Affiliations: National Institute for Working Life, Stockholm,
Sweden | Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden | Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Washington DC,
USA
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Malin Bolin, National Institute for
Working Life, Department of Work and Health, SE-113 91 Stockholm, Sweden. Tel.:
+46 8 619 6868; Fax: +46 8 619 6896; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Using a multilevel approach, this study explores how job demands and
control are dependent on the organizational context in which work is performed.
The data set consisted of 3,485 employees at 51 establishments divided into 141
sub-units and belonging to 10 parent organizations. Data were collected by
means of a survey answered by the employees and structured interviews conducted
with operative managers at participating establishments. The results showed
that a significant proportion of the variance in job demands and control was
attributed to the organization, and that the three organizational levels varied
in terms of their impact on the two psychosocial dimensions. More specifically,
job demands were mostly affected by the establishment level, while the sub-unit
level seemed to be the most important for job control. It is concluded that in
studies of working conditions, the organizational context should be
considered.
