Institutional Context and Stress Appraisal: The Experience of Life Insurance Agents in Singapore

This paper examines the experience of work stress & its psychological consequences among Singapore's life insurance agents in the context of the institutional arrangements of the life insurance industry. Results showed that our insurance agents generally experienced a low level of work stre...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Asian and African studies (Leiden) 2000-01, Vol.35 (2), p.209-228
Main Authors: Ko, Yiu Chung, Chan, Kwok Bun, Boey, Kam Weng, Lai, Gina
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Employees
Financial services
Industrywide conditions
Institutional aspects
Insurance
Life insurance
Mental Health
Occupational Stress
Service Industries
Singapore
Sociology
Sociology of work
Sociology of work and sociology of organizations
Stress
Work organization. Working relations
Working conditions
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Summary:This paper examines the experience of work stress & its psychological consequences among Singapore's life insurance agents in the context of the institutional arrangements of the life insurance industry. Results showed that our insurance agents generally experienced a low level of work stress, probably due to the cushioning effects of a supportive work environment of the industry. The most stress was found to be derived from work demands, & the least stress from interpersonal relationships at the workplace. Work demands were also found to contribute to the overall experience of work stress. However, such stress did not deter them from having a satisfactory work life nor did it result in mental ill health. Rather, job satisfaction & mental health were associated with emotional strains caused by professionals. The professional expectation for working independently may predispose the agents to self-isolation & loneliness while trying to hide their weaknesses & keep their problems to themselves. These feelings were aggravated by the generally low level of acceptance of the insurance profession by Singapore society. 6 Tables, 28 References. Adapted from the source document.
ISSN:0021-9096
1745-2538
1568-5217
DOI:10.1163/156852100512202