As a preliminary study of the validation of the French version of the OSI, this paper examines the first steps of the validity and the reliability of the Occupational Stress Indicator (OSI) for use in France. The OSI is a diagnostic research tool, which assesses seven different aspects of the stress-strain relationship. On the strain side, the scope of the outcomes focuses on three indicators: job satisfaction, mental health and physical health. On the stress side, the assessment includes sources of job stress, type A behaviour, locus of control and coping styles. Although workplace stress costs are now well recognized in France, there is little research or methodology available to assess job and organizational stress. The aim of the global research will be to bridge the gap. The purpose of the present study was to test a French translation of the OSI and investigate the reliability as well as the convergent and discriminant validity for six of its scales - Mental and Physical health, Type A, Locus of Control, Sources of Pressure, and Coping Styles. Six of the seven scales of the OSI showed statistically good reliability through Cronbach's α. The seventh scale, Locus of control, showed a lower and unsatisfactory level of reliability, confirming previous studies on the original version and various foreign versions. Significant and acceptable construct validity was also found for the Type A, Locus of Control, Mental Health, Physical Health scales and for one of the coping subscales: Social Support. These findings are encouraging for a future, broader and more complete assessment of the psychometric quality of the French version of the OSI.
