Is Work Intensification Extra Stress?

Abstract

There is increasing interest in investigating work intensification as a new job demand. However, its contribution beyond the state of work intensity remains unclear and is thus far limited to two specific occupations. In the present study, I examine work intensification and work intensity simultaneously in their relations to health complaints based on a representative sample of the German workforce. The results show that the feeling of intensified work has unique effects beyond the state of intense work and even amplifies the effect of work intensity on psychosomatic complaints. With regard to musculoskeletal complaints, the effects are weaker and the interaction is not significant. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

The Use of E-mail and Principals’ Work: A Double-Edged Sword

“…Work intensification has been linked to a variety of negative outcomes for employees, including low levels of job satisfaction, as well as mental health and wellness concerns (Fournier, Montreuil, Brun, Bilodeau, & Villa, 2011;Franke, 2015;Green, 2004;Yu, 2014). This finding also applies to some principals.…”

“…For example, in a large-scale survey of Ontario's principal population, 29% of the sample reported engaging in potentially unhealthy behaviors to cope with the stress and demands of their roles . As work intensification is a relatively new phenomenon, these negative consequences may be a product of employees having little experience coping with new job demands (Franke, 2015). Further, these negative consequences can be compounded with employers' lack of experience supporting employees dealing with work changes as a result of intensification.…”

Do Older Employees Suffer More from Work Intensification and Other Intensified Job Demands? Evidence from Upper White-Collar Workers

“…According to many scholars, current working life is characterized by acceleration and intensification (Green, 2004;Franke, 2015;Korunka et al 2015;Kubicek, Paškvan and Korunka, 2015) due to technological acceleration pervading the whole of society (Rosa, 2003). The workrelated implications of this development include increased work pace and intensified cognitive job demands due to a wider use of digitalization, artificial intelligence and robotization in production and services (Chesley, 2014;Kubicek et al 2015;Rosa, 2003;Mauno et al in press).…”

“…This study addresses this unexplored issue by comparing IJDs in employees in different age-groups with a particular focus on older employees (+50 years). As IJDs are stressors with harmful well-being implications (Green, 2004;Franke, 2015;Kubicek et al 2015), we deemed it crucial to examine whether older employees suffer more from IJDs by investigating age as a moderator in the relationships between IJDs and occupational well-being (job burnout, work engagement). Research evidence concerning age differences in the appraisal of job stressors is somewhat scarce, as are studies examining the age-specific outcomes of job stressors (Mauno, Ruokolainen and Kinnunen, 2013;Mauno et al 2017;Rauschenbach, et al 2013;Zacher and Schmitt, 2016).…”

Work Intensification and Turnover Intention in Academia: The Mediating Role of Work-Life Balance

“…Lu [20] defined work intensification as extra workload for employees. Franke [21] described work intensification as the extra stress beyond traditional demands. There are empirical evidences [6] supporting that work intensification is a new demand which employees at all levels experience alike and suffer from it.…”