Stress and the hospital administrator: sources and solutions

Each day, more is learned about the nature and impact of executive stress. Only recently, however, has there been concern about the specific causes of stress faced by managers in different organizational settings. This article presents the findings of a study designed to identify sources of stress associated with the tasks, roles, and social relationships of hospital administrators. Seventy-one administrators of general short-term hospitals completed extensive questionnaires reflecting factors influencing stress in their work and diseases related to those factors. In addition, in-depth interviews with ten administrators provided further insights into the hospital work environment and its relation to stress. Although numerous conditions were reported by administrators to heighten stress levels on the job, other factors not readily recognized as stress producing appeared to be related to physical and psychological disorders. Implications of the findings for administrative practice are also presented.