Organizational Stress

During the past two decades, the nature of work has changed dramatically, as more and more organizations downsize, outsource and move toward short-term contracts, part-time working and teleworking. The costs of stress in the workplace in most of the developed and developing world have risen accordingly in terms of increased sickness absence, labour turnover, burnout, premature death and decreased productivity. This book, in one volume, provides all the major theories of organizational stress from the leading researchers and writers in the field. It is a guide to identifying the sources of pressures in jobs and the workplace so that we may be able to intervene to change and manage the growing problem of organizational stress.

To the individual whose health or happiness has been ravaged by an inability to cope with the effects of job-related stress, the costs involved are clear. But what price do organizations and nations pay for a poor fit between people and their work environments? Only recently has stress been seen as a contributory factor to the productivity and health costs of companies and countries but as studies of stress-related illnesses and deaths show, stress imposes a high cost on individual health and well-being as well as organizational productivity. This book examines stress in organizational contexts. The authors review the sources and outcomes of job-related stress, the methods used to assess levels and consequences of occupational stress, along with the strategies that might be used by individuals and organizations to confront stress and its associated problems. One chapter is devoted to examining an extreme form of occupational stress – burnout, which has been found to have severe consequences for individuals and their organizations. The book closes with a discussion of scenarios for jobs and work in the new millennium, and the potential sources of stress that these scenarios may generate The book is a comprehensive, thought-provoking resource for Ph.D. students, academics, and other professionals working to minimize or eliminate the sources of stress in the workplace.

Stress is defined as a feeling experienced when a person perceives that demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to mobilize. It can occur due to environmental issues, such as a looming work deadline, or psychological, for example, persistent worry about familial problems. While the acute response to life-threatening circumstances can be life-saving, research reveals that the body’s stress response is largely similar when it reacts to less threatening but chronically present stressors such as work overload, deadline pressures and family conflicts. It is proffered that chronic activation of stress response in the body can lead to several pathological changes such as elevated blood pressure, clogging of blood vessels, anxiety, depression, and addiction. Organizational Stress Around the World: Research and Practice aims to present a sound theoretical and empirical basis for understanding the evolving and changing nature of stress in contemporary organizations. It presents research that expands theory and practice by addressing real-world issues, across cultures and by providing multiple perspectives on organizational stress and research relevant to different occupational settings and cultures. Personal, occupational, organizational, and societal issues relevant to stress identification along with management techniques/approach to confront stress and its associated problems at individual and organizational level are also explored. It will be of value to researchers, academics, practitioners, and students interested in stress management research.

Including practical advice on how to conduct a stress audit and how to target stress 'hot spots' within an organization, Organizational Stress Management provides a fresh strategic model for the manager concerned with the negative effects stress can have both on company performance and the quality of life of individuals at work.

Stress at work is a daily fact of life for most workers, managers, and even psychologists. This book, written in clear, accessible language, shows how to stop job stress before it starts. As the authors say, "stress is inevitable, distress is not." Originally published in 1984, this bestseller has been revised and updated for a new generation of readers. It will be a key resource for managers, human resource professionals, industrial/organizational psychologists, graduate students in industrial/organizational psychology, and business administrators.

This book is a new comprehensive and thought-provoking resource that examines stress in organizational contexts. It reviews the sources and outcomes of job-related stress, the methods used to assess levels and consequences of occupational stress, along with the strategies that might be used by individuals and organizations to confront stress and its associated problems. It focuses on the future of work, where it is going and the role industrial and organizational psychologists can play in better understanding the dynamics of occupational stress. An excellent resource for Ph.D. students, academics and professionals.

This book brings together a number of experts in the field of organizational interventions for stress and well-being, and discusses the importance of process and context issues to the success or failure of such interventions. The book explores how context and process can be incorporated into program evaluation, providing examples of how this can be done, and offers insights that aim to improve working life. Although there is a substantial body of research supporting a causal relationship between working conditions and employee stress and well-being, information on how to develop effective strategies to reduce or eliminate psychosocial risks in the workplace is much more scarce, ambiguous and inconclusive. Indeed, researchers in this field have so far attempted to evaluate the effectiveness of organizational interventions to improve workers' health and well-being, but little attention has been paid to the strategies and processes likely to enhance or undermine interventions. The focus of this volume will help to overcome this qualitative-quantitative divide. This book discusses conceptual developments, practical applications, and methodological issues in the field. As such it is suitable for students, practitioners and researchers in the fields of organizational psychology and clinical psychology, as well as human resources management, health & safety, medicine, occupational health, risk management and public health.

Working in a stressful environment not only increases the risk of physical illness or distress, but also increases the likelihood of workplace accidents. While legislation provides some guidelines for risk assessment of physical hazards, there remains limited guidance on the risks of psychosocial hazards, such as occupational stress. This book takes the risk management approach to stress evaluation in the workplace, offering practical guidelines for the audit, assessment and mitigation of workplace stressors. Based on research and case studies, this book provides a comprehensive source of theoretical and practical information for students and practitioners alike. It includes chapters on: * environmental stress factors * psychological stress factors * work-related accidents * job stress evaluation methods With its up-to-date approach to a fascinating area of study, this is key reading for all students of organizational psychology and those responsible for workplace safety.

This book provides a sound understanding of stress from organizational, managerial and individual perspectives. It is an ideal guide for managers, HR and OH professionals with responsibility for stress management. In order to remain competitive, avoid risk, and be employers of choice, organisations must discover the causes of stress and mitigate them, formulate robust policies and procedures, create an appropriate culture and climate, and support stressed individuals. This book acts as a handbook for all aspects of managing stress. It includes latest cutting-edge thinking developed at Henley Management College and up to date examples and case studies.

A Survival Guide to the Stress of Organizational Change shows employees how they can avoid 15 basic mistakes that create major stress in the workplace. If your organization is changing (and whose isn't?) you can bet that many of your people are reacting in ways that are dead wrong. The result is unnecessary job stress, and unnecessary costs that damage your bottom line. This easy-to-read handbook explains the sources of stress and provides practical, usable tips for reducing stress like: stop expecting somebody else to reduce your stress; use humor to lighten your emotional load; develop better time management habits; don't try to control the uncontrollable.