Effects of work load on decision making in the workplace: implications for work health status

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Work load (WL) represents the cost of accomplishing mission requirements for the human operator. Several negative effects on task performance and health status may be related to inadequate WL. Based on previous evidence, this study analyzes the relationship between WL and one specific dimension of intellectual work performance: decision making (DM). HIPOTHESIS: WL should be related with quality of DM; specifically, intermediate levels of WL will be related to different patterns of decision making when compared with high and low levels of work load. METHODS: Longitudinal design. Subjects: intentional stratified sample of 179 Workers of an academic institution. Measurements: WL before and after job performance, measured by NASA-TLX (Hart & Staweland, 1988); DM measured by CTD Scale (Decision Taking Questionnaire, validated by Soria-Oliver, 2010), integrated the following subscales: Uncertainty, Temporal Stress, Information/Goals, Consequences, Motivation, Self-regulation, Cognition, Emotion, Social Stress, Work Stress. Analysis: One-way ANOVA with post-hoc contrast between WL (Low, Intermediate and High) and DM measures. FINDINGS: Significant relationships appear between Work Load and Decision Making Global Scale (F=4,03; p<0,05) and different Subscales, specifically Uncertainty (F=3,34; p>0,05), Consequences (F=5,58, p<0,01), Self-regulation (F=4,374; p>0,05), Cognition (F=4,82; p>0,01). Descriptive, graphic analysis and post-hoc contrasts put on evidence differences on DT between low and high levels of WL, by one side, and intermediate levels of WL by the other in different subscales and also Global DT Scale. DISCUSSION: Evidence shows that WL is potentially involved in work performance and subsequently work health status.