Development of a Job-Stress Model for Construction Professionals in South Africa and Hong Kong

Abstract

The construction industry is a stressful working environment. Tasks that are simultaneously high in job demand while low in job control and job support generally cause the most stress. This paper examines and compares the stress levels and the job demand, control, and support experienced by construction professionals (CPs) in South Africa (SA) and Hong Kong (HK). The construction industries of both regions are similar in terms of their practices and procedures, given their colonial roots. Using regression analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM), a job-stress model for CPs in both regions is developed. The results of t-tests show that CPs from SA reported greater job demands, higher levels of job control, and less job support and stress than their HK counterparts. Job control and job demand predicted the stress levels of CPs in both countries in the regression and SEM analyses. However, job support was a significant predictor of stress for only the HK and not the SA CPs. Practical recommendations are provided for managers and organizations in both countries to address the problems of stress among CPs, including organizing social gatherings, job reallocation, and the implementation of fair compensation policies. The current study investigated the difference in the stressors and stress of CPs in two geographically disparate regions with similarity in their construction practices, enhancing our understanding of stress management in the construction industry. In addition, several practical recommendations have been proposed for the management of stress for CPs in the two regions.