Cooperation and stress: Exploring the differential impact of job satisfaction, communication and culture

The purpose of the case study was to examine the varying impact of job‐level and organization‐level characteristics on team‐level cooperation and feelings of stress. In attempting to highlight the relevance of sub‐cultures, it compares these relationships across two departments in an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) company operating in Australia.

Uses survey data from a medium size company in the ICT industry operating in Australia. There were 397 respondents to the survey.

Statistical analyses show that job satisfaction and positive communication with managers are strong predictors of feelings of stress and perceived cooperation. Further scrutiny of the data at sub‐unit levels, clearly suggests that the cultural variant is a strong mediator of these relationships.

Adds to the evidence that the social and organizational aspects of the workplace are potential explanatory variables in finding lasting cures for workplace stress.