| This study examines the impact of foreign worker status on workplace stress. Over the last few years, a considerable amount of public concern and empirical research has been devoted to the issue of job-related stress, both within the United States and globally. Foreign employees with temporary visas are subject to considerable uncertainty about the length and conditions of their stay in the host country, which is likely to contribute to stress. A model is proposed to represent the workplace experience of foreign employees in comparison to that of permanent residents and U.S. citizens. It is hypothesized that the effect of foreign status on stress is mediated by six factors: residential insecurity, job insecurity, local network ties, level of empowerment, role ambiguity and perceived discrimination. Stress, in turn, reduces job satisfaction, increases negative feelings, and produces physical illness symptoms. It is also proposed that foreign status intensifies these relationships, and that collectivist values make foreign employees more subject to stress.; This study uses a survey design. The sample includes both foreign and American employees working in the U.S. Using an online survey provider, acceptable responses were gathered from 435 respondents. 27% of those sampled. These data were used to test 25 specific hypotheses. In all, fifteen of the hypotheses are supported, nine not supported, and one partially supported. It was found that foreign worker status does increase stress, but that it does so indirectly by increasing job insecurity and the perception of being discriminated against, both of which have direct positive effects on stress. Perceived discrimination was found to have a greater effect on stress for foreign employees than for permanent residents and U.S. citizens. In keeping with previous findings, workplace stress strongly decreases job satisfaction, and increases both depressive feelings and physical illness symptoms. The negative effect of stress on job satisfaction is greater for foreign than for non-foreign employees. Collectivist values increase stress among foreign employees but not among permanent residents or U.S. citizens. This report ends with a discussion of contributions to the literature, limitations of the design, implications for practice, and suggestions for future research. |
