Positive and negative aspects of the work of information technology personnel: an exploratory analysis

This paper re-analyses data gathered in a 1989 research among Dutch information technology personnel. Working from Karasek's job stress model, we use exploratory multiple correspondence analyses on the aggregated data matrix of occupations and work items. We employed two models: one that emphasised the negative evaluations of job aspects, and one that emphasised positive evaluations. The structuring of positive evaluations of job aspects proved mast meaningful. Occupations could be distinguished into three groups. The first and largest group is characterised by a fairly balanced degree of autonomy and workload. A second group comprised of middle management occupations is characterised by unfavourable judgement on workload, matched by insufficient autonomy; as such, employees in these occupations appear at risk of overburdening. A third group of computer specialists report a workload that is too slight given their degree of autonomy; this group appears to be at risk of under-burdening.