Validierung der "Overcommitmentskala" des Modells beruflicher Gratifikationskrisen

In times of globalization and extended pressure, society experiences an increasing shift of the load spectrum from physical to psycho-mental demands. The rise of psychosocial job specifications represents a substantial risk factor for psychological and physical health. The theoretical model Effort-Reward-Imbalance by Siegrist (1996a, 2002) shows the connections between work-related factors and health. This model focuses on the imbalance of continued high effort versus inappropriately granted rewards. The instrument for the measurement of Effort-Reward-Imbalance has been applied by various countries. Its validity was proven by meta-analysis and systematic reviews. The model differentiates between extrinsic and intrinsic (personal) effort components. The Overcommitment Scale (OC-Scale) measures the intrinsic efforts. The predictive strength of the OC-Scale for the relationship of physical and psychological symptoms was proven in various studies. The primary goal of this work is the theoretical determination of the significance of the components of intrinsic effort. Siegrist defines the intrinsic spending component as excessive effort at work. However, the literature contains other meanings of the construct can be found. The intrinsic effort is described as an inability to withdraw from work obligations and a close connection to sleep is postulated. Hence, literature has expressed doubts about the validity of this questionnaire on several occasions. This is the motivation for this study. Secondly, this work seeks to clarify whether the operationalization of the construct OC is the same as the theoretical definition of Siegrist. The OC scale is tested based on the different descriptions in the literature together with practically proven questionnaire instruments: Skala zur Verausgabungsneigung, Distanzierungsfähigkeit und Perfektionsstreben of the AVEMs (Arbeitsbezogenes Verhaltens- und Erlebensmuster) from Schaarschmidt and Fischer (1996) as well as the Schlafskala des FEGs (Fragebogen zur Erfassung des Gesundheitsverhaltens) from Dlugosch and Krieger (1995). The above mentioned instruments are measured on a random sample consisting of 299 teachers. The collected data is the basis for a factor analysis with the help of the main axes analysis, main components analysis and maximum likelihood analysis. The results show that the OC scale and the Skala zur Distanzierungsfähigkeit des AVEMS cover the same construct. The Skala zur Verausgabungsneigung des AVEMS and the OC scale show a solution with two factors measuring two different constructs. Therefore, the postulated relation between the construct OC and excessive effort must be rejected. This also applies for the hypothesis that the construct OC covers both the content of striving for perfection and sleep. These results clarify that the present interpretation of the intrinsic component of high effort should be rejected. The model of Effort Reward Imbalance should be reinterpreted as follows: a crisis is triggered by a chronic effort-reward imbalance. The effort components are extrinsic and intrinsic. The latter is shown by inability to withdraw from work. The employee himself is responsible for the crisis of effort-reward imbalance caused by the inability to dissociate himself cognitively from work. Contrary to Siegrist the intensity and the duration of the high effort do not matter. This study raises the need to reinterpret the relations between intrinsic effort and physical and psychic symptoms. Excessive effort is contrary to what has been thought, not the predictive power of this component, but rather the inability to withdraw from work. The results emphasize the importance of the ability to withdraw from work and support the need for intervention-based on theory.