Scoping review on job control and occupational health in the manufacturing context

The manufacturing sector represents an important factor in the German economy. Often manufacturing tasks can be characterised by determined work rates, required piece numbers or time schedules. These task characteristics strongly relate to the concept of job control. This paper addresses the impact of job control on employees' health, wellbeing, motivation and performance in manufacturing tasks. Job control encompasses many dimensions. The most common dimension being used is decision latitude (here classified as vertical task characteristics). The scoping review method was applied and the aim of this study was to map the existing knowledge on job control and its impact on four types of outcome variables (health, wellbeing, motivation and performance) for the defined domain of manufacturing jobs. This paper presents the results of 40 included studies dealing with vertical task characteristics. The analysis shows that there is a strong focus on health variables. They have been studied the most together with aspects of job control. Further the review reveals that aspects of job control have an influence on the considered outcomes. Although the literature supports the hypotheses that vertical task characteristics are a resource to employee's health, wellbeing, motivation and performance most studies are missing precise implications for practitioners in terms of task design. On basis of this review, implications for future research are discussed.