OrganizationalBEHAVIOR

MCSHANE VON GLINOW

1 © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000Irwin/ McGraw-Hill

StressManagementStressManagement

5C H A P T E R

F I V E

OrganizationalBEHAVIOR

MCSHANE VON GLINOW

2 © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000Irwin/ McGraw-Hill

What is Stress?What is Stress?

• An adaptive response to a situation that is perceived as challenging or threatening to the person’s well-being

• Stressors- an environmental condition or stimuli that places physical or emotional demand on a person

• Examples– Physical– Emotional

OrganizationalBEHAVIOR

MCSHANE VON GLINOW

3 © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000Irwin/ McGraw-Hill

Types of stressTypes of stress

• Episodic Stress- pattern of high stress followed by intervals of relief

• Chronic Stress- constant confrontation of stressors without relief– Effects are:

• constant

• additive

• Distress- stress that has a negative consequence on a person’s well-being

OrganizationalBEHAVIOR

MCSHANE VON GLINOW

4 © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000Irwin/ McGraw-Hill

General Adaptation SyndromeGeneral Adaptation Syndrome

• Automatic defense system to help cope with with environmental demands

• Three stages of adaptation– Alarm reaction- perception of stressor– Resistance- ability to cope rises above normal

because of activated defense mechanisms such as adrenaline

– Exhaustion- body must rest and recover from heightened resistance stage

• Prolonged resistance leads to system breakdown

OrganizationalBEHAVIOR

MCSHANE VON GLINOW

5 © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000Irwin/ McGraw-Hill

Stage 1Stage 1Alarm ReactionAlarm Reaction

Stage 2Stage 2ResistanceResistance

Stage 3Stage 3ExhaustionExhaustion

NormalNormalLevel ofLevel of

ResistanceResistance

General Adaptation SyndromeGeneral Adaptation Syndrome

DANGER ZONE

OrganizationalBEHAVIOR

MCSHANE VON GLINOW

6 © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000Irwin/ McGraw-Hill

Stressover time

WorkWorkStressorsStressors

PhysicalPhysicalenvironmentenvironment

Role-relatedRole-related

InterpersonalInterpersonal

OrganizationalOrganizational

Stressors and Stress OutcomesStressors and Stress Outcomes

NonworkNonworkStressorsStressors

IndividualDifferences

ConsequencesConsequencesof Stressof Stress

PhysiologicalPhysiological

BehavioralBehavioral

PsychologicalPsychological

OrganizationalBEHAVIOR

MCSHANE VON GLINOW

7 © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000Irwin/ McGraw-Hill

Role-Related StressorsRole-Related Stressors

• Role conflict– interrole conflict– intrarole conflict– person-role conflict

• Role ambiguity– uncertain duties, authority

• Role overload/underload

• Task characteristics– decisions, monitoring, traffic

problems

OrganizationalBEHAVIOR

MCSHANE VON GLINOW

8 © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000Irwin/ McGraw-Hill

Stress ResearchStress Research• Type A and complexity leads to cardiovascular

problems

• Job Control, Job Complexity, Self-Efficacy interact to influence blood pressure

• Burnout as a process

• Emotional Exhaustion - lack of energy and a feeling that one’s emotional resources are used up

• Coping Strategy for emotional buffer

• Sense of inadequacy

OrganizationalBEHAVIOR

MCSHANE VON GLINOW

9 © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000Irwin/ McGraw-Hill

Job Burnout ProcessJob Burnout Process

DepersonalizationDepersonalization

Reduced PersonalReduced PersonalAccomplishmentAccomplishment

Physiological,Physiological,

psychological,psychological,

and behavioraland behavioral

consequencesconsequences

EmotionalEmotionalExhaustionExhaustion

Interpersonal andRole-Related Stressors

OrganizationalBEHAVIOR

MCSHANE VON GLINOW

10 © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000Irwin/ McGraw-Hill

AntecedentsAntecedents

• Job Characteristics - client interactions, overload, ambiguity, conflict

• Organizational Characteristics - reward and punishment systems, job context (shift, psych environment, etc.)

• Personal Characteristics - Age, Social Support, Marriage, Expectations, Career progress

OrganizationalBEHAVIOR

MCSHANE VON GLINOW

11 © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000Irwin/ McGraw-Hill

ConsequencesConsequences

• Attitudinal

• Behavioral

• Interpersonal

OrganizationalBEHAVIOR

MCSHANE VON GLINOW

12 © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000Irwin/ McGraw-Hill

Social Support and UnderminingSocial Support and Undermining

• Social Support- interpersonal transactions with others that provide either emotional or informational support– reduces effects of stress

• feel valued

• feel capable of handling a situation

• buffers effects, someone to talk to, etc.

• Social Undermining

OrganizationalBEHAVIOR

MCSHANE VON GLINOW

13 © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000Irwin/ McGraw-Hill

Cognitive Dissonance TheoryCognitive Dissonance Theory

• Leon Festinger 1967

• Three aspects of attitudes must follow each other– cognitive aspect- knowledge about an object– affective aspect- liking of the object– behavioral aspect- behavior toward the object

• If dissonance is present there is stress and a need to change an aspect of the attitude to produce agreement among the elements

OrganizationalBEHAVIOR

MCSHANE VON GLINOW

14 © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000Irwin/ McGraw-Hill

Changing Aspects of AttitudesChanging Aspects of Attitudes

• Affected by level of control– “can I control the aspects of my attitude?”– “Do I have a choice regarding performance of the

behavior?”

• Behaviors are set by habit and view of others

• Ignore current knowledge

• Seek knew knowledge

• Alter beliefs

• Hypocrasy effects level of dissonance

OrganizationalBEHAVIOR

MCSHANE VON GLINOW

15 © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000Irwin/ McGraw-Hill

Emotional LaborEmotional Labor

• Experiencing dissonance as a part of an individual’s role

• Presenting a friendly attitude while holding a negative attitude

• Mainly in service positions where employees must always be “happy”– flight attendants– secretaries

• Backstage areas– out of sight of customer

OrganizationalBEHAVIOR

MCSHANE VON GLINOW

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Interpersonal Stressor: Sexual HarassmentInterpersonal Stressor: Sexual Harassment

• Unwelcome conduct -- detrimental effect on work environment or job performance

• Quid pro quo– employment or job performance is conditional

on unwanted sexual relations

• Hostile work environment– an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working

environment

OrganizationalBEHAVIOR

MCSHANE VON GLINOW

17 © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000Irwin/ McGraw-Hill

Interpersonal Stressor: Workplace ViolenceInterpersonal Stressor: Workplace Violence

• 2 million people experience some form of violence at work each year

• Most common cause of work-related death for women; second most common for men

• Severe distress after experiencing or observing violence

• Also stress from working in high-risk jobs

OrganizationalBEHAVIOR

MCSHANE VON GLINOW

18 © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000Irwin/ McGraw-Hill

Work-Family StressorsWork-Family Stressors

• Time-based conflict– due to work schedule, commuting, travel– for women -- still do most household chores

• Strain-based conflict – work stress affects home, and vice versa

• Role behavior conflict – incompatible work and family roles

OrganizationalBEHAVIOR

MCSHANE VON GLINOW

19 © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000Irwin/ McGraw-Hill

Top 10 Life StressorsTop 10 Life Stressors

10. Retirement or quitting

9. Marital reconciliation

8. Fired from work

7. Marriage

6. Personal injury or illness

5. Death of a family member

4. Jail Term

3. Marital Separation

2. Divorce

1. Death

OrganizationalBEHAVIOR

MCSHANE VON GLINOW

20 © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000Irwin/ McGraw-Hill

AccountantAccountant

ArtistArtist

Auto MechanicAuto Mechanic

ForesterForester

Low-StressLow-StressOccupationsOccupations

High-StressHigh-StressOccupationsOccupations

Hospital managerHospital manager

Physician (GP)Physician (GP)

PsychologistPsychologist

School principalSchool principal

Police officerPolice officer

911 operator911 operator

U.S. presidentU.S. president

Waiter/waitressWaiter/waitress

Stress and OccupationsStress and Occupations

Medium-StressMedium-StressOccupationsOccupations

OrganizationalBEHAVIOR

MCSHANE VON GLINOW

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Individual Differences in StressIndividual Differences in Stress

• Perceive the situation differently

• Different threshold levels of resistance to stressor

• Use different stress coping strategies

• Personality Type

OrganizationalBEHAVIOR

MCSHANE VON GLINOW

22 © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000Irwin/ McGraw-Hill

Personality TypePersonality Type

• Type A- impatient, restless, competitive, aggressive, under intense perceived time pressure, always attempting to accomplish several things at once– need job and career control– have more health problems and shorter careers

• Type B- does not feel pressure, works slowly and enjoyably on a variety of tasks

• Important to match personality type with position to avoid stress

OrganizationalBEHAVIOR

MCSHANE VON GLINOW

23 © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000Irwin/ McGraw-Hill

Consequences of DistressConsequences of Distress• Physiological consequences

– 50%-75% of all illnesses– Lower for women– cardiovascular diseases– ulcers, sexual dysfunction, headaches

• Behavioral consequences– work performance, accidents, decisions– absenteeism -- due to sickness and flight– workplace aggression

• Psychological Consequences– moodiness, depression, emotional fatigue

OrganizationalBEHAVIOR

MCSHANE VON GLINOW

24 © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000Irwin/ McGraw-Hill

Coping with STRESSCoping with STRESS

• Individual Coping Strategies– Problem focused- solve the problem, don’t

procrastinate– Time management- self-management

• scheduling, rewards, punishments– Seeking Help

• mentoring- process of senior performer coaching a junior one

– Change jobs

OrganizationalBEHAVIOR

MCSHANE VON GLINOW

25 © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000Irwin/ McGraw-Hill

Coping....Coping....

• Emotion-focused– Relaxation

• meditation

• napping– Exercise– Psychological

• Employee Assistance Programs– Recreation– Companionship

OrganizationalBEHAVIOR

MCSHANE VON GLINOW

26 © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000Irwin/ McGraw-Hill

Family-Friendly and Work/Life InitiativesFamily-Friendly and Work/Life Initiatives

• Flexible work time

• Job sharing

• Telecommuting

• Personal leave

• Childcare facilities

OrganizationalBEHAVIOR

MCSHANE VON GLINOW

27 © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000Irwin/ McGraw-Hill

Other Stress Management PracticesOther Stress Management Practices

• Withdrawing from the stressor– person-job matching– work breaks, stabilization zones, sabbaticals

• Changing stress perceptions– self-efficacy, self-leadership

• Controlling stress consequences– relaxation and meditation– fitness and lifestyle programs

• Social support– emotional and informational