STRESS

INTRODUCTION Organizational performance measures include organizational productivity and organizational effectiveness. Leaders should encourage high performance work practices that lead to both high individual and organizational performance. In other words, school effectiveness is a measure of how well a school is achieving its’ goal. One reason for ineffectiveness of schools is that they are managed with the wrong theory in mind (Weick, 1982)

Examples of these high practices are: Self- directed work teams Job rotations High levels of training skills Problem solving groups Quality management procedures and processes Encouraging innovative and creative teacher behaviors Teacher involvement and training Implementation of teacher suggestions Coaching and mentoring Information sharing

Teacher stress and performance: How school leaders can help? Stress is a taste of tension experienced by teachers facing extraordinary demands, constraints or opportunities. Teachers who perceive a good fit between job requirements and personal skills seems to have a higher tolerance for stress than teachers who feel less competent as a result of a person- job mismatch. Two types of stress faced by teachers are constructive and destructive stress. Constructive stress has a positive impact on both teachers’ attitude and performance. It occurs at moderate stress levels by prompting increased work efforts, stimulating creativity, and encouraging greater diligence. Destructive stress or distress has a negative impact on both teachers’ attitude and performance. If teachers face too much stress, the job burnout will happen. Even teacher is ‘burned out’ if he or she fells exhausted emotionally and physically, and thus unable to deal positively with work responsibilities and opportunities. The positive and negative effects of stress are most apparent in the relationship between stress and performance. The following figure depicts the general stress- performance relationship. At low levels of stress, employees may not be sufficiently alert, challenged or involved to perform at their best. As the curve indicates, increasing a low amount of stress may improve performance, but only up to a point. An optimal level of stress probably exists for most tasks. Beyond that point, performance begins to decline as illustrated below (Dunham 1992).

Relationship Between Stress And Performance (Source: Chapter 1: Leadership in Relation to School Productivity, Stress and School Climate by Zaidatol Akmaliah & Amir. In Educational Leadership Performance & Improvement. 2012. Universiti Putra Malaysia Press)

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STRESSORS AND STRESS Perception Past experience Social support Individual difference The Environment The Individual (Source: Hellriegel, Slocum & Woodman (2001). Organizational Behavior, 9th Ed., p. 193)

SOURCES OF WORK STRESS Stressor Perception Past experience Workload Job Condition Role Conflict and Ambiguity Career Development Workload Interpersonal Relations Aggressive Behavior Conflict between Work and Other Roles Perception Past experience Social support Individual difference Stress Stressor (Source: Hellriegel, Slocum & Woodman (2001). Organizational Behavior, 9th Ed., p. 196)

Common Sources And Suggested Causes Of Teachers’ Stress Job mismatch Job demands the skills or abilities that teachers do not possess ( job incomplete). Job does not provide opportunity for the teachers to fully utilize skills or abilities (underutilization). Conflicting expectation The formal organization’s concept of expected behavior contradicts teachers concept of expected behavior. The informal group’s concept of expected behavior contradicts teachers’ concept. The individual teacher is affected by two ( or more) strong influences. Role ambiguity Teachers are uncertain or unclear about how to perform the job Teachers are uncertain or unclear about what is expected on the job. Teacher are uncertain and unclear about what is the relationship between job performance and expected consequences ( reward, penalties, and so forth)

Common sources Suggested causes Role overload Teachers are incompetent at the job. Teachers are asked to do more than time permits ( time pressure) Fear/ responsibility Teachers are afraid of performing poorly or failing. Teachers feel pressure for high achievement Alienation There is limited social interaction. Teachers do not participate in decision making. The job environment is unpleasant; there is inadequate lighting or improper regulation of temperature and noise, for example. Working conditions The requirements of the job may unnecessarily produce pacing problems, social isolation, and so forth The machine design and maintenance procedures create pressure. The job involves long or erratic work hours. Working relationship Individual teachers have problems relating to, and/ or working with superiors, peers, and / or subordinates. Teachers have problems with working in groups

What Are The Symptoms Of Teachers’ Stress? Physical symptoms: Changes in metabolism Increase in heart beat and breathing rates Raised blood pressure Headaches Potential of heart attack and etc Psychological symptoms: Job related Tension Anxiety Instability Boredom Behavioral symptoms: Changes in productivity Absenteeism Job turnover Changes in eating habits Sleep disorder and etc

Individual strategy for stress management Stress management refers to any program that reduces stress by helping people to understand the stress responses, recognize stressors and use coping techniques to minimize the negative impact of stress Designed to eliminate or control sources of stress and improve the person’s ability to cope A person can manage stress by: Planning ahead and practicing good time management Having good personal health management practices Maintaining a positive perspective Balancing work life and personal life Learning a relaxation technique (Hellriegel, Slocum & Woodman, 2001, p.210) (Source: Hellriegel, Slocum & Woodman (2001). Organizational Behavior, 9th Ed., p. 210)

TARGETS of ORGANIZATIONAL STRESS MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS Stress management by organizations is degined to reduce the harmful effects of stress in three ways: Identify and then modify or eliminate work stressors Help employees modify their perception and understanding of work stress Help employees cope more effectively with the consequences of stress. (Hellriegel, Slocum & Woodman, 2001, p.211) (Source: Hellriegel, Slocum & Woodman (2001). Organizational Behavior, 9th Ed., p. 212)

Organizational Stress Management Initiatives Designed to: Identify and modify or eliminate work stressors Help employees modify perception of work stress Help employees cope with the consequences of stress Organizations can manage stress by: Reducing work stressors Modifying behaviors Creating wellness programs Organizational Stress Management Initiatives for Reducing Stressors Improvements in the physical work environment Job design Changes in workloads and deadlines Changes in work schedules, more flexible hours, and sabbaticals Increased employee participation Organizational Stress Management Initiatives for Modifying Behaviors Team building Career counseling and other employee assistance programs Time management workshops Job burnout workshops Training in relaxation techniques

IMPACTS OF EMPLOYEE CONTROL & AMOUNT of WORK STRESS The diagram shows the relationships commonly observed between work stressors and an individual’s control over his or her work. Note that the greatest stress occurs when jobs are high in stressors and low in controllability. Thus involvement of employees in organizational change efforts that will affect them, work redesign that reduces uncertainty and increase control and less stress is to give individuals more control over their time. (Hellriegel, Slocum & Woodman, 2001,p.212) Moderate stress Low stress High stress Low to moderate stress Amount of Work Stressors Employee Control Over Work High Low (Source: Hellriegel, Slocum & Woodman (2001). Organizational Behavior, 9th Ed., p. 214)