Improving Organizational Interventions For Stress And Well Being

This book brings together a number of experts in the field of organizational interventions for stress and well-being, and discusses the importance of process and context issues to the success or failure of such interventions. The book explores how context and process can be incorporated into program evaluation, providing examples of how this can be done, and offers insights that aim to improve working life. Although there is a substantial body of research supporting a causal relationship between working conditions and employee stress and well-being, information on how to develop effective strategies to reduce or eliminate psychosocial risks in the workplace is much more scarce, ambiguous and inconclusive. Indeed, researchers in this field have so far attempted to evaluate the effectiveness of organizational interventions to improve workers’ health and well-being, but little attention has been paid to the strategies and processes likely to enhance or undermine interventions. The focus of this volume will help to overcome this qualitative-quantitative divide. This book discusses conceptual developments, practical applications, and methodological issues in the field. As such it is suitable for students, practitioners and researchers in the fields of organizational psychology and clinical psychology, as well as human resources management, health & safety, medicine, occupational health, risk management and public health.

Providing an overview of researchers' and practitioners’ “confessions” on the fascinating phenomenon of failed or derailed organizational health and well-being interventions and contextualizing these confessions is the aim of this innovative volume. Organizational intervention failures, paradoxes and unexpected consequences can offer a lot of rich and extremely useful practical lessons on intervention design and implementation and possibly on the design of future research on organizational interventions. This volume presents lessons learned from derailed interventions and provides possible solutions to those tasked with implementing interventions. It provides an open, practical and solutions-focused account of researchers' and practitioners' experiences in implementing organizational interventions for health and well-being.

The contributions in Creating Healthy Workplaces include a number of interventions that relate the efforts undertaken by researchers and organizations together, to reduce stress and improve the mental and physical health of employees through positive change initiatives. Those working in the field of occupational stress have received criticism that too much emphasis has been placed on negative issues and that positive initiatives have been largely ignored. With the growing influence of the positive movement, this book explores the implications of using a positive approach as opposed to a stress management one and compares the types of interventions they each require. From a positive perspective, there is a need to understand the characteristics of healthy, thriving, and flourishing people and organizations. This book explores the implications of using a positive approach as opposed to a stress management one. Some of the interventions described in Creating Healthy Workplaces target individuals and their attitudes and behaviours, others target workplace relationships, work units and the wider organization. Outcomes such as reduced occurrences of smoking, obesity, depression, elevated blood pressure, accidents and workplace injuries, presenteeism, absence and staff turnover are reported. The factors associated with the success of these interventions are identified and advice is given as to how interested individuals and organizations might proceed to develop worksite interventions on their own.

This important new collection provides not only a comprehensive overview of how organizational interventions can improve health and well-being in the workplace - addressing its causes rather than the symptoms - but also the practical issues faced in their design, implementation and evaluation. Drawing on a range of case studies and empirical investigations, it is the first book to seriously examine each element of the intervention process, and to recognize the individual, group, leader and organizational factors that researchers should consider. The authors describe the various challenges to such collaborative processes, as well as the specific methods and tools that can be used in response. Each chapter offers practical, evidence-based guidance. Featuring a final section examining new directions and approaches in organizational intervention research, the book features contributions from some of the leading international researchers in the field. It will be essential reading for any researcher or practitioner interested in the practical issues involved in improving the organization, design and management of the contemporary workplace.

This important new collection provides not only a comprehensive overview of how organizational interventions can improve health and well-being in the workplace - addressing its causes rather than the symptoms - but also the practical issues faced in their design, implementation and evaluation. Drawing on a range of case studies and empirical investigations, it is the first book to seriously examine each element of the intervention process, and to recognize the individual, group, leader and organizational factors that researchers should consider. The authors describe the various challenges to such collaborative processes, as well as the specific methods and tools that can be used in response. Each chapter offers practical, evidence-based guidance. Featuring a final section examining new directions and approaches in organizational intervention research, the book features contributions from some of the leading international researchers in the field. It will be essential reading for any researcher or practitioner interested in the practical issues involved in improving the organization, design and management of the contemporary workplace.

This book brings together a number of experts in the field of organizational interventions for stress and well-being, and discusses the importance of process and context issues to the success or failure of such interventions. The book explores how context and process can be incorporated into program evaluation, providing examples of how this can be done, and offers insights that aim to improve working life. Although there is a substantial body of research supporting a causal relationship between working conditions and employee stress and well-being, information on how to develop effective strategies to reduce or eliminate psychosocial risks in the workplace is much more scarce, ambiguous and inconclusive. Indeed, researchers in this field have so far attempted to evaluate the effectiveness of organizational interventions to improve workers' health and well-being, but little attention has been paid to the strategies and processes likely to enhance or undermine interventions. The focus of this volume will help to overcome this qualitative-quantitative divide. This book discusses conceptual developments, practical applications, and methodological issues in the field. As such it is suitable for students, practitioners and researchers in the fields of organizational psychology and clinical psychology, as well as human resources management, health & safety, medicine, occupational health, risk management and public health.

It is widely recognized that healthy employees are happier and more productive at work. Experiencing stress at work decreases employee’s health and affects their well-being. The American Institute of Stress (AIS) estimated that US$ 300 billion/year are spent on conditions related elevated stress levels. Stress is an everyday part of life for most people in any society. However, when people experience too much stress, serious psychological and physical health problems can result. This book provides an in-depth examination of how to improve employee health and well-being. It features the research, knowledge, and experience presented by over two dozen stress scholars who author twelve chapters. Not all stress can be prevented, and many jobs are highly demanding in multiple ways. Thus, if you cannot prevent stress, effort should be put into understanding occupational stressors and improving employee health. This book on employee health and well-being is aimed at assisting occupational health professionals and academics find ways to help employees managing stress and improve their health. But, it also can be helpful for employees to learn to how they can improve their occupational health. The research findings and knowledge offered by these well-respected leaders in stress scholarship give both employers and employees an awareness of the implications of workplace stress on employee health, and provides avenues for both organizations and individuals to improve worker well-being.

A comprehensive collection by Professor Cary Cooper and his colleagues in the field of workplace stress and wellbeing, which draws on research in a number of areas including stress-strain relationships, sources of workplace stress and stressful occupations. Volume 2 of 2.