Work Patterns Associated with Type A Behavior: A Managerial Population

Abstract

Managers (236) from 12 different companies were examined for the prevalence of Type A behavior. In addition, a number of work habits and job related variables (work hours per week, travel habits, job satisfaction, job tension factors, salary) were obtained on each respondent. Overall, 61% of the managers were classified as Type A's, and between companies the percentage varied between 50 and 76%. Type A behavior was also found to be related to recent company growth rates. On work habits, it was found that that extreme Type A 's tend to work more hours per week and travel more days per year. It was also found that the Type A 's tend to be less satisfied with their jobs. Using factor analysis, fivejobfactors were isolated and these were entitled Ambiguity, Locked-In, Stagnation, Isolation, and Contentment. Type A's were found to be different from Type B's on the factors Locked-In and Contentment. The Locked-In factor is interpreted as reflecting greater self-confidence among the Type A's. The Contentment factor reflected job conditions most likely responsible for eliciting Type A behavior. These included: supervisory responsibility for people, a feeling of competition in work, heavy work loads, and conflicting demands. It was also found that Type A's earned higher salaries than Type B's. The results are combined with those of a previous study on the same group of managers, which measured a number of health variables related to Type A behavior and coronary heart disease. A conceptual model is proposed showing the pathways by which susceptible individuals encounter job conditions which elicit Type A behavior and, consequently, higher coronary risk.