The Impact of Workplace Stressors on Exhaustion and Work Engagement in Policing

This paper uses the challenge-hindrance stressor framework and draws on Conservation of Resources theory to examine the differential impact of challenge and hindrance stressors on individuals’ well-being and work engagement in policing. A hypothesised model was developed and tested in two studies of officers and staff working in English police forces. Study 1 utilised cross-sectional data (N = 469), while in study 2, to reduce common-method variance concerns, we utilised two-wave data (N = 823). The results show that challenge stressors, which relate to work demands that while difficult, provide the opportunity for personal growth, mastery and goal attainment, are positively related to individuals’ level of effort and enthusiasm they invest into their work. Further, the results indicate that while challenge stressors are positively related to exhaustion cross-sectionally, they do not appear to have long-term negative effects. Conversely, hindrance stressors, which act as barriers to goal attainment and performance, increase exhaustion in the long-term and negatively impact work engagement cross-sectionally. Our findings provide a more nuanced understanding of the impacts of organisational stressors in policing. They suggest that forces should remove or reduce hindrance stressors where possible, and provide support to officers and staff who face high levels of challenge stressors.