Coping with Organizational Life: Stress and Careers Chapter Four.

Coping with Organizational Life: Stress and Careers

Chapter Four

© Copyright Prentice-Hall 20042

Stress Concepts StressStress: The pattern of emotional and physiological reactions occurring

in response to perceived demands from within or outside an organization

ProcessProcess: Alarm, Resistance, Exhaustion StressorStressor: Any demand, either physical or psychological in nature,

encountered during the course of living Acute stressorsAcute stressors bring some form of sudden change that threatens us either

physically or psychologically, requiring people to make unwanted adjustments

Episodic stressorsEpisodic stressors are the result of experiencing lots of acute stressors in a short period of time

Chronic stressorsChronic stressors are the most extreme type of stressor because they are constant and unrelenting, having a long-term effect on the body, mind, and spirit


Common Episodic Stressors


Stress Concepts Cognitive AppraisalCognitive Appraisal: The process of judging the

extent to which an environmental event is a potential source of stress

StrainStrain: Deviations from normal states of human functioning resulting from prolonged exposure to stressful events

BurnoutBurnout: A syndrome of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion coupled with feelings of low self-esteem or low-self efficacy, resulting from prolonged exposure to intense stress and the strain reactions following from them


Tips for Assessing Stressors


The Body’s Reaction to Stress

•Immediate ResponsesImmediate Responses: (to build strength and escape danger)•Hear rate and blood pressure increase•Muscles tense•Lungs take in more oxygen

•Delayed ResponseDelayed Response: (a few minutes after perceiving sensor) •Diminished immune system•Adrenal glands secrete cortisol to regulate metabolism

•Chronic ResponseChronic Response: (harms the body if activated too often)•Decreased blood flow resulting in ulcers•Elevated blood pressure•Diabetes (?) increase in insulin


Symptoms of Burnout


Stress


Causes of Stress

1. Occupational demands2. Conflict between work

and nonwork3. Stress from uncertainty4. Overload5. Responsibility for

others6. Lack of social support7. Personality


Occupational Demands

Making decisions Constantly monitoring

devices or materials Repeatedly exchanging

information with others Working in unpleasant

physical conditions Performing unstructured

rather than structured tasks


Work versus Nonwork

Role ConflictRole Conflict: Incompatibilities between the various sets of obligations people face

Rule JugglingRule Juggling: The need to switch back and forth between the demands of work and family


Stress from Uncertainty

Role AmbiguityRole Ambiguity:Uncertainty about what one is expected to do on a job

Tolerance for AmbiguityTolerance for Ambiguity:Ability to deal with uncertain situation in a calm and confident fashion


OverloadQuantitative OverloadQuantitative Overload: The belief that one is required to do more work than possibly can be completed in a specific period

Qualitative OverloadQualitative Overload: The belief that one lacks the required skills or abilities to perform a given job


Information Anxiety


Responsibility for Others


Social SupportThe friendship and support of others, which help minimize reactions to stressSources: Cultural norms Social institutions Friends and family

Benefits: Boosting self esteem Sharing information Providing diversion Giving needed resources


Statistics about Stress


Stress Effects Task PerformanceTask Performance:

Some individuals perform at higher levels in times of high stress (some stress is good)

For most people, however, higher levels of stress lead to lower levels of job performance

Desk RageDesk Rage: Lashing out at others in response to stressful encounters on the job

Stress and HealthStress and Health: The silent killer


Stress and Health


Physiological Systems(influences immune system through emotions, stress and pain)

PAC- pituitary-adrenocorticalPAC- pituitary-adrenocortical: Distress or ‘conservation/withdrawal’ system, activated by chronic stress, anxiety, unable to cope with release of cortisol

SAM- sympathetic-adrenomedullarySAM- sympathetic-adrenomedullary : Effort or ‘fight or flight’ system activated by fear, anger, with release of epinephrine

NK cells- natural killer cellsNK cells- natural killer cells: white blood cells part of immune system


Physiological Systems and Personality (influences immune system through emotions, stress and pain)

Type AType A: Threat activates SAM (decreases PAC), elicits emotion of fear/anger, increases risk of CHD. Epinephrine increases NK cells.

Type CType C: Inescapable situation activates PAC (decreases SAM), elicits feelings of depression, hopelessness, inability to cope, increases risk of cancer. Cortisol suppresses NK cells.


Reducing Stress Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs):

Plans that provide employees with assistance for various personal problems (e.g., substance abuse, career planning, and financial and legal problems)

Wellness ProgramsWellness Programs: Company-wide programs in which employees receive training regarding things they can do to promote healthy lifestyles


Reducing Stress

Stress Management ProgramsStress Management Programs: Systematic efforts to train employees in a variety of techniques that they can use to become less adversely affected by stress

Increase self-efficacyIncrease self-efficacy: lowers adrenaline Cognitive TherapyCognitive Therapy: think positive

thoughts-’I can do the job’


Managing Stress

Manage your time Eat a healthy diet and be

physically fit Relax and meditate Get a good night’s sleep Avoid inappropriate self-talk Control your reactions Think happy thoughts


Organizational Coping Strategies

Create supportive climateCreate supportive climate:

Enrich tasksEnrich tasks: Job enrichment vs. job enlargement

Role clarityRole clarity:

Procedural JusticeProcedural Justice:

Develop Career PathsDevelop Career Paths:


Career ConceptsCareer DynamicsCareer Dynamics: The wide variety of factors that influence the nature of people’s career choices, the directions their careers take, and their ultimate success and satisfaction over the course of their working lives

CareerCareer: The evolving sequences of work experience over time

JobJob: A predetermined set of activities a worker is expected to perform

OccupationOccupation: A coherent set of jobs


Holland’s Theory of Occupational Choice

Person-Job FitPerson-Job Fit: The degree to which a particular job matches an individual’s skills, abilities, and interests

Holland’s theory claims that people will perform best at occupations that match their traits and personalities

Holland’s HexagonHolland’s Hexagon: A conceptualization specifying the occupations for which people are best suited based on which of six personality types most closely describes them


Succession Planning and MentoringSuccession PlanningSuccession Planning: The systematic attempt to identify possible holders of particular positions ahead of time as preparation for top executives’ departureMentoringMentoring: The process by which a more experienced employee advises, counsels, and otherwise enhances the professional development of a new employeeMentorMentor: A more experienced employee who guides a newer employee in learning about the job and organizationProtégéProtégé: An inexperienced employee who receives assistance from a more experienced employee in learning about a new job and/or organization


Successful Mentoring

Coping with Organizational Life: Stress and Careers Chapter Four.

Documents

Transcript of Coping with Organizational Life: Stress and Careers Chapter Four.