effect of stress on executive performance soft tech.doc

A Project ReportON

EFFECT OF STRESS ON EXECUTIVE PERFORMANCEIN

SAT INFOTECH LTD

ByM. Maheshwari

HTNo: 098-06-0121

Project submitted in partial fulfillment for the award of the Degree ofMASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

by

Osmania University, Hyderabad -500007

1

ANNEXURE – I

DECLARATION

I hereby declare that this Project Report titled EFFECT OF STRESS ON

EXECUTIVE PERFORMANCE submitted by me to the Department of Busi-

ness Management, O.U., Hyderabad, is a bonafide work undertaken by me

and it is not submitted to any other University or Institution for the award of

any degree diploma/ certificate or published any time before.

Name and Address of the Student Signature of the Student

M.MaheshwariFlat no 506 , KK Madduri Mansion Kothapet, Hyderabad

Abstract

2

Stress as a nonspecific response of the body to any demand. The pio-

neers of stress research categorized all stress as negative or bad. To-

day, we understand that stress is anything in the environment that

causes us to adapt, and that a “stressful” situation can be either

happy/positive or sad/negative

We also understand that stress isn't limited to what goes on in our

thoughts. We know that stress is a nonspecific automatic biological re-

sponse to demands made upon an individual. Scientifically speaking,

stress is any challenge to homeostasis, or the body's internal sense of

balance. Stress is a biological and biochemical process that begins in

the brain and that spreads through the autonomic nervous system,

causing hormone release and eventually exerting an effect on the im-

mune system.

The pressure on executives leading to psychological, damage, impact

of biology, work schedule and impact the whole life cycle of a person is

under going twist after twist it is also leading to social problems like di-

vorce, absenteeism suicides and switch over of jobs.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

3

I would like to thank Mr. T. Raghava Reddy Director and Mrs. B. Indira Principal, St. Paul’s P.G.College, for their whole hearted cooperation.

I feel it as a great privilege to express my profound respects, deep sense of gratitude to project guide Lecturer Mr. Anand Sony St. Paul’s P.G. College, who guided me throughout my project with constant cooperation, encouragement and moti-vation.

I extremely thankful to Mr. Natarajan, GM, Human Re-sources and Chandrashesker, Manager HR. of SAT info tech and other staff members of SAT info tech, with out their kind cooperation and help the project could not have been suc-cessful. I sincerely acknowledge all the people mentioned above, without whose cooperation, I couldn’t have completed my project successfully.

M. MAHESHWARI

H.T.No.098-

06-0121

4

Table of contents page no’sChapter 1

Introduction 1 Objectives 3 Methodology 4 Need For The Study 5 Scope and Limitations 6

Chapter 2 Review Of Literature 8

Chapter 3 Company Profile 13

Chapter 4 Introduction of stress 17 Definition of stress 24 Workplace stress 39 Handing depression 44 Job stress management 48 Management standards 61 Union nations peace keepers 66

Chapter 5 Analysis and interpretation 74

Chapter 6 Findings 88 Recommendations 91 Conclusions 93 Bibliography 94

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Chapter – 1Introduction

6

INTRODUCTION:

Stress is a part of day to day living of every individual .The college stu-

dents may experience stress in meetings the academic demands. Peo-

ple on the job, Business men may suffer stress to reach office in time

and to complete projects on time and even the house hold ladies may

experience stress in managing the home affaires and look for the maid

servent.

The reasons for the stress differ from person to person .the stress peo-

ple experience should not be necessarily treated as harmful. An opti-

mum amount of stress can always act as an energizer or motivator

people to apply the efforts and complete the work but a high level of

stress can be a serious threat to the personality traits of the individual

and can cause psychological and social problems.

Let us return to our original question. What causes the rapid increase

in the rate of coronary artery disease between the ages of 30 and 40?

We have implied that it may be the onset of the midlife crisis. Accord-

ing to Sheehy, midlife crises begin at 35. Age 35 is marked by a rapid

rise in the rate of heart attacks in the American male; however, the

rise in heart attack rate in the average American female comes much

7

later. This poses a second question. Could it be that the stress on men

and women from the midlife crisis is different?

Again according to Sheehy, the stress of the midlife crisis is perceived

differently in men and women. Sheehy claims that the midlife crisis is

precipitated because we realize we are at the midpoint in our lives.

The apprehension is strong and manifests itself by distortion in our

sense of time. Men and career women react with statements like:

"Time is running out." "Time must be beaten." "Can I accomplish all

that I’d hoped for before it’s too late?" For women who have devoted

their lives to homes and children, their statements are different: "Look

at all the time ahead!" "After the children are gone, what will I do with

it?"10 Thus, in the midlife crisis, one of the main differences between

men and women is that men feel they have too little time and women

feel that they have too much. Sheehy says that most women pause to

reconsider both the inner and outer aspects of their life and try to find

the proper balance between their innate talents and their aspirations.

Men, on the other hand, react to the midlife crisis with the thought that

it is their last chance to pull away from the pack. Men begin to neglect

all other aspects of their personalities to fit the narrow role of the orga-

nization man. Corporations encourage their employees to feel that

their performance is the only criterion of their self-worth.

8

Objectives:

To study the review of literature on stress level of executive per-

formance.

To identify how stress affects executive performance.

To prepare guidelines for stress management in SAT technolo-

gies. To suggest on action plan to implementation the recom-

mendation.

Methodology:

9

PRIMARY DATA: Collected data through structured questionnaire

SECONDARY DATA: Survey from following sources;

Internet

Books

Newspapers

Need for the study:

Software industry is witnessing unprecedented changes forcing the

companies to instantly adapt to the new technology. Software compa-

10

nies intern a subjecting the executives to the fast changing technologi-

cal environment where they are forced to learn and operate without

much time on hand. This is putting enormous pressure on executives

leading to psychological, damage, impact of biology, workshedule and

impact the whole life cycle of a person is under going twist after twist it

is also leading to social problems like divorce, absenteeism suicides

and switch over of jobs.

The software industry is desperate to overcome the above problem

and many national and internal organizations have been engaged to

study the subject at Hyderabad.

Scope:

11

The study content to data collected at Hyderabad only on a sample of

30 representatives in 3 weeks.

It does not represent all India data how ever it brings out issue for fu-

ture studies.

The sample size of the project is 30 and selected randomly. The main

effect of this study is maintaining the stress levels.

LIMITATIONS:

The information given by the employee may be biased. Time is limited

to only for 45 days which is not sufficient to do in depth analysis.

12

Chapter – 2Review Of Literature

REVIEW OF LITERATURE:

What is Stress?

13

Stress is that waking up in the middle of the night feeling thinking “I’m

never going to get all of this done!” Stress is your mind jumping

around from thing to thing when you feel overwhelmed. Stress can be

getting headaches or stomachaches you can’t seem to shake, with no

real reason. Stress can mean getting more irritable with your friends.

Well, if you want the more technical definition, stress is actually the re-

action people have to change or challenges. You can’t really avoid hav-

ing some stress, and stress in itself isn’t such a bad thing. It keeps you

on your toes and gives you energy and motivation to get things done,

if you channel the energy right. But too much stress can cause a lot of

discomfort and can get in the way of being able to focus and achieve.

Bottom line: you can’t really avoid stress, but you can do something

about it.

What Causes Stress?

According to the authors of The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Work-

book, there are three basic causes of stress. The first is the most obvi-

ous. Outside challenges and demands cause stress. As a college stu-

14

dent you have a lot of demands on you, which it can be difficult to bal-

ance. Add family or work demands to class pressures and the adjust-

ment of moving to a new school, and you’ve got a lot of life changes

going on at one time. Remember that even exciting changes can cause

stress. The second cause of stress is physiological. Different people re-

act differently to stressful situations than others. For example, some

people tend to react physically to stress. Be aware of how your body

reacts to stressful situations. If you’re prone to stomach aches,

headaches, etc. maybe your body is telling your something. Go to the

Health Center and get a check-up. The third cause of stress is our

thoughts. How we interpret events can cause as much or more reac-

tions as the events themselves.

Stress management techniques:

Believe it or not, you can make a difference in your stress level by do-

ing a few simple things.

• Have some fun. It’s important to have a balanced life. Your work

time will be more productive if you have at least a little time for fun.

• Keep your energy up by eating several mini-meals a day. Don’t skip

meals, which will cause your energy level to drop.

• Exercise. Moderate cardiovascular exercise forces us to breathe

deeply, and is good for our bodies and souls.

15

• Be aware of the messages you send yourself. Mes-

sages like “I’ll never pass that test” or “I have to get an A in that class

or it will be a disaster” bring more pressure and actually backfire, lead-

ing students to procrastinate and give up, rather than to get more

done.

• Try to be flexible with changes. A lot of us like the world to

be predictable and structured, but it rarely stays that way. Try to see

change as exciting, or at least interesting.

• Make time for sleep. If you’re not rested, anything that

stressed you a

Little before will make you much more anxious.

• Get support. Talking to someone who is supportive helps people

feel Less alone and helps the load feel a little lighter.

• Remember your priorities. Spiritual and religious practices

can help people put stress in perspective. Feed your soul and your

stress level will go down! Remember that when you start telling your-

self “I don’t have time” to relax, take a break, eat lunch, that might be

a sign to you that you really need a short break

16

Chapter – 3 Company Profile

The Company

Sat InfoTech Pvt. Ltd. (SAT), a Hyderabad based Information Technol-

ogy Company works on Linux based SAP solutions spanning diverse do-

mains with its expert core team. SAT aims to drive its course on to the

high growth path of 'Applied Technology Integration'. SAT offers value

18

added services in key areas such as Research and Development, Soft-

ware applications, Networking Consultancy & Management and a

range of support services.

The management team consists of friends who share one another’s

dreams and passions do drive SAT forward. Combined, the core team

has over 50 man-years of direct experience in general management,

software development, system integration, training and marketing.

The objective of the company is to deploy and support Linux and SAP

in software development, software services and training. To address

these areas, the Company has a team of professionals whose approach

is to offer complete cost-effective enterprise solutions.

SAT offers full range of System and Application consulting, implemen-

tation, development, upgrade and support services having specialized

in working Linux operating system and SAP application.

The company’s comprehensive range of Linux and SAP support ser-

vices is offered to both existing users and organizations new to the

software, and spans pre-sales consultancy, technical and functional im-

plementation and development services, upgrade planning and execu-

tion, training and support.

19

SAT Vision

“Technology for Human Excellence”

SAT Mission

“To build a World class state of art infrastructure for providing

On-site, on-line, off-line, remote

Linux System and SAP Application Support Services”

20

SAT InfoTech Pvt. Limited

1st Floor Murthy Mansion, Srinivasanagar (w)

Ameerpet, Hyderbad – 500 038

Phone: 040-55837657, Fax: 040-55837656

21

Chapter - 4

INTRODUCTION OF STRESS:

Introduction to Stress Study itself is potentially very stressful with

many different and sometimes conflicting pressures reading complex

technical or theoretical material, writing assignments for deadlines,

working part time, having a ‘successful’ social life, family demands

perhaps peaking near the exams which themselves explicitly test your

performance under pressure by setting strict time conditions and re-

moving potential resources such as books, colleagues, notes etc. Study

can also challenge your ideas of who you are, who you think you are or

22

who you want to be, lead you to compare yourself with others, who

maybe look like they have everything under control. Any change or

transition, even a welcome one is stressful and study involves lots of

transitions in addition to other life events: for example, moving to an-

other country, or another part of the country, meeting new people, dif-

ferent expectations from teachers and each academic year brings

changes different topics, lecturers, perhaps new housemate’s changes

which should not be underestimated.

Ways of managing stress you probably already have a number of ways

of managing stressful situations so some of what follows will be famil-

iar. Or you may know some of the ways in theory, but haven’t ever put

them into practice. Here are some examples, but don’t get into the

habit of thinking there is a ‘right’ way to manage stress, otherwise you

might end up stressing yourself over this as well as

Challenging Negative Thinking

We all have thoughts continually going round in our heads. Often,

these thoughts are so fleeting that we fail to notice that we are even

having them. Many of these thoughts are positive, and therefore help-

ful to us in our lives. However, many are negative and have an adverse

affect on us. Our thoughts have a great bearing on how we feel and

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how we behave. Once we are aware of our thinking patterns, we can

work on changing them. First though, we have to learn to identify our

negative thinking.

1. Identifying your negative thoughts:

Negative thoughts which might make you behave in a way that is not

helpful to your well-being have certain features: They are usually auto-

matic thoughts that seem to come out of nowhere. Often they can

flash through your mind without you being aware of them. They seem

reasonable at the time, and you accept them without question. They

are the kind of thoughts that, if they were true, would make most peo-

ple feel quite anxious or unhappy. Next time you feel you feel particu-

larly stressed or anxious; take time to examine what is going through

your mind. Are the thoughts or pictures similar to any of the typical

negative thoughts that were described above? It may be quite hard to

identify your automatic thoughts at first, but it will get easier with prac-

tice. Writing your thoughts in a diary may help you get into the habit of

doing this.

2. Changing negative thoughts

To help you change your thinking, use the following guidelines to reach

more rational thoughts

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1. What is the evidence?

2. What evidence do I have to support my thoughts?

3. What evidence do I have against them?

4. What alternative views are there?

5. How would someone else view this situation?

6. How would I have viewed this situation if I were not so anxious

about eating?

7. What is the effect of thinking the way that I do?

8. What thinking errors am I making?

A basic factor in how we respond to a situation is the way in which we

interpret the situation. Our five senses are capable of taking in much

more information than our brains are able to compute, so we need to

simplify the information streaming in through our eyes and ears before

we can use it. We cut corners and take shortcuts in our thinking to

handle the sensory load better. Doing this means that we are not get-

ting a direct readout on the world, so our thoughts and beliefs about

the world are vulnerable to error. When we are stressed or feeling low,

our thoughts are particularly prone to distortions or errors These Think-

ing Errors are common – everyone has them to some degree – but they

do make us feel worse. The good news is that by changing our auto-

matic thoughts, we can change our feelings and our energy levels, and

improve how we handle the setbacks and stresses in our daily lives.

25

Normally, we each have our ‘favorite’ Thinking Errors - that is, a few

that we tend to use.

Review the list below to identify your

1) All or Nothing Thinking

If your performance falls short of perfect, you see yourself as a total

failure: “I didn’t get top marks in one test – I’m useless.” All or nothing

thinking forms the basis of perfectionism and frequently goes hand in

hand with the tendency to see things in black and white – “I’m com-

pletely right, he’s completely wrong.”

2) Tunnel Vision

Seeing only the negative (or the positive) aspects of a situation.

3) Over generalization

Expecting that, because something has happened in the past, it always

will: “My partners always leave me, the women I meet are all unfaith-

ful.”

4) Jumping to Conclusions

You make a negative interpretation even though there are no definite

facts that convincingly support your conclusion. Examples are:

a) Mind Reading you assume you know what other people are thinking,

or that they are reacting negatively to you, without checking your

26

hunches e.g. “My boss / partner / colleague didn’t say hello – she is

mad at me.”

b) Fortune telling you predicts that things will turn out badly. Before a

very important interview, you may tell yourself, “I’ know I’m going to

blow it.” If you are depressed, you may tell yourself, “I’ll never get bet-

ter.

5) Catastrophising

You exaggerate your own problems; imperfections etc and automati-

cally imagine the worse case scenario: “I made a mistake. Now they’re

going to sack me, and I won’t have any money, and I’ll lose my house,

and end up on the streets”

6) Emotional Reasoning

You take your emotions as evidence for the truth - I feel, therefore it

must be true - e.g. “I feel guilty, therefore I must have done something

bad” or “I feel anxious, so something bad must be about to happen.”

7) Should Statements

You try to motivate yourself with should and shouldn’t as if you had to

be whipped and punished before you could be expected to do any-

thing. ‘Musts’ and ‘Ought’ are also offenders e.g. “I should do this” or

“I must do that” The emotional consequence is guilt. When you direct

27

‘should’ statements towards others, you feel anger, frustration and re-

sentment e.g. “He shouldn’t be so self-centered and thoughtless” or

“She ought to be prompt”

8) Labeling and Mislabeling

Instead of describing your effort, you attach a negative label to your-

self: “I’m a failure” instead of “I made a mistake” When other people’s

behaviour rubs you the wrong way, you attach a negative label: “She’s

lazy” instead of “She’s too busy.”

9) Personalization and Blame

Personalization occurs when you hold yourself personally responsible

for an event that is not entirely under your control and can lead to

guilt, shame and feelings of inadequacy. The opposite is blaming other

people or circumstances for your problems without considering ways

that you might be contributing to the problem

10) Discounting the Positive:

You shrink your strengths, resources and good points and reject posi-

tive experiences By insisting they don’t count. For e.g., if you do a

good job, you tell yourself that it wasn’t good enough or that anyone

could have done as well. Once you begin to recognize the thinking er-

28

rors that you tend to make, you can take steps to avoid Them For ex-

ample, you might check out what you do with a friend

29

Definitions of Stress:

Stress is actually the reaction people have to change or challenges.

You can’t really avoid having some stress, and stress in itself isn’t such

a bad thing. It keeps you on your toes and gives you energy and moti-

vation to get things done, if you channel the energy right. But too

much stress can cause a lot of discomfort and can get in the way of be-

ing able to focus and achieve. Bottom line you can’t really avoid stress,

but you can do something about it.

Stress researcher Hans Selye was one of the first to identify stress and

its effects on the body. He defined stress as a nonspecific response of

the body to any demand. The pioneers of stress research categorized

all stress as negative or bad. Today, we understand that stress is any-

thing in the environment that causes us to adapt, and that a “stressful”

situation can be either happy/positive (like the birth of a baby) or sad/

negative (like the death of a loved one).We also understand that stress

isn't limited to what goes on in our thoughts. We know that stress is a

nonspecific automatic biological response to demands made upon an

individual. Scientifically speaking, stress is any challenge to homeosta-

sis, or the body's internal sense of balance. Stress is a biological and

biochemical process that begins in the brain and that spreads through

the autonomic nervous system, causing hormone release and eventu-

ally exerting an effect on the immune system. Simply stated, the stress

response starts in two major systems.

(1) The nervous system, which reacts almost simultaneously, and

(2) The endocrine (or) hormone system, which takes longer to react

but which persists much longer

Types of Stress:

Basically, there are three types of stress: physical, psychological,

and psychosocial. Physical stress involves stressors in the environ-

ment - factors such as extremes in temperature, environmental pol-

lution, constant noise, or electric shock. Researchers also categorize

physiological factors as physical stress. Examples include injury,

surgery, hypoglycemia, prolonged exercise, or an inadequate supply

of oxygen. Psychological stress stems from the way we feel, the atti-

tudes we have, and the way we react toward anything that is threat-

ening us, whether the threat is real or imagined. As in the example

of the roller coaster, one person may react calmly, while another

may become extremely stressed. Psychosocial stress involves stres-

sors from interpersonal relationships, arguments or conflicts with

family members, neighbors, employers, friends, or other people

around us. Entry PHV training 2Wellness

Psychosocial stress may result from intense social interansinterans, but it can

also occur when there is isolation as a result of inadequate social in-

teractions.

How to Protect Yourself from the Negative Effects

of Stress

If everyone is a “victim” of stress, are there ways we can protect

ourselves from the effects of stress? Absolutely! One of the first

ways, says Baylor College of Medicine psychologist Michael Cox, is

to face the stress head-on. Recognize it, and get ready to deal with

it. "Avoiding and denying that stress exists won't make it go away,"

he says. "Look at different ways you can change the situation to

lessen the stress, make your decision, and face the stress head on.

Action is the fastest way to reduce the level of stress."

Following are some ideas from cardiologist Robert S. Eliot and oth-

ers as to how you can reduce the effects of stress:

• Develop what Eliot calls a game plan for your personal aspirations,

both short-term and long-term ones. Take a personal inventory and

reestablish important priorities.

You need to balance your talents and goals, similar to the way in

which you'd balance your financial portfolio. Work to get things back

into balance, and figure out where your long-term goals may be los-

ing out to short-term pressures, Eliot says.

• Be nice to yourself. Do something nice for yourself every day.

Take the time to read something you love, soak in a warm bath,

take a brisk walk, or call an old friend.

• Develop a system of time management that will help you plan

your day without becoming a stressor itself. When you're scheduling

your time, remember to leave time for play, time for hobbies and

friends, and time for simple relaxation. If you have to, schedule in

time for breaks.

• Just as you need to develop a game plan for your personal aspira-

tions, Eliot

Advises developing a game plan for your career or work. Especially

important in today's economy is the ability to adapt, continually as-

sess where you are, look ahead, and prepare for change.

• If you commute to work, make sure you plan enough time to ar-

rive without feeling stressed. If you can, turn your commute into

something pleasant: Ride the bus instead of driving, and take the

chance to catch up on some favorite books or Entry PHV training 4

Wellness magazines. If you have to drive, try out some entertaining

tapes instead of the usual radio fare.

• Once at work, try the following strategies: Instead of letting the

telephone control you, control the telephone. For example, take ini-

tiative to make calls, and block out several periods during the day in

which to return calls. Do what you can to reduce environmental

stresses at work (noise, temperature extremes, and so on). And, at

least once a day, concentrate on doing at least one task - no matter

how small - that brings you satisfaction.

• Be realistic in your expectations of your other people in your life.

According to Eliot, it's crucial to accept people for who they are and

let them express their own ideas.

• Pay attention to your physical health. Have regular checkups, and

take care of health problems promptly. If you notice unusual symp-

toms, have a doctor check them out as soon as possible. Above all,

believe that you are well.

•Get plenty of sleep. British researchers concluded that flexibility,

spontaneity, and originality of thought can be seriously undermined

by as little as one sleepless night.

• Eat a balanced diet; avoid alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine. During

periods of

Particular stress, go for a small, high-protein meal.

• Get plenty of exercise.

• Stay socially connected. According to Eliot, "Friends are not just

nice, they are a necessity." If you have problems, talk them out with

a trusted friend; if you're facing something difficult, rehearse it with

a friend first. Share your feelings often.

•Develop at least one confidant, someone with whom you can share

your deepest thoughts and feelings. And write your thoughts down

on a regular basis. Keeping a journal is good, but so is jotting your

thoughts on scraps of paper.

• Get a pet!

• Learn to laugh at yourself, and fill your life with humor.

•When things get tough, find some way to relax. And, above all,

stay flexible. There may be more ways to cope with any situation

than at first are apparent.

Understanding the Importance of Optimum Stress

Levels

The level of stress under which you operate is important: if you are

not under enough stress, then you may find that your performance

suffers because you are bored and unmotivated. If you are under

too much stress, then you will find that your results suffer as stress

related problems interfere with your performance. It is important

that you recognize that you are responsible for your own stress.

Very often it is a product of the way that you think. Learn to monitor

your stress levels, and adjust them up if you need to be more alert,

or down if you are feeling too tense. By managing your stress effec-

tively you can significantly improve the quality of your life.

There is a linkage between stress and performance. Following are

some tips on how you can ensure that you perform at your best by

optimizing stress levels. The approach to optimizing stress depends

on the sort of stress being experienced: Entry PHV training 5Well-

ness

• Short term stress such as difficult meetings, sporting or other per-

formances, or confrontational situations. Here the emphasis is on

short term management of adrenaline to maximize performance.

• Long term stress, where fatigue and high adrenaline levels over a

long period can lead to degraded performances. Here optimizing

stress concentrates on management of fatigue, health, energy and

morale.

Short term stress

The graph below shows the relationship between stress and the

quality of performance when you are in situations that impose short

term stress:

(Please note that this graph will be a slightly different shape for dif-

ferent people in different circumstances) Where stress is low, you

may find that your performance is low because you become bored,

lack concentration and motivation. Where stress is too high, your

performance can suffer from all the symptoms of short-term stress.

In the middle, at a moderate level of stress, there is a zone of best

performance. If you can keep yourself within this zone, then you will

be sufficiently aroused to perform well while not being over-stressed

and unhappy.

This graph and this zone of optimum performance are different

shapes for different people. Some people may operate most effec-

tively at a level of stress that would leave other people either bored

or in pieces. It is possible that someone who functions superbly at a

low level might experience difficulties at a high level. Alternatively

someone who performs only moderately at low level might perform

exceptionally under extreme pressure.

(Please note that this graph will be a slightly different shape for dif-

ferent people in different circumstances) Where stress is low, you

may find that your performance is low because you become bored,

lack concentration and motivation. Where stress is too high, your

performance can suffer from all the symptoms of short-term stress.

In the middle, at a moderate level of stress, there is a zone of best

performance. If you can keep yourself within this zone, then you will

be sufficiently aroused to perform well while not being over-stressed

and unhappy. This graph and this zone of optimum performance are

different shapes for different people. Some people may operate

most effectively at a level of stress that would leave other people ei-

ther bored or in pieces. It is possible that someone who functions

superbly at a low level might experience difficulties at a high level.

Alternatively someone who performs only moderately at low level

might perform exceptionally under extreme pressure.

Long term stress

The problems of long term, sustained stress are more associated

with fatigue, morale, and health than with short term adrenaline

management. The graph below shows the way in which perfor-

mance can suffer when you are under excessive long term stress:

The graph shows four major stages that you may go through in re-

sponse to sustained levels of excessive stress:

1. During the first phase you will face challenges with plenty of en-

ergy. Your

Response will probably be positive and effective.

2. After a period of time you may begin to feel seriously tired. You

may start to feel anxious, frustrated and upset. The quality of your

work may begin to suffer.

3. As high stress continues you may begin to feel a sense of failure

and may be ill more frequently. You may also begin to feel exploited

by your organization. At this stage you may start to distance your-

self from your employer, perhaps starting to look for a new job.

4. If high levels of stress continue without relief you may ultimately

experience depression, burnout, nervous breakdown, or some other

form of serious stress related illness. Different people may move be-

tween these stages with different speeds under different stress con-

ditions.

Executive Stress: An Inside Job

Executive Lack of Control:

The study the Citizen reported on was commissioned by APEX, the

Association of Professional Executives in the Public Service. It attrib-

uted the increase in physical and emotional distress within the ranks

of public service executives not to overwork but to a lack of control.

An interesting word, that. Think of all those times you've had con-

trol. You've had authority over the budget and the people. You're

the executive, after all. You've been in charge. Still, you've felt out

of control. The people around you haven't been able to fathom your

unease, they pointed out that you were in control. Deep inside your-

self, you knew better.

We live in a culture driven by external indicators and standards. We

look outside ourselves for the rules, procedures, benchmarks, ex-

pectations and evidence of our progress. We have lost our capacity

to measure progress and therefore, the quality of our work and our

very lives, by any internal standard. Here's the problem. Control, or

lack of it, is determined by an internal standard. That's why you've

been in charge, according to the organization chart and people

around you, and have nonetheless felt out of control. You feel it in-

side yourself. It's a sense, a physical thing. It's deeply personal.

We've now bumped up against two of the paramount rules for exec-

utives. First: keep the personal away from the professional; keep

your emotions and your home life out of the workplace, and make

sure your staff does, too. Second: the rational, logical, reasoning

ways of the mind - the intellect are always better than the intuitive

processes of the body. The executive primer says that to be profes-

sional, we must bring the wisdom and perspective of distance to the

resolution of our daily challenges. That may work well for balancing

a budget but it leases us impotent to balance our lives.

Understanding How Stress Works:

The Citizen article examined the stress on executives who managed

a massive four-year downsizing in Canada's public service. In it, we

get facts and figures and statistical trends. Predictably, we don't get

any insight into the workings of stress itself. We're willing only to

talk about the shifts in numbers; the dollars and cents of it the time-

frames. As a corporate culture, we speak the language of quantifi-

able data. It's as if we assume we all hold a common understanding

of what stress is, how it operates, and how it can be beaten. It's as if

we all agree it can be beaten, and that it should by everyone paying

attention to studies like these. But is it true? Do we all understand

what we're talking about?

What we aren't talking about is our pain in witnessing people we

know lose their jobs our anxiety that we might lose our own; our

guilt in being the bearer of the news that sent someone out the door

in tears, rage or desperation: all the things you'd feel yourself were

you in their shoes. What we're not paying attention to is the conflict

in values and the assaults on our personal integrity when what is

'required' is in total contravention of our personal beliefs. Yet we

proceed because to do otherwise would put us at risk, personally.

The turmoil is the stress that is not so readily quantified. These are

the internal pressures which, ignored, grip the body. Over time, that

grip damages spirit, mind and eventually the malleable tissues of

the body itself. Isn't this what we should be talking about when we

talk about executive stress?

The distinguishing feature of the APEX study is the finding that ex-

ecutives who feel in control of the decisions they make and how

they do their jobs are healthy, even thriving - however heavy the

workload. These fortunate few will find their professional decisions

aligned with their personal values: there is no other explanation. Ab-

sent for them are the guilt and resentment, the powerlessness and

disaffection that come from doing what we don't want to do but

have to. Without these strong internal cues to disrupt it, the body

simply does what it is designed to do naturally stay well.

Our sense of being in control is, simply, the internal coherence that

comes from having our internal reality line up with our external be-

haviors. If you believe you can drive the car in the snowstorm,

you're calm, and you probably can; you're really in the driver's seat.

If you doubt you can, you're agitated, and you should probably stay

off the road. Without this experience of internal coherence at work,

or anywhere else for that matter, we feel invisible and powerless,

unable to affect our own lives. Our vulnerability leads to stress.

Workplace stress:

The impact on your bottom line is just the start:

Carole Spiers, business stress consultant at the Carole Spiers Group,

an international stress management and employee wellbeing con-

sultancy, explains why companies should not ignore the impact of

workplace stress.

According to latest figures from the Health and Safety Executive

(HSE), work-related stress accounts for 90 million lost working days

per year, costing businesses £3.7 billion. As well as acting as an un-

necessary drain on the economy, workplace stress is also the sub-

ject of increasing government legislation.

• Many employers do not realize that since the publication of the

Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations (1999), all or-

ganizations with five or more employees have had a legal duty to

conduct regular risk assessments of workplace hazards, including

psychosocial hazards such as stress. These assessments should

then be used to identify and either avoid or reduce such hazards.

• A written health policy is also mandatory for all firms with five or

more employees, and this should include a stress and bullying & ha-

rassment policy.

• In November, the HSE is due to publish its new Management Stan-

dards for work-related stress. These are designed to help ensure

that organizations address key aspects of workplace stress (de-

mands, control, support, relationships, role and change) or face

prosecution if they fail to do so.

• Breach of the applicable regulations could lead to criminal prose-

cution, or claims for compensation through the civil courts.

What causes workplace stress?

The causes of workplace stress are many and varied, and the follow-

ing are some of the most important potential sources. None are in-

surmountable, and one of the keys to effective stress management

is being aware of where these ‘stressors’ may occur, and ready to

address them before they become real problems.

• Inadequate or poor communication is one of the most common or-

ganizational stressors.

• Home and work-based stresses can feed off and reinforce each

other.

• The work demands made on an individual need to match their

ability, and

The amount of control over working practices available to them.

• Both work overload and ‘under load’ can lead to stress.

• Shift work and night work can be inherently stressful, and may

lead to an increased risk of accidents.

• Home workers may feel isolated and require structured support.

• ‘Hot desking’ and short-term contracts bring their own particular

pressures.

• Role conflict, ambiguity and changing roles all contribute greatly

to stress.

• Management style needs to achieve a balance between consulta-

tion, support and control.

• Managers often need more training in communication and people

skills

• Dealing with redundancy brings its own particular specialist train-

ing requirements.

• Careful attention needs to be paid to the planning of physical

workspace in order to ensure staff is comfortable and motivated.

• The introduction of new technology, if not approached in a

planned and gradual manner, can add to stress levels.

• Organizations can mistakenly encourage a culture of ‘presen-

teeism’, in which employees feel the need to be seen to be working

at all times.

• A correct work-life balance is essential to good health and efficient

performance.

Workplace stress isn’t something that if left alone will go away of its

own accord. It canonly is tackled through a process of consultation,

identification, intervention and management, and not through short-

term initiatives or one-off ‘quick fixes’. The effects of stress

Stress is an extremely complex phenomenon that can affect individ-

uals in many different ways and to differing degrees, and can there-

fore severely affect an organization’s performance.

• The most detrimental effects of stress include high levels of ab-

senteeism, poor job performance, low morale, low commitment, in-

creased accidents, difficult industrial relations, poor relationships

with customers and possible litigation.

• The link between absence and stress is so well proven that non-at-

tendance statistics are often used as an indicator of stress ‘hot

spots’.

• Individuals suffering from high levels of stress may find their pow-

ers of creativity and rational thought become weakened.

• Where an individual is unable to perform their job to the required

standard, this will eventually produce its own stress response.

• Many stress-related problems can be exacerbated as a direct con-

sequence of management not having the required expertise to deal

with them.

• Employee morale is vitally important. Low morale and lack of

recognition by the employer will often lead to the loss of valuable

trained personnel.

• Conflict can be endemic within the workplace, and if not ad-

dressed will damage both the organization and the individuals in-

volved.

Ultimately, reducing workplace stress is largely a matter of common

sense and good management practice, and simply requires employ-

ers and employees to work together for the common good. Both

share a joint responsibility for reducing stress – which, when this is

successful, can help employees to enjoy their work more, and busi-

nesses to thrive as a result.

Handling Depression

Depression may often be initiated by high levels of long term stress,

by failure associated with stress-related under-performance, or by

life crises. Deep depression is a clinical illness should be treated

medically. It is important that if you are depressed that you take this

seriously. Severe depressions that can cause years of unhappiness

and low performance can be neutralized quickly with drugs, by the

appropriate form of psychotherapy, or by other forms of personal

action. An important part of intelligence knows when there is a prob-

lem, and when to ask for help.

Depression may start when:

you miss important deadlines

projects fail

you are passed over for promotion

you feel out of control

you are very tired

you are feeling inadequate while getting to grips with a

new, difficult job

you are bored for a long period of time

The following points may help in handling depression before it gets

serious:

An important way of guarding against depression is getting

your attitude right: positive thinking really can help. As long

as you can draw useful lessons from failure, then failure can

be positive.

Similarly, talking about problems to a partner or to a re-

spected colleague can often help a lot. They may have been

through a similar situation, seen the problem before, or may

be able to gently point out that you have the wrong perspec-

tive on a situation.

Where you are under stress caused by excessive demands,

using effective time management can improve things. Simi-

larly taking an enjoyable break may reduce stress.

Where you are not under enough pressure, you can set per-

sonal challenges to increase stimulus.

http://www.psywww.com/mtsite/page5.html

If you are already suffering from a mild form of depression, then the

following suggestions may help you to deal with it:

Self-confidence: where lack of self-confidence is a factor,

there are a number of things you can do: Start to set personal

goals. This will help you to give yourself direction in life, and

will help you to acknowledge that you can achieve useful and

important things.

Write down a list of your negative points. Challenge each item

on the list objectively, asking yourself 'is this fair, or 'is this re-

ally serious you should find that many of your negative beliefs

are wrong or insignificant. Where you identify serious failings,

set measurable personal goals to eliminate or neutralize them.

Similarly, bring your anxiety and negative self-talk up to the

surface of your consciousness. Ask yourself whether it is real-

istic to worry about the things you worry about: if you have no

control over them, then worry does no good. When you look at

them rationally, you may find that worries are irrational or out

of proportion.

Write down a list of the things that you can do well, and of the

positive parts of your personality. Ignore 'virtues' like humility

and modesty - these are not good for your self- confidence or

well-being. Be proud of your good points - they can help you

to contribute positively to the world.

Positive thinking: almost all apparently negative experi-

ences have positive elements to them. Learn to identify these

positives: this will help you to draw the best from every situa-

tion. Even failing at something can be an intense and valuable

learning experience.

Relationships: You may find that the root of problems lies

with: Assertiveness: if you are failing to assert yourself, you

may find that other people are not paying attention to your

wants and needs. This can be upsetting and humiliating. Learn

to express your wishes firmly, but only be confrontational if

absolutely necessary. Assertiveness training can be beneficial

in learning to do this.

Social Skills: if your relationships are difficult, then you

may identify that difficulties lie in the way in which you deal

with other people. In this case some form of Social Skills train-

ing may be beneficial. Alternatively if you can identify where

things are going wrong, you may be able to set goals to over-

come the problem.

Job Stress Management:

Stress Causes & Effects; Tips for Workplace Stress Reduction

Workplace stress has a negative impact on the business as well as

on the individual employee. The increase in job stress creates emo-

tional, financial, and safety concerns for employers and managers.

The bottom line: workplace stress management and stress reduction

make sense.

Stress in the workplace is not a new phenomenon, but it is a greater

threat to employee health and well-being than ever before. While

technology has made aspects of many jobs easier, it has also added

to the anxieties of office life through information overload, height-

ened pressure for productivity, and a threatening sense of imperma-

nence in the workplace. In 1996, the World Health Organization la-

beled stress a “worldwide epidemic.” Today, workplace stress is es-

timated to cost American companies more than $300 billion a year

in poor performance, absenteeism and health costs.

What is workplace stress?

Stress the responses our bodies and minds have to the demands

placed on them is a normal part of life and a normal part of any job.

Without stress, we wouldn’t meet deadlines, strive to hit sales or

production targets, or line up new clients. Meeting the demands and

challenges of a job is part of what makes work interesting and satis-

fying, and it’s often what allows people to develop new skills and ad-

vance in their careers. In the workplace, we regularly experience

stress-causing situations, react to them with heightened tension,

and then return to a more relaxed state when the crisis, big or

small, is resolved. However, problems occur when stress is so over-

whelming or constant that the tension never abates and we never

get to relax.

What we think of as “job stress” is what happens when:

The challenges and demands of work become excessive.

The pressures of the workplace surpass workers’ abilities to

handle them.

Satisfaction becomes frustration and exhaustion.

When stress crosses the line from normal to excessive, it can

trigger physical and emotional responses that are harmful to

employees and businesses alike. And unfortunately, for many

people “stress” has become synonymous with “work.”

What causes stress in the workplace?

Some jobs are stressful by definition because they’re physically dan-

gerous (such as firefighting or criminal justice), involve matters of

life and death (emergency functions), or are psychologically de-

manding (social work, teaching). But people who stamp metal or

crunch numbers can also be subject to stress on the job. Workplace

stress is usually the result of high demands on the job, real or per-

ceived lack of control concerning those demands, poor day-to-day

organization and communication, and an unsupportive work envi-

ronment. The following chart lays out many of the factors that lead

to job stress:

Factors that Lead to Job Stress

Types of Job Stres-

sors

Examples

Specific work

factors

Excessive workload.

Tedious or meaningless tasks.

Long hours and low pay.

Infrequent rest breaks.

Unreasonable performance demands.

Physical environ-

ment

Noise and overcrowding.

Poor air quality.

Ergonomic problems.


Health and safety risks (heavy equipment,

toxic chemicals).

Organizational

practices

Unclear responsibilities or expectations.

Conflicting job demands.

Multiple supervisors.

Lack of autonomy or participation in deci-

sion-making.

Inefficient communication patterns.

Lack of family-friendly policies.

Workplace

change

Fear of layoff.

Frequent personnel turnover.

Lack of preparation for technological

changes.

Poor chances for advancement or promo-

tion.

Tensions brought about by greater work-

place diversity.

Interpersonal

relationships

Distant, uncommunicative supervisors.

Poor performance from subordinates.

Office politics, competition, and other con-

flicts among staff.

Bullying or harassment.


Problems caused by excessive time away

from family

What are the health effects of job stress?

There is a clear connection between workplace stress and physical

and emotional problems, early warning signs of job stress include:

Headache

Sleep disturbance

Upset stomach

Difficulty concentrating

Irritability

Low morale

Poor relations with family and friends

While these early signs are relatively easy to recognize, it may be

harder to see how job stress affects chronic health problems, since

chronic conditions develop over time and may be influenced by fac-

tors other than stress. Still, evidence suggests that workplace stress

plays an important role in several types of ongoing health problems,

especially:

Cardiovascular disease

Musculoskeletal conditions

Psychological disorders

What can managers or employers do to reduce

stress at work?

Stress on the job creates high costs for businesses and institutions,

reducing morale, productivity, and earnings. Clearly, it is in every

employer’s best interests fiscal and otherwise to reduce workplace

stress as much as possible. Businesses can lower and prevent job

stress through two methods:

Stress management programs and training for employees.

Organizational changes that improve working conditions.

Stress Management

Nearly half of large American corporations provide their employees

with stress management training and (EAPs). EAPs are designed to

help workers with personal problems that may be adversely affect-

ing their on-the-job performance. The confidential services include

counseling, mental health assessment and referrals, workshops on

topics such as time management and relaxation, and legal and fi-

nancial assistance.

Organizational change

While EAPs can be very beneficial to workers, the relief they provide

may be superficial and short-lived if important root causes of stress

in the work environment are not addressed. Lasting stress reduc-

tion is brought about by institutional change. “Managers are

the key holders of corporate culture,” Michael Peterson, a professor

at University of Delaware, told FDU magazine. “They perpetuate it.”

While stress management techniques like yoga are great, he said,

“If your boss is draconian, exercise is not going to help.” No mean-

ingful job or workplace is, or should be expected to be, stress-free.

However, less stress occurs when a business or institution encour-

ages employee participation from the bottom up, implements poli-

cies that take employee needs into account, and empowers employ-

ees to do their best. Look at the table below for a list of ways in

which an organization can foster low levels of job stress and high

levels of productivity:

Changing the Organization to Reduce Job Stress

Improve communication

Share information with employees to reduce uncertainty about

their jobs and futures.

Changing the Organization to Reduce Job Stress

Clearly define employees’ roles and responsibilities.

Make communication friendly and efficient, not mean-spirited

or petty.

Consult your employees

Give workers opportunities to participate in decisions that af-

fect their jobs.

Consult employees about scheduling and work rules.

Be sure the workload is suitable to employees’ abilities and re-

sources; avoid unrealistic deadlines.

Show that individual workers are valued.

Offer rewards and incentives

Praise good work performance verbally and institutionally.

Provide opportunities for career development.

Promote an “entrepreneurial” work climate that gives employ-

ees more control over their work.

Cultivate a friendly social climate

Provide opportunities for social interaction among employees.

Establish a zero-tolerance policy for harassment.

Make management actions consistent with organizational val-

ues.

What can employees do to reduce job stress?

While organizational change comes from management, there are

still many things employees individually or collectively can do to re-

duce workplace stress.

Get a job description. If your employer hasn’t provided a

specific, written description of your job, ask for one, or, better, ask

to negotiate one. According to the American Psychological Associa-

tion, the act of negotiating a job description “does more to dispel a

sense of powerlessness than anything else we know. You can ob-

ject to what and insist on what you do want. If there is a compro-

mise, it's because you agreed to it. With a clear job description,

your expectations are spelled out, as are your boss’s.”

Change your job. If you like where you’re working but your

job is too stressful, ask if the company can tailor the job to your

skills or move you to a less pressured slot.

Get support. Use the local, state, and federal agencies cre-

ated to support workers’ interests and your union, if you belong

to one to back you up in situations that expose you to unneces-

sary danger, unsafe or unhealthful conditions, or undue harass-

ment. While some locations and agencies are more sympathetic

to employees’ rights than others, sometimes simply mentioning

that you know where to turn for help is enough to start an em-

ployer thinking about improvement.

http://www.apahelpcenter.org/articles/article.php?id=19

http://www.apahelpcenter.org/articles/article.php?id=19

Get a new job. If the level of stress at your job is harming

your health and your relationships, and you don’t see any

prospect of real change, it may be time to move on.

Eliminate Self-Defeating Behaviors

Many of us make job stress worse with patterns of thought or be-

havior that keep us from relieving pressure on ourselves. If you can

turn around these self-defeating habits, you’ll find employer-im-

posed stress easier to handle.

Resist perfectionism. No project, situation, or decision is

ever perfect, and you put undue stress on yourself by trying to

do everything perfectly. When you set unrealistic goals for your-

self or try to do too much, you’re setting yourself up to fall short.

Do your best and you’ll do fine?

Clean up your act. If you’re always running late, set your

clocks and watches fast and give yourself extra time. If your desk

is a mess, file and throw away the clutter; just knowing where ev-

erything is saves time and cuts stress. Make to-do lists and cross

off items as you accomplish them. Plan your day and stick to the

schedule — you’ll feel less overwhelmed.

Flip your negative thinking. If you see the downside of

every situation and interaction, you’ll find yourself drained of en-

ergy and motivation. Try to think positively about your work,

avoid negative-thinking co-workers, and pat yourself on the back

about small accomplishments, even if no one else does.

Get time away. If you feel stress building, take a break.

Walk away from the situation. Take a stroll around the block, sit

on a park bench, or spend a few minutes meditating. Exercise

does wonders for the psyche. But even just finding a quiet place

and listening to your iPod can reduce stress.

Talk it out. Sometimes the best stress-reducer is simply

sharing your stress with someone close to you. The act of talking

it out – and getting support and empathy from someone else – is

often an excellent way of blowing off steam and reducing stress.

Cultivate allies at work. Just knowing you have one or

more co-workers who are willing to assist you in times of stress

will reduce your stress level. Just remember to reciprocate and

help them when they are in need.

Find humor in the situation. When you – or the people

around you – start taking things too seriously, find a way to break

through with laughter. Share a joke or funny story

HOW NOT TO DE-STRESS

Alcohol, while it appears to offer relaxation when you're stressed, ul-

timately makes things worse. All drink does is temporarily blot out

the stress factors – but the problems are the same when you come

back to them, and your fitness to deal with them will be reduced.

Drinking more than six units of alcohol a day if you're a woman or

more than eight if you're a man, doubles your risk of having a

stroke.

THE EXECUTIVE TRAP

"It's too easy to let your life slip away without enjoying yourself." In-

sufficient exercise, drinking too much or becoming a control freak

can lead to a downward spiral that makes the stress worse and the

workload seem impossible. Mental agility declines, and the percep-

tion increases that the outside world doesn't want to help, or isn't

up to the job. None of this is real; it's your reaction that's creating

the problem. But you have the power to choose whether to succumb

to this executive trap. Will you reverse the trend and start a positive

spiral of stress management, or let it all get on top of you? It's too

easy to let your life slip away without enjoying yourself. You work

hard at your job, so work equally hard at ring-fencing and enriching

your free time. A happy, healthy life is what you're here for. Being a

great leader comes an important second.

Demands

Includes issues like workload, work patterns, and the work

environment.

Management standards:

The standard is that:

Employees indicate that they are able to cope with the demands

of their jobs; and

Systems are in place locally to respond to any individual

concerns.

What should be happening / states to be achieved:

The organization provides employees with adequate and

achievable demands in relation to the agreed hours of work

People’s skills and abilities are matched to the job demands;

Jobs are designed to be within the capabilities of employees; and

Employees’ concerns about their work environment are

addressed.

Control

How much say the person has in the way they do their work


Employees indicate that they are able to have a say about the

way they do their work; and


concerns.


Where possible, employees have control over their pace of work;

Employees are encouraged to use their skills and initiative to do

their work;

Where possible, employees are encouraged to develop new skills

to help them undertake new and challenging pieces of work;

The organization encourages employees to develop their skills;

Employees have a say over when breaks can be taken; and

Employees are consulted over their work patterns.

Support

Includes the encouragement, sponsorship and resources provided

by the organization, line management and colleagues


Employees indicate that they receive adequate information and

support from their colleagues and superiors; and


concerns.


The organization has policies and procedures to adequately

support employees;

Systems are in place to enable and encourage managers to

support their staff

Systems are in place to enable and encourage employees to

support their colleagues;

Employees know what support is available and how and when to

access it;

Employees know how to access the required resources to do their

job; and

Employees receive regular and constructive feedback.

Relationship

Includes promoting positive working to avoid conflict and dealing

with unacceptable behaviour


Employees indicate that they are not subjected to unacceptable

behaviours, e.g. bullying at work; and


concerns. What should be happening / states to be achieved:

The organization promotes positive behaviours at work to avoid

conflict and ensure fairness.

Employees share information relevant to their work.

The organization has agreed policies and procedures to prevent

or resolve unacceptable behaviour;

Systems are in place to enable and encourage managers to deal

with unacceptable behaviour; and

Systems are in place to enable and encourage employees to

report unacceptable behaviour.

Role:

Whether people understand their role within the organization and

whether the organization ensures that the person does not have

conflicting roles the standard is that

Employees indicate that they understand their role and

responsibilities; and


concerns. What should be happening / states to be achieved:

The organization ensures that, as far as possible, the different

requirements it places upon employees are compatible;

The organization provides information to enable employees to

understand their role and responsibilities;

The organization ensures that, as far as possible, the

requirements it places upon employees are clear; and

Systems are in place to enable employees to raise concerns

about any uncertainties or conflicts they have in their role and

responsibilities.

Change

How organizational change (large or small) is managed and

communicated in the organization


Employees indicate that the organization engages them

frequently when undergoing an organizational change; and


concerns.


The organization provides employees with timely information

to enable them to understand the reasons for proposed

changes;

The organization ensures adequate employee consultation on

changes and provides opportunities for employees to

influence proposals;

Employees are aware of the probable impact of any changes

to their jobs. If necessary, employees are given training to

support any changes in their jobs;

Employees are aware of timetables for changes;

Employees have access to relevant support during changes.

Union nation peace keepers:

United Nations peace-keepers in some current missions will likely

be exposed to hostile, dangerous and war-like circumstances. For

example, they may personally experience life-threatening situa-

tions and sudden, unexpected disasters; witness severely

wounded people, death and every imaginable atrocity; and come

into intimate contact with innocent civilians who are suffering as

a consequence of conflict. These traumatic experiences, com-

bined with the pressure of continual, arduous and momentous re-

sponsibilities of a peace-keeper and the repercussions of being

away from home - in a foreign culture - may result in a level of

stress that is difficult to understand or control. Generally, peace-

keepers are able to resist both the short and long-term effects of

stress. However, if their natural defenses are weakened by sud-

den or continuing violence, the result may be various levels of

stress disorders. Therefore, it is important for peace-keeping per-

sonnel to recognize the signs of stress and to be able to cope

with the effects of traumatic situations. The purpose of this docu-

ment is to provide general knowledge to United Nations person-

nel concerning potential stressful situations that may occur in a

peace-keeping operation; to inform them of both normal and ab-

normal reactions to these experiences and to give some general

guidelines for successfully coping with various levels of stress.

The information in this document may also be used by trainers

for lectures on stress management.

DEFINITION OF STRESS

Stress is the physical and psychological process of reacting to

and coping the vents or situations that place extraordinary pres-

sure upon a human being. Such events are usually sudden and

often involve physical or emotional loss, such as witnessing casu-

alties or destruction from combat or disasters or the serious in-

jury or death of a relative, friend or co-worker. Stress is a normal

reaction to an abnormal situation and serves primarily the func-

tion of self preservation in a threatening situation, enabling one

to: concentrate full attention on a particular threat; mobilize

maximum physical energy; and prepare for action in order to re-

spond to the threat. Peace-keepers are exposed regularly to both

minor and major incidents which can result in the build-up of

stress. For the purpose of this booklet, three types of stress are

described, in the order of increasing intensity

BASIC STRESS

Every individual experiences basic, minor stress in daily situa-

tions that may produce tension, frustration, irritation, anger, etc.

A person's vulnerability (reaction) is largely determined by one's

physical and psychological strength or weakness at these times,

and thus the level of stress will vary accordingly.

Stress consumes physical, cognitive and emotional energy. Al-

though it is natural to suffer some degree of stress in difficult sit-

uations, in order to avoid disruption of a person's ability to func-

tion properly, both physically and mentally, stress should not be

allowed to accumulate to a point where it cannot be controlled.

When an individual consents to participate in a peacekeeping

mission, he/she should be aware that peacekeepers often en-

counter stressful situations, particularly if the mission is in a con-

flict zone, and know basic steps to control the effects of such

stress in his/her life.

How to Manage Basic Stress:

Most stress can be managed. Determination and self discipline

are keys to finding the source(s) of stress and coping with it be-

fore it has escalated to an uncontrollable level. As a rule stress

management plans will include learning to do some old tasks dif-

ferently. Initially, the effects of stress can likely be alleviated by

simple, common-sense measures. Develop a management and

control strategy to help avoid potential distresses. The following

guidelines have been found to be effective in stress management

strategy development: Identify sources of stress, Know personal

limitations, and Manage time well, be assertive, but not aggres-

sive, Accept creative challenges, Get enough sleep Rest or con-

serve strength, eat regularly, Control intake of alcohol, tobacco,

etc. Make time for relaxation and physical exercise, Develop sat-

isfying friendships and relationships, Have a positive attitude,

Have a sense of humor, laugh often, etc

CUMULATIVE STRESS

Cumulative stress is the result of strain that occurs too often

(FREQUENCY), lasts too long (DURATION) and is too severe (IN-

TENSITY). In these circumstances, distress leads to exhaustion

and other manifestations so that a person is unable to cope with

the amount of stress he/she is experiencing. During a mission,

peace-keepers are generally confronted with many daily frustra-

tions, related to work in a conflict zone. They are often expected

to fulfill a seemingly impossible mandate; to have circumspect

conduct as representatives of the United Nations; to show impar-

tiality in difficult situations, which may mean having to stifle re-

actions, emotions and activities that are natural as human be-

ings; and to be able to negotiate unexpected and intricate situa-

tions, sometimes with very little experience, where the outcome

will impact on the mission, the United Nations, and most impor-

tant, the parties themselves. In spite of loyal, and sometimes

heroic, efforts, the peacekeeper may sense a lack of appreciation

by the victims and hostility on

The part of the authorities. He/she may be assigned to work with

colleagues that are not personally or culturally compatible and

that may have varying degrees of peace-keeping experience, or

no experience it all. The peace keeper may be placed in an im-

mobile or inactive duty, such as in a stand-by situation, for long

periods of time. And, very importantly, the peace-keeper may be

exposed to singular and savage atrocities about which he/she

can do nothing. In addition, the peace-keeper may be challenged

by minor, irritating strains related to unfamiliar or unpleasant sit-

uations

How to Manage Cumulative Stress

Since cumulative stress develops over time, at some point t may be

difficult to recognize the signs of stress, which may become such a

part of everyday life that it seems a natural state. The temptation

may be to deny that anything is wrong. Thus, it is important to listen

when others begin to say: take some time off; lighten up; don't work

so hard doesn’t be so serious; have some fun; etc. Long periods of

stress will ultimately affect every part of a peace-keeper's life, in-

cluding health. Whereas basic stress can often be alleviated by ac-

tive or restful measures, cumulative stress has become a habit.

Which must be broken by making a conscious effort to change the

manner in which one reacts to stress and/or its source? This may

necessitate changing one's lifestyle, attitude(s), philosophy and ex-

pectations for example: Take personal responsibility for stress, only

you can accurately identify the areas of stress in your life and do

what is necessary to change it, or your reaction to it Accept what

cannot be changed - not every stressful situation can be changed

Understand the limits of high expectations and objectives Witness-

ing large-scale material destruction. The possibility that peace-keep-

ers will encounter one or more of these traumatic situations in a

conflict zone are very high. The trauma, sometimes defined as criti-

cal incident stress, is exacerbated because very often the peace-

keeper is unable to assist or change the plight of helpless victims.

PRINCIPLE GUIDELINES FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT:

This pamphlet, although not a comprehensive manual on stress

management, has outlined a number of general guidelines for

United Nations peace-keepers on how to handle various phases of

stress. The following is a review of the key points that need to be re-

membered by peacekeepers experiencing stress

1) Anyone who undergoes an acute traumatic experience, or is at

the scene of a disaster, undergoes change. The best scenario is that

your personality will be strengthened and enhanced; the worst sce-

nario is that you will experience stress that you cannot deal with

apart from professional help.

2) The various emotions you feel during or after a traumatic inci-

dent, e.g. cumulative stress, traumatic stress, or a depressive reac-

tion to a disaster, are perfectly normal responses to an abnormal

event.

Chapter - 5

Date: 2 February 2008

Dear sir/madam,

I am student of MBA from St. Paul’s P.G. College affiliated to Osma-

nia University; doing a project on “Effect of stress on executive per-

formance in SAT InfoTech Ltd”.I shall be thankful if you could kindly

respond to the following questionnaire with your experience in this

field.

With regards M.MAHESHWARI

Sincerely, H.T.No.098-06-0121

Questionnaire

1. How is stress related to executive performance?

a) More stress less performance

b) Stress can be removed to keep better performance

c) No relation between the two

d) Stress between rates motivation

OPTIONS A B C D

NO OF RECIPENTS 16 14 0 0

PERCENTAGE (%) 53.3 46.6 0 0

INTERPRETATION: Approximately 60 percentages of respon-

dents feel that more stress leads to less performance Hence com-

panies must reduce employee stress by what ever possible means

to improve performance.

2. Stress reduces biological strength?

a) Yes b) No

c) Can’t say d) No relation between both

OPTIONS A B C D


PERCENTAGE (%) 66.6 13.3 20 0

A, 16, 53%

B, 14, 47%

C, 0, 0%

D, 0, 0%

ABCD

A, 20, 67%

B, 4, 13%

C, 6, 20%

D, 0, 0%

A

BCD

INTERPRETATION: 65 percent of people opined that stress re-

duces biological stress. It may further lead to loss of executive effi-

ciency. Therefore stress reduction should be the priority in the orga-

nizations to keep biological strength of people.

3. Stress reduces work motivation?

a) Yes b) No


OPTIONS A B C D


PERCENTAGE (%) 66.6 13.3 20 0

A, 20, 67%

B, 4, 13%

C, 6, 20%

D, 0, 0%

ABC

D

INTERPRETATION: Survey has revealed a direct link between

work motivation and stress 20 out of 30 respondents felt that stress

reduces work motivation. Hence to keep higher levels of motivation

and performance employees must keep lower stress levels and com-

pany must cooperate.

4. How can stress be reduced?

a) Less working hours

b) Easy work content

C) Leisure between long working hours

d) To distribute work in a stress free manner

OPTIONS A B C D


PERCENTAGE (%) 6.66 6.66 33.3 46.6

A, 2, 7%

B, 2, 7%

C, 10, 36%

D, 14, 50%

ABC

D

INTERPRETATION: 50 percent of the feed back indicated that

stress can be reduced by proper distribution of work high concentra-

tion of work load in a shorter time span develops stress. Hence work

should be spread such a way that the density is minimal any point

of time.

5. How is the productivity related to stress?

a) Directly proportional b) They are independent

c) Can’t say d) Stress can be managed

OPTIONS A B C D


PERCENTAGE (%) 66.6 6.66 0 26.6

A, 20, 66%

B, 2, 7%

C, 0, 0%

D, 8, 27%

ABC

D

INTERPRETATION:

Productivity is directly proportional to stress as per 20 out of 30 peo-

ple. There fore stress must be kept under control so that productiv-

ity is higher A top performer may become a non performer under

stress. A stress free person even of lower intelligence can give bet-

ter performance in a stress free environment.

6. What are the other methods of improving productivity in a high

stress environment?

a) Five day week b) Gap between shifts

c) Longer annual holiday d) Division of labour

OPTIONS A B C D


PERCENTAGE (%) 46.6 20 0 33.3

A, 14, 47%

B, 6, 20%

C, 0, 0%

D, 10, 33% A

BCD

INTERPRETATION: 5 day week was considered as one of the impor-

tant methods of improving productivity in a high stress environ-

ment. Therefore it is a recommended to offer 5 day week so that 2

days rest will regenerate the person to ensure performance excel-

lence.

7. How can technology held stress and performance?

a) Automation b) Routine works to be given

To robots

c) Work load to be reduced d) All the above

OPTIONS A B C D


PERCENTAGE (%) 20 0 33.3 46.6

A, 12

B, 0

C, 20

D, 28

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

A

BCD

INTERPRETATION: Nearly 50 percents of respondents have

conformed technology can help to remove stress levels. If automa-

tion, robots and proper spread of work load by use of machines and

systems, can be ensured hence, it is recommended to use technol-

ogy and automation as viable option for stress management.

8. What will be the feature of executive performance in software in-

dustry?

a) Most of the work will be done by machines

b) Most of the work will be done by human beings

c) Mix of the men and machines

d) No relationship

OPTIONS A B C D


PERCENTAGE (%) 13.3 0 86.6 0

A, 8

B, 0

C, 52

D, 00

10

20

30

40

50

60

A

BCD

INTERPRETATION: As per more than 50 percent respondents the ex-

ecutive’s performance in future will depend on how best men and

machines can be judiously mixed. Routine work taken over by sys-

tems and technology where as only the thinking part will be left to

be human beings once the routine is removed, the fatigue levels

comedown and stress will reduce.

9. in future stress will increase because mental work will increase?

a) Yes b) No

c) Can’t say d) No relation between the both

OPTIONS A B C D


PERCENTAGE (%) 40 6.66 46.6 6.66

A, 24

B, 4

C, 28

D, 4

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

A

BCD

INTERPRETATION: Respondents were divided on the ques-

tion of mental work will increase stress. It is recommended that

leisure and properly distributed one will not create stress al-

though work load is more. Infact human being enjoying more

work if that work becomes a play so companies must find out the

ways of getting stress by hr methods as above.

10. What are the methods of stress reduction at SAT InfoTech

and other software companies?

a) Flexi work schedules

b) Job enrichment

c) 5 day week

d) Periodic SPA/ medical treatments

OPTIONS A B C D


PERCENTAGE (%) 60 26.6 13.3 0

A, 36

B, 16

C, 8

D, 00

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

AB

CD

INTERPRETATION: One of the important methods of stress reduction

in many software companies was found to be flexible work schedule

this is also confirmed by 18 out of 30 respondents flexible schedule

provide rest and relief from stress and there fore companies must

plan work and leisure simultaneously

11. If more people are employed, per person stress will be less?

a) Yes b) No


OPTIONS A B C D


PERCENTAGE (%) 33.3 33.3 13.3 20

A, 10, 34%

B, 10, 33%

C, 4, 13%

D, 6, 20%

ABC

D

INTERPRETATION: Respondent were divided on the question of

weather more people lead to lower stress per person it is recom-

mended that more people may create confusions but work load may

be distributed. We do not recommend more people than required

because right person for the right job at the right time will solve the

problem of stress.

12 Technology can be used to reduce stress?

a) Yes b) No


OPTIONS A B C D


PERCENTAGE (%) 46.6 26.6 0 26.6

A, 28

B, 16

C, 0

D, 16

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

A

BCD

INTERPRETATION: 14 out of 30 people confirm that technology

can be used to reduce stress. This is possible by simplifying the

word, avoiding the routine and laborious calculation and data

crunching which can be taken over by technology and machines

hence it is recommended the use technology for stress manage-

ment.

Chapter - 6

Findings:

Approximately 60 percentages of respondents feel that more

stress leads to less performance Hence companies must reduce em-

ployee stress by what ever possible means to improve performance.

65 percent of people opined that stress reduces biological stress. It

may further lead to loss of executive efficiency. Therefore stress re-

duction should be the priority in the organizations to keep biological

strength of people

Survey has revealed a direct link between work motivation and

stress 20 out of 30 respondents felt that stress reduces work moti-

vation. Hence to keep higher levels of motivation and performance

employees must keep lower stress levels and company must coop-

erate.

50 percent of the feed back indicated that stress can be reduced by

proper distribution of work high concentration of work load in a

shorter time span develops stress. Hence work should be spread

such a way that the density is minimal any point of time.

Productivity is directly proportional to stress as per 20 out of 60 peo-

ple. There fore stress must be kept under control so that productiv-

ity is higher A top performer may become a non performer under

stress. A stress free person even of lower intelligence can give bet-

ter performance in a stress free environment.

5 day week was considered as one of the important methods of im-

proving productivity in a high stress environment. Therefore it is a

recommended to offer 5 day week so that 2 days rest will regener-

ate the person to ensure performance excellence. Nearly 50 per-

cents of respondents have conformed technology can help to re-

move stress levels. If automation, robots and proper spread of work

load by use of machines and systems, can be ensured hence, it is

recommended to use technology and automation as viable option

for stress management.

As per more than 50 percent respondents the executive’s perfor-

mance in future will depend on how best men and machines can be

judiously mixed. Routine work taken over by systems and technol-

ogy where as only the thinking part will be left to be human beings

once the routine is removed, the fatigue levels comedown and

stress will reduce.

Respondents were divided on the question of mental work will in-

crease stress. It is recommended that leisure and properly distrib-

uted one will not create stress although work load is more. Infact hu-

man being enjoying more work if that work becomes a play so com-

panies must find out the ways of getting stress by hr methods as

above.

One of the important methods of stress reduction in many software

companies was found to be flexible work schedule this is also con-

firmed by 36 out of 60 respondents flexible schedule provide rest

and relief from stress and there fore companies must plan work and

leisure simultaneously

Respondent were divided on the question of weather more people

lead to lower stress per person it is recommended that more people

may create confusions but work load may be distributed. We do not

recommend more people than required because right person for the

right job at the right time will solve the problem of stress.

28 out of 60 people confirm that technology can be used to reduce

stress. This is possible by simplifying the word, avoiding the routine

and laborious calculation and data crunching which can be taken

over by technology and machines hence it is recommended the use

technology for stress management.

RECOMMANDATION AND SUGGESTIONS:

The overall survey has brought out the fact that it is not the

quantum of work which produces stress but the way in which

work is distributed causes stress.

Therefore suggestions like flexible schedule, automation5 day

week, work distribution and ideal shift system etc. have been rec-

ommended to manage the problem of stress.

In future the routine and data crunching operations will be

taken over by machines and systems leaving only the mental

work to be human being. Mental work will not require longer

hours of working like 8 hours shift spilling over to 10 to 15 hours

creating stress.

The task of thinking requires only a small fraction of time

where as currently larger number of work hours one taken due to

routine and figure work.

In future people will have to work only lesser number hours a

day only because most of the work will be done by computers.

This will provide enoroumous leisure which is automatically lead-

ing to rest, entertainment and refreshment by which in the next

schedule. The person can work with motivation and produce won-

derful results, and pay scale will be changing.

The author feels that the aforesaid recommendations will help

the handle that will help the handle that problem of stress. Which

is otherwise creating frightening consequences as today?

Conclusions:

The summary has brought out that stress has lot of bearing on exec-

utive performance. Respondents feed back indicated that stress can

be managed by proper work distribution, leisure, shift changes,

week end holidays, annual leave and allied measures.

It is recommended that responsibility is on the company to see that

above measures one properly implemented to create a stress free

climate in the organization. Employees need to put in their box to

relief stress as per recommendation given above.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

1. Work place stress (concept and cases)

Edited by v.v. gopal

www.icfaipress.org/books

http://www.icfaipress.org/books

Websites:

www.hr.com

www.execstress.com

www.mindtools.com

www.dstress.com

http://www.dstress.com/

http://www.mindtools.com/

http://www.execstress.com/

http://www.hr.com/

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