the workplace as a source of stress

Question 1

explain the job demands control model?

Answer 1

• Karesk’s believed that stressful demands from a job lead to poor health
• this can be modified by the amount of control an employee has over work load
• control acts as a buffer against negative effects of job demands

Question 2

evaluate a weakness of the job demands control model?

Answer 2

• lack of control are not the only stressors for workers and can be due to type of work e.g.
• other factors like: amount of control
• it ignores these factors, too simple and only focuses on 2 job related factors

Question 3

explain procedure and findings of research supporting effects of control?

Answer 3

• Michael Marmot led whitehall study= 11 studies into health of thousands
• procedure: questionnaire to measure aspects of workload & job control opinions examined for symptoms of coronary heart disease + check up after 6 years.
  findings: no correlation between workload and illness so job demands appeared not to be a stressor
• employees who reported low control were more likely to have CHD 5 yrs later.

Question 4

explain findings of research supporting effects of control?

Answer 4

findings: no correlation between workload and illness so job demands appeared not to be a stressor
- employees who reported low control were more likely to have CHD 5 yrs later.

Question 5

explain research supporting effects of workload + control?

Answer 5

Procedure: Johansson carried out a natural experiment comparing 2 groups of workers.
-14 wood finishers = dictated by machines so little control

Question 6

evaluate job demands-control model?

Answer 6

WEAKNESS

• lack of control within work can cause stress in some cultures
• however this is determined by the amount of work they do and how well their coping mechanisms are
• there is also a difference between how much control they perceive themselves as having and how much they actually have.
• job demands control ignores these concepts and therefore lacks validity

Question 7

evaluate cultural differences?

Answer 7

• cross cultural study carried out and found that people were more likely to be stressed in individualist cultures
• however in collectivist cultures such as china, control was considered less desirable
• these sentiments of control cannot be generalised to collectivist cultures
• HOWEVER… another study found that there were no significant cultural differences, therefore workload is a culturally generalisable concept and is universally understood as being stressful

Question 8

evaluate having control is more stressful?

Answer 8

• some studies found that too much control can also be stressful and this depends of self-efficacy
• someone who believes they aren’t up to the job are going to be more stressed than someone who does
• Meier did a questionnaire to measure feelings of stress, employees with low self efficacy reported being more stressed in jobs that gave them more control
• therefore control for some people is quite stressful