Workplace stress and job satisfaction among child protective service workers in South Korea: Focusing on the buffering effects of protective factors

The aim of this study was to examine the relationships among workplace stressors including role ambiguity, role conflict, and role overload; organizational protective factors such as rapport with supervisor and client-centered supervision; personal protective factors including prosocial behavior and problem-focused strategies; and job satisfaction among a sample of Child Protection Services (CPS) workers in South Korea. Using a path analysis, the current study verified that rapport with supervisor, client-centered supervision, prosocial behaviors, and problem-focused strategies were protective factors among South Korean CPS workers; however, as protective buffers, each of these factors functioned differently against each stressor. We found that rapport with supervisor was a prominent protective factor against both role ambiguity and role conflict; problem-focused strategies had a protective effect against role ambiguity; and prosocial behavior and problem-focused strategies had other direct effects on job satisfaction. Based on our findings, we suggest implementing effective strategies to further develop rapport with supervisor, prosocial behavior, and problem-focused strategies for the purpose of increasing job satisfaction among CPS workers.