0.1 summary 2011

Question 1

Job Stress and Health

What is job stress? (3)

Answer 1

An experienced incongruence between, ..

• environmental demands and
• individual/situational resources
  that is accompanied by mental, physical or behavioral symptoms.

Question 2

Job Stress and Health

Types of job stressors and stress reactions (2)

Answer 2

Different types of job stressors result in different stress reactions. The relationship is moderated by, ..

• personal resources
  (coping style, gender, age, education) and
• situational resources
  (social support).

Question 3

Job Stress and Health

Job Stress Process Models (~4)

Answer 3

Job Demand-Control Model

• High demands and high decision latitude result in “good stress”.
• Low decision latitude with high demands causes stress reactions.

Effort-Reward Imbalance Model

• High effort and low reward may cause emotional distress.

Person-Environment Fit Model

• Misfits between person’s abilities/opportunities and
• environmental demands/supplies lead to strains.

Vitamin Model

• Missing job characteristics result in low well-being.
• Increasing them leads to benefit until a plateau.

Question 4

Job Analysis and Design

Why carry out job analysis?

Answer 4

• It is the foundation for human resource activities like planning, selection, performance management, training, compensation.
• It provides information for efficient utilization of human resources and job design/redesign.

Question 5

Job Analysis and Design

Job analysis methods (4)

Answer 5

Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ):

• Detailed job profile for selection, job evaluation.

Functional Job Analysis (FJA):

• Classifies jobs into data, people, things categories.

Task inventories:

• List of job-specific tasks.

Job Element Method:

• Focuses on worker characteristics like knowledge, skills, abilities.

Question 6

Job Analysis and Design

Job design methods (3)

Answer 6

Job Diagnostic Survey (JDS):

• Based on theories of work motivation and performance.

Socio-Technical Systems (STS) Analysis:

• Aims to balance social and technical subsystems.

Multi-Method Job Design Questionnaire (MJDQ):

• Multidisciplinary approach analyzing outcomes like satisfaction, efficiency, comfort.

Question 7

Motivation in the Workplace

Content theories of motivation:

Answer 7

• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs:
  People motivated by different levels of needs (physiological, safety, belongingness, esteem, self-actualization).
• McClelland’s Needs:
  Need for achievement, affiliation, power.

Question 8

Motivation in the Workplace

Process theories of motivation:

Answer 8

• Expectancy (VIE) Theory:
  Motivation = Valence x Instrumentality x Expectancy.
• Goal-Setting Theory:
  Difficult, specific goals lead to higher performance than easy, vague goals. Feedback is necessary.
• Job Characteristics Model:
  Five core job dimensions (skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, feedback) affect psychological states and outcomes like motivation and satisfaction.

Question 9

Motivation in the Workplace

Job Design Interventions:

Answer 9

• Job Enlargement:
  Adding more tasks of similar level to a job.
  * Job Enrichment:
  Adding more higher-level tasks for increased responsibility and autonomy.