Arbetsrelaterad stress i IT sektorn. En kvalitativ studie om ledarskapets betydelse

Abstract

Work-related stress is a complex and widespread phenomenon. Work-related stress not only affects the health and performance of individuals, but also companies and society as the consequences can result in costs amounting to billions. Employers are responsible for the work environment, and leadership has also been shown to contribute to reducing stress and promoting healthy work environments, according to previous studies. This qualitative study has been conducted to increase the understanding of how companies can manage work-related stress with the help of leadership. With the help of three Swedish IT companies, it is investigated which factors can lead to work-related stress, as well as how leadership can be used to effectively manage the stress. The results show that ambiguities around the work and high demands combined with insufficient means to meet the demands contribute to stress in different ways. Overall, the study found that work-related stress can occur as a consequence of a company's organizational structure. Leaders' behavior and how tasks are distributed and structured proved to have a decisive interaction in creating a prosperous work environment. In addition to that, the results could generate concrete proposals for managing work-related stress, for example having formal project managers and forums for internal collaboration. By acting according to adapted, supportive and solution-oriented leadership, work-related stress can be prevented and managed to create more sustainable, profitable and prosperous companies.