In its most extreme form, workplace stress can lead to workplace violence; most employees never reach that point, however. There is considerable research available on the causes and effects of workplace stress on employees in general, but this research considers the causes and effects of stress on managers in particular, and whether managers (and their employers) should be addressing managerial stress differently than other forms of workplace stress in order to manage stress more effectively for managers.
The problem is not whether managers suffer from stress, but whether the types of stress they endure differ from the stress of nonmanagement employees. If all employees (managers and nonmanagers alike) are subject to the same stresses in the workplace, then the tactics used to help alleviate stress for nonmanagement employees could be used to assist managers, as well. However, if the types of stress are different, or if there are stresses which the two groups do not share, then managers will need to approach their stress differently from nonmanagement workers if they are to be successful in working within a stressful environment.
Various Perspectives on Managerial Stress
There is general agreement among analysts that employees of all types suffer from workplace stress (Alexander, 1997, p. 65). These stresses can come from interpersonal relationships, relationships with the boss, and trying to balance the demands of work with the other facets of the employee's life (such as home and family). Much of the research done on workplace stress focuses on these stresses and helping employees overcome them without separating managers out from other types of employees. For these analysts, the stressors and the responses to those stressors are the same regardless of whether an employee is in a management position.
Another perspective, however, holds that managers are subject to different stressors in addition to those that af...