ABSTRACT
This chapter begins by arguing that work stress research has reached a tipping point. The turbulence of the changes we are facing are a powerful reminder for researchers to not just ask where our theories are taking us, but how well they express the realities of working lives. We argue that this creates a moral responsibility to those whose working lives we study. Our argument is that we need to focus on the ‘values’ side of our discipline and in such a dynamically changing world focus our attention in a way that ensures our work captures the realities of contemporary working life and its consequences for individual health and well-being. We extend this argument by suggesting that we need to acknowledge the fundamental importance of the concept of relevancy and through the tools of refinement, meaning and context argue how work stress research is well placed to meet the challenges of the tipping point it faces. We point to four themes emerging from the research that challenge us to articulate the realities of contemporary working lives. These include the distinction between work and jobs, the integration of cyberpsychology into our work, the explanatory potential of meaning/context and the nature of well-being. Building on these themes sets a context and provides a platform that allows us, in this chapter to detail possible potential future directions for work stress research. We owe this not just to our discipline, but to future generations who will be those who become the recipients of these working lives.
