3. Professional determinants of stress

Because stress is an essentially felt phenomenon, it lends itself well to considerations which do not exclude ideological postures. A purely individualistic or purely collective view of the determinants of stress in the workplace is often opposed.

The reality is obviously mixed, and the psychosocial risk factors at work highlighted by scientific studies can, according to the College of Experts convened by INSEE , can be grouped under six headings (see Box 3). Among these many factors, those of particular relevance to engineers and managers are :

• the content of the work, particularly in...