Stress and Quality of Working Life: The Positive and The Negative

This book offers twelve chapters organized into three major sections that address occupational stress and quality of working life. The authors are an internationally renowned team of scholar-research-practitioners who are grounded in applied science and clinical practice. Section 1 includes five chapters that address the organizational and individual costs of occupational stress. The costs are humanitarian and economic; both human suffering and financial burdens are important. Section 2 includes three chapters that focus on ways to mitigate the negative effects of occupational stress.

We must help those who are suffering but we must do more by preventing distress where we can and building on positive, strength factors where possible. Section 3 includes four chapters that examine and expand our understanding of work life quality. Work life quality is so important because of the effects it has on workers and leaders, as well as the spillover impact into families and communities.

These twelve chapters, highlight both core knowledge and new developments within the rapidly growing field of research on stress and the quality of working life. We believe this information can help to raise awareness of the causes and costs of occupational stress and poor quality of working life. Further, this should provide a challenge, some incentive, and renewed insight for organizations in Brazil and elsewhere to begin thinking about and acting in ways that lead to a less stressful environment for their workforce.

Dr. James Campbell (Jim) Quick is John and Judy Goolsby Distinguished Professor in the Goolsby Leadership Academy, Distinguished Professor in the Academy of Distinguished Teachers, and Professor of Organizational Behavior in the Department of Management, College of Business at The University of Texas at Arlington. He earned an M.B.A. and a Ph.D. at the University of Houston. He completed postgraduate courses in behavioral medicine (Harvard Medical School) and combat stress (University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio). Dr. Quick is a Fellow of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, the American Psychological Association, and the American Institute of Stress. Dr. Quick's and his brother's signature theory is preventive stress management, now in the APA Dictionary of Psychology (2007). Dr. Quick has over 100 books, book chapters, journal articles, and clinical monographs in 10 languages. Dr. Quick's awards and recognitions include Beta Gamma Sigma and Phi Beta Delta honor societies membership; The Maroon Citation (Colgate University Alumni Corporation, 1993); 2002 Harry and Miriam Levinson Award (American Psychological Foundation); and a Presidential Citation (American Psychological Association, 2001). Quick won the 2007-2008 Honors College Outstanding Faculty Award and 2009 Award for Distinguished Record of Research at UT Arlington. Colonel Quick, United States Air Force Reserve (Ret.) was Distinguished Visiting Professor of Psychology, 59th Medical Wing (1999) and Visiting Scholar, United States Military Academy at West Point (2007). His awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, and National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star. He currently serves by appointment from Secretary of Defense Robert Gates on the Defense Health Board's Psychological Health External Advisory Subcommittee.