Psychological Research, Practice, and Production: The Occupational Stress Problem

The accumulation of research findings now suggest a significant work stress problem, with implications for worker health, motivation and productivity, that warrants a concerted applied research effort at a local level and a strategy and policy response at a national level. Psychologists need to rethink prevailing paradigms that often separate their research and practice. We argue that a conducive production model that emphasizes action and knowledge, and reciprocal learning between academia, practitioners, and organizations may be the way forward for psychologists to respond effectively to the current work stress problems and other emergent organizational issues. Failure to do so may result in exacerbation of problems related to the psychological and social context of work, a slowed response to increased demands, and an ever decreasing practical utility of the profession.