STRESSMANAGEMENT

Dr.M.C.Agarwal Dr. M.C.Agarwal

StressManagement
WhatisStress? Stress is a dynamic condition in which an individual is confronted with an opportunity, demand, or resource related to what the individual desires and for which the outcome is perceived to be both uncertain and important.

StressManagement
Components of Stress: Stress is not necessarily bad itself. Although stress is typically discussed in a negative context, it also has a positive value. Many professionals see the pressures of heavy work loads and deadlines as positive challenges that enhance the quality of their work and the satisfaction they get from their job. Many professionals see the pressures of heavy work y p p y loads and deadlines as positive challenges that enhance the quality of their work and the satisfaction they get from their job. j

StressManagement
Challenge stressors or stressors associated with work load, pressure to complete tasks, and time urgencyoperate quite differently from hindrance stressors or stressors that keep you from reaching your goals ( d tape, office politics, confusion over l (red ffi li i f i job responsibilities. Evidence suggests that challenge stressors are less harmful (produce less strain) then hindrance stressors.

StressManagement
Stress is associated with demands and resources. Demands are responsibilities, pressures, obligations, and even uncertainties that individuals face in the workplace. Resources are things within an i di id l control that can b hi i hi individuals l h be used to resolve the demands.

StressManagement
When you undergo your annual performance review at work you feel stress because you confront work, opportunities and performance pressures. A good performance review may l d t a promotion, greater f i lead to ti t responsibilities, and a higher salary. A poor review may prevent you f from getting a promotion. A i i An extremely poor review might even result in your being fired. If you are prepared, placing the review in perspective, or obtaining social support you will feel less stress.

StressManagement
Research suggests that adequate resources help reduce th stressful nature of d d the t f l t f demands when d h demands and resources match. For example, if emotional demands are stressing you, then having emotional resources in the form of social support is especially important.

AModelofStress
PotentialSources
EnvironmentalFactors
Economicuncertainty Politicaluncertainty Technologicalchange Individualdifferences

Consequences
Physiologicalsymptoms y g y p Headaches
Highbloodpressure Heartdisease

Perception Job experience Jobexperience Socialsupport Beliefinlocusof control Self efficacy Selfefficacy Hostility

OrganizationalFactors Taskdemands Roledemands Interpersonaldemands

Psychologicalsymptoms Anxiety

Experiencedstress

Depression Decreaseinjob satisfaction

PersonalFactors Familyproblems Economicproblems Personality

Behavioralsymptoms Productivity
Absenteeism Turnover Turnover

PotentialSourcesofStress
EnvironmentalFactors Changes in the business cycle create economic g y uncertainties. When the economy is contracting, for example, people become increasingly anxious about their job security. j y Political uncertainties tend to create stress among employees. p y Technological change is a third type of environmental factor that can cause stress stress. Because new innovations can make an employees skills and experience obsolete in a very short time.

Potential SourcesofStress
OrganizationalFactors Task demands are factors related to a persons job. They include the design of the individuals job (autonomy, task variety, degree of automation), working conditions, and the physical work layout can put pressure on people. t l

PotentialSourcesofStress
OrganizationalFactors
Role demands relate to pressure placed on person as a function of the particular role she plays in the organization. Role conflicts create expectations that may be hard to reconcile or satisfy Role overload is satisfy. experienced when the employee is expected to do more than time permits Role ambiguity is created when role expectations are not clearly understood and the employee is not sure what he or she is to do. Interpersonal d l demands are pressure created b other d d by h employees. Lack of social support from colleagues and poor interpersonal relationship can cause stress stress.

PotentialSourcesofStress
PersonalFactors l People hold family and personal relationship dear. Marital difficulties, the breaking off a relationship, and discipline trouble with children are examples of relationship problems that create stress f l i hi bl h for employees. Economic problems some people are poor money managers or have wants that always seem to exceed their earning capacity.

PotentialSourcesofStress
PersonalFactors Some people may have an inherent tendency to accentuate negative aspects of the world in g general. A significant individual factor that g influences stress is a persons basic disposition. That is a stress symptoms expressed on the job may actually originate in the persons personality

PotentialSourcesofStress
IndividualDifferences What individual difference variables moderate the Whatindividualdifferencevariablesmoderatethe relationshipbetweenpotentialstressorsand experiencedstress.Thesevariablesareperception, jobexperience,socialsupportandpersonality Employeesreactinresponsetotheirperceptionof realityratherthanrealityitself.

PotentialSourcesofStress
IndividualDifferences Perception will moderate the relationship between a potential stress condition and an employees reaction to it. For example, one persons fear that hell lose his job because his company is laying off personnel may be perceived by another as an opportunity t get a l t it to t large severance allowance and ll d start his own business. Experience on the job tends to be negatively related to work stress. Two explanations have been offered.

PotentialSourcesofStress
First is the idea of selective withdrawal. Voluntary turnover is more probable among people who experience more stress. Therefore, people who remain with an organization longer are those with more stressresistant traits or those who are more i i h h resistant to the stress characteristics of their organization. Second, organization Second people eventually develop coping mechanisms to deal with stress. Because this takes time, senior members of the organization , g are more likely to be fully adapted and should experience less stress.

PotentialSourcesofStress
Socialsupportthatis,collegialrelationshipswith coworkersorsupervisors canbuffertheimpact k i b ff th i t ofstress. Thelogicunderlinethismoderatingvariableisthat socialsupportactsasapalliative,mitigatingthe negativeeffectsofevenhighstrainjobs. negative effects of even highstrain jobs Personalityaffectsthedegreetowhichpeople y g p p experiencestressandhowtheycopewithit.

PotentialSourcesofStress
Perhapsthemostwidelystudiedpersonalitytraits p y p y instressistypeApersonality. Morespecially,peoplewhoarequicktoanger, maintainapersistentlyhostileoutlook,and projectacynicalmistrustofothersareat increasedriskofexperiencingstressinsituations.

ConsequencesofStressManagement
Physiological symptoms stress could create changes in metabolism increase heart and metabolism, breathing rates, increase blood pressure, bring on headaches, and induce heart attacks. Psychological Symptoms Stress can cause dissatisfaction. J b l t d stress can cause j b di ti f ti Jobrelated t job related dissatisfaction. But stress shows itself in other psychological statesfor instance tension states for instance, tension, anxiety, irritability, boredom, and procrastination.

ConsequencesofStressManagement
Behavioral symptoms Behaviorrelated stress Behavior related symptoms include changes in productivity, absence, and turnover, as well as changes in eating habits, increased smoking or consumption of alcohol, rapid g p , p speech, fidgeting, and sleep disorders.

ManagingStress
Individual Approaches An Employee can take personal responsibility for reducing stress levels. Individual strategies that have proven effective include techniques, implementing increasing timemanagement physical exercise,

relaxation training, and expanding the social g, p g support network.

ManagingStress
Organizational Approaches Several of the factors that cause stress particularly task and role demands are controlled by management. As such, they can be modified or changed. Strategies that management might want to consider include improved personnel selection and job placement, training, use of realistic goal setting, redesigning of jobs, increased employee involvement, improved organizational communication, offering employee sabbaticals, and establishment of corporate wellness programs.

Managing Stress
Threequestionstoanswer 1.Dothecausesofstressvaryacrosscountries? 2 Do the outcomes of stress vary across 2.Dotheoutcomesofstressvaryacross cultures? 3.Dothefactorsthatlessentheeffectsof y y stressvarybyculture?