WORK-FAMILY CONFLICT, SHIFT WORK AND ROLE AMBIGUITY AS PREDICTORS OF OCCUPATIONAL STRESS AMONG NIGERIAN POLICE OFFICERS

Authors

Sunday Peter Falowo Department of Psychology, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria
Shyngle Kolawole Balogun Department of Psychology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria

Work-Family Conflict, Role Ambiguity, Shift Work, Occupational Stress, Nigeria Police Personnel

In Nigeria, many police officers exhibit low motivation and substandard job

performance due to occupational stress. Research shows that 91% of officers suffer psychological

issues linked to job-related stress (Hasin et al, 2023; de Krijger et al, 2025). This study examined

the joint and independent effects of shift duty, work-family conflict, and role ambiguity on

occupational stress among police personnel in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Guided by the Conservation

of Resources Theory and Spill-Over Theory, the study adopted a cross-sectional design with 265

purposively selected participants (M age = 23.6, SD = 14.3). Data were collected using a 52-item

questionnaire that covered demographics and validated scales: Shift Work developed by

Netemeyer, Boles, and McMurrain’s (1996) (α = .81), Work-Family Conflict (α = .77), Role

Ambiguity developed by Rizzo et al. (1970) (α = .79), and Occupational Stress developed by

Karasek (1985). (α = .74). Multiple regression analysis revealed that the three predictors jointly

contributed to occupational stress. Shift duty (and role ambiguity) were significant predictors,

while work-family conflict was not. ANOVA revealed a significant effect of shift duty, with

morning shift officers reporting higher stress levels. Female officers experienced significantly

more stress than males. Additionally, demographic variables collectively predicted stress, with

religion being the only significant independent predictor. These findings have implications for

considering psychological variables in managing the work schedules of police officers to reduce

their occupational stress and improve effective and efficient performance. It equally highlights the

critical need for structured interventions focused on managing shift schedules, improving role

clarity, and implementing gender-responsive support systems to reduce occupational stress among

Nigerian police officers