Job control and job demands: Accountability in disguise?

This paper questions the conventional wisdom that in the field of occupational health perceptions of job control and job demands are separate variables. Rather, it is argued, they represent a single factor - accountability. The results of four studies (N = 723, N = 143, N = 179, N = 371) show strong statistical relationships between job demands and job control with correlations in the region of .70 to .75. Relationships between accountability and personality factors are also discussed. It may be necessary, henceforth, to describe occupational stress, psychological strain and even health in concepts which emphasise the importance of responsibility for work results rather than job demands or job control.