Job Characteristics and Work Environment Affecting Work Stress : A Case Study of Electronic Industrial Factories in Nakhon Ratchasima Province

Abstract

This research aimed to 1) examine the levels of job characteristics, work environment, and work stress among operational employees in electronic industrial factories in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand, and 2) investigate the effects of job characteristics and work environment on work stress among these employees. The data of this study were collected through a questionnaire distributed to a sample of 303 employees. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequency distribution, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, while multiple regression analysis was conducted to test the hypotheses. The findings revealed that the employees' perceptions of job characteristics and work environment were at the highest level, whereas their level of work stress was low. The multiple regression analysis indicated that the "importance of work" dimension of job characteristics had a positive effect on work stress (p < 0.01), while the "reflections from work" dimension had a negative effect (p < 0.05). Regarding the work environment, the dimensions of "opportunity for advancement in work" (p < 0.01) and "organizational and management" (p < 0.05) demonstrated negative effects on work stress. The independent variables collectively explained 24.60% of the variance in work stress (Adjusted R² = 0.246).The results suggest that executives of electronic industrial factories in Nakhon Ratchasima Province can utilize these findings to inform their personnel management and work environment management strategies, aiming to reduce employee work stress.