IS STRESS A BAD THING?

Overview
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Definition of stress Causes of stress Adverse effects of stress Good effects of stress Stress management strategies Summary and Conclusion References

Aim and Objectives

Aim To show the adverse effects of stress on managers health, happiness, home life and work performance Objectives To broaden our understanding on the subject of stress. To show how managers and organisations can manage stress. To discuss why stress may be good for the manager/organisation.

Background
This presentation reviews the adverse effects of stress on managers health, happiness, home life and work performance. ..Stress is a silent killer..
(Hart 2007)

Stress is normal to human existence. A totally stress-free state is death

(Salami et al 2010 p 258)

Too few employers.understand it..can identify it.or know how it affect their employee and productivity
(CIPD 2008)

What is Stress ?
Stress is the adverse reaction that people have to excessive pressure or other types of demand placed on them
HSE 2008

the feeling of being under too much mental or emotional pressure

NHS 2010

An unpleasant emotional situation that we experience when requirements (work-related or not) cannot be counter-balanced with our ability to resolve them.
Halkos and Bousinakis 2010

Stress in figures
Stress is the most common cause of long-term absence (of more than four weeks) for non-manual staff
(CIPD 2002)

Absence sickness costs employers an average of 522 for each employee per year. This amounts to an estimated annual cost of 13 billion for the UK.
(CIPD 2011 pg 5)

Causes of stress
1. Factors intrinsic to the Job
Working Condition Work hours and load New Technology introduction

2. The role in the organisation

Role ambiguity Role conflict Degree of responsibility
(Arnold 2005, p.395-410)

Causes of stress continued

3. Personality and Coping Relationships at work Relationship with subordinates and colleagues 4. Organisational Culture and Climate Organisational Climate :
The prevailing workplace atmosphere as experienced by employees. It is what it feels like to work in a group (MSH 2005)

Organisational Culture
The pattern of shared values and assumptions that organisational members share. The way we do things around here
(MSH 2005)

(Arnold 2005, p.395-410)

Causes of stress continued

Home-to-Work Interface Lack of participation in decision making Lack of administrative support Punishment centred philosophy or unfair discipline Existence of bureaucracy Increased workload Inadequate resources to meet work demands

(Buker and Wiecko 2007)

How do you manage stress as a manager ?

1. Work Redesign:
Introducing flexible time Increasing the amount and quality of support received by individuals Effective management of workloads and careful allocation of resources

2. Stress Management Training

Organize classes on relaxation, time management, assertiveness training or exercise.
(Rees 1997)

How do you manage stress as a manager ? (continued)

3. Ergonomics and Environmental Design
Improving the use of equipment at work and the physical working conditions can help to avoid stress. 4. Management Development Improving managers ,knowledge and understanding of stress and their skills to deal with the issue Learning to delegate assignment will also help to avoid stress.
(Rees 1997)

How do you manage stress as a manager ? (continued)

5. Diet and lifestyles changes
Reduce the intake of coffee, tea, cola or chocolate drinks Relaxation techniques : deep breathing, exercise and yoga.
(Rees 1997)

6. Laughter and fun times

Look for amusing colleagues, books, films, situations, etc Organize happy hour, fun times Identify your stability zones, that is, places, people and activities that you can find calm
(Ferdinand B., 1988)

Executive under Stress:

Lloyds Group CEO

Antonio Horta-Osorio, chief executive of Lloyds banking group, has been signed off work for medical reasons, reportedly stress and "extreme fatigue". His temporary departure has left share prices down and employees, investors and the government - who have a large stake - wondering when he will return.
(BBC News report 3 November 2011)

Why stress is such a bad thing

It affects leisure time, leisure satisfaction and quality of his or her family life (Ho 1998) Stress leads to serious illness and damages to the body Hart (2007) maintained that successive increases in stress cause deterioration in performance.

Why a dose of stress is good for you.(Eustress)

Larson (2004) not all stress is bad because a certain amount of stress has been shown to improve both effectiveness and performance. Hart (2007), stated that some stress is goodcertain amount of stress stimulates and motivates high achievement.

Why a dose of stress is good for you.

Stress stimulate ideas Stress enhance learning and development Stress is required to put up a fight or escape in the event of a threatening event. Stress brings about innovation/breakthrough in science, technology and artificial intelligence

(Salami et al 2010)

Effects of stress on performance

(Yerkes - Dawson Law)
LEVEL OF HUMAN PERFORMANCE AND HEALTH PEAK PERFORMANCE HIGH

BOREDOM

BURN-OUT

LOW

DEMANDS

HIGH

This model highlights that a perceived lack of challenges has similar effects to over-stimulation, and that these effects can be progressive. This curve can be used to allow early recognition of the effects of stress to assist the individual in preventing their progression into ineffectiveness and ill-health. (HART 2007)

Stress management approaches

Physiological Aerobics training, relaxation imagery, relaxation response Psychological Self statement modification, rational cognitive restructuring, psychological coping statements Behavioural Time management, Assertiveness training, Conflict resolution, problem solving

Environmental
Change in management practices, change in organizational structure
(Hart, K., 2007)

Effects of stress on managers health

Hypertension: high blood pressure Migraine Asthma Peptic Ulcers Constipation Rheumatoid arthritis Indigestion
(Ferdinand 1998)

Effects of stress on managers happiness

When affected by work stress, people may:

Become increasingly distressed and irritable Unable to relax or concentrate Lack of focus and difficulty in making decisions Loss of interest in job Uneasiness , unnecessary worry and anxiety

(Larson 2004; Hart 2007)

Effects of stress on managers family life

Inadequate attention to family Poor sex life Unhappy marriages Spouse and child abuse Low quality of family life Divorce
(Hsu 2011)

Effects of stress on managers work performance

Increasing absenteeism Decreasing commitment to work Problematic decision making Increasing accident rates Increasing complaints from clients and customers Damaging the organisation's image

(Hart 2007)

Summary and Conclusion

Stress is a critical issue to any business. (employee health and absence problem)
(CIPD 2008)

It makes good business sense to invest in employee stress management programme Stress, when not properly managed, adversely affects managers' health, happiness, home life and work performance
(CIPD 2008)

Is stress such a bad thing ?

(Class individual reflection exercise)

Question Can you reflect on a situation that proved the above is true, either personal or in the life of a close individual to you. Why do you think this is so ?

Wait a minute, a dose of stress is good for you. (Class individual reflection exercise)
Question Can you reflect on a situation that proved the above is true, either personal or in the life of a close individual to you. Why do you think this is so ?

References
BBC NEWS 2011. Stress: is it surprising bosses are stricken. [online]. Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15573121 [Accessed 7 November 2011]. BUCHANAN, D. & HUCZYNSKI, A. (2010). Organisational Behaviour. 7th Edition. Pearson Education Ltd. CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF PERSONNEL AND DEVELOPMENT -CIPD (2008). Building the business case for managing stress in the workplace CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF PERSONNEL AND DEVELOPMENT -CIPD (2011). Absence management . CIPD Annual Survey Report 2011 FERDINAND, B. (1988). Stress Management. Industrial and Commercial Training, 20(4) HALKOS, G and BOUSINAKIS, D. (2010). The effect of Stress and Satisfaction on Productivity. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 59(5).

References
HAMWI , G.A. et al.,(2011). Reducing Emotional Exhaustion and Increasing Organizational Support, Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 22(1). HART K.E. (2007). Introducing Stress and Stress Management to Managers. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 16(5) pp 9-16. HEALTH AND SAFETY EXECUTIVE (2010). Video Interview- Janine Story [online]. Available from: http://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/video/janinestory.htm [Accessed 20 October 2011]. HEALTH AND SAFETY EXECUTIVE (2008). Working together to reduce stress at work: a guide for employees [online]. Available from: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg424.pdf [Accessed 7 November 2011]. HO, J.T.S. et al., (1998). Stress, Health and Leisure Satisfaction: the case of teachers. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 13(5/6).

References
HSU Y.R. (2011). Work-family Conflict and Job Satisfaction In Stressful working Environments: the moderating role of perceived supervisor support and internal locus of control. International Journal of Manpower, 32(2) LARSON L.L. (2004). Internal Auditors and Job Stress. Managerial Auditing Journal, 19(9). MANAGEMENT SCIENCES FOR HEALTH (MSH) (2005). Managers who lead : a handbook for improving health services. Cambridge : Management Sciences for Health NHS 2010. Stress.NHS Choices. UK: NHS. Available at : http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress/Pages/Introduction.aspx [Accessed 20 October 2011]. REES W.D. (1997), Managerial Stress-Dealing with the Causes, Not Symptoms. Industrial and Commercial Training. 29(2). SALAMI ,A.O., OJOKUKU,R.M.,ILESANMI,O.A. 2010. Impact of job stress on managers performance. European Journal of Scientific Research 45(2) p 258