MANAGING STRESS AND COPING

Stress is an adaptive response medicated by individual characteristics and or psychological processes that in consequences of any external action, situation, or event that places special physical and psychological demand upon a person. Three interested dimensions of stress 1.Environment demand referred as stressors produce. 2.An adaptive response that is influenced by . 3.Individual differences.

that

CAUSES OF STRESS

Extra organizati onal Stressors: Social and technological changes. Family problems Relocation Economic and financial condition. Race and Class Residential & Community Conditions.

Organizati onal Stressors

High Stress Jobs Job role Poor working conditions Organization al politics Poor work relationship

Group Stressor s
Absence of group cohesiveness Absence of support from group members Conflicts related to the group

Individual Stressors Role conflict and ambiguity Type A characteristics Locus of control Learned happiness Self efficacy Psychological hardiness

Results in Job Stress in the individual

Administrative policies and strategies:Downsizing, Competitive pressures, Merit pay Plans, Rotating work Plans, Bureaucratic rules, Advanced technology.

Organizational Structure and Design:Centralization and Formalization Line staff conflicts, Specialization, Role ambiguity and conflict, No opportunity for promotion, Restrictive , untrusting culture.

Organizational Processes:- Tight control , Only downward control, Little performance feedback, Centralized decision making, Lack of participation in decision, Punitive appraisal systems. Working Conditions:- 1. Crowded work area, 2. Noise , heat, or cold, 3.polluted air, 4. strong odor, 5.Unsafe, dangerous conditions, 6 .Poor listening, 7.Physical of mental strain, 8. Toxic chemicals or radiation

ORGANIZATIONAL STRESSORS
1.

2.
3.

4.

5.

High Stress Jobs:- High stress jobs are those in which people have hectic work schedule and major job responsibilities. Job Role:-Work overload, insufficient amount of work, role ambiguity, role conflict , and responsibility for the work of others. Poor Working Conditions:- Extreme heat, noise, and overcrowding can result in stress amongst employees. Other potential workplace stressors are improper lighting improper equipment and inadequate work surface. Organizational Politics:-Organizational politics may increase the competition among various group of employees and lead to power struggles between them. Poor Work Relationship:- Bad work relationship with co-workers can also result in stress. In addition to these Problems , women also face other problems such as sexual harassment, discrimination, the inequity in pay scales, balancing work and family demands and role overload.

GROUP STRESSORS
Absence of Group cohesiveness
Absence of Support from other Members Conflicts related to Group

INDIVIDUAL STRESSORS
1.

2.

3.

4.

Role Conflict and Ambiguity:- An individual is a member of various group such as work group, family, community, recreational club etc, these roles place conflicting demands on the individual. Role ambiguity occurs when people do not have complete information or knowledge about task performance. Type A characteristics:- Type A individual is very competitive, highly involved in his work, aggressive, motivated, ambitious, and very conscious of time. At the other extreme type B personalities have a relaxed and balanced approach to work and life. They have confidence in their abilities. Locus of control:- The degree of control that an individual exercises over his work environment is known as locus of control. In other words , if an individual feels that he has no control over his job , he is more likely to feel stressed out. Learned helplessness:- They learn to accept certain stressors as a part of their work life, and believe that nothing they do can change of alter these stressors.

4. Self efficacy:- The self perceptions of how well a

person can cope with situations as they arise.

5. Psychological hardiness:- Psychological

hardiness refers to a persons ability to cope with stress. Some people are able to deal with high levels of stress in an easy, off-hand manner while others may become very nervous and harried when faced with minor stressful situations.

MANAGING BEHAVIOR TO COMBAT STRESS

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

7.

Making time for leisure. Scheduling Priorities. Delegating tasks to others. Focusing on one thing at a time. Understanding ones body rhythms. Turning down requests occasionally. Identifying the sources of stress.

THE EFFECTS OF OCCUPATIONAL STRESS

Various research studies revealed that mild stress, such as a transfer or working under supervisor can improve the performance of individuals. High levels of stress may have an adverse effect on the performance of an individual. The dysfunctional effects of high stress levels can manifest themselves in various forms i.e. physical, psychological, or behavioral problems due to high stress levels.

1.

Physical problems:- Early symptoms of stress are

headaches, increase in blood pressure, sweating, hot flushes, loss of appetite, gastrointestinal disorders, and fatigue.

2.

Psychological Problems:- High level of stress

can make a person feel angry, anxious, bored, depressed, dissatisfied, tense and irritated. Psychological problems, in general, lower the self esteem of employees, resulting on poor performance and job dissatisfaction.

3.

Behavioral Problems:-Sleep disorder, overeating,

loss of appetite, increased smoking of alcohol consumption , use of addictive substances like drugs, rude behavioral changes can affect a persons productivity. In extreme cases high stress levels result in a person becoming violent at the workplace.

STRESS AND PERFORMANCE

Performance

INDIVIDUAL STRATEGIES TO COPE WITH STRESS

1.Problem focused strategies:- In this one can discuss his
problem with his superior, and request for help in the form or time, resources etc. a. Time management: b. Requesting others for help c. shifting to another job.

2.Emotion focused strategies:a. Relaxation:- Relaxation techniques like meditation, hypnosis, and biofeedback. Relaxation techniques helps bring down anxiety, depression, and hostility. b. Exercise:- People who exercise regularly experience lower levels of anxiety , depression, and stress than those who do not exercise at all.

b. Psychological strategies:- This will make a

person perceptive to early signs of stress and thus help him to manage stress effectively.

c.

Recreation:- Depending on their tastes, individual

can engage in diverse recreational activities and hobbies lime reading, dancing, horse-riding, singing, etc.

d. Companionship:- People who have close and

supportive relationships with their friends tend to experience lower levels of stress.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGIES TO COPE WITH STRESS

Problem- focused strategies:- redesigning the job, proper selection and placement, training, team building, and providing day care facilities. Redesigning the job:- work in flexible shifts so that they can strike a balance between their personal and professional communities. Proper selection and placement:-Organization should clarify what the educational qualification, experience, skills and abilities that an employee posses to handle a particular job. Training:- Training will develop necessary skills to perform their job effectively. Team Building:- Team building enhances camaraderie within the team and helps employees cooperate with one another to achieve organizational goals. Providing various day care facilities:- Many organizations provide in-house facilities in which employees can tame care of their children and their elderly parents or relatives.

Emotion-focused strategies

Promoting open communication within the organization:-Organization should encourage two-way communication, so that employees feel that they are an integral part of the organization. Employee assistance programs:- Organizations also provide help for other employee problems not related to work, such as health, finance and family because they realize that these problems also effect employee performance. Mentoring:-Senior employees help the inexperienced employees understand their job responsibilities and guide them on how to improve their performance. Wellness programs and personal time off:-To improve the physical and mental condition of the employee . Workshops conducted by organizations to take their employees quit smoking, prevent drug abuse, control alcohol consumption, and develop a regular exercise regimen.