social support at work on the occupational stress of employees in Abidjan. A questionnaire was administered to a sample of 80 employees in one company. Statistical processing of the data collected by the Student's t test indicated that employees with low autonomy at work were more stressed than their colleagues with high autonomy. On the other hand, employees who perceive high social support at work are less stressed than those with low social support. These results were interpreted in the light of the demand-control-social support theory of Karasek and Theorell (1990).

Autorentext

Dr. Aka Kadjo is a psychologist and lecturer/researcher at the Université Félix Houphouet Boigny in Abidjan. After researching the psychopathology of social life, sexual education and youth unemployment, he now turns his attention to occupational stress, a theme in work and organisational psychology.