MCSHANE
Organizational
VON GLINOW
BEHAVIOR
C H A P T E R
F I V E
Stress
Management
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© The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000
MCSHANE
Organizational
VON GLINOW
BEHAVIOR
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
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© The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000
MCSHANE
Organizational
VON GLINOW
BEHAVIOR
Types 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
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3
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MCSHANE
Organizational
VON GLINOW
BEHAVIOR
General 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
4
Irwin/ McGraw-Hill
© The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000
MCSHANE
Organizational
VON GLINOW
BEHAVIOR
General Adaptation Syndrome
Stage 1
Alarm Reaction
Stage 2
Resistance
Stage 3
Exhaustion
DANGER ZONE
Normal
Level of
Resistance
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5
© The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000
MCSHANE
Organizational
VON GLINOW
BEHAVIOR
Stressors and Stress Outcomes
Work
Stressors
Individual
Differences
Consequences
of Stress
Physical
environment
Role-related
Interpersonal
Physiological
Stress
over time
Behavioral
Psychological
Organizational
Nonwork
Stressors
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6
© The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000
MCSHANE
Organizational
VON GLINOW
BEHAVIOR
Role-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
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7
© The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000
MCSHANE
Organizational
VON GLINOW
BEHAVIOR
Stress 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 8
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© The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000
MCSHANE
Organizational
VON GLINOW
BEHAVIOR
Job Burnout Process
Interpersonal and
Role-Related Stressors
Emotional
Exhaustion
Physiological,
psychological,
and behavioral
consequences
Depersonalization
Reduced Personal
Accomplishment
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© The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000
MCSHANE
Organizational
VON GLINOW
BEHAVIOR
Antecedents
• 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
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© The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000
MCSHANE
Organizational
VON GLINOW
BEHAVIOR
Consequences
• Attitudinal
• Behavioral
• Interpersonal
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11
© The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000
MCSHANE
Organizational
VON GLINOW
BEHAVIOR
Social 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
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12
© The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000
MCSHANE
Organizational
VON GLINOW
BEHAVIOR
Cognitive 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
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© The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000
MCSHANE
Organizational
VON GLINOW
BEHAVIOR
Changing 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
14
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© The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000
MCSHANE
Organizational
VON GLINOW
BEHAVIOR
Emotional 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
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© The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000
MCSHANE
Organizational
VON GLINOW
BEHAVIOR
Interpersonal 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
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© The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000
MCSHANE
Organizational
VON GLINOW
BEHAVIOR
Interpersonal 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
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© The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000
MCSHANE
Organizational
VON GLINOW
BEHAVIOR
Work-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
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© The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000
MCSHANE
Organizational
VON GLINOW
BEHAVIOR
Top 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
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© The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000
MCSHANE
Organizational
VON GLINOW
BEHAVIOR
Stress and Occupations
Accountant
Hospital manager
Police officer
Artist
Physician (GP)
911 operator
Auto Mechanic
Psychologist
U.S. president
Forester
School principal
Waiter/waitress
Low-Stress
Occupations
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Medium-Stress
Occupations
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High-Stress
Occupations
© The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000
MCSHANE
Organizational
VON GLINOW
BEHAVIOR
Individual Differences in Stress
• Perceive the situation differently
• Different threshold levels of resistance to stressor
• Use different stress coping strategies
• Personality Type
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21
© The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000
MCSHANE
VON GLINOW
Organizational
BEHAVIOR
Personality 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
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© The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000
MCSHANE
Organizational
VON GLINOW
BEHAVIOR
Consequences 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
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23
© The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000
MCSHANE
Organizational
VON GLINOW
BEHAVIOR
Coping 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
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24
© The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000
MCSHANE
Organizational
VON GLINOW
BEHAVIOR
Coping....
• Emotion-focused
– Relaxation
• meditation
• napping
– Exercise
– Psychological
• Employee Assistance Programs
– Recreation
– Companionship
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25
© The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000
MCSHANE
Organizational
VON GLINOW
BEHAVIOR
Family-Friendly and Work/Life Initiatives
• Flexible work time
• Job sharing
• Telecommuting
• Personal leave
• Childcare facilities
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26
© The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000
MCSHANE
Organizational
VON GLINOW
BEHAVIOR
Other 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
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© The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000