JDCS Model Research Articles

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 The job demand-control (-support; JDCS) model was initially well-represented, but has been superseded more recently by theories that focus on multiple resources (e.g., the job demand-resource - JDR - model).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.

Job stressors and the innovative work behaviour of STEM teachers: serial multiple mediation role of creative self-efficacy and creative motivation

ABSTRACT STEM education is crucial in the digital intelligence era, imposing new demands and challenges on teachers. However, there is limited focus on the job stress and innovative work behaviour of STEM teachers, particularly on how job stressors influence their innovative behaviour. This study, from the perspective of school organisational administrators, based on the JDCS Model and social learning theory, surveyed 849 primary and secondary school STEM teachers across 11 provinces in China using scales for Job Stress, Creative Self-Efficacy, Creative Motivation, and Teachers’ Innovative Work Behaviour. Results indicated that job demand positively influences innovative work behaviour directly and indirectly through creative motivation and the serial mediation of creative self-efficacy and creative motivation, contributing 38.4%. Job control also positively influences innovative work behaviour indirectly via creative self-efficacy and the serial mediation of creative self-efficacy and creative motivation, contributing 32.2%. Similarly, job support impacts innovative work behaviour indirectly through creative self-efficacy and its serial mediation with creative motivation, contributing 21.9%. Collectively, job demand, control, and support affect STEM teachers’ job stress. It is recommended that school administrators balance job demand and support, adjust job control, and provide targeted support to enhance teachers’ creative self-efficacy and motivation, fostering innovative work behaviour.

Stress among Nurses Working in the Provincial Hospital of Kenitra, Morocco: a Job Demand-Control-Support Survey

The nursing stress literature points to an overwhelming culture of accepting and expecting stress at work,ironically linked to controlling the workplace to effectively and actively manage stress. According to the KarasekJob Demand Control Support (JDCS) model, stress-causing factors have been extensively studied in nursing-relatedworkplaces, especially in critical and emergency situations. However, little is known about the impact of workplacestress on the cognitive functions of caregivers.Method: A survey was carried out using the JDCS model among 96 nurses working in different departments ofthe provincial hospital in Kenitra (emergencies, surgical operating units, pediatrics…). Specific questions exploredvariables such as gender, length of service in the system, level of qualification and work experience.Results: A high level of job strain was highlighted with a gender effect. Women Nurses are more stressed than men.According to the study, age over 40 was a key factor in high work stress, also for the work schedule; nurses adoptingthe 12/36 system were located in the high stress quadrant. Both of these factors can be predictors of poor mental health.Strategies to improve the personal and professional performance of nurses to cope with daily stressors in differenthospital departments are needed.

Workplace Situation and Well-Being of Ecuadorian Self-Employed

Due to novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), the labor market is going to undergo a profound restructuring. The creation of a new labor paradigm by all stakeholders is essential. This document contributes to the current political and social debates about self-employment, the need for economic growth, and how these labor measures, which are deeply institutionalized, need a change of attitude for an adequate job reconstruction in terms of welfare and sustainability. Currently, policy makers are proposing actions and policies because the new labor paradigm is being designed in the countries of Latin America. This research aims to analyze the JDCS model (Job Demand-Control-Support) and well-being in the self-employed in Ecuador. Unlike previous studies, this research takes a comprehensive approach by considering this theoretical model and the figure of the self-employed in terms of well-being. The logistic model, using cases of more than one thousand workers, generated estimated results that indicate the existence of a significant effect of physical and psychological demands at work on the balance between well-being and the management of angry clients; the speed of execution; and the complexity of the tasks. Regarding labor control, the ability to solve problems and make decisions for the company are detected as influencing factors; finally, social support is another factor influencing global well-being for the self-employed. These results show that with an effective management of the self-employed labor environment, it is possible to achieve an adequate level of workplace satisfaction.

Social Trust Formation in the Workplace: Applying the Job Strain Model to Explain Variations in Social Trust Levels Among Employed Individuals

This study applies the job strain model (JDC-S) to social trust to analyse how workplace characteristics influence social trust formation patterns. By defining the ‘workplace’ as consisting of (a) workload, (b) control and (c) social support, the JDC-S model predicts job demands to inversely relate to social trust, whereas job control and social support to positively affect trust among the employed. We utilise the sample of 60,250 respondents from the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) to operationalise the three components and link them to social trust scores. Our analysis provides strong empirical evidence that the three factors are not only associated with trust among employed individuals, but that their impact is also contingent on the respondents’ sex and age.

The JDCS Model and Blue-Collar Bullying: Decent Working Conditions for a Healthy Environment.

Violence in the workplace and its health consequences still represent one of the main obstacles to obtaining decent working conditions. In particular, blue-collar workers run a greater risk of experiencing episodes of violence, also because of a lack of autonomy and fewer social interactions. According to the work environment hypothesis, factors such as high workload, lack of social support and lack of job control represent the antecedents of workplace bullying. Following the job demand-control-support model (JDCS), violence can be the symptom of a high-strain environment. Moreover, it is still unclear if workplace bullying can mediate the effects of work-related stress on workers’ health outcomes. The aim of the present study is to analyse the relationship between the components of the JDCS and the health of the workers considering workplace bullying as a mediating variable. By a cross sectional study design, we tested the following theoretical hypotheses: first, JDCS components (conceptualized as stress) are supposed to significantly predict the level of workers’ health. Second, workplace bullying is supposed to mediate the relationship between the JDCS components and the level of health. The sample consists of 400 blue-collars from three different Italian companies. Work-related stress, health outcomes and workplace bullying were measured by specific self-administered questionnaires and the relationships between the variables of interest were tested through a structural equation model (SEM) analysis. The results showed that while the direct relationship between the components of the JDCS and the level of psychological health is weaker (standardized path coefficients SPC = 0.21), the partial mediation hypothesis shows that workplace bullying mediate the relationship between JDCS components and health outcomes (χ2/df ratio = 2.70; path from stress to workplace bullying SPC = 0.78; path from workplace bullying to general health SPC = 0.51; p = 0.01). The JDCS components (workload, lack of control, lack of support) are useful predictors for workplace bullying. On the other hand, bullying plays a mediating role between the stress experienced and the health consequences. The present study adds new insights into the relationship between violence seen as a form of social behavioural strain and the psychological health of workers. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed. Future research on blue-collars could use longitudinal designs in order to analyse the relationship between social environment, job design and strain reactions.

Hair cortisol and work stress: Importance of workload and stress model (JDCS or ERI)

Hair cortisol concentrations (HCCs) are a potential physiological indicator of work related stress. However, studies that tested the relationship between HCC and self-reported stress in a work setting show mixed findings. This may be because few studies used worker samples that experience prolonged stress. Therefore, we compared a high workload sample (n = 81) and a normal workload sample (n = 91) and studied whether HCC was related to: (i) high job demands, low control, and low social support (JDCS model), and (ii) high effort, low reward, and high overcommitment (ERI model). Results showed that self-reported stress related to HCC only in the high workload sample and only for the variables of the ERI model. We found that HCC was higher when effort was high, reward low, and overcommitment high. An implication of this study is that a certain stress threshold may need to be reached to detect a relationship between self-reported stress and physiological measures such as HCC.

A modified Job Demand, Control, Support model for active duty police.

The Job Demand Control Support model (JDCS) is one of the most widely used theoretical models relating job characteristics to health and wellbeing. This study aimed to assess the predictive power of the JDCS model for determining job satisfaction and fatigue in uniformed Swedish police. An additional aim was to determine if predictive power of the model would be improved with the addition of two occupation specific items. Questionnaire data, based upon the Swedish Work Environment Survey were collected from Swedish police (n = 4244). A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was run to explore the predictive value of the model and to determine if the additional variables improved predictive power with respect to job satisfaction and fatigue. Regression analysis demonstrated that the JDSC model had high predictive power in relation to job satisfaction and fatigue. Job demands was the strongest predictor of fatigue (14%), while support was the strongest predictor of job satisfaction (12%). The addition of exposure to threats significantly improved predictive power for both job satisfaction and fatigue, while addition of shift work did not significantly affect predictive power of the model. Workplace interventions to address issues related to job satisfaction and fatigue in police should focus on maintaining a bearable level of job demands and provision of adequate support.

The role of work-to-leisure conflict in promoting frontline employees’ leisure satisfaction

Purpose– This paper aims to examine a mediating model of work-to-leisure conflict (WLC) based on the job demand-control-support model (JDCS model) and conflict roles of work and non-work life. This model proposes that work loading, time-off autonomy and support from supervisors and co-workers are related to WLC and leisure satisfaction.Design/methodology/approach– A sample of 457 frontline employees drawn from within the hospitality and tourism industry completed a study questionnaire. All hypothesized relationships were estimated using structural equation modeling.Findings– Results support a theoretical model in which WLC works as a partial mediator between job stress variables and leisure satisfaction. Findings suggest that low workload and flexible time-off contribute to alleviating WLC and facilitating leisure satisfaction and with the addition of high co-worker support, directly benefit employee leisure satisfaction.Practical implications– Management implications related to job design and work-related social support are discussed.Originality/value– The current study contributes to the existing knowledge base by testing WLC as a partial mediator between work loading–leisure satisfaction and time-off autonomy–leisure satisfaction relationships. These findings help human resource management managers broaden their understanding of the role of WLC in balancing frontline employees’ life in work and non-work domains.

Job stress across gender: the importance of emotional and intellectual demands and social support in women.

This study aims to analyse whether any differences exist between the genders with respect to the effect of perceived Job Demands, Control and Support (JDCS model) on how individuals reach high levels of job stress. To do this, the perceived risk of suffering an illness or having an accident in the workplace is used as an outcome measure. The study is based on the First Survey on Working Conditions in Andalusia, which has a sample of 5,496 men and 2,779 women. We carry out a multi-sample analysis with structural equation models, controlling for age and sector. The results show that the generation of job stress has a different pattern in men and women. In the case of men, the results show that only one dimension of the job demands stressor is significant (quantitative demands), whose effect on job stress is weakened slightly by the direct effects of control and support. With women, in contrast, emotional and intellectual aspects (qualitative demands) are also statistically significant. Moreover, social support has a greater weakening effect on the levels of job stress in women than in men. These results suggest that applying the JDCS model in function of the gender will contribute to a greater understanding of how to reduce the levels of job stress in men and women, helping the design of more effective policies in this area.

Jobs and organisations

PurposeThis paper aims to contribute to the understanding of group level differences in job satisfaction. Specifically, the authors seek to understand the shared variance in job satisfaction at the group level of jobs within organisations, in a particular industrial sector. To explain differences in job satisfaction between groups, the authors examine the role of job characteristics, particularly as these are defined within the job‐demand‐control‐support model.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents the results of a cross‐sectional self‐report questionnaire study of 2,733 Belgian bank employees working in six specific jobs and four specific organisations. Research hypotheses are tested using multilevel analyses.FindingsThere are substantial and reliable between‐group differences in job satisfaction within the banking sector. These effects are partially explained by job characteristics from the JDCS model at the individual level. At the aggregated level, only decision authority is statistically significant.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is limited to Belgium and to the banking sector. The general research question and findings are nevertheless relevant to other single‐sector studies in Western European countries.Practical implicationsDecision authority is more important for group level job satisfaction than job demands and social support from colleagues and supervisors. Human resources managers are therefore recommended to focus more on structural differences and organisational choices that may affect job design and work systems.Originality/valueThe paper aims to make a contribution to the understanding of group level job satisfaction differences in the context of sector studies.

Resilience and social support as moderators of work stress of young teachers in engineering college

In order to resolve the work stress problem of young teachers in engineering college, this paper proposes a concept model based on Karasek's JDCS model. In this paper, resilience is introduced into the research of JDCS model in order to figure out how to relieve work stress of young college teachers and transformation mechanism from high stress work to positive work. It proposes a concept model which does not only provide a new idea to solve work stress problem, but also extend the model and enrich the research of teacher resilience, looking forward to practicing innovation guided by theory innovation.

Work conditions and employees' self-set goals: goal processes enhance prediction of psychological distress and well-being.

Although previous theory and research suggest that employee well-being should be predicted by work conditions (viz., Karasek and colleagues' job demands-control-social support [J-DCS] model), other factors are also likely to be important. In this study, the authors consider correlates of employee psychological distress and well-being using a goal-focused approach grounded in Ford's (1992) motivational systems theory. Specifically, work conditions and midlevel work goal processes (WGP) were examined in a questionnaire study of health care employees. Regarding predictions derived from the J-DCS model, the authors found full support for the iso-strain, partial support for the nonlinearity, and no support for the buffer hypothesis. Of importance, however, WGP (i.e., cognitions and emotions involved in the pursuit of self-set work goals) explained variance in job satisfaction, burnout, depression, and somatic complaints, over and above that of the J-DCS model. This suggests that investigation of WGP can enhance our understanding of employee psychological distress and well-being.

Job Conditions and Wellness/Health Outcomes in Dutch Secondary School Teachers

The aim of the present study is to compare the work situation of Dutch secondary school teachers to job conditions of European teachers and to test the Job Demand-Control-Social Support model (JDCS model, Karasek and Theorell, <citeref rid="bib24">1990</citeref>) on burnout, job satisfaction and somatic symptoms. The Dutch data (N = 304) were gathered in seven secondary schools from across the country. The remaining European group consisted of 1878 upper secondary school teachers originating from 10 countries. Additive and interactive effects in the JDCS model could be identified for emotional exhaustion only. Furthermore, a curvilinear (U-shaped) relationship was found between control and emotional exhaustion. In addition to the JDCS model, the contribution of coping in the explanation of the outcomes was tested. Attempts have been made to deal with criticisms, which are frequently leveled at the implementation of the JDCS model. Dutch teachers do not differ on job conditions from the European sample except for two working conditions where the Dutch indicate less physical exertion and environmental risks than the European reference sample. The Dutch report lower levels of coping than the reference group, they are more depersonalised and are less satisfied than teachers of the European reference group. On the other hand, the Dutch teachers had fewer somatic complaints and reported higher levels of personal accomplishment than their European colleagues.

Fatigue in employees with diabetes: its relation with work characteristics and diabetes related burden

Aims: To examine the relations between work characteristics as defined by the Job Demand-Control-Support model (JDCS) (that is, job demands, decision latitude, and social support), diabetes related burden (symptoms, seriousness...