Everyday I Have No Control: The Influence Of Perceived Job Control On Employee Health And Performance

Military members have a distinctive work environment, where status within the hierarchy is clearly displayed on uniform dress and lower ranks are to dutifully obey the commands from above. The aim of this study was to explore the issues related to job control for military members. Perceived job control has been associated with individual health and productivity; however, until now has not been explored in the military context. The findings from this original research found important workplace factors to influence the perception of job control, which stem from three related areas: workplace characteristics, support, and individual characteristics. These findings argue for the implementation of policies and practice to improve health and performance in the workplace and must focus on several aspects of work design to include opportunities for employee support in and beyond the workplace, effective leadership practices, and the facilitation of appropriate coping skills for performance in the military environment. These findings may have implications for similar work settings such as: law enforcement, emergency responders, factory workers, and some government agencies.