What Differentiates Success From Strain: The Moderating Effects of Self-Efficacy

The present study aims at examining the moderating effects of self-efficacy on the stressor-strain relationships among Chinese employees. A self-administered survey method was used to collect data from 310 full-time employees across all regions in Taiwan. We found that interpersonal conflict and lack of autonomy as stressors were associated negatively with job satisfaction. Job performance was found to be associated negatively with lack of autonomy, but positively with workload. Regarding moderating effects, self-efficacy exacerbated a negative impact of lack of autonomy on job satisfaction but buffered a negative impact of lack of autonomy on job performance. Thus, the present study for the first time revealed that self-efficacy functioned as a double-edged sword in the work stress context of a Confucian Chinese society, contrary to what may be inferred from Western theoretical perspectives. In addition, this study also examined job performance as a strain variable which has rarely been studied in work stress research.