Promoting Public Managerial Sustainability: The Relevance of Social Support For Managers Coping With Work-Related Stress

Abstract

Statistics reveal the concerning prevalence of mental health issues among Swedish public sector managers, highlighting the critical need for deeper insights into the relevance of social support in coping with work-related stress. This study aims to examine the relevance of various sources of social support for managers coping with work-related stress, an area relatively underexplored in public administration research. Data was collected using a survey completed by 172 managers working in Sweden. The results show that supervisory support, the support of a network of managers within the organisation, and a supportive communication climate were all significant predictors of how stress levels are coped with. Notably, the support of a network of managers within the organisation emerged as the most influential predictor. This study contributes, both theoretically and practically, by offering indicative insights into how organisations can support managers in managing their work-related stress.