Job Demands–Resources framework-informed evaluation of work-related stress in retail and cleaning services: Development and preliminary validation of an ad-hoc questionnaire in Belluno, Italy

Using the Job Demands–Resources (JDR) model as a theoretical scaffold, this research aimed to develop and preliminarily validate a sector-specific instrument to assess work-related stress (WRS) in the large-scale retail and cleaning services sectors in the province of Belluno, Italy. Insights from the focus groups informed the design of a sector-specific questionnaire, which combined validated measures from the literature with newly developed, ad hoc items. We conducted focus groups with workers and stakeholders (retail: n = 32; cleaning: n = 11) to extract context-relevant themes that informed item selection and scale operationalization. The resulting questionnaire combined validated scales (e.g., HSE, GHQ, Burnout) and ad-hoc items. The psychometric evaluation included item analysis, McDonald’s Omega for reliability, confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) for construct validity, and criterion-related analyses (correlations with burnout, health, and performance). The results are exploratory and will need further and more complete analysis. For retail, the analysis is based on 287 valid responses. Mean scores showed elevated cognitive demands (M=4.94/7) and substantial workload (M=4.69/7); critical scores of emotional exhaustion with clients M=3.57/7 and physical demands M=4.12/7 were also shown. Reliability coefficients were generally high (e.g., workload ω=0.86; cognitive demands ω=0.84; engagement ω=0.94). Burnout correlated positively with workload (.57) and work–family conflict (.63) and negatively with health (–.55) and performance (–.45). In the cleaning sector (n = 74), results showed that workload and cognitive demands were also critical (workload M = 3.74; cognitive M = 4.04 on a 1–7 scale), while physical demands were high (M = 5.08/7). Burnout was also a critical issue (M=3.81), and there was a high intention to leave the organization (M=3.33). Psychometric indices indicated acceptable to strong reliability across key scales. The JDR-informed, context-tailored instrument demonstrates promising reliability and initial construct/criterion validity. Preliminary data reveal sector-specific risk profiles (e.g., high cognitive load in retail sectors; pronounced physical demands and concerns about safety/communication in cleaning services). These findings are exploratory; further multivariate analyses, subgroup comparisons, and longitudinal validation are ongoing to refine the tool and inform targeted interventions.