CHAPTER 10 – STRESS MANAGEMENT

At the end of this session, students should be able to:

 Define stress from the organizational perspectives
 Identify sources and consequences of stress
 Explain how to manage organizational stress
effectively
 Differentiate between type A and type B personality
 Definition

Managing
stress Sources

Personality
Type Symptoms

Relationship
with
Performance
 Definition

• Stress is an imprecise / inaccurate term

• Usually this term is defined in terms of the internal and
external conditions that are able to create a stressful
environment
• Symptoms that an individual is facing
• Stress can be defined as a psychological and physical
reaction to prolonged internal and/or environmental
conditions which are more than the individual’s adaptive
capabilities
• Dynamic condition in which individual is confronted with
an opportunity, constraint or demand related to what
he/she desires and for which the outcome is perceived to
be both important yet uncertain
DYNAMIC CONDITION

Demands
Constraints
Things that take
Forces or barriers up someone’s
that prevent time and require
individuals from the person to shift
doing what they priorities
desire

When constraints or demands have an effect on an important

event and the outcome is unknown, pressure is added –
Pressure resulting in stress
 Cont’d…

Definition
A dynamic
condition in which An unpleasant
the individual is A condition of psychological
confronted with an strain on one’s process that
opportunity, emotions, occurs in response
constraint, or thoughts and to environmental
demand related to physical condition pressure
what he or she (Robbins, 2012)
desires
 Stress: The aftermath / consequences of
organizational change

Stress Occurs when Stressor

individuals A factor that
confront a causes stress
situation related
to their desires for
which the
outcome is e.g: CIMB – Merger
perceived to be between BCHB and
both uncertain Southern bank (Offer
VSS which cause
and important
stress to employee)
 Understanding Stress and Its Consequences

• Since stress is the reaction of individuals to a new or

threatening factor in their working environment, it has
certain impact on the individuals

Organizational perspective
Health perspective
Personal life perspective
 Cont’d…

Environmental
factor

Sources
of Stress

Individual /
Organizational
personal
factor
factor
 • Economic uncertainty
• Political uncertainty
Environmental• Technological uncertainty
(use of robots, machinery as
factor substitutes to manual worker)
• Terrorism in threats to physical
safety and security

• Task demand (design of the

job, working condition, physical
layout)
• Role demand (e.g supervisor or
manager)
Organizational• Interpersonal demand (lack of
factor social support)
• Organizational structure
• Organizational leadership
(directive, participative)
• Organization’s life stage
Page 631 (financial stability)
 Cont’d…

• Relationship among
colleagues (Peers, other
workers)
• Family problems and
personal relationships
Individual / • Economic problems
personal • Personality (anger,
factor negative attitude)
• Individual differences
(Perceptual variation of
how reality will affect the
individual’s future, social
support)
 Moderator Variables (Factors which influence the
ability to handle stress)

• Individual differences
• Perception, Job experience, Social support,
personality traits (neuroticism), Belief in locus control,
Self efficacy (effectiveness), Hostility (unfriendliness),
Type A & Type B

• Cultural differences
• Collectivist cultures (asean country & latin america)
• Individualistic culture (european country e.g U.S &
U.K)
Stress or not, it depends on
individuals

Locus of control is a theory in personality psychology referring to the extent to which

individuals believe that they can control events that affect them
Self-efficacy (social cognitive theory) is the measure of one's own competence to
complete tasks and reach goals
Type
A

Personality
Type

Type
B
 TYPE A

• Chronic sense of urgency and excessive competitive

drive
• Always moving walking and eating rapidly
• Feel impatient at most event take place
• Always running and can hardly relax – Strive to think or
do two or more things simultaneously
• Dealing with challenging task, they easily aroused
(blood pressure increases)
• Type A person will usually experience stress on and off
the job
 TYPE B

• More relaxed and laid back – Desire to do more than

one task at any time but at his own pace
• Never suffer from a sense of time urgency with its
accompanying impatience
• Feel no need to display or discuss either their
achievement unless such exposure is demanded by the
situation
• Play for fun and relaxation rather to exhibit their
superiority at any cost (Relax without guilt)
• Likes to participate actively in any type of challenging
events
 • Don’t mind leaving things
• Must get things finished unfinished for a while
• Never late for • Calm and unhurried about
appointments appointments
• Do not like to wait • Can wait calmly
• Very busy at full speed • Easy going
• Trying to do more than • Can take one thing at a
one thing at a time time
• Want everything to be • Don’t mind things not quite
perfect perfect
• Not satisfied with work/life • Quite satisfied with
• Few social work/life
activities/interests • Many social
activities/interests

Type A personalities Type B personalities

 Consequences of Stress

High Levels
of Stress

Physiological Psychological Behavioural

Symptoms Symptoms Symptoms

Anxiety,
Headaches, Productivity,
depression,
high blood absenteeism,
decrease in
pressure, turnover,
job
heart disease carelessness
satisfaction
A Model of Stress
 Inverted-U Relationship between Stress and Job
Performance
High

Eustress
P
e Optimum
r stress point
f
o
r Distress
m
a
n
c Constructive Destructive
e zone zone
Performance/
health
Low High
Stress
 Low stress level

• The person experiences little stimulation. It can

lead to feeling of boredom. Result to
underutilization of physical and mental skills

High stress level

• Personal resources are strained. Stretch

beyond physical and mental limits

Moderate stress levels

• Performance is high because physical and

mental capacities are challenges. Thus, the
person is motivated
Constructive Zone Destructive Zone
• The levels of stress acts in • The levels of stress acts in
a positive way for both a negative way.
individual and organization • e.g. last minute revision on
• The range between low to chapters result in panic &
moderate levels of stress blackout during exam.
stimulate individual and • e.g: last minute
organization to be more preparation for
diligence, creative and organization presentation
more energetic will result in lack of
information (due to less
analysis made)
 Distress
• Those stress response to
weaken the physical and
physiological capacity

Eustress
• Healthful and
developmental stress
response. Lead to
better performance and
more adjusted
personality
 Stress Moderators

Stress
Examples
moderators
When a company announces to use voluntary
separation scheme to reduce the number of
employees, Ahmad sees it as an opportunity for him
Perception to start a business after receiving huge amount of
money, but Muthu sees it as a threat of being laid
off. Muthu now is in a stressful situation whereas
Ahmad already starts to fill up the VSS forms
Ali and Ah Thong have been with Company A for 20
years, now Ali has learned all the techniques to
cope with stress because he personally knows
Job experience almost all the other employees. On the other hand,
Ah Thong, after 20 years starts to feel bored and
unmotivated to be in the office
 Cont’d…

Stress
Examples
moderators
Although Nancy is an American and had just arrived
2 days ago in Malaysia, she does not feel lonely and
Social support
isolated because her Malaysian co-workers are
friendly towards her
Ali is an external locus of control believer. He also
Belief in locus of thinks life is a result of what is meant to be to him
control and he has no control over his life. As a result, he
feels so stressed
Siti is a person who values her life every day. She
Self-efficacy sees her problem from the positive side and always
thinks well about her life
Shah always feels uncertain about his life. This
Hostility makes him angry easily. As a result, it increases his
stress level
 MANAGING STRESS

Individual Organizational
Perspective Perspective
 Time management,
Individual physical exercise,
relaxation training,
Approach social support and
teamwork

Managing
Stress

Selection and
placement, training,
Organizational goal setting, job
redesign, corporate
Approach wellness program,
sabbaticals, improve
Sabbaticals: Ranging in length from few weeks to several communication
months, allow employee to travel, relax or pursue personal
projects
 Individual Perspective

Strategies Examples

Making to-do list

Time managing Prioritizing daily activities
techniques Scheduling
Highlighting your personal time ability

Increase physical Jogging

exercise Sports
Relaxation Detach from the work for a while

Make more friends

Social support network
Mingle with more people
 Organizational Perspective

Improved personnel selection and job placement

Training
Use of realistic goal setting
Redesigning of jobs
Increased employee involvement
Improved organizational communication
Offering employee sabbaticals
Establishment of corporate wellness programs
 Q&A

Stress is a negative consequence of modern living

today. Employees are stressed from overwork, job
insecurity, information overload and the increasing
pace of life

a) What is stress? (2 marks)

b) Differentiate between eustress and distress.
(3 marks)
c) List and explain five (5) organizational factors that
can cause stress. (10 marks)
d) List three (3) methods of coping with stress at the
organizational level. (5 marks)
 Q&A

For many employees, change creates stress. A

dynamic and uncertain environment has created a
large number of employees who are overworked and
stressed out.
a) Explain the organizational factors that may cause
stress. (5 marks)
b) Stress can bring either a positive or negative
influence to employees’ performance. Comment on
this statement. (5 marks)
c) Explain three (3) methods of stress-coping at an
individual level (10 marks)