Testing the Job Demands‐Resources Model for Nigerian Prison Staff Job Stress
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/hojo.12245 |
| Date | 01 June 2018 |
| Published date | 01 June 2018 |
| Author | SMART OTU,O. OKO ELECHI,ERIC G. LAMBERT |
The Howard Journal Vol57 No 2. June 2018 DOI: 10.1111/hojo.12245
ISSN 2059-1098, pp. 152–181
Testing the Job Demands-Resources
Model for Nigerian Prison Staff Job
Stress
SMART OTU, ERIC G. LAMBERT and O. OKO ELECHI
Smart Otu is Professor, Department of Sociology/Psychology/Criminology &
Security Studies, Federal University, Nigeria; Eric G. Lambert is Professor,
Department of Criminal Justice, University of Nevada, USA; O. Oko Elechi is
Professor, Department of Criminal Justice, Mississippi Valley State University,
USA
Abstract: Job stress is the psychological tension, distress, and anxiety caused by stressors
at work, and job stress is linked to numerous negative outcomes. While the nature of
working with inmates can cause stress, work environment variables also contribute to the
job stress of prison staff. The current study used the job demands-resource model as a
theoretical guide to explore the effects of job demand variables (that is, perceived danger-
ousness of the job, and role overload) and job resource variables (that is, supervision, job
variety, instrumental communication, and job autonomy) on the job stress of staff at a
medium-security prison in Southeast Nigeria. Perceiveddangerousness of the job and role
overload increased stress from the job while supervision reduced job stress. Job variety,
instrumental communication, and job autonomy did not have significant positive effects
on job stress. The results partially supported the job demands-resources model; however,
specific work environment variables varied in terms of their statistical significance. Prison
administrators need to be aware of the contribution that work environment variables have
on job stress and need to make changes to reduce job stress among prison staff.
Keywords: correctional staff; job demands-resources model; job satisfaction;
Nigeria; prison staff
Operating a prison safely and humanely requires staff to perform a multi-
tude of tasks and duties; this means that staff have an enormous influence
on the lives of inmates (Tewksbury and Higgins 2006). In a sense, staff are
a prison’s heart and soul. Staff are a valuable resource for prisons across
nations. In order to maintain this resource, efforts need to be undertaken
to ensure a positive work experience. Working in corrections is a unique,
and sometimes demanding, experience (Crawley 2004). The prison work
environment is unique because it involves confining individuals against
their will – individuals who have been convicted of violating criminal law
(Liebling 2004). Armstrong and Griffin (2004) contended that: ‘few other
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2018 The Howard League and John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK
The Howard Journal Vol57 No 2. June 2018
ISSN 2059-1098, pp. 152–181
organizations are charged with the central task of supervising and secur-
ing an unwilling and potentially violent population’ (p.577). Completely
unstressed staff is not realistic, but overly-stressed staff can lead to a poorly-
run prison (Lambert, Hogan and Griffin 2007). In the correctional liter-
ature, job stress is usually defined as feelings of work-related hardness,
tension, frustration, and distress (Blevins et al. 2006; Cullen et al. 1985;
Grossi, Keil and Vito 1996).
Job stress is detrimental for both staff and agencies. It can lead to greater
work absenteeism, increased job burnout, lower job satisfaction, decreased
organisational commitment, reduced job performance, higher risks of sub-
stance abuse problems, greater physical and mental health problems, de-
terioration of social and family relationships, diminished life satisfaction,
heightened chance of suicide, and even early death (Cheek and Howard
1984; Cheek and Miller 1983; Dowden and Tellier 2004; Finn 1998,
Lambert 2004; Lambert et al. 2005a; Lambert et al. 2005b; L ambert and
Hogan 2009; Stack and Tsoudis 1997). Prison staff commit suicide at a
rate which is 39% higher than that of the general population (Kochanek,
Murphy and Xu 2015). Moreover, prison staff have an average life ex-
pectancy of 59 years, 16 years shorter than the US average of 75 years, and
prolonged job stress is considered to be one of the major reasons for their
shorter lifespan (Tracy 2004; Woodruff 1993).
In light of the damaging consequences, it is critical to identify and un-
derstand the forces that shape and influence job stress. Researchers have
answered this call. There is a growing body of studies which have ex-
amined both the possible causes and consequences of job stress among
prison staff. Higgins, Tewksbury and Denney (2013) found more than 80
articles since 1985 dealing with job stress among correctional staff. This
research supports the postulation that work environment variables play an
important role in either raising or reducing the job stress of staff (Arm-
strong and Griffin 2004; Dowden and Tellier 2004; Griffin 2006; Lam-
bert and Hogan 2010; Lambert and Paoline 2008; Triplett, Mullings and
Scarborough 1996; Wells et al. 2009). The vast majority of these past stud-
ies have focused on personnel in Western nations, particularly the US.
Veryfew studies have been published in Western journals concerning how
various work environment variables are associated with job stress among
prison staff in non-Western nations, particularly African ones (Jefferson
2007; Martin, Jefferson and Bandyopadhyay 2014). This exploratory study
was undertaken to fill this void. Specifically, the current study examined
how various work environment variables of perceived dangerousness of
the job, role overload, supervision, job variety, instrumental communica-
tion, and job autonomy were associated with job stress of staff at a prison
in the Southeast part of the Federal Republic of Nigeria [hereafter cited as
Nigeria]. Nigeria was chosen because it is a populous, growing, and im-
portant African nation. Nigeria has a significant influence on other African
nations due to its economic resources and its population size (Bratton 2004;
Lambert et al. 2012). Nigeria has a population of about 186 million, making
it the eighth most populous nation in the world, and one out of every five
Africans is a Nigerian (World Factbook 2017).
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