Antecedents of intensified job demands: evidence from Austria
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/ER-04-2018-0094 |
| Pages | 694-707 |
| Date | 03 June 2019 |
| Published date | 03 June 2019 |
| Author | Saija Mauno,Bettina Kubicek,Jaana Minkkinen,Christian Korunka |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour,Industrial/labour relations,Employment law |
Antecedents of intensified job
demands: evidence from Austria
Saija Mauno
Faculty of Social Sciences (Psychology),
Tampere University, Tampere, Finland and
Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
Bettina Kubicek
Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Jaana Minkkinen
Faculty of Social Sciences (Psychology),
Tampere University, Tampere, Finland, and
Christian Korunka
Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Abstract
Purpose –In order to understand the driving forces behind intensified job demands (IJDs), the purpose of
this paper is to examine demographic factors, structural work-related factors, personal and job resources as
antecedents of IJDs.
Design/methodology/approach –The study is based on cross-sectional (n¼4,963) and longitudinal
(n¼2,055) quantitative data sets of Austrian employees. Data sets were analyzed via regression analyses.
Findings –The results showed that IJDs, as assessed through five sub-dimensions: work intensification,
intensified job-related, career-related planning and decision-making demands, intensified demands for skills
and for knowledge-related learning, remained fairly stable overtime. The most consistent antecedents of IJDs
were personal initiative and ICT use at work. Job resources, e.g. variety of tasks and lacking support from
supervisor, related to four sub-dimensions of IJDs.
Research limitations/implications –The findings suggest that personal (being initiative) and job
resources (task variety) may have negative effects as they associated with IJDs. Moreover, supervisors’
support is crucial to counteract IJDs.
Practical implications –Employers should recognize that certain personal (e.g. personal initiative) and
job-related resources (e.g. lacking supervisory support) might implicate higher IJDs, which, in turn, may cause
more job strain as IJDs can be conceived as job stressors.
Originality/value –IJDs have received very little research attention because they are new job demands,
which however, can be expected to increase in future due to faster technological acceleration in working life.
The study has methodological value as longitudinal design was applied.
Keywords Job resources, Personal resources, Demographics, Intensified job demands,
Structural work factors, Technological acceleration
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
1.1 Background and aim
Digitalization, globalization, and 24/7 society are all hallmarks of modern society (Green,
2004; Rosa, 2003). These phenomena have caused dramatic changes in working life, which
has become more intense and effort-demanding. One implication of such intensification is
increased cognitive demands (stressors) at work. Indeed, many jobs may nowadays be more
stressful cognitively and mentally due to high organizational profit-making demands and to
an increase in service and knowledge work as opposed to industrial work, resulting in an
erosion of manual less cognitive work. ICT and increasingly also artificial intelligence are
utilized extensively in work, signifying that work is not only more cognitively demanding,
but also loaded with expectations for increased effectiveness as ICT speeds up knowledge
Employee Relations: The
International Journal
Vol. 41 No. 4, 2019
pp. 694-707
© Emerald PublishingLimited
0142-5455
DOI 10.1108/ER-04-2018-0094
Received 3 April 2018
Revised 20 August 2018
1 October 2018
Accepted 1 October 2018
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0142-5455.htm
694
ER
41,4
To continue reading
Request your trial