Moderating Effects of Coping Behaviors on Stressor–Stress Relationships of Ethnic Minority Construction Workers

Abstract

To overcome the shortage of construction workers in developed countries, the construction industry recruits a minority workforce from developing countries. However, ethnic minority construction workers (EM-CWs) experience numerous stressors in the host country that may induce significant stress. Inadequate coping strategies in response to stress could affect overall health and performance in the construction industry. Nevertheless, studies examining the moderating effects of coping behaviors are neither specific to stressors and stress relationships nor tailored to EM-CWs. Therefore, it is essential to have a nuanced understanding of how EM-CWs respond to various stressors and stress, which could be quite different from how native workers respond. The current study adopted the mixed-method approach, including both quantitative and qualitative research methods to achieve research triangulation. A total of 243 valid responses from a questionnaire survey and 17 interviews of EM-CWs were included for data analysis. The results revealed that (1) instrumental support seeking moderates the effects of migration and work-family conflict on emotional stress; (2) instrumental support seeking moderates the effects of work-time pressure on physical stress; and (3) religious-focused coping moderates the effects of demanding physical workload on emotional stress. The study contributes to the development of proactive tailored stress management strategies for EMs, particularly identifying the most effective coping behaviors and understanding complex interaction of stressors, stress and coping behaviors for EM-CWs. Moreover, it is the first empirical study to date that has also included the religious-focused coping in the context of moderators for EM-CWs in stressors-stress relationship. This study offers valuable insight into establishing guidelines and policy for ethnic minorities to manage ethnic diversity and improve multicultural integration successfully within organizations and society. This study contributes to the development of proactive stress management strategies for EMs, particularly identifying the most effective coping behaviors for EM-CWs. It offer valuable insight into establishing guidelines and policy for ethnic minorities to manage ethnic diversity and improve multicultural integration within organizations and society. Our findings aid understanding of the complex interaction of stressors, stress, and coping behaviors, which is essential in the development of tailored interventions. In addition, the findings reveal specific moderating interactions that will improve the accuracy of prediction of outcomes (i.e., performance, safety, and turnover). EM-CWs will be informed about affective coping behaviors to be more resilient and to make better decisions in stressful situations. Furthermore, several practical recommendations are provided, such as developing a multicultural working environment and encouraging help seeking behavior by giving information on mental health support services for the convenience of instrumental support seeking. In addition, companies are advised to respect EM-CWs’ religious practices by facilitating possible environments on construction sites including a quiet room, a proper toilet system, adequate time slots (5–10 min breaks) for their prayers, and mindfulness programs to minimize the stress of EM-CWs in the host society.