Understanding
And
Managing
Organizational
Behavior
Chapter 9:
Managing Stress
and Work-Life
Balance
4th Edition
JENNIFER GEORGE
& GARETH JONES
9-1
©2005 Prentice Hall
Chapter Objectives
 Describe how the experience of stress is
based on employees’ perceptions and
influenced by individual differences
 Appreciate the fact that stress can have
both positive and negative consequences
for employees and their organizations
9-2
©2005 Prentice Hall
Chapter Objectives
 Be aware of stressors that can arise from
employees’ personal lives, their jobs, their
work groups and organizations, the pursuit
of work-life balance, and uncertainty in the
wider environment
 Describe problem-focused and emotionfocused coping strategies for individuals
 Describe problem-focused and emotionfocused coping strategies for organizations
9-3
©2005 Prentice Hall
Opening Case:
Doing More With Less
 Is work stress out of control?
 Mounting levels of stress for employees
– Challenging economy
– Layoffs
– Global uncertainty
– Fear of terrorism
– Corporate scandal
9-4
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What is Stress?
 The experience of opportunities or threats
that people perceive as important and also
perceive they might not be able to handle or
deal with effectively
9-5
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Individual Differences and Stress
 Personality
 Ability
9-6
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Consequences of Stress
 Physiological
 Psychological
 Behavioral
9-7
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Signs of Burnout
 Feelings of
– low personal accomplishment
– Emotional exhaustion
– depersonalization
9-8
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Figure 9.1 A Stress Quiz
 Conditions at work are unpleasant or even unsafe.
 I feel that my job is making me physically or
emotionally sick
 I have too much work or too many unreasonable
deadlines.
 I can’t express my opinions or feelings about my job
to my boss.
 My work interferes with my family or personal life.
 I have no control over my life at work.
 My good performance goes unrecognized and
unrewarded.
 My talents are underutilized at work.
9-9
©2005 Prentice Hall
Figure 9.2 An Inverted U Relationship
Between Stress and Performace
9-10
©2005 Prentice Hall
Sources of Stress
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9-11
Personal Life
Job Responsibilities
Membership in Groups/ Organization
Work-Life Balance
Environmental Uncertainty
©2005 Prentice Hall
Personal Sources of Stress
 Major Life Events
9-12
 Minor Life Events
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Job-Related Stressors
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9-13
Role conflict
Role ambiguity
Overload
Underload
Challenging assignments
Economic well-being and job security
©2005 Prentice Hall
Group and Organization-Related
Stressors
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9-14
Cultural differences
Uncomfortable working conditions
Unsafe working conditions
Mergers and acquisitions
©2005 Prentice Hall
Work-Life Balance
 Elder care
 Child care
 Value conflict
9-15
©2005 Prentice Hall
Environmental Uncertainty
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9-16
Global instability
Aftermath of war and terrorism
SARS
Corporate scandals
Exposure to toxins
©2005 Prentice Hall
Coping Strategies for Individuals
 Problem-focused
– Time Management
– Mentoring
– Role Negotiation
9-17
 Emotion-focused
– Exercise
– Meditation
– Social Support
– Clinical Counseling
©2005 Prentice Hall
Nonfunctional Coping Strategies
 Eating
 Drinking
 Taking drugs
9-18
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Coping Strategies for
Organizations
 Problem- focused
– Job redesign
– Job rotation
– Reduction of
uncertainty
– Job security
– Company day care
– Flextime/ job
sharing
– Telecommuting
9-19
 Emotion-focused
– On-site exercise
facilities
– Organizational
support
– Employee
assistance
programs
– Personal days/
Sabbaticals
©2005 Prentice Hall