Work-Specific Control Problems

Description 

This measure, developed by Remondet and Hansson (1991), assesses employee control problems in the areas of workplace demands, limited growth opportunities, personal/family crises, and working conditions. The measure asks respondents to rate both the frequency with which stressful events occur and the degree to which the occurrence of each event results in loss of control over the employee’s job. The four subscales (demands, limited growth, personal/family, and working conditions) also combine into a com­posite measure of overall control problems at work.

Reliability

In Abraham and Hansson (1996), coefficient alpha was .87 for the compos­ite measure of work-related control problems.

Validity

In Abraham and Hansson (1996), work-related control problems correlated negatively with job satisfaction and positively with job-related anxiety.

 Source

Items

Respondents are asked to rate each item in terms of (a) how frequently an incident of this type happens on the employee’s job (1 = never to 5 = very often) and (b) the extent to which such an incident when it happens on the job would constitute a loss or threat to the employee’s sense of personal control (1 = very little to 5 = very much). A score for control problems is developed by multiplying the frequency and severity responses together.

Workload demands items: 

1. My supervisor makes poorly planned changes that directly affect me.
2. My supervisor is unrealistic in the demands placed upon me
3. My supervisor places unfair demands upon me
4. My workload is too heavy
5. I have had unrealistic schedule demands
6. My supervisor places demands on me that aren’t placed on co­ workers
7. I’ve been forced to do another’s work in addition to my own

Limited growth opportunity items:

1. My job is not challenging
2. My job is meaningless
3. I see no room for growth in my job
4. There is no future for me in my position

Personal/family crises items:

1. Family crises have required that I miss work
2. Personal concerns have interfered with my job performance
3. Family illnesses have affected my job performance

Working conditions/environment items:

1. The work environment is uncomfortable
2. I have limited space to complete my job
3. I work in a dangerous environment