Occupational role stressors, coping, support, and hardiness as predictors of strain in academic faculty: An emphasis on new and female faculty

The presence of work-related stress and strain is viewed as a serious conce rn for faculty, particularly newer and female faculty. The present study ex amined differences in levels of occupational stress and personal strain exp erienced by new and experienced female and male faculty. Factors affecting the stress-strain relationship were also examined. There were no significan t differences on measures of stress or strain between male and female facul ty or between new and more experienced faculty members. Role overload and a voidant coping were significant predictors of strain measures with hardines s and responsibility for home-centered tasks accounting for variance in som e, but not all, of the strain measures. Results on the negative impact of r ole overload and avoidant coping on measures of personal strain are consist ent with the literature and suggest the need for promoting different coping strategies in the academic workplace as well as working with faculty to he lp them prioritize and balance their daily work loads.