Work Stress and its Impact on Employees’ Psychological Strain

Siti Nurul Akma Ahmad,Nurul Amyra Mat Isa,Mohamed Saladin Abdul Rasool,Siti Zaleha Abdul Rasid

doi:10.6007/ijarbss/v11-i8/10552

Siti Nurul Akma Ahmad, Nurul Amyra Mat Isa + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v11-i8/10552

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Abstract

Purpose: This paper aimed to determine the predictors of psychological strain and identify the multidimensional measures of psychological strain. Design/methodology: The current study involves a reviewed research articles which were gathered from Scopus and Science Direct databases. A total of 60 articles have been reviewed from the year 2015 to 2021. This study has been classified into work stress and psychological strain components, followed by its definitions and dimensions. Findings: It was observed that work stress affects various dimensions of psychological strain. The findings also reveal manifold work-related stressors, which can be classified into two main themes, which are work characteristics and psychosocial work characteristics. This paper also helps to understand the conceptual knowledge of work stress, psychological strain, and its causes and consequences in the workplace. Practical implications: Stress management workshops can be conducted in the different organizations across sectors on a regular basis which can educate employees about the sources of stress and its harmful consequences on their health and how they can reduce stress effectively. Originality/value: A total of 60 research articles on work-related stress and psychological outcomes are reviewed in this study. Further, the paper is classified based on major work stressors and dimensions of psychological strain in heterogenous occupations.

Highlights

It is well-known that the mismatch between the person and the environment at the workplace has resulted in work stress which in turn leads to psychological strain, where most of the time, the workplace environment demands exceed the person’s ability
Distribution of publications across different countries The research on work stress and psychological strain is being carried out in different countries, and from this review, it can be concluded that half of the studies on the impact of work stress on employees’ psychological strain were conducted in European countries
Contributions and Conclusion The present paper focused on the field of work stress providing the concept and basic understanding of work stress through the literature review

Summary

Introduction

It is well-known that the mismatch between the person and the environment at the workplace has resulted in work stress which in turn leads to psychological strain, where most of the time, the workplace environment demands exceed the person’s ability. Work-related stress contributed to the escalating cost that ranged from $ 221.3 million to an increase of $ 187 billion (Hassard et al, 2017). It is becoming the leading concern of employers as employees’ health is closely related to their productivity, organizational success, and enhancing the organization's economy (Health and Productivity, 2017; Benedict & Arterburn, 2008; Black, 2008). This working group may expose to the risk of psychosocial factors and work-related stress, which its adverse effects on the health and well-being of employees are less significantly highlighted (Siegrist, 2015).

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Conclusion