t's job related injury experience, and (3) the subject's gender. Organizational hierarchy classifications were (1) professional/managerial, (2) white collar clerical, (3) technical support personnel, (4) machine operators, and (5) laborers. The classifications of job related injury experience were (1) injured and (2) non injured. Gender was classified as (1) female and (2) male.
Cluster sampling procedures were employed to permit the inclusion in the research sample of equal numbers of subjects representing the various classifications of each of the independent variables. The cluster sampling permitted the cross comparison of effects on perceived stress levels of the three independent variables. This design also facilitated the development of a stress level predicting equation.
The population from which the research consisted of the employees of firms in the San Francisco area that employed between 250 and 500 persons. A list of such firms was constructed, and random selection procedures were used to select firms from the list until three such firms agreed to participate in the study.
Employee lists, categorized according to the three independent variables investigated in this study, were obtained from the participating firms. Random selection procedures were then applied to the lists to select 200 subjects from the relevant population clusters. Usable data collection instruments were received from 111 subjects. The 111 subjects were distributed among the independent variable classifications as follows:
1. Organizational hierarchical level
a. Professional/managerial: 23 (20.7 percent).
b. White collar clerical: 21 (18.9 percent).
c. Technical support: 22 (19.8 percent).
d. Machine operator: 21 (18.9 percent).
a. Injured: 58 (52.3 percent).
b. Non injured: 53 (47.7 percent).
Data Collection and Instrumentation
Survey questionnaires, together with ...