© 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Chapter 7 Stress and Well-Being at Work Learning Outcomes 1.Define stress, distress, and strain. 2.Compare four different approaches to stress. 3.Explain the psychophysiology of the stress response. 4.Identify work and nonwork causes of stress. 5.Describe the consequences of stress. 6.Discuss individual factors that influence a person’s response to stress and strain. 7.Identify the stages and elements of preventive stress management for individuals and organizations.

© 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Learning Outcome Define stress, distress, and strain. 1

© 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. What Is Stress? [Stress] – the unconscious preparation to fight or flee that a person experiences when faced with any demand [Stressor ] – the person or event that triggers the stress response [Distress (or strain)] – the adverse psychological, physical, behavioral, and organizational consequences that may arise as a result of stressful events

© 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Learning Outcome Compare four different approaches to stress. 2

Homeostatic/Medical Stress occurs when an external demand upsets an individual’s natural, steady-state balance. 4 APPROACHES TO STRESS © 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Individuals differ in their appraisal of events and people What is stressful for one person is not for another Perception and cognitive appraisal determines what is stressful COGNITIVE APPRAISAL

© 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Problem-focused coping emphasizes managing the stressor COGNITIVE APPRAISAL Emotion-focused coping emphasizes managing your response

Confusing and conflicting expectations in a social role create stress. Good person-environment fit occurs when one’s skills and abilities match a clearly defined set of role expectations. Stress occurs when expectations are confusing or when they conflict with one’s skills. PERSON-ENVIRONMENT FIT © 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

PSYCHOANALYTIC STRESS Discrepancy between the idealized self and the real self-image © 2011Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Learning Outcome Explain the psychophysiology of the stress response. 3

The Stress Response Release of chemical messengers © 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Activation of sympathetic nervous and endocrine systems

© 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. How often do the following happen to you? Always (3), often (2), sometimes (1), or never (0)? Rate each statement on a scale from 0 to 3, as honestly as you can and without spending too much time on any one statement. Am I Overstressed? 1. I have to make important snap judgments and decisions. 2. I am not consulted about what happens on my job or in my classes. 3. I feel I am underpaid. 4. I feel that no matter how hard I work, the system will mess it up. 5. I do not get along with some of my coworkers or fellow students. 6. I do not trust my superiors at work or my professors at school. 7. The paperwork burden on my job or at school is getting to me. 8. I feel people outside the job or the university do not respect what I do. Record your score as the sum of your responses. Beyond the Book: Stress Check

© 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. How often do the following happen to you? Always (3), often (2), sometimes (1), or never (0)? Rate each statement on a scale from 0 to 3, as honestly as you can and without spending too much time on any one statement. Am I Angry? 1. I feel that people around me make too many irritating mistakes. 2. I feel annoyed because I do good work or perform well in school, but no one appreciates it. 3. When people make me angry, I tell them off. 4. When I am angry, I say things I know will hurt people. 5. I lose my temper easily. 6. I feel like striking out at someone who angers me. 7. When a coworker or fellow student makes a mistake, I tell him or her about it. 8. I cannot stand being criticized in public. Record your score as the sum of your responses, and add it to your score from the previous section. Beyond the Book: Stress Check

© 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. To find your level of anger and potential for aggressive behavior, add your scores from both quiz parts. 40–48: The red flag is waving, and you had better pay attention. You are in the danger zone. You need guidance from a counselor or mental health professional, and you should be getting it now. 30–39: The yellow flag is up. Your stress and anger levels are too high, and you are feeling increasingly hostile. You are still in control, but it would not take much to trigger a violent flare of temper. 10–29:Relax, you are in the broad normal range. Like most people, you get angry occasionally, but usually with some justification. Sometimes you take overt action, but you are not likely to be unreasonably or excessively aggressive. 0–9: Congratulations! You are in great shape. Your stress and anger are well under control, giving you a laid-back personality not prone to violence. Beyond the Book: Stress Check

© 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Learning Outcome Identify work and nonwork causes of stress. 4

Sources of Stress: Work Demands © 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Stress Source: Nonwork Demands © 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Learning Outcome Describe the consequences of stress. 5

© 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Positive Stress Stress response itself is neutral Some stressful activities (aerobic exercise, etc.) can enhance a person’s ability to manage stressful demands or situations Stress can provide a needed energy boost

Yerkes-Dodson Law © 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Individual Distress Work-related psychological disorders (depression, burnout, psychosomatic disorders) Medical illness (heart disease, strokes, headaches, backaches) Behavioral problems (substance abuse, violence, accidents) © 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Organizational Distress Participative Problems –absenteeism, tardiness, strikes, and turnover Performance Decrement –poor quality or low quantity of production, grievances, and unscheduled machine downtime and repair Compensation Award –court awards for job distress

© 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Recent European studies on worker stress show disturbing trends: Companies in the United Kingdom lose 13.7 million working days per year due to stress, causing £28.3 billion ($47.4 billion) in productivity losses. More than 25% of workers in the UK describe their mental health as moderate or poor. So far in 2009, 25 employees of France Telecom have committed suicide. Beyond the Book: Stressed-out in Europe

© 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Learning Outcome Discuss individual factors that influence a person’s response to stress and strain. 6

© 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Individual Differences – Achilles’ heel phenomenon – a person breaks down at his or her weakest point

Gender Effects Sexual Harassment Vulnerabilities © 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Type A Behavior Patterns Competitiveness Time urgency Social Status Insecurity Aggression Hostility Quest for achievements

© 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Personality Hardiness [ Personality Hardiness ] –challenge (versus threat) –commitment (versus alienation) –control (versus powerlessness) [ Transformational Coping ] active process of modifying one’s perception of an event in order to reduce stress.

© 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Self-Reliance Self-Reliance – a healthy, secure, interdependent pattern of behavior related to how people form and maintain supportive attachments with others Counterdependence – an unhealthy, insecure pattern of behavior that leads to separation in relationships with other people Overdependence – an unhealthy, insecure pattern of behavior that leads to preoccupied attempts to achieve security through relationships.

© 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Learning Outcome Identify the stages and elements of preventive stress management for individuals and organizations. 7

© 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. an organizational philosophy that holds that people & organizations should take joint responsibility for promoting health and preventing distress and strain Preventative Stress Management

© 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Organizational philosophy according to which people and organizations should take joint responsibility for promoting health and preventing distress. Primary Prevention – designed to reduce, modify, or eliminate the demand or stressor Secondary Prevention – designed to alter or modify the response to a demand or stressor Tertiary Prevention – designed to heal symptoms of distress and strain Preventative Stress Management

Preventative Stress Maintenance © 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Staff at a Nova Scotia prison tried to relieve their work stress by taunting and abusing inmates. Various companies sell “relaxation” drinks that promise to help consumers unwind. One of them appears to evoke the effects of marijuana. Some employees gossip about a co-worker to express their negative attitudes about them. Beyond the Book: Non-effective Stress Relief Techniques

© 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Organizational Stress Prevention Job redesign Goal setting Role negotiation Social support systems

Job Strain Model © 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Social Support at Work and Home © 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Individual Preventive Stress Management © 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

What Can Managers Do? Learn how to create healthy stress without distress Help employees adjust to new technologies Be sensitive to early signs of distress Be aware of gender, personality, and behavioral differences Use principles and methods of preventive stress management

© 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. The Upside of Anger 1.Separately assess the stressors affecting Terry and Denny. View Part I for Terry and Part II for Denny. 2.Are Terry and Denny having a distress or eustress response? Give examples of behavior in the film sequences to support your observations. 3.Review the section, “The Consequences of Stress.” What consequences do you observe or predict for Terry and Denny?