Organizational Stress – To fear or to manage?
Authors: Jane Cranwell-Ward and Alyssa Abbey
Price: £25
Pages: 274 (hardback)
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
ISBN: 1-4039-4501-2
This study of stress in organisations provides management with in-depth research, calculated recommendations and risk-assessed solutions. For those who consider stress to be the 21st century ‘licence to threat’, this easy-to-read book will give managers the confidence to approach stress management effectively and benefit all concerned.
Those who are more aware of stress and the related case law will be grateful for this one-stop book, until additional decisions and clarifications arrive to change approaches, procedures and advice.
The key to the book is that it puts the stress ‘threat’ into perspective. It shows the reader reality and debunks phobias and ill-informed diagnoses. The legal perspective, together with the practical guidelines from the Health and Safety Executive, enables management and staff to assess job and employee effectively, and identify appropriate action.
The book comprehensively details what stress is and why organisations need to take effective action to manage it. Like all risk assessments, the burden of the task is deemed far worse than the reward. Organisations that effectively manage stress will reduce sickness absence, motivate their employees, improve performance and effectively defend civil and criminal law challenges.
The authors have produced an easy-to-read and use stress ‘bible’ that most managers would value. The fear factor will certainly ease knowing that the advice is qualified and in accordance with enforcer guidelines.
Useful? 4 out of 5 stars
Well-written? 3 stars
Practical? 4 stars
Inspirational? 4 stars
Value for money? 3 stars
Overall 4 stars
Reviewed by Peter Bailey, deputy head of HR, Vertex Human Resources for Thurrock Council
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