Management Principles Craig W. Fontaine, Ph.D. Managing Stress

Management Principles

Craig W. Fontaine, Ph.D.

Managing Stress

StressStress refers to a psychological or physiological state that results when certain features in of an individual’s environment, called stressors, create discomfort, anxiety, or feelings of being overwhelmed.

Multi-faceted Look at Occupational Stress

1. Sociocultural -racism, sexism

2. Organizational- hiring policies, layoffs

3. Work setting- tasks, supervision

4. Interpersonal- relationships

5. Psychological- self image, coping skills

6. Biological- disease, disability

7. Physical/ Environmental- poor air, climate, noise

Occupational Stress occurs in seven different contexts:Occupational Stress occurs in seven different contexts:

Work as a Stressor

Research shows that many adults in the workforce identify that workplace stress is a significant issue for them.This has major consequences for individual employees as well as for employers.

Why Is Occupational Stress of Concern?Cost to businesses was about $300

billion/yearEmployees “always on call” conceptLeads to increased sick days, drug or

alcohol abuse, and early deathCan promote high turnover rates of

employeesLiability (i.e., workers’ compensation,

disability, or litigation)

Occupational Stress Model

StressSources of stress:

• Personal/Life induced• Work Place induced

Recent studies on work place stress show a dramatic increase in percentage of workers feeling stress, that can be traced back to:• Downsizing, offshoring (late 1990’s – 2009• Re-engineering of workplace (early 1990’s)• Total Quality Management (late 1980’s)

Stress & Health•Health Problems

High Blood PressureHeart ProblemsGastrointestinal disorders

•Overeating, excessive drinking, drug abuse

•Loss of Productivity•Increased Human Error

Stress

Personality traits can contribute to stress• Type “A” personalities are more likely to be

affected by stress Measuring Stress:

• Paper and pencil test(s)Holmes-Rahe Life Stress Inventory

Physiological measurementsUrine catecholamines

StressStages of Stress:

Level of normal Resistance

Alarm

Resistance

Exhaustion

Did You Know?Absences attributed to stress tripled between

1995 and 2004More than 62% of the time when workers

called in “sick,” they were not really “sick” (Entitlement Mentality)

Most heart attacks occur on Monday’s and least occurred on Friday’s

The WorkaholicImmersing oneself excessively in work at the

expense of non-work activitiesIdentifying oneself more with the role of a

worker rather than as an individualAre you a person who happens to be a

student, or are you a student who happens to be a person?

The Workaholic (cont.) Two factors for classifying workaholics

(Naughton, 1987)– Career commitment (CC)– Obsession-compulsion (OC)

Naughton believed there were three types of workaholics:1. Job-involved workaholics (high CC, low OC)2. Compulsive workaholics (high CC, high OC)3. Non workaholics (low CC, low OC)

The Workaholic (cont.)

Scott, Moore, Micelli classified workaholics as:– Compulsive-dependent– Perfectionist– Achievement-oriented

Spence & Robbins (1992) proposed a workaholic triad:– Work involvement, drivenness, and work

enjoyment

Ways to Combat WorkaholismFocus on the work you most like doing, work

that you wouldn’t mind “doing for free”Use your time; don’t let it use youBuild friendships at workSchedule open time into your work lifeLearn to say no sometimesCreate a work environment that pleases youLook for the positives in your job

BurnoutAdverse stress reaction to work with

psychological, psychophysiological, and behavioral components

Symptoms include:Diminished sense of humorSkipping rest and mealsIncreased overtime/no vacationIncreased physical complaintsSocial withdrawalChanged job performanceSelf-medicationInternal changes

Five Stages of Burnout Stage 1: The honeymoon- satisfied with job Stage 2: Fuel shortage- fatigue sets in Stage 3: Chronic symptoms-

exhaustion/disease/anger Stage 4: Crisis- illness, absenteeism,

relationship issues Stage 5: Hitting the wall-

physical/psychological, can be life threatening.

Gender and Occupational StressStressors that particularly affect women

include:Career blocksSexual harassmentMale-dominated climatePerformance pressureGender stereotypingIsolationLack of role models

Women and Work Outside the HomeWomen are clearly disadvantaged

in the world of work:– They make less money than their male

counterparts– Women are subjected to more sexual

harassment– Minority women earn less than non-

minority women

Women and Work Outside the Home (cont.)

59% of women work outside the homeStill employed in traditionally

women’s rolesSecretariesReceptionistsNursesBookkeepersNursing aidsElementary school teachers

University College, London Study

Just thinking about work may trigger stress, says Dr. Andrew SteptoeStudy of 75 men and womenShowed steeper increases in the stress

related hormones on workday mornings than on days off occurred within 30 minutes of work, showing anticipation of work may trigger job-related stress

Job StressorsMoneyHealth and safety hazardsWork environmentInsufficient trainingJob securityFamily adjustments or partner’s careerViolence

StressCorporate Wellness Programs are now

common placeBut still the best formula is:

• Get regular exercise• Eat well• Monitor personal health• Learn to identify sources of stress

Managers need to be aware to stress symptoms

Experimental Protocol

Experimental Design3x2 Repeated Measures Design (Stress

level/Gender)Each subject was exposed to three distinct

levels of psychological stress: Control condition (No Stress) Normal Stress Extreme Stress

Physiological Stress MeasuredPerformance Measured

Subjects entered through this

Door!

Inside the room were

several chambers

and a work area

Subject’s Work Area

Apparatus

• Monitor bunny chambers (T.V.’s),

• Monitor environmental levels

• Monitor “Alert” box

TASK

Normal Stress Situation

• Environmental Meters look fine

• No system alert/failure indicators

• Bunnies are alert

Extreme Stress Situation

• Meters off normal

• Failure box alerts

• Bunnies “in trouble”

Physiological Response to Stress

Stress - Performance Interaction