Affiliations: Stress Research Institute, Stockholm University,
Stockholm, Sweden | Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska
Institute, Stockholm, Sweden | Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK | Stora Enso Oyj, Imatra, Finland | Finnish Institute of Occupational Health,
Topeliuksenkatu, Helsinki, Finland
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Dr. Hugo Westerlund, Stress
Research Institute, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden. Tel.:
+46 8 5537 8926; Fax: +46 8 5537 8900; E-mail:
hugo.westerlund@stressforskning.su.se
Abstract: Objectives: Research on health effects of managerial leadership has
only taken established work environment factors into account to a limited
extent. We therefore investigated the associations between a measure of
Attentive Managerial Leadership (AML), and perceived stress, age-relative
self-rated health, and sickness absence due to overstrain/fatigue, adjusting
for the dimensions of the Demand-Control-Support model. Participants: Blue- and white-collar workers from Finland, Germany and Sweden employed in a
multi-national forest industry company (N=12,622). Methods: Cross-sectional data on leadership and health from a company-wide survey
analysed with logistic regression in different subgroups. Results: AML
was associated with perceived stress, age-relative self-rated health, and
sickness absence due to overstrain/fatigue after controlling for the
Demand-Control-Support model. Lack of AML was significantly associated with a
high stress level in all subgroups (OR=1.68–2.67). Associations with
age-relative self-rated health and sickness absence due to overstrain/fatigue
were weaker, but still significant, and in the expected direction for several
of the subgroups studied, suggesting an association between lack of AML and
negative health consequences. Conclusion: The study indicates that
managerial leadership is associated with employee stress, health, and sickness
absence independently of the Demand-Control-Support model and should be
considered in future studies of health consequences for employees, and in work
environment interventions.
Keywords: Demands, control, social support, stress, self-rated health
