In all areas of life we are surrounded today by stress, which is why people feel constantly stressed. Especially at work we are tending more and more to be stressed because of deadlines, hectic, constant accessibility and modern communication. Stress at work affects not only the health and quality of life of individuals but also harms businesses and the entire economy. The medical costs for mental diseases have been increased dramatically in the last five years.
There are various models such as the “Stress and Strain-Modell” from Rohmert and Rutenfranz, the “Job-Demand-Control-Model” from Karasek or the “Transactional Stress Model” from Lazarus & Folkman, all trying to explain what is stress and how it can be combated. What all models have in common is the fact that is always assumed an imbalance between requirements and available resources to cope the situation. As already mentioned occupational stress is the largest stress factor in Germany. The reason for this is certainly the changing world of work and the variety of stressors that lurk at work for us. These can be divided into different groups. Typically a stressor does not occur by itself but in combination with other stressors at the same time. What a person can handle depends on the duration, intensity and number of stressors and other occupational exposures.
Basically there exist two different approaches to reduce workrelated stress. On the one hand there is the structural prevention that focuses on the improvement of qualification factors, work organizational factors, social factors, technical and ergonomic factors and on the other hand there is the behavioral prevention that is concentrating on the improvement of coping skills of employees. Important is to consider and address the phenomenon of stress holistically. The company Deutsche Bahn AG has recognized the signs of the times early and offers a bunch of different tools to protect their employees from stress. In the future stress will become more and more common and the public will pay more attention to this topic because the number of mental diseases will continue to rise. Therefore there has to be a focus on occupational health and safety. In the light of demographic change, it is more important to counteract growing absenteeism and early retirement. Stress, however, can never be completely avoided so the topic of occupational stress will be at the top of the political and companies’ agenda.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Objectives
3 Methodology
4 Stress fundaments
4.1 Terms and models
4.2 Stress as risk and opportunity
4.3 Stress symptoms
5 Occupational stress
5.1 Potential stressor at work
5.2 Stress management at work
5.2.1 Structural prevention
5.2.1.1 Qualification factors
5.2.1.2 Work organizational factors
5.2.1.3 Social factors
5.2.1.4 Technical and ergonomic factors
5.2.2 Behavioral prevention
6 Case study DB AG
7 Conclusion
8 Outlook
Objectives and Topics
This work explores the mechanisms of occupational stress and identifies strategic approaches to mitigate its negative effects on employees and businesses, specifically examining practical implementations within the Deutsche Bahn AG.
- The theoretical foundations and psychological models of stress.
- Identification of common stressors within the modern work environment.
- Differentiation between structural and behavioral stress prevention.
- Case study analysis of corporate health management at Deutsche Bahn AG.
Excerpt from the Book
4.1 Terms and models
General stress is the result of an imbalance between external demands and the available resources to deal with it. It follows that we always get stressed once there is more required than we can actually afford. But not only excessive demand leads to stress the same applies to monotony. Stress is triggered always by external and internal stimuli so called stressors.4
There are various definitions and models that try to explain what stress is, how stress is created and how it can be overcome. All models have strengths and weaknesses, but none is all-encompassing. The best known and most frequently used are:
1. Stress and Strain-Modell (Rohmert & Rutenfranz, 1975)
2. Job-Demand-Control-Model, (JDC Karasek, 1979)
3. Transactional Stress Model (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984)
In the German Work Science is the Stress and Strain-Modell the most widespread concept. The illustration in Figure 1 "Mechanical model of stress and strain" shows the relationship between personal characteristics and the individual loads. Therefore mental stress is the sum of all external influences that lie ahead for the people and affect them mentally. The mental stress is the individual effect of the stress in humans. The stress depends on its individual circumstances and his condition. Since stress is processed differently by the people, same loads can lead to different stress in different people. This model offers basically two ways to reduce the psychological stress: You can reduce the external loads or increase the ability of people to resist these pressures and thereby to feel less stress.5
Chapter Summary
1 Introduction: Provides an overview of the increasing relevance of stress in professional life and highlights the economic impact of stress-related illnesses.
2 Objectives: Outlines the goal of the assignment to analyze stress causes and management strategies with a focus on Deutsche Bahn AG.
3 Methodology: Explains that the work is based on an extensive analysis of secondary data and literature.
4 Stress fundaments: Introduces core definitions and classical stress models like the Job-Demand-Control-Model.
5 Occupational stress: Details specific workplace stressors and categorizes prevention into structural and behavioral measures.
6 Case study DB AG: Examines the practical stress management and employee support services provided by Deutsche Bahn.
7 Conclusion: Summarizes the findings regarding the link between work and health and emphasizes the need for holistic management.
8 Outlook: Assesses the future importance of occupational health and safety in the face of demographic change.
Keywords
Occupational stress, Stress prevention, Behavioral prevention, Structural prevention, Job-Demand-Control-Model, Transactional stress model, Work-life balance, Employee health, Mental illness, Absenteeism, Deutsche Bahn, Stress management, Workplace design, Human resource management, Coping strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
The work investigates the causes of occupational stress and evaluates various strategies to mitigate these stressors within professional environments.
Which theoretical models are central to the analysis?
The text relies on established concepts such as the Stress and Strain-Modell, the Job-Demand-Control-Model, and the Transactional Stress Model.
What is the main goal of the research?
The goal is to provide fundamental knowledge on stress management and demonstrate effective corporate practices for protecting employee health.
Which methodology is applied?
The assignment is based exclusively on secondary research, combining existing academic literature and external sources.
What does the main body of the text cover?
It covers the definition of stress, its physiological and psychological symptoms, and distinguishes between structural and behavioral prevention techniques.
Which keywords characterize this paper?
Key terms include Occupational stress, Stress prevention, Behavioral prevention, Structural prevention, and Corporate health management.
How does the company Deutsche Bahn AG address occupational stress?
Deutsche Bahn utilizes a specialized consulting team called "MUT", offers health-focused programs like "StressFrei Training", and implements collective bargaining agreements to improve working conditions.
What is the difference between structural and behavioral prevention?
Structural prevention focuses on optimizing the work environment and organizational factors, while behavioral prevention aims to enhance the individual coping skills of employees.
- Quote paper
- Martin Pruschkowski (Author), 2014, How to Avoid Occupational Stress at Work, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/432955
