Coping with stress in a cross cultural setting: the case of Japanese and American employees of a Japanese plant in the United States.

The purpose of this pilot study was to compare the psychosocial distress of Japanese auto workers with that of the American employees working in a Japanese managed plant, to describe mediating factors related to their distress, and recommend interventions. Japanese and American workers and spouses responded to five questionnaires and two open ended questions about changes in health, function, and time, and needs, problems, and recommendations for stress reduction. Japanese men had higher General Health Questionnaire scores than American workers. Psychosocial distress was related to work self confidence and individual responsibility for Japanese men, with social support for Japanese women, and with individual responsibility for American men and women. Stress was related to communication problems and misunderstanding about the management practices and cultural norms. Culturally appropriate worksite and community interventions are discussed.