Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the level of stress that managers experience at workplace, and to determine possible differences between the selected independent variables, including gender, age and participation in recreational sports, and the level of occupational stress experienced.
Methods: We studied a sample of 85 managers from randomly selected Slovene companies. The data obtained were processed by the SPSS computer programme and analysed by the following statistical methods: descriptive statistics and frequency distribution for variables; t-test to examine the statistical signifcance of differences between the genders concerning the experience of stress symptoms; and ANOVA to examine statistical signifcance of differences between age groups and physical activity of groups in terms of stress symptoms. All our statistically significant conclusions were drawn at a 95% confidence interval.
Results: The participants assessed their work-related stress as moderate. There were no statistically significant differences in their experiencing of occupational stress with respect to the selected socio-demographic variables, i.e. gender and age. However, the participating managers differed significantly in two variables, i.e. participation in recreational sports activities and experience of occupational stress. The lowest level of stress was experienced by managers practicing recreational sports at least three times a week, and the highest in those not engaged in any recreational sports activities.
Conclusion: Managers who often experience stress need to adopt healthier, more physically active, lifestyles.
