The Convergent and Divergent Impact of Work Environment, Work-Family Conflict, and Stress Coping Mechanisms on Female and Male Police Officers

The aim of the present study was to investigate the convergent and divergent impact of work environment, work-family conflict, and stress coping mechanisms of female and male police officers. The major aims of the study were to compare male and female police officers on levels of psychological and physical stress, impact of work environment, work family conflict and stress coping mechanisms, to study the relationship between work environment and levels of psychological and physical stress, to study the relationship between work family conflict and levels of psychological and physical stress and to study the relationship between stress coping mechanisms and levels of psychological and physical stress. It was hypothesized that there will be no significant difference between male and female police officers on stress, stress coping mechanisms, impact of work environment and work-family conflict. It was further posited that all the measures of independent variable would not be significantly correlated to the measures of dependent variable. The sample of the study consisted of thirty five male and thirty five female officers who were selected on the basis of certain criteria of inclusion and exclusion. The design of the study was a two group design where the independent variables were work environment, work-family conflict and stress coping mechanism and the dependent variable was stress. The measures of the study included the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), a brief form of the Symptom Check List 90 and Composite index construction .The study was conducted in two phases, in the first phase the sample of the study was selected on the basis of the criteria of inclusion and exclusion, in the second phase the psychological measures of the study were administered to the selected samples in random order. The results were analyzed using statistical tools like mean, standard deviation, t-test, and correlation and regression analysis. The significant findings which emerged from the results of Correlation and Regression Analysts Showed that there Existed a Significant Positive Correlations between all the Physical and Psychological Features of Stress I.e. Somatization, Anxiety and Depression and on the Dimensions of Work Environment Viz.negative Exposure (r=0.466,r=0.545 and R=0.444 respectively),unfairness (r=0.385,r=0.455 And r=0.445 Respectively); for Work-family Conflict Significant Positive Correlation was Found between Spillover and one Dimension of Stress that is Depression (r=.242);on the Variable of Coping Mechanisms Significant Negative Correlation were Found between Constructive Coping and all the Dimensions of Stress (r=-.25,r=-.252 and R=-.247 Respectively). Significant Positive Correlation between Destructive Coping and all the Dimensions of Stress (i=.464, R=.457 and R=.492 Respectively). Investigation of gender Differences between the Two Groups on all the Measures Of the Study was Done, the Means and Standard Deviations on Negative Exposure and Destructive Coping Revealed that the Male Officers have Scored Higher on both these Measures, the Mean Difference was Significant at 0.01 Levels (t=5.000,t=4.486 Respectively).the Means and Standard Deviations on Spillover and Constructive Coping Showed that Female Officers have Scored Higher on these Two Variables and the Difference was Significant at 0.01 Levels (t=3.958,t=7.955 Respectively). the Conclusion that could be Drawn from the Analysis of these Results with Regards to the Subjects Of the Study were all the Independent Variables Of the Study were Significant Predictors of all the Measures Of the Dependent Variables Viz., Somatization, Anxiety and Depression; the Male Officers Negative Exposure, one Of the Dimension of Work Environment and Destructive Coping were Two Significant Predictors of Stress, whereas for Female Officers Negative Exposure, Spillover and Constructive Coping were Chief Significant Predictors of Stress ;an Analysis of Gender Difference on all the Measures Of the Study Showed that Male Officers had Scored Significantly Higher on Sources of Stress Like Negative Exposure and Destructive Coping as Compared to their Female Counterparts on the Contrary Female Officers had Scored Higher on Spillover Dimension of Work-family Conflict, in Comparison to their Male Officers. Interestingly the female officers had scored significantly higher on constructive coping.