The moderating effect of locus of control on job stress-job satisfaction relationship: evidence from the banking industry in Vietnam Abstract This research aims to investigate the impa
Introduction
Employees are among the most valuable assets a firm has, and in the banking industry, the rapid growth of the market has coincided with rising job stress among bank employees Job stress refers to the aspects of the working environment that threaten an individual’s well-being, a concept described by Caplan, Cobb, and French (1975) Malik (2011) argues that globalization and heightened competition have driven rapid and substantial changes in the global banking sector, and these dynamics contribute to a stressful work atmosphere for bank staff.
Besides, a wide range of prior studies show that bank employees have experienced a high level of stress and low job satisfaction (Devi & Sharma, 2013; Bajpai &
Research in the banking industry has documented a negative relationship between job stress and job satisfaction (Srivastava, 2004; Karatepe & Aga, 2013) Malik and Waheed (2010) also report this negative association in the banking sector Other studies indicate that bank employees face issues such as low wages, high turnover, and job insecurity, factors that may lead to low job satisfaction (Springer, 2011; Belias, Koustelios, Sdrolias & Aspridis).
Across different industries, research consistently shows a relationship between job stress and job satisfaction This pattern is documented in several studies (Behrman, 1984; Grefson & Wendell, 1994; Chiu, Chien, Lin & Hsiao, 2005; Khattak, Ul-Ain & Iqbal, 2013) For example, Chen and Silverthorne (2008) examine job stress in accounting firms, and Siegal (2000) investigates three dimensions of job stress in software companies Balogun and colleagues also contribute to understanding how job stress relates to employee outcomes across sectors.
Olowodunoye (2012) confirms that job satisfaction significantly affects turnover intention among bank employees This finding underscores the importance of managing the job stress–job satisfaction relationship, a key factor in human resources management, with implications for employee retention, engagement, and overall organizational performance in the banking sector.
Vietnam's banking sector has grown remarkably in recent years According to the National Financial Supervisory Commission, the system now includes 35 local commercial banks and 55 foreign bank branches, a significant rise from just four commercial banks in 1986 Since Vietnam joined the WTO in 2007, the banking market has become increasingly competitive, pushing bank employees to meet higher targets, deliver quality customer service, and complete tasks within tighter timeframes Ngoc (2016) argues that bank staff have faced elevated targets, role changes, shifting work conditions, heavy workloads, and reductions in wages and benefits, which contribute to intentions to quit The 2012 approval of Project 254 to restructure the credit institutions system and reduce weak banks further changed policies and working conditions, leading to higher voluntary turnover Lan (2015) reports an average banking-sector turnover rate of 15%, the highest among several industries, indicating high stress and low job satisfaction Accordingly, the current research examines the relationship between three dimensions of job stress—role ambiguity, role conflict, and work overload—and job satisfaction in Vietnam.
Many researchers propose that the link between job stress and job satisfaction depends on individual personality traits, with locus of control being a key moderator Locus of control describes beliefs about what determines whether rewards are obtained in life, as defined by Rotter (1966), who distinguishes external from internal orientations Although still relatively new in Vietnam, this concept has been explored in studies worldwide (Rahim, 1996; Judge, Erez, Bono & Thoresen, 2003; Chiu, Chien, Lin & Hsiao, 2005; Lee, 2013) Evidence such as Perrewe (1986) shows that employees with an external locus of control tend to experience higher levels of job stress and lower job satisfaction Taken together, these findings suggest that locus of control can moderate the job stress–job satisfaction relationship Recently, several Vietnamese banks have begun studying this moderating effect to manage human resources more effectively and enhance workplace outcomes.
Over the past few years, the Vietnamese banking industry has developed notably and undergone significant changes, yet these changes have coincided with high levels of job stress and low job satisfaction among bank employees In this context, locus of control may influence the relationship between job stress and job satisfaction, a link that has attracted research attention The current study aims to investigate locus of control as a moderator of the job stress–job satisfaction relationship in Vietnam’s banking sector Specifically, it examines the impact of role ambiguity, role conflict, and workload on job satisfaction, and it compares the locus of control effects between private and state-owned banks.
Literature review and hypothesis development
Foundational theory
Person–environment fit and person-organization fit theory
Using person-environment (P-E) fit and person-organization (P-O) fit theory, this study analyzes how the alignment between individuals and their work context relates to job stress and job satisfaction P-O fit refers to the antecedents and consequences of the fit between people and the organizations where they work, while person–job fit (a facet of P-E fit) considers how well a job matches an individual’s abilities and needs and contributes to variance in job attitudes When personality aligns with features of the work environment, people are happier and more successful in their roles Conversely, a low level of P-O fit can lead to job dissatisfaction, intentions to leave, and higher stress, indicating that better fit at both the person-organization and person-job levels can boost job satisfaction and minimize job stress.
The current study applies Rotter's 1954 social learning theory to locus of control, viewing personality as the outcome of the ongoing interaction between the individual and their environment Rotter (1966) defines locus of control as cross-situational beliefs about what determines whether reinforcement occurs in life Based on a person's beliefs and daily behavior, they can be classified as internal or external to the locus of control Those with an internal locus of control believe in their own ability to influence themselves and the world around them, while individuals with a high external locus of control tend to believe that personal outcomes depend on environmental factors (Rotter, 1990) People with different locus of control orientations respond differently to the environment, a distinction that will be explored in the subsequent sections.
Related review and hypothesis
Job stress and job satisfaction
Occupational stress, or job stress, occurs when job demands exceed an individual's abilities, creating a dynamic situation in which opportunities, constraints, or demands tied to what the person wants lead to outcomes that are both uncertain and important It can also be framed as characteristics of the job environment that threaten the individual Unlike general stress, job stress originates in the organization and workplace The factors that trigger this stress are known as stressors.
Many studies have focused on two key role stressors: role conflict and role ambiguity (Coverman, 1989; O’Driscoll & Beehr, 2000; Siegall, 2000; Behrman,
Organizational antecedents of job satisfaction are largely rooted in role ambiguity and role conflict, as noted by Van Sell, Brief & Schuler (1981); Fisher & Gitelson (1983); and Siegall (2000) According to Rahim (1996), job stress comprises four dimensions: role conflict, role ambiguity, role overload, and role insufficiency In the literature, most studies treat role overload as an additional dimension alongside role conflict and role ambiguity, as shown by Abraham (1997); Hang-Yue, Foley & Loi (2005); and Chiu et al.
Building on prior research, the present study investigates three job stressors: role conflict, role ambiguity, and role overload Role conflict and role ambiguity, as defined by Rizzo, House, and Lirtzman (1970), refer to discord between role requirements and to uncertainties about what actions are required to meet a role's expectations Cooper and Marshall (1976) extend these notions by describing role conflict as conflicting demands within a single role or across multiple roles, and role ambiguity as a lack of information about a particular role and the resulting uncertainty about expected behavior Elloy and Smith (2003) focus on role overload, arguing it arises when insufficient time prevents task completion and when multiple demands exceed available resources, whether the overload is qualitative (too difficult) or quantitative (too many tasks).
Job satisfaction is most commonly defined as how employees feel about their jobs and the various aspects of their work, a definition attributed to Spector (1997) It encompasses pleasurable, positive attitudes that result from evaluating one’s job and work experiences, a notion highlighted by Levy as cited in Morrison (2008).
Evidence shows that when employees feel happier in their jobs, they report higher job satisfaction (Gustainiene & Aukse, 2009) Shaikh, Bhutto, and Maitlo (2012) indicate that job satisfaction arises when workers enjoy their work or experience positive emotions after appraisal of their job performance Conversely, research links low job satisfaction to negative behaviours, including perceived unfair treatment (Donovan, Drasgow & Munson, 1998).
Person–environment (P–E) fit and person–organization (P–O) fit theory explain a negative link between job stress and job satisfaction: when employees’ abilities do not meet job demands, stress rises and satisfaction declines Numerous studies (Behrman, 1984; Yousef, 2002; Reilly, Dhingra & Boduszek, 2014) corroborate this negative relationship, with role ambiguity and role conflict shown to reduce job satisfaction (Behrman, 1984; Gregson & Wendell, 1994), and role overload found to lower both job satisfaction and job performance (Coverman, 1989) In the Vietnamese context, Lan (2015) reports bank workers facing sales pressure and work overload, returning home late and feeling exhausted, while Nam (2008) links job stress to exhaustion, low motivation, reduced performance and lower satisfaction Building on these findings, the current study assumes that three dimensions of job stress—role conflict, role ambiguity, and work overload—negatively affect job satisfaction, leading to the development of corresponding hypotheses.
H1a: There is a negative relationship between role ambiguity and job satisfaction of bank employees in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam
H1b: There is a negative relationship between role conflict and job satisfaction of bank employees in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam
H1c: There is a negative relationship between work overload and job satisfaction of bank employees in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam
Locus of control (LOC), job stress and job satisfaction
The relationship between job stress and job satisfaction is shaped by individual characteristics such as locus of control Based on Rotter's social learning theory (1954), locus of control is categorized into internal and external types Individuals with an internal locus of control believe that events in their life are under their own control, enabling them to regulate their emotions and exert their best effort to achieve success In contrast, those with an external locus of control attribute outcomes to external forces, which can influence how they cope with work stress and their overall job satisfaction.
People with an external locus of control believe that events are driven by chance, luck, or the influence of powerful others, rather than by their own actions As a result, they often attribute successes or failures to external circumstances and blame the environment for poor outcomes, a perspective described by Rotter (1966).
Individuals with an external locus of control tend to experience higher levels of stress and lower job satisfaction than those with an internal locus of control Srivastava and Sager (1999) argue that locus of control shapes the coping strategies people use to manage everyday problems and stress Numerous studies have identified a link between locus of control and job stress (Rahim, 1996; Kalbers & Fogarty).
2005), job satisfaction (Patten, 2005), and job performance separately (Judge et al.,
2003) Some studies discover the impact of locus of control on the relationship between job stress and job satisfaction (Fairbrother & Warn, 2003; Chen &
Silverthorne, 2008) Chiu, Chien, Lin, and Hsiao (2005) indicate that influences of perceived job stress on organizational commitment and job satisfaction are stronger for external locus of control than internals
Most studies have examined locus of control in relation to either job stress or job satisfaction, rather than exploring their combined interplay Reilly, Dhingra, and Boduszek (2014) suggest that job satisfaction is not only influenced by self-efficacy beliefs, self-esteem, and job stress but should also be examined in connection with locus of control In the banking sector, George and K.A (2015) compared levels of job stress and job satisfaction across different bank sectors but did not investigate the direct job stress–job satisfaction relationship Furthermore, most research on locus of control, job stress, and job satisfaction concentrates on developed countries—such as the United States, Taiwan, and Greece—and on industries like accounting, auditing, education, and healthcare; the banking sector and Vietnam remain underexplored To address these gaps, the present study aims to examine how locus of control influences the relationship between job stress and job satisfaction in the banking industry, with a focus on Vietnam.
Global research has established locus of control as a key construct (Reed, Kratchman, & Strawser, 1994; Patten, 2005; Lee, 2013), but in Vietnam it remains relatively new, with recent organizational work studying its impact on staff stress management and job satisfaction (Le, 2008) The literature review suggests that employees with an external locus of control tend to have lower levels of job satisfaction, and thus a hypothesis is proposed.
H2: There is a negative relationship between locus of control and job satisfaction of bank employees in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam
Derived from Rotter's social learning theory (1954), locus of control not only has a negative relationship with job satisfaction but also moderates the link between job stress and job satisfaction Specifically, the negative impact of job stress on job satisfaction is stronger for employees with an external locus of control than for those with an internal locus of control (Perrewe, 1986; Chiu, Chien, Lin, & Hsiao).
2005) Chen and Silverthorne (2008) also indicate that locus of control strengthens the job stress - job satisfaction relationship Based on above review of literature, the following hypotheses are formulated:
H3a: The negative relationship between role ambiguity and job satisfaction is stronger for employees with external locus of control than internals
H3b: The negative relationship between role conflict and job satisfaction is stronger for employees with external locus of control than internals
H3c: The negative relationship between work overload and job satisfaction is stronger for employees with external locus of control than internals
Impact of locus of control between private and state-owned banks
In Vietnam, the banking sector has grown significantly in recent years, with two main segments: state-owned banks and private banks State-owned banks are those in which the State Bank of Vietnam holds more than 50% of their charter capital, and they include Agribank, VietinBank, VietcomBank, BIDV, Ocean Bank, and Construction Bank Private banks are those whose shares are held by the State Bank of Vietnam for less than 50% According to Duc (2016), most private banks cannot access inexpensive, large-scale capital from state-owned sources, so they tend to lend to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) Consequently, state-owned banks can more easily attract large-scale capital and serve large firms, while private banks face higher targets and workloads to remain competitive Moreover, prior studies indicate that employees in private banks experience higher job stress than those in public banks (Malik, 2011; George & K.A.).
To find out whether two banking sectors have different impact of locus of control on the job stress - job satisfaction relationship, another hypotheses is formulated:
H4a: There is higher moderating effect of locus of control on the role ambiguity
- job satisfaction relationship in private bank than in state-owned bank
H4b: There is higher moderating effect of locus of control on the role conflict - job satisfaction relationship in private bank than in state-owned bank
H4c: There is higher moderating effect of locus of control on the work overload
- job satisfaction relationship in private bank than in state-owned bank
Details of some previous researches reviewed could be seen in the table 1 Figure 1 represents these relationships and hypotheses
Workplace environment, supervision, cooperation from peers, work discrimination, employee acceptance, work allocation, job security, remuneration
380 bank employees Indian -universal banks
The most important factor effecting employee satisfaction with their job is their immediate supervisor
Job satisfaction, Job- related tension, job- related stress
In Kerala, India, a study of 337 employees from private sector, public sector, and new generation banks found a significant difference in job-related stress between public sector banks and the other two categories, while there is no significant difference between private sector banks and new generation banks.
According to Tlaiss (2013), in a study of women managers in Lebanon within the Arab Middle East region, age was the only factor that showed a statistically significant association with both job satisfaction and promotion, while education, marital status, position in management, years of experience, bank size, and monthly salary did not exhibit significant relationships.
Job Motivation, Satisfaction, and Performance
Bank Employees in US; Compare private and public banks negative relationship between stress and job performance (not significant)
(2008) locus of control; job stress’ dimensions: ambiguity, conflict, workload, inadequate resources; job performance and job satisfaction
Certificated Public Accountant firms (CPA) in
Taiwan who had an internal LOC perceived lower levels of job stress, reported higher levels of job satisfaction and job performance
Siegall (2000) Role stressors: role conflict, role ambiguity, work related outcomes
105 employees of an electronics/software firm role conflict (both measures) is not associated with intent to leave, but role ambiguity (both measures) is
Yousef (2002) Job satisfaction, role stressors and organizational commitment
361 employees in a number of organizations in the United Arab Emirates
Role conflict and role ambiguity directly and negatively influence job satisfaction
Malik (2011) occupational stress private and public banks employees in Quetta City
Occupational stress is found higher among private bank employees compared to public bank employees
Research method
Procedure and sample
This study was conducted in Ho Chi Minh City, the economic, cultural, tourist, scientific, and educational hub of Vietnam where most bank branches and transaction offices are located The research followed a two-stage approach, consisting of qualitative and quantitative phases In the qualitative stage, six employees were recruited to participate in in-depth interviews to refine the questionnaires Their insights and recommendations for revising the wording were incorporated into the final survey used in the quantitative phase.
The quantitative stage, which formed the main survey, was conducted from September to October 2016 The questionnaire consisted of two parts: a core set of questions on the study’s items and demographic questions covering gender, age, education level, and type of organization (state-owned bank or private bank) It was distributed through social media, including Google Docs and email, or by sending a hard copy directly to bank employees The original questionnaire was in English and was translated into Vietnamese because English is not well understood by all employees in Vietnamese banks The Vietnamese version of the survey is available in appendix 3.
Moderated hierarchical regression was used to analyze the data In line with the multiple regression model and the rule of thumb proposed by Tabachnick and Fidell (1996), the minimum sample size needed to test the overall model is n > 50 + 8m, where m is the number of free parameters, which in this study dictates a minimum of 82 participants To satisfy this requirement, a convenience sample of about 400 bank employees was surveyed, with 200 instruments distributed to employees in the state-owned bank group and 200 to the private bank group Of the 400 questionnaires distributed, 155 were unusable due to missing values, leaving a final sample of 245 usable responses.
107 state-owned bank and 138 private bank employees Table 2 provides descriptive statistics on the characteristics of samples
1 In Vietnam, State-owned banks comprise of Agribank, Vietinbank, Vietcombank, BIDV, Ocean bank, and Construction bank Other banks are private banks, whose less than 50% charter capital held by the State bank of Vietnam
Measurements
This study examined four constructs—role conflict, role ambiguity, work overload, and job satisfaction—along with locus of control Locus of control was measured using a 10-item scale that was previously employed in the McCormick and Barnett study.
Although shorter than Rotter's original (1966) scale, the 2008 version preserved the three dimensions of locus of control, with three internal LOC items, four external chance items, and three external powerful-others items; higher internal LOC scores signal a more internal locus of control, while higher external chance and external powerful-others scores signal a more external locus of control Respondents used a six-point Likert-type scale (1 = strongly disagree to 6 = strongly agree) The measures for role conflict and role ambiguity followed Siegall (2000): an eight-item RC scale and a six-item RA scale, both on a seven-point Likert scale (1 = never to 7 = always), with higher scores indicating greater ambiguity and conflict Work overload (WO) was measured by a four-item scale per Kim et al (1996), and job satisfaction (JS) by a six-item scale (Price, 2001); both WO and JS employed five-point Likert scales from 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree, where higher scores denote greater work overload and higher job satisfaction Items marked “R” were reverse-scored, and the full questionnaire details are provided in Appendix 1.
Data analysis and results
Measurement validation
This study assessed the scale's reliability and convergent validity using Cronbach's alpha and exploratory factor analysis (EFA), while demographic factors such as gender, age, education level, and years of experience were treated as control variables.
Reliability analysis indicated that seven items were dropped due to low item-total correlations: RA_5 (role ambiguity 5), RC_6 (role conflict 6), WO_2 (work overload 2), JS_2 (job satisfaction 2), and LOC_1, LOC_2, LOC_3; after deletion, the remaining items achieved item-total correlations ≥ 0.30 and Cronbach’s alpha > 0.60 Cronbach’s alpha values for RC, RA, WO, JS, and LOC were 0.831, 0.744, 0.750, 0.856, and 0.858, respectively Exploratory factor analysis showed that only JS loaded as a distinct factor under principal components analysis with Varimax rotation, while the other factors were extracted by principal axis factoring with Promax rotation; several items were removed for factor loadings < 0.5 (Table 3) For the independent variables, KMO = 0.813 with 56.0% of total variance explained; for the dependent variable JS, KMO = 0.758 with 65.6% variance explained.
Table 3 : Means, Cronbach alpha, and EFA loadings of items after deleting items
Constructs Mean Cronbach alpha Factor loading
1 I have to do things that should be done 4.18 0.518 differently
2 I receive an assignment without the manpower delete delete to complete it
3 I have to buck a rule or policy in order to carry 3.11 0.674 out an assignment
4 I work with two or more groups who operate 3.65 0.723 quite differently
5 I receive incompatible requests from two or 3.95 0.810 more people
6 I do things that are apt to be accepted by one delete delete person and not accepted by others
7 I receive an assignment without adequate 3.87 0.504 resources and materials to execute it
9 I feel certain about how much authority I have 3.39 0.586
10 Clear, planned goals and objectives exist for 3.28 0.686 my job (R)
11 I know that I have divided my time properly 3.58 0.570
12 I know what my responsibilities are (R) 2.60 0.678
13 I know exactly what is expected of me delete delete
14 Explanation is clear of what is to be done (R) 3.50 0.609
15 I have enough time to get everything done in 3.98 0.597 my job (R)
16 My workload is not heavy on my job (R) delete delete
17 I have to work very hard in my job 3.99 0.738
18 I have to work very fast in my job 4.06 0.951
19 I can pretty much determine what will happen in my life delete delete delete delete
20 When I get what I want, it is usually because I delete delete worked hard for it
21 My life is determined by my own actions
22 To a great extent my life is controlled by accidental happenings 3.98 0.701
23 Often there is no chance of protecting my personal interest from bad luck happenings 3.49 0.746
24 When I get what I want, it is usually because
25 It is not always wise for me to plan too far ahead because many things turn out to be a matter of good or bad fortune
26 I feel like what happens in my life is mostly determined by powerful people 4.33 0.869
27 Although I might have good ability, I will not be give leadership responsibility without appealing to those in positions of power 4.26 0.795
28 People like myself have very little chance of protecting our personal interests when they conflict with those of strong pressure groups
29 I am fairly well satisfied with my job 3.37 0.809
30 most days, I am enthusiastic about my job delete delete
31 I like working here better than most other 3.02 0.540 people I know who work for this employer
32 I do not find enjoyment in my job (R) 3.24 0.871
33 I am often bored with my job (R) 3.53 0.900
34 I would consider taking another kind of job (R) 3.19 0.876
LOC as moderator of job stress - job satisfaction relationship
To examine the moderating effects of locus of control (LOC) on the relationships between role conflict, role ambiguity, work overload, and job satisfaction, we conducted a moderated hierarchical regression (Kirmeyer & Dougherty, 1988; Hsu, 2011) with job satisfaction as the dependent variable Control variables (gender, age, education, years of experience, and type) were entered in the first step The independent variables—role ambiguity, role conflict, and work overload—were added in the second step The LOC moderator was entered in the third step, and the interaction terms formed by multiplying LOC by each independent variable were added in the final step We evaluated the significance of each step by examining the incremental changes in F and R², and the p-values of the β coefficients were used to assess the significance of the main effects and the interactions.
To investigate the different level of moderating effect of LOC on the job stress - job satisfaction relationship, current research conducted a moderated hierarchical regression separately for two group: state-owned bank and private bank For type of organization, state-owned bank was coded (1), private bank was coded (2).
Common method variance
Common method variance (CMV) is defined as “systematic error variance shared among variables measured with and introduced as a function of the same method and/or source” (Richardson et al, as cited by Tho, 2013) CMV may make the researcher’s conclusion regarding to the model become erroneous Therefore, current research took some steps proposed by Tho (2013) to remedy these effects Current study used some questions with reverse scoring and different constructs had different scales For example, LOC was measured based on six-point Likert-type scale, while role conflict and role ambiguity were assessed with seven-point Likert-type scale For another example, a respondent expressed his feeling about work overload as follows:
“I have enough time to get everything done in my job”; or about role ambiguity:
Clear instructions outline the task, and questionnaire items were randomized to minimize agreement bias Participants were told there were no right or wrong answers to reduce apprehension, which helped elicit more genuine responses Consequently, common method variance was not a significant issue in this study.
Hypothesis testing
Table 4 reports the means, standard deviations, correlations, and internal-consistency reliabilities for the study measures—role conflict, role ambiguity, work overload, locus of control, and job satisfaction Among personal characteristics, gender was significantly and negatively correlated with job satisfaction (r = -0.21, p < 0.01), while age, education, experience, and type were not significantly correlated Role conflict and work overload showed significant negative correlations with job satisfaction (r = -0.50, p < 0.01; r = -0.35, p < 0.01, respectively), whereas role ambiguity did not Locus of control was significantly negatively correlated with job satisfaction (r = -0.42, p < 0.01); with three items of internal LOC deleted, this pattern suggests that employees with external LOC tend to report lower job satisfaction The results in Table 3 provide preliminary support for H1b, H1c, and H2.
Table 5 presents the moderated regression results for the full sample Role ambiguity had no significant relationship with job satisfaction (p > 05), thus H1a was not supported Conversely, role conflict and work overload showed significant negative associations with job satisfaction (β = -0.49, p < 001; β = -0.16, p < 01 in Step 2) Locus of control (LOC) also exhibited a significant negative effect on job satisfaction (β = -0.23, p < 001) in Step 2, supporting H1b, H1c, and H2 As shown, R-squared changed only from 0.403 to 0.407, with p = 0.704 for this change Step 3 indicated that the interaction terms had no significant effect on job satisfaction (p > 05), meaning that locus of control does not moderate the relationship between the three dimensions of job stress (role conflict, role ambiguity, and work overload) and job satisfaction; therefore, H3a, H3b, H3c were not supported.
In addition, control variables including gender and age had significantly effect on job satisfaction Specifically, gender had negative effect (-0.22, p < 0.001) and age had positive effect (0.14, p < 0.05) on job satisfaction
Table 5 : Results of hierarchical regression testing moderating hypotheses for whole sample
Control variables gender -0.22*** -0.24*** 0.24*** age 0.14* 0.11 0.10 education -0.12 -0.04 -0.05 experience 0.00 0.02 0.00 type -0.04 -0.07 -0.07
Table 6 presents the results of the moderated regression analyses for two groups
In state-owned bank, gender, age and education had significantly positive effect on job satisfaction LOC also had significantly negative impact on job satisfaction (β = -0.25, p Job satisfaction not supported not supported not supported H1b: Role conflict -> Job satisfaction not supported -0.42*** -0.49*** H1c: Work overload -> job satisfaction not supported not supported -0.16**
H3a: Moderating effect of LOC on Role ambiguity - Job satisfaction not supported 0.21* not supported
H3b: Moderating effect of LOC on Role conflict - Job satisfaction not supported not supported not supported
H3c: Moderating effect of LOC on Work overload - Job satisfaction not supported not supported not supported
Discussion
Grounded in Person–Environment Fit theory and Social Learning Theory, this study investigates the impact of role conflict, role ambiguity, and work overload on job satisfaction The results align with prior empirical findings by Reilly, Dhingra, and colleagues, indicating that role stressors negatively affect satisfaction while person–environment alignment and workplace learning shape how employees respond.
Research by Boduszek (2014), Coverman (1989), and Behrman (1984) shows that two dimensions of job stress—role conflict and work overload—are associated with job satisfaction in the banking sector Specifically, employees experiencing higher levels of role conflict and greater work overload report lower job satisfaction (Bernardi, 1997) This pattern is consistent with the person–environment fit theory.
Contrary to our prediction, locus of control (LOC) does not moderate the relationship between the three dimensions of job stress and job satisfaction; instead, the study reveals a direct negative association between LOC and job satisfaction, with employees who have an external locus of control reporting lower levels of job satisfaction These findings align with previous research (Campbell, 2000; Judge, Erez, Bono, & Thoresen), reinforcing the idea that an external LOC can undermine work satisfaction.
In private banks, role conflict significantly reduces job satisfaction, while in state-owned banks it has no significant impact This finding aligns with prior studies (George & K.A., 2015; Michael, 2013) Moreover, other research indicates that private bank employees experience higher stress levels than those in state-owned banks.
With the rise of private banks in recent years, competition in the banking sector has intensified As a result, private banks typically set higher performance targets and place greater pressure on employees, which helps explain why staff at private banks often experience higher stress levels than those at state-owned banks.
Current study results show that LOC strengthens the job stress - job satisfaction relationship, which is mentioned in prior studies (Chen & Silverthorne, 2008)
Contrary to much of the prior research, the positive link between role ambiguity and job satisfaction emerges as a new finding, including in studies of church organizations (Kemery, 2006; Faucett, Corwyn, & Poling, 2013) Building on earlier work, employees experience role ambiguity when policies and procedures are inconsistent or job descriptions are unclear; yet this ambiguity can be associated with higher job satisfaction because employees feel liberated from restrictive policies (Kemery, 2006).
Furthermore, role ambiguity provides an opportunity for employees to creatively complete their task, so they feel more satisfactory.
Conclusions
Implications for theory and research
According to P-E fit and P-O fit theory (Yang et al., 2008), job stress significantly reduces job satisfaction Using regression analysis, the current study highlights the differential effects of three role stressors—role ambiguity, role conflict, and work overload—on job satisfaction, with role conflict and work overload lowering satisfaction, consistent with theory and prior studies (Reilly et al., 2014; Coverman, 1989; Behrman, 1984) However, only role ambiguity shows a significant positive effect on job satisfaction in private banks, a finding that warrants further research since role ambiguity remains a relatively new construct in developing countries like Vietnam Drawing on social learning theory (Rotter, 1954), the study examines locus of control (LOC) as a moderator of the job stress–job satisfaction relationship and compares these dynamics between state-owned and private banks Specifically, in private banks the positive impact of role ambiguity on job satisfaction is stronger for employees with external LOC than for those with internal LOC Overall, the study advances understanding of how LOC and three role stressors relate to job satisfaction and highlights implications for human resource management.
Implications for managers
To improve job satisfaction by reducing role stressors, bank managers should adopt targeted solutions Evidence suggests banks organize interdepartmental seminars to enhance cross-functional communication and collaboration, while private banks offer periodic job rotation to broaden understanding of procedures and other roles, which helps diminish role conflict Additional benefits such as access to stress counseling and after-work activities like yoga, Zen, and dance can further reduce job stress for bank staff For private banks, granting a degree of task autonomy alongside clear policies enables staff to exercise judgment and work more flexibly Because locus of control significantly affects job satisfaction, employers may factor this trait into hiring to align new hires with organizational needs.
From the results, current research suggests that bank managers should conduct survey to identify whether their staff is internal or external locus of control.
Conclusions
In conclusion, the literature on locus of control and the relationship between role stressors and job satisfaction has grown in recent years, and employers are seeking practical implications of these findings As the global banking sector undergoes rapid and significant changes, bank employees experience increasing stress, making these factors highly relevant for organizational performance and employee well-being However, research on locus of control, role stressors, and job satisfaction has received relatively little attention in practice, creating a gap that managers need to bridge.
Vietnam and the current study makes an attempt to bridge this gap
This study extends prior research by exploring how three job-stress dimensions—role ambiguity, role conflict, and work overload—relate to job satisfaction in Vietnam’s banking sector, a developing economy The findings indicate that each stressor affects job satisfaction in distinct ways, with role ambiguity even associated with higher job satisfaction in the Vietnamese context It also reveals that employees in private banks experience higher stress levels than those in state-owned banks, underscoring a broader Asian perspective on workplace stress Since job stress and locus of control influence job satisfaction, managers should implement targeted strategies to reduce job stress and strengthen retention of talent in banks.
Limitations and directions for future research
These findings should be interpreted in light of several limitations First, the study assumes that employees within the same bank type share the same levels of job stress and job satisfaction regardless of position (clerk, officer, supervisor, manager); future research should examine position level to identify more effective solutions for different roles Second, the banking sector was categorized only as state-owned or private; foreign banks and other segments merit investigation to enable cross-national comparisons Third, the study was conducted only in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's economic hub, so bank employees in other provinces may experience different levels of job stress and locus of control may moderate the job stress–job satisfaction relationship; a nationwide survey would improve generalizability Finally, the finding that locus of control strengthens the positive relationship between role ambiguity and job satisfaction is inconsistent with prior research Role ambiguity remains a relatively new concept, and further research with larger samples is warranted.
Original version: The following items which are marked “R” beside are reversed coded
1 I have to do things that should be done differently
2 I receive an assignment without the manpower to complete it
3 I have to buck a rule or policy in order to carry out an assignment
4 I work with two or more groups who operate quite differently
5 I receive incompatible requests from two or more people
6 I do things that are apt to be accepted by one person and not accepted by others
7 I receive an assignment without adequate resources and materials to execute it
9 I feel certain about how much authority I have (R)
10 Clear, planned goals and objectives exist for my job
11 I know that I have divided my time properly (R)
12 I know what my responsibilities are (R)
13 I know exactly what is expected of me
14 Explanation is clear of what is to be done (R)
Work overload (WO) Kim, Price, Mueller, and Watson
15 I have enough time to get everything done in my job
16 My workload is not heavy on my job (R)
17 I have to work very hard in my job
18 I have to work very fast in my job
Locus of control McCormick and Barnett (2008)
19 I can pretty much determine what will happen in my life
20 When I get what I want, it is usually because I worked hard for it
21 My life is determined by my own actions
22 To a great extent my life is controlled by accidental happenings
23 Often there is no chance of protecting my personal interest from bad luck happenings
24 When I get what I want, it is usually because I’m lucky
25 It is not always wise for me to plan too far ahead because many things turn out to be a matter of good or bad fortune
26 I feel like what happens in my life is mostly determined by powerful people
27 Although I might have good ability, I will not be give leadership responsibility without appealing to those in positions of power
28 People like myself have very little chance of protecting our personal interests when they conflict with those of strong pressure groups
29 I am fairly well satisfied with my job
30 Most days, I am enthusiastic about my job
31 I like working here better than most other people I know who work for this employer
32 I do not find enjoyment in my job (R)
33 I am often bored with my job (R)
34 I would consider taking another kind of job (R)
Hi, I’m Hong Phuong Nhi, a master’s student at ISB, University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City I’m conducting a survey on the impact of locus of control on job stress and job satisfaction among bank employees in Vietnam, with the goal of identifying ways to enhance human resources policies in the Vietnamese banking industry I would greatly appreciate your time to answer the questions below All information provided is confidential and will be used solely for research purposes.
In this survey, there is no right or wrong answer, you only need to choose the answer that best fit to you
Sincerely thanks for your support
1 Are you currently working at a bank?
Yes (Please answer next question)
No (Please stop the questionnaire here, thank you)
PART 1: STRESS AND SATISFACTION QUESTIONS
Please only choose one option for each question below to indicate your agreement level (1: completely disagree; 5: completely agree)
Please only choose one option for each question below as instruction (1= never; 2 mostly never giờ; 3 = rarely; 4 = sometimes, 5 = often; 6 = usually; 7: always)
Please only choose one option for each question below to indicate your agreement level (1: completely disagree; 6: completely agree)
High school Vocational, College University Post-graduate
4 Your time in banking job?
5 Which bank type are you working for?
State-owned bank (Agribank, Vietinbank, Vietcombank, BIDV, Ocean bank, Construction bank)
6 Which department are you working in?
Thank you for your support
Appendix 3 Questionnaire Vietnamese version (Bảng câu hỏi khảo sát)
Tôi là Hồng Phượng Nhi, học viên cao học tại Đại học Kinh tế TP.HCM, đang tiến hành khảo sát về tác động của khả năng kiểm soát cảm xúc đến stress trong công việc và mức độ hài lòng của nhân viên ngân hàng tại Việt Nam, nhằm xác định các yếu tố liên quan và đề xuất giải pháp cải thiện chính sách nhân sự của ngành ngân hàng Việt Nam Rất mong Anh/Chị dành chút thời gian để trả lời một số câu hỏi sau; mọi thông tin mà Anh/Chị cung cấp sẽ được bảo mật và chỉ được dùng cho mục đích nghiên cứu.
Trong khảo sát này, không có câu trả lời nào là đúng hay sai Anh/Chị chỉ cần chọn câu trả lời phù hợp nhất với mình
Chân thành cảm ơn sự giúp đỡ của Anh/Chị
1 Bạn hiện tại có đang làm việc tại Ngân hàng?
Có (mời bạn trả lời những câu tiếp theo)
Không (xin chân thành cám ơn, bạn có thể dừng khảo sát)
PHẦN 1: CÂU HỎI VỀ STRESS VÀ MỨC ĐỘ HÀI LÒNG Đối với mỗi phát biểu Anh/Chị vui lòng chỉ đánh vào một con số thể hiện mức độ đồng ý theo quy ước sau: (1: Hoàn toàn không đồng ý; 5: Hoàn toàn đồng ý) Đối với mỗi phát biểu Anh/Chị vui lòng chỉ chọn một câu trả lời anh chị đồng ý nhất theo quy ước sau: (1= không bao giờ; 2 = hầu như không bao giờ; 3 = hiếm khi; 4 = đôi khi, 5 = khá thường xuyên; 6 = rất thường xuyên; 7: luôn luôn) Đối với mỗi phát biểu Anh/Chị vui lòng chỉ khoanh tròn một con số thể hiện mức độ đồng ý theo quy ước sau: (1: Hoàn toàn không đồng ý; 6: Hoàn toàn đồng ý)
PHẦN 2: THÔNG TIN CÁ NHÂN:
1 Giới tính của Anh/Chị:
2 Vui lòng cho biết tuổi của Anh/Chị thuộc nhóm nào ?
Dưới 30 Từ 30 đến 40 Từ 41 đến 50 Trên 50
3 Bằng cấp chuyên môn của Anh/Chị?
PTTH Trung cấp, Cao đẳng Đại học Trên Đại học
4 Thời gian Anh/Chị làm việc tại ngân hàng?
5 Anh/Chị đang công tác tại Ngân hàng thuộc phân khúc nào?
Ngân hàng quốc doanh (Agribank, Vietinbank, Vietcombank, BIDV, Ngân hàng Đại dương, Ngân hàng Xây dựng)
Ngân hàng thương mại khác
6 Anh/chị thuộc phòng ban nào ?
Phòng dịch vụ khách hàng
Phòng quan hệ khách hàng
Xin chân thành cảm ơn Anh/ Chị
Appendix 3 EFA result for RC, RA, WO and LOC
The dataset reveals three primary constructs: work overload, role conflict, and role ambiguity, as shown by distinct sets of high factor loadings The strongest indicator of the work overload construct is work_overload4 with a loading of 948, followed by work_overload3 at 707 and work_overload1 at 602, signaling a clear convergence on that dimension Within role conflict, the highest loading is role_conflict5 at 818, with role_conflict4 at 707 and role_conflict3 at 669 also showing strong associations; other role_conflict items yield moderate loadings (role_conflict8 543, role_conflict1 541, role_conflict7 530, role_conflict2 414) For role ambiguity, the leading indicators are role_ambiguity2 at 713 and role_ambiguity4 at 686, with role_ambiguity1 605, role_ambiguity6 575, and role_ambiguity3 552 showing moderate associations An additional indicator LOC_7 (d) shows a loading of 448, suggesting a secondary association or cross-loading Overall, the pattern supports a three-factor model with work overload as the strongest driver, while role conflict and role ambiguity items demonstrate meaningful but somewhat weaker associations that merit consideration for measurement refinement and interpretation.
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