ABSTRACT
Stress is a topic that has received considerable attention in recent years, in
large part due to the major changes that have taken in place in the modern
workplace. The emphasis on downsizing, “flat” structures, the move toward fewer
permanent posts, and more short-term contracts has made the world of work
a much more insecure one. The tendency for technology to replace many work
roles (and thus jobs) has been part of this, as have changes in philosophical
approaches to work, such as business process reengineering in the private
sector (Micklethwait & Wooldridge, 1997; Stewart, 2009) and managerialism in
the public sector (Thompson, 2009a). The combination of these factors has
produced the potential for much higher levels of workplace stress than was
previously the case.
