Demand-control Model Research Articles

Exploring the relationship between occupational stress, physical activity and sedentary behavior using the Job-Demand-Control Model.

To study the relationship between the occupational stress model, specifically the Job Demand-Control Model of Karasek, physical activity level and sedentary behavior. This is a cross-sectional, observational, descriptive study. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 100 volunteers working at Clermont Auvergne University. The questionnaire included the Karasek questionnaire and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. The results reveal that occupational characteristics play a significant role, with individuals exhibiting high job control showing reduced sitting time and increased physical activity compared to those with low job control. Job strain was associated with increased sitting time and decreased physical activity. Further analysis revealed that being in a state of job strain significantly predicted sitting for more than 7 h per day. Similarly, job strain and isostrain were explanatory factors for having a low to moderate physical activity level. Logistic regression quantified the risks, indicating that sitting for more than 7 h per day increased the risk of job strain by 4.80 times, while high physical activity levels and being male reduced the risk by 79 and 84%, respectively. Job strain also increased the risk of prolonged sitting by 5.06 times and low to moderate physical activity levels by 5.15 times. Additionally, mediation analysis revealed that a substantial portion of the association between sitting time and job strain was mediated by physical activity, and vice versa, emphasizing the interconnected nature of sedentary behavior and physical activity in influencing occupational stress. The study highlights the impact of sedentary behavior on occupational stress, assessed using Karasek's Job-Demand-Control Model. Despite being less studied, sedentary behavior appears to be a relevant contributor to occupational stress. Furthermore, the results emphasize the significant role of physical activity levels, suggesting that it plays a substantial part in the relationship between sedentary behavior and occupational stress.

Bringing employee learning to AI stress research: A moderated mediation model

While a substantial portion of the literature characterizes artificial intelligence (AI) stress as a hindrance, our focus diverges by probing employee learning as an active response to this challenge. We highlight the role of employee knowledge and skills development amidst an enterprise's digital transformation. Drawing on the active learning perspective of the Job Demand-Control model, we investigate why and when AI stress promotes employee learning and subsequent adaptive coping behaviors. We propose that AI stress can create opportunities and resources for employee learning, leading to improved job performance and supportive behavior for digital transformation. Additionally, we examine how employee trust in AI moderates these relationships, finding that higher levels of AI trust are associated with greater use of active learning strategies when faced with AI stress. Our findings, based on a two-wave survey of 224 employees from a motor-vehicle testing company in China, are further supported by post-hoc interview data collected from 32 employees of the same company. Overall, our study contributes to the understanding of AI adoption, digital transformation, and stress learning.

A Historical Review of the Prevalence of Job Stress Theories.

Job stress theories have been developed and refined to better understand employee wellbeing. Now that the field is maturing, it is appropriate to review the theoretical trends and developments for future research and practical guidance. The current paper provides a historical review, with both objective (i.e., counts of published theories) and subjective evaluation of job stress theory. In Study 1, two trained raters coded theories used in job stress journals. The job demand-control (-support; JDCS) model was initially well-represented, but has been superseded more recently by theories that focus on multiple resources (e.g., the job demand-resource - JDR - model). Among non-job stress theories, motivation and affective theories have been well-represented within job stress research. Study 2 expanded the results of Study 1 through review of two international applied psychology journals with additional coding categories. Specifically, we identified empirical support for theories and researcher characteristics (i.e., national and professional affiliation). The JDCS model had the least full support according to a vote counting method, and resource models (e.g., JDR) the most. Germany and the Netherlands were the most represented locations, with the United States having the most international collaborations. Psychology and management were the most represented affiliations.

O46 PSYCHOSOCIAL STRESSORS AT WORK ARE ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED BLOOD PRESSURE VARIABILITY

Background and Objectives: Elevated blood pressure variability (BPV) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, independently of blood pressure values. Psychosocial stressors at work are modifiable risk factors from the work environment, shown to increase the risk of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. The present study aims to determine whether psychosocial stressors at work have a detrimental effect on BPV. Methods: The present study relied on a prospective cohort of 3 645 white-collar workers in Quebec City evaluated at three visits: at recruitment, 3 years, and 5 years. At each visit, participants wore an ambulatory blood pressure monitor during working hours and answered a questionnaire on psychosocial work stressors, as measured using validated instruments according to the demand-control (DC) and effort-reward imbalance (ERI) models. Working hours BPV was calculated using average real variability. Results: A total of 7 078 observations (n = 4 246 in women and n = 2 832 in men) were available. Using the DC model, systolic and diastolic BPV were higher in active (high psychological demands, high job control) when compared to non-exposed participants (low demands, high control). Using the ERI model, systolic and diastolic BPV were higher among participants exposed to an imbalance between efforts at work and rewards when compared to unexposed participants. These associations were robust to adjustment for socio-demographics, lifestyle-related risk factors and clinical risk factors. Conclusions: Participants exposed to psychosocial stressors at work showed higher BPV than non-exposed participants. Since these risk factors are amenable to appropriate preventive intervention in workplaces, they should be considered for the primordial prevention of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Adjusted for age, education, body mass index, alcohol intake, smoking status, sedentary behaviors, family history of CVD and medication for hypertension (as well as for sex in analyses conducted in the total sample).

Fundamental intersectionality of menopause and neurodivergence experiences at work

This investigation explores the complex interplay between menopause and neurodivergence in the workplace, employing thematic analysis of qualitative data from 43 participants across the United Kingdom and the United States. Findings reveal that menopause transitions intensify symptoms of neurodivergence, and can interrupt how women engage with paid work. By shining a light on these under-reported experiences at work, we demonstrate how employers can better support their neurodivergent employees during menopause. Applying the Demand-Control model, this research underscores the necessity for workplaces to adopt more inclusive practices and supportive adaptations that go beyond flexible work and that are focused on pressures faced by neurodivergent women during menopause. Participants were more likely to report a decrease in workplace experiences than work performance in response to the disruptive effects of menopause on neurodiversity. This is an important insight for people managers as experiences of work might be less closely monitored than performance. This study advocates for a unified approach of organisational support for the intersectional effects of menopause and neurodiversity.

Motivating supervisors during disability accommodation: a comprehensive examination on job demand and resources theories

PurposeThis study develops and tests a comprehensive model that examines whether dimensions of supervisors’ job demands and resources influence their work motivation through their job strain levels while managing disability accommodation (DA).Design/methodology/approachThe proposed model leverages the assumptions of established job demand and resources theories, including demand-ability fit, job demand-control, job demand-control-support, and effort-reward balance models. Then, we tested with the quantitative data from 335 British, Canadian, American, Australian, Dutch, and German supervisors with recent DA experience.FindingsThis study found support for the proposed model. Job control and social support directly affected work motivation, while job strain did not mediate the relationship between job control and social support and work motivation. The results suggest that employers looking to improve the likelihood of DA success should focus on providing adequate job control, social support, and rewards to supervisors responsible for accommodating employees with disabilities.Practical implicationsThis research enhances our understanding of how additional DA responsibilities impact supervisors and aids in the development of effective DA management policies and interventions, providing robust support for practitioners.Originality/valueThis study contributes to extending the DA literature by testing the applicability of different theoretical models to explain the effect of the additional DA responsibility on supervisors’ job demand, strain, and motivation levels and identify the resources to mitigate them.

Teacher well-being and organizational citizenship behavior in Arab educational system in Israel: The implications of teacher collective involvement in decision making and organizational commitment.

A gradual transition from a collectivist to a more individualist identity has been noted in the Arab minority with implications for teachers' well-being and organizational citizenship behavior. This study builds on the Job Demands-Control model to investigate the mediating role of teacher organizational commitment in the relationship between the teacher collective involvement in decision making to teacher well-being and organizational citizenship behavior. Data were collected from a sample of 350 teachers randomly chosen in the Arab educational system in Israel. Structural equation modeling (using the AMOS 21.0 program) was used to test the proposed relationships. The results indicate both a direct and indirect relationships (through the mediating role of teacher organizational commitment) of teacher collective involvement in decision making on teachers' well-being and organizational citizenship behavior. The model which tested both direct and indirect relationships (through organizational commitment) between collective involvement in decision making and teachers' organizational citizenship behavior, and well-being, showed good fit indices (χ² = 62.60; χ²/df = 2.50; CFI = .947, TLI = .905, IFI = .949; RMSEA = .066). Specifically, the bootstrapping analysis reaffirmed the mediating role of organizational commitment between collective involvement in decision making and well-being (β = -.04, p < .001) and organizational citizenship behavior (β = .11, p < .001). Implications for theory and practice are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Correlation analysis between occupational stress and metabolic syndrome in workers of a petrochemical enterprise: based on two assessment models of occupational stress.

Occupational stress is becoming a common phenomenon around the world. Being in a high occupational stress state for a long time may destroy the metabolic balance of the body, thereby increasing the risk of metabolic diseases. There is limited evidence regarding the correlation between occupational stress and metabolic syndrome (MetS), particularly in the petrochemical workers. A total of 1683 workers of a petrochemical enterprise in China were included in the survey by cluster sampling method. The occupational stress assessment was carried out by the Job Content Questionnaire and the Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire, and the general demographic characteristics, work characteristics, occupational hazards, lifestyle and health examination data of the participants were collected. Logistic regression and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the correlations and influencing factors between occupational stress and its dimensions with MetS and its components. A total of 1683 questionnaires were sent out, and 1608 were effectively collected, with an effective recovery rate of 95.54%. The detection rates of occupational stress in Job Demand-Control (JDC) and Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) models were 28.4% and 27.2%, respectively. In this study, 257 participants (16.0%) were diagnosed with MetS. Compared with the non-MetS group, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), triglycerides (TG) and fasting blood-glucose (FBG) levels were significantly higher in the MetS group, and high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels were significantly lower (P < 0.001). The results of multiple linear regression showed that after adjusting for nation, marital status, education, work system, smoking and drinking, and further adjusting for occupational hazards, the D/C ratio was significantly negatively correlated with SBP in the JDC model. Social support was negatively correlated with WC. In the ERI model, there was a significant positive correlation between over-commitment and FBG. The detection rates of occupational stress and MetS were high in workers of a petrochemical enterprise. In the JDC model, occupational stress was negatively correlated with SBP, and social support was negatively correlated with WC. In the ERI model, there was a significantly positive correlation between over-commitment and FBG.

Psychosocial strain and coping of Finnish working mothers during the COVID-19 lockdown: a job demand-control approach.

In March 2020 many countries around the world, including Finland, implemented lockdown measures to mitigate the unprecedented impacts of the coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) on public health. As a result, school and daycare settings closed indefinitely and working from home became the new normal for a big part of the workforce, which came with increased homeschooling and childcare responsibility for mothers. In this article we present the findings from maternal responses to open ended questions on psychosocial well-being, and experiences of combining work, family life and homeschooling during the COVID-19 national lockdown in Finland in March-May 2020. Working mothers' responses (n = 72) were analyzed through the lens of Karasek's job demand-control model, focusing on how the mothers experienced the demands of their life during the lockdown, and how they saw their possibilities to control the situation. The findings indicated important variation in the level of experienced demand and control and associated compensatory factors during the COVID-19 lockdown across different subgroups of working mothers. The findings have implications for understanding strain and plausible supports among working mothers during the COVID-19 lockdown as well as in the face of acute adversity including the next possible public health crisis.

Formulations of Job Strain and Psychological Distress: A Four-year Longitudinal Study in Japan

BackgroundDifferent job strain formulations based on the Job Demand-Control model have been developed. This study evaluated longitudinal associations between job strain and psychological distress and whether associations were influenced by six formulations of job strain, including quadrant (original and simplified), subtraction, quotient, logarithm quotient, and quartile based on quotient, in randomly selected Japanese workers. MethodsData were from waves I and II of the Survey of Midlife in Japan (MIDJA), with a 4-year follow-up period. The study sample consisted of 412 participants working at baseline and had complete data on variables of interest. Associations between job strain at baseline and psychological distress at follow-up were assessed via multivariable linear regression, and results were expressed as β coefficients and 95% confidence intervals including R2 and Akaike information criterion (AIC) evaluation. ResultsCrude models revealed that job strain formulations explained 6.93–10.30% of variance. The AIC ranged from 1475.87 to 1489.12. After accounting for sociodemographic and behavioral factors and psychological distress at baseline, fully-adjusted models indicated significant associations between all job strain formulations at baseline and psychological distress at follow-up: original quadrant (β: 1.16, 95% CI: 0.12, 2.21), simplified quadrant (β: 1.01, 95% CI: 0.18, 1.85), subtraction (β: 0.39, 95% CI: 0.09, 0.70), quotient (β: 0.37, 95% CI: 0.08, 0.67), logarithm quotient (β: 0.42, 95% CI: 0.12, 0.72), and quartile based on quotient (β: 1.22, 95% CI: 0.36, 2.08). ConclusionSix job strain formulations showed robust predictive power regarding psychological distress over 4 years among Japanese workers.

Emotional intelligence and professional quality of life in the work commitment of a MINSA center, Lima 2023

Introduction: the research addresses the influence of emotional intelligence and professional quality of life on work commitment in a MINSA health center in Lima, based on the Emotional Capacity Theory and Karasek's demand control model. Objective: this is a basic study, with a quantitative approach, cross-sectional and explanatory design. Method: the population includes collaborators of the center selected by simple random sampling, resulting in a sample of 183 individuals. Questionnaires were used to collect data on the variables of interest, and the analysis was performed with SPSS 27, applying descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: a significant relationship was found between the variables studied, highlighting the importance of emotional intelligence and professional quality of life for work commitment. Conclusion: it is concluded that there is a relationship between these variables, without offering additional recommendations or solutions

Telecommuting during the COVID-19: the role of job demand and control on health outcomes.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic drastically modified the occupational system wherein telecommuting has risen as the major form of work. Few studies have incorporated Karasek's job demand-control (JDC) model into explaining the health effects of telecommuting. This study aimed to investigate the health risk in South Korean telecommuters during the pandemic, and its distribution according to the job stress-related factors. A nationwide population-based cross-sectional study of South Korean laborers was conducted, utilizing the 6th Korean Working Conditions Survey (2020-2021). Following the previously described concept of telecommuting, 14,478 white-collar employees were eligible study participants. Telecommuting, job demand, job control, and various health indicators were measured by the responses to the survey. Participants were stratified into 4 job profiles classified by the JDC model. We conducted multiple logistic regression analyses between telecommuting and health-related outcomes to estimate the odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). One hundred forty-six low-strain, 223 active, 69 passive, and 148 high-strain workers were screened as telecommuters. Compared to office workers, telecommuters had a higher proportion in high job control groups. Subgroup analysis demonstrated different relationships between telecommuting and health, where only active telecommuters showed a higher prevalence of depression (OR: 1.980, 95% CI: 1.126-3.481), and high-strain telecommuters were affected in most outcomes including insomnia (OR: 2.555, 95% CI: 1.473-4.433), musculoskeletal pain (OR: 2.786, 95% CI: 1.719-4.517), headache/eye strain (OR: 3.074, 95% CI: 1.992-4.745) and presenteeism (OR: 1.932, 95% CI: 1.193-3.131). This study revealed significantly increased odds of multiple health outcomes among South Korean telecommuters during the COVID-19 pandemic era. High-strain job holders were prominently susceptible to the negative health impacts of telecommuting. Occupational health management towards telecommuters should approach mitigating high job demand and low job control.

Dimensions of the COVID-19 pandemic: prevalence of common mental disorders in "invisible" health workers and their association with occupational stressors.

To evaluate the association between occupational stressors and common mental disorders (CMD) among "invisible" health workers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cross-sectional study including a probabilistic sample of 1,014 health workers from three municipalities in Bahia. CMDs were assessed using the SRQ-20. The Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) scale and the Demand-Control Model assessed occupational stressors. Descriptive, bivariate, and multiple analysis to evaluate the association between the variables of interest. The global prevalence of CMD was 39.9%; it was higher among CHA/EDCA (47.2%), followed by management and surveillance staff (38.6%), technicians (35.4%), and support/maintenance/cleaning staff (29.9%). The association between occupational stressors and CMD varied among occupations: 1. Excessive work commitment (EWC), effort-reward imbalance (ERI), and psychological demand were associated with CMD among support/maintenance/cleaning workers; 2. EWC and ERI were associated with CMD among CHA/EDCA; 3. EWC, ERI, and low control over work were associated with CMD among technicians; 4. Among management and surveillance workers, only ERI remained associated with CMD. Occupational stressors played a relevant role in mental illness, with variation between occupational strata, demanding attention, monitoring, and control.

Workplace tele pressure and innovative work performance. A moderation mediation study through work-family conflicts and job burnout

PurposeThis study explores the impact of workplace tele pressure on innovative work performance. The study also tests the mediating effect of the work-family conflict and the moderating influence of job burnout between the work-family conflict and innovative work performance.Design/methodology/approachData for the present study were collected through structured questionnaires from 285 employees working in the public and private sector universities. Data were analysed through SPSS and Smart-PLS.FindingsResults confirmed the relationship between workplace tele pressure and innovative work performance, the mediating effect of work-family conflict between workplace tele pressure and innovative work performance and the moderating influence of job burnout between work-family conflicts and innovative work performance.Originality/valueThis study model is supported by the job demands-control model and effort-recovery theory, which is being tested for the first time to support the relationship between workplace tele pressure and innovative work performance. Further, the model “workplace tele pressure → work-family conflicts → job burnout → innovative work performance” was developed and tested for the first time to study the technology-based pressure in the education sector.

Development of a comprehensive stress assessment tool for Indian public sector employees

The study aims to develop a comprehensive stress assessment tool for Indian public sector employees, considering unique stressors, cultural factors, and organizational characteristics. The study employed a deductive approach, cross-sectional design, and mixed-method study based on comprehension of extant stress management theories, to explore the factors contributing to employee stress. The study found that technological disruptions, austerity measures, blame games, multitasking, and work–life balance are significant factors of assessing employee stress. The findings of the study fill the gaps in extant literature and extends support to the job demand control and support model. The findings make practical contributions in assisting practitioners and policymakers to design suitable intervention programs to reduce employee stress and enhance employee productivity. The unique contribution of the study is, first of its kind in the Indian public sector context, that the tool has the potential to assess employee stress effectively at workplace and practitioners can derive benefits of the stress assessment tool.Graphical abstract

The differences in the implications of participative decision-making and paternalistic leadership for teachers' perceived stress in the education system of the Israeli Arab minority

PurposeStudies have shown that teachers' perceptions and expectations of their working environment shape their perceived stress. The present study draws upon implicit leadership theory and builds on the job demands-control (JD-C) model to investigate whether there are differences in the implications of participative decision-making and paternalistic leadership for teachers' perceived stress in the Israeli Arab education system.Design/methodology/approachData were collected through validated questionnaires returned by a two-stage cluster random sampling of 350 teachers randomly chosen from 70 Israeli Arab elementary schools. Paternalistic leadership and participative decision-making were considered as group-level variables to lower the risk of common method variance. The proposed model was tested through hierarchical regression analysis. Finally, to test the hypothesis that paternalistic leadership and participative decision-making standardized beta weights were statistically significantly different from each other, their corresponding 95% confidence intervals were estimated via bias corrected bootstrap (1000 re-samples).FindingsThe findings indicated differences in the levels of the principal's paternalistic leadership and participative decision-making as perceived by the Israeli Arab teachers. Also, the results indicated that participative decision-making was negatively correlated with teachers' perceived stress beyond the influence of paternalistic leadership.Originality/valueExamining teachers' working conditions and resources can be important since they affect teachers' perceived stress, which may in turn affects school results in the Arab education system in Israel. This study can contribute to the development of training programs for teachers to improve and adapt principals' leadership practices to the sociocultural context of the Arab education system in Israel.

Employees' learning behavior in the context of AI collaboration: a perspective on the job demand-control model

PurposeMost studies have focused on the impact of the application of AI on management attributes, management decisions and management ethics. However, how job demand and job control in the context of AI collaboration determine employees' learning process and learning behaviors, as well as how AI collaboration moderates employees' learning process and learning behaviors, remains unknown. To answer these questions, the authors adopted a Job Demand-Control (JDC) model to explore the influencing factors of employee's individual learning behavior.Design/methodology/approachThis study used questionnaire survey in organizations using AI to collect data. Partial least squares (PLS) predict algorithm and SPSS were used to test the hypotheses.FindingsJob demand and job control positively influence self-efficacy, self-efficacy positively influences learning goal orientation and learning goal orientation positively influences learning behavior. Learning goal orientation plays a mediating role between self-efficacy and learning behavior. Meanwhile, collaboration with AI positively moderates the impact of employees' job demand on self-efficacy and the impact of self-efficacy on learning behavior.Originality/valueThis study introduces self-efficacy as the outcome of JDC model, demonstrates the mediating role of learning goal orientation and introduces collaborative factors related to artificial intelligence. This study further enriches the theoretical system of human–AI interaction and expands the content of organizational learning theory.

Assessing the Change in Psychosocial Stress of Fireworks Workers of West Bengal During the Pre-Pandemic and During COVID-19 Pandemic

The fireworks industries of South 24 Parganas, West Bengal, are centuries-old, unorganized cottage industries. The goal of the current study was to evaluate how psychosocial stress of fireworks workers of Bengal had changed during the COVID-19 pre-pandemic and during pandemic period, and to determine the underlying causes of it. 152 male fireworks workers of varying ages were chosen for this purpose. To measure the psychosocial stress of fireworks employees, the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) based on Karasek’s Demand-Control Model was used. A shortened Social Readjustment Rating Questionnaire (SRRQ- Holmes and Rahe, 1967) was followed to measure the life change value. The socioeconomic status related to psychosocial stress was also measured along with food habits. After analyzing psychosocial factors and outcomes, it was determined that financial condition and job stability of fireworks workers worsened notably during pandemic. There were prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and lack of health awareness among them. Though, they were benefitted by different government schemes, low income and job stress led to increased psychosocial stress during the pandemic.

The potential of an exam villa as a structural resource during prolonged exam preparation at university

IntroductionDrawing on the Demand-Control Model, this study examined whether using an exam villa as a supportive learning environment provides a structural resource for law students during exam preparation. First, we hypothesized that villa students show higher decision latitude and satisfaction and less stress compared to non-villa students. Second, we expected villa use to predict stress and satisfaction over and beyond the demand-control dimensions. Third, decision latitude was tested to mediate of the relationship between villa use and both outcomes.MethodsOur cross-sectional study included N = 205 advanced law students that gave self-reports on their stress and satisfaction, villa use, their perceived demands and decision latitude along with some control variables. All students were within a period of long-lasting exam preparation stretching over 12 to 18 months whereas n = 41 students used the villa.ResultsUsing the exam villa was associated with both less subjective stress and more satisfaction. SEMs revealed villa use to predict stress but not satisfaction over and beyond the demand-control dimensions with 73% of overall explained variance in stress and 62% of variance in satisfaction. Decision latitude mediated the relationship between villa use and both outcomes.DiscussionThe findings support the potential of structural resources in reducing stress among students undergoing prolonged academic stress.

Employee empowerment, equality plans and job satisfaction: an empirical analysis of the demand-control model

PurposeThe paper investigates the effects of individual employees' empowerment on different forms of job satisfaction in British workplaces while controlling for the presence of job demands and whether these effects depend on the presence of an equality plan in the workplace. The demand-control model that the authors test proposes that imbalances between the demands placed on employees and the control they have in their job negatively affect employee well-being and health. Control may also be strengthened, and demands mitigated, by effective equality policies. This study looks at nine forms of job satisfaction and examines the individual effects of job demands, job control, the interaction of control and demands and their joint effects with equality plans.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses matched employee–employer British data from the 2011 Workplace Employment Relations Survey (WERS). The authors conduct principal component analysis (PCA) and logit estimations and estimate a recursive simultaneous bivariate probit model.FindingsEmployee empowerment, or job control, is a key predictor of job satisfaction, and job demands are negatively associated with various aspects of job satisfaction. The presence of equality plans strengthens the positive effects of job control and mitigates the detrimental effects of job demands. Consistent with the demand-control model, employees are more likely to be satisfied in low strain jobs (jobs with low demands and high control) than in high strain jobs (jobs with high demands and low control). Employees in passive jobs (jobs with low demand and low control) on the other hand are less likely to be satisfied with achievement and influence than employees in low strain job.Originality/valueMuch of the empirical literature has focused on collective empowerment practices and none has tested the demand-control model. This paper adds to the literature on employee empowerment practices with a focus on individualised job control and the way its effects interact with equality plans. In the process, the authors provide novel and rigorous empirical evidence on an extended version of the demand-control model.