Levels of job stress among 4-H Agents within the University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

This was a study of the work environment and job stress of the 4-H Agents across the state of Tennessee. Previous studies looking into the level of satisfaction in Extension had revealed that the 4-H Agent was the most dissatisfied sector within the system, regardless of which state the study examinedThe instrument used in this study focused on the stress levels facing the individual in the workplace. Research has linked the level of stress to the level of satisfaction. It was hoped that this study could be used to identify job stress areas that the administration of the University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service (UTAES) could focus on to increase the level of 4-H Agents' job satisfaction. Ultimately this action could reduce the rate of turn over of the individuals possessing the job responsibility of 4-H Agent within UTAES.

This study identified the following areas of the work environment: Occupation Roles with the subset of role overload, role insufficiency, role ambiguity, role boundary, responsibility, and physical environment; Personal Strain with the subset of vocational strain, psychological strain, interpersonal strain, and physical strain; and finally Personal Resources with the subset of recreation, self-care, social support, and rational/cognitive areas. The instrument used was the Occupational Stress Inventory Revised Edition by Samuel H. Osipow, PhD. This study was a total population study of 113 agents with 100 percent youth responsibilities. Seventy-six percent or 86 usable surveys were returnedEach section revealed ratings over and above the normal levels as recommended by the OSI-R™. The areas of role overload, role ambiguity, role boundary, vocational strain, physical strain, recreation, and rational/cognitive were the highest sectors with role overload the most stressed at 51.2 percent of the agents replying in a higher than normal stress level.

No set pattern was established for the high stress levels across the state. However when broken down according to districts, the Western District and the Cumberland Districts displayed the highest stress levels with the highest stress scores in each of the five sections. The Western District scored the highest among the state in the areas of Responsibility, Vocational Stress, Role Overload, Interpersonal Stress and Self-Care. The Cumberland District scored the highest in the state in the areas of Role Insufficiency, Role Ambiguity, Role Boundary, Physical Environment, and Psychological Stress. The Central District and the Smoky Mountain District each had only two areas to score high stress levels in comparison to the entire state data. The two areas the Central District scored the highest in were Recreation and Social Support. The Smoky Mountain District scored the highest in Rational/Cognitive Coping and Physical Strain.