Organizational Role Stress
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Organizational Role Stress: A Case Study in the Swedish Public Sector Authors: Jimmy Fredin Robert Nordin Supervisor: Vladimir Vanyushyn Student Umeå School of Business and Economics Spring semester 2015 Degree project, 30 hp ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! I Abstract!! Work-related stress among employees in Sweden is reported to increase, women are experiencing higher levels of stress than their male colleagues. Organizational Role Stress is a denomination for all stress related to an individuals role in an organization and the annual cost for Organizational Role Stress in the European Union exceeds € 20 billion. Managers in Lycksele municipality emphasized a troublesome working situation where time is not enough to balance administrative responsibilities and operative leadership. Hence, the aim to investigate: “How does Organizational Role Stress affect the balance between administrative responsibilities and operative leadership among managers in Lycksele municipality?” Four key words were deduced from the research question: Organizational Role Stress, Administrative Management, Public Sector Leadership and Public Sector, which guided the search for existing theories to help substantiate and answer the research question. The study introduced the Organizational Role Stress Framework developed by Udai Pareek into a Swedish pubic organization with the aim to measure the impact of Organizational Role Stress. The Organizational Role Stress Framework contributed to a quantitative study among managers in Lycksele municipality to measure the impact of Organizational Role Stress. The sample population consisted of 60 managers who were given an equal opportunity to participate in the study. In total, 49 out of 60 managers participated in the study, which corresponds to a satisfying response rate of 82 %. The main conclusion of the study is that Organizational Role Stress has a negative impact on managers’ ability to balance administrative responsibilities and operative leadership. The Organizational Role Stress Framework can explain 50 % of the variance in managers’ problems with balancing the responsibilities in their roles. Furthermore, the findings also imply that two stressors from the Organizational Role Stress Framework namely: Inter-Role Distance and Role Overload are a better model to describe the problem among managers. These two stressors as a model can explain 52 % of the variance among managers ability to balance administrative responsibilities and operative leadership. II ! ! III Acknowledgement! The spring semester 2015 is the last one at the Business and Economics program at Umea University. This semester has been quite different and challenging compared to previous experiences at the university. With a determined mindset, the researchers have dedicated many late hours into this degree project in order to produce adequate and trustworthy conclusions and recommendations to the municipality. The commitment and conforming to establish scientific parameters has been the solid focus and will be illuminated throughout the degree project. The researchers would firstly like to thank Lycksele municipality for the willingness to collaborate in a mutual quest to improve the working situation for their managers, which will affect the overall municipality organization positively. Especially Shara Johansson who has helped providing useful information and answering all the questions along the working process. All managers who participated in the study also deserve many thanks. Lastly, the researchers would like to thank the supervisor at Umea University, Vladimir Vanyushyn, for all the encouragement and support throughout the working process of the degree project. His door was always open when help was needed or to clarify some bumps and obstacles along thee working process. MANY THANKS! Jimmy Fredin & Robert Nordin Umea 2015-05-06 IV V Table!of!Content! 1.#Introduction#.........................................................................................................................................#1# 1.2 Problem Background#..................................................................................................................................#3# 1.3#Research#Question#....................................................................................................................................#5# 1.4#Purpose#..........................................................................................................................................................#5# 1.5#Definitions#....................................................................................................................................................#5# 1.6#Limitations#...................................................................................................................................................#6# 1.7#Disposition#...................................................................................................................................................#7# 2.#Lycksele#Municipality#.......................................................................................................................#8# 2.1#Population#Development#.......................................................................................................................#8# 2.2#Economy#........................................................................................................................................................#9# 2.3#Organizational#Structure#........................................................................................................................#9# 2.4#Future#Challenges#....................................................................................................................................#11# 2.5#Previous#Studies#among#Employees#in#Lycksele#municipality#............................................#12# 3.#Scientific#Methodology#.................................................................................................................#14# 3.1#Preconception#...........................................................................................................................................#14# 3.2#Research#Philosophy#..............................................................................................................................#15# 3.2.1#Ontology#.............................................................................................................................................#15# 3.2.2#Epistemology#....................................................................................................................................#16# 3.2#Theoretical#Point#of#Departure#..........................................................................................................#16# 3.3#Literature#Search#.....................................................................................................................................#17# 3.4#Literature#Review#....................................................................................................................................#18# 3.4#Source#Criticism#.......................................................................................................................................#18# 4.#Theoretical#Frame#of#Reference#...............................................................................................#20# 4.1#Conceptualization#of#Management#and#Leadership#.................................................................#20# 4.2#Administrative#Management#and#Public#Sector#Leadership#................................................#23# 4.2.1#Differences#between#Private#and#Public#Sector#Organizations#..................................#23# 4.3#Stress#.............................................................................................................................................................#25# 4.4#Organizational#Role#Stress#..................................................................................................................#26# 4.5#Organizational#Role#Stress#Framework#.........................................................................................#26# 4.5.1#Inter#Role#Distance#........................................................................................................................#27# 4.5.2#Role#Stagnation#................................................................................................................................#27# 4.5.3#Role#Expectation#Conflict#............................................................................................................#27# 4.5.4#Role#Erosion#......................................................................................................................................#28# 4.5.5#Role#Overload#...................................................................................................................................#28# 4.5.6#Role#Isolation#....................................................................................................................................#28# 4.5.7#Personal#Inadequacy#.....................................................................................................................#28# 4.5.8#SelfTRole#Distance#...........................................................................................................................#28# 4.5.9#Role#Ambiguity#................................................................................................................................#29#