TESTING THE DEMAND-CONTROL-SUPPORT MODEL AMONG HEALTH-CARE PROFESSIONALS - A STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODEL

This paper reports a further empirical validation of the Demand-Contro l-Support Model (DCS model), which was developed by Johnson and collea gues (1988, 1989). Data were collected from a heterogeneous group of h ealth-care professionals (nurses and nurses' aides; n = 249). Three ma jor refinements were made to the validation of the DCS Model. First, a ll relationships in the model were estimated simultaneously by means o f covariance structure modelling (LISREL 8). Second, the control dimen sion was refined substantially, using a psychometrically more sound as sessment of the workers' autonomy. Third, the model was applied to the work of health-care professionals. The data did not confirm the assum ption that both job strain and motivation are multiplicative functions of job demands, autonomy and social support. First, the results sugge sted that high levels of autonomy attenuate the increase of emotional exhaustion due to job demands. These results partially supported Karas ek's Job Demand-Control Model (Karasek 1979). Second, high levels of s ocial support proved to attenuate the increase of emotional exhaustion due to autonomy. Finally, the main effect of autonomy on job challeng e implied that an increase in autonomy is accompanied by an increase i n job challenge (and, consequently, job involvement). In addition, low job demands and a high amount of work-related support seem to reduce feelings of exhaustion and, consequently, health complaints.