Elgar Introduction to Organizational Stress Theories

Elgar Introductions to Management and Organization Theory series

Kimberly E. O’Brien, Department of Psychology, Central Michigan University, US and Professor Sir Cary Cooper, Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, UK

How and why does job stress manifest as negative emotions, disordered thoughts, deleterious behaviors, and physical illness? How can positive outcomes like growth and mastery be encouraged instead? Job stress theories provide insights that guide practical decision making on how to mitigate the negative effects and promote the positive outcomes for organizations and individuals. This book provides a review of empirical research on nearly 100 frameworks and hypotheses regarding job stress, as well as suggestions for the integration and refinement of both popular and overlooked theories.

‘Theory plays a critical role in scientific progress—it provides scholars with a framework for understanding their research findings, and it helps practitioners make sense of real-world problems. This book does an excellent job of introducing readers to the many theoretical perspectives used in the job stress literature.’
– Nathan A. Bowling, Wright State University, US