Demand Control Support Research Articles

Job Stress Evaluation of Private Banking Employees in Indonesia through the Job Demand-Control Support Model and the Effort-Reward Imbalance Model

Job Stress Evaluation of Private Banking Employees in Indonesia through the Job Demand-Control Support Model and the Effort-Reward Imbalance Model

Suicidal ideation and their relationship with job satisfaction and job strain among Jordanian hospitals' healthcare professionals: a cross-sectional study.

Suicidal ideation is a major health problem that occurs in response to complex interactions among psychological, sociocultural, and environmental factors. The phenomenon of suicidal ideation among healthcare professionals is still shrouded in mystery in Jordanian society, and there is still a scarcity of studies on its relationship with job strain and job satisfaction has been examined in the Arab world. Therefore, to fill this gap, this study aimed to reveal the prevalence of suicidal ideation among Jordanian hospitals health care professionals, and its relationship to job satisfaction and job strain. Additionally, how some sociodemographic factors were correlated with suicidal ideation levels, including age, sex, monthly income, occupation, years of experience, and sector type. Data were collected through a survey including sociodemographic characteristics, Suicidal ideation Scale (SIS), Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS), and Demand Control Support Questionnaire (DCSQ). The survey was distributed among 910 physicians and nurses of both sexes in public and private Jordanian hospitals. The survey was conducted using an anonymous online platform via Google Forms between October 2022 and December 2023. In light of the strain theory of suicide (STS), our results showed that physicians and nurses reported low levels of suicidal ideation and job satisfaction, with high levels of job strain. Suicidal ideation was positively correlated with job strain and negatively correlated with job satisfaction. Job satisfaction is negatively correlated with job strain. Job satisfaction was a significant mediator between job strain and suicidal ideation. Greater attention should be paid to the work environment in healthcare, particularly to enhance social support, increase job satisfaction levels, reduce job strain, and provide extensive training on effective prevention strategies for suicidal ideation and behaviour in the workplace. Additionally, policies and practices related to the health sector should be modified to create stable, healthy, and safe relationships and work environments.

How Can Conflicts with Supervisors or Coworkers Affect Construction Workers’ Safety Performance on Site? Two Cross-Sectional Studies in North America

A safety plateau in the construction industry has been reported in the US and Canada, which has prompted researchers to seek new factors affecting construction safety performance. Tapping into advancements in the theory of human and organizational behaviors can yield valuable new perspectives. Therefore, by leveraging the advancement of the Job Demand Control Support model in the field of occupational safety and health, this paper firstly tested the impact of one newly added hindrance stressor (i.e., interpersonal conflicts on construction sites) by researchers on organizational behaviors on the safety performance of construction workers, based on two cross-sectional studies in the US and Canada. Differentiations were made between conflicts with supervisors and conflicts with coworkers. One personal resource factor, i.e., individual resilience, was also considered in this paper. A “causal” chain that shows the mitigation impact of individual resilience on conflicts with supervisors or coworkers, and the adverse impact of conflicts with supervisors or coworkers, on unsafe events were found to hold true for both US and Canadian construction sites, based on the results from measurement invariance tests and structural equation modelling. Recommendations regarding how to improve construction workers’ individual resilience and reduce interpersonal conflicts on site, thereby reducing safety incidents on site, are provided.

Predictors for Burnout Among Healthcare Workers in a Post -Covid Era

IntroductionWe aimed to study predictive factors for burnout (BO) among healthcare workers in a tertiary hospital in Singapore.ObjectivesWe hypothesized that burnout would be assoiciated with singles, females, and foreign born staff recently moved into this country, unaccompanied by family members.We further hypothesised that BO would be associated with those scoring less on resilience. Recognising that social support mitigated against stress and burnout, we hypothesized that those who perceived less support would be more prone to BO.MethodsThe study questionnaire was sent via corporate email to all staff with email access. We stressed that data would be fully anonymised. No financial rewards were given for participation which was carried out on a voluntary basis.The following instruments were used, viz. F-SozU K-6, a brief form of the perceived social support questionnaire; Connor Davidson Resilience Scale; Oldenburg Burnout Inventory; Patient Health Questionnaire-4 item; Demand Control Support Questionnaire and Leisure Time Satisfaction Scale. Ethics approval for the study was sought from the SingHealth Centralised Institutional Review Board, which granted exemption of participant consent.Analyses were performed using Stata version 17.0 (StataCorp. 2021), with statistical significance set as 2-sided 5% (p<0.05). The reliability and internal consistency of the scales used were assessed using Cronbach Alphas and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA).ResultsNeither males nor females were more at risk for BO. And contrary to what we hypothesised those who recently moved to this nation were not at greater risk for BO (p>0.05). Multivariate analyses showed that younger workers displayed higher burnout scores (p < 0.001).The psychological demand sub-score was positively associated with burnout [ 0.61 (95% CI 0.45 to 0.77), p < 0.001)]. Conversely, decision latitude [-0.33 (95% CI -0.44 to -0.21), p < 0.001)] and support [-0.47 (95% CI -0.60 to -0.35), p < 0.001] were negatively associated with BO.Those who experienced anxiety or depressive symptoms were respectively more likely to experience burnout [0.30 (95% CI 0.02 to 0.58), p = 0.035 and 0.72 (95% CI 0.41 to 1.02), p < 0.001], with a clear association between higher PHQ-4 scores and risk for burnout (r = 0.619).Moreover, satisfaction with utilisation of leisure time was inversely related to BO [-0.55 (95% CI -0.68 to –0.41; p < 0.001)]. We could not find any association between number of years worked, profession, marital status and perceived social support and BO, on multivariate anbalysis (p>0.05).ConclusionsStrress reduction interventions should be made available for all staff, especially addressing those at highest risk for burnout.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Validating a modified instrument for measuring Demand-Control-Support among students at a large university in southern Sweden

ABSTRACT Background University students experience a distinct working environment in the context of completing their studies. In line with existing research into the connection between workplace environment and stress, it is rational to believe that such study environments can affect the level of stress that students experience. However, few instruments have been developed for measuring this. Objective The aim of this study was to validate a modified instrument based on the Demand-Control-Support (DCS) model among students at a large university in southern Sweden to determine its utility for assessing the psychosocial properties of the study environment. Methods Data from a survey performed at a Swedish university in 2019, which generated 8960 valid cases, was used. Of these cases, 5410 studied a course or programme at bachelor level, 3170 a course or programme at master level, and 366 a combination of courses and programmes on the two levels (14 missing). A 22-item DCS-instrument for students was used comprising four scales: Psychological workload (demand) with nine items, Decision latitude (control) with eight items, supervisor/lecturer support with four items, and colleague/student support with three items. Construct validity was examined using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and internal consistency using Cronbach’s alpha. Results The results of the exploratory factor analysis of the Demand-Control components support a 3-dimension solution with dimensions corresponding to psychological demands, skill discretion, and decision authority in the original DCS model. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were acceptable for Control (0.60) and Student Support (0.72) and very good for the Demand and Supervisor Support scales (0.81 and 0.84, respectively). Conclusions The results suggest that the validated 22-item DCS-instrument is a reliable and valid tool for assessing Demand, Control, and Support elements of the psychosocial study environment among student populations. Further research is necessary to examine the predictive validity of this modified instrument.

The Selah Pilot Study of Spiritual, Mindfulness, and Stress Inoculation Practices on Stress-Related Outcomes Among United Methodist Clergy in the United States

The job–demand–control–support model indicates that clergy are at high risk for chronic stress and adverse health outcomes. A multi-group pre-test–post-test design was used to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and range of outcome effect sizes for four potentially stress-reducing interventions: stress inoculation training, mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), the Daily Examen, and Centering Prayer. All United Methodist clergy in North Carolina were eligible and recruited via email to attend their preferred intervention. Surveys at 0, 3, and 12 weeks assessed symptoms of stress, anxiety, and perceived stress reactivity. Heart rate variability (HRV) was assessed at baseline and 12 weeks using 24 h ambulatory heart rate monitoring data. A subset of participants completed in-depth interviews and reported skill practice using daily text messages. Standardized mean differences with 95% and 75% confidence intervals were calculated for the change observed in each intervention from baseline to 3 and 12 weeks post-baseline to determine the range of effect sizes likely to be observed in a definitive trial. 71 clergy participated in an intervention. The daily percentage of participants engaging in stress management practices ranged from 47% (MBSR) to 69% (Examen). Results suggest that participation in Daily Examen, stress inoculation, or MBSR interventions could plausibly result in improvement in stress and anxiety at 12 weeks with small-to-large effect sizes. Small effect sizes on change in HRV were plausible for MBSR and Centering Prayer from baseline to 12 weeks. All four interventions were feasible and acceptable, although Centering Prayer had lower enrollment and mixed results.

Satisfaction with work–family roles and the relationship with working parents’ life satisfaction: a cross-disciplinary perspective

ABSTRACT In this paper, we provide an innovative conceptualization of the work–family balance, and its implications for mothers’ and fathers’ life satisfaction, by drawing on ‘Self Determination Theory’ and ‘Job Demand-Control–Support’ model for the ‘basic psychological needs’ in partnership, parenting, and work. We analyse whether work and family satisfaction have different meanings for mothers and fathers, and whether it has equal importance in determining overall life satisfaction by gender. Using a sample of dual-earner parents from the third (2010/11) to the eleventh (2018/19) waves of the German Family Panel (pairfam) panel survey. Our results support the idea that self-realization in partnership, parenting, and work are important for both men and for women. However, there is gender difference in the way that work and family satisfaction is conceived and also in the way that the combined satisfaction in these two life spheres affects overall life satisfaction.

A longitudinal perspective on the interplay of job demands and destructive leadership on employees’ work ability in Germany

PurposeWork ability as a predictor of early retirement or lengthy/frequent sick leaves becomes more and more relevant due to the demographic change. Therefore, factors, which affect employees’ work ability, need to be further examined with a theoretical base. According to Karasek’s job demands–control (JDC) model, high job demands and low control are related to poor employee health. The subsequent job demands–control support (JDCS) model proposed that a lack of support, also from leaders, has a negative impact on health indicators. This article looked at whether destructive leadership reinforces the negative influence of high job demands on employees’ work ability.MethodsWe used the BAuA Working Time Survey waves 2015, 2017, and 2019 (BAuA-WTS), which are representative of employees in Germany. Our data set covers 2448 respondents, who took part in all three waves. Central to the analyses were the variables job demands, control, destructive leadership, and work ability.ResultsResults from pooled ordinary least squares (OLS) and fixed effect (FE) models revealed that job demands influenced work ability negatively, whereas neither control by the employee nor the interaction of job demands and control was significant regarding effecting work ability in the FE models. Destructive leadership exerted a negative effect on work ability and moderated job demands significantly in the FE models meaning a further decrease in work ability.ConclusionLeadership behavior should be further examined as an important factor for work ability.

Work-Related Psychosocial Factors and Global Cognitive Function: Are Telomere Length and Low-Grade Inflammation Potential Mediators of This Association?

The identification of modifiable factors that could maintain cognitive function is a public health priority. It is thought that some work-related psychosocial factors help developing cognitive reserve through high intellectual complexity. However, they also have well-known adverse health effects and are considered to be chronic psychosocial stressors. Indeed, these stressors could increase low-grade inflammation and promote oxidative stress associated with accelerated telomere shortening. Both low-grade inflammation and shorter telomeres have been associated with a cognitive decline. This study aimed to evaluate the total, direct, and indirect effects of work-related psychosocial factors on global cognitive function overall and by sex, through telomere length and an inflammatory index. A random sample of 2219 participants followed over 17 years was included in this study, with blood samples and data with cognitive function drawn from a longitudinal study of 9188 white-collar workers (51% female). Work-related psychosocial factors were evaluated according to the Demand-Control-Support and the Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) models. Global cognitive function was evaluated with the validated Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Telomere length and inflammatory biomarkers were measured using standardised protocols. The direct and indirect effects were estimated using a novel mediation analysis method developed for multiple correlated mediators. Associations were observed between passive work or low job control, and shorter telomeres among females, and between low social support at work, ERI or iso-strain, and a higher inflammatory index among males. An association was observed with higher cognitive performance for longer telomeres, but not for the inflammatory index. Passive work overall, and low reward were associated with lower cognitive performance in males; whereas, high psychological demand in both males and females and high job strain in females were associated with a higher cognitive performance. However, none of these associations were mediated by telomere length or the inflammatory index. This study suggests that some work-related psychosocial factors could be associated with shorter telomeres and low-grade inflammation, but these associations do not explain the relationship between work-related psychosocial factors and global cognitive function. A better understanding of the biological pathways, by which these factors affect cognitive function, could guide future preventive strategies to maintain cognitive function and promote healthy aging.

COVID-19 in School Teachers: Job Satisfaction and Burnout through the Job Demands Control Model.

The recent pandemic has influenced teachers' mental health and well-being. The present work follows the Job-Demands-Control model, analyzing changes in the demands, control, and social support during COVID-19, and how they influence job satisfaction, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment among school teachers. The sample comprised 172 school teachers. The instruments applied were The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), The Job Satisfaction Teacher Index (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), 2014), and The Demand Control Support Questionnaire (DCSQ). Job satisfaction was predicted exclusively by social support, revealing the importance of social interactions at work. Emotional exhaustion and depersonalization were predicted by job demands, showing that an increase in job demands (i.e., COVID) affects individuals' feelings of burnout. The results show that it would be interesting to design strategies that guarantee job control in the teaching context. This would open multiple pathways to implement healthier methodological processes for teachers and the consequent research to support these processes.

Understanding the Impact of Occupational Stress on the Home Environment: Evidence from Oman

Women develop stress not only at work but also in their home environment, which leads to chaos in both places. This study not only examines the extent of occupational stress among primary school teachers but also identifies the most important antecedents of occupational stress and its impact on the home environment. A survey was conducted on primary school teachers from Al Batinah Governorate in Oman. A sample of 232 respondents was effectively drawn to analyse data using the SmartPLS-based structural equation modelling (SEM) technique. The job demand control support (JDCS) model was used to study occupational stress. A new variable home environment was included in the study to extend the JDCS model. The findings revealed some factors causing occupational stress and a significant positive relationship between occupational stress and the home environment. The study recommended the creation of a positive work environment, the development of appropriate educational policies, and the improvement of relationships with people in the workplace to ameliorate the stress affecting the home environment.

Validation of the Demand Control Support Questionnaire for European Portuguese

Background: The Demand Control Support model is useful for studying work-related stress. The combination of high demand and a low level of control generates “job strain” (“job iso-strain” if poor support is added), with implications for the worker’s health and well-being. The aims of this study were to adapt, examine the factor structure of, and determine the reliability of, the Demand Control Support Questionnaire (DCSQ) short version for European Portuguese (DCSQ-PT). Methods: The scale was translated into Portuguese following a rigorous process and then applied to 501 workers from various professional sectors. An online survey was used to collect sociodemographic, professional, and Demand Control Support data. Validation was based on reliability and validity tests. Results: The mean age of the sample was 41.8 ± 10.3 years, and 50.1% of the participants were female. The results reveal good reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.807) and validity. Confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated that a four-factor solution of the DCSQ-PT scale had a good fit to the data, as was the case for the original scale. The DCSQ-PT© with 16 items is composed of the following factors: social support at work; psychological demands; skill discretion; and decision authority. Conclusions: This validation allows an instrument to be obtained with 16 items for studying work-related stress in Portuguese workers.

Job strain and burnout in Spanish nurses during the COVID-19: resilience as a protective factor in a cross-sectional study

BackgroundNurses are frequently exposed to chronic stress in the workplace generating harmful effects such as job strain and burnout. On the contrary, resilience has been shown to be a beneficial variable. The objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between dimensions of the Job Demand Control-Support model, resilience and burnout in nurses, and examine the mediating role of resilience between job strain and burnout.MethodsA descriptive, cross-sectional study reported in line with the STROBE guidelines. Active nurses were invited to complete an online questionnaire in September, 2020. With snowball sampling, 1013 nurses, with a mean age of 34.71, filled out the Job Content Questionnaire, the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the Resilience Scale.ResultsThe results showed the existence of four groups of professionals based on job strain. The nurses in the “High Strain” group (high demands and low control) showed higher scores in emotional exhaustion and cynicism, while those in the “Active Job” group scored higher in personal realization and resilience. The findings showed that job strain affects burnout in nurses, and this effect is mediated by resilience.ConclusionsThe findings of this study showed that a high level of resilience could exert a fundamental role in ensuring well-being and proper job performance by nurses. Nursing managers should see to the personable variables or competencies that provide and favor an opportunity for nurses to widen and improve their practice, in pursuance of satisfying and responding better to people’s needs and the systems they work for.

Factors associated with depressive symptoms among workers employed in Japanese eldercare institutions: a cross-sectional study based on the Job Demand–Control–Support Model

Factors associated with depressive symptoms among workers employed in Japanese eldercare institutions: a cross-sectional study based on the Job Demand–Control–Support Model

The association of job fatigue with mental disorders among bus drivers.

Mental disorders are a global problem with growing importance. However, the contribution of work factors to the development of mental disorders is inconclusive. This study aimed to assess the impact of fatigue and job stress on mental disorders in a prospective cohort of bus drivers. The Taiwan Bus Driver Cohort Study (TBDCS) recruited 1652 bus drivers from a bus company in 2005. Participants self-completed a structured questionnaire in 2007, which included the Demand-Control-Support (DCS) model questions and the Swedish Occupational Fatigue Inventory-Chinese (SOFI-C). Psychiatric care visits and admissions were obtained from the National Health Insurance Research Dataset (NHIRD) from 2003 to 2016 for as a proxy for psychiatric diagnoses. Drivers with a history of psychiatric disorders before the questionnaire survey time were excluded (N=69). During the follow-up period, a new diagnosis with a psychiatric disorder was defined as an event. Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) for new one-set psychiatric disorders, adjusting for age, body mass index, marital status, education, alcohol consumption, smoking, exercise, bus driving experience, shift work, and chronic diseases. Among the 896 bus drivers retained for analysis, 85 were newly diagnosed with a psychiatric disorders. DCS score was not associated with the risk of developing a psychiatric disorders, but bus drivers with high SOFI-C scores (≥5) had an elevated risk for anxiety or mood disorders (HR 3.35, 95% confidence interval 1.23-9.09). Among bus drivers, occupational fatigue, as indicated by high a SOFI-C score, might result in an elevated risk of anxiety or mood disorders. Health service organizations should provide recommendations and guidance for drivers with high fatigue levels to avoid anxiety or mood disorders.

The Impact of Quality of Work Organization on Distress and Absenteeism among Healthcare Workers.

The quality of work organization may be responsible not only for reduced productivity but also for an increased risk of mental and physical disorders. This study was aimed at testing this hypothesis. Workers of a local health unit in Italy were asked to fill out the Work Organization Assessment Questionnaire (WOAQ) during their periodic medical examinations in the second half of 2018. On the same occasion, they also completed the Demand/Control/Support (DCS) measure of job strain, the Effort/Reward Imbalance (ERI) questionnaire, and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ12) to assess psychological health. A total of 345 workers (85.8%) completed the survey. Linear regression analysis showed that the quality of work organization was inversely proportional to psychological health problems (p < 0.001). Occupational stress, measured both by job strain and ERI, was a moderating factor in this relationship. The relationship between the WOAQ and psychological health, moderated by job strain or ERI, remained highly significant even after adjustment for sex, age, social support, and overcommitment. Regression models explained over 40% of the shared variance of the association between quality of work organization and psychological health. The quality of work organization significantly predicted the risk of sickness absence for musculoskeletal disorders (OR = 0.984, CI95% 0.972–0.996) and for other health problems (OR = 0.977, CI95% 0.967–0.988). A continuous improvement of work organization must consider not only the clients’ or production needs but also the well-being of workers.

Working from home vs working from office in terms of job performance during the COVID‐19 pandemic crisis: evidence from China

Despite being a worldwide disaster, the COVID‐19 pandemic has also provided an opportunity for renewed discussion about the way we work. By contextualizing in the early periods of China's ending of lockdown policy on COVID‐19, this paper offers evidence to respond to an essential discussion in the field of working from home (WFH): In terms of job performance, can WFH replace working from the office (WFO)? The present study compares job performance in terms of quality and productivity between WFH and WFO from 861 Chinese respondents using entropy balance matching, a quasi‐experimental methodology. Results reveal that WFH enhances job performance in terms of job quality but lowers it in terms of job productivity. In addition, the present study aims to capture and empirically measure the variations in fundamental job characteristics in terms of job control and job demand between WFH and WFO by applying the job demand control support model. More specifically, we find that job control items, such as ‘talking right’ and ‘work rate’, and job demand items, such as ‘a long time of intense concentration’ and ‘hecticness of the job’, are vital factors that contribute to how these differences exert influence on employees' performance in the context of the pandemic.

Investigation of Demand–Control–Support Model and Effort–Reward Imbalance Model as Predictor of Counterproductive Work Behaviors

BackgroundNowadays, counter-productive work behaviors (CWBs) have turned into a common and costly position for many organizations and especially health centers. Therefore, the study was carried out to examine and compare the demand–control–support (DCS) and effort–reward imbalance (ERI) models as predictors of CWBs. MethodsThe study was cross-sectional. The population was all nurses working in public hospitals in Hamadan, Iran of whom 320 were selected as the sample based on simple random sampling method. The instruments used were Job Content Questionnaire, Effort–Reward Imbalance Questionnaire, and Counterproductivity Work Behavior Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using correlation and regression analysis in SPSS18. ResultsThe findings indicated that both ERI and DCS models could predict CWB (p ≤ 0.05); however, the DCS model variables can explain the variance of CWB-I and CWB-O approximately 8% more than the ERI model variables and have more power in predicting these behaviors in the nursing community. ConclusionAccording to the results, job stress is a key factor in the incidence of CWBs among nurses. Considering the importance and impact of each component of ERI and DCS models in the occurrence of CWBs, corrective actions can be taken to reduce their incidence in nurses.

Organizational Justice and Health: A Survey in Hospital Workers.

In complex systems such as hospitals, work organization can influence the level of occupational stress and, consequently, the physical and mental health of workers. Hospital healthcare workers were asked to complete a questionnaire during their regular occupational health examination, in order to assess the perceived level of organizational justice, and to verify whether it was associated with occupational stress, mental health, and absenteeism. The questionnaire included the Colquitt Organizational Justice (OJ) Scale, the Karasek/Theorell demand-control-support (DCS) questionnaire for occupational stress, and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ12) for mental health. Workers were also required to indicate whether they had been absent because of back pain in the past year. Organizational justice was a significant predictor of occupational stress. Stress was a mediator in the relationship between justice and mental health. Occupational stress was more closely related to perceptions of lack of distributive justice than to perceptions of procedural, informational, and interpersonal justice. Physicians perceived significantly less distributive justice than other workers. In adjusted univariate logistic regression models, the perceptions of organizational justice were associated with a significant reduction in the risk of sick leave for back pain (OR 0.96; CI95% 0.94–0.99; p < 0.001), whereas occupational stress was associated with an increased risk of sick leave (OR 6.73; CI95% 2.02–22.40; p < 0.002). Work organization is a strong predictor of occupational stress and of mental and physical health among hospital employees.

Voice as Control: Integrating Voice into the Job Demand Control Model

Voice and the Job Demand Control Model (Kasarek, 1979) are integrated with voice conceptualized as an alternative form of control to autonomy/decision authority. The integrated model follows from the need to understand control in the context of increasingly team centered work and calls for examination of “control in the wider organizational environment” (Wall et al., 1996, p163). It is discussed how the integrated model differs from the Job Demand Control Support Model (Johnson and Hall, 1988), and implications for future research are addressed. The literature on stress and voice are also reviewed with focus paid to definitions.