Профессиональная стрессоустойчивость сотрудников отдела охраны уголовно-исполнительной системы

Abstract

The dominant view of organizational change among employees is the concept that stress and resistance to stress are two independent phenomena, and that they are urgent and natural reactions to organizational change. Our article proposes a model of organizational change that views stress as a mediator between organizational change and resistance to change. According to this model, stress and resistance are not inevitable reactions to organizational change. It is more correct to find out what makes organizational change stressful or sensitive to employee resistance. The assumption is to implement strategies to reduce and resist negative stress and to increase the effectiveness of positive stress and resulting positive health outcomes among employees adapting to emerging change. Correctional officers are potentially exposed to more risk factors in the workplace because they are on a mission of sorts to contribute to public safety by actively helping offenders become law-abiding citizens. Among the main factors having destructive effect on the efficiency of professional activity of an employee of penitentiary system we consider the following to be necessary: lack of material and human resources, conflictogenicity of communication with convicts, feelings of anxiety due to professional activity. As protective factors, it is advisable to note measures of social support in the penitentiary environment, and the development of positive coping-strategies condition the improvement of the level of training of officers. As a result, prolonged work stress can lead to burnout in the workplace and is characterized by feelings of exhaustion, cynicism, detachment, ineffectiveness and lack of personal achievement. Both work stress and emotional burnout combined can lead to a decrease in officers' commitment to the core ideology of the institution and, consequently, a decrease in job performance.