Development of the sources of work stress inventory

This article describes the development of the Sources of Work Stress Inventory (SWSI). Factor analyses of the generated items produced (a) a General Work Stress Scale and (b) eight Sources of Work Stress scales, namely Bureaucracy/Autonomy, Relationships, Tools and Equipment, Workload, Role Ambiguity, Work/Home Interface, Job Security and Career Advancement. Rasch rating scale analyses supported the construct validity and reliability of the scales. A multiple regression analysis confirmed the expected strong relationship between the different sources of work stress and the experience of stress in the workplace. It is concluded that the SWSI shows promise as a measure of work stress in the South African context.