Consequences of Work Place Stress

7/28/2019 Consequences of Work Place Stress

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MBAPROJECTRESEARCHONSTRESSMANAGEMENT

2012

CONSEQUENCES OF

WORKPLACE STRESS

Coping with Stress at Work place

L O Y O L A C O L L E G E , C H E N N A I


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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

What is Stress?

Stress refers to the strain from the conflict between our external environment and us,

leading to emotional and physical pressure. In our fast paced world, it is impossible to

live without stress, whether you are a student or a working adult. There is both positive

and negative stress, depending on each individuals unique perception of the tension

between the two forces. Not all stress is bad. For example, positive stress, also known as

eustress, can help an individual to function at optimal effectiveness and efficiency.

Hence, it is evident that some form of positive stress can add more color and vibrancy to

our lives. The presence of a deadline, for example, can push us to make the most of our

time and produce greater efficiency. It is important to keep this in mind, as stress

management refers to using stress to our advantage, and not on eradicating the presence

of stress in our lives.

On the other hand, negative stress can result in mental and physical strain. The individual

will experience symptoms such as tensions, headaches, irritability and in extreme cases,

heart palpitations. Hence, whilst some stress may be seen as a motivating force, it is

important to manage stress levels so that it does not have an adverse impact on your

health and relationships.

Part of managing your stress levels include learning about how stress can affect you

emotionally and physically, as well as how to identify if you are performing at your

optimal stress level (OSL) or if you are experiencing negative stress. This knowledge will

help you to identify when you need to take a break, or perhaps seek professional help. Itis also your first step towards developing techniques to managing your stress levels.

Modern day stresses can take the form of monetary needs, or emotional frictions.

Competition at work and an increased workload can also cause greater levels of stress.

How do you identify if you are suffering from excessive stress? Psychological symptoms


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commonly experienced include insomnia, headaches and an inability to focus. Physical

symptoms take the form of heart palpitations, breathlessness, excessive sweating and

stomachaches.

What causes stress? There are many different causes of stress, and that which causes

stress is also known as a stressor. Common lifestyle stressors include performance, threat,

and bereavement stressors, to name a few. Performance stressors are triggered when an

individual is placed in a situation where he feels a need to excel. This could be during

performance appraisals, lunch with the boss, or giving a speech. Threat stressors are

usually when the current situation poses a dangerous threat, such as an economic

downturn, or from an accident. Lastly, bereavement stressors occur when there is a sense

of loss such as the death of a loved one, or a prized possession.

Thus, there are various stressors, and even more varied methods and techniques of

dealing with stress and turning it to our advantages. In order to do so, we must learn to

tell when we have crossed the line from positive to negative stress.

Good stress v/s Bad stress:

Stress has often been misunderstood to be negative, with few people acknowledging the

importance and usefulness of positive stress. In our everyday lives, stress is everywhere

and definitely unavoidable; hence our emphasis should be on differentiating between

what is good stress, and what is bad. This will help us to learn to cope with negative

stress, and harness the power of positive stress to help us achieve more.

There are 4 main categories of stress, namely eustress, distress, hyper stress and hypo

stress. Negative stress can cause many physical and psychological problems, whilst

positive stress can be very helpful for us. Heres how we differentiate between them.

Eustress:

this is a positive form of stress, which prepares your mind and body for the imminent

challenges that it has perceived. Eustress is a natural physical reaction by your body

which increases blood flow to your muscles, resulting in a higher heart rate. Athletes


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before a competition or perhaps a manager before a major presentation would do well

with eustress, allowing them to derive the inspiration and strength that is needed.

Distress

We are familiar with this word, and know that it is a negative form of stress. This occurs

when the mind and body is unable to cope with changes, and usually occurs when there

are deviations from the norm. They can be categorized into acute stress and chronic

stress. Acute stress is intense, but does not last for long. On the other hand, chronic stress

persists over a long period of time. Trigger events for distress can be a change in job

scope or routine that the person is unable to handle or cope with.

Hyper stress

This is another form of negative stress that occurs when the individual is unable to cope

with the workload. Examples include highly stressful jobs, which require longer working

hours than the individual can handle. If you suspect that you are suffering from hyper

stress, you are likely to have sudden emotional breakdowns over insignificant issues, the

proverbial straws that broke the camels back. It is important for you to recognize that

your body needs a break, or you may end up with severe and chronic physical and

psychological reactions.

Hypo stress

lastly, hypo stress occurs when a person has nothing to do with his time and feels

constantly bored and unmotivated. This is due to an insufficient amount of stress; hence

some stress is inevitable and helpful to us. Companies should avoid having workers who

experience hypo stress as this will cause productivity and mindfulness to fall. If the job

scope is boring and repetitive, it would be a good idea to implement some form of job

rotation so that there is always something new to learn.


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The types of stress are named as eustress and distress. Distress is the most

commonly-referred to type of stress, having negative implications, whereas eustress is a

positive form of stress, usually related to desirable events in person's life. Both can be

equally taxing on the body, and are cumulative in nature, depending on a person's way of

adapting to a change that has caused it.

Coping with Stress at Work place

With the rapid advancement of technology, the stresses faced at work have also

increased. Many people dread going to work, hence the term Monday Blues. What is

the reason for this? There is partly the fear from being retrenched in bad times, leading to

greater job insecurity on the part of those who remain. Undoubtedly, occupational stress

is one of the most commonly cited stressors faced by people all over the world.

Stress refers to the pressure and reactions to our environment which results in

psychological and physical reactions. Whilst some stress is good for motivation and

increasing efficiency, too much stress can result in negative impacts such as reduced

effectiveness and efficiency. More and more people are feeling isolated and disrespected

at work, and this has led to greater occupational stress. Many companies have taken toconsulting experts and professionals on ways to increase connectedness and motivation

of their employees.

Some companies organize parties and make their employees feel valued at work. These

are measures to motivate employees and help them to feel secure at their jobs, translating

into greater productivity. However, not all companies have such measures in place, and

some have not gotten it quite right. Hence, it is up to you to make sure that you can cope

with stress at your workplace, and use it to help you work better. Here are 3 simple steps

to help you with coping with stress in the workplace.

Step 1: Raising Awareness

Help yourself to identify when you are facing rising levels of stress, tipping the scales


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The key to making these 3 steps work for you is to practice them. These are not

instantaneous solutions, and you need to condition your mind and practice them so that

you can implement it when you are feeling stressed.

Stress Management

Stress management is the need of the hour. However hard we try to go beyond

a stress situation, life seems to find new ways of stressing us out and plaguing us with

anxiety attacks. Moreover, be it our anxiety, mind-body exhaustion or our erring

attitudes, we tend to overlook causes of stress and the conditions triggered by those. In

such unsettling moments we often forget that stressors, if not escapable, are fairly

manageable and treatable.

Stress, either quick or constant, can induce risky body-mind disorders. Immediate

disorders such as dizzy spells, anxiety attacks, tension, sleeplessness, nervousness and

muscle cramps can all result in chronic health problems. They may also affect our

immune, cardiovascular and nervous systems and lead individuals to habitual addictions,

which are inter-linked with stress.

Like "stress reactions", "relaxation responses" and stress management

techniques are some of the body's important built-in response systems. As a relaxation

response the body tries to get back balance in its homeostasis. Some hormones released

during the 'fight or flight' situation prompt the body to replace the lost carbohydrates and

fats, and restore the energy level. The knotted nerves, tightened muscles and an exhausted

mind crave for looseness. Unfortunately, today, we don't get relaxing and soothing

situations without asking. To be relaxed we have to strive to create such situations.

Recognizing a stressor:

It is important to recognize whether you are under stress or out of it. Many times, even if

we are under the influence of a stressful condition and our body reacts to it internally as


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well as externally, we fail to realize that we are reacting under stress. This also happens

when the causes of stress are there long enough for us to get habituated to them. The

body constantly tries to tell us through symptoms such as rapid palpitation, dizzy spells,

tight muscles or various body aches that something is wrong. It is important to remain

attentive to such symptoms and to learn to cope with the situations.

We cope better with stressful situation, when we encounter them voluntarily. In cases of

relocation, promotion or layoff, adventurous sports or having a baby, we tend to respond

positively under stress. But, when we are compelled into such situations against our will

or knowledge, more often than not, we wilt at the face of unknown and imagined threats.

For instance, stress may mount when one is coerced into undertaking some work against

one's will.

Laughter:

Adopting a humorous view towards life's situations can take the edge off everyday

stressors. Not being too serious or in a constant alert mode helps maintain the equanimity

of mind and promote clear thinking. Being able to laugh stressaway is the smartest way

to ward off its effects.

A sense of humor also allows us to perceive and appreciate the incongruities of life and

provides moments of delight. The emotions we experience directly affect our immune

system. The positive emotions can create neurochemical changes that buffer the

immunosuppressive effects of stress.

During stress, the adrenal gland releases corticosteroids, which are converted to cortical

in the blood stream. These have an immunosuppressive effect. Dr. Lee Berk and fellow

researcher Dr. Stanley Tan at Loma Linda University School of Medicine have produced

carefully controlled studies showing that the experience of laughter lowers serum cortical

levels, increases the amount and activity of T lymphocytesthe natural killer cells.

Laughter also increases the number of T cells that have suppresser receptors.


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What Laughter Can Do Against Stress And Its Effects?

Laughter lowers blood pressure and reduces hypertension.

It provides good cardiac conditioning especially for those who are unable to perform

physical exercise.

Reduces stress hormones (studies shows, laughter induces reduction of at least four of

neuroendocrine hormonesepinephrine, cortical, dopac, and growth hormone, associated

with stress response).

Laughter cleanses the lungs and body tissues of accumulated stale air as it empties more

air than it takes in. It is beneficial for patients suffering from emphysema and other

respiratory ailments.

It increases muscle flexion, relaxation and fluent blood circulation in body.

Boosts immune function by raising levels of infection-fighting T-cells, disease-fighting

proteins called Gamma-interferon and disease-destroying antibodies called B-cells.

Laughter triggers the release of endorphinsbody's natural painkillers.

Produces a general sense of well-being.

Workplace Stress

Workplace stress is the harmful physical and emotional response that occurs when there

is a poor match between job demands and the capabilities, resources, or needs of the

worker. Stress-related disorders encompass a broad array of conditions, including


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psychological disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder) and

other types of emotional strain (e.g., dissatisfaction, fatigue, tension, etc.), maladaptive

behaviors (e.g., aggression, substance abuse), and cognitive impairment (e.g.,

concentration and memory problems).

In turn, these conditions may lead to poor work performance or even injury. Job stress is

also associated with various biological reactions that may lead ultimately to compromised

health, such as cardiovascular disease.

Stress is a prevalent and costly problem in today's workplace. About one-third of workers

report high levels of stress. One-quarter of employees view their jobs as the number one

stressor in their lives. Three-quarters of employees believe the worker has more on-the-

job stress than a generation ago. Evidence also suggests that stress is the major cause of

turnover in organizations.

Health and Healthcare Utilization

Problems at work are more strongly associated with health complaints than are any other

life stressor-more so than even financial problems or family problems. Many studies

suggest that psychologically demanding jobs that allow employees little control over the

work process increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. On the basis of research by the

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and many other organizations, it is

widely believed that job stress increases the risk for development of back and upper-

extremity musculoskeletal disorders.

High levels of stress are associated with substantial increases in health service

utilization. Workers who report experiencing stress at work also show excessive health

care utilization. In a 1998 study of 46,000 workers, health care costs were nearly 50%

greater for workers reporting high levels of stress in comparison to low risk workers.

The increment rose to nearly 150%, an increase of more than $1,700 per person annually,


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for workers reporting high levels of both stress and depression. Additionally, periods of

disability due to job stress tend to be much longer than disability periods for other

occupational injuries and illnesses.

Causes of Workplace Stress

Job stress results from the interaction of the worker and the conditions of work. Views

differ on the importance of worker characteristics versus working conditions as the

primary cause of job stress. The differing viewpoints suggest different ways to prevent

stress at work. According to one school of thought, differences in individual

characteristics such as personality and coping skills are most important in predicting

whether certain job conditions will result in stress-in other words, what is stressful for

one person may not be a problem for someone else. This viewpoint leads to prevention

strategies that focus on workers and ways to help them cope with demanding job

conditions.

Although the importance of individual differences cannot be ignored, scientific evidence

suggests that certain working conditions are stressful to most people. Such evidence

argues for a greater emphasis on working conditions as the key source of job stress, and

for job redesign as a primary prevention strategy. Personal interview surveys of working

conditions, including conditions recognized as risk factors for job stress, were conducted

in Member States of the European Union in 1990, 1995, and 2000. Results showed a

trend across these periods suggestive of increasing work intensity. In 1990, the

percentage of workers reporting that they worked at high speeds at least one-fourth of

their working time was 48%, increasing to 54% in 1995 and to 56% in 2000. Similarly,

50% of workers reported they work against tight deadlines at least one-fourth of their

working time in 1990, increasing to 56% in 1995 and 60 % in 2000. However, no change

was noted in the period 19952000 (data not collected in 1990) in the percentage of

workers reporting sufficient time to complete tasks. A substantial percentage of

Americans work very long hours. By one estimate, more than 26% of men and more than

11% of women worked 50 hours per week or more in 2000. These figures represent a

considerable increase over the previous three decades, especially for women. According


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to the Department of Labor, there has been an upward trend in hours worked among

employed women, an increase in extended work weeks (>40 hours) by men, and a

considerable increase in combined working hours among working couples, particularly

couples with young children.

Signs of Workplace Stress

Mood and sleep disturbances, upset stomach and headache, and disturbed relationships

with family; friends and girlfriends or boyfriends are examples of stress-related problems.

The effects of job stress on chronic diseases are more difficult to see because chronic

diseases take a long time to develop and can be influenced by many factors other than

stress. Nonetheless, evidence is rapidly accumulating to suggest that stress plays an

important role in several types of chronic health problems-especially cardiovascular

disease, musculoskeletal disorders, and psychological disorders.

Prevention

A combination of organizational change and stress management is often the most useful

approach for preventing stress at work.

How to Change the Organization to Prevent Job Stress

Ensure that the workload is in line with workers' capabilities and resources. Design jobs to provide meaning, stimulation, and opportunities for workers to use

their skills.

Clearly define workers' roles and responsibilities. Give workers opportunities to participate in decisions and actions affecting their

jobs.

Improve communications-reduce uncertainty about career development and futureemployment prospects.

Provide opportunities for social interaction among workers. Establish work schedules that are compatible with demands and responsibilities

outside the job.

Discrimination inside the workplace. (e.g. nationality and language )


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St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company conducted several studies on the effects of

stress prevention programs in hospital settings. Program activities included (1) employee

and management education on job stress, (2) changes in hospital policies and procedures

to reduce organizational sources of stress, and (3) establishment of employee assistance

programs. In one study, the frequency of medication errors declined by 50% after

prevention activities was implemented in a 700-bed hospital. In a second study, there was

a 70% reduction in malpractice claims in 22 hospitals that implemented stress prevention

activities. In contrast, there was no reduction in claims in a matched group of 22 hospitals

that did not implement stress prevention activities.

Reduce your stress

1. Job analysis: - We have all experienced that appalling sense of having far too much

work to do and too little time to do it in. We can choose to ignore this, and work

unreasonably long hours to stay on top of our workload. The risks here are that we

become exhausted, that we have so much to do that we do a poor quality job and that we

neglect other areas of our life. Each of these can lead to intense stress.

The alternative is to work more intelligently, by focusing on the things that are important

for job success and reducing the time we spend on low priority tasks. Job Analysis is the

first step in doing this.

The first of the action-oriented skills that we look at is Job Analysis. Job Analysis is a

key technique for managing job overloadan important source of stress.

To do an excellent job, you need to fully understand what is expected of you. While this

may seem obvious, in the hurly-burly of a new, fast-moving, high-pressure role, it is

oftentimes something that is easy to overlook.

By understanding the priorities in your job, and what constitutes success within it, you

can focus on these activities and minimize work on other tasks as much as possible. This


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Here are some typical negative thoughts you might experience when preparing to give a

major presentation:

Fear about the quality of your performance or of problems that may interfere withit;

Worry about how the audience (especially important people in it like your boss)or the press may react to you;

Dwelling on the negative consequences of a poor performance; or Self-criticism over a less-than-perfect rehearsal.

Thought awareness is the first step in the process of managing negative thoughts, as you

cannot manage thoughts that you are unaware of.

Rational Thinking

The next step in dealing with negative thinking is to challenge the negative thoughts that

you identified using the Thought Awareness technique. Look at every thought you wrote

down and challenge it rationally. Ask yourself whether the thought is reasonable. What

evidence is there for and against the thought? Would your colleagues and mentors agreeor disagree with it?

Looking at the examples, the following challenges could be made to the negative

thoughts we identified earlier:

Feelings of inadequacy: Have you trained yourself as well as you reasonablyshould have? Do you have the experience and resources you need to make the

presentation? Have you planned, prepared and rehearsed enough? If you have

done all of these, you've done as much as you can to give a good performance.

Worries about performance during rehearsal: If some of your practice wasless than perfect, then remind yourself that the purpose of the practice is to


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identify areas for improvement, so that these can be sorted out before the

performance.

Problems with issues outside your control: Have you identified the risks ofthese things happening, and have you taken steps to reduce the likelihood of them

happening or their impact if they do? What will you do if they occur? And what

do you need others to do for you?

Worry about other people's reactions: If you have prepared well, and you dothe best you can, then you should be satisfied. If you perform as well as you

reasonably can, then fair people are likely to respond well. If people are not fair,

the best thing to do is ignore their comments and rise above them.

When you challenge negative thoughts rationally, you should be able to see quickly

whether the thoughts are wrong or whether they have some substance to them. Where

there is some substance, take appropriate action. However, make sure that your negative

thoughts are genuinely important to achieving your goals, and don't just reflect a lack of

experience, which everyone has to go through at some stage.

Positive Thinking & Opportunity Seeking

By now, you should already be feeling more positive. The final step is to prepare rational,

positive thoughts and affirmations to counter any remaining negativity. It can also be

useful to look at the situation and see if there are any useful opportunities that are offered

by it.

By basing your affirmations on the clear, rational assessments of facts that you made

using Rational Thinking, you can use them to undo the damage that negative thinking

may have done to your self-confidence.


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Tip:

Your affirmations will be strongest if they are specific, are expressed in the present tense

and have strong emotional content.

Continuing the examples above, positive affirmations might be:

Problems during practice: "I have learned from my rehearsals. This has put mein a position where I can deliver a great performance. I am going to perform well

and enjoy the event."

Worries about performance: "I have prepared well and rehearsed thoroughly. Iam well positioned to give an excellent performance."

Problems issues outside your control: "I have thought through everything thatmight reasonably happen and have planned how I can handle all likely

contingencies. I am very well placed to react flexibly to events."

Worry about other people's reaction: "Fair people will react well to a goodperformance. I will rise above any unfair criticism in a mature and professional

way."

If appropriate, write these affirmations down on your worksheet so that you can use them

when you need them.

As well as allowing you to structure useful affirmations, part of Positive Thinking is to

look at opportunities that the situation might offer to you. In the examples above,

successfully overcoming the situations causing the original negative thinking will open

up opportunities. You will acquire new skills, you will be seen as someone who can

handle difficult challenges, and you may open up new career opportunities.

Make sure that identifying these opportunities and focusing on them is part of your

positive thinking.


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RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES

Stress in the Workplace:

Stress tops the list of employee complaints and is a major cause of many attendant health

Issues. It's proven that a high-stress environment, whether personal or work-related,

creates significant health risks. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is one such problem

and may Increase the incidence of heart attacks. Stress in the workplace is a leading cause

of employee health issues and absenteeism. This can arise for any number of reasons,

including a too-rigid or too-lax work environment. Worries about job security are on the

rise in today's volatile market, which may be another cause of employee stress.

Stress Statistics:

Our immune systems are affected by the strains of stress. Over time, stress can

significantly weaken our immune systems, making us more susceptible to common colds

and viruses. Some statisticians estimate that as many as 80 percent of illnesses are stress

related. Previous researches suggest that both work environmental and individual

characteristics should be taken into account in order to capture sources of stress in

modern working life. Granted, individual workers who perceive their workplace to be

healthy still need to take responsibility for reducing their personal health risks, andemployers can support them through a range of health promotion programs. The biggest

sustainable gains in employee Health and productivity result not from these programs,

however, but from changing the overall work environment.

Research Formation:


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A meticulous attempt has been made to provide a comprehensive meaning to the

research and obtain the specific and reliable data. The research problem has been

formulated as to study the ways to enhance the productivity of employees working in

Spinach Technologies by minimizing the impact of their Job stress.

Objectives of the Study:

To study the profile of the employees. To study the factors contributing to the stress of the employees in this

organization

To study the consequences of the stress. To study the impact of stress management techniques adopted by the company To suggest deletion/addition in stress management techniques.Research Design:

In this research descriptive research design is being used by authors in order to obtain

a proper definition of problem with the help of literature surveys. Descriptive

research design is best suited for formulation a problem for precise investigation.

Data was collected by obtaining feedback by sending questionnaires to the

executives of employees of Spinach Technologies. This data has been used to assess

and analyze the problem of low productivity due to high stress. The simple randomsampling procedure is adopted. A structured and validated .Questionnaire has been

used for data collection.

Data analysis:s

The analysis of data was done on the basis of unit, age and number

of years of experience and factors. Analysis was done using the simple average

method so that, finding of the survey was easily comprehensible by all

METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION:

PRIMARY DATA:


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Primary data is based upon the Questionnaire from the Employee. The primary

data is directly collected from the Employee by the use of Questionnaire. It is to

understand the Employees thoughts, expectation and feelings and preference as well.

SECONDARY DATA:

Secondary data consist of data gathered for some other purpose. The researcher

collected secondary data from the books of authors, company records, research journals,

internet, articles, magazines, newspapers. It is based upon the Questionnaire Method.

Formulation of Questionnaire:

To get the required information, well-structured questionnaire was designed. The

questionnaire included the closed-end questions and open end.

Sample Size:

Sampling Size of this study is 150 out of 700.

Sample Design:

Researcher as to taken up Simple Random sampling technique for which researcher as

to employee questionnaire method of data collection.

Sampling Technique:

The concept of sampling also plays in important role in the process of identifying,

developing and understanding new market concepts the need to be investigated by the

researcher, here the sampling population is the share investor in Chennai were considered

for the study. Therefore Simple Random sampling is adopted.


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REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Work stress is leading more people to engage in counterproductive workplace

behaviors.

By JENNIFER DAWMonitorStaffJuly 2001,

According to American survey the cost of workplace violence to employers is estimatedto be between $6.4 billion and $36 billion in lost productivity, diminished image,insurance payments and increased security.When it comes to stress levels and how Americans manage them, where they live appearsto make a difference. Regional differences* exist in terms of how Americans rate theirstress, the types of healthyand unhealthybehaviors they turn to in order to copewith stress and their willingness to enlist the help of psychologists.

The latest Stress in Americasurvey results indicate that Americans living on the EastCoast report the most stress. Findings also suggest those on the East Coast may be theleast able to manage their stress. Midwesterners report they are feeling increasinglystressed but more likely to value help from a psychologist, Southerners do fairly well atmanaging their stress and Westerners report being among the healthiest and least likely tohave physical manifestations of stress.

Findings are the below:

To create a healthy atmosphere. To provide counseling to the Employee. Identify the Employee signs and symptoms of stress. To create an Employee Employer relationship while at work place. To provide Motivation which leads to the job satisfaction of the employee and

further increased their efficiency.


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Occupational Stress:

The Current State of Science and Practice- November 5, 2009

Steve M. Jex is currently Associate Professor of Industrial/Organizational Psychology atBowling Green State University and Guest Scientist at Walter Reed Army Institute ofResearch. He has also held faculty positions at Central Michigan University and theUniversity of Wisconsin Oshkosh. Dr. Jex received his Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational

Psychology from the University of South Florida and has spent most of his post-doctoralcareer conducting research on occupational stress. His research has appeared in a numberof scholarly journals including Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of OrganizationalBehavior, Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, Journal of Applied SocialPsychology, and Work & Stress. His also serves on two editorial boards. In addition tohis research and editorial activities, Dr. Jex is the author of two books, Stress and JobPerformance: Theory, Research, and Implications for Managerial Practice andOrganizational Psychology: A Scientist-Practitioner Approach.


To understand the basic terminology that is used in occupational stress research. To know the most common sources of employee stress (e.g., stressors) in

organizations. To know the general findings those have been obtained by occupational stress

research. To understand the different approaches to the assessment of stressors and strains

within their organizations. To understand the criteria those are typically used to evaluate stress measures. Recognize the different approaches to the reduction of stress within organizations. Understand the basic steps involved in designing, implementing, and evaluating

stress-related interventions in organizations.


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Workplace stress can take a toll on employee health and well-being, as well as

organizational performance by Marketing and Business Development Staff

July 28, 2010

Anxiety. Burnout. Add the recent economic crisis to the mix, and employees can be leftfeeling overwhelmed and unable to keep up with their job demands. With one third ofU.S. employees reporting being chronically overworked (Galinsky et al., 2005),workplace stress can affect both individual well-being and organizational performance.

In national surveys, more than two-thirds of respondents reported that work is asignificant source of stress (American Psychological Association, 2008) and more thanhalf said they were less productive at work as a result of stress (American PsychologicalAssociation, 2007).

In addition to affecting employee health, chronic stress can have serious repercussions foremployers. A study of a large, multi-employer, multi-site employee population found thathealthcare expenditures for employees with high levels of stress were 46 percent higherthan those for employees who did not have high levels of stress (Goetzel et al., 1998). Inall, job stress is estimated to cost U.S. industry more than $300 billion a year inabsenteeism, turnover, diminished productivity, and medical, legal and insurance costs(Rosch, 2001).


Identifying the Employee stress. To reduce the individual and organizational Stress by creating an Employee

Employers relationship at office.

Provided counseling and motivation to the employee in order to reduce theabsenteeism level at work place.

Where in absenteeism and stress levels decreased performance and productivitywill be increased automatically in the work place.


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In 1980 The Use of Meditation-Relaxation Techniques for the Management of Stress

in a Working Population

Carrington, Patricia Ph.D.; Collings, Gilbeart H. Jr. M.D., M.P.H.; Benson, HerbertM.D.; Robinson, Harry Sc.D.; Wood, Loring W. M.D.; Lehrer, Paul M. Ph.D.; Woolfolk,

Robert L. Ph.D.; Cole, Jean W.

The efficacy of meditation-relaxation techniques has been widely researched in thelaboratory, but their effectiveness for management of stress in organizational settings isstill relatively unexplored. The present study compared relaxation and control conditionsas part of a program of stress-reduction in industry. A total of 154 New York Telephoneemployees self-selected for stress learned one of three techniques - clinicallystandardized meditation (CSM), respiratory one method meditation (ROM) orprogressive relaxation (PMR) - or served as waiting list controls. At 5.5 months, thetreatment groups showed clinical improvement in self-reported symptoms of stress, butonly the meditation groups (not the PMR group) showed significantly more symptomreduction than the controls. The meditation groups had a 78% compliance rate at 5.5months with treatment effect seen whether subjects practiced their techniques frequentlyor occasionally.

The finding are the below:

To create a Healthy environment. Meditation to be provide at work place E.g. Respiratory meditation Relaxation techniques like games, outing or Picnic etc.


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The general trend in the research has been towards increased optimism regarding

the utility of personality tests in personnel selection with the goal of ultimately

enhancing job

Performance (Behling, 1998; Hogan et al, 1996; Hum and Donovan, 2000; Mountand

Barrick, 1995).

Personality Traits as Sources of Stress:

31Past studies have indicated the potential impact of personality traits on job stress

(Goldberg, 1993; Deary and Blenkin, 1996; Snyder and Ickes, 1985). Five personality

dimensions that have been identified are neuroticism, extraversion, openness,

agreeableness, and conscientiousness (Costa and McCrae, 1985; McCrae and Costa,

1991; Costa and McCrae, 1992; McCrae, 1992).

The neuroticism domain reflects one's degree of emotional stability and adjustment.

Extraversion assesses the extent to which individuals are assertive, active, and talkative.

Openness measures the extent to which persons are open to new experiences, are creative

and imaginative, and prefer variety. Agreeableness reflects the extent to which one is

altruistic and cooperative. Conscientiousness measures one's self-control and

purposefulness and is associated with academic and occupational achievement. Of these

five personality dimensions, neuroticism has been found to have a positive relationship

with job stress (Deary and Blenkin, 1996; Tellegen, 1985; Birch and Kamali, 2001).

The general consensus has been that personality holds utility as a predictor of job

performance, specifically the conscientiousness dimension (Behling, 1998). Research has

also provided evidence of linkages between personality dimensions with narrower facets

of performance. Research by Motowidlo and Van Scotter (1994; Van Scotter and

Motowidlo, 1996) suggests that personality has a larger impact on contextual (as opposed


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to task oriented) dimensions of performance; specifically, extraversion and agreeableness

were more strongly related to interpersonal facilitation. Hurtz and Donovan (2000) found

that emotional stability and agreeableness were also significant predictors of

interpersonal facilitation, and emotional stability was a predictor of task performance.

However, a number of different studies have begun to illustrate that the effects of

personality on performance may be more indirect. Recent research indicates the

intervening effects of performance expectancies, self-efficacy, and goal setting on the

relationship between conscientiousness and performance (Barrick et al, 1993; Gellatly,

1996; Martocchio and Judge, 1997). These studies illuminate a significant gap in the

literature-that Age research to date has disproportionately focused on the direct linkage

between personality and performance, and ". . . if we are to truly understand the

relationship between personality and job performance, we must move beyond this

divaricated relationship and toward specifying the intervening variables that link these

domains" (Hurtz and Donovan, 2000:

Conclusion:

A widely accepted assumption is that better workplace environment produces better

results. Mostly the office is designed with due importance to the nature of job and the

individuals that are going to work in that office. The performance of an employee is

measured actually by the output that the individual produces and it is related to

productivity. At corporate level, productivity is affected by many factors such as

employees, technology and objectives of the organization. It is also dependent on the

physical environment and its affect on health and employees performance.

The most important of workplace environment factors that either lead to engagement ordisengagement are shown in the following diagram. A close consideration of each of

these factors is also very useful in ensuring that employees apply the skills they learn

during training programs once they return to their workplace. Tending to the structural

and interpersonal aspects of each of these factors enables employees to apply the required

skills in a consistent and habitual way. According to Moos (1981), work environment

preferences can be measured using three dimensions of work environment settings:

system maintenance, goal orientation, and relationship dimensions. System maintenance

refers to how orderly and organized the work setting is, how clear it is in its expectations,

and how much control it maintains. Goal orientation assesses the degree to which an

environment encourages or stifles growth through providing for participation in decision

making and autonomy, maintaining a task orientation, and providing job challenge and

expectations for success and accomplishment.

The findings are the below:


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The relationship dimension measures the degree of interpersonal interactionin a work Environment, such as the social communication exchanges and

cohesion among workers, and the friendship and support provided by co-

workers and management.

These work environment preferences have been shown to affect individuals'personal functioning at work (Billings and Moos, 1982). Examination of

work environment preferences can help identify organizational factors that

may be problematic, and can guide interventions aimed at reducing

employee stress in a variety of work settings.


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Stress management in work settings: A critical review of the health effects .

Murphy, Lawrence R. American Journal of Health Promotion, Vol 11(2), Nov-Dec 1996,

112-135.

A B S T R A C T

Presents a critical review of the research literature on the health effects of worksite stress-management interventions. In the 64 articles published 19741994 that are reviewed,major program types included progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, biofeedback,cognitive-behavioral skills, and combinations of these techniques. Health outcomemeasures included physiological/biochemical, psychological/cognitive, somaticcomplaints, and job and organization measures. Over half the studies were randomizedcontrol trials, but only 30% conducted post training follow-up evaluations. Theeffectiveness of stress interventions varied according to the health-outcome measureused. Biofeedback was the least frequent technique used in work settings and seemed tobe the least effective technique. Meditation produced the most consistent results acrossoutcome measures but was used in only 6 studies. In general, studies using a combinationof techniques seemed to be more effective across outcome measures than singletechniques.

Findings are

Creating a healthy atmosphere at work place. To motivate to the all levels of Employee to achieve the Organizational Goals. Recognition and awards can encourage the employee at work to perform well. Team outing which provide Employee relaxation.

i

MBA PROJECT RESEARCH ON STRESS MANAGEMENT

Consequences of Work Place Stress

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