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Job‐related stress and social support in kindergarten principals: the case of Macau

Kwok Sai Wong (Hong Kong Institute of Education, Hong Kong)
Wai Hing Cheuk (Open University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong)

International Journal of Educational Management

ISSN: 0951-354X

Article publication date: 1 May 2005

3061

Abstract

Purpose

One objective of the present study was to explore how stressful kindergarten principals, as leaders and managers of their schools, found their work to be, and if such job‐related stress was associated with negative emotions and job (dis)satisfaction. Another objective was to assess whether or not social support from one's supervisor could reduce the adverse effects of job‐related stress. A related objective was to examine possible negative impacts associated with receipt of support from one's supervisor.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 44 kindergarten principals in Macau filled out a questionnaire that contained the variables of interest.

Findings

The results indicated that the principals found their work to be moderately stressful; only emotional support was shown to be effective in buffering the impacts of job‐related stress; and there were only weak adverse effects related to the receipt of support.

Originality/value

This paper is useful in understanding the relationship of stress to work in the school environment.

Keywords

Citation

Sai Wong, K. and Hing Cheuk, W. (2005), "Job‐related stress and social support in kindergarten principals: the case of Macau", International Journal of Educational Management, Vol. 19 No. 3, pp. 183-196. https://doi.org/10.1108/09513540510590977

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2005, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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