Intensified foreign competition, fuel economy require ments, environmental protection considerations, and other fac tors combined in the 1970s and 1980s to place domestic automo bile manufacturers in the United States in a struggle for sur vival with foreign competitors. Declining sales and profits, plant closings, lay offs, the introduction of new systems of management, and the introduction of new technologies have com bined to create dynamic, if not chaotic, organizational environments at Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors.
The situation, as it has developed, has often pitted man agement against labor, and has increased stress levels for organizational managers. Increased stress is particularly significant at the organizational level of the first level supervisor, because it is at this point that the greatest potential exists for (1) an aggravation of management labor conflict, and (2) the easing of such conflicts.
This study proceeded on assumptions that effective stress management at the first level supervisor level will lead to improved management labor relations, and that, such improved relations will enable automobile manufacturers to become
stronger competitors. Within the context of these assumptions, it was hypothesized that (1) the occupational stress experi enced by first level supervisors in the automobile manufactur ing industry is more context related than task related, and (2) the adverse consequences of such stress may be best countered through (a) reduced isolation, and (b) improved role defini tion.
Although high levels of organizational stress are present for all employee groups from the Chief Executive Officer to the assembly line worker in contemporary organizational environments in American automobile manufacturing, the stress burden is particularly onerous for first level supervisors. These individuals are at the organizational cutting edge where the dramatic changes in the industry mu...