An Experimental Evaluation of a Control Intervention to Alleviate Job-Related Stress

This article reports the results of a randomized field experiment that tested the effects of a control-enhancing stress intervention among unit managers of a trucking company. Individuals who managed geographically dispersed profit centers were randomly assigned to either an intervention group (N = 34) or a no-intervention group (N = 30). The intervention increased perceptions of control after 4 months, but only for those managers with supportive supervisors. In conjunction with supervisory support, the intervention produced improvements in job satisfaction, but not general well-being outcomes. The impact of the intervention and supervisory support on satisfaction was fully mediated by control perceptions.