Predictors of Work Performance Among Higher Education Employees: An Examination Using the ASSET Model of Stress

This study used university-based statistics of performance and self-rated employee productivity to examine the relationship between stress levels, organizational commitment, health, and performance. The authors conducted a secondary analysis of data from staff in 13 higher education institutions. In common with earlier research, the authors found that stressors had a negative linear relationship with all the performance measures used. However, this relationship was also influenced by physical health, psychological well-being, and organizational commitment, and by the measure of performance used. In addition, the authors found variations in the relationship between performance and stress by category of staff, which suggests the influence of job factors. These findings are discussed in relation to previous research and their implications for English academic institutions.