Stress & The Workplace:Insights Relating Happiness, Stress & Teacher Perceptions

Employee satisfaction has declined worldwide (Deloitte 2023), and loneliness at work is increasingly prevalent.These global developments are reflected in my own organization, where a cultural reluctance to provide feedback, low employee morale, and a perceived lack of leadership support have emerged as interconnected challenges. This analysis argues that these factors collectively undermine our organizational climate by diminishing trust, reducing staff engagement, and impeding effective communication. To investigate these issues, a Likert-scale survey was distributed to all staff members, receiving only 6 responses, for a response rate of approximately 25%. The limited participation and reluctance to engage suggest low morale and a perception that providing feedback is risky, potentially due to insufficient leadership support and openness. Farrell (2018) observes that when leaders lack an understanding of organizational configuration and infrastructure, both the environment and end goals are negatively affected, an issue also evident in our data..

Several methodological limitations affected the survey’s outcomes, underscoring the need for targeted interventions to address low morale and limited openness. Serving as both researcher and colleague may have discouraged candid participation, especially because the survey was conducted during work hours and administrative concerns about staff time were present. Staff may have hesitated to answer sensitive questions on recommending the organization or perceiving leadership support due to fear of repercussions. Administering the survey in person and using self-reported Likert-scale data further increased the risk of social desirability bias, as respondents may feel pressure to respond positively to items on work-life balance or organizational culture. Combined with the small sample size, these factors restrict both the generalizability and authenticity of the results.

Survey Components

The survey comprised 10 questions addressing key areas such as job satisfaction, recognition, stress levels, organizational support for stress management, work-life balance, organizational reputation, opportunities for professional development, effectiveness of communication channels, perceived supervisory support, and overall organizational culture.

A review of the quantitative survey data reveals several areas of concern within our organization. No respondent indicated they would recommend the school as a good place to work, with all six respondents selecting either neutral, unlikely, or very unlikely. Regarding the overall organizational culture, zero staff rated it excellent; two respondents (33.33%) rated it good, two (33.33%) average, one (16.67%) poor, and one (16.67%) very poorThe convergence of these data underscores the need for targeted interventions to address these challenges within the current workplace environment.

Despite initiatives such as Wellness Wednesdays and Feel Good Fridays, a significant portion of staff still reports feeling overwhelmed and stressed. The evidence of ongoing employee stress, despite these programs, suggests either inconsistent implementation or limited effectiveness of the initiatives. Recent research supports these findings, as organizational interventions aimed at stress reduction are most effective when they address both individual and systemic factors, such as workplace climate and leadership support (Luna-Pereira et al., 2022). This relationship suggests that current initiatives may not sufficiently target the root causes of stress, including excessive workload, inadequate support systems, and a negative organizational climate, factors known to diminish the effectiveness of well-being programs (Luna-Pereira et al., 2022).

Conclusions & Next Steps

In summary, the survey identifies three key findings that demonstrate the negative impact of low morale and insufficient leadership support on organizational climate. Half of the respondents reported frequent stress, while only one-third felt very satisfied, and another third were merely satisfied with their roles.This highlights both the need for additional data collection and the importance of targeted interventions to strengthen organizational culture.

References

Demissie, D., & Egziabher, F. G. (2022). An Investigation of Organizational Culture of Higher Education: The Case of Hawassa University. Education Research International, 2022https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/1222779

Farrell, M. (2018). Leadership Reflections: Organizational Culture. Journal of Library Administration, 58(8), 861–872. https://doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2018.1516949

Fisher , J., & Gilmartin, M. (2023, June 19). As workforce well-being dips, leaders ask: What will it take to move the needle? (P. Silverglate, Ed.). Deloitte Insights; Deloitte. https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/topics/talent/workplace-well-being-research.html

Luna-Pereira, H. O., Junior Caicedo-Rolón, A., & Wlamyr, P.-A. (2022). Impact Of The Organizational Climate On Company Productivity. Journal of Language & Linguistics Studies, 18(4), 599–612.