A purposive sampling method will be adopted to select various types of finance, marketing, transport, catering, and personnel enterprises in Taiwanese service industry. These service sectors will be chosen because heterogeneous samples of employees in the service industry are more likely to be sought there. Once a firm is selected, a quota sampling method will be used to recruit equivalent numbers of employees from both genders, and from various ranks of various departments to participate in the survey.
3.2 Questionnaire Design
This part is to express the operational definitions of each variable; in the meanwhile, the author will show the subsidiary dimensions of some variables.
3.2.1Challenge stressor
Challenges are work related demands or circumstances that, although potentially stressful, have associated potential gains for individuals. Potential gains include intrinsic rewards (e.g., satisfaction) and gains that promote work achievement (e.g., achievement related learning, skill development, or demonstration of competence).
Work achievement refers to both current job and career success (Cavanaugh, 1998).
This measure is assessed with 4-item scale developed by Lee, Robert S. &
Patricia, (1995). The dimensions which challenge stressor contains are time pressure
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and potential gains. Items are as follows:
Challenge Stress (Lee, Robert S. & McGrath, Patricia, 1995) I experienced that…
1. …I used my time more efficiently because of the time pressure I was under.
2. …I enjoyed the excitement of working under time pressure.
3. …the time pressure made me more productive.
4. …the challenge of meeting the deadline gave me an energy boost.
This measure is assessed in 5-point Likert Scale, ranging from 1 strongly disagreement to 5 strongly agreement.
3.2.2 Hindrance stressor
Hindrances are work related demands or circumstances that tend to constrain or interfere with an individual’s work achievement, and which do not tend to be associated with potential gains for the individual (Cavanaugh, 1998). This measure is assessed with 3-item scale developed by LePine et al., 2005. The dimensions which hindrance stressor contains are no potential gains and obstacles in development and achievement for employees. Items are as follows:
Hindrance stress (LePine et al., 2005)
1. Working to fulfill my job jobs thwarts my personal growth and well-being.
2. In general, I feel that my job goals hinder my personal accomplishment.
3. I feel that my job goals constrain my achievement of personal goals and development.
The previous literatures used this hindrance stressor items as a measurement for employees or interviewers (Christine L. Jackson, 2004 & Nathan P. Podsakoff, 2005).
This measure is assessed in 5-point Likert Scale, ranging from 1 strongly disagreement to 5 strongly agreement.
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3.2.3 Burnout
"Emotional exhaustion, cynicism and reduced personal accomplishment that can occur among individuals who do 'people work' of some kind" Maslach and Leiter(1996). As implied by the definition, we may know burnout consists of 3 components. The author uses 20-item scale which are developed by Maslach and Leiter(1996). Sample items are “I feel tired” & “I have no desire to do anything” & “I have a low output”. This measure is assessed in 7-point Likert Scale, ranging from 1 strongly disagreement to 7 strongly agreement. Technologically, this burnout items are very popular for those scholars who studies burnout (Carlos P Zalaquett and Richard J. Wood, 1997; Mayumi, 2007); therefore, this study is to adopt this burnout items, developed by Maslach and Leiter(1996).
3.2.4 Work-family conflicts
Work–family conflict has been defined as “a form of interrole conflict in which the role pressures from the work and family domains are mutually incompatible is some respect” (Greenhaus & Beutell, 1985). The work-family conflicts items which the author decides to use were adapted by Carlson, Kacmar, and Williams (2000), and the total items are 18. Sample items are “My work keeps me from my family activities more than I would like” & ”The time I spend on family responsibilities often interfere with my work responsibilities” This measure is assessed in 5-point Likert Scale, ranging from 1 strongly disagreement to 5 strongly agreement.
3.3 Control variables
The author controlled individual and organizational features that may affect dependent variables including sex, age, educational level, marriage status, and job
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tenure. And the control variables are described as follows:
3.3.1 Control variables for burnout
(1) Marriage
Maslach (1982) argued that employees who are unmarried are superior at work to those who are already married, because unmarried employees don’t have to cope with so many chores as married employees do. Therefore, employees who are single feel less exhausted than the employees who are married do.
(2) Age
Cherniss (1982) indicated that if employees are young, they may have a passion for their job so that they can easily relieve themselves from burnout.
(3) Educational Background
An employee who has a lot of schooling is more capable of relieving himself or herself from burnout so as to overcome the difficulties in company (Maslach &
Cherniss, 1982).
(4) Sex
It was reported that female employee perceives burnout is higher than male employee (Council of Labor Affairs, 2007).
(5) Job tenure
Anderson (1980) indicated that employees can adapt themselves to work conditions including burnout, work conflicts, red tape, etc. if they have worked for the company for a long time.
3.3.2 Control variable for work-family conflicts
(1) Sex
With the passing of time, women have made great strides in every walk of life.
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Therefore, if they are asked to play the role well between job and family, the conflicts may arise (Greenhaus & Beutell, 1980).
(2) Marriage
Employees who are married need to take good care of the relation between job and family. If family and job is too tough to cope with, conflicts may arise and consequently nothing gets done (Cooper, 1992).
(3) Job tenure
Employees’ salary and position may be raised alone with their job tenures.
Linney et al. (2008) indicated that money and social status can buffer the negative impact of work-family conflicts.