Workplace Stress

Workplace Stress

Johansson (1978)
1. This study took place in a Swedish sawmill, which employed workers in a range of occupations with varying degress of responsibility and job control
2. There was a high-risk group of 10 finishers, whose job involves little control and high responsibility and a low-risk group of 10 cleaners who had a lot of control and little responsibility
3. The finishers had higher stress hormone levels on work days than rest days
4. The finishers had higher stress hormone levels than the cleaners
5. The finishers had more stress related illness and more absence from work
Evalutation
1. Individual differences were not accounted for. It may be that people more vulnerable to stressors are attracted to demanding jobs with high responsibility
Marmot et al
1. Marmot agrees with Jonhansson that low job control can lead to workplace stress but did not find a link between high responsibility and stress related illness
2. They found that employees with low job control were three times more likely to have heart attacks
3. Marmot et al performed a five year study of London based civil servants
Evaluation
1. Research into workplace stressors does not account for individual differences
2. Different research methods have produced different results
3. Workplace stressors are not naturally harmful to health. In fact, the workplace can provide heightened oppurtunities to increase self-esteem, confidence and motivation
Workplace stressors are aspects of the work environment which have a negative impact on health

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	Created by lj.willis about 10 years ago