The Mediating Role of Psychosocial Working Conditions on Physical Work Environment and Workplace Stress in Higher Education: Empirical Evidence from Selected HEIs in Southern Philippines

Many factors, including workload, student-related issues, research and job development, interpersonal relationships, and administrative-related issues, have been linked to workplace stress, with higher academic institutions (HEIs) seeing the most of it. While several studies have looked into various aspects of work stress in HEIs, very few studies have investigated how psychosocial factors mediate the effect of the physical environment to work stress. Thus, this study is conducted to empirically test how psychosocial working conditions significantly mediate the influence of Physical work Environment on workplace stress in Higher Education Institutions in the Philippines. Involving 265 teaching faculty in selected HEIs in Southern Philippines, the study utilized structural equation modeling to analyze the interest constructs. The results showed that Physical Work Environment significantly influences Psychosocial Work Environment while Psychosocial Work Environment significantly influences work stress). In contrast, the path from Physical Work Environment to work stress was not statistically significant. Thus, Psychosocial Work Environment fully mediates the influence of the Physical Work Environment on an individual’s work stress level. Put differently, physical work environment could only result in work stress if Psychosocial Work Environment mediates it.