Stress, Burnout, and Job Satisfaction

Abstract

Basic-level police work in China is regarded as highly stressful. The purpose of this article is to examine the relationship between stress, job satisfaction, job burnout, and locus of control as related to the police work. The article consists of an empirical study with a sample of 521 basic-level policemen and policewomen in an autonomous region of China. Participants completed a series of questionnaires that included Police Stress Questionnaire, the Overall Job Satisfaction Scale, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, and the Internality, Powerful Others, and Chance Scale. The results indicated that police stress was negatively related to job satisfaction, whereas it was positively related to job burnout. The relationship between police stress and job satisfaction was mediated by job burnout. Locus of control acted as a moderator in the stress–burnout relationship as well as in the burnout–satisfaction relationship. The findings had certain practical implications for mental health, police management, and personnel recruitment of police in China.