Assessment of Stress Level of Forestry Experts with Academic Education

This paper provides the results of an applied research of forests engineers connected to their risk of mental stress occurrence in everyday work. This paper also has a component of a basic research, in which the adequacy and reliability of applied methodology in this kind of researches is examined. The mental stress induced risk is tested by usage of an e-mail survey which consists out of 23-part ERI (Effort-Reward Imbalance) questionnaire. For the assessment of mental stress exposure level following indicators have been used: 1) ERI – ratio of devoted effort and achieved reward, and 2) overcommitment. These indicators have been analyzed in comparison to the demographic parameters (gender, age) and the complexity of assigned jobs of the interviewees. The interview was applied on a randomly sampled forestry experts employed in public and private sector. The analysis of reliability of the three components of ERI questionnaire has showed satisfactory internal consistency. Descriptive statistics has been done regarding gender and the complexity of assigned jobs. The testing of the »devoted effort/achieved reward« variable (E/R index) has shown a statistically significant difference of the index value between male interviewees on managerial and standard expert positions. The value of E/R index was x1 at 18.97% of the sampled interviewees, which indicates a divergence between devoted effort and achieved reward, and also points to a possibility of mental stress occurrence risk. Multiple response tables have shown that female interviewees with less than 20 years of professional experience manifest stress related symptoms earlier than their male colleagues with similar professional experience do. Regression analysis has shown a significant correlation of E/R index to gender, internship and overcommitment. This research also assesses the viability of the applied method as an instrument of forestry experts\u27 mental stress level determination

Assessment of Stress Level of Forestry Experts with Academic Education

This paper provides the results of an applied research of forests engineers connected to their risk of mental stress occurrence in everyday work. This paper also has a component of a basic research, in which the adequacy and reliability of applied methodology in this kind of researches is examined. The mental stress induced risk is tested by usage of an e-mail survey which consists out of 23-part ERI (Effort-Reward Imbalance) questionnaire. For the assessment of mental stress exposure level following indicators have been used: 1) ERI – ratio of devoted effort and achieved reward, and 2) overcommitment. These indicators have been analyzed in comparison to the demographic parameters (gender, age) and the complexity of assigned jobs of the interviewees. The interview was applied on a randomly sampled forestry experts employed in public and private sector. The analysis of reliability of the three components of ERI questionnaire has showed satisfactory internal consistency. Descriptive statistics has been done regarding gender and the complexity of assigned jobs. The testing of the »devoted effort/achieved reward« variable (E/R index) has shown a statistically significant difference of the index value between male interviewees on managerial and standard expert positions. The value of E/R index was x1 at 18.97% of the sampled interviewees, which indicates a divergence between devoted effort and achieved reward, and also points to a possibility of mental stress occurrence risk. Multiple response tables have shown that female interviewees with less than 20 years of professional experience manifest stress related symptoms earlier than their male colleagues with similar professional experience do. Regression analysis has shown a significant correlation of E/R index to gender, internship and overcommitment. This research also assesses the viability of the applied method as an instrument of forestry experts\u27 mental stress level determination

Influence of leadership style on management and organizational culture of forestry company

Menadžerski stil vođenja i odlučivanja uz proaktivnu organizacijsku kulturu, za šumarstvo u tranzicijskim zemljama, može biti ključna karika u procesu unapređenja poslovanja šumarskog poduzeća. U teoriji i praksi postoji više stilova vođenja, od autokratskog do demokratskog, a brojna su istraživanja dokazala postojanje uzročno-posljedične veze između stila rukovođenja i unapređenja poslovanja. U šumarstvu, međutim, nitko do sada nije ciljano vrednovao stil rukovođenja šumarskog poduzeća, te isti stavio u odnos s pokazateljima kulturološke komponente tvrtke i mentalnim opterećenjem zaposlenika. Kroz studiju slučaja, u radu se analizira mišljenje zaposlenika šumarske tvrtke vezano za (a) postojeći i poželjni stil rukovođenja te (b) povezanost stila rukovođenja s udjelom pojedinih kulturnih tipova i vrijednosti pokazatelja o odnosu radnog napora–nagrade (ERI pokazatelja). Opći nalazi ističu autokratski stil (74 %) kao prevladavajući način rukovođenja u šumarskom poduzeću, dok je kao poželjni način rukovođenja istaknut demokratski stil (87 %). Učestalost odgovora ispitanika pokazala je da 62 % zaposlenika nije nikad ili je rijetko dobilo priznanje i nagradu za rad, a na potpuni izostanak ulaganja u obrazovanje ljudskih resursa ukazalo je njih 56 %. Analiza povezanosti rukovodeće (upravljačke) sastavnice pokazuje da hijerarhijsku poslovnu kulturu tvrtke prati izražen autokratski stil rukovođenja koji pozitivno korelira sa ERI pokazateljem, tj. slijedi ga povećano mentalno opterećenje zaposlenika. Isticanje demokratskog stila rukovođenja u poduzeću pozitivno korelira s grupnom poslovnom kulturom, na što se veže i niža razina opterećenja tj. nezadovoljstva ispitanika unutar strukturnih jedinica. Neuravnoteženi fokus postojeće kulture, uz formalno-direktivan stil rukovođenja i izostanak sustava nagrađivanja rezultira izraženim otporom prema neophodnim promjenama i potrebnim unapređenjem upravljačke prakse šumarskog poduzeća. Smjernice za unapređenje zatečenog stanja navedene su u okviru rasprave i zaključaka rada.Managerial decision-making and leadership style with a proactive organizational culture, for forestry in transition countries, can be a key link in the process of forest companies’ operational and business improvement. In theory and practice, there are several styles of leadership, from autocratic to democratic, and numerous studies have proven the existence of a causal link between management style and business improvement. In forestry, however, no one has specifically evaluated the management style of the forestry company, and it made reference to indicators of cultural component of the company and the mental load of employees. Through a case study, this paper analyzes the employees opinion of forestry company related to (a) existing and desired management style and (b) connection of management style with a share of a particular cultural type and indicator value in the relationship between work effort-reward (ERI indicator).General findings (Figure 2) highlight autocratic style (74%) as the predominant leadership in forestry company, while the preferred way of managing enhanced democratic style (87%). Frequency of answers showed that 62% of employees never or rarely receive recognition and remuneration for their work (Figure 3). Never, rarely or occasionally assigning additional responsibilities emphasized 62.34% of respondents (Figure 4), and lack of investment in human resources training was highlighted by 55.56% of the respondents (Figure 5).Correlation model results (Table 3) shows that low numerical value of management style, which is characterized by strong and / or generally autocratic management style with formal and directive approach to the management and with the orientation on the result, is followed by very strong hierarchical type of culture on which is linked and higher load i.e. respondents discontent within the structural units. The above is supported by the results of the regression analysis where the most unique contribution to explaining the value of the dependent variable, i.e. the management style is contributed by the hierarchical type of culture and ERI indicator (Table 4). Examination of the differences between the mean values of management style versus conditional class of ERI indicator (Figure 7) shows statistically significant differences, and the results indicates that the prominent presence of autocratic management style increases the mental workload of employees which can have a negative impact on productivity and health status of employees. The comparison of the company dominant culture with perceived management style (Figure 8) show that a high level of representation of the hierarchical culture type follows expressed autocratic management style and strong democratic management style of the company is positively correlated with a greater share of group cultural type.Relationship analysis of management components shows that a hierarchical business culture of company is followed by a pronounced autocratic management style that is positively correlated with the ERI indicator, i.e. followed by increased mental workload of employees. Highlighted democratic management style of the company is positively correlated with group business culture on which is linked and lower load i.e. respondents’ discontent within the structural units. Unbalanced focus of the existing culture with formal directive management style and lack of reward system is resulting with a strong resistance to the necessary changes and needy improvement of forestry company management practice. Guidelines for the improvement of the present situation are listed in the discussions and conclusions of the work