Stress audits as a precursor to stress management workshops: An evaluation of the process

• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/hrdq.1053
• Author: Wayne E. Ormond,Janine L. Keown‐Gerrard,Theresa Kline
• Date: 01 March 2003
• Published date: 01 March 2003

FORUM

Stress Audits as a Precursor

to Stress Management

Workshops: An Evaluation

of the Process

Wayne E. Ormond, Janine L. Keown-Gerrard, Theresa Kline

This study describes the stress audit process and how it can be effectively

linked with stress management workshop development and delivery.

Specifically, four stress audits and four workshops based on them were

conducted within an organization. Reactions indicated that the stress audit

is a valuable tool for trainers.

In today’s ever-increasing push to do more with less, employees are reporting

more on-the-job stress than ever before (Cartwright & Cooper, 1997). While

stress management workshops have been one of the tools in many trainers’

portfolios, the general nature and outcome-based approaches of many of the

workshops have left some organizational personnel skeptical regarding stress

management workshop utility. The purpose of this study is to describe a

process that will make stress management workshops better tailored to the spe-

cific needs of attendees. The focus of the workshop exercises used in this study

were on (1) reduction of the potential stressors themselves and (2) individu-

als’ perceptions of potential stressors.

Figure 1 is the stress model that demonstrates how we described the stress

process to our clients. It indicates that potential stressors are subsequently per-

ceived by the individual, and that some may be more stressful to some indi-

viduals than to others. Thus, the response to the potential stressor is

idiosyncratic. Finally, if the potential stressors become stressful to the individ-

ual, then various well-documented outcomes are likely to occur.

The purpose of stress management workshops is to address occupational

stress through interactive exercises in a small group setting. The majority of

coping strategies focus on dealing with the outcomes of stress (such as pro-

viding opportunities to learn relaxation techniques, exercise routines, and

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HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT QUARTERLY, vol. 14, no. 1, Spring 2003

Copyright © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.