TOPIC

Stress What is it?

Stress physiological and psychological responses to events in the environment

Eustress: good stress Distress: bad stress

Physiological Effects
Alarm: preparation of body for fight or flight Resistance: maintain state of elevated preparation Exhaustion: when demands exceed bodys capabilities

Stress More Background

Where does stress come from?

Major life events? Daily hassles: frequency, intensity, duration

Job satisfaction and stress those who enjoy work suffer less impact from stressful events

Stress in the Workplace

46% of workers find job to be extremely stressful Cost of stress related disorders is estimated to be $150 billion a year Stress related disorders comprise 14% of workers compensation cases

Individual Differences in Coping

Social Support Job Skill the more skilled at job, the less stress Physical Health good health leads to reduced impact of stress Type A/Type B Personality Type A personality reflected by competitiveness, inflated sense of time urgency, hostility

TYPE A OR TYPE B PERSONALITY

Every person on this planet has a different and unique personality. However, each individual personality can be placed into one of two groups: Type A or Type B.

TYPE B PERSONALITY
The Type B personality is the norm It's the average person. They are at most times calm and collected It takes a lot to irritate them. Type B people are patient.

TYPE A PERSONALITY
They are not the calmest of people and are rarely fully collected. Type A people get irritated much more easily than type B people do. They become impatient when waiting in lines at the grocery store. They often are in a rush. They hate to waste time and often become angry when things slow them down.

Type A Personality
Hostility component of Type A personality is linked to heart disease Type A individuals, in essence, create more stress for themselves Type B individuals rarely have heart attacks before the age of 70

More Individual Differences

Job Complexity :increased complexity leads to heart disease in Type A individuals. But, complexity also is linked to job satisfaction!! Locus of Control :locus of control is linked to reduced impact of stress

There are tow types of Locus of control. 1. Internal locus of control. 2. External locus of control.

Negative Affectivity : A tendency to focus on the negative aspects of life. Linked to high levels of stress

Hardiness
An ability to resist the effect of stress, and to avoid becoming ill as a result. Hardy individuals possess 3 characteristics. 1. View stressful events as challenges or opportunities rather than threats. 2. Committed to whatever they are doing. 3. Have a sense of control over what they are doing

Even More Individual Differences

Organization-based Self Esteem : our assessment of our adequacy and worth with regard to our place in the employing organization (job specific self esteem) Gender Differences : Female managers face more stressors than do male managers (e.g., role conflict, discrimination, harassment)

Stress and Type of Occupation

Clerical and blue collar workers suffer the most stress due to a relative lack of control Most stressful professions include: laborer, secretary, clinical lab. technician, nurse, first-line supervisor, restaurant server, machine operator, farm worker, miner One of the least stressful professions is college professor.

Causes of Stress in the Workplace

Work overload
Quantitative: too much to do in too short a time Qualitative: work that is too difficult

Work under load : work that is too simple or

insufficient to fill ones time. Both of these impact stress and health, appears that a moderate amount of stress is optimal

Causes of Stress - Continued

Organizational Change : if not hardy, change causes stress in individuals. Can be reduced by including employees in planning Role Ambiguity : unstructured or poorly defined job responsibilities (expected standards, methods, schedules) Role Conflict : conflict between job demands and employees personal standards

Effects of Stress in the Workplace

Mass psychogenic illness : also known as assembly line hysteria. Isolation and suggestibility Burn out : results from overwork. Includes,

1. 2. 3. 4.

Emotional Exhaustion Depersonalization Reduced sense of personal accomplishment Quantity of work may stay the same, but the quality declines, depression, apathy, irritability, and boredom may occur

Workaholics

Addiction to work because of anxiety and insecurity or because of a genuine liking for the job. Healthy, work enthusiasts usually have jobs with autonomy and variety, appropriate skills for job, and supportive families

Unhealthy, workaholics Compulsive, driven to perform job tasks. Often negatively impact coworkers

Treating Stress in the Workplace

Organizational Techniques
Provide sufficient support for change Provide sense of control through participation Clearly define employee roles Eliminate work over and under load Provide opportunity for social support (formal or informal)

Individual Techniques for Stress Reduction

Exercise Relaxation Training Biofeedback Behavior Modification