Lecture 7 slides

Question 1

Job demands control model

Answer 1

• strain hypothesis: higher strain when there are high job demands and low job control-> musculoskeletal disorders, stress-related health problems, low satisfaction
• activation hypothesis: there is more activation when there are high job demands and high job control

Question 2

Demands- control support model (iso-strain)

Answer 2

Adds support as a moderator so adds another level. Family support buffers the effects of quantitative job demands, workplace support buffers the effects of emotional job demands. Iso strain is when there is high strain with low support-> isolated job.

Question 3

Effort-rewards imbalance model

Answer 3

• related to equity theory
• when demands and obligations (effort) are balanced with rewards.
• psychological contract is social reciprocity, so rewards in terms of money, esteem, and career opportunities including job security
• violations of PC can lead to perceptions of injustice

Question 4

Effort-rewards imbalance model

Answer 4

Imbalance between efforts and rewards lead to risks for health and health behaviors. Risk is elevated through: poorly defined contracts, acceptance of imbalance as a strategic decision, overcommitment.
Overcommitment- need for control and approval, which results in high effort like demands and obligations and low rewards

Question 5

Can ERI-Theory and Job Demand-Control Theory together predict risks for problems with
cardiovascular health (i.e. = myocardial infarctions)?

Answer 5

JDC Theory: Assessment of Job Strain(Demands/Control)
* Sum score measuring demands is divided by the sum score
measuring decision latitude
* Effort-Reward Imbalance: Assessment of two values
* ER-Imbalance: Ratio of effort to reward
* Overcommitment
For men, effort-reward imbalance and job strain can predict it as it is a direct effort, when controlling for or not controlling for risk behaviours
For women, a combination of overcommitment and job strain has a direct effort, same for men but less stronger effect

Question 6

How are behaviours linked to health?

Answer 6

Work stress, working conditions and job demands lead to behaviour which results in physical health issues like coronary heart disease

Question 7

Occupational stress interventions

Answer 7

any activity or program initiated by an organization that focuses on
reducing the presence of work-related stressors or assisting individuals to minimize the negative outcomes of exposure to these stressors. Examples, cognitive behavioural interventions, meditation and relaxation, exercise, journaling, time management and goal-setting and biofeedback

Question 8

What can interventions target?

Answer 8

• The intensity of the stressors in the workplace-> primary (job design, management, organization of work)
• The employee’s appraisal of stressful situations-> secondary is worker’s responses like coping
• The employee’s ability to cope with the outcomes-> tertiary like effects, outcomes and remedial support

Question 9

Which interventions were most effective?

Answer 9

cognitive behavioural therapy, followed by alternative, relaxation, multimodal and organizational. Interventions that focus on a single component are more effective than combinations. But the effect depends on the type of intervention as CB interventions have the strongest effect when not combined with other elements.
All interventions were significant in reducing stress, anxiety, mental health and all combined except for organizational
. All studies and alternative had significant effects on physiological symptoms. Relax had a significant effect on all org outcomes. Productivity was significant with all studies, relax and organizational

Question 10

What can be concluded about occupational stress interventions?

Answer 10

• Cognitive-behavioral (CB) interventions have the overall strongest effects, followed by alternative interventions (mixed group)
• Relaxation and multimodal interventions have mid-level effects
• There is a lot of hetereogeneity in the effects of interventions
• Search for moderating effects of the interventions
• Specific outcomes seem to be chosen on the basis of the type of intervention, leaving gaps in the research
• The large effects of CB only interventions are based mostly on the assessment of psychological outcomes
• On the organizational level, measures of productivity appear to produce larger effects than absenteeism, but there is a general lack of studies using organizational measures.