Associations between Work Intensification, Stress and Job Satisfaction

Abstract

Health sector reform of the 1990s affected most health care workers in Ontario and in other provinces. As a result of organizational changes, many workers experienced work intensification. This paper examines the associations between work intensification, stress and job satisfaction focusing on nurses in three teaching hospitals in Ontario. Data come from our 2002 survey of 949 nurses who worked in their employing hospital since the early 1990s when the health sector reform era began. Results show that nurses feel their work has intensified since the health sector reform of the 1990s, and work intensification contributed to increased stress and decreased job satisfaction. Results provide empirical support to the literature which suggests that work intensification has an adverse effect on workers’ health and well-being, and work attitudes.

The Cabin Crew Blues. Middle-aged Cabin Attendants and Their Working Conditions

“…Consequently, cabin attendants' attitudes of satisfaction and commitment gradually changed to frustration. Job satisfaction and trust in management and the union both diminished drastically and loyalty waned (cf., Zeytinoglu et al, 2007).…”

Education as a Means to Implement Job Rotation in a Public Organization

“…Job Satisfaction is a complex field surveyed from many aspects, such as that of Psychology, Hyman Resources, Management, Sociology and Economics (Zeytinoglu et al, 2007). According to bibliography, job satisfaction is connected with human attitude, positive or negative, adopted by each employee in his/her job (Baron & Kenny, 1986).…”

The nuanced nature of work quality: Evidence from rural Newfoundland and Ireland

“…Characteristics that are often included in examinations of job quality are pay and benefits (Caroli et al, 2010), opportunities for advancement (Kalleberg et al, 2000;McGovern et al, 2004;Olsen et al, 2010), autonomy, skills and effort (Gallie et al, 2004;Vaisey, 2005, Sengupta et al, 2009), continuous or 'standard' work arrangements (Zeytinoglu et al, 2009), job security (Clark, 2005;Gallie, 2007;Lowe, 2007), work intensity (Green,2006;Olsen et al, 2010;Zeytinoglu et al, 2007), training and participation (Gallie, 2003), social conditions of work (Olsen et al, 2010;Wright and Dwyer, 2006) and the location of the workplace along with the economic conditions of the region (Cooke, 2007). Others have created an index of job quality such as the European Trade Union Institute's European Job Quality Index (Leschke et al, 2008) or have created a composite measure of job quality conceptualising a number of the above listed dimensions of jobs (Brisbois, 2003;Hannif et al, 2008;Hunter, 2000;Lowe 2007).…”