Stress management in multi-ethnic work environments: insights from field research on the social ecology of overcrowding
MENA Dubai 2003 Abstract
Author George J. Kaliaden
Copy Stress management in multi-ethnic work environments: insights from field research on the social ecology of overcrowding George J. Kaliaden One of the challenging tasks of consultant psychologists serving in multi-ethnic organizations is to analyze the social ecology of work environments and understand the conditions under which inter-personal stress is generated. Work environments may be considered as "behavior settings" (Barker, 1968) that are capable of eliciting certain "expected" patterns of behavior, irrespective of the individual differences of the people occupying those settings.

One of the noticeable changes taking place in organizations in the twenty-first century is globalization of work, transcending geographical boundaries. As organizations migrate in search of cheaper labor, workers migrate to different countries following the demandsupply paradigm. Organizations in the Gulf countries are especially distinguishable by the multi-ethnic composition of its work force. With a vast majority of expatriate employees from different national and linguistic backgrounds working in the same organizational units, managers face the rare challenge of developing optimal communication levels and ensuring adequate team spirit within the organization.

One of the major barriers in the development of congenial relationships in the work environment is the development of feelings of overcrowding among individuals even when the actual spatial density within the environment is relatively low. Multi-ethnic work environments, due to possible linguistic barriers, are likely to produce higher levels of "perceived social density" In other words; crowded feelings may develop within these settings even when there are only a few people occupying a large area of space. Such feelings of overcrowding can be a major source of stress that, in turn, may affect the efficiency and productivity of the work force.

Based on data obtained from field research, the author tries to find answers to the following questions: What are the factors that contribute to "crowded feeling" in work environments? What are the mediating factors? What are the possible means of alleviating crowding stress within organizations? What specific psychological and behavioral strategies can be used in order to reduce crowded feeling and the overall stress levels in multi-ethnic work environments?

The study is based on field research in a sample of 152 families living in extremely overcrowded housing units in Bombay, India. The mean density was 7.7 persons per room. It was found that an increase in "cohesion" and expressiveness", and a reduction in "conflict" were the major strategies used by the occupants in order to alleviate crowding stress. It was found that "expressiveness" or communication behavior had a significantly high negative correlation with "Crowding Stress" (r = –0.167; s = 0.03), when physical density was held constant. At the same time there was a low positive correlation between "conflict" and crowded feeling (r = 0.064) the results provide valuable insight for developing effective psychological and behavioral strategies to reduce stress and increase cohesion in multi-ethnic organizations. Theories behind the social ecology of overcrowding and possible alternatives in communication and stress management training are explored in the light of the present study.