Abdalrahim AbuDayya

palsce@Hotmail.com

© 2013 Cengage Learning

Stress and Well-Being at Work

What Is Stress?

[Stress] – the unconscious preparation to fight or flee that a person experiences when faced with any demand

[Stressor ] – the person or event that triggers the stress response

[Distress (or strain)] – the adverse psychological, physical, behavioral, and organizational consequences that may arise as a result of stressful events

Homeostatic/Medical

Stress occurs when an external demand upsets an individual’s natural, steady-state

balance.

4 APPROACHES TO STRESS

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Individuals differ in their appraisal of events and people

What is stressful for one person is not for another

Perception and cognitive appraisal determines what is stressful

COGNITIVE APPRAISAL

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Problem-focused copingemphasizes managing the stressor

COGNITIVE APPRAISAL

Emotion-focused copingemphasizes managing your response

Confusing and conflicting expectations in a social role create stress.

Good person-environment fit occurs when one’s skills and abilities match a clearly defined set of role expectations.

Stress occurs when expectations are confusing or when they conflict with one’s skills.

PERSON-ENVIRONMENTFIT

PSYCHOANALYTIC

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STRESS

Discrepancy between the idealized selfand the real self-image

The Stress Response

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Release of chemical messengers

Activation of sympathetic nervous and

endocrine systems

Sources of Stress:Work Demands

Stress Source:Nonwork Demands

Positive Stress

Stress response itself is neutral Some stressful activities (aerobic

exercise, etc.) can enhance a person’s ability to manage stressful demands or situations

Stress can provide a needed energy boost

Yerkes-Dodson Law

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Demand

Eustress

Distress (strain)

GenderType A behavior patternPersonality HardinessSelf-reliance (attachment style)

Stressor Stress Response

Individual Distress

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Work-related psychological disordersWork-related psychological disorders(depression, burnout, (depression, burnout,

psychosomatic disorders)psychosomatic disorders)

Medical illness

(heart disease, strokes,

headaches, backaches)

Behavioral problems

Behavioral problems(substance abuse,

(substance abuse,violence, accidents)

violence, accidents)

Organizational Distress

Participative Problems – a cost associated with absenteeism, tardiness, strikes and work stoppages, and turnover

Performance Decrement – a cost resulting from poor quality or low quantity of production, grievances, and unscheduled machine downtime and repair

Compensation Award – an organizational cost resulting from court awards for job distress

Stresseffects a company’sbottom line

Individual Differences

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Achilles’ heel phenomenon – –

a person breaks down at his or her weakest point

Gender Effects

Sexual HarassmentVulnerabilities

Type A Behavior Patterns

Competitiveness Time urgency Social Status Insecurity Aggression Hostility Quest for achievements

Personality Hardiness

[Personality Hardiness] challenge (versus threat)

commitment (versus alienation)

control (versus powerlessness)

[Transformational Coping]

active process of modifying one’s perception of an event in order to reduce stress.

Preventative Stress Management

an organizational philosophy

according to which people and

organizations should take joint

responsibility for promoting

health and preventing distress

and strain

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Preventative Stress Management

Primary Prevention – the stage in preventive stress management designed to reduce, modify, or eliminate the demand or stressor

Secondary Prevention – the stage in preventive stress management designed to alter or modify the individual’s or the organization’s response to a demand or stressor

Tertiary Prevention – the stage in preventive stress management designed to heal individual or organizational symptoms of distress and strain

Preventative Stress Maintenance

Organizational Stress Prevention

Job redesign Goal setting Role negotiation Social support systems

Job Strain Model

Social Support at Work and Home

Individual Preventive Stress Management

What Can Managers Do?

Learn how to create healthy stress without distress

Help employees adjust to new technologies

Be sensitive to early signs of distress Be aware of gender, personality, and

behavioral differences Use principles and methods of

preventive stress management