BUKU ABSTRAK - Universiti Putra Malaysia

Social Sciences
A Preliminary Study on Occupational Stress and Job Satisfaction among Male
Navy Personnel at a Naval Base in Lumut, Malaysia
Dr. Mansor Abu Talib
Rumaya Juhari, Rusinah Joned and NorLiyana Mohd. Bokhti
Faculty of Human Ecology, University Putra Malaysia,
43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
+603-8946 7053; mansorat@putra.upm.edu.my
Job satisfaction and occupational stress both indicate workers’ appraisal towards the workplace and work
itself. Thus, it is important to have valid measure of job satisfaction and occupational stress. This measure is also
important in the Malaysian workplace context. A total of 40 male officers and non-officers, from the seaman and
engineering and supply branch in the Lumut Naval Base participated in the study. Data were collected using a
self-administered questionnaire, the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS; Spector, 1985) and Job Related Tension Index
(JRTI; Kahn et al., 1964). This preliminary study established internal consistency using Cronbach alpha values
for both instruments. Factor analysis on JSS yielded similar constructs to the original scale. Additionally, the
study determined the level of occupational stress, job satisfaction and relationship between occupational stress
and job satisfaction facets. The findings of the study revealed that the reliability of both instruments were greater
than .80. Most male Navy personnel reported moderate levels of job satisfaction in the favorable nature of work
facet. High occupational stress on the other hand, was related to an unknown superior’s evaluation of one’s
workplace performance. Correlational analyses found that occupational stress was associated with overall job
satisfaction and in eight of its facets. Collectively, results provide evidence that both instruments are reliable in
the Malaysian military setting context. Caution should be made that findings of this preliminary study should not
be generalised to the larger population due to its small sample size.
Keywords: Job satisfaction, occupational stress, male navy
Essences and Meaning of Being Mandated for Counselling
Dr. Mansor Abu Talib
Faculty of Human Ecology, University Putra Malaysia,
43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
+603-8946 7053; mansorat@putra.upm.edu.my
Counselling is characterised by an explicit agreement between a counsellor and client to meet in a certain,
private setting at agreed times and under disciplined conditions of confidentiality, with ethical parameters,
protected time and specified aims and can be activated through referral services. However, this could contribute
to the phenomenon of involuntary participation, especially in the case of mandated counselling. Mandated
counselling as an avenue to ensure individuals present for counselling, is practiced in educational settings, such
as in higher learning institutions. It is argued that the involuntary nature of mandated counselling could somehow
influence the counselling process and outcome. Nevertheless, there is an increased use of counselling services for
referral cases such as disciplinary mandate, and the question of whether this intrusive and coercive phenomenon
impinges on counselling effectiveness, becomes important. The aim of the study reported in this paper, is to
understand and describe the lived experiences of university students mandated for counselling. Seven students
were interviewed to better understand their individual subjective experiences. Data were analysed according to
phenomenological analysis (Moustakas, 1994). Findings showed that the meaning-making can be both positive
and negative. Counsellor presence, continuous outreaching and other interventions were suggested by respondents.
Keywords: Mandated counselling, referral services, undergraduates, eastern values
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