Title
Supervisors' attitudes and skills for active listening with regard to working conditions and psychological stress reactions among subordinate workers
Date Issued
01 March 2007
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Mineyama S.
Tsutsumi A.
Takao S.
Nishiuchi K.
Kawakami N.
Okayama University
University of Occupational and Environmental Health
Okayama University
Okayama University
Tokyo University Graduate School of Medicine
Abstract
We investigated whether supervisors' listening attitudes and skills were related to working conditions and psychological stress reactions among their subordinates. The subjects included 41 male supervisors and their immediate subordinates (n=203). The supervisors completed a short version of the Active Listening Attitude Scale (ALAS) consisting of two subscales: Listening Attitude and Listening Skill for Active Listening. The subordinates rated working conditions and their psychological stress reactions using selected scales of the Job Content Questionnaire and the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire. Those subordinates who worked under supervisors with a higher score of Listening Attitude and Listening Skill reported a more favorable psychological stress reaction than those who worked under supervisors with a lower score of Listening Attitude and Listening Skill. Those subordinates who worked under supervisors with a higher score of Listening Skill reported higher worksite support than those who worked under supervisors with a lower score of Listening Skill. Those subordinates who worked under supervisors with a higher score of Listening Attitude reported higher job control than those who worked under supervisors with a lower score of Listening Attitude. A supervisor's listening attitude and skill appeared to affect psychological stress reactions predominantly among male subordinates than among female subordinates. Psychological stress reactions were lower among younger subordinates who worked under supervisors with high listening skill, while no statistically difference was observed among older subordinates. These findings suggest that a supervisor's listening attitude and skill have an effect on working conditions and psychological stress reactions among subordinates and that the effects vary according to the subordinates' sex and age.
Start page
81
End page
87
Volume
49
Issue
2
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
PsicologĂa
Subjects
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-34247356973
PubMed ID
Source
Journal of Occupational Health
Resource of which it is part
Journal of Occupational Health
ISSN of the container
13419145
Sources of information:
Directorio de ProducciĂłn CientĂfica
Scopus