by

Occupational stress is a major health issue in modern work organizations, and management can play an important role in counteracting the effects of occupational stress. The type of leadership style a manager adopts may be influential in how followers perceive and respond to stressors in the work place. Transformational leadership is one of the most studied leadership theories and a substantial body of literature has suggested it is effective in reducing stress. However, little research has explored how this relationship functions. This study investigated the relationship between transformational leadership and stress in a sample of nurse managers. The transactional theory of stress and Job Demand-Control-Support model provided the theoretical framework for this study. According to the transactional theory of stress, stress will not occur if the situation or stressor is appraised as a challenge instead of a threat. Challenge appraisals result when an individual perceives more resources than demands, or perceives the ability to cope. Based on the transactional theory of stress, transformational leaders can influence the amount of stress their subordinates experience by having a direct effect on the individual’s perception of demands, resources, and/or their ability to cope. Therefore it was hypothesized that selected stressors mediate th