Cynicism as a Mediator of Relations between Job Stress and Work Alienation: A Study from a Developing Country – Turkey

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of job stress and cynicism on work alienation in nurses. Three distinct contributions beyond the existing literature are examined. First, cynicism is positioned as a mediator in the relationship between job stress and work alienation. Second, the differences in job stress, cynicism and work alienation according to demographic variables are investigated. Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative survey was carried out among the one of the largest public hospitals in Istanbul, Turkey. The data from 199 nurses was collected via surveys and SPSS Statistics version 18.0 and these were employed as statistical techniques to carry out the objectives of the study. Findings: It was determined that there was a significant relationship between job stress, cynicism and work alienation. According to the aim of this research it was concluded that cynicism is a partial mediator in the relationship between job stress and work alienation. The results indicate that cynicism and work alienation on the part of the participants differs according to organization seniority. Originality/value: The main objective of this study is to focus on the problem of job stress, cynicism and work alienation. Few studies have been carried out on these topics in the health sector in the context of a developing country. The original nature of this research is that it fills in the gaps in this topic. The health care sector was selected for this study for a number of reasons. First, health care is one of the most important and rapidly growing sectors in Turkey. Second, it is a huge economic power in the Turkish economy. Third, a literature review demonstrates that job stress, cynicism and work alienation are important topics for success in the health sector. Thus, it is expected that this research will contribute to the success of the health sector.