This study will examine the effects of a stress management intervention program for managerial personnel in private sector organizations in the Republic of China, hereinafter referred to as Taiwan. Prior to stating the problem investigated in this study, the significance of stress in the organizational environment is established (the phenomenon of stress is examined in greater detail in the literature review), and background information on Taiwan and its economy is provided, as a means of explaining how the country's economic development often creates stressful situations for many of the country's business managers.
The Significance of Stress in theOrganizational Environment The phenomenon of stress is defined as "a state of tension, strain, or pressure" (Selye, 1974, p. 312). Stress is a "normal reaction resulting from the interaction between an individual and the environment" (Selye, 1974, p. 312). Reactions to stress may produce either positive or negative results, depending upon the causes of the stress, other factors present in an environment, and characteristics of affected individuals.
The phenomenon of stress is recognized as a major contributor to the onset of significant physical and mental health problems in the lives of individuals (Maes, Vingerhoets, and Heck, 1987, pp. 567 587; Hinkle, 1987, pp. 561 566). Since the late 1970s, stress has also been increasingly implicated as an adverse factor in areas of life other than physical and mental health (Naylor, Pritchard, and Ilgen, 1990, p. 42). In the
organizational environment, as an example, stress has been implicated in the deterioration of individual performance efficiency, which in turn, affects the overall performance of the organization (Gaines and Jerimer, 1983, pp. 44 53), and the phenomenon has been linked to high personnel turnover (Bowers, 1983, pp. 5 19). Negative stress has been linked to impaired productivity among all employee groups (Fr...