Analysis

The Job Overload Scale (JOS) measures the degree of work overload experienced by employees due to their job responsibilities. Job overload occurs when work demands exceed an individual’s capacity to effectively manage them, leading to stress, fatigue, and decreased productivity.

Objective

The goal of the JOS is to assess the level of excessive job demands that employees face. Understanding job overload can help organizations identify stressors and prevent burnout by implementing strategies to optimize workload distribution.

Calibration

The scale typically includes questions evaluating different aspects of job overload, such as: Number of tasks assigned, Time constraints and deadlines, Availability of resources and support. Participants respond using a Likert scale (e.g., 1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree).

References

Kahn, R. L., Wolfe, D. M., Quinn, R. P., Snoek, J. D., & Rosenthal, R. A. (1964). Organizational Stress: Studies in Role Conflict and Ambiguity. Wiley.
Karasek, R. A. (1979). Job Demands, Job Decision Latitude, and Mental Strain: Implications for Job Redesign. Administrative Science Quarterly, 24(2), 285-308.
Lee, R. T., & Ashforth, B. E. (1996). A Meta-Analytic Examination of the Correlates of Burnout. Journal of Applied Psychology, 81(2), 123-133.
Schaufeli, W. B., & Bakker, A. B. (2004). Job Demands, Job Resources, and Their Relationship with Burnout and Engagement: A Multi-Sample Study. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 25(3), 293-315.
Jex, S. M., & Beehr, T. A. (1991). Emerging Theories of Job Stress. In C. L. Cooper & I. Robertson (Eds.), International Review of Industrial and Organizational Psychology (pp. 31-61). Wiley.