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STRESS MANAGEMENT

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Learning Objectives
After studying this chapter, you should be able to:
1. discuss the type of stressors among individuals;
2. identify stress prevention techniques;
3. enumerate stress outcomes; and

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4. discuss approaches to stress.

·Chapter Summary
t. I

The popular term for stress is "strain." To result in stress would mean that a particular event
or situation challenges, harms or threatens a person. This can be in the form.of role conflict, work
.
overload, or change. Stress produces harmful effects that harm psychological, cognitive, behav-
.
ioral, and physiological processes.
Individuals who undergo an excessive amount of stress result to "burnout."
T~ organizations, _the consequences ofstress are employee absenteeism and turnover, high
hospitalization and medical bills, and lost work time.
Stress prevention techniques are employed by organizations to cope with stress-related
problems. Organizations have employee assistance and wellness progral)1s which help employ-
ees cope with stress.
There are four approaches t~_studying .stress: homeostatic, cognitive appraisal, person·
environment fit, and psychoanalytic approaches.
Best Foot Forward talks about the power of successful partnerships in the business world
and Points of View discusses the stress created by striking a balance between family and workfife
in "What a Stress! What a Mess!"

Q")
 Overview of Stress
Accor~ing to lvancevich and Matteson, stress is a reaction to a situation or event that
places special de,:nands on the person. This reaction is further enhanced by individual dif-
t
ferences. S ressor is the person or event that triggers the stress response, whereas distress is
th_
e adverse psychological, physical, behavioral, and organizational consequences that may
anse as a result of stressful events .
11
. An~ther term for stress is strain."To result in stress would mea~ that a particular event
or s1tuat1on challenges, harm s, or threatens a person. Stress comes in when the "stressful"
situation is significant to the person.

Types of Stressors on Individuals

1. Role Conflict. This is the most popular individual cause of stress. This happens when the
individual's expectat ions on a particular job is in conflict with another set of expecta-
tion from, let's say, the supervisor's or the company's expectations.
2. Work Overload. When a person is occupied with so many things· to do, there is a ten-
dency to cram because of_little time allotted to finish all the job assignments.
3. Change. Not all individuals can cope with change. Some are even resistant (o it.

Types of Stressors in Groups and Organizations

1. Poor Intergroup Relations. Low trust and support among members may result to stress. ·

2. Organizational Politics. Intrigues and conflicts among employees are a source of stress.
3. Organimtiona/ Culture. The company's culture can be a source of stress for those who
cannot adapt.

4. Lack of Career Opportunities. Employees who feel they are deprived of career growth
opportunities can lead to stress.

5. Routine Jobs. Employees who work with the same routine tasks will get bored and may
lead to stress.

6. Downsizing. A company that reduces its manpower can lead to stress among i_
ts em-
ployees. They feel that their job security is threatened.

Stress Outcomes ,
1. Psychological Effects. Stress causes anxiety; self-pity, rejection, depression, and low self-
esteem.

2. Cognitive Effects. Stress induces poor concentration, irrati.onal thinking, and short
memory span.

3. Behavioral Effects. Stress causes drug abuse, accidents, smoking, and alcoholism.

4. Physiological Effects. Stress is manifested through .s_weating, increased heart rate, and
high blood pressure.
Individuals who undergo an excessive amount of stress result to "burnout." This is
brought about by emotional exhaustion and feelings of depression and self-pity.

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 l 0 . I ee absenteeism and turnover•
organizations the consequences of stress are emp oy . ,
h .'9 h h osp,tahzation
· . ' . E ssive stress can a1so tncrea
and medical bills· and lost work time. xce i se
labor discontent due to job dissatisfa~tion. This can further result to poor per ormance and
reduced quality of work.

Stress Prevention and Management

Stress prevention controls or eliminates'the causes of stress, while st ress management
suggests ways on how individuals can cope e!fectively with stress.
Organizations have employee assistance and wellness programs which he~p employ-
ees cope with stress. Employee assistance programs consist of counseling, therapy, and peri-
odic screening of employees to detect possible stress-related problems. Wellness programs
include a variety of activities -designed to identify, prevent, and even correct specific health
problems brought about by stress such as smoking~ alcoholism, and drug abuse.
Individuals have different approaches on stress prevention and management. Some
include relaxation and meditation.

Four Approaches to S~res$.

1. Homeostatic (Medical) Approaih. Waite; 8. Ca~non, a ·! ediCal physfologist who origi-
nally discovered stress, said. that it is an emergency response to fight emotions. Stress
results from an external, environmental demand which upsets the person's natural
state of balance.
2. Cognitive Appraisal Approach. Richard Lazarus was more concerned with the psychology
of stress. What may be .stressful to one person may no.t be stressful to ah6ther. Lazarus
· also introduced problem-~ocused and emotion-focused c~ping. Problem-focused
coping. emphasizes managing the svessor .and emotion-focused coping emphasizes
managing one's response. ·
3. Person-Environment Fit Approach. ~obert Kahn propagated the social psychology of
stress. It occurs when role expectations are confusing or conflictin h on's
·1· · t bl t t h d
skil Is an d ab 1ItIes are no a e o mee t e emands of his social · g or w en a pers
. roe.
1
4. Psychoanalytic Approach. Harry Levinson is concerned with th t · f er· '
· · Th ·fi . e wo e 1ements o p
sonahty which may cause stress. e rst element 1s the ego-ideal and d ele·
ment is the self-image or how the person sees himself either p .'. th e se~o~ ly
,. osItIve 1y or negative ·
 ORGANI.ZATIONAL CONTEXT PREVENTIVE MEDICINE
CONTEXT

ORGANIZATIONAL STRESSORS: 0) r
Tasks, roles, physical, interpersonal HEALTH RISK FACTORS

PRIMARY PREVENTION:
Stressor directed. This reduce~,
modifies, or eliminates the
cause of stress.

STRESS RESPONSES
ASYMPTOMATIC DISEASE
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SECONDARY PREVENTION:
Response directed. It is designed
to alter the individual's response.

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DISTRESS: Medic~I, behavioral,

psychological problemsf or
individuals; <;Jirect and . inµ, irect SYMPTOMATIC DISEASE
costs for organizations•

TERTIARY PREVENTION:
Symptom directed. It is designed to heal individual or organizational symptoms.

(Source: J. D. Quick, R. S. Horn, and J. C. Quick, uHealth Consequences of Stress,N Journal of Organizational
Behavior Management 8, No. 2, Figure 1 (Fa/11986): 21 reprinted with permission of Haworth Press, Inc.,
10 Alice St., Birmingham, NY 13904. Copyright 1986)

Figure 13. A Framework for Preventive Stress Management

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BEST FOO·T-FORWARD
_,.

The Power of Two

. Many of these partnerships were formed out of their lo~gtime frien~ships. For sure,
th e 1r partnerships are successful because both have recognized each 0th er s st rengths and
weaknesses anp respected each contribution to the success of the partnership.

Google's Larry Page'and Sergey Brin

Google was founded in 1998 by Page and Brin who first worked on a research project
together. The project called "The Anatomy of a Large-:-Scale Hypertextual Sear~h Engine"was
later on found to be the basis for Google. Both have similar backgrounds: their parents who
are university professors; the love for computers; and the vision to be sucessful.
Page and Brin came from two opposite worlds (Brin f(om Russia and Page from the US)
but their love for computers and their determination to succeed bave set a formidable place
in the worldwide web.

Apple's Steve Jobs and Steve·Wozniak

The dream team never expected that they were about to change the world when they
met at a summer job in 1970. Six years later the two Steves founded Apple, the company
that made a difference in computer technology! ·
Wozniak's technical expertise and Jobs' business sense lead to a partnership that cata-
pulted Apple intq a billion dollar company. Jobs' demise is a big lost not only to Apple but
to this generation; he has touched many lives and has changed our way of life-making it
easier and better.

Twitter's Evan Williams and Biz Stone

Williams and Stone started as rivals but ended as friends. How? Williams was work·
ing with Blogger when it was sold to Google. Then he hired Stone. Williams left Google for
Odeo.com. Stone followed him.
They were probably destined to work as a pair when Jack Dorsey, an Odeo engineer,
approached them with an idea, which is Twitter in 2006,. The3successful tandem is made pos·
sible by mutual respect and camaraderie. i• · 1

Microsoft's Bill Gates and Paul Allen

Childhood friends Gates and Allen love computers and tagged themselves as hacker ·
partners-in-crime. Gates left Harvard, and Allen soon followed as they planned to start upa
business. Gates decided to drop out of college and together with Allen, they created Micro-
soft in 1975.
It seems that their friendship has span decades of passion for work d d t minatio0
. · b dd d · th · an e er
to succeed. Their !rien d sh ip is em e e m e1r respect and high regard for each others
contribution to Microsoft.

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-
Hewlett Packard's am and Dave
Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard became close during a two-week camping trip at Stanford.
Their professor, Fred Terman, encouraged them and they started Hewlett Packard (HP) in 1939.
Hewlett and Packard were best friends and their traits complement each other. They
both employed a hands-on approach in HP. They valued their employees very much, the
very reason for HP's success. ~ L

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Ben and Jerry's Cohen and Greenfield

Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield were also childhood friends who both love food. In
1977, they both took a course in ice cream making and ventured in a $12,000 investment in
their first ice cream parlor t he following year.
The secret of their success is their quest for a two-part bottom line: for profit and for
giving back to the communit y. Their contribution to the community is essentially the reason
for their success.
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eBay's Pierre Omidyar and Jeffrey Skoll

.
eBay was founded in 1995. Omidyar and Skoll were j'='.st casual acquaintances when
Omidyar built the code for eBay. They eventually became close when Skoll was hired to
write Omidyar's business plan. The .two led eBay to an Initial Public Offering (IPO) three years
later. Skoll may not be considered as one ot'the founders but he worked closely with Omid-
yar being eBay's first employee. This company also gives back to the community and this is
one of the reasons for eBay's success. ..
Intel's Gordon Moore and Bob Noyce

Founded in 1968, Moore and Noyce·built 'Intel after leaving Shockley Semiconductor
Laboratory. Moore is the technology wizard, whereas Noyce is the visionary leader. The two
founded Intel on the basis of technological breakthroughs and inspiring leadership. They
carry through with them the value of innovation.
Procter and Gamble's William and James

Most in-laws cannot stand each other but William Procter and James Gamble made
one of the best business partnerships in the history of world entrepreneurship. William and
James were a candle maker and a soap maker who became related to each other through
their marriage to the Noris sisters. Their father-in-law persuaded them to form a company.
Procter and Gamble was born in 1837 and the rest is history so they say.
Yahoo's Jerry Yang and David Filo

Yang and Filo first met at Stanford's PhD program in 1994. Their first project was the
design of computer chips. During dull moments, they skipped class to surf the web. Later
on, they organ_ized w hatever they have surfed into topics until such time that the lists of the
topics crashed the campus's system. Yang and Filo realized that the lists would eventually
become their own business. That was when Yahoo was born.
,..

Guide Questions
-
th
1. How does communication help in sustaining relationships like ese part-
nerships mentioned in the article? ·
th
2. Research further on these partnerships and identify the traits at they have
in common which have made them successful.

3. Do you think that in a partnership there shou.ld be a dominant partner so

that the partnership will work? Why or why not?

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POINTS OF VIEW
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CASESTUDYS
What a Stress! What a Mess!
Edward is a young achiever at an early age. Right after his graduation in college, he
I. landed a job which he particularly .wanted. The position calls for a daily worklpad that is
quite heavy but he does not mind, really. After all, he feels lucky to have been chosen from
the many applicants who vied for the position. Another thing, the pay is good and the ben-
efits right after he is regularized are competitive in the industry. The career path he always
wanted will be fulfilled, eventually. .
The position, he believes is almost like an assistant to the supervisor. The administra-
tive task that goes with it really eats a lot of his time and energy. Yet, he knows how to han-
dle it. In fact, he still has some spare time for his personal life.
, I •

Until one day, his girlfriend broke the news that they will have a baby. It took awhile
before he finally accepted the fact that he, at the age of 20 will be~ome a father and a hus-
band, to a young girl, Gw~n, with the same age as his. They got married and he now has to
balance being a family man and an employee. Gwen is al$o working and she has not given
up her job as a secretary to a medium-sized firm despite her marriage with Edward.
In the J11ext several months, things have normali~ed into some kind of pattern. He has
-
gotten used to it. Then the baby came. Gwen has to_give up ~, r job to take care of the baby.

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In the next several months, Edw~rd also received word from management that the
supervisor has resigned and he ~as being eye~ ~o take his place. It did not sink in at first. For
one, it seems that h_ e is not yet npe for _the pos1t1on. Second, it means more responsibilities.
However, he was _ t hinking of the pay raise once promoted. This would help in their everyday
I expenses especially now that they have a baby.

' The management. decided to put h,m ~n _probation for the supervisory position. It
would mean that he will _be ·obs~rved and will ~ust be an officer-in-charge, which means
hat the supervisory _title .is pending based on his, performance for the next th ree mo nthS,
t
He will
still get the pay raise.
. •r.e changed ever since. Gwen noticed the tremendous ch anges of Edward. He
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started smoking. In many cases, he eas1 y ecomes angry. It seems that his life has becorne

stressful.
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 His life is a complete turnaround and Gwen is worried that Edward will become worse
than she could ever imagine!
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Case Questions
1. What made Edward change?
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2. Is it normal to feel that ·way?
3. How can he handle stress?
4. What should Gwen do to help Edward?
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1. Can you really prevent stress? Why or why not?

2. How can organizations and employees cope with stressful activities? ·

3. Which among the stress outcomes can greatly affect a person? Why?

4. Identify the basic group-related stress..

• 5. What is a stressor?
6. What is an effective preventio_n and coping mechanism to stressful situations?

7. What are your usual stresses as a student?

8. How do you cope with these stresses?
9. Research further on stress in organizations. Discuss burnout.
1O. How can one st rike a balance on the different roles he plays?

Cognitive appraisal approach is concerned with the psychology of stress which · in-
volves problem-focused and emotion-focused coping mechanisms.
I .
• Homeostatic (medical) approach asserts that -stress is an emergency response to fight
emotions.
Person- environment fit approach is involved with the ·social psychology of stress.
Psychoanalytic approach is concerned with the ego-ideal and self-image which may
cause stress.
Stress is a reaction to a situation or event that places demands on the person.
\

Stress management suggests ways on how individuals can cope effectively with stress.

Stress prev·e ntion controls or eliminates the causes of stress.

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