oa Stress of leren?

Stress or learning? Test of Karasek's growth and strain hypothesis among young workers in their first job

Hans De Witte, Elsy Verhofstadt & Eddy Omey, Gedrag & Organisatie, Volume 19, September 2006, nr. 3, pp. 232-250

Both hypotheses of Karasek's 'Job Demand Control' model are tested: high job demands (workload) and low job control (autonomy) are associated with strains (job dissatisfaction; strain hypothesis), whereas the combination of high job demands and high job control are associated with growth and development in the job (here: learning new skills in the first job; growth hypothesis). Both hypotheses are tested in two ways: (a) the mere combination of both job characteristics is associated with the expected outcomes, and (b) a statistical interaction between both job characteristics in predicting the outcomes is hypothesized. A large scale dataset of young workers in their first job is used to test all hypotheses. The results confirm both the strain and the growth hypothesis. We find evidence for a combined effect of both job characteristics, as well as for a statistical interaction between both variables. The lowest level of job satisfaction is found in the 'high strain' job, whereas the highest increase in skills is found in the 'active' job.