Managing Stress and the Work-Life Balance Chapter 7 Managing Stress and the Work-Life Balance

Chapter Learning Objectives After studying this chapter you should be able to: Define and describe the nature of stress. Identify basic individual differences related to stress. Identify and describe common causes of stress. Discuss the central consequences of stress. Describe various ways that stress can be managed. Discuss work-life linkages and their relation to stress. © 2012 South-Western, a part of Cengage Learning

The Nature of Stress Stress Defined The Stress Process (Hans Selye) A person’s adaptive response to a stimulus that places excessive psychological or physical demands on that person The Stress Process (Hans Selye) General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) Identifies three stages of response to a stressor: alarm, resistance, exhaustion Sources of stress Eustress: pleasurable stress accompanying positive events Distress: unpleasant stress accompanying negative events © 2012 South-Western, a part of Cengage Learning

7.1 The General Adaptation Syndrome © 2012 South-Western, a part of Cengage Learning

Individual Differences and Stress Type A Personality Profile Extremely competitive, highly committed to work, have a strong sense of time urgency Type B Personality Profile Less competitive, less committed to work, have a weaker sense of time urgency Hardiness A person’s ability to cope with stress Optimism The extent to which a person sees life in relatively positive or negative terms © 2012 South-Western, a part of Cengage Learning

Causes and Consequences of Stress Most Common Causes of Stress Organizational stressors Life stressors Most Common Consequences of Stress Individual consequences Organizational consequences Burnout © 2012 South-Western, a part of Cengage Learning

7.2 Causes and Consequences of Stress Reference: Adapted from James C. Quick and Jonathan D. Quick, Organizational Stress and Preventive Management (McGraw-Hill, 1984) pp. 19, 44, and 76. © 2012 South-Western, a part of Cengage Learning

Organizational Stressors Workplace Stress Factors Task Demands Associated with the specific job a person performs Physical Demands Associated with the job’s physical setting and requirements Role Demands Associated with the expected behaviors of a particular position in a group or organization Interpersonal Demands Group pressures, leadership, personality conflicts © 2012 South-Western, a part of Cengage Learning

Organizational Stressors: Role Demands A set of expected behaviors associated with a particular position in a group or organization. Role Stress Role ambiguity due to unclear roles Role conflict due to: Interrole conflict Intrarole conflict Intersender conflict Role overload due to role expectations exceeding an individual’s capabilities © 2012 South-Western, a part of Cengage Learning

7.1 Most and Least Stressful Jobs Top Most Stressful Jobs Top Least Stressful Jobs 1. Surgeon 1. Actuary 2. Commercial Airline Pilot 2. Dietitian 3. Photojournalist 3. Computer Systems Analyst 4. Advertising Account Executive 4. Statistician 5. Real Estate Agent 5. Astronomer 6. Physician (General Practice) 6. Mathematician 7. Reporter (Newspaper) 7. Historian 8. Physician Assistant 8. Software Engineer © 2012 South-Western, a part of Cengage Learning

7.3 Workload, Stress, and Performance © 2012 South-Western, a part of Cengage Learning

External Causes of Stress Life Stressors Events that take place outside the organization Life change Any meaningful change in a person’s personal or work situation Life trauma Any upheaval in an individual’s life that alters his or her attitudes, emotions or behaviors © 2012 South-Western, a part of Cengage Learning

7.2 Life Changes and Life Change Units The amount of life stress that a person has experiences in a given period of time, say one year, is measured by the total number of life change units (LCUs). These units result from the addition of the values (shown in the right hand column) associated with events that the person has experienced during the target time period. Reprinted from JOURNAL OF PSYCHOSOMATIC RESEARCH, V11, Thomas H. Holmes and Richard H. Rahe: "The Social Adjustment Rating Scale," Copyright © 1967, with permission from Elsevier. © 2012 South-Western, a part of Cengage Learning

Consequences of Stress Individual Consequences Behavioral Psychological Medical Organizational Consequences Performance Withdrawal Attitudes Burnout © 2012 South-Western, a part of Cengage Learning

7.4 Individual and Organizational Coping Strategies © 2012 South-Western, a part of Cengage Learning

Managing Stress in the Workplace: Individual Coping Strategies Exercise Time Management Role Management Support Groups Relaxation © 2012 South-Western, a part of Cengage Learning

Managing Stress in the Workplace (cont’d) Organizational Coping Strategies Institutional Programs Design of jobs and work schedules Fostering a healthy work culture Supervision Collateral Programs Organizational programs specifically created to help employees deal with stress Stress management, health promotion, employee fitness programs, career development © 2012 South-Western, a part of Cengage Learning

Work-Life Linkages Fundamental Work-Life Relationships Interrelationships between a person’s work life and personal life Balancing Work-Life Linkages Importance of long-term versus short-term perspectives Significance of evaluating tradeoffs between values © 2012 South-Western, a part of Cengage Learning

Organizational Behavior in Action After reading the chapter: Which stressors are typical of college students? Which of these sources of stress are bad for students? Which are beneficial? Are student personality profiles different from nonstudents? More Type A’s or Type B’s? What could your school do to help scholastically weak students develop the hardiness to stay in school? © 2012 South-Western, a part of Cengage Learning