Workplace Stress^ Flashcards
The Job Demands - Control Model
Karasek
stressful demands of jonb can lead to poor health, dissatisfaction and absences
can be modified by amount of job control, which acts as a buffer against effects of job demands
Real World Application
employers can use research to examine the causes of WS
find ways to address and fix
increase productivity/wellbeing
decrease absences
Bosma et al (A&P)
prospective study of 10,000 employees
questionnaire to measure workload and job control
assess for symptoms of coronary heart disease and follow up in 5 years
Bosma et al (F&C)
no correlation between workload and illness
demands are not significant workplace stressor
but those with little control were more likely to have CHD symptoms 5 years later
even when other factors are accounted for
Later analysis in 1998 confirmed it
- ID (personality) did not impact the relations. between little control and WS
Johansson et al
natural experiment
- compare two diff groups of workers in a Swedish sawmill
Fishers: little control but high demand
- no contact with other co-workers
Cleaners: more control, less demand
- able to interact with others
measure level of illness and absenteeism and levels of (nor)adrenaline in worker’s urine before work and 3 times during
Johansson et al (F&C)
fishers had more stress hormones, which increases during day
- also had more stress related illness and absences than cleaners
Cleaner’s hormone levels decrease during day
Demands and lack of control create chronic physiological arousal which leads to production of stress hormones and illnesses
Cultural Similarities
Liu et al
WS is culturally generaisable when comparing perception on job stress in China and US
use qualitative methods to assess WS over a month
Found diff in perceptions but not with workload as 3rd highest stressor in both cultures
VS Cultural Similarities
not all Wsors are perceived equally
Gyorkos et al
- conducted cross-cultural research into effects of job control
found having little/no control was bigger stressor in Ind cultures VS collectivist
- seen as an invasion on personal rights
Simplistic Model
does not account for the range of WSors
stress experienced depends on many factors
- type of work, coping mechanisms
not necessarily the actual amount of control but rather their perceived control
Control May Be Stressful
having job control can be more stressful than not having it
Self-Efficacy: degree to which someone believes they can perform a task successfully
Meier et al
- high SE: less stressed with more control
- low SE: more stressed with less control
job control is not stressful in itself, but depends on ID such as SE
Validity
WS research based in real work setting, not lab
high external validity
makes findings generalisable
VS Validity
such studies tend to be a natural exp with job roles already assigned
fishers and cleaners weren’t randomly assigned so employees can differ in ways that affect outcome
uncontrolled confounding variables reduce study internal validity
