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Published in: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health 8/2009

01-08-2009 | Original Article

A short generic measure of work stress in the era of globalization: effort–reward imbalance

Authors: Johannes Siegrist, Natalia Wege, Frank Pühlhofer, Morten Wahrendorf

Published in: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health | Issue 8/2009

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Abstract

Objective

We evaluate psychometric properties of a short version of the original effort–reward imbalance (ERI) questionnaire. This measure is of interest in the context of assessing stressful work conditions in the era of economic globalization.

Methods

In a representative sample of 10,698 employed men and women participating in the longitudinal Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) in Germany, a short version of the ERI questionnaire was included in the 2006 panel wave. Structural equation modeling and logistic regression analysis were applied.

Results

In addition to satisfactory internal consistency of scales, a model representing the theoretical structure of the scales provided the best data fit in a competitive test (RMSEA = 0.059, CAIC = 4124.19). Scoring high on the ERI scales was associated with elevated risks of poor self-rated health.

Conclusions

This short version of the ERI questionnaire reveals satisfactory psychometric properties, and can be recommended for further use in research and practice.
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Metadata
Title
A short generic measure of work stress in the era of globalization: effort–reward imbalance
Authors
Johannes Siegrist
Natalia Wege
Frank Pühlhofer
Morten Wahrendorf
Publication date
01-08-2009
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health / Issue 8/2009
Print ISSN: 0340-0131
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1246
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-008-0384-3

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