Stress Management at Work and the Impact of Sociocultural Factors
I like to think I have a fairly rich cultural background. I was raised by a bilingual mother, with migrant, non-English speaking grandparents. I lived in three other countries (4 if you count a short stint in Morocco) outside of Australia. I married a Spanish man and now raise two ‘sort of’ bilingual children. I also spent quite a few years educating in multicultural classrooms, facilitating and managing people from 8 or 9 countries sitting side by side.
These experiences afforded me the chance to observe and learn about cultures, in an open-minded and curious way. The experience allowed me to truly understand that my way is not the only way to do things, and what works for me may not work for someone else.
It has also helped me to understand why the effectiveness of public health and health promotion initiatives can be so deeply influenced by the context in which they are delivered, by whom they are delivered, and to whom they are delivered.
It emphasises one of Sunrise Well’s principle tenets; that people bring their whole selves to work. That we look after their wholebeing as much as their wellbeing.
Figuring out stress management plays into wellbeing programs in a big way. Giving everyone free access to an app, or expecting people to know about and access the EAP is not enough when looking at prevention of stress at work. Even mitigating the risks from psychosocial hazards will not completely prevent stress at work from occurring.
So, come at stress management from every level.
Provide the short term support.
Provide the training.
Ensure risk management strategies are in place and enacted.
But also, understand that each individual will have their own levels of stress, understanding of stress, expression of stress, and ways of managing their stress. Their culture plays a part. Their history and upbringing plays a part. Their genetics play a part. It really is multifaceted.
Diving deeper into sociocultural awareness, I provide a little food for thought for people managing team wellbeing and stress management.
Sociocultural Awareness
Sociocultural factors in stress can include:
cultural background
social norms
personal values, and
life experiences.
These factors shape how individuals perceive and respond to stress which is why a culturally sensitive approach to stress management is essential. Acknowledging and addressing these factors can lead to a more inclusive, supportive, and effective work environment.
1. Cultural Background: Cultural norms and values influence how stress is perceived and managed. In some cultures, expressing stress or seeking help may be viewed as a sign of weakness, while in others, it is encouraged.
Create psychologically safe space for an environment where all employees feel comfortable discussing their stress and seeking support.
2. Social Norms: Social expectations and pressures can contribute to workplace stress. Gender roles, family responsibilities, and societal expectations, for example, can impact how individuals experience and cope with stress. Research by Eagly and Wood (2012) demonstrates how gender roles and social expectations influence stress and coping mechanisms in the workplace.
Policies should accommodate diverse needs and reduce stressors associated with social pressures. Your psychosocial hazard management assessment should identify situations and contexts where social differences could create situations of bullying or harassment.
3. Personal Values: Employees’ personal values and beliefs play a role in how they respond to stress. Employees that feel their personal values are respected and aligned with organisational goals can have reduced stress and enhanced job satisfaction.
Leaders should encourage and model a values-based approach to work.
4. Life Experiences: Past experiences, including trauma, discrimination, and financial struggle, can influence how someone responds to and experiences stress. Studies and papers such as those by Bonanno et al (2014) on resilience and trauma highlight the impact of life experiences on stress responses.
Create a supportive workplace culture that acknowledges diverse life experiences and provides appropriate resources and support, so employees will feel more psychologically safe.
Here are some suggestions for leaders and HR Managers to improve communication and cultural awareness within your teams, as well as for those putting together wellbeing programs for teams.
Cultural Competence Training: Sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know. Cross-cultural and mixed demographic groups may not realise the lack of communication right in front of them.
Small incidents of missed or misinterpreted communication over time can break down relationships and cause conflict and tension.
Invest in cultural competence training for leaders and their teams. Understanding different cultural perspectives can help create a more inclusive environment where all employees feel valued and supported. A study by Betancourt et al. (2003) emphasises the positive effects of cultural competence in healthcare, which can be translated to workplace settings.
Psychological Safety: Create a safe space for employees to express their concerns and share their experiences without fear of judgment or retaliation. Regular pulse checks, anonymous surveys, open forums, and water-cooler chats can facilitate this dialogue.
Research by Edmondson (1999) on psychological safety in teams supports the importance of open communication in reducing workplace stress.
Flexible Policies: A one-size-fits-all approach to stress management may not be the most effective use of time and resources. Flexible work policies should cater to diverse needs, such as flexible working hours, remote work options, and personalised support plans. Many companies are pushing for people to return to the office, but it might suit everyone. Having a flexible policy in place will allow for individual needs to be looked after.
The OECD report on flexible working arrangements (2020) shows how flexibility can improve employee wellbeing and reduce stress.
Targeted Support: Resources and programs tailored to the unique cultural and social needs can create an environment where people feel supported. This could include access to mental health professionals who understand specific cultural contexts, support groups, and workshops on stress management techniques that are culturally relevant.
Culturally sensitive mental health services (Wing Sue & Sue, 2008) have been shown to be more effective and the same could be said for these resources in the workplace.
Inclusive Leadership: Leaders should model inclusive behaviour themselves, and share their commitment to diversity and inclusion by action, rather than by word.
This involves actively listening, being aware of their own biases, and continuously seeking to improve their own understanding of sociocultural dynamics.
Stress at work truly is multi-factorial. Although I am certain that there is not only one way to tackle stress in the workplace, I am equally sure that all of these approaches: psychosocial hazard management; stress management training; targeted programs; counselling, etc., will not completely eradicate stress at work. However they will, combined, help us to create a more inclusive, supportive environment to work in.
They are also, in combination, more likely to reduce the incidence of stress at work, and its potential consequential fallout.
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References
Betancourt, J. R., Green, A. R., Carrillo, J. E., & Ananeh-Firempong, O. (2003). Defining cultural competence: A practical framework for addressing racial/ethnic disparities in health and health care. Public Health Reports, 118(4), 293-302.
Bonanno, G. A., & Mancini, A. D. (2012). Beyond resilience and PTSD: Mapping the heterogeneity of responses to potential trauma. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 4(1), 74–83
Eagly, A. H., & Wood, W. (2012). Social role theory. In P. Van Lange, A. W. Kruglanski, & E. T. Higgins (Eds.), Handbook of theories of social psychology (pp. 458-476). Sage Publications.
Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350-383.
OECD (2020). Flexible working arrangements: The future of work. Accessed 01.08.24 [OECD Library](https://www.oecd.org/future-of-work).
Wing Sue, D., & Sue, D. (2008). Counseling the culturally diverse: Theory and practice. John Wiley & Sons.