Originally Published:20011101.
Having control over your job responsibilities can backfire if you lack confidence on the job or have a propensity to take responsibility for negative outcomes at work, according to new research from the American Psychological Association. Such a combination of control and responsibility-taking can make work more stressful and make a person more vulnerable to infections, like bronchitis, influenza, or even the common cold.
"Our findings show that employees who don't have confidence in their skills may find job control debilitating because they cannot utilize it effectively to cope with the demands of the job," explain the authors of the study. "Rather than being an asset, job control becomes a source of continual frustration."
In most cases, employees who saw themselves as having control over their working conditions and did not blame themselves for negative outcomes suffered the least amount of stress, even in a demanding job.
For individuals who have a proclivity for self-blame, having less control in a high-- demand atmosphere may be beneficial because it makes it possible for them to attribute their failings to an external cause rather than take it upon themselves.
Source: American Psychological Associaton (APA). Results reported in the April issue of the APA's Journal of Applied Psychology.
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