Ravalier PhD Theis.pdf - Anglia Ruskin Research Online

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interaction between demands, control and social support will also be
assessed as to the relevance of the phenomena in research.
The majority of the research literature to date has focussed upon
the experience of major life events as antecedents to the experience of
stress in the workplace (Song et al., 2011). Research designs have
therefore reflected this, with cross-sectional and longitudinal survey
designs being readily used in order to investigate major life events. The
approach toward studying stress is slowly changing however. For example
an early publication within the daily hassles literature by Wheeler and Reis
(1991, pp. 340) describes daily stressors as those that “fill most of our
working time and occupy the vast majority of our conscious attention”,
and research is increasingly showing that daily hassles may have the
potential to impact as strongly as major life events (see Chapter 2). The
presented study takes into account both of the prevailing approaches.
One of the most important outcomes of this thesis regards the
implementation of organisational change interventions in order to improve
upon employee experience of stress in the workplace. While many
conceptualisations have been put forward with regard to organisational
change, one of the most widely known and understood is that of Hard
Systems (HSMs) and Soft Systems (SSMs) models of change. Hard
systems methodologists are typified by quantification within the positivist
tradition, with quantifiable aims and objectives set to be met and
therefore enhance an organisation (Petkov et al., 2008). On the other
hand, Soft Systems approaches are ‘messy’ or ‘fuzzy’, and see the
organisation as a more complex entity. Indeed SSM integrate the
understanding that complex human systems make organisations and
organisational change initiatives vague with very little scope for setting
objectifiable aims and objectives. It is the argument taken within the
presented research that HSMC are unsuitable for purpose, particularly
when attempting to address employee health and wellbeing structures
such as stress and daily hassles which are by their very nature subjective
phenomena.