Occupational Stress and Coping Strategies Among Malaysian Employees: Where Is the Role of Organizations?

Abstract

Occupational stress affects employees in different ways, such as dysfunctional behaviors, and contribute toward poor physical and mental health. Research have shown that coping strategies play important roles in alleviating psychological distress at work. Since appropriate coping strategies are effective in controlling the psychosocial stressors and may be the only measures available in most organizations, therefore, organizations are encouraged to promote more coping skills training among their employees as part of their legal and corporate responsibility. In Malaysia, the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) 1994 clearly spells out the responsibility of employers (organizations) in providing a safe and healthy work environment for employees. This study is to review the available research findings in selected industries in Malaysia in order to identify and highlight potential sources of occupational stress and ways of managing the stress. Results indicate that significant occupational stressors were unrealistic objectives, incompetent boss, time pressure and deadlines, work pressure, home-work interface, performance pressure, excessive workload, long working hours, insufficient number of staff, competition in career development and progression, and role ambiguity in addition to lack of support from coworkers and supervisors, depression, anxiety and use of avoidance coping strategies. Various coping strategies were adopted by employees in different industries in Malaysia to address their work related stress: “divert thinking and disregarding” (by doing something fun), networking and learning more effective ways of communication, positive reframing, and emotional support. Cognitive, social, and emotional coping strategies, especially the former, was also found to positively influence occupational stress among managers in electronic firms; in Japan, sociocultural beliefs related to coping strategies and the computerized cognitive behavioral therapy (CCBT) and Internet-based CBT (iCBT) show great promises. However, the benefits of coping strategies and resilience on lowering the level of workplace stress among working mothers and working females have not gained much support from Malaysian organizations. Further research should examine the effectiveness of the psychosocial safety climate (PSC) framework, if adopted, in preventing and reducing occupational stress and to involve managers. Organizations need to incorporate effective coping strategies into their intervention programs and to provide regular training and monitoring of their employees’ well-being.