Job Demand Control Research Articles

The Structural Dimensions of “Double-Qualified” Teachers’ Work Role Transition Competence and Its Generation Mechanism

The competence to change work roles is a key factor for individuals in achieving a successful work role transition. In this study, we analyzed in-depth interview data of 31 “double-qualified” teachers and related teaching managers in higher education institutions using the grounded theory method and constructed a model of the structural dimensions of teachers’ work role transition competence and its generation mechanism. The model was also interpreted using work role transition theory, the Job Demand–Control–Support (JDCS) model, and employee learning theory. The research results show that the work role transition competence of teachers in higher education institutions is mainly composed of four dimensions: old role detachment, psychological adaptation, new role cognition, and resource reserve capacity; the four factors of work role demand (initiation factor), role breadth self-efficacy (internal contextual factor), social support (external contextual factor), and individual learning (direct factor) follow the theoretical logic of “demand–context–learning–competence” to influence the formation of work role transition competence. This study enriches and expands the theory of work role transition, which can help teachers in higher education institutions to effectively apply it in their work role transitions and can help higher education institutions to further improve the corresponding norms of human resource management practice.

What motivates tourism and hospitality employees to practice presenteeism?

Presenteeism, attending work while ill, has an impact on organizations' productivity and employees’ health. Despite it being widespread, this global phenomenon is understudied in the tourism and hospitality (hereafter T&H) sector. In this study, we intend to explore the motives for presenteeism by reporting on its associations with work-related and non-work-related (individual attitudes and sociodemographic indicators) factors. Data were collected online among 1394 employees in the T&H sector. All the scales used in this study are adapted from the literature. The results show that for work-related factors, presenteeism is positively related to job demand, work-related depression, anxiety, and irritation, but negatively related to decision latitude and social (supervisor and coworker) support, salary perceptions, promotion perceptions, and job satisfaction. Regarding individual attitudes, work engagement decreases presenteeism whereas organizational citizenship behavior does not affect presenteeism. The effects of demographic indicators on presenteeism are limited to gender and the number of children at home. This study is one of the few studies that examine the associations of presenteeism with work-related and non-work-related factors in T&H organizations. It highlights the relevance of the job demands-control and job demands-resources model in explaining presenteeism among T&H employees.

Evaluating the effect of multifactors on employee’s innovative behavior in SMEs: mediating effects of thriving at work and organizational commitment

Purpose This study aims to explore the effect of multiple factors on employee innovative behavior (EIB) and examine the mediating role that thriving at work and organizational commitment play in this relationship, specifically related to the hospitality sector. Design/methodology/approach Primary data was gathered from 612 employees across 100 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam. Using covariance-based structural equation modeling and the bootstrapping method, the research estimates ten overarching hypotheses to address the research question: how do job, personal and contextual factors influence EIB? Findings Job, personal and contextual factors influence EIB significantly and positively. The results uncover the relationship between workplace support and EIB under the mediating effects of thriving at work and organizational commitment. Especially interesting for the hospitality sector is that the authors find these three factors are a strong influence on EIB. Practical implications Management can stimulate EIB by designing job control and job demand appropriately to build and maintain workplace social support in the organization, especially in the hospitality sector. Employees’ personal characteristics can also facilitate this behavior. The research adds to theory on EIB and methods to analyze the factors affecting this driver of innovation. Originality/value The research enhances our understanding of EIB in the hospitality and the SME context generally. EIB is affected by employee perceptions of job factors (job demand and job control), personal factors (thriving at work and organizational commitment) and contextual factors (supervisor support, coworker support and climate for innovation).

Psychosocial job stressors and risk of suicidal behavior - an observational study among Swedish men.

This study aimed to explore the relationship between psychosocial job stressors and suicidal behavior (fatal and non-fatal) among Swedish men while controlling for potential confounders. Population-based Swedish longitudinal cohort study of male conscripts without previous self-harm (N=1 483 310) enlisting 1968-2002. Conscription examinations included measures of IQ, stress resilience and psychiatric diagnoses. Job demand-control (JDC) exposure was assessed using the Swedish Job Exposure Matrix linked to specific occupations. Suicidal behavior among men aged 30-64 was identified in the National Hospital Register (non-fatal self-harm) and Swedish Cause of Death Register (suicide) during follow-up 2002-2014. Cox regression models were used to estimate associations between JDC category and suicidal behavior. In fully adjusted models, passive jobs (low demand-low control) showed the highest risk of suicidal behavior [hazard ratio (HR) 1.33, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25-1.43] compared to those with low strain (low demand-high control), followed by high strain (high demand-low control) (HR 1.12, 95% Cl 1.03-1.22). A lower risk of suicidal behavior was found in the active category, where levels of both demand and control are high (HR 0.64, 95% Cl 0.60-0.70). Separate analyses for suicide as outcome revealed a lower risk of suicide in persons with active jobs (high demands-high control). The passive category showed a higher risk for suicide, but the association did not remain after adjustment for stress resilience and IQ. These results show that psychosocial job stressors among men are associated with risk for suicidal behavior. Improving job control has the potential to decrease suicidal behavior for this group.

Identifying the Moderating Effect of Hyperconnectivity on the Relationship between Job Demand Control Imbalance, Work-to-Family Conflict, and Health and Well-Being of Office Employees Working in the Oil and Gas Industry, Malaysia

There is an increasing acknowledgment of the added value obtained by integrating technological efforts to engage employees round the clock for organizational productivity. Hyperconnectivity is the demand of time for competitive advantage in businesses, but studies on its impact on the health and well-being of the employees have been neglected in academic research. Hence, in this study, we investigated the effect of hyperconnectivity on health and well-being, and in moderating the effect of work-to-family conflict and job demand control imbalance on the health and well-being of the office employees. An online questionnaire survey was used to collect data from 410 office employees working in the oil and gas industry in Malaysia. Respondents were approached through the LinkedIn forum. Statistical tests, principal component analysis, structural equation modeling, and path analysis were conducted. It is found that hyperconnectivity has a negatively insignificant effect on health and well-being. In addition, hyperconnectivity significantly strengthens the negative effect of job demand control imbalance (22%) and work-to-family conflict (24%) on health and well-being. It is concluded that hyperconnectivity decreases health and expedites other psychosocial hazards related to the health and well-being of the employees. Urgent measures should be taken to reduce unnecessary and frequent online notifications, messages, emails, and phone calls, both during and off-working hours. In this way, the effect of job demand control imbalance and work-to-family conflict can be reduced on the health and well-being of the office employees. Considering the negative consequences of hyperconnectivity, this problem should be addressed in health and safety policies in organizations. Future studies can investigate the effect of hyperconnectivity on job demands and control separately.

Sleep Mediates the Association Between Stress at Work and Incident Dementia: Study From the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe.

Both psychosocial stress at work and sleep disturbance may predispose impaired cognitive function and dementia in later life. However, whether sleep plays a mediating role for the link between stress at work and subsequent dementia has yet to be investigated. Data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe were used for the study. A cohort of 7 799 dementia-free individuals (aged 71.1 ± 0.2 years) were followed up for a median of 4.1 years for incident dementia. Job demand and control were estimated using questions derived from the Karasek's Job Content Questionnaire. Sleep disturbance was ascertained by a question in the EURO-Depression scale. Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for age, sex, education, cognitive test score, and other potential covariates were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of dementia in relation to different job strain levels. An interaction between job demand and sleep disturbance regarding the risk of dementia was detected. Data suggested a protective role of high-level job demand for dementia in individuals with sleep disturbance (HR [95% CI]: 0.69 [0.47, 1.00]) compared with low job demand. A 4-category job strain model based on the combination of job demand and job control levels suggested that among individuals with sleep disturbance, passive job (low demand, low control) was associated with a higher risk of dementia (1.54 [1.01, 2.34]), compared to active job (high demand, high control). The link between work-related stress and risk of dementia is limited to individuals suffering sleep disturbance.

Exploring the effects of reduced load work arrangements (RLWAs): The role of individual autonomy and workplace level justice perceptions

This paper explores the effects of reduced load work arrangements (i.e. RLWAs) in a context where employees are seeking to balance their work-personal life while employers are reducing costs and staying competitive. We draw on the job-demands control theory and social information processing (SIP) theory to introduce two novel elements mainly to examine how and when the influence of RLWAs unfold: employee's perceived job autonomy as a mediating mechanism and role of social context (i.e., overall justice perceptions at workplace level) in shaping the consequences of RLWAs. We use a large representative data set acquired through WERS (2011) in the United Kingdom. Our findings partially support our hypotheses by shedding light on how and under which conditions the effects RLWAs unfold on employee outcomes. We contribute to debates that emphasize the bridging role of perceived job autonomy in translating the impact of RLWAs on employees' outcomes and hence to keep employees motivated while allowing them to achieve better balance between work and non-work.

Dedication to work: social workers in a Norwegian activation work context

ABSTRACT Dedication to work is about enthusiasm for the job and feelings of pride and inspiration from one’s work, which is important due to its influence on work performance. We have surveyed dedication to work among 1347 trained social workers and street-level bureaucrats with other educational backgrounds in the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration. By using the Job Demand–Control–Support model, we examined the relationship between perceived working conditions and dedication to work. The results revealed rather high levels of dedication to work among street-level bureaucrats in an activation work context, and highest among those who most strongly supported welfare conditionality measures. Whereas perceptions of demand were negatively associated with dedication, perceptions of control and support yielded positive relationships, with the latter variable being the most salient predictor of dedication to work. Educational background seems to be less important, and minor differences in the prediction of dedication were found between educational groups.

Mental health and workplace factors: comparison of the Ghanaian and Australian mining industry

BackgroundMining is a global industry and contributes significantly to international economies. This study seeks to compare the patterns of psychological distress, job demand-control, and associated characteristics between two countries (Australia/Ghana) to increase understanding of cross-cultural factors relevant to mental health in this industry.MethodA cross-sectional study design was used. Eight coal mines in Australia and five gold mines in Ghana. A total of 2622 mineworkers participated in this study. Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ), Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), the Berkman-Syme Social Network Index (SNI) and help-seeking questionnaire.ResultsGhanaian mineworkers reported increased psychological distress compared to Australian mineworkers; Job demands outweighed control among Ghanaian mineworkers but was associated with lower risk of psychological distress compared to Australian mineworkers; Ghanaian mineworkers were significantly less likely to drink alcohol at risky levels but this was associated with higher psychological distress; Increased social network was associated with decreased psychological distress for both countries.ConclusionsThese findings identify cultural and geographical differences in the socio-demographics, workplace factors, psychological distress, and alcohol use in both countries. Cross-cultural occupational workplace factors and mental health issues are highlighted. Potential workplace interventions applicable in comparable settings are recommended.

Validation of Visual Analogue Scales of job demand and job control at the workplace: a cross-sectional study

ObjectivesWork-related stress is a major concern. One of the best performing models is the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) of Karasek, assessing job demand and job control using 18 items. However,...

The Protective Role of Job Control/Autonomy on Mental Strain of Managers: A Cross-Sectional Study among Wittyfit's Users.

Background: Karasek’s Job Demand-Control-Support model is the gold standard to assess the perception of work; however, this model has been poorly studied among managers. We aimed to explore the perception of work (job demand, control, and support) in managers, and to quantify their risk of job strain (high job demand and low job control) and isostrain (job strain with low job support). Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study on workers from various French companies using the Wittyfit software. Job demand, control, and support were evaluated by self-reported questionnaires, as well as sociodemographic data. Results: We included 9257 workers: 8488 employees (median age of 45 years, median seniority of 10 years, 39.4% women) and 769 managers (463 were more than 45 years old, 343 with more than 10 years of service, 33.3% women). Managers had higher mean ± SD levels than employees in job control (79.2 ± 14.9 vs. 75.4 ± 16.9) and job support (25.2 ± 5.1 vs. 24.0 ± 6.1) (p < 0.001). Compared to employees, managers had a 37% decreased risk of job strain (OR = 0.63, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.77) and a 47% decreased risk of isostrain (OR = 0.53, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.69) (p < 0.001). Workers over age 45 (OR = 1.26, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.40, p < 0.001) and women (OR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.01 to 1. 25, p = 0.03) were at greater risk of job strain. Furthermore, workers over age 45 (OR = 1.51, 95% CI 1.32 to 1.73, p < 0.001), workers with over 10 years of service (OR = 1.35, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.56, p < 0.001), and women (OR = 1.15, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.31, p = 0.04) were at greater risk of isostrain. Conclusions: Managers seem to have higher autonomy and greater social support and therefore are less at risk of job strain or isostrain than employees. Other factors such as age, seniority, and sex may influence this relationship. Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02596737.

The effects of JDC model on burnout and work engagement: A multiple interaction analysis

This study investigated the moderating effects of functional social support (emotional and instrumental support) on the relationship of job demand control with burnout and work engagement. In total, 297 frontline employees from a hotpot restaurant franchise in China were surveyed. The results indicated emotional support, such as caring and inspiration, mitigated the adverse effects of high demand/low control on burnout and work engagement. Instrumental support, such as giving suggestions and solving problems, only mitigated the adverse effects of burnout. Further, the high demand/low control/low emotional support work condition was the most unfavourable for work engagement and burnout; while high demand/low control/low instrumental support was the most unfavourable condition for burnout. The theoretical and managerial implications of this research have been provided to gain a deeper insight into functional social support in the job demand control model.

Having control or lacking control? Roles of job crafting and service scripts in coping with customer incivility.

Despite previous studies that examined factors that would help service employees cope with customer incivility, the role of employee-initiated job strategies has rarely been explored in the context of customer incivility. Drawing on the job demand-control model, we proposed that a high-control job strategy (such as job crafting) alleviates the deleterious effect of customer incivility on job performance through emotional exhaustion, whereas a low-control job strategy (such as service scripts) aggravates this effect. To test the proposed moderated mediation effects, we collected three-wave data from 272 hotel employees and their 54 team leaders over a 6-month period. As predicted, job crafting and service scripts performed contrasting moderating functions. Specifically, the customer incivility-emotional exhaustion relationship was weaker for employees who engaged in job crafting more often than for those who did not. Job crafting also mitigated the negative indirect effect of customer incivility on job performance through emotional exhaustion. In contrast, the customer incivility-emotional exhaustion relationship was more pronounced among employees who used service scripts more often. Service scripts further exacerbate the negative indirect effect of customer incivility on job performance through emotional exhaustion. These findings have theoretical and practical implications for occupational health research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Conceptualizing the Relationship between Stress, Job Satisfaction and Job Performance Using the Job Demand Control Support Theory: The Case of Firefighters in Malaysia

Malaysia's Fire and Rescue Department is the country's primary rescue organisation. However, in recent years, severe issues of stress affecting firefighters' job performance have been exposed in the media. The study aims to delve deeper into this topic by conceptualizing the impact of stress on job satisfaction and performance. The issue is conceptualized employing Karasek et al. (1988)'s Job Demand Control Support theory, which anticipated that the consequences of work stress or psychiatric illness are caused by the combination of job demand and job control. In terms of theoretical contributions, the study has enriched knowledge of JDCS theory in the context of firefighters in Malaysia. Meanwhile, in terms of human resource management contributions, this conceptualization will assist the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department in better understanding the effects of stress on job performance and satisfaction, contributing to the emergence of efficient human resource policies to improve employee retention.

Psychosocial job conditions and biomarkers of cardiovascular disease: A cross-sectional study in the Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study (SCAPIS).

The aim of this study was to investigate associations between psychosocial work exposure and the presence of biological and imaging biomarkers of cardiovascular disease. This cross-sectional study was conducted in a sub-cohort of the Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study (SCAPIS). Psychosocial exposure was evaluated with the job demand-control model, and analysed according to the standard categorization: high strain, active, passive and low strain (reference). Biomarkers (blood pressure, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, coronary artery calcification (CAC) and metabolic syndrome) were measured, or derived through measurements, from clinical examinations. Gender-specific prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated with regression models and adjusted for age, education, smoking, physical activity, general life stress and body mass index (BMI). The analyses included 3882 participants (52.5% women). High strain (high demands-low control) was linked to increased PR for low HDL cholesterol in women, adjusted for all covariates (PR 1.76; 95% CI 1.25-2.48). High strain was also related to moderately increased PR for metabolic syndrome in men, after adjustments for all covariates except BMI (PR 1.25; 95% CI 1.02-1.52). In addition, passive work (low demands-low control) was associated with diastolic hypertension in women (fully adjusted: PR 1.29; 95% CI 1.05-1.59). All relationships between psychosocial factors and LDL cholesterol or CAC (both genders), or hypertension (men), were non-significant. Poor psychosocial job conditions was associated with the presence of low HDL cholesterol and diastolic hypertension in women, and metabolic syndrome in men. These findings contribute to the knowledge of potential pathways between stressful work and coronary heart disease.

DIGITAL-STRESS AND EMPLOYEE’S BEHAVIOURAL OUTCOME IN AN AUTOMATED WORK PLACE: A STUDY OF STAFF OF COMMERCIAL BANKS IN YENAGOA

The use of technological devices to carryout routinely performed tasks in the workplace (office automation) has been embraced by organizations as a competitive strategy. However, introduction of technology in the workplace comes with plethora of experiential setbacks, one of which is stress resulting from the use of digital technologies in the work place (digit-stress). This research is focused on examining the empirical link between digit-stress and employee’s behavioural outcome. The predicting variable digit-stress was operationalized with hyper-tasky, job demand and job control whereas, presenteeism and job-dissatisfaction were used as measures of the criterion variable. 179 employees drawn from six commercial banks were used for the study, data collected where inferentially analyzed with Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation with the aid of SPSS version 23. Finding shows that digit-stress has significant relationship with employee’s behavior outcomes as hyper-tasky, job demand and job control all showed a positive significant correlation with presenteeism and job dissatisfaction. Based on the results, the study recommends that employee’s job should periodically be reengineered, enriching its content to arouse their satisfaction on the job, and streamline tasks upfront so they can have time to complete them without undue pressure. Also, Employee’s should be empowered with some level of control on how and when tasks are to be performed timely.

Psychological stress and job satisfaction in middle management executives: a test of job demand control support model

Psychological stress and job satisfaction in middle management executives: a test of job demand control support model

Psychological stress and job satisfaction in middle management executives: a test of job demand control support model

Psychological stress and job satisfaction in middle management executives: a test of job demand control support model

The Role of Executive Function in the Effectiveness of Multi-Component Interventions Targeting Physical Activity Behavior in Office Workers.

A knowledge gap remains in understanding how to improve the intervention effectiveness in office workers targeting physically active (PA) behavior. We aim to identify the modifying effect of executive function (EF) on the intervention effectiveness targeting PA-behaviors, and to verify whether the observed effect varies by Job Demand Control (JDC) categories. This workplace-based intervention study included 245 participants who were randomized into a control group and two intervention arms—promoting physical activity (iPA) group or reducing sedentary behavior (iSED) group. The interventions were conducted through counselling-based cognitive behavioral therapy and team activities over 6 months. PA-behaviors were measured by an accelerometer. EF was assessed by the Trail Making Test-B, Stroop, and n-back test. The JDC categories were measured by the demand control questionnaire. Higher EF level at baseline was significantly associated with the intervention effect on increased sleep time (β-coefficient: 3.33, p = 0.003) and decreased sedentary time (−2.76, p = 0.049) in the iSED-group. Participants with active jobs (high job demands, high control) presented significantly increased light-intensity PA in the iSED-group in comparison to the control group. Among participants with a high level of EF and active jobs, relative to the control group, the iPA-group showed a substantial increase in light-intensity PA (1.58, p = 0.036) and the iSED-group showed a tendency of reducing sedentary behavior (−5.35, p = 0.054). The findings suggest that office workers with a high EF and active jobs may benefit most from an intervention study targeting PA-behaviors.

The Association of Work-related Stress According to the Demand-Control Model With Aggravation of Pre-existing Disease During the First State of COVID-19 Emergency in Japan.

BackgroundThe job environment has changed a lot during the period of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study aimed to investigate the association between work-related stress and aggravation of pre-existing disease in workers during the first state of COVID-19 emergency in Japan.MethodsData were obtained from a large internet survey conducted between August 25 and September 30, 2020 in Japan. Participants who reported that they had a job as well as current history of disease(s) (ie, pre-existing conditions) were included (n = 3,090). Aggravation of pre-existing disease during the state of emergency was self-reported. Work-related stress from April 2020 (since the state of COVID-19 emergency) was assessed according to a job demand–control model. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to analyze the association.ResultsAggravation of pre-existing diseases was reported by 334 participants (11%). The numbers of participants with high demand and low control were 112 (18%) and 100 (14%), respectively. Compared to medium demand, high demand was significantly associated with aggravation of pre-existing diseases (odds ratio 1.77; 95% confidence interval, 1.30–2.42). Low control compared to medium control was also significantly associated with aggravation of pre-existing diseases (odds ratio 1.39; 95% confidence interval, 1.02–1.92).ConclusionWork-related stress during the first state of COVID-19 emergency was associated with aggravation of pre-existing disease during that period.