Workplace stress

• The demands control model (Karasek 1979) suggests it is not just the workload alone that impacts workplace stress but also the degree of autonomy they have to perform their role as they wish
• According to the demands control model (Karasek 1979) control acts as a buffer against the negative effects of a job
• according to the demands control model (Karasek 1979) work and control go hand in hand and only when both are negative does the individual become overwhelmed with workplace stress
• Bosma (1997) did a prospective study of 10,000 civil servants in a wide range of job positions
• Bosma (1997) had participants complete a questionaire to measure their workload and control
• Bosma (1997) examined participants for coronary heart disease and followed up with them 5 years later
• Bosma (1997) found no correlation between workload and stress related illness (Coronary heart disease) however there was a strong correlation between lacking control and stress related illness, follow ups showed this was the same across multiple variables such as personality type
• Johanson (1978) did a natural experiment comparing 14 finishers (low control high workload) and cleaners (high control and low workload)
• Johanson (1978) measured employee illness rates along with adrenaline and noradrenaline before leaving home for work each day and 3 times during their workday to measure stress levels
• Johanson (1978) found higher levels of stress hormones in the finishers before they even left home to go to work and that these levels increased through the day while the cleaner's levels decreased as well as stress related illness being more common in finishers showing support for the demand control model as the group with the least control and highest workload experienced the most stress related illness and hormone levels
• Demand control model (Karasek 1979) strength; cross cultural research support from Liu (2007) who studied the USA (individualist) and China (collectivist) and found workload and control as perceived as the same in regard to stress across both cultures
• Demand Control model (Karasek 1979) weakness; could be culturally relative as Gyorko (2012) found conducted a meta analysis of cross cultural research into workplace stress and found control was regarded as more important in individualist cultures than collectivist cultures
• Demand control model (Karasek 1979) weakness; does not consider individual differences such as hardiness (Kobasa 1979) as some individuals thrive under stress as they are more resistant to it than others
• Demand control model (Karasek 1979) weakness; Meier (2008) found employees with low self-efficacy were more likely to report experiencing workplace stress regardless of demand and control showing individual differences that are not considered by the model