1. Dealing with the demands of life and work
Learn what stress is
Identify common stressors
Identify consequences of stress
Understand the effects of stress on employee behavior
Identify ways to reduce stress
Understand stress care programs
Understand how stress can be linked to workplace behavior
Stress Management:
Dealing with the demands of life and work

2. Thinking Activity This About A Stressful Time In Your Life
What was the cause of stress for you?
Were there any consequences of feeling extra stressed at the time?
What did you do to alleviate the stress?

3. Your Definition
How would you define stress?

4. Stress Definitions
As Stimuli
As Responses

5. Stress Definitions For this class:
Stressor- cause of arousal, tension, etc.
Strain- effect of or response to the stressor

6. Stress Definition
Constellation of cognitive, emotional, physiological, and behavioral reaction the organism experiences as it interacts with perceived threats and challenges

7. What is stress? No common definition exists
Defined in the book as the psychological or physical reaction to certain life events or situations
These events or situations are considered stressors
When an event causes a physical &/or psychological reaction, it is considered a strain
Eustress versus Distress
* This is an important distinction!

8. Inverted-U stress curve

9. Predisposition to stress
Individual differences exist which can lead to more people being susceptible to stress

10. Stress Related to Personality
Type A personalities
More likely than others to exhibit high blood pressure and high levels of stress related hormones
Slower to recover from stressors
Type B personalities
More laid back, when a stressor occurs they are better at keeping it in perspective and using positive ways to deal with it
Neuroticism
More likely to perceive stress negatively than those who are emotionally stable

11. sTRESSORS are all around us!

12. sTRESSORS are all around us!

13. Stress Related to demographics
Gender, Race & Ethnicity
Women may experience certain stressors more than men
Members of racial minority groups experience cardiovascular problems
Stress Sensitization
Life experiences
More severe more likely to reach quickly

14. Sources of stress Personal Fear: Money, work, relationships
Resistance: Don’t want to lose structure and security
Resentment: no control over life can cause resentment

15. Occupational Stressors
Job characteristics
Role conflict
Role ambiguity
Role overload
Organizational stressors
Person-organization fit
Organizational changes
Work relationships
Organizational Politics (self serving behaviors to increase outcomes for self)

16. Stressors in the physical work environment
Pleasantness
Task Difficulty
Individual differences
Familiarity
How to influence noise?
90 decibals is the legal limit
Carpeting and acoustic ceilings
Wearing protective ear plugs and muffs

17. Stressors in the Physical Work Environment
Factors determining the effects of noise on employee behavior
Effects on employee behavior
Frequency of sound
Continuity of noise
Continuity of noise level
Difficulty of task
Type of task
Sensitivity to noise
Necessity of noise
Predictability of noise

18. Stressors in the Physical Work Environment
Temperature (70 F)
Some jobs require working conditions in extreme heat or extreme cold
Body may have to constantly adjust its own temperature
Effects on tasks: High or low
Performance can drop nearly 15% when temperature rises above 90 or below 50 degrees
Rest periods: Temperature will have an effect when the activity is continuous rest breaks can help

19. Shift work Circadian rhythms Sleep problems Fatigue
Accidents and injuries
Gastrointestinal disorders
Cardiovascular risk
Cancer risk
Low performance

20. Shift work Uniqueness of the shift
Fixed vs rotating shift: fixed shifts fewer sleep problems
Frequency of rotation: daily, weekly, monthly?
Individual differences: Chronotypes-morning person or night person?

21. MOONLIGHTING COMPRESSED WORK WEEKS RESULTS IN FATIGUE
Moonlighting-working two or more jobs
Slash careers-having 2 careers more satisfying
However extra work influences performances

22. Other sources Minor frustrations Forecasting: “what if”?
Residual stress: “refusal to let go past”

23. Job and life dissatisfaction
Work Family Conflict
Causes
Inflexible or overloaded work schedules
Negative affectivity
Interventions
Flexible work schedules
On-site child care
Consequences
Absence and lateness
Anxiety & depression
Health symptoms
Job and life dissatisfaction
From Intro to Industrial Psych text and Occupational Health Chapter Slides
Work/ Family Conflict is increasing in importance
There are Increasingly diverse workplaces with higher populations of women, single parents, & dual-career couples
3 areas of research or perspectives:
The effect of work on family
e.g., job stress and work schedules having a negative effect on families
The effect of family on work
e.g., family responsibility seen as a major determinant of work absenteeism & tardiness
The family-work interaction
e.g., transition between roles
3 models used to explain the relationship:
1. Spillover model
similarity between what occurs in the work environment & family environment
positive relationship  work satisfaction enhance family life
2. Compensation model
inverse relationship b/w work and family
What is lacking in one is made up for in other.
3. Segmentation model
work and family are distinct, exist side by side

24. Work Family Conflict Preventative Interventions On Site Day Care
1,400 on or near site day care centers
Providing Resources
Some companies provide the information about services (e.g., elder care), or assist in coordinating services (e.g., nursing, travel)
Family Medical Leave Act (1993)
Companies provide up to 12 weeks unpaid leave with guarantee of comparable job for employee upon return

25. Personal consequences of stress
Psychological
Depression
Anxiety
Anger
Sleep
Physical
Illness
Cardiovascular problems
Headaches
Joint pain

26. Organizational Consequences of stress
Job performance
Burnout
Signs of burnout
Less energy
Apathy
Lower productivity
Consistently late for work
Dread of coming to work
Forgetfulness
Absenteeism/ Turnover
Drug and Alcohol abuse
Health care costs

27. Managing Stress
You should always prepare for stress in a healthy way before, during, and after stress
Several ways to achieve this goal:
Exercise
Diet
Mediation
Relaxation techniques

28. Prevention and Intervention
physical fitness, exercise, meditation, & time management programs
Intervention
3 Approaches
Remove/reduce Stressor
Change individual perception about stressor
(Turn a negative thought into a challenge)
Symptom management (alleviate effects)
2 Types of Strategies
Individual and Organizational
From Work Stress – pg 202
3 Approaches
Remove/reduce Stressor
Change individual perception about stressor
Symptom management (alleviate effects)
2 Types of Strategies
Individual and Organizational

29. Other Strategies Bring your pet to work day Casual Friday
Toys (bouncy balls, putty, stress balls)
Book Club
Can you think of any others?

30. Measuring Stress Occupational Stress Inventory
Maslach Burnout Inventory
Interpersonal Conflict at Work Scale
Organizational Constraints Scale
Quantitative Workload Inventory
Physical Symptoms Inventory
Sample items from stress questionnaires
Do you frequently get angry or irritable?
Do you often take on too much responsibility at work?
I have trouble sleeping at work
I fell tense and on the edge
Are you sad a lot and don’t know why?
I feel emotionally drained.
I have been unable to focus on my work.