We examine the concepts of stress, distress, and eustress and develop three tenets that are used to relate these concepts to three major theories or models of occupational stress. Selye's concept of eustress or “good stress” appears to be largely ignored in the literature, while the Yerkes Dodson Law is illustrated as a model for management practice. We suggest that the meaning assigned to the word stress has shifted from Selye's original formulation, and that this shift, in conjunction with the use of the Yerkes Dodson Law leads to inappropriate management of stress in organizations. We conclude that the concept that some stress is good and enhances performance should be rejected in favour of more useful and accurate concepts.

PurposeTo develop an argument for the retention of secondary approaches to stress management (those that focus on the individual within the organization) as first interventions, prior to the employment of primary approaches (those that focus on the organization's processes and structures). This is based on a reconsideration of eustress versus distress and a review of current empirical evidence on the effectiveness of stress management interventions.Design/methodology/approachMajor empirical studies and reviews are critically reviewed and placed within a theoretical framework derived from both early and more recent work in the field.FindingsThere is little empirical evidence on which to base recommendations for organization‐based stress management interventions as first or sole approaches and therefore the value of these as first or sole approaches is questioned. Instead secondary, individual‐focused, approaches are recommended as first‐line interventions prior to the adoption of organization‐based interventions.Practical implicationsIn practice secondary stress management approaches are currently most common. Broader primary approaches appear to have excellent theoretical support and a growing body of supportive literature and accompanying recommendations for employment. We suggest, however, that secondary approaches be employed prior to the introduction of primary methodologies within a client organization.Originality/valueThis paper provides a review and framework for interpreting/understanding the research on the effectiveness of stress management interventions and makes recommendations relevant to practitioners in the field.

This article reports on a qualitative study which investigates the role of time in the emotions experienced during organizational change. Whereas much empirical research on emotions and time has been conducted in highly controlled experimental settings, this study discusses subjects’ emotional experiences during real-life change events related to three temporal dimensions: speed, frequency and timing. Three themes emerge from our findings: the relationship between time, major change and negative emotion; the relationship between time and perception of control; and other factors such as fairness, disposition and emotional intelligence. This study’s contribution is to focus specifically on time, emotion and change in real-world contexts, and to derive implications for managing change and for future research based on social theories recognizing time’s subjective nature.

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to explore the way in which health professional (HP)-based subcultures interpret reform-based changes. Design/methodology/approach -A three-phase study is carried out using thematic analysis to examine data from semi-structured interviews held with 19 HPs to examine their responses to change. Also, responses from 639 self-completion questionnaires and focus group interviews with 44 women provide insight into the influence of the change on end-users of the service. Findings -This study extends previous work through inductive examination of the interpretations of two subcultures, which reveal that acceptance of the strategic change objective is subsequently undermined by divergence in the way members of the subcultures interpret and seek to enact change -a divergent acceptance.Research limitations/implications -The findings result from a single case-study healthcare setting. Future studies can extend the research to other settings. Practical implications -The insight into the way HP-based subcultures interpret reform-based changes may advance the public service that these health care organisations strive to provide; much more broadly, it may advance the understanding of change. Originality/value -This paper shows that any significant change must accommodate existing assumptions and values and the way they colour the interpretation and enactment of change, even when agreement on superordinate objectives exists.

No abstract