Work Stress

- AN INSIGHT
 Stress
Ø Stress is a state of tension experienced by individuals
facing extraordinary demands, constraints or
opportunities.
Ø Stress is a condition or feeling experienced when a person
perceives that “demands exceed the personal and social
resources the individual is able to mobilize”.
Ø The pressure of modern life, coupled with the demands of
a job, can lead to emotional imbalances - stress.
 s = p > r
Stress occurs when the pressure is greater


than
the resource

TWO FACES OF STRESS

High  Constructive  Destructive

Stress  stress 

Low 

    Low     Moderate       High 
  Constructive stress
Ø Acts in a positive manner for the individual and the organization.
Ø Indicates a situation where the individual is in balance or within
tolerable limits.
 Destructive stress
Ø Not healthy for the individual and the organization.
Ø Indicate effects that are out of balance or outside the tolerance
limit.

 Optimum level of stress
Ø The important key is to find out an appropriate amount of stress
for the organization in general and for each individual in
particular.
Ø Thus, we are concerned with maintaining balance and
equilibrium.
Ø For example,
Ø Uncertainty can lead to distress, but so can certainty or over control.
Ø Performance evaluation can lead to distress, but so can lack of
feedback regarding the efforts.
 NATURE OF STRESS

 Positive
Stress
 Negative Stress
 POSITIVE STRESS
ØStress can also have a positive effect, spurring
motivation and awareness, providing the
stimulation to cope with challenging situations.
ØStress also provides the sense of urgency and
alertness needed for survival when confronting
threatening situations.
 NEGATIVE STRESS
ØIt is a contributory factor in minor conditions, such as
headaches, digestive problems, skin complaints,
insomnia and ulcers.
ØExcessive, prolonged and unrelieved stress can have a
harmful effect on mental, physical and spiritual
health.
 Symptoms of stress
- Lack of appetite
- Craving for food when under pressure
 Biological - Frequent indigestion
- Nervous twitches

­ Negativism
- Expression of boredom & dissatisfaction
Psyc ho lo gic al - Forgetfulness
- Inability to concentrate

­ Dread of future
- Sudden changes in weight
Be havio ural - Smoking habits
- Use of alcohol
SOURCES OF
STRESS
 What is it???
ØStressors are the things that cause stress
ØIt is important for the managers to 
understand and recognize stressors 
because they are job­related stress
ØThey influence the work attitude and 
behavior
 MAJOR SOURSES OF STRESS
 OCCUPATIONAL DEMANDS


ü Some jobs are more stressful then others

ü Higher level jobs contain high amount of in-built stress in
form of time pressures ,too many meetings, difficulties in
meeting standards ,inter-personal games etc.
ü Lower level jobs contain stress-producing situations that
emerge on technical grounds or role frustration
ü The more interdependence between a persons task and the
task of others ,the more potential stress there is.
ü The following jobs are considered to be more stressful:
ü Laborer
ü Secretary
 ROLE CONFLICT
A Role is a general set of guidelines indicating how


persons holding certain positions should or ought to

behave.


Types Of Role Conflict



o Intrasender conflict
o Intersender conflict
o Interrole conflict
o Person-role conflict
 ROLE AMBIGUITY

Oc c urs whe n po sitio n ho lde rs are  unc e rtain abo ut 

limits o f the ir autho rity and that o f o the rs, c o mpany rule s, jo b 
se c urity and the  me tho ds use d to  e valuate  the ir wo rk. It is 
re late d to  lo w jo b satisfac tio n and to  fe e ling  o f jo b re late d 
thre ats to  me ntal and physic al we ll be ing

ROLE OVERLOAD

Pe rso ns who  expe rie nc e  this c o nditio n sho w c le ar 

signs of stress and report health problems

ROLE UNDERROLE

Having nothing to do or being asked to do too little in ones 
work can also be quite stressful. This could lead to low self esteem, 
increased frequency of nervous symptoms and complaints, 
increased health problems
 INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS

Poor interpersonal relationships in organization results in stress. 
Three aspects of job stress which have negative influence are
ØAmount of contact with others
ØAmount of contact with people in other departments
ØOrganizational climate 

INEFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Stress can result from lack of communication or from a right kind of 
communication at the right time

RESPONSIBILITY
Different types of responsibility, function differently as stresses. 
This can be classified in terms of responsibility of people verses 
responsibility of things

JOB CHANGE
Individuals and work undergo constant changes as organizations 
try to become more competitive and aggressive in the marketplace. These 
changes can cause stress for the job holder. 
 CLIMATE WITHIN A COMPANY

Physical surroundings, psychological climate and faulty job designs 
produce  lot of stress for people working in companies

THE IMPACT OF LIFE CHANGE

Traumatic experiences in life can have significant impact on the 
psychological well­being of individual.

TYPE A AND TYPE B PERSONALITIES

Type A personalities are more prone to stress than type B’s

EXTERNALS VS INTERNALS AND THE BELIEF IN EXTERNAL LOCUS OF

CONTROL

A person’s belief in locus of control is related to susceptibility to job 
stress. Internals generally describe their job are less stressful than externals.

OTHER REASONS

Excessive rules and regulations could also act as powerful forces of stress
 CONSEQUENCES OF STRESS
 Subjective Effects
 Anxiety
 Aggression
 Bad Temper
 Behavioral Effects
 Accident Proneness
 Excitability
 Drug Use
 Cognitive Effects
 Decision Making
 Forgetfulness
 Mental Blocks
 CONTD .…
 Physiological Effects
 Increased Blood Pressure
 Increased Heart Rate
 Sweating


 Organizational Effects
 Absenteeism
 Poor productivity
 Job dissatisfaction
MANAGING
STRESS
 Individuals
Coping strategies
 Time management
 Time thoughts
 You cannot control how much time you have but you
can control how to use it
 Time cannot be managed like other resources, rather

you have to manage yourself in relation to time.



 Tips for time management:

 carry your ‘to do’ list with you at all times.
 Write a new list every day.

 Do the most difficult part first

 Ask yourself “ is this important?”.

 Review the list in the evening.


 Exercise
 Exercise reduces depression , anxiety and
phobias.
 When you do the exercise regularly, the day-long
tension on the job is given a decent burial.
 The benefits of exercise for overall health and to
the cardiac – disease.
 Not surprisingly, many organizations nowadays
encourage their executives to be physically fit
and active.
 Meditation and relaxation
 Mind gets the needed relaxation when we engage
in a creative hobby like painting , gardening
,etc.,
 The wonderful effects of prayer as a relaxation
measure have well-documented in our ancient
scriptures.
 Meditation is a way of focusing on something in a
relaxed state in a serene and quite environment.
 You can focus on muscular relaxation , an image ,
an object , a symbol , a point or anything you
like.
 Organizational coping strategies
 Stress management includes stress prevention as
well. This is best achieved through certain organizational
coping strategies, which includes:


Ø ROLE CLARITY
 Define employee roles clearly.
 Employees must have a clear understanding of the job.

 Stress ,most often , occurs when employees are not

very sure about their work roles or fear they cannot

do their jobs.


Ø SUPPORTIVE CLIMATE
 Factor such as freedom to think and act independently ,
participative decision making, friendly conversation –
all help in reducing stress levels in an organization.
 If supportive climate builds among employees they will

be quite happy to help management, when required.


Ø CLEAR CAREER PATHS
 To reduce uncertainty , each employee must be

sure of where he is heading.

 A clear career path and the job rewards and

benefits that follows committed service would

reducing stress levels greatly.


Ø COMPANY-WIDE PROGRAMMES
 Variety of programme’s can be used to manage work
stress. These include:
 Job enrichment
 Employee Counseling
 Training and Development
 Establishing work groups
 Establishing Variable work schedules

BURNOUT
 What is it?
Burnout is a state of frustration bought by
Ø Devotion to a cause.
Ø Way of life.
Ø Relationship that failed to produce the
expected reward .
o
Everyone is a potential candidate for burn out.

The most likely person to face this serious

problem is the Over-achiever.


 Stressors Leading to Burnout
Ø Personal factors- age, gender, children,
education, experience, and favored coping
style.


Ø Job Related Conditions



Ø Conflicting Demands- balancing work and

family


Ø Technology


Ø Lack of Balance in Life- inability of a person to

set limits
o
 Job person mismatch
Ø Work overload
Ø Lack of control
Ø Insufficient rewards
Ø Breakdown of community
Ø Absence of fairness
Ø Value conflicts
 Outcomes of burnout


Ø Poor quality of work

Ø Low morale
Ø Absenteeism
Ø Turn over
Ø Health problems
Ø Depression
Ø Family problems
 What beliefs contribute to
burnout?
o My efforts will always be appreciated by
others.
o There is status and prestige in holding my
position.
o I can make dramatic changes through my
efforts.


Some tips for handling burnout



* Recognize the symptoms of burnout.

* Learn to ask for help.
* Be aware of the limitations of your family,
your job and yourself.
* Maintain discipline in daily responsibilities
and duties.
* Take time out during the day.
 Symptoms of burnout
o
o Chronic fatigue
o
o Anger at those making demands
o
o Self-criticism for putting up with demands
o
o Sense of being tensed
o
 Prevention of Burnout
o
 * Identify goals and evaluate accordingly both at
home and on the job.
* Seek out helpful supervision for your work both
at home and on the job.
* Develop an active outside life with a variety of
interests.
* Encourage and practice good communication
skills.
* Provide for flexible working conditions.
* Seek out encouragement for trying new ideas.
* "decompression techniques'‘ like meditation or
exercise that relieve tension and put you
into a more relaxed state.
* Build a support system for yourself with those
who can discuss your problems and help look for
solutions.
GOOD MANAGEMENT IS
STRESS MANAGEMENT