UC Merced

This research integrates insights from occupational health psychology, and organizational behavior to examine the tipping point between eustress (positive stress) and psychological distress (negative stress) at work. A theoretical model was developed to examine how these two types of occupational stress are formed and impact on employee performance. I conducted three studies, each providing unique insights and a triangulated validation of my theoretical model. First, I conducted qualitative interviews (Study 1) with registered nurses to explore their experiences with occupational stress and understand how it impacts their performance. Next, I conducted an experiment (Study 2) with nursing staff, manipulating time pressure to examine their stress responses and the formation of eustress and psychological distress. Finally, I conducted a survey research (Study 3) with frontline healthcare workers to validate the developed model using insights from previous studies. In line with my theoretical model, the findings across three studies consistently support the notion that psychological distress arises when a stressor is evaluated as negative and dysfunctional. The findings also confirm that psychological distress negatively impacts performance outcomes, ultimately increasing the intent to turnover. In my experiment, a growth mindset did not significantly moderate the relationship between a stressor and occupational stress. This suggests that a growth mindset does not influence how a stressor is evaluated and perceived as positive and linked to eustress, or negative and associated with psychological distress. In my survey research, a growth mindset did not significantly moderate the relationship between a stressor and psychological distress. Furthermore, I did not find meaningful evidence supporting the existence of eustress in survey research. There was no validation for how eustress arises from the evaluation of a stressor as positive and functional stress. In my experiment, the manipulation of time pressure did not seem to work, and order effects were observed despite counterbalancing. It is possible that the testing environment was not ideal for studying time pressure as a stressor. Nurses, for instance, typically do not take timed tests in their daily work, so the task may not have accurately reflected the stressors they encounter in practice. Future research should refine the measurement of stressors in real-world work environments, particularly in healthcare settings, and explore other potential moderators to deepen our understanding of the complex dynamics between stress, employee performance, and well-being. Organizations should implement stress management strategies to support employees and enhance their well-being and performance.