DOI:10.6129/CJP.202103_63(1).0003
Chinese Journal of Psychology 2021, Vol.63, No.1, 41-72

One Moment of Patience, One Hundred Years of Peace? Strategies of Interpersonal Stress Coping in Chinese Organizations

Li-Yeu Yu（Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University）；Tsung-Yu Wu（Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University）；Feng-Hsia Kao（Department of Health Care Management, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences）；Hao-Cheng Lo（Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University）

Abstract

Previous research has identified context-specific interpersonal stressors in Chinese organizations that are negatively related to employee health. However, the issue regarding how Chinese workers cope with these interpersonal stressors is still unclear and requires further clarification. Thus, we conducted three studies to clarify this issue. Study 1 adopted an inductive approach (N = 184) to explore the strategies of interpersonal stress coping in Chinese organizations. Study 2 developed a new Chinese interpersonal stress coping survey and used confirmatory factor analysis (N = 237) to examine its construct validity. Study 3 drew on the transactional process model to explore the relationships between the strategies of Chinese interpersonal stress coping and their antecedents and outcomes with a multilevel model (N = 170). The results revealed that Chinese workers used specific strategies to cope with interpersonal stress, including proactive resolution, patience, passive escape, and cognitive adaptation. Moreover, the results also demonstrated that relative power appraisal and relationship quality appraisal at event-level and harmony motives at the individual-level were related to different strategies of coping with interpersonal stress and that different coping strategies affect emotional exhaustion differently. Based on the research findings, we proposed a twodimensional model (i.e., approach/avoidance, high/low energy investment) to explain the mechanisms underlying Chinese individuals’ coping with interpersonal stress. Overall, this study explored the strategies of interpersonal stress coping in Chinese organizations. We discuss the research findings, managerial implications, limitations, and directions for future research in the last section of this paper.

Keywords: stress coping, interpersonal stress coping, transactional process model, harmony motives