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Organizational stressors

Whatever induces stress upon the individual and, through this medium, infects the organisation itself, is known as an “organizational stressor” or stress stimuli.

We can now identify about thirty specific stressors that threaten our individual needs and so induce stress and therefore impinge on our innate mental and emotional resources.

Each of these thirty stressors can have a powerful impact on organizational functioning. Stressors have a tendency to:

• disrupt or distort the smooth flow of operations,
• dampen performance effectiveness and productivity
• Impact creative thinking, enthusiasm and commitment
• Undermine working relationships
• Generally make life more difficult for everyone in the work place.

The thirty organizational stressors

Elements of the management function that cut across human needs

1. No clear short-term goals for staff and managers to work towards
2. Responsibility without authority or an inadequate control of events
3. Career uncertainty often a result of short-termism
4. Insufficient or inappropriate support from management or colleagues
5. Loss of a natural routine
6. New functions being allotted without adequate training and guidance
7. Disagreement with organisational values or philosophy
8. The unequal treatment of equals or the equal treatment of “unequals”
9. Fast track career paths

Types of management structure that can undermine or threaten emotional needs

10. The imposition of goals or targets from a higher authority
11. Unclear boundaries of functions and responsibilities
12. Organisational units that are too large

The management style adopted by the organisation

13. Authoritarian leadership style
14. Atmosphere of mistrust

Strategic issues

15. Low quality performance
16. Onerous externally imposed deadlines with insufficient time to do the task.
17. Boredom and monotony
18. Major strategic change

Physical factors

19. Environmental factors such as excessive noise, poor surroundings, inadequate equipment
20. Stale air, electromagnetic fields and artificial day lighting

Psychological or personal and relationship factors

21. Negative Relationships
22. High internal competitiveness in the work culture
23. Incompatibilities
24. The presence of a socialised psychopath
25. Straight-line thinking
26. Performance enhancing drugs
27. Botched decisions due to managers’ subconscious insecurities
28. People bringing their own stresses to work

Government influence as a stressor

29. Excessive government regulations
30. High taxation

Do you have problems with organisational stress?

Email us today about your organisational stress problems or contact us on 0845 0945 819. The first 90 minutes of any consultation is entirely free of charge

If you would like to learn more about organizational stressors and the impact of stress on organisational performance read the article - "How stress damages organisations" or "Is organizational stress undermining the NHS?"

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