The pandemic taught us we could work anywhere - but was it good for our overall wellbeing?  In short, yes. Many employees saw increased productivity and personal wellbeing when given autonomy to choose where to work. 

This aligns with professor Rober Karasek's theory first introduced in the 1990s. Job demands cause stress, he said, but autonomy helps mitigate or buffer that stress. It was a hugely influential theory that has shaped a lot of modern management practices. But is it universally true? 

It turns out, not so much. Professor Jia Lin Xie has long studied the impact of control and autonomy on workplace stress, and her findings are pretty consistent. Being given control works for some people in some situations, but not for everyone and certainly not all the time.

So how do you know if control will be a boon or a bust for your well being? 

Give the episode a listen above, catch up on the entire season below, or check it out on your favourite podcasting platform (Apple, Amazon, Spotify or YouTube). And, of course, don't forget to subscribe. 

Prefer to read than listen in? Check out the transcript on Simplecast. 

Did you know we have two podcast series? Rotman Visiting Experts catches up with authors from our acclaimed speaker series and is a must-listen for the leader looking for lifelong learning. Check it out on Spotify, Apple, Amazon or YouTube!