Regarding questions or scales on 'organizational control', emotional load or cognitive load.

Irene Houtman, Feb 23, 2005

Regarding questions or scales on 'organizational control', emotional load or cognitive load. (in some general populations as well as in specific -police- populations) are available in some Dutch data bases. These are either representative of the Dutch work force, or for the (police) sector. Part of the latest general survey (including emotional load) is even longitudinal. One survey which is representative for the Dutch work force is administered to a random sample, resulting in a net response of about n=4000 in 2000, 2002 and 2004. About n=700 were both questioned in 2002 and 2004. Apart from the concepts of quantitative job demands, decision latitude, skill discretion and social support (both coworker and supervisor), other concepts were measured like that of cognitive demands, emotional demands (only in 2000 and 2004), home-work balance, overwork, sexual harassment, job security but also facilities provided by the organization people work, like child care facilities etc.

In 2003 another survey has been administered to a representative sample of the Dutch work force with more attention to measuring a broad scope of working conditions. The net response was 10.000 employees. The 'VBBA' was administered here, a questionnaire that is developed in the Netherlands and measures the quantitative job demands, decision authority, skill discretion, emotional demands, physical demands, noise, dangerous work, working with computers, visual displays, intimidation and aggression, accidents at work, and measures taken at the organization to manage specific risks have been asked.

In 1999 we performed a sector wide study in the police force, approaching a random sample of n = 10.000 employees of the police forces in the Netherlands. We had a 53% response, which appeared to be quite representative. About thousand of these respondents low in burnout were followed up for one year. Five years later, in 2004, we again approached a random sample of the police force (n=5000 this time), which resulted in a 51% response. Again the response was quite representative on distribution by gender and by police force department. In all studies the quantitative job demands, decision authority, skill discretion and social support concepts were included together with concepts like emotional demands (both general scales as well as police specific instruments were used), cognitive demands, physical demands, control over the organization, getting 'feedback', working times and all other kinds of police specific issues (overtime, irregular hours, disrespect from the public etc).

Since there had been a Covenant on working conditions agreed upon in 2001, a lot of attention was paid to measures taken to manage the risks employees at the police force have to deal with. We used this information in the analyses thus far. Jan may also have these specific data for the health care sector, which particularly includes measures of emotional demands, but he can provide best the concept information is collected on. A lot of the additional concepts to be measured will somehow lead back to the DISC-model. Jan and I made an appointment on which to talk about how we could set up a paper on these (joint) scales, and if possible also on the experiences of the workshop.