The moderating role of psychological capital in the relationship between job stress and the outcomes of incivility and job involvement among call centre employees.

Abstract

The current study was interested in determining the moderating role of psychological capital in the relationship between job stress and the outcomes of incivility and job involvement among employees at a call centre in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. A quantitative research design was adopted in conducting this study. The relationships between psychological capital, job stress, incivility and job involvement were examined using two theoretical frameworks, namely, the Broaden-and-Build Theory of positive emotions (Fredrickson, 1998) and the Job Stress Model (Spector & Fox, 2002). The research aimed to determine the relationship between psychological capital, job stress, incivility and job involvement, whether psychological capital and job stress held predictive value for the outcomes of incivility and job involvement, and the extent to which psychological capital moderated the relationship between job stress and incivility and job stress and job involvement. The sample consisted of 104 call centre agents, 28 male and 76 female employees, who were required to complete questionnaires measuring each of the constructs under study. Data was analysed using exploratory factor analysis, descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlations, multiple regression analysis and hierarchical regression analysis. The findings of the study indicated that high levels of psychological capital correlated with low levels of incivility and high job involvement. Additionally, a high level of job stress was associated with high incivility and low job involvement. The findings of the study further indicated that job stress predicted incivility and job involvement, while the optimism dimension of psychological capital also predicted job involvement. Additionally, psychological capital did not moderate the relationship between job stress and incivility nor did it moderate the relationship between job stress and job involvement. The study contributes to the existing literature on psychological capital, job stress, incivility and job involvement while adding a new dimension to the existing literature available on each of these constructs, by determining the relationships between the constructs.