Samenvatting

What causes occupational stress in the Dutch judicial organization? And what can be done to moderate the effects? This article addresses these questions from an organizational perspective. The well-known job demand/job control-model (Karasek) and sociotechnical principles for organizational design are used as a theoretical framework. Increasing job demands (workload, complexity) combined with reduced opportunities for individual judicial professionals to control their work are considered root causes for organizational stress. In addition to these factors, the specific characteristics of the judicial organizational culture should also be acknowledged. This culture is based on a strong emphasis on individual professional performance and responsibility, making it a complex task to mitigate occupational stress from an organizational perspective. A short overview of recent developments to manage occupational stress in the Dutch judicial organization concludes the article.