LITERATURE REVIEW ASSIGNMENT
Sophia Picerno
Liberty University
BUSI 644-B01
Professor Brown
June 20, 2024
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Abstract
Around the world, employment-related stress is a persistent and growing concern.
Unmanaged stress is a health risk for employees and the premises of the organizations in which
they work. Countless studies have looked at the negative outcomes of stress and the positive
effects of stress management. Despite this, many organizations continue to take a laissez-faire
attitude toward the management of stress—or to be completely ignorant of its prevalence
altogether. In order to fully understand the negative impact of unmanaged stress and the positive
impact of astute stress management, this author will conduct a literature review and deliver the
same to a private sector audience.
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Introduction
Each year, millions of people develop health and behavioral problems because of stress in
the workplace. Studies indicate that the body's stress response is essentially the same whether it
is provoked by a major stressor or by more routine; therefore, response in your body to these
chronic stressful conditions can lead to changes at a cellular level, and in certain tissues or
organs, that are the sort that are seen in conditions doctors have associated with those associated
with prolonged activation of the stress system in their most severe forms (Sharma et. al, 2021).
Providing stress management support to employees would greatly benefit employers. They could
expect less time taken off work due to sickness, their staff would presumably be more engaged
and productive, and lastly the employees would be less likely to leave so recruitment costs would
be lowered (Ajayi et. al, 2019). Time, money, and productivity slip through organizations'
fingers when their employees' stress goes unmanaged.
Employee education and workplace interventions are two effective ways to manage
stress. These strategies are cost-beneficial to employers because stress management tools and
resources are readily accessible. The research-worthy phenomenon of occupational stress
permeating employees' lives and the array of simple, inexpensive remediating interventions one
can apply to the situation are both good reasons for scholarly inquiry (Tement et. al, 2020). In
this literature review, I will examine current research articles that clear a path through the dense
forest we call 'workplace stress'. Following the tried-and-true scientific method my reading will
take you from the universally acceptable idea that job stress exists to some not-so-obvious
reasons for its presence and growth.
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Content
Stress: The causes & effects
Suffering from stress is no different from suffering from any other deadly illness. We
experience shared themes when it comes to why we are under stress, and no one seems to have a
handle on how to corral this force that is slowly killing us. Much research points to a few
common factors that drive up our stress levels that relate to job burnout. Monitor on Psychology,
(2022), speaks about how the World Health Organization defines burnout as a syndrome that is
the result of unmanaged workplace stress. It has three dimensions: feelings of exceptionally
decreased energy or exhaustion, feeling mentally far from being on your job, and a large amount
of negativism or cynicism about work in general or specific work matters (Abramson, 2022).
In a study by Wu et al., (2021), it resulted in showing how job stress is directly related to
job burnout that is influenced by job satisfaction. Job satisfaction can be related to the
dissatisfaction from employees being unhappy with their salary, rewards and overall climate of
the workplace (Wu et al., 2021). Furthermore, it was also discovered that the connections
between job stress and various aspects of job burnout were mediated by perceived social support
and job satisfaction in the Wu et al., (2021), study. What this implies is that, as job stress levels
increase, a person's perception of the social support they have decreases. When people perceive
little to no social support, they are more likely to experience burnout because they do not have a
"cushion" of support that can take some of the weight off of the stress (Wu et al., 2021).
The Wu et al., (2021), study began with 1464 banking staff members from the First
Hospital of Jilin University in northeast China participated in a study conducted from June to
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December 2016. The sample consisted of 655 men (44.7%) and 809 women (55.3%). The study's
participants, on average, were 38.60 years old. The educational levels of the group were fairly
high, with 5.9% of the participants holding a high school education, 79.8% holding a bachelor's
degree, and 14.3% holding a master's degree. When the participants' job roles are considered, it's
clear that the study sampled a fairly representative cross-section of the hospital's workforce.
Wu et al., (2021), received approval from the ethics board, and everyone we asked had
the chance to give their informed consent. The study measured job stress using a 21-item
questionnaire. It produced a score that could mean low or high stress. Perceived social support
was gauged using a 12-item questionnaire. It produced a score that could mean very satisfied or
very unsatisfied. Burnout was measured using an updated tool that concentrated on emotional
exhaustion, cynicism, and professional inefficacy. The resesarches studied the connections
between these aspects and the knowledge that those who took part in our survey reached certain
burnout levels. They also checked to see if those connections were strengthened or weakened
when they took into account the possible influence of demographic characteristics such as age
and years of teaching experience.
In Wu et al., (2021), study about job stress, perceived social support, job satisfaction, and
job burnout, researchers found that job stress added a lot to the risk of a worker burning out and
feeling depressed. If the worker also felt that their supervisors and coworkers gave them a lot of
social support and that their job provided some satisfaction, there wasn't nearly as much risk for
that person to burn out. Cynicism was reduced and professional efficacy was enhanced when
workers believed they had support from family, friends, or colleagues and when they felt
satisfied with their jobs. Meanwhile, when workers were mostly dissatisfied with their jobs, they
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reported feeling emotionally exhausted and cynical. Importantly, our review of the four studies
indicated that job satisfaction and perceived social support, to an even greater extent than
workload or a general sense of job stress, were related to the three burnout dimensions and that
they accounted for much of the variance in the relationship between job demands and the
dimensions of the burnout syndrome.
The Wu et al., (2021), study also demonstrates the need to improve conditions of social
support and job satisfaction to lower job burnout. It suggests that Chinese banks should make it a
priority to take better care of their employees' mental health. They should do this by creating
work environments that provide more fundamental support. A key aspect of this is that social
workers must be trained to provide better interactions with the bank's clients. These can act as an
influence to change directions in their clients' lives. It seems clear from the research that if a
bank were to put these changes in place, it would likely see a decrease in its workers' experience
of job burnout.
The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health presents new research
that pays particular attention to the kind of work cultures that characterize the modern working
environment and the extent to which they influence the health of people inhabiting them,
focusing on chronic diseases (Siegrist & Li, 2018). The researchers in Siegrist & Li’s paper,
(2018), primarily investigated the effect of chronic diseases and conditions—such as heart
disease, stroke, and high blood pressure—on the body, particularly if these conditions have any
relationship to the working population. The study used three general methods: (1) epidemiologic
investigations, (2) experimental studies and (3) intervention studies. From these methods, the
project derived its main conclusions. In the first study, Siegrist & Li, (2018), speak about how
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researchers used half a dozen longitudinal studies, which followed a set of stress-exposed
workers for months or years. Five of these looked at the link between work and health; one of
them used a cross-sectional design. Such studies give the best evidence because they tell us that,
on average, stress leads to illness. They also give us an idea of how much stress we can tolerate
before we start losing our health.
During the experimental studies, Siegrist & Li, (2018), reviewed how researchers used
quasi-experimental studies that were completed to assess cardiovascular responses to work stress
and to identify any changes in biological markers that might be linked to work stress. Lastly,
Siegrist & Li, (2018), speak about the intervention studies that review the health impacts of
workplace stress reduction strategies were assessed in four intervention studies. These studies
varied in their levels of rigor, with some using randomized control trials and others using less
strictly controlled interventions to test their hypotheses. Overall, the Siegrist & Li, (2018),
studies reviewed how well different treatments improved both mental and physical health,
encompassing diverse intervention types. Not all the work was international in scope, but the
bulk of it was. In sum, this body of research provided an almost breathtaking array of insights
into how working conditions can lead to health problems in the long term. Neither employees nor
workplaces can afford to let it continue unaddressed if they want to safeguard their long-term
well-being and productivity.
Stress Management: Training & Intervention
In the study by Aruldoss et al., (2022), the researchers focus on how work-life balance
(WLB) is important to organizations since it lowers employee’s stress level; therefore, it
improves employee’s productivity and performance. There are four variables that focused on in
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this study: job satisfaction, job commitment, job stress, work environment, and training and
development (Aruldoss et al., 2022). The study focused on building on the proposition that WLB
leads to positive effects, the current study asserts that WLB is also linked to job satisfaction and
commitment and is inversely related to job stress (Aruldoss et al., 2022). Moreover, Aruldoss et
al., (2022), examines how the work environment and training and development initiatives
modulate these relationships. Past research that without WLB, employers had to deal with
consequences of lowered productivity, performance and employee job satisfaction (Aruldoss et
al., 2022). In a New Zealand study by Haar and Brougham, (2020), researchers found that work
demands and job autonomy in organizations are linked to WLB, which is in turn related to job
satisfaction and job commitment.
Another study by Azad et al., (2022), aimed to find out how effective a job stress
management training program is for National Education Development and Support Agency
(NEDSA) and line staff. The quantitative and quasi-experimental research methodology involved
matching participants for age and education then assigning the participants into experimental or
control groups (Azad et al., 2022). First, Azad et al., (2022), had all participants took a pre-test
with the Job Stress Questionnaire. Then, the experimental group underwent a series of stress
management training sessions, while the control group was not given any guidelines at all (Azad
et al., 2022). After the training sessions, Azad et al., (2022), had both groups take a post-test
then a follow-up test was given after two months then imported the recorded data in SPSS-24
software to be analyzed. The results showed that participants who received the job stress
management training had a 67.5 percent decrease in their stress levels after the training, and the
decrease in their stress levels remained at that point for a period of two months (Azad et al.,
2022) .
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Stress Management: Human Resources
In a study by Hameed & Khwaja, (2022), it tries to come up with a framework to show
how human resources management (HRM) practices can lessen the overall work stress of
employees. Hameed & Khwaja, (2022), goes a bit further and attempts to prove that when HRM
practices are seen by employees as kind and caring, those practices are even more effective at
reducing work stress. The study also tries to figure out whether or not the relationship between
these practices and reduced work stress might be better understood through the lens of gratitude
(Hameed & Khwaja, 2022). To begin their research, Hameed & Khwaja, (2022), applied
quantitative methods to thoroughly examine the linkage between benevolent HRM attributions
and gratitude to the employees’ job stress in high-demand industries. Hameed & Khwaja, (2022),
used a survey method to gather the data. The employee stress was then measured using a General
Job Stress (GJS) scale; furthermore, Hameed & Khwaja, (2022), chose this scale since it has
been successfully used by several scholars in the past.
The results from Hameed & Khwaja, (2022), elaborated on how employee gratitude is
formed when employees perceive that their workplace and personnel practices are oriented
toward well-being and support. Furthermore, this research looked at what happened when
employees are grateful for their job and was able to show that under such conditions, employees
would tend to experience lower levels of stress (Hameed & Khwaja, 2022).
Conclusion
The extensive literature review yielded many valuable insights. Employers can select
various stress management techniques, interventions, and training programs. Those who deeply
understand their employees' well-being and put into place the strategies discussed here can truly
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make a difference in the lives of the employees and their organization. Across the board, at all
the companies studied in this review, we see either a statistically or practically significant
reduction in employee stress and an improvement in their well-being and work performance—
sometimes, both. Finally, putting these strategies into place is also the right thing to do from an
ethical perspective.
The literature review I completed deepens our comprehension of the current stress
paradigm by elucidating common themes and factors that generate or contribute to it. I found and
explored a prevalence of chronic health conditions associated with ongoing stress that indicates
its perturbance to the overall health of the employee (Wu et al., 2021). Indeed, the health effects
of workplace stress are well-known, and some characteristics of the employee-benefit system
likely increase the incidence of these effects. It is the consistent finding of all studies that have
followed workers over time that stressful work environments increase susceptible workers' risks
of poor health (Siegrist & Li, 2018). The worksite assessments and interventions described in
this review offer potential pathways to reduce stress and the health problems associated with it.
This information is especially important for Human Resource Development personnel, who,
armed with this knowledge, can begin taking the necessary steps now to produce a healthier,
more effective work environment for their employees.
The wisdom found in the Bible relates with what researchers have uncovered about the
value of controlling stress and maintaining rest. In Matthew 11:28 NIV, it states “Come to me,
all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” This verse carries much weight,
for rest is where relief and support are to be found, not just after all the wearying stuff of life is
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over, but right in the middle of it. This delegation of directives to a stress management group
invites three activities Jesus' audience then struggles to engage: coming, taking, and finding.
The studies reviewed in this Literature Review could benefit from conducting more
research on which kinds of stress management techniques are most effective. Over and above
this, the review also suggests that there is a need for the kind of study that can demonstrate the
long-term effect of stress on the mental health of employees and how that eventually translates
into total costs. Also, the mental health effects and healthcare costs associated with work-related
stress could benefit from related research to give a bigger picture of the usefulness of stress
management interventions. Lastly, if conditions like heart disease and depression are found to
improve after the implementation of stress management in an environment, then it is absolutely
worth considering from the perspective of an administrator of a healthcare system. The insights
align with Proverbs 12:25 NIV, which states “Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word
cheers it up.” This bible verse commands that we should be good stewards of our emotions.
"Anxiety weighs down the heart," says the Proverbs, but we are not to let that happen; we are to
govern our hearts in such a way as not to allow them to be weighed down (Philippians 4:6 NIV).
If we are overly anxious about something, it is wise to seek the counsel of others in the body of
Christ. Jesus commands us to have faith and not to be afraid; faith in Jesus should ward off any
heart-weighing that might lead to a heavy, overburdened, anxiety-filled existence. Therefore, if
we are about to do something that would lead to worry, we should think twice and choose
another path with His guidance and love to lead us.
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References
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Psychology, 53(1). https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/01/special-burnout-stress
Ajayi, S. O., Jones, W., & Unuigbe, M. (2019). Occupational stress management for UK
construction professionals: Understanding the causes and strategies for improvement. Journal of
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Aruldoss, A., Kellyann, B. K., Miranda, L. T., & Parayitam, S. (2022). The relationship between
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https://doi.org/10.1108/JAMR-01-2021-0002
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