Stress factors in the working environment of consulting firms

This diploma thesis concerns stress factors in the work environment of consulting companies. Such stress factors, the author argues, can have negative long-term effects on the human body. Ambitious companies should therefore strive to eliminate sources of stress, thus ensuring the highest possible level of job satisfaction for employees. The thesis examines the degree, causes and consequences of stress from the point of view of employees working at various organisational levels of the APOGEO GROUP. It then presents possible corrective solutions to lower the levels of stress experienced by these employees. A questionnaire survey was chosen as the main method for data collection, supplemented by semi-structured interviews with several company employees. Based on this information, the thesis identifies several fundamental causes of stress: some relating to specific activities (e.g. a presentation to an important audience), and some stemming from the work environment itself (e.g. the responsibility for one’s own work or the work of others). The thesis finds that employees of the APOGEO GROUP feel mental stress as resulting in fatigue and exhaustion; however, stress levels are not high enough to seriously affect their health, condition or performance.