Work-related stress issues are always relevant because of their huge impact on productivity and success; not just as individuals, but as organizations and even as nations. Research shows that stress levels in the workplace continue to impact our performance and bottom line.
Stress is not always negative. In fact, some of us thrive on a certain level of stress to motivate us and get things done. Stress can feel like a normal part of our everyday life or it can feel overwhelming and out of our control. There are different levels of stress and our perception of stress may differ.
The Extended DISC® assessment focuses on behavioral stress which is defined as the external pressure the person feels to move away from their comfort zone. The pressure causes the person to try adjusting their style to meet the demands of their current environment.
We look at negative stress statistics for different countries to help us compare global stress trends. The National Stress Indicator™ (NSI™) measures the amount of negative stress pressure a group of individuals feel they face. The NSI™ does not measure a stress that the person feels they are in control over and accepts.
The NSI™ is a unique outcome of Extended DISC’s continuous global research and interest in understanding, not only individuals, teams and corporations, but entire nations as well.
The population data for the NSI™ is collected from the users of the Extended DISC® System around the world. The Extended DISC® Personal Analysis generates Profiles which measure a person's natural behavioral preference, as well as how the person feels the current environment pushes them to adjust their behavior to better meet to the demands of the environment.
Every Profile result receives a stress score, from 0 to 5, that is based on identified negative stress indicators. A Profile with no indication of any negative pressure receives a score of zero. The highest possible score is 5. The higher the NSI™ score, the less balanced, peaceful, and secure the population feels the environment is. The lower the NSI™ score, the more balanced, peaceful, and secure the population feels the environment is.
The final NSI™ data is compiled from a well-represented sample size of the average working adult population in each country and their stress index.
In the most recent 2017 data*, the USA had a NSI™ of 1.54, whereas Poland has a score of 2.18. Similarly, Canada and United Kingdom had scores of 1.50 and 1.55 respectively. Furthermore, we can look back on past scores to help identify stress trends.
The NSI™ scores can be calculated for an organization. It would need to be compared to a benchmark for any interpretation. Furthermore, all employees of the organization need to be a part of the database for the score to accurately reflect the stress index of the organization.
The National Stress Indicator™ (NSI™) may not provide simple answers, but its purpose is to provide information for societies to think about and create dialogue for improved stress management. Furthermore, we could discuss, not only workplace stress, but also general attitudes toward work and individualism.
* Source: Extended DISC & FinxS – Validation Report 2017