Psychological capital as a moderator in the relationship between job autonomy and job stress: The case of Pakistan financial services firms

Abstract

The annual costs caused by occupation-related stress are currently estimated at billions of dollars. This study examines the interactive role of psychological capital in the relationship between job autonomy and job stress. The researcher used the time-lagged method to collect the data from six hundred and eighty-eight (N = 688) employees offering financial services at the emerging market. Multiple hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the hypothesis. The results revealed a nonlinear U-shaped relationship between job autonomy and job stress. The results also indicated a negative association between psychological capital and job stress. The analysis showed that psychological capital suggests the curvilinear association between job autonomy and job stress. The empirical research has demonstrated that a reasonable level of job autonomy may: (i) be more valuable to employees; (ii) intrinsically motivate the employees by making the job meaningful, interesting and enjoyable, thus resulting in less job stress. A high level of job autonomy may decrease job stress if employees have developed all elements of psychological capital; otherwise, it leads to a rising level of job stress.