J. Schaubroeck et al., JOB COMPLEXITY, TYPE-A BEHAVIOR, AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISORDER - A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY, Academy of Management journal, 37(2), 1994, pp. 426-439
Interview-based measures of ''type A'' behavior and psychological and
task-person indexes of job complexity were obtained from 251 police an
d fire department employees with sound cardiovascular health. Follow-u
p data on cardiovascular disorder were collected seven years later fro
m participants who had remained with their organizations. The type A b
ehavior pattern predicted cardiovascular disorder over time, and the r
elationships between the two complexity indexes and cardiovascular mor
bidity were positive among individuals with high type A behavior ratin
gs but negative among those with low ratings. We discuss the implicati
ons of these findings for worker health and job design.