Occupational stress and related demographic factors among employees of a multi-national automobile organisation

Abstract

The workplace has been identified as a key health-promoting setting worldwide with corporate strategies and interventions directed at enhancing employees’ health and well-being. This study investigated the level, sources and individual differences (biographic and demographic) of occupational stress among 403 employees (males: n=237; females: n=166) of a multi-national automobile organisation in South Africa. Based on a cross-sectional research design and validated questionnaire the results indicated deadlines, time pressure, and work overload as the most cited stressors. Nearly half of the participants mentioned poor communication across the organisation, lack of promotion opportunities, and shortage of staff as a high source of stress, followed by poor coordination between departments and long working hours. Education level and work experience showed statistically significant differences concerning total stress and sources of stress. The results provide the foundation for further empirical research into occupational stress, and could potentially lead to the development of measures, training interventions, organisational structures, and work processes to manage stress in the workplace effectively and increase productivity. This study contributes to the health care theory and practice by identifying factors contributing to employees’ occupational stress and examining the association between occupational stress and demographic variables.