Abstract:
Workplace stressors are understood to be the result of a misfit
between employees and their teams, supervisors, job or the
organisation. However, in speaking to C-level executives in
large companies in Africa, GIBS found that stressors from the
wider environment outside the company are also an important
factor that may negatively influence employees’ positive work
behaviour. Some of the identified stressors include challenges
in the macro-economic environment and responsibilities over
family and intrapersonal issues that result from a collectivist
cultural orientation. Considering all these stressors, the question
is: how do managers employ strategies to minimise the negative
influence of environmental stressors on employees’ positive
work behaviour?
Managers use four response strategies to deal with employees’
stressors that originate in the wider environment. The 4 As of
the strategy include awareness of issues in the environment,
assessment of the costs and benefits of addressing stressors,
allocation of resources to minimise the stress, and adaptation of
the strategies according to the changing environmental factors.
Implementing these strategies can help managers understand
and minimise employees’ stress.
