Are organizations committed to stress management interventions?

PurposeWork-related stress causes individual, societal and economic costs. Stress management interventions (SMIs) are implemented to decrease those costs, reduce the psychosocial harms and increase workers' productivity. This article reports on a study of a substantial sample of enterprises to verify what types of SMIs they implemented and how they assessed the results of these interventions.Design/methodology/approachSpecially designed surveys were collected in 2015–2017 from 408 organizations of different sizes and sectors in Poland, including multinationals. The reliability of the questionnaire was satisfactory (Cr. 0.84).FindingsResults show that 59% of enterprises are aware of SMIs but only about 30% implemented one within the last three years. The implementations usually covered both organizational and individual-level interventions. The assessment of SMI effectiveness was conducted in just about one-third of the organizations and was based on estimations of the levels and sources of stress. Hardly any companies compared economic and psychosocial costs of stress before and after SMIs.Research limitations/implicationsThe most important recommendation from this study is to increase the awareness of causes of stress among managing directors. Also, organizations and HR staff need more assistance from specialists who know how to measure and help reduce work stress.Originality/valueThe literature on stress interventions at work usually focusses on their psychological effects. This paper explores the organizational perspective and the commitment to implement the interventions in companies.

Download Full-text

Sources of work stress in veterinary practice in the UK

Veterinary Record ◽

10.1136/vr.104662 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 184 (19) ◽

pp. 588-588 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Elinor O’Connor

Keyword(s):

Stress Management ◽

Injury Risk ◽

Interactive Effects ◽

Systematic Research ◽

Veterinary Practice ◽

Work Related ◽

Management Interventions ◽

Qualitative Interview Study ◽

Related Stress ◽

The Uk

The veterinary profession recognises the importance of addressing work-related stress for veterinary surgeons’ wellbeing. Identifying aspects of veterinarians’ work that are sources of stress is a key step in implementing appropriate stress management interventions for the profession. However, little systematic research on the causes of stress in veterinary work has been carried out. A qualitative interview study was conducted with 18 veterinarians practising in the UK to explore aspects of their work that are stressful. Thematic analysis revealed principal stressors to be poor work-life balance, interaction with animal owners, specific aspects of euthanasia, dealing with poor animal welfare and staff management responsibilities. Injury risk, supervision arrangements for newly qualified veterinarians and lack of control over work were stressors for some. The practical implications of the findings for stress management in veterinary work are considered. Comments by several participants indicated a strong achievement focus and possible perfectionism. It is proposed that veterinarians with perfectionist traits might experience greater psychological distress in the face of some specific stressors in veterinary practice, and further investigation of possible interactive effects of work stressors and perfectionism on veterinarians’ wellbeing is merited.

Download Full-text

Stressor Exposure and Methods of Coping among Senior Police Managers at a Time of Organisational and Management Change

International Journal of Police Science & Management ◽

10.1177/146135570000200303 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 217-228 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jennifer Brown ◽

Cary Cooper ◽

Bruce Kirkcaldy

Keyword(s):

Stress Management ◽

Empirical Investigation ◽

Stress And Coping ◽

Police Management ◽

Police Chief ◽

Management Change ◽

Work Related ◽

Management Interventions ◽

Related Stress ◽

And Coping

This paper discusses the context within which British police chief superintendents and superintendents (n = 533) were working as a background to measuring their sources of work-related stress and coping adaptations. Some comparative analyses are presented examining the internationalism of changes in police management and organisation. The results of the empirical investigation into the sources of stress and coping strategies of British police managers are then presented. Superintendents report having too much work to do with too few resources among the most significant stressors. They cope through use of secondary stress management interventions which are task orientated rather than emotion focused. The paper concludes by relating findings to organisational changes occurring within policing elsewhere and makes some recommendations to alleviate stress among police managers.

Download Full-text

Individual-Level Interventions for Decreasing Job-Related Stress and Enhancing Coping Strategies Among Nurses: A Systematic Review

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.708696 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Maria Velana ◽

Gerhard Rinkenauer

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Stress Management ◽

Stress Level ◽

Primary Outcome ◽

Individual Level ◽

Management Interventions ◽

Wide Range ◽

Measurement Tools ◽

Related Stress ◽

Job Related Stress

Background: Nurses are facing unprecedented amounts of pressure because of the ongoing global health challenges. Improving nurses' resilience to job-related stress and enhancing their strategies to cope effectively with stressors are key issues facing many health care institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. This literature review aimed to: a) provide a thorough overview of individual-level interventions for stress management among nurses, b) identify measurement tools utilized to evaluate nurses' stress level, and c) provide the best evidence-based recommendations for future research and practice adapted to the current restrictions.Design: Systematic review.Data Sources: Studies published between January 2000 and October 2020 were retrieved from the following sources: EBSCOhost, Dortmund University Library, PubMed, Medline, Google Scholar, Applied Nursing Research, and reference lists from relevant articles.Review methods: Individual-level interventions with a control group or a placebo intervention were included in the final sample. Primary outcome was defined as a change in individual stress level or stress symptoms which were measured by objective or subjective instruments with evidence of validity. Articles published in English or German were included in the present review.Results: In total, 27 relevant studies were included into the current review. There are some indications that technology-delivered interventions with relaxation and stress management interventions comprising cognitive-behavioral components might be effective in decreasing stress among nurses and improving their well-being. Furthermore, although there were some attempts to collect objectively measured parameters for assessing the primary outcome of stress, the majority of the interventions utilized self-reported stress scales.Conclusion: A wide range of interventions are available for nurses. However, it is of utmost importance to develop and implement stress management programs that are conveniently accessible in the workplace and above all, meet the current restrictions for minimizing human contacts. To this end, innovative interventions delivered through digital technology, such as virtual reality, seem to be a promising solution for combating the detrimental impact of stress on nurses. Special attention should be also paid to applying standardized objective measurement tools to allow the assessment of sensitive physiological indices and the generalizability of scientific knowledge.

Download Full-text

Stress Management Interventions in Polish Companies – Research Results

Kwartalnik Ekonomistów i Menedżerów ◽

10.5604/01.3001.0009.6301 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 27 (1) ◽

pp. 0-0

Author(s):

Dorota Molek-Winiarska

Keyword(s):

Stress Management ◽

Comparative Research ◽

Work Related Stress ◽

Research Results ◽

Work Related ◽

Management Interventions ◽

Related Stress ◽

And Training

Numerous studies on work-related stress and stress management interventions have led to the formulation of some rules and theories. Nevertheless, the methodology of this kind is still imperfect. There is a tremendous need to do comparative research on different kinds of interventions. This article attempts to answer the following questions: Are entrepreneurs familiar with the idea of the stress management interventions? Have their implementations been introduced after taking into consideration the causes, costs and results of stress? Are the interventions effective or not? The results show that 45% of the employers know the idea of stress management interventions (SMI) and about 17% implement them. The most popular intervention is training supervisors in stress management and training employees to cope with stress. The results show also a relatively low quality of interventions of SMIs.

Download Full-text

The value of sociality

foresight ◽

10.1108/fs-11-2012-0086 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 16 (4) ◽

pp. 309-328 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Evgeniya Lukinova ◽

Mikhail Myagkov ◽

Pavel Shishkin

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Utility Function ◽

Social Relationship ◽

Social Utility ◽

Content Type ◽

Individual Level ◽

Know How ◽

General Utility ◽

The Social ◽

Individual Decisions

Purpose – This paper aims to study the value of sociality. Recent experimental evidence has brought to light that the assumptions of the Prospect Theory by Kahneman and Tversky do not hold in the proposed substantive domain of “sociality”. In particular, the desire to be a part of the social environment, i.e. the environment where individuals make decisions among their peers, is not contingent on the framing. Evolutionary psychologists suggest that humans are “social animals” for adaptive reasons. However, entering a social relationship is inherently risky. Therefore, it is extremely important to know how much people value “sociality”, when the social outcomes are valued more than material outcomes and what kinds of adaptations people use. Design/methodology/approach – We develop a new theory and propose the general utility function that features “sociality” component. We test the theory in the laboratory experiments carried out in several countries. Findings – Our results suggest that when stakes are low the theory of “sociality” is successful in predicting individual decisions: on average, people do value “sociality” and it surpasses the monetary loss. Originality/value – The main contribution of this paper is the breakdown of the risk attitudes under low stakes and individual level of decision-making. Another advancement is the ability to formalize the social utility or the theory of “sociality” in an economic model; we use general utility function that we define both on the outcomes and on the process of the decision-making itself and test in laboratory studies.

Download Full-text

Antecedents of growth-oriented entrepreneurship before and during the Greek economic crisis

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development ◽

10.1108/jsbed-01-2017-0003 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 24 (3) ◽

pp. 528-544 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Ioannis Giotopoulos ◽

Alexandra Kontolaimou ◽

Aggelos Tsakanikas

Keyword(s):

Work Experience ◽

Early Stage ◽

New Ventures ◽

High Growth ◽

Content Type ◽

Crisis Period ◽

Individual Level ◽

Level Data ◽

The Social ◽

Before And After

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore potential drivers of high-growth intentions of early-stage entrepreneurs in Greece before and after the onset of the financial crisis of 2008. Design/methodology/approach To this end, the authors use individual-level data retrieved from Global Entrepreneurship Monitor annual surveys (2003-2015). Findings The results show that high-growth intentions of Greek entrepreneurs are driven by different factors in the crisis compared to the non-crisis period. Male entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs with significant work experience seem to be more likely to be engaged in growth-oriented new ventures during the crisis period. The same appears to hold for entrepreneurs who are motivated by an opportunity and also perceive future business opportunities in adverse economic conditions. On the other hand, the educational level and the social contacts of founders with other entrepreneurs are found to drive ambitious Greek entrepreneurship in the years before the crisis, while they were insignificant after the crisis outbreak. Originality/value Based on the concept of ambitious entrepreneurship, this study contributes to the literature by investigating the determinants of entrepreneurial high-growth expectations in the Greek context emphasizing the crisis period in comparison to the pre-crisis years.

Download Full-text

Framing stress and associated behaviours at work

Engineering Construction & Architectural Management ◽

10.1108/ecam-10-2018-0432 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 26 (11) ◽

pp. 2566-2580

Author(s):

Paul Hampton ◽

Ezekiel A. Chinyio ◽

Silvia Riva

Keyword(s):

Interpersonal Relationships ◽

Communication Systems ◽

Work Performance ◽

Well Being ◽

Psychological Services ◽

Content Type ◽

Work Related ◽

Related Stress ◽

Ethnographic Methodology ◽

The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand more precisely the culture and interpersonal behaviours associated with stress. Design/methodology/approach The research was conducted using a qualitative approach through an ethnographic methodology in relation to three companies. The greater part of the data collection period was structured into observations that ranged between 2 and 4 hr per day, 1–3 days per week, for a period of six months. A total of ten sites were explored; and on each site, the observations involved activities by 5–20 people. Findings The results showed the pivotal importance of interpersonal relationships in coping with the uncertainty of working conditions, the coordination of teamwork and managing responsibilities and power interactions. It was found that the impact of stress is multifaceted, affecting the physical status, interpersonal relationships, work performance and emotional well-being of construction workers. The workers who were studied emphasised five sources of support that help moderate work-related stress: additional tools such as communication systems and software, a facilitated access to professional help (e.g. psychological services), organisational changes in leadership, provision of resources for the well-being of personnel (e.g. job training) and better teamwork. Practical implications The study underlines the importance of dedicated services for stress management and specific training-related abilities devoted to reinforcing positive person–organisation dynamics. In particular, the abilities should relate to managing the impact of stress in terms of physique, interpersonal relationships, work performance and emotional well-being. Originality/value This is one of the first studies to adopt a psychological perspective for understanding construction scenarios and phenomena and was conducted by a qualified psychologist.

Download Full-text