Stress and Wellbeing

7-1
 Who Wants to Get Rid of All
the Stress in Your Life?
Only One Group of
People Have No
Stress

7-2
Striking for Stress at Verizon
Issues:
Constant monitoring
Promised training didnt happen
Pressure to sell to every customer
Call center perceived as a gold-
plated sweatshop

Exploring Behavior in Action 7-3

Striking for Stress at Verizon
Settlement changes:
Advanced notification of monitoring
Monitoring only during regular hours
Face-to-face feedback
Permission to be away for 30 minutes
Formation of a committee
Funding for work-family support programs
Team vs. individual performance measures
Split shifts and job sharing
Limits on overtime

Exploring Behavior in Action 7-4

 Strategic Importance of
Workplace Stress
26-40% of Americans find their work
to be very or extremely stressful.

THE GALLUP
POLL

25% of people believe their 35% of respondents

jobs are the most stressful somewhat or
part of their lives completely dissatisfied
with job-related stress

7-5
Workplace Stress Defined

Stress Job Stress

Acute

Chronic
7-6
 Uneasiness Feelings of Loss of
and Worry Sadness Appetite

Increase in Immune System

Energy Suppression

Alertness and Acute Increased

Excitement Metabolism

Loss of Anxiety and

Sex Drive
Chronic Panic Attacks

High Blood
Irritability Depression
Pressure

Lowered Eating
Diabetes
Resistance Disturbances
Adapted from Exhibit 7-1: Some Stress-Related Conditions 7-7
 Stress Response
An unconscious mobilization
of energy resources that
occurs when the body
encounters a stressor.

7-8
 Key Definitions
Stressor environmental conditions that
cause individuals to experience stress Hans Selye
Eustress positive stress that results from
meeting challenges and difficulties with the
expectation of achievement
Dystress negative stress; often referred to
simply as stress. Often results in overload.
Job strain function of workplace demands and
the control an individual has in meeting those
demands.

7-9
 Signs of Stress
1. You feel irritable.
2. You have sleeping difficulties.
3. You do not get any joy out of life.
4. Your appetite is disturbed.
5. You have relationship problems and
have a difficult time getting along with
people.

7-10
Two Models of Workplace Stress

Effort-Reward
Demand-Control
Imbalance
Model
Model

7-11
 Demand-Control Model

Active
High
Job Control

Low Strain (EUSTRESS)

High Strain
Low Passive
(DYSTRESS)

Low High
Job Demands
Adapted from Exhibit 7-2: The Demand-Control Model of Workplace Stress
7-12
Effort-Reward Imbalance Model
Overcommitment

High Effort Low Reward

Demands Pay
Obligations Esteem

Adapted from Exhibit 7-3: The Effort-Reward Imbalance Model of Workplace Stress
7-13
 Role Conflict

A situation in which different roles lead to

conflicting expectations

7-14
 Restoring and Maintaining
Managerial
Work-Life Balance
Advice Focus on what is truly important.
Take advantage of work-related
options.
Protect non-work time. Thoughts?
Manage your personal time.
Set aside specific time each
week for recreation.

7-15
 Role Work
Occupation
Ambiguity Overload

Job Work-Related Resource

Security Inadequacy
Stressors

Management Working
Monitoring
Style Conditions

7-16
 Role ambiguity a situation in which goals, expectations, and/or
basic job requirements are unclear
Work overload too much work or work that is too complex
Occupation jobs with high demands and strong required efforts
can cause stress
Resource inadequacy not enough resources to get the job done
Working conditions physical surroundings and psychological
aspects
Management style impacts the psychological climate
Monitoring overseeing the activities of the employees
Job insecurity mergers, acquisitions, downsizing, and moving
work offshore

7-17
 Type A vs.
Type B
Personality

Individual
Gender
Influences on Self-Esteem
Experiencing
Stress
Hardiness

7-18
 Extreme Jobs
What are your thoughts on working 60 or
more hours a week?
Do you think you could like a job that much
to put in the extra time?
Do you think everyone who works these
kinds of hours is a workaholic?
How does work-life balance fit here?
Why do you think the gender difference still
persists?

7-19
 Type A vs. Type B Personality - Type A Competitiveness,
Aggressiveness, Impatience, Increase their own volume of work
overload. More susceptible to stress-related illnesses. Type B
personalities are quite different. They tend to be less competitive,
less aggressive, more patient, and more reasonable.
Self-esteem - People with high self-esteem - Experience greater
well-being, More resistant to the effects of stressors, More likely to
engage in active coping behaviors when stressed.
Hardiness - Persons high in hardiness tend to have strong internal
commitment to their activities, have an internal locus of control,
seek challenge in everyday life, experience less severe negative
stress reactions.
Gender - Women are generally lower-paid, more likely to experience
discrimination, stereotyping and work-family conflict, more likely to
work in stressful service industries, experience more work-related
stress than men.
7-20
Consequences of Stress

Individual Organizational

7-21
Individual Consequences of Stress
Psychological Physiological
Anxiety Stress High blood pressure
Depression Muscle tension
Low self-esteem Headaches
Sleeplessness Ulcers, skin
Frustration diseases
Family problems Behavioral Impaired immune
Burnout Excessive smoking
systems
Musculoskeletal
Substance abuse disorders
Accident proneness Heart disease
Appetite disorders Cancer
Violence

7-22
 Individual Stress Management
Find jobs that provide a personally acceptable balance
between demands and control and between effort
required and rewards.
Redesign a dysfunctional job.
Follow the tactics presented in the Managerial Advice
feature.
Develop healthy ways of coping.

Exercise Proper Diet

Support Relaxation
Network Techniques
7-23
 Individual Stress Management
Exercise regularly Avoid unnecessary
Practice healthy habits competition
Be realistic Recognize and accept
Use systematic relaxation personal limits
Meditate Develop social support
networks
Develop and use planning
skills Focus on enjoying what you
do
Simplify your life Delegate
Go easy with criticism
Take one thing at a time
Take time off

7-24
 Organizational Stress
Management
Increase individuals autonomy and control
Ensure that individuals are compensated properly
Maintain job demands/requirements at healthy levels
Ensure that associates have adequate skills to keep up-to-
date with technical changes in the workplace
Increase associate involvement in important decision making
Improve physical working conditions
Provide for job security and career development
Provide healthy work schedules
Improve communication to help avoid uncertainty and
ambiguity

7-25
 Toxin Handlers
The following behaviors are
necessary for handling the pain,
strain, and stress of others:
Peter Frost
Read your own and others emotional cues and
understand their impact
Keep people connected
Empathize with those who are in pain
Act to alleviate the suffering of others
Mobilize people to deal with their pain and get their lives
back on track
Create an environment where compassionate behavior
toward others is encouraged and rewarded
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thanks

7-27