Darbo tikslas: identifikuoti apgyvendinimo sektoriaus kontaktinių darbuotojų stresorius, bei streso valdymo priemonių veiksmingumą. Darbo uţdaviniai: 1. Išanalizuoti streso darbe atsiradimą ir valdymą. 2. Atskleisti apgyvendinimo sektoriaus kontaktinių darbuotojų stresinės veiklos aplinką. 3. Identifikuoti apgyvendinimo sektoriaus kontaktinių darbuotojų stresorius. 4. Išsiaiškinti apgyvendinimo sektoriuje naudojamų streso valdymo priemonių veiksmingumą kontaktiniams darbuotojams. Tiriamasis klausimas: Kokie stresoriai kelia stresą Kauno miesto viešbučių kontaktiniams darbuotojams ir kokios streso darbe valdymo priemonės vertinamos veiksmingiausiomis? Svarbiausi rezultatai ir išvados: Apgyvendinimo sektoriaus kontaktinių darbuotojų veikla pasiţymi didele streso susidarymo tikimybe, nes atliekamas stipraus emocinio pasiruošimo reikalaujantis darbas, atsakoma už labiausiai nenusakomą verslo elementą – klientą ir neretai keli darbai atliekami vienu metu. Empirinio tyrimo rezultatai atskleidė, jog apgyvendinimo sektoriaus kontaktiniams darbuotojams labiausiai stresą sukelia darbo kontrolė, atsakomybė už kitus darbuotojus, vaidmens neapibrėžtumas, darbo sąlygos bei darbo krūvis. Veiksmingiausiomis streso valdymo priemonėmis vertinta socialinė vadovų ir kolegų parama, tinkama komunikacija, darbuotojo žinių, įgūdžių atitikimas darbo vietos reikalavimams, įtraukimas į sprendimų priėmimą ir karjeros valdymas. / Purpose: to identify stressors of frontline employees in hospitality industry and effectiveness of stress management interventions. Objectives: 1. To analyse the occurence of work-related stress and its management 2. To reveal how stressful the frontline employees„ activities in hospitality industry are 3. To identify the stressors of frontline employees in hospitality industry 4. To find out the effectiveness of organisational stress management interventions. The research issues: Which stressors cause stress for hotel front-line employees in Kaunas and which stress management interventions are valuated as the most effective? Findings: The environment of frontline employees in hospitality industry characterizes with a high probability of the formation of stress, as the work requires strong emotional preparedness, responsibility for the most indescribable element of business - the client, and ability to carry out few works at once. Empirical results of the study revealed that the stress of frontine hotel employees is caused by job control, responsibility for other workers, the uncertainty of role, working conditions and workload. The most effective stress management interventions were rated as social support from colleagues and managers, adequate communication, employee knowledge, skills, matching job requirements, participation in decision-making and career management.

The purpose of this project was to interview mothers of newborns who participated in early intervention services focusing on the implementation of a tool developed at the Family, Infant and Preschool Program (FIPP) in North Carolina. The intent was to examine the experience of mothers and home visitors employing the tool, which was designed to enhance the mother/infant relationship. However, a stronger focus on the relationship between mother and home visitor emerged throughout the interviews. Among some participants the relationship among practitioner and parent appeared to create a safe space to share, practice strategies and grow. Although characteristics of FIPP practices associated with the tool remained consistent among home visitors, the way in which services were implemented were unique to each home visitor and parent. Mothers participating in the project were identified as coping with numerous life stressors associated with poverty at the time of the interviews.

Studiens formål: Hensikten med studien var å sammenligne hvordan barneverntjenesten i en dansk og en norsk kommune arbeider når det gjelder å ta beslutninger, hvilke stressfaktorer som forekommer og hvilke mestringsstrategier som benyttes. Metode: Det ble holdt to fokusgruppeintervjuver, et i den danske kommunen og et i den norske. Erfarne barnevernarbeidere deltok. Begge fokusgruppeintervjuvene ble transkribert og analyert ved hjelp av innholdsanalyse. Resultat: Studien viser at barneverntjenesten i den norske kommunen har mindre formalisert samarbeid med andre kommunale tjenester, oftere tar gruppebaserte beslutninger og baserer seg mer på kolleger sammenlignet med barneverntjenesten i den danske kommunen. Barneverntjenesten i den danske kommunen har strukturert og formalisert samarbeid med andre kommunale tjenester, og baserer seg mindre på internt samarbeid sammenlignet med barneverntjenesten i den norske kommunen. Stressfaktorer i begge barneverntjenester er 1) mangel på gode resultater og 2) at det er vanskelig å vurdere den foreliggende informasjon om et barn med behov for tiltak fra barnverntjenesten. Mangel på gode resultater er stressfaktor i begge land og barnevernarbeidere i begge kommuner finner barneverntjenesten det vanskelig å ta den riktige beslutningen vedr. et konkret barn. Viktige mestringsstrategier i beslutningsprosessen i begge kommuner er støtte fra kolleger og støtte fra ledelsen. Konklusjon: Den danske barneverntjenesten har formeldt samarbeid med andre kommunale tjenester. Beslutningene baserer seg på egne vurderinger og vurderinger fra andre kommunale tjenester. Barneverntjenesten i Norge baserer seg i større grad på egene vurderinger. For begge barneverntjenester er det utfordrende å ta den riktige beslutningen for et konkret barn som har behov for hjelp. Begge tjenester søker støtte hos kolleger og ledelse. / Aim: This study aimed to compare the practice of the child protection services in a Danish and a Norwegian municipality. We sought to increase understanding about (i) the decision making processes of child protection services, (ii) the stressors encountered by child protection workers, and (iii) the coping mechanisms such workers use.Methodology: Child protection workers with 10 or more years of work experience participated in two focus group discussions, one held in a Norwegian municipality with four participants and the other in a Danish municipality with three participants. Discussion transcriptions were analysed using quality content analysis.Results: The data showed that the child protection service in Norway used only limited collaboration with other municipal services. Moreover, Norwegian child protection workers were more likely to rely on their colleagues and make group decisions. In contrast, the child protection service in the Danish municipality collaborated structurally and sustainably with other municipality services. Both groups experienced stress when they (i) were unable to achieve good outcomes and (ii) could not easily assess the situation and available information for a child in need. Child protection workers in both municipalities reported difficulty in making appropriate decisions regarding children. Important coping strategies for workers during the decision-making process involved support from colleagues and management.Conclusion: The decision-making process of Danish child protection workers relies on both individual assessments and collaboration with other municipal services. Conversely, Norwegian child protection workers are more self-reliant. Both services struggle to make appropriate decisions regarding the care of children in need, and all workers seek support from colleagues and management. / <p>ISBN 978-91-86739-15-7</p>

Bakgrund: Sjuksköterskan har en central roll i omvårdnadsarbetet inom hälso- och sjukvården och är skyldig att ge god och kvalitetssäker omvårdnad. Stress är ett sätt förmänniskan att öka sin beredskap för att hantera krävande situationer, men vid långvarig stress sker en negativ påverkan på individen. Sjuksköterskor är bland de mest stressade yrkesgrupperna i Sverige och stressen kan i sin tur ha inverkan på sjuksköterskans omvårdnadsarbete. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka sjuksköterskors erfarenheter av stress i arbetslivet. Metod: Denna studie är en deskriptiv litteraturstudie. Sökningar gjordes i databaserna PubMed och PsycINFO. Artikelgranskning gjordes genom modifierad granskningsmall medpoängsystem. Femton artiklar inkluderades och 7 exkluderades. Nyckelord identifierades och sammanställdes i kategorier och kategorier. Resultat: Sjuksköterskor var en stressad yrkesgrupp och stress påverkade omvårdnadsarbetet och vårdkvaliteten negativt. Faktorer som upplevdes som stressande var arbetsmiljöfaktorer, etisk stress, engagemang och motivation, arbetserfarenhet och utbildning, arbetstillfredsställelse, krav, kontroll och belöning. Slutsats: En stressad sjuksköterska är varken förenligt med god och kvalitetssäkeromvårdnad, eller med svensk lagstiftning. Genom att förbättra förutsättningarna och förhållandet för sjuksköterskan kan förhållandet för patienten förbättras. / Background: Nurses have a central role in the nursing care context within the healthcare system and is required to provide nursing care of good quality. Stress is a way for the human beings to increase their preparedness to deal with demanding situations, but stress during a prolonged period of time has a negative impact on the individual. Nurses are among the most stressed out professionals in Sweden and stress may in turn have an impact on the nursing care. Aim: The aim of this study was to examine nurses’ experiences of stress in the workplace. Methods: The present study is a descriptive literature review. The searches were preformed in the databases PubMed and PsycINFO. Quality appraisal was done with a modified template with a scoring system. Fifteen articles were included and 7 articles were excluded. Keywords were identified and compiled into themes and categories. Results: Nurses were exposed to a lot of stress which negatively affected the nursing care and the quality of care. Stress was affected by stressors such as working environment, ethical stress, engagement and motivation, working experience and education, job satisfaction, demand, control and reward. Conclusion: A nurse that is stressed out is neither compatible with care of good quality nor with the Swedish law. By improving the working conditions for nurses the conditions for the patient may be improved.

Across the world, job insecurity plays a critical role in organisations. This insecurity affects not only the individual, but also the organisation. In South Africa, the Employment Equity Act (No. 55 of 1998), and the Broad-Based Socio-Economic Empowerment Charter for the South African Mining Industry (Mining Charter), brought changes to the mining industry policies and decision-making process in terms of selection and recruitment, which could in turn lead to feelings of job insecurity. Other factors such as the availability of gold left to be mined, restructuring and strikes increase work-related stress. The objectives of this study were to investigate the role of job insecurity in predicting health related behaviours, and to determine whether coping moderates the effect of job insecurity on health behaviours for a group of managers in a South African gold mining company. A cross-sectional design was used. The study population (n = 206) consisted of managers in a gold mining company in South Africa The Job Insecurity Scale, Cybernetic Coping Scale and Health Complaints Questionnaire were used as measuring instruments. Descriptive statistics (e.g. means, standard deviations and kurtosis) were used to analyse the data. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to test for the hypothesized moderating effect of coping on the relation between job insecurity and health-related behaviours. The results of the regression analyses showed that qualitative job insecurity was a significant predictor of health complaints. Qualitative job insecurity was also a significant predictor of health complaints in employees who smoked cigarettes and drank alcohol, and exercised at least once a week. Quantitative job insecurity did not play a role in predicting health-related behaviour. Coping did not moderate the effects of job insecurity for employees with health complaints. Rather, it is suggested that using negative coping behaviours may actually contribute to health complaints. Recommendations for future research are made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

By developing strong, self-sustaining individuals in organisations, employees will need to withstand the forces of stressors and be able to cope with continuous changes within their working environment. To move the equilibrium level from the current to the desired condition, the field of forces must be altered - by adding driving forces and by removing restraining forces. An individual's sense of coherence may either alleviate or aggravate reactions to a stressor and moderate the impact of occupational stressors on the individual's affective outcomes. The objectives of this study were to validate the 13-item version of the Orientation to Life Questionnaire (OLQ) (Antonovsky, 1987) and to determine the experience of employees with high levels of sense of coherence regarding helping and restraining factors within the workplace (compared to that of those with a low sense of coherence). A cross-sectional s w e y design was used. The total population (N = 2 678) of employees in a financial institution in Gauteng was used in this study. Random samples of groups with a strong (n = 300) and low (n = 300) sense of coherence were taken for purposes of the qualitative study. The OLQ (Antonovsky, 1987) and a biographical questionnaire were administered. The scale showed acceptable reliability and construct validity. The study set out to determine the applicability of the theoretical model of sense of coherence to employees in a financial institution. Reliability analysis revealed that the three subscales of sense of coherence were sufficiently internally consistent. The reliability of the measuring instrument were assessed with the use of Cronbach alpha coefficients. Descriptive statistics (e.g. mean and standard deviations) were used to analyse the data. By using the structural equation modelling approach, a one-dimensional factor structure for sense of coherence amongst employees in a financial institution emerged. The reliability analysis revealed that the alpha scores were acceptable. It can therefore be concluded that the 13-item version of the OLQ is a reliable and valid measuring instrument. The results showed that although employee groups with high and low levels of sense of coherence are experiencing similar helping and restraining factors within their working environment, helping factors are being experienced with a higher frequency by groups with high levels of sense of coherence and restraining factors with a higher frequency by groups with low levels of sense of coherence. Recommendations were made for future research. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007

This study focuses on stress management of educators, and specifically in the KwaZulu–Natal geographical region. The study consists of four focus areas (which are presented in article format), namely: * The first article identifies the role–players and their functions in delivering quality education to all South Africans. The article identifies the role–players from literature research and discusses their influences on the South African educational environment. A biographical profile of the educators of the KwaZulu–Natal area is compiled in the article by means of empirical research. * The second article employs both theoretical and empirical research to focus on the causes of stress to educators in public schools. In addition to identifying the causes of stress, the article also determines how stress impacts on the work performance of educators in KwaZulu–Natal. * The third article reports on management and leadership qualities of a school, and how guidance can assist in the transformation process. The study further examines the effects of a principal's leadership behaviour on the school's learning culture in KwaZulu–Natal. * This final article is a comparative study. It provides an overview of similarly focussed studies by Jackson (2004), Jackson and Rothman (2006) and Van Wyk (2006) with regard to the causes of stress among educators (but in different application settings namely the North West and Free State provinces). The focus in the final article is to determine if the stressors and its influences in education are generic throughout South Africa, or localised to KwaZulu–Natal. The research design consisted of selecting four districts randomly from the twelve in KwaZulu–Natal. From these districts, a total of 1 500 participants were randomly selected from the total population of 2 123 educators in the four districts. This amounted to a sample of 70.6% of the population). A total of 358 respondents completed the questionnaires resulting in a response rate of 23.3%. The study employed the statistical software programme SPSS 17.0 for Windows to analyse the data. A number of quantitative statistical techniques befitting the doctoral level of research were used to analyse the data. These techniques are: * Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy; * Bartlett's test of sphericity; * Exploratory factor analysis; * Cronbach Alpha's reliability coefficient; and * Pearson's correlation coefficient. The major findings of the study were that: * Three major role–players are identified in the first article, namely the educators, the Department of Education and the learners. To effectively facilitate quality education, management is a crucial component, whilst these role–players are also influenced by the macro environment. * The second article identified causes of stress. These causes account for a favourable 71.6% of the variance explained, and are: organisational support, overload, remuneration, control, job insecurity, job opportunities and growth opportunities. * The third article identified seven factors of importance in management and leadership. These factors explained a favourable 78.6% variance and are: Management and leadership styles, financial security, management and leadership fairness, stressors, empowerment, job security and sense of control over the work environment. * In the final article it is clear that the stressors are generic to South Africa. The majority of stressors have been identified by studies in the Free State, North West and in this study in KwaZulu–Natal. These stressors are organisational support, overload, growth opportunities / task characteristics, rewards and remuneration, and job insecurity. The ultimate recommendation of the study is because stress impacts negatively on the educators and their performance, a national strategy is partly required to improve educator stress as there are a number of common stressors in the three separate studies. Yet, further research is needed to substantiate the prevalence of these factors in all the provinces. A provincial approach is recommended for province specific stressors, while the national strategy could address the common stressors in conjunction with a provincial stress relieve programme. The study culminates in a final perceptual map of stressors, it causes and educator management that could handsomely assist in the drafting of such a national stress strategy for educators. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Business Management))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

This study focuses on stress management of educators, and specifically in the KwaZulu–Natal geographical region. The study consists of four focus areas (which are presented in article format), namely: * The first article identifies the role–players and their functions in delivering quality education to all South Africans. The article identifies the role–players from literature research and discusses their influences on the South African educational environment. A biographical profile of the educators of the KwaZulu–Natal area is compiled in the article by means of empirical research. * The second article employs both theoretical and empirical research to focus on the causes of stress to educators in public schools. In addition to identifying the causes of stress, the article also determines how stress impacts on the work performance of educators in KwaZulu–Natal. * The third article reports on management and leadership qualities of a school, and how guidance can assist in the transformation process. The study further examines the effects of a principal's leadership behaviour on the school's learning culture in KwaZulu–Natal. * This final article is a comparative study. It provides an overview of similarly focussed studies by Jackson (2004), Jackson and Rothman (2006) and Van Wyk (2006) with regard to the causes of stress among educators (but in different application settings namely the North West and Free State provinces). The focus in the final article is to determine if the stressors and its influences in education are generic throughout South Africa, or localised to KwaZulu–Natal. The research design consisted of selecting four districts randomly from the twelve in KwaZulu–Natal. From these districts, a total of 1 500 participants were randomly selected from the total population of 2 123 educators in the four districts. This amounted to a sample of 70.6% of the population). A total of 358 respondents completed the questionnaires resulting in a response rate of 23.3%. The study employed the statistical software programme SPSS 17.0 for Windows to analyse the data. A number of quantitative statistical techniques befitting the doctoral level of research were used to analyse the data. These techniques are: * Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy; * Bartlett's test of sphericity; * Exploratory factor analysis; * Cronbach Alpha's reliability coefficient; and * Pearson's correlation coefficient. The major findings of the study were that: * Three major role–players are identified in the first article, namely the educators, the Department of Education and the learners. To effectively facilitate quality education, management is a crucial component, whilst these role–players are also influenced by the macro environment. * The second article identified causes of stress. These causes account for a favourable 71.6% of the variance explained, and are: organisational support, overload, remuneration, control, job insecurity, job opportunities and growth opportunities. * The third article identified seven factors of importance in management and leadership. These factors explained a favourable 78.6% variance and are: Management and leadership styles, financial security, management and leadership fairness, stressors, empowerment, job security and sense of control over the work environment. * In the final article it is clear that the stressors are generic to South Africa. The majority of stressors have been identified by studies in the Free State, North West and in this study in KwaZulu–Natal. These stressors are organisational support, overload, growth opportunities / task characteristics, rewards and remuneration, and job insecurity. The ultimate recommendation of the study is because stress impacts negatively on the educators and their performance, a national strategy is partly required to improve educator stress as there are a number of common stressors in the three separate studies. Yet, further research is needed to substantiate the prevalence of these factors in all the provinces. A provincial approach is recommended for province specific stressors, while the national strategy could address the common stressors in conjunction with a provincial stress relieve programme. The study culminates in a final perceptual map of stressors, it causes and educator management that could handsomely assist in the drafting of such a national stress strategy for educators. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Business Management))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

A Holocene lake sediment record spanning 7300 years from Wishart Lake, in the Turkey Lakes Watershed central Ontario, was produced to determine the main drivers of long-term change in the lake ecosystem. The mid-Holocene sediments are dominated by benthic diatoms, around 4000 yrs BP, diatoms in the genera Cyclotella and Tabellaria increase. Comparisons with nearby pollen records show that changes in local vegetation and diatom assemblages occurred synchronously, suggesting a response to nutrient changes caused by vegetation succession. The most recent sediments, dated using activity of 210Pb and the Ambrosia pollen rise, show increases in planktonic Cyclotella spp., particularly around the Ambrosia rise (1880 AD). Thus, the diatom changes in the recent sediments suggest a response to multiple stressors. However, due to some buffering capacity in watershed soil, recent acidification of the lake has not taken place despite nearby industrial air pollution, tracked since 1980 by an on-site monitoring program.

A Holocene lake sediment record spanning 7300 years from Wishart Lake, in the Turkey Lakes Watershed central Ontario, was produced to determine the main drivers of long-term change in the lake ecosystem. The mid-Holocene sediments are dominated by benthic diatoms, around 4000 yrs BP, diatoms in the genera Cyclotella and Tabellaria increase. Comparisons with nearby pollen records show that changes in local vegetation and diatom assemblages occurred synchronously, suggesting a response to nutrient changes caused by vegetation succession. The most recent sediments, dated using activity of 210Pb and the Ambrosia pollen rise, show increases in planktonic Cyclotella spp., particularly around the Ambrosia rise (1880 AD). Thus, the diatom changes in the recent sediments suggest a response to multiple stressors. However, due to some buffering capacity in watershed soil, recent acidification of the lake has not taken place despite nearby industrial air pollution, tracked since 1980 by an on-site monitoring program.