Job Demands and Mental Strain Relationship: The Moderating Effect of Perceived Organizational Support on the Mediating Role of Job Decision Latitude among Nigerian Immigration Officers

Abstract

This paper examined job demands and mental strain relationship: The moderating effect of perceived organizational support on the mediating role of job decision latitude among Nigeria immigration officers. Five hypotheses were developed. The descriptive survey research design was adopted for this study. The population comprised of all immigration officers in South-West, Nigeria. The sample consisted of 1600 respondents from Zone A and Zone F of the Nigerian Immigration Service in Zone A and Zone F, which covers five States in South-West, Nigeria – Ogun, Lagos, Oyo, Osun, and Ekiti Ogun and Lagos States. The sample was selected through the stratified random sampling technique. The instruments used for data collection included the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), and Perceived Organizational Support Questionnaire (POSQ. Data were analyzed using regression analysis at the .05 level of significance. Results revealed, among other things, that there is a significant direct effect of job demands on mental strain independent of job decision latitude (t = 28.366, p < .05) and that there was no significant moderating role of organization support (coeff = .124; t = 1.286, p > .05) in the mediating role of job decision latitude between (coeff = -.087; t = -.908, p > .05) job demands and mental strain. It was recommended therefore that the management of paramilitary service in Nigeria should give more attention to organizational support in order to minimize mental strain among the immigration officers and similar bodies.

Keywords: Job demands, mental strain, perceived organizational support, job decision latitude, Officers.