Quality of management by objectives, task-related stressors, and non-task-related stressors as predictors of stress and job satisfaction among teleworkers

This study examined the effects of management behaviour together with jobrelated and non-job-related stressors on stress experience and job satisfaction among teleworkers. Fifty-four participants were full- or part-time teleworkers, and eighteen participants were members of a nonteleworking control group with comparable working tasks recruited from the same companies. Self-report measures of quality of MBO, task-related stressors, and non-job-related stressors (predictors) were collected, together with measures of participants' stress experience and job satisfaction (criteria). The three predictor variables represented rather independent stress factors. Consistent with expectations, non-job-related stressors were higher for teleworkers working predominantly at home compared to office-centred teleworkers and nonteleworking controls. Moreover, regression analyses indicated significant effects of quality of MBO and non-job-related stressors on teleworkers' stress experience and job satisfaction. Occupational health and management implications of these results for preventive and prospective aspects of telework design are discussed.