A critical incident analysis of stress-coping behaviours at work

Several instruments have been developed to assess coping strategies used by individuals during stressful transactions, but many of these focus on global styles of coping, rather than the specific behaviours which individuals engage in. Also, coping measures often do not link coping responses with specific stressors, nor do they gauge the outcomes of different actions taken by an individual experiencing strain. This article explores the use of critical incident analysis (CIA) to identify stress-coping behaviours. CIA focuses on three components of a stressful transaction : the stressor(s), the behavioural responses of the individual and the consequences of those responses. While some previous studies have utilized this technique, the present research examined these three components concurrently, in the arena of work-related strain. Advantages and limitations of CIA for exploring coping with job stress are highlighted.