Stress and the Psychological Well-Being of Organizational Leaders: A Qualitative Inquiry Into the Coping Strategies Used by School Administrators

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions and opinions of school administrators surrounding workplace stress, its causes, and coping strategies selected to combat stress. This study was designed to elicit responses pertaining to why and how individual administrators experienced and coped with stress factors in the work setting. The study's major findings included: (a) Administrators reported that experiences and or issues pertaining to time management cause the most work related stress, (b) School administrators reported emotional strategies as the most utilized technique to combat stress, and (c) The demographic factor with the most influence on stress and the type of coping strategy utilized is years of experience. The major findings produced implications for current administrative practices as well as future research. Current trends related to stress implies a need for additional professional development, and education on how to cope with stress in a healthy manner for administrators to maintain longevity in the school administrator role