NIOSHTIC-2 Publications Search

Improving measures of worker control in occupational stress research.

Ganster DC

Occupational stress: issues and developments in research. JJ Hurrell Jr., LR Murphy, SL Sauter, CL Cooper, eds. New York: Taylor and Francis, 1988 Apr; :88-99

00185876

A general model of worker control in occupational stress research was presented. Control was defined as the exertion of influence upon the environment in order to positively affect it. Pathways by which control affected occupational stress included personal control, job demands, and job related strain. These pathways were presented in a model in which one construct influenced the others. By control, workers would increase or decrease job demands to their preferences, which would influence outcomes. It was demonstrated that workers have varying levels of control over different aspects of their occupational environment which included work tasks, work pacing, work scheduling, physical environment, decision making, other people, and mobility. A negative aspect of worker control was that in certain studies it was found that the ability to influence the environment did not appreciably reduce stress. The author suggests that an essential need in research in this area is for development of a suitable psychometric measure for occupational control. Using such an instrument, future research into occupational stress would obtain more meaningful data.

Occupational-health; Job-stress; Environmental-stress; Environmental-factors; Workplace-studies; Psychological-testing; Psychological-factors

19880401

Chapter

Hurrell JJ Jr.; Murphy LR; Sauter SL; Cooper CL

Purchase Order

1988

9780850664188

Purchase-Order-88-79187

DBBS

Occupational stress: issues and developments in research

OH