Stress audits as a precursor to stress management workshops: An evaluation of the process

Abstract

This study describes the stress audit process and how it can be effectively linked with stress management workshop development and delivery. Specifically, four stress audits and four workshops based on them were conducted within an organization. Reactions indicated that the stress audit is a valuable tool for trainers.In today' s ever-increasing push to do more with less, employees are reporting more on-the-job stress than ever before (Cartwright & Cooper, 1997). While stress management workshops have been one of the tools in many trainers' portfolios, the general nature and outcome-based approaches of many of the workshops have left some organizational personnel skeptical regarding stress management workshop utility. The purpose of this study is to describe a process that will make stress management workshops better tailored to the specific needs of attendees. The focus of the workshop exercises used in this study were on (1) reduction of the potential stressors themselves and (2) individuals' perceptions of potential stressors. Figure 1 is the stress model that demonstrates how we described the stress process to our clients. It indicates that potential stressors are subsequently perceived by the individual, and that some may be more stressful to some individuals than to others. Thus, the response to the potential stressor is idiosyncratic. Finally, if the potential stressors become stressful to the individual, then various well-documented outcomes are likely to occur.The purpose of stress management workshops is to address occupational stress through interactive exercises in a small group setting. The majority of coping strategies focus on dealing with the outcomes of stress (such as providing opportunities to learn relaxation techniques, exercise routines, and

Family incivility, emotional exhaustion at work, and being a good soldier: The buffering roles of waypower and willpower

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Educating Managers to Create Healthy Workplaces

“…The reason for introducing students to these levels of intervention is to give them a more sophisticated understanding of what can be done to create healthy workplaces. At least in the United States, organizations seem to be stuck in a paradigm of placing the burden on employees to cope with stressful work environments rather than engaging in interventions to improve the environment (Gilbreath, 2008a; Murphy, 1988; Ormond, Keown-Gerrard, & Kline, 2003).…”

Creating Career-Conducive Organizations: A Primary Intervention Approach

“…They generally are questionnaire-based, quantitative measurements of an array of psychosocial factors. Although their potential has been acknowledged in the HRD literature (e.g., Ormond, Keown-Gerrard, & Kline, 2003), review of the literature indicates that HRD professionals rarely conduct stress audits. That is unfortunate because HRD professionals-because of their familiarity with organizational development and their interest in removing barriers to effective job performance-arguably are best suited for conducting stress audits.…”

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