The importance of context specificity in work stress research: A test of the Demand-Control-Support model in academics

McClenahan, Carol; Giles, Melanie; Mallett, John

doi:10.1080/02678370701264552

Cited by 90 publications

(72 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Nevertheless, this is largely consistent with previous literature which finds that despite the strong main effects of job demands and control, the hypothesised interactions are often not supported (e.g., Beehr et al, 2001;McClenahan et al, 2007). Second, our study of Chinese retail employees adds value to this general prediction by providing evidence that these effects occur through both direct and moderating linkages.…”

Section: Theoretical and Empirical Implicationssupporting

confidence: 90%

“…Additionally, scholars highlight the importance of contextual specificity given that the origins of work stress are primarily based on the structural and organisational aspects of the work environment rather than personality variables (Karasek, 1979). Thus, in addition to perceptual measures of the environment (i.e., job demands and control), it is argued that additional organisation contextual factors should be considered to further influence the proposed effect of job demands and control upon job satisfaction (Arnold, Flaherty, Voss, & Mowen, 2009;McClenahan, Giles, & Mallett, 2007;Sparks & Cooper, 1999).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Challenged and satisfied: the role of organisational ownership and employee involvement

Tian

Gamble

2016

The International Journal of Human Resource Management

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This study aims to offer a more fine-grained approach to our understanding of the relationship between job stress and job satisfaction. Building on organisational theory and Karasek's (1979) Job Demand-Control model, we investigated an important institutional characteristicorganisational ownership -as an additional moderator to influence the interactive effects of job demands and control upon job satisfaction. Using data collected from 1,838 Chinese retail sector employees China, we found that this three-way interaction was strongest for employees working in foreign-invested firms, who experienced higher employee involvement at work and perceived a high level of challenge-related stress. The relationship was weakest for employees in state-owned enterprises who reported low levels of both employee involvement and challenge-related stress. Our study constitutes an early attempt to assess the impact of institutional characteristics such as ownership on aspects of human resources management, and highlights the need for further research to recognize the importance of such characteristics as contextual factors that influence the effect of organisational practices and the work environment upon individual work-related outcomes. The paper's concluding sections elaborate on the contributions our research makes both to theory as well as to the practicalities faced by human resource managers in contexts such as China. IntroductionConsiderable attention has been devoted to the study of workplace stress and job satisfaction; topics of major concern to both human resource (HR) researchers and practitioners. Karasek's (1979) seminal Job Demand-Control (JDC) model has served as a key theoretical basis to explain the effects that work demands have on job satisfaction (Häusser, Mojzisch, Niesel, & Schulz-Hardt, 2010;Podsakoff, LePine, & LePine, 2007). In the JDC model, work demands are viewed as stressors, while control is seen as a moderator of stress. The model hypothesises that jobs characterised by high demands and low control threaten individuals' mental and physical well-being, while those that combine high demands with high control positively affect these dimensions (Karasek, 1979). Furthermore, Karasek maintains that the interaction between demands and control should be more predictive than the additive effects of high demands and low control upon employees' well-being, including job satisfaction.Yet, while empirical studies have provided consistent support to the direct effects of job demands and control upon job satisfaction (for example, see meta-analyses by LePine, Podsakoff, & LePine, 2005;Podsakoff et al., 2007), the suggested interactive effect of job demands and control upon job satisfaction (Karasek, 1979), has received limited and even contradictory support (Häusser et al., 2010). While some research supports the buffering hypothesis, which suggests that high levels of job control or social support can buffer against the negative effect of a demanding job (Brown, Pitt-Catsouphes, McNamara, & Besen, 2014;...

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Section: Theoretical and Empirical Implicationssupporting

confidence: 90%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Challenged and satisfied: the role of organisational ownership and employee involvement

Tian

Gamble

2016

The International Journal of Human Resource Management

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“…This can also contribute to employees being sick. Work stress can affect the health of employees directly (McClenahan, Giles & Mallett, 2007) and the current high levels of sick leave and absenteeism may be symptoms of already existing problems.…”

Section: Introducing Employee Wellness Programmes: Reasons and Negatimentioning

confidence: 99%

Management of employee wellness in South Africa: Employer, service provider and union perspectives

Sieberhagen

Pienaar

Els

2011

SA j. hum. resour. manag.

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Orientation: This article focuses on how South African organisations manage their employees’ wellness through their Employee Wellness Programmes (EWPs). Research purpose: The objective of this research is to describe employee wellness in South Africa by investigating the types, foci and perceived success of EWPs.Motivation for the study: Despite the growing awareness of the importance of EWPs in South Africa, the nature, content, context, participants, role-players and anticipated benefits as well as the possible drawbacks of these programmes in the South African context are unclear.Research design, approach and method: The researchers used a cross-sectional design. The first author developed the Employee Wellness Survey, consisting of quantitative and qualitative questions, to collect data from 16 organisations, four service providers and seven labour unions in South Africa.Main findings: The results showed that organisations, service providers and labour unions define employee wellness differently and that these role players give different reasons for introducing EWPs. Almost half of the participating organisations have no baseline measurement with which to compare the effectiveness of their EWPs. Generally, all the organisations present the results of their programmes reasonably. However, the programmes involve little overall expenditure to the organisations.Practical/managerial implications: Organisations should monitor the state of their employees’ wellness in order to manage it effectively. This will only become possible when information about employee wellness improves.Contribution/value-add: This study provides new information about the nature, content, context, participants, role-players, anticipated benefits and possible drawbacks of EWPs in the South-African context.

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“…Administrative Science Quarterly, 24(2), 285-308. doi: 10.2307/2392498 Esta proposta gerou basicamente quatro categorias de trabalho: passivo (baixa demanda e baixo controle), ativo (alto controle e alta demanda), de baixo nível de tensão (alto controle e baixa demanda) e alto nível de tensão (baixo controle e alta demanda). São inúmeras as evidências empíricas (De Lange et al, 2003;Häusser, Mojzisch, Niesel, & Shulz-Hardt, 2010;McClenahan, Giles, & Mallett, 2007) que corroboram a validade do modelo proposto por Karasek, particularmente nos trabalhos considerados de alto nível de tensão e sua associação ao adoecimento psíquico, estresse, doenças cardíacas e diversas outras patologias. No entanto, apesar da abrangência na aplicação, outra questão que se apresentava é que, além da instância da organização, existe a dimensão individual (valores, crenças, fatores pessoais/contingenciais, entre outros), que não era tratada no modelo.…”

Section: Figura 1 Modelo Demanda-controle De Karasekunclassified

Estresse, Enfrentamento e Qualidade de Vida: Um Estudo Sobre Gerentes Brasileiros

Barcaui

Limongi-França

2014

Rev. adm. contemp.

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The importance of context specificity in work stress research: A test of the Demand-Control-Support model in academics

Cited by 90 publications

References 38 publications

Challenged and satisfied: the role of organisational ownership and employee involvement

Challenged and satisfied: the role of organisational ownership and employee involvement

Management of employee wellness in South Africa: Employer, service provider and union perspectives

Estresse, Enfrentamento e Qualidade de Vida: Um Estudo Sobre Gerentes Brasileiros

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