A multi-criteria expert-based framework for developing a work stress-management support tool
International Journal of Workplace Health Management
ISSN: 1753-8351
Article publication date: 15 July 2024
Issue publication date: 21 November 2024
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to develop a multi-criteria-based scoring model to upgrade the work stress prevention checkpoints to a stress-management tool for estimating the risk score of the workplace’s stressors and prioritizing the control solutions.
Design/methodology/approach
A Panel of ten experts was formed and capitalized on Fuzzy Delphi, Fuzzy DEMATEL, and SWARA methods to discover the decision criteria, obtain the weights of the checkpoints’ dimensions, and develop the system to be used in an organization. The developed tool is finally applied in an organization as a case study.
Findings
Five criteria, namely Intellectual, Physical, Emotional, Behavioral, and Organizational reactions were found with respect to which the dimensions were prioritized. Generally, the heaviest weight belonged to “Job demand” by 0.13, followed by “Work-life balance and working times”, “Social support”, “Leadership and justice at work”, “Job control”, and “Job security” with weights of 0.118, 0.116, 0.114, 0.11, and 0.1, respectively. The “information and communication” had the lowest weight by 0.062.
Practical implications
It was found that multiple stress-related factors have different importance that can be considered in work-related stress (WRS) assessments. To this end, combining MCDM methods is a suitable approach to determine the factors’ importance coefficients.
Originality/value
This tool allows an organization to control work stress on the basis of one particular criterion or multiple criteria. The case study results showed that this tool makes the implementation of corrective measures much easier to manage based on the risk level of each dimension.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank all the experts participated in this work. The authors truly appreciate their expertise and times.
Funding: This study was supported by the vice chancellor for research and technology of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences (Grant number: 140103171742).
Citation
Ahmadi, M., Babamiri, M. and Shabani, M. (2024), "A multi-criteria expert-based framework for developing a work stress-management support tool", International Journal of Workplace Health Management, Vol. 17 No. 5/6, pp. 466-486. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJWHM-09-2023-0139
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited