Work-Related Stressors and Work Performance: A Comparative Study Between Chinese and British IT Companies

Abstract

This study aims to: 1) investigate how various stressors, including personal characteristics of workers and the workplace environment, influence job performance by identifying their specific directions and magnitudes of effect. 2) examine whether workers' inherent experience and capability amplify or diminish these stressor effects, and whether they alter their direction. 3) compare how characteristics related to work stress differ in articulating Eastern and Western values. Based on these objectives, the study conducts a comprehensive literature review, proposes eight hypotheses, and empirically tests and explains each one. The findings underscore that workers with broad experience and capabilities are generally more adaptable, efficient, innovative, and adept at teamwork and leadership. These attributes directly enhance job performance by improving efficiency, problem-solving, decision-making, adaptability, and innovation, benefiting both individual workers and organizational success. Furthermore, it reveals that competence, problem-solving skills, effective time management, adaptability, enhanced decision-making, resilience, social support networks, and stress management techniques are significant factors in reducing stress levels among workers. Empirical findings indicate similarities rather than differences, challenging initial hypotheses and suggesting universality in the impact of experience and capability on job performance across cultures.