ABSTRACT
This chapter deals primarily with worker stress and burnout: the stress that occurs at work and affects work behavior. A common misconception is that all stress is bad. But, a little bit of stress can be motivating and challenging. Yet it is the negative type of stress that gets most of the attention. Some stressors can be alleviated by organizational changes and are, therefore, under the control of management, whereas others must be addressed by the individual worker. In addition, some of the techniques for dealing with stress in the workplace are not so much stress-reduction techniques as they are simply good management and human resource practices. Social scientists have had a great deal of difficulty in precisely defining and measuring stress. Topics in this chapter include: definitions of stress, the measurement of stress, sources of stress, workplace mistreatment (harassment, sexual harassment, bullying), resistance to stress (hardiness, Type A behavior pattern, self-efficacy), and the effects of stress on workers. Strategies for coping with stress are discussed, as well as the concept of burnout and how it can affect workers. Finally, alcohol and drug abuse is discussed in the context of reactions to work stress.
