The organizational stress measure: an integrated methodology for assessing job-stress and targeting organizational interventions

This paper briefly describes the OSM (Organizational Stress Measure) which was developed over a decade ago and has evolved to become a well-established practical method not only for assessing wellbeing at work but also as a cost-effective strategy to tackle workplace stress. The OSM measures perceived organizational pressures and felt individual strains within the same instrument, and provides a rich and subtle picture of both the organizational culture and the personal perspectives of the constituent staff groups. There are many types of organizational pressure that may impact upon the wellbeing and potential effectiveness of staff including skill shortages, ineffective strategic planning and poor leadership, and these frequently result in reduced performance, absenteeism, high turnover and poor staff morale. These pressures may increase the probability of some staff reacting negatively and research with the OSM has shown that increased levels of strain for small clusters of staff may be a leading indicator of future organizational problems. One of the main benefits of using the OSM is the ability to identify 'hot-spots', where organizational pressures are triggering high levels of personal strain in susceptible clusters of staff. In this way, the OSM may act as an 'early warning alarm' for potential organizational problems.