Factors influencing boundary spanner stress and subsequent managerial intervention: an exploratory investigation

This paper is concerned with the emergence of stress within organizational boundary-spanning positions and the processes that influence managerial intentions for addressing this stress. Given the recognized importance of boundary-spanning personnel to organizational success, it is proposed that the stress experienced by these employees needs to be managed in order to enhance the internal working environment and external relations. However, existing studies of boundary spanner stress have largely focused on one primary source of stress with little attention directed towards other workplace stimuli. Furthermore, little consideration has been given to those factors influencing managerial intentions for addressing these stressors once a problem has in fact been recognized.This paper draws together these two research gaps and reports on the results of an exploratory study concerned with (1) identifying all factors within the work environment that create stress for boundary-spanning personnel and (2) identifying and examining the nature of those factors which determine managerial actions in response to those stressors.