Posted on 05/04/2010 5:42:41 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Swede stress lowest in the world: study
Published: 3 May 10 08:30 CET
Swedish business leaders suffer the lowest levels of stress in the world, far behind their Chinese and Mexican counterparts, according to a new survey published by US consultancy firm Grant Thornton.
Only 23 percent of Swedish business leaders experienced themselves to be more stressed in November 2009 in comparison to a year before, in contrast to 76 percent in mainland China, according to the Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR).
The report surveyed 7,400 privately-owned businesses in 36 countries in November 2009 and found that Chinese (76), Mexican (74), Turkish (72), Vietnamese (72) and Greek (68) business leaders experienced the highest levels of increased stress.
The cool Swedish business leaders were joined by the Danes (25), Finns (33), Australians (35) and Canadians (36) in enjoying the lowest levels of increased stress worldwide, with the global average being 56.
Business leaders were asked about the major causes of workplace stress. The most common cause was the economic climate with 38 percent, followed by pressure on cash flow (26), competitor activities (21), and heavy workload (19).
The report indicated that there was a link between GDP growth and stress levels with business leaders in many of the faster developing countries experiencing higher levels of increased stress. Although Ireland, Spain and Greece also rated highly on the tables.
The study also appeared to establish a link between holidays and stress with countries at the top of the stress league being those where business owners take fewer holiday days each year.
Typically business leaders in northern European countries take the greatest number of holiday days with the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Finland all taking between 22 and 24 days per annum with correspondingly relative low stress levels as a result. By contrast in Vietnam, rated third in the stress league, business owners take an average of only seven days of annual holiday.
Grant Thornton launched a major annual survey of the attitudes and expectations of small and medium-sized businesses in European countries in 1992, it was expanded to cover the global environment in 2003.
P!
And Saab/Volvo are bankrupt.
If I lived in a Socialist state with cradle-to-grave welfare, I’d have low stress too. Ptooey!...
Then, when they've become successful, they can buy a Volvo.
Or, it they don't care about repair costs, a Saab.
If your job is secure no matter what results you get, why be stressed?
Federal, state, & local govt. employees least stressed in the U.S., I’ll bet.
We’ve got job cuts at the county level in my area.
How do they measure “stress”? With some sort of “stress-o-meter”?
In Mexico kidnaping is a way of life, and in China they execute businessmen considered unscrupulous. So, no surprise.
Maybe it’s hip in Sweden to think of yourself as unstressed. And maybe in China it’s hip to think of yourself as a stressed out hard worker.
Thanks to Obama, we will soon be experiencing the same mellowness that now occupies Sweden ... Socialist state with cradle-to-grave welfare. ;-)
On the other hand, in Sweden, people do not see it as hip. So no need for biz people to act "busy."
In China, there is a lot of business who sprang up in last decade or so, and rapidly expanding. He is growing but it is not secure. You not only have to attend to typical business activities, but also grease party bosses regularly to buy their favor. Every official hits you for money. You have to decide which one you befriend or which one to ignore. The wrong decision could cost you entire business and earn long jail time. Besides, your books are mostly likely cooked and financing is precarious. You have so many things which can easily go wrong. As young start-ups in a country which does not have long history of modern market economy, many biz folks are flying blind, because they never did it before. Sure lots of people from outside giving you advice, but you have not done it yourself and nobody close to them whose advice you can trust.
I don't think Swedes have to worry about these things.
And there will be no Swedes in, oh, about forty years.
I am spending a bit of time in China these days and when I say that the Europeans have a thirty hour work week, the Chinese ask, “Why would they only want to work two days a week?”
Good question.
I recall reading that Sweden’s GDP is about the same level as Mississippi’s, our poorest state.
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