Humor e estresse no trabalho: fatores psicossociais estressores e benéficos no trabalho dos operadores de telemarketing / Humor and stress at work: psychosocial stressors and protecting factors at work of telemarketers

Leonilde Mendes Ribeiro Galasso

Aim. Taking into account the two-dimensional nature of stress-related psychosocial factors (CASSEL, 1974), the study aimed at identifying the interrelation of negative (stressors) and protecting (beneficial) such factors in the work of a group of telemarketing operators, and the potential of humor as a \ psychosocial resource\ in face of stress at work, as a coping strategy (psychological dimension) and communicative behavior favoring social support (sociological dimension). Method. A case study was developed at a call center of the managed care unit of a public institution in São Paulo, Brazil. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews (twelve individual and one collective interview), participatory observation, and an inquiry responded by 124 operators from different work shifts. The inquiry included socio-demographic data, as well as questions on working conditions, factors of discomfort and fatigue and of work satisfaction, stress at work (KOMPIER &LEVI, 1995), health complaints and use of humor. Data analysis was based on the Demand/Control model (BAKER &KARASEK, 2000; KARASEK &THEORELL, 1990), and included content analysis of interviews (MINAYO, 1982), of data gathered through participatory observation, and descriptive analysis of inquiry frequencies. Results. The population studied was predominantly feminine (72.6 per cent ), young (average age 28 years), with high school (48.4 per cent ) or college education (51.6 per cent ) and average monthly wage around US$200.00. 25.8 per cent were students. Among others, negative psychosocial factors identified included: physical environment; time structure (pressure from the queue; high and externally imposed rhythm; few rest breaks); low decision latitude: a) low task control (strict work organization; script; lack of opportunity for individual decision making; lack of participation); and b) low skill discretion (great volume of information to be processed; insufficient training; presence of medical terminology); interrelation of work content, work meaning, and relationship with customers leading to emotional suffering through empathy. The relationship with customers, viewed as an important work-related stressor for often involving rude treatment, is perceived as an important source of satisfaction when involving recognition. Data on factors of discomfort and fatigue showed to be consistent with references to psychosocial stressors and protectors identified. Among protecting factors identified were the 6-hour working period and the supportive relationship among co-workers and with the medical auditors, often involving humor exchanges. Main health complaints were xi musculoskeletal (77.4 per cent ) and stress-related symptoms: anxiety (76.6 per cent ) and irritability (66.1 per cent ). Humor used as coping was referred by 78.2 per cent . Data on who laughs with who indicate that humorous/playful comments are often directed by operators to co-workers, for 97.6 per cent ; by operators to doctors, for 82.2 per cent ; by doctors to operators, for 66.3 per cent ; by operators to supervisors, for 59.6 per cent , and by supervisors to operators, for 58.9 per cent . Conclusions. The work situation of telemarketing operators studied involved a negative balance between psychosocial stressors and beneficial or mitigating factors: a combination of high work intensity and few chances of psycho-physiological recovery or, according to the Demand-Control model, a combination of high demands (psychological pressure) and low decision latitude. Humor is potentially a \ psychosocial resource\ (CASSEL, 1974) or \ modifying factor\ (BAKER &KARASEK, 2000) to the stress process, as an individual coping strategy, for favoring cognitive distancing/re-framing; relief from strain; expression of subjectivity. As a communicative behavior, humor may favor social support (for inviting to proximity; reducing social distance between different hierarchic levels, and permitting the expression of criticisms in less risky ways); but above all, humor as communicative behavior reflects interpersonal relationships dynamics and nature, as it was shown by the analysis of who laughs with who, an original contribution of this research that highlighted the presence of strong social support among operators and between them and the medical doctors. Brief humor events irrupting during work are perceived as a source of pleasure, and micro-spaces of psychophysiological recovery. Humor integrates the domain of freedom and is heavily influenced by cultural values. If it is imposed to workers, it may be perceived as a psychological or moral constraint

Humor e estresse no trabalho: fatores psicossociais estressores e benéficos no trabalho dos operadores de telemarketing / Humor and stress at work: psychosocial stressors and protecting factors at work of telemarketers

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