Occupational role stressors, coping, support, and hardiness as predictors of strain in academic faculty: An emphasis on new and female faculty

The presence of work-related stress and strain is viewed as a serious concern for faculty, particularly newer and female faculty. The present study examined differences in levels of occupational stress and personal strain experienced by new and experienced female and male faculty. Factors affecting the stress-strain relationship were also examined. There were no significant differences on measures of stress or strain between male and female faculty or between new and more experienced faculty members. Role overload and avoidant coping were significant predictors of strain measures with hardiness and responsibility for home-centered tasks accounting for variance in some, but not all, of the strain measures. Results on the negative impact of role overload and avoidant coping on measures of personal strain are consistent with the literature and suggest the need for promoting different coping strategies in the academic workplace as well as working with faculty to help them prioritize and balance their daily work loads.