Organizational Stress: A Review and Critique of Theory, Research and Applications

Citation

Mann, S. (2002), "Organizational Stress: A Review and Critique of Theory, Research and Applications", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 23 No. 5, pp. 295-296. https://doi.org/10.1108/lodj.2002.23.5.295.4

As someone who lectures and trains in the field of organizational stress and stress management, I have been forever searching (or so it seems) for the definitive text on organizational stress. This book will not stop my continued hunt for the Holy Grail, but it is surely as close to what I am looking for as I may ever find.

Divided into nine chapters, the material starts with the obligatory “what is stress” chapter in which various definitions of stress are presented. My main quibble with this book lies within this opening chapter; one of nine topics covered within this chapter is “theoretical models of job‐related stress” and, given the wide range of models out there, I feel that this area is not dealt with adequately. Too few models are presented and in too little detail. One cannot help but feel that the need to promote Cooper’s (well accepted) own model has minimised any real attempt to present an objective view to the field. It is this aspect that prevents Organizational Stress from being the book for me.

The next chapter covers “job‐related sources of strain” and includes the various stressors identified in Cooper’s model. The material is summarised well, but disappointingly, there is little new material that makes this chapter any different from the many other chapters and books on this subject that Cooper has produced. However, it is the remainder of the book that does, I feel, carry this text beyond previous ones. In the next chapter, “assessing job‐related strains”, the authors discuss (albeit briefly) the role of emotions, something which many stress writers ignore or gloss over. Again, I am disappointed that only the seminal works on emotions at work are mentioned and that the prolific research within the last five years is ignored.

Chapter 4 discusses burnout as a “special form of strain” and indeed, this is a very comprehensive presentation of this oft‐ignored subject. Chapter 5 moves into moderators of the stressor‐starin relationships and discusses personality and situational moderators.

The next two chapters concern themselves with stress management techniques and issues, with Chapter 6 lingering over the role and taxonomies of coping, and includes material on assessing coping and classifying coping strategies. Chapter 7, “organizational interventions” goes beyond the usual listing of various organizational strategies and instead, analyses such interventions by presenting a framework for stress management interventions (in which strategies are classified into primary, secondary and tertiary interventions) and discussing the problems inherent in evaluating intervention effectiveness.

The final two chapters look to the future both from a research and practitioner point of view – a fine ending for any such text. Methodological issues in job stress research are discussed before finally examining the implications of changing nature of work on stress research. Again, this is quite a novel approach and presents a new and welcome view of the “new patterns of working” scenario that every modern text seems obliged to present.

Overall this text should be essential reading to students and academics as well as those working in the field of organizational stress. Because not all the material is new and much can be found elsewhere, the more widely read might need a little patience to reach the newer sections, but at £18.99 (paper) it represents excellent value for all and those relatively new to the field will especially find this a welcome addition to their bookshelf.