Foundation Degree Course in
Organisational Behaviour
VII. Stress Management
Stress Management
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Stress Management
What is Stress?
• A situation (external / internal stimulus) which
poses a threat that may arouse physiological
and psychological discomfort.
• Prolonged exposure to a stressor (source of
stress) can produce dysfunctional influences
that affect job performance.
• Stress occurs when pressure exceeds individual’s
perceived ability to cope with.
• Stress is also known as ‘the invisible disease’.
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Stress Management
What is Stress?
• Individual may perceive the same situation as
stressor or not.
• The magnitude of the same stressor may not
the same for individuals.
• The capability to cope with stress is also
different from one person to another.
• Individual will have his/her own optimum
level of stress.
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Stress Management
Relationship between Performance and Stress Level
•
Optimum stress (pressure) can promote staff
motivation.
Level of Stress
Performance
Behavior
Too little
Low
Low motivation, lack of
interest, boredom
Optimum
Optimum
High motivation, stimulation,
attentiveness
Low
Demotivation, over-pressured,
annoyance, hostility
Too high
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Stress Management
Discussion
• What are the sources of stress (stressors)
in the workplace?
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Stress Management
Sources of Stress – Individual Level
• Physical conditions, e.g. space, lighting, noise, air
quality
• Heavy workload, overloading
• Overtime work, work long hours
• Role conflict, e.g. superior expect higher sales revenue,
while subordinates ask for less sales quota
• Role ambiguity, especially newly joined employees, or
assigned new task
• Not up to supervisor’s expectation / standard
• Chasing for perfection
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Stress Management
Sources of Stress – Group and Interpersonal Level
• Relations with immediate supervisor
• Inter-personal relations or cooperation with coworkers
• Comparison with co-workers
• Conflicting perspective with teammates
• Joining a new group (e.g. committee) within
organization
• Workplace romance
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Stress Management
Sources of Stress – Organizational Level
• Organizational structure too rigid: less opportunity
for growth and development
• Organizational structure too loose: role ambiguity
and anxiety
• Organizational change, e.g. down-sizing due to
economic downturn, or new development/system
• Organizational politics
• Organizational culture, e.g. heavy workload
demands, creativity
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Stress Management
Sources of Stress – Environmental Level
• Economic factors, e.g. rising unemployment rate,
decreased national competitiveness, rising interest
rate
• Political and social factors, e.g. change of policy
from a new government, change of political
ideology
• Technological factors, e.g. mobile devices,
immediate information dissemination such as email
and whatsapp group
• Work-family divide, e.g. complaint from family
members that stay long at work and less time for
family affairs
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Stress Management
Discussion
• What are the symptoms of stress?
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Stress Management
Symptoms of Stress - Physiological
• Nervous
• High blood pressure
• Back pain
• Minor illnesses such as headache, stomach ache,
ulcers
• Insomnia
• Poor immune system
• Heart disease
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Stress Management
Symptoms of Stress - Psychological
• Frustration
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Forgetfulness
• Reduced confidence
• Burnout
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Stress Management
Symptoms of Stress - Cognitive
• Decreased concentration
• Poor memory
• Decreased attention
• Inability to think clearly
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Stress Management
Symptoms of Stress - Behavioral
• Impaired performance
• Absenteeism
• Turnover
• Overeating
• Alcoholic
• Drug abuse
• Suicide
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Stress Management
Impact of Stress in your organization
• Dis-satisfied workers
• Tardiness
• More absenteeism and higher staff turnover
• Low quality of service – may increase complaints
received
• More errors and workplace accidents
• Poor organizational image
• Productivity / efficiency goes down
So, organization and supervisors should attempt to
maintain optimum stress level for their staff.
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Stress Management
Discussion
• What can you or your organization do in
order to cope with stress?
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Stress Management
Coping with Stress – What can Individual Do?
• Fight or flight
• Get sufficient and quality sleep
• Learned optimism
• Good time management
• Leisure time activities at your own hobbies
• Do regular exercise especially in groups
• Relaxation techniques, e.g. yoga, mediation
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Stress Management
Coping with Stress – What can Individual Do?
• Encourage healthy eating
• Talk openly to anyone you trust about your
problems / emotions and seek advice
• Expand social support network, joining respective
NGOs
• Develop and maintain good relationships with your
family members, neighbors and co-workers
• Seek professional help
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Stress Management
Coping with Stress – What can Supervisors do?
• Give subordinates a treat to show your appreciation
• Mutual communication with team members
• Transparent in information flow on departmental and
organizational matters
• Provide feedback to your subordinates regularly
• Discuss work problems openly with subordinates
• Promote the mentality to treat all staff with dignity and
respect regardless of their positions
• Encourage your staff to attend training whenever
appropriate
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Stress Management
Coping with Stress – What can Organization do?
• Improved selection of staff and job placement
• Training workshops on stress reduction
• Work arrangement, job re-design
• Goal setting
• Better organization communication
• Provide wellness programs and leisure activities to staff
• Conduct workplace stress audit
• Social support system, e.g., Employees Assistance Scheme
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Stress Management
Preventive Stress Management
• People and organization taking joint responsibility for
promoting health and preventing distress and strain
• Primary prevention: intend to reduce, modify or eliminate
the stressor causing stress
• Secondary prevention: to alter or modify individual’s or
organization’s response to a stress – learn to manage
inevitable stress in return to promote health and wellbeing
• Tertiary prevention: to heal individual or organizational
symptoms of stress – therapeutic, seek help from
professionals
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