¹Department of Management, John Molson School of Business, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Correspondence: M Jamal, Department of Management, John Molson School of Business, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3G 1M8. Tel: (514) 848 2424, ext. 2935; Fax: (514) 848 4292; E-mail: Mjamal@JMSB.Concordia.ca

Abstract

This study examined the relationship of job stress with overall burnout and its three dimensions (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and lack of accomplishment) and health problems among employees in Canada (N=535) and the People's Republic of China (N=685). Data were collected by means of a structured questionnaire from Canadian employees in Montreal and Chinese employees in Beijing. Pearson correlation and moderated multiple regressions were used to analyze the data. Job stressors such as work overload, ambiguity, conflict and resource inadequacy, were significantly related to many dependent variables in both countries. Moderated multiple regressions only marginally supported the role of gender as a moderator of stressor–burnout relationship. Implications of findings are discussed for cross-cultural research.