 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Pub 490
Pub 490 Research
Annotated Bibliography Part I
Annotated Bibliography Part II
Annotated Bibliography III
Police Links
Texas Links
Alaska links
MASH
Church
Research Findings
|
|
| Research Findings for OCCUPATIONAL STRESS |
 |
| ||||||
| Stress has influenced the lives of people for many years. It is more recently, however, that stress in the workplace has gotten more attention. The emphasis on work environments, coupled with a move from bureaucratic hierarchies to learning organizations, has moved the focus of attention from the organization onto the individual. For this reason, occupational stress is now seen as an individual affliction that has effects on the organization as a whole. There are three elements of stress-related illness as defined by Hans Selye in 1946. “The Alarm Stage” is the initial shock phase where the individual realizes that he or she is stressed but continues to perform duties as if nothing is wrong. “Resistance” and “Exhaustion” where the person finally gives in to stress after attempting to suppress its effects follow this stage. Oftentimes it is too late to successfully rehabilitate the individual once exhaustion sets in. Workers are unable to perform their tasks and managers are forced with the problems of getting a job done on time as well as dealing with the stressed employee who needs assistance. Much of the research performed on occupational stress has indicated that the reasons for its existence are dependant upon the organization itself and not the individual. Work pressure, lack of managerial support, tight regiments, and a low span of control all lead to increased stress on the individual employee. Although the change from a bureaucracy to a learning organization is beneficial for both the individual as well as the organization, it is the change itself that causes the stress. Many people do not cope well with change and are used to mundane and ordinary situations. When these individuals are confronted with organizational restructuring they are unable to cope and occupational stress is the result. On the other hand, occupational stress has roots in lack of change. Some individuals, namely the younger workforce just entering an organization cannot effectively deal with organizational restrictions. They are unable to deal with the lack of flexibility in their jobs and feel like they are trapped in their position. For these younger individuals, the restructuring of the organization would help alleviate the stress placed on them by the hierarchical structure. Many young employees want to work in a learning organization, where creativity and individuality are rewarded rather than suppressed. Instead, these new workers find themselves in hierarchies where resistance to innovation is high. It must be understood that stress cannot by completely eradicated in the workplace. Stress is a common part of everyday life and can be beneficial in some situations. It is the overload of stress in the workplace, where the individual’s total identity is liked with the organization that is harmful to all involved. Response from management is essential in dealing with occupational stress. Since stress in the workplace has a direct impact on efficiency and quality of work being performed, a manager must play a direct role in the lives of his or her employees in an attempt to alleviate the stress. Stress management workshops must be a part of health wellness programs. Preventative care for occupational stress helps managers identify the major stressors in the workplace and allows them to work directly with employees to resolve these issues before they cause problems. The creation and maintenance of stress management programs is a step-by-step process that requires participation by all levels of a hierarchy. Adams states that there are several pre-implementation steps required in order for occupational stress management programs to be successful. Starting with the conceptualization of the program first, managers must acquire support for the research and development of the plan. After the development of the plan, the focus turns to its maintenance. Programmatic considerations in terms of option and flexibility are necessary in order to give the implementing agency choices when executing the plan. Financial obligations must be considered by management in an organization faced with high levels of occupational stress. Lowered efficiency and employee participation makes getting the task at hand done more difficult. In addition to decreased productivity, stress management programs and preventative care carries major financial obligations. Mangers must know their limits on resources but must also keep in mind that goal of these programs is to assist the organization function more effectively as a whole. A new cost that is being carried by organizations affected by occupational stress is the rising cost of litigation. Many illnesses and injuries on the job are being attributed to stress. This creates an increase in workers’ compensation claims being filed against the organization. Managers are increasingly finding themselves in the middle of lawsuits alleging that the duties associated with a job were too stressful for an employee and therefore caused injury to occur. Stress on the job is a major concern for today’s organizations. It affects all levels of the hierarchy and has the ability to cripple the structure as a whole. Effective managers will work closely with employees in an effort to identify major stressors affecting the workplace setting. The development and implementation of stress-management systems will help decrease the amount of workplace stress as well as assist individuals affected by stress cope with its effects. The key in dealing with occupational stress is to understand that it is a major force that has the ability to lower efficiency and productivity in the workplace as well as increase health care costs to the organization. The rise of learning organizations will aid in the decrease of stress in the workplace by moving the focus off of the management and on to the workers. Team management and a federalism-type organization, where quality and innovation are encouraged will give rise to stress-free work settings. |
 walkercatx@aol.com |
|
. |
| Visitors: 04935 |