Emerald Management Reviews

Design/methodology/approach - Observes that previous meta-analytical reviews of studies into the effects of stressors on job performance have been limited, for example by focusing only on the effects of role conflict and role ambiguity stressors, or by reviewing only studies that do not make use of unpublished studies. States that the current meta-analysis extends current knowledge by providing a comprehensive definition of job performance, by including additional stressors, namely role overload, job insecurity, work-family conflict, environmental uncertainty and situational constraints, and by exploring a range of stressor-performance moderators such as published versus unpublished studies. Draws on data from 169 independent samples and applies a number of meta-analysis techniques, for example Hunter and Schmidt (2004) procedures to correct observed correlations for sampling error and unreliability.

Findings - Notes that all stressor-performance relationships were consistently negative, with the meta correlations for role ambiguity and situational constraints being higher relative to the meta correlations of the other five stressors. Adds, inter alia, that job insecurity had a modest association with job performance, and that the relationship between work-family conflict and supervisor-rated performance was not significant.

Research limitations/implications - Identifies a number of research limitations, and remarks that stress interventions on individual performance could be researched further.

Practical implications - Discusses several practical implications, for example that organizations should give priority to stressors such as role ambiguity and situational constraints.

Originality/value - Bases conclusions on a usefully wide range of source material.