M. Frese et al., I WOULD RATHER BE TOLD EXACTLY WHAT I HAV E TO DO AT WORK - PROBLEMS OF ACCEPTANCE OF RESPONSIBILITY AND CONTROL IN EAST AND WEST, Zeitschrift fur Arbeits- und Organisationspsychologie, 38(1), 1994, pp. 22-33
Control is often rejected because workers do not want enhanced respons
ibility. Three different hypotheses on construct validation of control
rejection were tested: (1) result of leisure time orientation, (2) a
specific adjustment to non-control situations and (3) resignation and
defense because one is not able to master one's work life. In a repres
entative longitudinal study of 500 people in East Germany and a compar
ison group in the West (N=160), the third interpretation was found to
be the most viable. Control rejection was higher in the East than in t
he West. Moreover, there are circular processes between control reject
ion and antecedents.