1 chapter 15 stress & workplace health copyright © the mcgraw-hill companies, inc. c....

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Chapter 15

Stress & Workplace Health

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

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Module 1: The Problem of Stress

• Studying workplace stress

Work stressors– Task & role stressors

Moderators of the stress process– Individual differences & social support

Consequences of stress– Burnout & heart disease


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Studying Workplace Stress (cont’d)

• Selye – “Father of Stress”– Defined stress as “the non-specific response of

the human body to any demand made on it”– Eustress vs. distress– General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

• Alarm reaction Resistance Exhaustion

• Response to chronic stress


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Studying Workplace Stress (cont’d)

• Recent studies– In addition to physiological reaction to stress,

there is also a cognitive appraisal of situation & of resources available to handle stressors

• Problem-focused coping• Managing or altering the problem causing the stress

• Emotion-focused coping• Reducing the emotional response to the problem


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What is a Stressor?

• Stressors– Physical or psychological demands to which an

individual responds

• Strains– Reaction or response to stressors


Heat, cold, noise

Emotional labor

Perceived control

Situational constraints

Work scheduleWork pace, time pressure

Workload

Role stressorsInterpersonal conflict

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Common Stressors at Work

• Physical/Task stressors– Effect of multiple

stressors can be cumulative

– e.g., Noise, demands of a given job


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Psychological Stressors

• Lack of control/predictability• Individual’s perception of control or predictability

determines his/her response to the situation

• Interpersonal conflict• Negative interactions w/co-workers, supervisors, clients

• Can occur when resources are scarce, employees have incompatible interests, or employees feel they are not being treated fairly


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Psychological Stressors (cont’d)

• Role stressors: Result from multiple task requirements or roles of employees

• Role ambiguity– Employees lack clear knowledge of expected behavior

• Role conflict– Demands from different sources are incompatible

• Role overload– An employee is expected to fill to many roles at once


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• Work-family conflict– When workers experience conflict between roles

they fulfill at work & roles they fulfill in their personal lives

– Flexible time schedules & child care becoming increasingly important


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• Emotional labor: Regulation of one’s emotions to meet job or organizational demands– Surface acting

– Consists of managing or faking one’s expressions or emotions

– Deep acting– Consists of managing one’s feelings, including emotions

required by the job


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Behavioral Consequences of Stress

• Information processing• Chronic stress has negative effects on memory,

reaction time, accuracy, & task performance

• Performance• Hypothesis: Performance & stress have an inverted U relationship

– As arousal increases, performance increases, but only up to a certain point, & then performance begins to decline


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Psychological Consequences of Stress

• Burnout• Extreme state of psychological strain resulting from

prolonged response to chronic job stressors that exceed an individual’s resources to cope with them

• 3 components– Emotional exhaustion– Depersonalization– Low personal accomplishment


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Physiological Consequences of Stress

• Stressful situations cause overactivation of sympathetic nervous system (SNS), producing several kinds of stress hormones– Initially, these changes can improve decision

making & physical performance– Chronic activation of SNS leads to “wear &

tear” on coronary arteries & heart


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Module 2: Theories of Stress

• Demand-Control Model– 2 factors prominent in producing job stress

• Job demands– Workload or intellectual requirements

• Control (decision latitude)– Autonomy & discretion for using different skills


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Demand-Control Model (cont’d)


Figure 15.3Demand-Control ModelSource: Adapted from Karasek (1979).

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Demand-Control Model (cont’d)

• Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ)

– Role overload & role conflict (demands)– Skill utilization & job decision (control)– Depression, job dissatisfaction, & sleep

problems (health consequences)


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Person-Environment Fit Model

• Hypothesis: Fit between person & environment determines amount of stress that person perceives

• Considers external influences like social support from family & work sources

• Person-job fit vs. person-organization fit


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Individual Differences in Resistance to Stress

• Moderators of stressor-strain relationship– Locus of control (LOC)

• Belief of individuals that what happens to them is under their control

– Hardiness• Set of personality characteristics that provide

resistance to stress– Self-esteem

• Positive self-worth that is considered to be an important resource for coping


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Type A Behavior Pattern (TABP)

• Moderator of stressor-strain relationship

• Individuals displaying TABP characterized by ambitiousness, impatience, easily aroused hostility, & time urgency– Seem to thrive on “life in the fast lane”


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Type A Behavior Pattern (TABP)

• Compared to Type Bs, Type As more punctual, work at faster rates, & higher achievers in college & in professional careers

• Hostility is primary TABP subcomponent associated with increased risk of heart disease & other long-term, harmful health outcomes


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TABP Subcomponents

• Achievement strivings (AS)– Tendency to be active & work hard in achieving one’s goals– Positively correlated with academic performance, sales

performance, & job satisfaction

• Impatience/Irritability (II)– Intolerance, frustration that results from being slowed down– Associated with health problems like insomnia, headaches,

poor digestion, & respiratory difficulties


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TABP Subcomponent

Time urgency

• Refers to feeling of being pressured by inadequate time

• Dimensions include eating behavior, nervous energy, list making, scheduling, speech patterns, & deadline control


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Module 3:Reducing & Managing Stress

• Primary prevention strategies– Concerned with modifying or eliminating

stressors in work environment– Most proactive & preventative

approaches to stress management– Examples:

• Work & job design• Cognitive restructuring


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Secondary Prevention Strategies

• Involve modifying responses to inevitable demands or stressors

• Role is often one of damage control

• Strategies that require no special training include lifestyle choices such as physical fitness, healthy eating, & weight control

• Can be proactive or reactive


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Secondary Prevention Strategies

• Stress management training– Useful for helping employees deal with

workplace stressors that are difficult to change

– Cognitive-behavioral skills training• Stress inoculation

– Relaxation & biofeedback techniques• Progressive muscle relaxation & deep breathing

– Social support: Instrumental, emotional, informational, & appraisal support

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Tertiary Prevention Strategies

• Focused on healing negative effects of stressors

• Employee assistance programs (EAPs)– Counseling provided by an organization to deal

with workplace stress, alcohol/drug difficulties, & problems stemming from outside the job


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Summary of Stress Intervention Strategies


• Combining various stress management interventions is more effective than using any single approach

• Successful stress management interventions must accurately identify stressors causing strain & actively determine ways to reduce those stressors

• Primary stress intervention strategies generally preferred over other interventions

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Stress & Workplace Violence


Most perpetrators of workplace violence have:• Personality disorders that make them respond

poorly to stress• Conflicted relationships at work• Inappropriate & angry reactions to perceived

threats to their self-esteem

Advisable that organizations have policies & plans in place to reduce stress & workplace violence

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Future Work Trends & Challenges to Stress & Stress Management


• Workforce is becoming more culturally & ethnically diverse– Important for I-O psychologists to determine whether

factors that predict health problems in White males are same as in other populations

• Influences in the new millennium predicted to be stressful– Technological change, global competition, downsizing,

elder & child care, & increased teamwork

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Permissions

Slide 1: McGraw-Hill Education Digital Image Library, C. Borland/PhotoLink/Getty Images, Source Image ID: BU001615, Filename: 23033.JPG

Slide 3: Figure 15.1 adapted from Kahn, R. L., & Byosiere, P. (1992). Stress in organizations. In M. D. Dunnette & L. M. Hough (Eds.), Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology, 2nd ed., Vol. 3. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press. Modified and reproduced by special permission of the Publisher, CPP, Inc. All rights reserved. Further reproduction is prohibited without the Publisher’s written consent.

Slide 7: McGraw-Hill Education Digital Image Library, Royalty-Free/CORBIS, Source Image ID: CB007273, Filename: CHA0093.JPG

Slide 11: McGraw-Hill Education Digital Image Library, Filename: OS09057.JPG Slide 13: Figure 15.2 from Jex, S. M. (1998). Stress and job performance: Theory, research, and implications for

managerial practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sate. Copyright © 1998. Reprinted by permission of Sage Publications, Inc.

Slide 17: Figure 15.3 adapted from Karasek, R. A. (1979). Job demands, job decision latitude, and mental strain: Implications for job redesign. Administrative Sciences Quarterly, 24, 285-308. Used by permission.

Slide 27: McGraw-Hill Education Digital Image Library, Royalty-Free/CORBIS, Source Image ID: CB016959, Filename: OEM0098.JPG

Slide 29: Adapted from Table 15.5 adapted from Cooper, C. L., Dewe, P.J., & O’Driscoll, M. P. (2001). Organizational stress: A review and critique of theory, research, and applications. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Copyright © 2001. Reprinted by permission of Sage Publications, Inc.

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