The effect of a nation-specific stressor on well-being: Guanxi in Chinese workplace

Abstract

This study differentiates between task resources and social resources and extends the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model with guanxi exchange. This is a typical Chinese form of social exchange between the employee and his or her supervisor that is based on the give-and-take of favors. Hypotheses were tested in two Chinese samples of police officers (N = 466) and nurses (N = 261). Multigroup structural equation analyses supported the distinction between social resources and task resources. Task resources predicted well-being in nurses, whereas social resources predicted well-being in police officers. Further, guanxi exchange with supervisors was associated with social as well as with task resources. Moreover, in nurses guanxi exchange was related with engagement, whereas in police officers it was related with burnout. In conclusion: (1) task and social resources are two distinct types of job resources that play a slightly different role in a law enforcement as compared to a health care setting; (2) guanxi exchange can be integrated into the JD-R model, thereby increasing its relevance for the Chinese work context.