The moderating role of task characteristics in determining responses to a stressful work simulation

Abstract

SummaryTwo experimental studies were conducted to examine whether the stress-buering eects of behavioral control on work task responses varied as a function of procedural information. Study 1 manipulated low and high levels of task demands, behavioral control, and procedural information for 128 introductory psychology students completing an in-basket activity. ANOVA procedures revealed a signi®cant three-way interaction among these variables in the prediction of subjective task performance and task satisfaction. It was found that procedural information buered the negative eects of task demands on ratings of performance and satisfaction only under conditions of low behavioral control. This pattern of results suggests that procedural information may have a compensatory eect when the work environment is characterized by a combination of high task demands and low behavioral control. Study 2 (N 256) utilized simple and complex versions of the in-basket activity to examine the extent to which the interactive relationship among task demands, behavioral control, and procedural information varied as a function of task complexity. There was further support for the stress-buering role of procedural information on work task responses under conditions of low behavioral control. This eect was, however, only present when the in-basket activity was characterized by high task complexity, suggesting that the interactive relationship among these variables may depend on the type of tasks performed at work.

Case manager job strain in public child welfare agencies: Job demands and job control's additive effects, and instrumental feedback's mediating role

“…In a cross-sectional survey, Pousette et al (2003) observed that role ambiguity (i.e., task-level uncertainty) indirectly effected the level of job satisfaction experienced by human service workers through feedback sign (i.e., positive and negative feedback). Further, experimental work by Jimmieson and Terry (1999) revealed that under conditions of high task complexity (i.e., operational uncertainty), high job demands, and high procedural information (i.e., process feedback), research subjects reported the highest task satisfaction under the low, as oppose to high, behavioral control condition. Given the aforementioned theoretical and empirical evidence two hypotheses were put forth:…”

The Organizational Response to Employee Acceptability to Change

“…They feel that by adopting new technology, the need for their skills can be reduced or even eliminated. Once a technology is adopted, workers press for higher wages as they feel that changing technology is itself insufficient to justify higher pay said by Jimmieson & Terry (1999). Fail to bargain means demotivate the workforce which might cause industrial actions such as strikes, lockouts e.t.c while looking at the other side of the picture, technology that is helping employees to work faster with minimum effort motivate them towards work and acceptance of this new technology is easier for both business and employees.…”

“…But at the same time workers may target a particular earning level and may not be motivated above that level as their target for earnings has been achieved. Workers may not be ready to accept changes as it may change the nature of the work resulting in loss of pay (Jimmieson & Terry, 1999). The introduction of a team working within the organization leads to more flexible working.…”

Combat Experiences, Iso-strain, and Sleep Quality Affect Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress among Working Post-9/11 Veterans

“…The "Buffering Hypothesis" (Cohen & Willis, 1985) focuses on the relations among stress levels, coping, social support and adjustment. However, inconsistent results from empirical tests of the DCM's central tenet of the theoretical buffering effect of high levels of job control (e.g., Dwyer & Ganster, 1991;Sargent & Terry, 1998;Spector, 1987) have been attributed by organizational scholars to conceptual and methodological flaws in prior research designs (Jimmieson & Terry, 1999;Wall, Jackson, Mullarkey, & Parker, 1996). For instance, models based on social exchange theory have found three-way interactions of social support such that the buffering effect of support on the main effect of work hours on employee health and well-being varied as a function of the pattern of three-way exchanges (e.g., underreciprocating, over-reciprocating, reciprocal) between an employee and sources of close support (Nahum-Shani & Bamberger, 2011).…”

“…However, inconsistent results from empirical tests of the DCM's central tenet of the theoretical buffering effect of high levels of job control (e.g., Dwyer & Ganster, 1991;Sargent & Terry, 1998;Spector, 1987) have been attributed by some organizational scholars to conceptual and methodological flaws in prior research designs (Jimmieson & Terry, 1999;Wall, Jackson, Mullarkey, & Parker, 1996). Such limitations of the DCM and experimental research into the buffering hypothesis led to an extension of the DCM: The Job Demand-Control-Support (JDC-S) model (e.g., Van der Doef et al, 1999).…”