Back to basics: Re-examination of Demand-Control Theory of occupational stress

The Demand-Control model of occupational stress posits an interaction betwe en job demands and job control predicting psychological strain, but previou s research has found such an interaction only rarely or inconsistently. Suc h research, however, has often failed to measure either demands or strain f aithfully to the model's constructs, or has simply failed to test for a sta tistical interaction. The present study corrected these shortcomings by goi ng back to basics. Using a sample of 115 employees in a manufacturing compa ny. it operationalized the variables more consistently with their original conceptualizations. However, when the hypothesized Demand-Control interacti on was then tested. it still failed. Outcomes other than psychogical strain (e.g. job dissatisfaction) were related negatively rather than positively to demands. This highlights the difference between psychological strain and dissatisfaction and casts doubt on models positing dissatisfaction as an i ntervening variable between stressors and strains.