Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Occupational-Stress Research

Authors

Irvin Sam Schonfeld, CUNY Graduate CenterFollow
Edwin Farrell, CUNY City College

Document Type

Book Chapter or Section

Publication Date

2009

Abstract

The paper examined the ways in which qualitative and quantitative methods support each other in research on occupational stress. Qualitative methods include (a) eliciting from unconstrained descriptions of work experiences, (b) careful first-hand observations at the workplace, and (c) participant‑observers describing “from the inside” a particular work experience. The paper shows how qualitative research stimulates theory development, hypothesis generation, and the identification of job stressors and coping responses. The limitations of qualitative research, particularly in the area of verification, are also described.

Comments

This work was originally published in "Stress and Quality of Working Life: The Positive and the Negative," edited by A.M. Rossi, J. C. Quick, & P. L. Perrewé.

My coauthor Edwin Farrell died in 2017.