Group-Based Cognitive Behavioral Training Improves Mental Health of SME Entrepreneurs: Experimental Evidence from Conflict-Affected Areas of Pakistan

Saraf, Priyam; Rahman, Tasmia; Jamison, Jennifer R.

doi:10.1596/1813-9450-8872

Cited by 5 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Including information about the stress process (stressors – stress appraisals – strains) would be especially useful because cognitive-behavioral interventions, in which individuals are educated about the role of their thoughts and emotions in managing stress, are the most effective training programs (Richardson and Rothstein, 2008). Recent research provides evidence that cognitive-behavioral interventions to alter mindsets have been effective for improving the mental health and well-being of entrepreneurs of small and medium-sized enterprises (Saraf et al , 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Appraisals matter: relationships between entrepreneurs' stress appraisals and venture-based outcomes

Bennett¹,

Lanivich²,

Gharagozloo³

et al. 2021

IJEBR

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate how stress appraisals (i.e. cognitive evaluations) influence entrepreneurial outcomes like expected financial well-being, life satisfaction, business growth and exit intentions.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a mixed-methods approach to provide methodological triangulation by analyzing data from two independent samples (qualitative data from 100 entrepreneurs in Study 1; quantitative regression analysis of a sample of 142 entrepreneurs in Study 2).FindingsResults from the qualitative exploration (Study 1) show that entrepreneurs appraised venture-related stressors differently as a challenge, threat or hindrance. The quantitative study (Study 2) found that challenge stress appraisals were positively related to expected financial well-being and expected life satisfaction, threat stress appraisals were negatively related to expected financial well-being and positively related to business exit intentions, and hindrance stress appraisals were positively related to expected business growth and negatively related to business exit intentions.Originality/valueMost entrepreneurship research focuses on stressors rather than appraisals of the stressor. Drawing upon the transactional theory of stress that explains how stress appraisals are an important consideration for understanding the stress process, these two studies showed that stress appraisals differ for each entrepreneur (Study 1) and that stress appraisals explain more variance in many entrepreneurial outcomes than stressors (Study 2).

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Appraisals matter: relationships between entrepreneurs' stress appraisals and venture-based outcomes

Bennett¹,

Lanivich²,

Gharagozloo³

et al. 2021

IJEBR

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The gender distribution showed to be either more male or more female. A higher ratio of men was found in Saraf et al [43] (95.7%), Takao et al [41] and Busch et al [42](mostly male). A higher proportion of women was found in Schwatka et al [40] (74%), Martin et al [44] (57-71%, depending on the group) and Hansen et al [39] (mostly female, although the information was only available for one intervention group).…”

Section: Study Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 66%

“…If specified in the studies, the size of the SMEs ranged from less than 20 employees [39] to less than 500 employees [40]. Also, the occupational sectors were found to be heterogeneous across and within the studies, varying from a sake brewery [41] to the social assistance sector [40] to small craft businesses (e.g., hairdresser or painter [42]), as well as mixed samples in Saraf et al [43] (service sector, manufacturing and retailing), Martin et al [44]( transport, finance and retail) and Schwatka et al [45]. The gender distribution showed to be either more male or more female.…”

Section: Study Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the RCT by Saraf et al [43], the authors tested a five-week, group-based CBT intervention called Problem Management Plus for Entrepreneurs (PM+E) in a region affected by "fragility, conflict, and violence" in Pakistan. Recruited via a cash grants programme, all included SME leaders in both groups received about USD 14,300 to rebuild or establish a business in Pakistan.…”

Section: Cbt-based and Goal-oriented Interventionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Improving Well-Being and Fostering Health-Oriented Leadership among Leaders in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs): A Systematic Review

Erschens,

Adam,

Schröpel

et al. 2024

Healthcare

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Leaders of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are often confronted with specific burdens, which frequently result in increased levels of stress. Leadership behaviour, in turn, has a significant impact on employees’ health and performance. Using the Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome (PICO) method, we conducted a systematic literature search covering publications from 2002 to 2023 using PubMed, PsycInfo and Business Source Premier on stress-reducing and well-being-improving interventions for SME leaders. The Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) Quality Assessment Tool was used to assess the methodological quality and risk of bias of the included studies regarding selection bias, study design, confounders, blinding, data collection, withdrawal and drop-out. Of the 3150 identified publications, 6 were included after screening. The studies varied in content (cognitive behavioural therapy [CBT]-based, psychoeducation, and mixed interventions) and approach (individual- and organisation-centred). Not all of the examined interventions provided significant outcomes. However, CBT-based and individualised approaches showed a positive trend in reducing SME leaders’ psychosocial stress and improving their well-being. Despite the limited data, it can be concluded that such interventions are beneficial for leaders and their specific needs. Future research should focus on tailored approaches, derived from well-founded theories and integrative interventions addressing SME leaders.

show abstract

“…Literature from the field of small business economies and cognitive psychology reveals high levels of psychological problems among small enterprise employees, which makes them more susceptible to job strain, hence depleting their working memory, compared to employees of large firms (Saraf et al , 2019). Relatedly, research has indicated that the psychological health of small enterprise employees is generally worse than that of those in big business (Luo et al , 2012b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychological well-being of small enterprise employees: a multi-theoretical perspective

Tabala,

Munene,

Kagaari

et al. 2023

IJOA

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose This paper aims to suggest a multi-theoretical explanation using a success story to explain psychological well-being (PWB) among employees of K.C, a small enterprise found in Uganda, a developing country in Africa. Design/methodology/approach The study used qualitative methodology. Based on in-depth interviews with K.C employees, a story was developed describing the practical experience, focusing on the context, actions, results and lessons learnt. Regarding the sample size, the saturation point was attained on the seventh participant. Findings Findings reveal that employees that possess psychological capital set targets and generate avenues that allow them to achieve set goals, with personal initiative that makes them proactive to accomplish work tasks and individual adaptability that enables them to adjust their emotions and behavior to fit in a complex working environment, which makes them to think, feel and act positively. Furthermore, several theories, including broaden and build, personal initiative and complex adaptive systems theory, explain the manifestations of PWB of employees in small enterprises. Research limitations/implications The study was limited by focusing on the context of a small enterprise. Future research may investigate other study contexts whose findings might be different. In addition, the study being hypothetical lacked statistical testing. It would be a meaningful effort if future studies statistically tested the suggested model. Irrespective of the limitations, the findings of this study remain significant. Practical implications In practice, employees may replicate these findings to nurture PWB which eventually contributes to enterprises’ success. This could provide answers to the psychological challenges experienced by employees of small enterprises, especially in the African developing countries like Uganda where this is a major challenge. Specifically, the workers of K.C enterprise may depend on their PWB to deal with workplace challenges and sustain the enterprise’s performance. Social implications Socially, there is need to embrace positive social relationships among employees at the work place which will translate into well-being of society. Originality/value This paper is exceptional because it uses a success story showing practical experiences of how PWB of employees in small enterprises is nurtured in Uganda. In addition, a multi-theoretical perspective is used to explain the manifestations in the story, which is the greatest contribution of this paper. Further, a conceptual model is still proposed, depicting psychological capital, personal initiative and individual adaptability as antecedents of PWB.

show abstract

Group-Based Cognitive Behavioral Training Improves Mental Health of SME Entrepreneurs: Experimental Evidence from Conflict-Affected Areas of Pakistan

Cited by 5 publications

References 0 publications

Appraisals matter: relationships between entrepreneurs' stress appraisals and venture-based outcomes

Appraisals matter: relationships between entrepreneurs' stress appraisals and venture-based outcomes

Improving Well-Being and Fostering Health-Oriented Leadership among Leaders in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs): A Systematic Review

Psychological well-being of small enterprise employees: a multi-theoretical perspective

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About