Occupational stress, organisational commitment, and ill-health of educators in the North West province

Abstract

The objectives were to analyse the occupational stress of educators, to determine the differences between occupational stress and strain of educators in different biographical groups, and to assess the relationship between occupational stress, organisational commitment and ill-health. A cross-sectional survey design was used. A stratified random sample (N = 1170) was taken of educators in the North West Province. An Organisational Stress Screening Tool (ASSET) and a biographical questionnaire were administered. The results confirmed the internal consistency of the ASSET. Differences between the occupational stress, organisational commitment and ill-health of educators in different types of schools, age, and qualification groups were found. Occupational stress and low organisational commitment explained 15% of the variance in physical ill-health and 30% of the variance in psychological ill-health. Although organisational commitment had major effects on physical and psychological ill-health, it only moderated the effect of one occupational stressor, namely, job insecurity, on the physical and psychological health of educators.