Envex Company Limited - Management Competencies and Workplace Stress

The HSE has presented the findings of the second stage of research into the specific management behaviours associated with the effective management of stress at work.
The study looked at:

• the usability of the ‘Management competencies for preventing and reducing stress at work’ framework developed in the initial stage, Phase One
• refining and revising the initial framework
• designing a ‘Stress management competency indicator tool’
• examining the similarities between the framework and indicator tool, and the HSE Management Standards and general management measurement tools.
• Forty seven interviews were held with managers and six stakeholders working within education, finance, local government, central government, healthcare, and one other sector organisation. In addition, 38 workshops were held with stress experts.

A combined quantitative and qualitative approach was used to develop the indicator tool and refine and revise the framework which involved 152 managers and 656 direct reports. Statistical and qualitative evidence was used to devise a revised framework of four competencies and 12 sub-competencies. The final indicator tool contains 66 items.

To compare the revised framework and indicator tool with the HSE Management Standards and 12 existing management/leadership frameworks a literature review and mapping exercise was undertaken.

The report notes that the research provides a further channel for encouraging employers to tackle stress in the workplace and implement the Management Standards, together with mechanisms to help them do so. By clarifying the behaviours needed to manage stress, the refined framework and indicator tool allow the development of interventions to ensure managers can manage employee stress effectively. However, the report also notes there remains a need for the HSE to offer more guidance, in terms of a flexible tool kit, providing training materials, case studies, guidance and sample tools.

For line managers, the key messages are:

• stress management is a part of normal general management activities
• there is no single behaviour needed for effective stress management, so managers need to think about using a complementary set of behaviours.

The full report is available at:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr633.pdf

Related stories:
	Health & Safety Advice on Tap
	Download our brochure
	Asbestos risk management
	Legionella risk assessment