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Job authority and health: Unraveling the competing suppression and explanatory influences

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  • Schieman, Scott
  • Reid, Sarah

Abstract

Using data from a 2005 national survey of working American adults (NÂ =Â 1800), we examine the association between job authority and three health outcomes: physical symptoms, psychological distress, and anger. We also seek to explicate the intervening conditions that suppress and/or contribute to those associations. We observe that higher levels of interpersonal conflict in the workplace and work-to-home interference among those with more job authority suppress the negative association between authority and each health outcome. By contrast, the greater earnings and nonroutine work among those with higher job authority explain their lower levels of physical symptoms, distress, and anger. These observations elaborate on and refine the "stress of higher status" theoretical perspective and illuminate the paradox of the overall null association between job authority and health. Moreover, they draw much-needed attention to the ways that suppression effects can broaden our understanding of workplace inequality, stress processes, and multiple health outcomes.

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  • Schieman, Scott & Reid, Sarah, 2009. "Job authority and health: Unraveling the competing suppression and explanatory influences," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(11), pages 1616-1624, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:69:y:2009:i:11:p:1616-1624
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Hodson,Randy, 2001. "Dignity at Work," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521771313, October.
    2. Randy Hodson, 2008. "The Ethnographic Contribution to Understanding Co‐worker Relations," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 46(1), pages 169-192, March.
    3. Hodson,Randy, 2001. "Dignity at Work," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521778121, October.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Takaku, Reo, 2020. "Reversal pattern of health inequality: New evidence from a large-scale national survey in Japan," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 124(11), pages 1254-1262.
    3. Qiu, Hanyao & Bures, Regina & Shehan, Constance L., 2012. "The inconsistent mediating effects of psychosocial work characteristics on the education–health relationship," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(8), pages 1539-1546.
    4. Henz, Ursula & Mills, Colin, 2015. "Work-life conflict in Britain: job demands and resources," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 60070, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    5. Xiao Tan & Leah Ruppanner & David Maume & Belinda Hewitt, 2021. "Do managers sleep well? The role of gender, gender empowerment and economic development," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(3), pages 1-18, March.
    6. Pudrovska, Tetyana & Carr, Deborah & McFarland, Michael & Collins, Caitlyn, 2013. "Higher-status occupations and breast cancer: A life-course stress approach," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 53-61.
    7. Dirlam, Jonathan & Zheng, Hui, 2017. "Job satisfaction developmental trajectories and health: A life course perspective," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 95-103.
    8. Grace, Matthew K. & VanHeuvelen, Jane S., 2019. "Occupational variation in burnout among medical staff: Evidence for the stress of higher status," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 232(C), pages 199-208.

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