A comparative study on the perceived work stress, work-related stressors, and coping strategies of fish vendors in Antique

Abstract

Fish vending is a common source of income in Antique, Philippines. Fish vendors are classified into two vendor groups: formal vendors who sell inside public markets and informal vendors who sell their products on the streets. Research shows that these groups encounter varied work experiences given their differing working conditions. However, existing research is not enough to describe their stressful work experiences as well as their coping strategies. Thus, this research study aimed to describe and compare the work-related stress of fish vendor groups in Antique and how they cope with it. To address these, a convergent parallel mixed methods design was used. A total of 40 fish vendors with a mean age of 44.70 years, classified as formal (20) and informal (20), served as respondents. Data were gathered using a one-on-one interview with a question guide and a modified survey instrument for levels of perceived work stress (LPWS). Mann-Whitney U analysis revealed no significant difference between the overall LPWS of both groups (W= 4272.50, p>0.05). However, per dimension analysis of results showed a significant difference in the physical work environment dimension (W= 85.50, p<0.001). Conceptual content analysis also indicated that work-related stressors and coping strategies are relatively different between vendor groups and across dimensions. The findings of this research suggest that the physical work environment is a significant dimension that differentiates fish vendor groups’ levels and sources of work stress. Moreover, findings imply that social resources, especially among co-vendors, reduce LPWS.