Rlchard Pettlnger

ORGANIZATION ACCEPTANCE AND UNDERSTANDING

This is a key corporate attitude. It is required as a prerequisite of effective stress management. It is founded on:

» understanding the human side of enterprise and activity, as well as the strategic and operational; and

» recognizing the relationship between effective and positive attitudes and behavior, and long-term effectiveness and pro fitability.

Once this is achieved, speci fic attention can then be paid to the following aspects.

» Relations between different occupational, professional, and func- tional groups and individuals where stress arises as the result of known, understood, and perceived differentials in status, in fluence, and ability to command resources and prioritize demands. Those of

TEN STEPS TO MAKING STRESS MANAGEMENT WORK 115
lesser influence especially feel frustration and resentment towards those who do command higher levels of in fluence.

» Working hours, terms, and conditions of employment: especially where these are non-standard (e.g. shift patterns). These bring stresses such as physical pressures caused by long, fragmented, variable or unsocial hours. Attention is especially required to those who have to work variable patterns (e.g. irregular or split days and nights). It is also important to recognize the meaning of ‘‘unsocial’’ in this context. This concerns the dif ficulty of building any regular- ized total pattern of life due to constantly varying hours, days, and patterns of work.

» Resource and in fluence shortages: there is an enduring physical and psychological strain in these situations. It is especially the case that high levels of stress exist among those who know that if something goes wrong there are insuf ficient resources available to be able to cope effectively.

» Investment appraisal: stress is caused when the behavioral aspects of investments and ventures are not fully considered.

» Constantly having to deal with negative situations and environments: this is an institutional and occupational problem for those concerned with health services management and professional activities; social deprivation and inadequacy (social work and social care); and for those who are employed mainly to handle customer complaints in industrial and commercial sectors.

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