| This dissertation seeks to understand the relationships between the workplace culture, job stress, and drinking patterns among a sample of Alberta employees. Limited research exists on this topic, especially when considering the use of alcohol by the workforce both in general (i.e., outside of work) and more specifically during the workday. Given that alcohol is the most widely used and misused substance in the workforce, it is essential to examine the reasons for which employees consume alcohol.; Data for the current project were obtained from the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission's 2002 survey on substance use in the workplace. A total of 1,890 respondents, representing 67% of all survey participants, answered questions regarding their pattern of alcohol use in the twelve months preceding the survey. Using multinomial logistic regression to analyze results, the best predictors for increased alcohol consumption were determined.; The results clearly demonstrate that the ease at which employees can access alcohol has the greatest influence on the manner in which they drink- it was an unfailing predictor for both men and women. Results from this dissertation however, do not support earlier research indicating members of male-dominated occupations experience increased drinking more than female-dominated positions. Furthermore, the current results also show no significant relationships between perceived job stress and alcohol use. The personal assessments of stress do not directly result in increased self-reported alcohol use, although it was found that job characteristics contributing to job stress do affect alcohol consumption in certain circumstances. These findings emphasize the importance of job characteristics as predictors for drinking, and more specifically, the influence that the workplace has on the drinking patterns of its employees.; When considering other substance use (e.g., marijuana and tobacco), it was shown that the ease at which male employees access marijuana, affects how often they consume it. Gender composition of an occupation was found to affect both male and female tobacco use, particularly when examining moderate and heavy smokers. |
