A Type A-B Person-Work Environment Interaction Model for Examining Occupational Stress and Consequences

Abstract

The physiological, psychological, and organizational effects of occupational stress are not only costly to individual employees and managers, but also to the organization, society, and family. This paper examines the notion of interaction between the employee and the work environment. Stress is defined in terms of a relationship between a person and the work environment. Instead of using a global model of person-environment interaction, a more specific approach incorporating the notion of Type A-B behavior pattern and Type A-B work environment is developed. The paper examines the theory, research, and implications of a person-environment model as an explanation of occupational stress and various behavioral, psychological, and organizational consequences. The model is suggested as a formulation of a dynamic-interactional view that emphasizes the reciprocal person-environment processes found in the workplace. It is proposed that the interaction between Type A-B behavior patterns and Type A-B work environment is a fertile area for further theoretical and empirical research.