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2 - Impacts of Stress and Well-Being on Organizations and Societies

A Global Perspective

from Part I - Historical Evolution and Continued Relevance of the Study of Organizational Stress and Well-Being

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 February 2023

Laurent M. Lapierre
Affiliation:
University of Ottawa
Sir Cary Cooper
Affiliation:
University of Manchester
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Summary

Worldwide adverse impacts of occupational stressors are timeless concerns to humanity. These impacts not only disrupt mental and health well-being of workers and their families but also impede growth and prosperity of organizations, societies, and nations. In this chapter, we first reviewed to what extent occupational stressors have created burdens on organizations and nations in terms of economic costs (e.g., productivity loss and health care cost) and health outcomes (e.g., morbidity and mortality). After that, we reviewed work-related legislations enacted to address five occupational stressors (i.e., age discrimination, racial discrimination, sex discrimination, sexual harassment, and workplace bullying). To conduct the review, we surveyed these legislations across each continent/ geopolitical region, including Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, the UK, and the US. Finally, we summarized the progress of occupational stress research and offered ways of advancing preventive organizational stress management.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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