Assessment of Stress Risks and Learning Opportunities in the Work Organization

Abstract

Organizational innovation and recent European legislation on work organization require instruments, to be used by practitioners, for the assessment of jobs and the redesign of the structure of the division of labour. In The Netherlands the so-called WEBA-instrument (conditions for well-being at work) has been developed to assess stress risks and learning opportunities. The foundation of the instrument refers to the Dutch modern sociotechnical systems theory, the Karasek demand-control theory and the German action regulation theory. Its application is becoming widespread because, among other reasons, this instrument is supported by the Labour Inspectorate of The Netherlands. Besides a presentation of the instrument and its foundation, some examples will be given and some theoretical and practical problems discussed.