Executive travel stress: Perils of the road warrior

Abstract

An important but rarely studied organizational activity is executive travel, a process that may be even more significant in this era of globalization, mergers, nation-state economic development and growth, and free-market strategic alliance building. Executive travel and the stress it may create is also a process that can cause emotional upset, physical illness, decreased performance, and problems in achieving company objectives. While travelers-be they businesspeople, politicians, or diplomats-can testify to the problems that being on the road may bring, a systematic discussion of this issue is necessary. None of the current models of occupational stress address this concern, and organizations have generally not effectively prepared their employees to withstand this stress. This article reviews the concept of travel stress among business executives, including the sources and the potential impact of stress before, during, and after travel. We offer both organizational and individual interventions for preventing and coping with the kinds of problems that often result from traveling on business domestically and internationally.