Why do challenge stressors support and then desert us? The moderating and mediating role of psychological capital

• Xingyu Feng

  Xiamen Guoxin Credit Big Data Innovation Research Institute

• Kefan Tao

  City University of Hong Kong

• Shan Chen

  University of Science and Technology of China

• Hu Tian

  City University of Macau

• Zhaopeng Xing

  Xiamen University

We investigated how psychological capital affects employees’ cognitive appraisal of stress in the workplace. We conducted a three-wave longitudinal survey with 372 Chinese employees and obtained the following results: First, psychological capital buffered individual appraisals of hindrance stress. Second, low levels of challenging stressors were negatively related to individual appraisals of hindrance stress, whereas high levels of challenging demands were positively associated with these appraisals. Third, challenge stressors had an inverted U-shaped relationship with psychological capital and a U-shaped relationship with the process of appraising hindrance stressors. Fourth, psychological capital mediated the moderating effect of challenge stressors on hindrance stressors and hindrance appraisal. We discuss the theoretical contributions and practical applications of this research.

1. Xingyu Feng, Xiamen Guoxin Credit Big Data Innovation Research Institute
   Application Laboratory
2. Kefan Tao, City University of Hong Kong
   College of Liberal Arts and Social Science
3. Shan Chen, University of Science and Technology of China
   School of Humanities and Social Sciences
4. Hu Tian, City University of Macau
   Faculty of Business
5. Zhaopeng Xing, Xiamen University
   Department of Finance

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