• For many people, career means the part of life that is concerned with employment.

• From an occupational standpoint, it means the sum total of the various jobs you may
hold during your lifetime.
• However, these definitions do not fully capture the meaning of career. We would like
you to think of career in a broader, more life-encompassing way.
• Think of the decisions you make about a job or a college major as valuable
components of a lifelong process. When viewed in this manner, career can be defined
as—

“the sum total of decisions that direct your educational, social, economic, political,
and spiritual endeavors and reflect your unique personality characteristics and
basic life values”.
Source: Phifer, P. (2003) College Majors and Careers, Fifth Edition. New York, NY: Ferguson Publication.
Preparation Organization
Early career Mid career Late career
for work entry
 Career Anchors?
• Edgar Schein had proposed eight career themes and had shown that people
identify primarily with one or two.
• The anchors can enable people to recognize their preferences for certain areas in
their job which can help career planning.
• For example, a person with a primary theme of autonomy/independence will
seek to work under their own rules and be less likely to conform to
organizational norms.
• People are generally more fulfilled in their careers when they can satisfy their
career anchors and seek roles that are aligned with these anchors.

7 Human Resource Management

 Anchor Definition
Technical/ Primarily excited by the content of the work itself; prefers
Functional advancement only in his/her technical or functional area of
Competence competence; generally disdains and fears general management as
too political.
Managerial Primarily excited by the opportunity to analyze and solve
Competence problems under conditions of incomplete information and
uncertainty; likes harnessing people together to achieve common
goals; stimulated (rather than exhausted) by crisis situations.

Security, Stability, Primarily motivated by job security and long-term attachment to on

Organizational organization; willing to conform and to be fully socialized into an
identity organization's values and norms; tends to dislike travel and
relocation.

8 Human Resource Management

 Anchor Definition
Entrepreneurial Primarily motivated by the need to build or create something that is
Creativity entirely their own project; easily bored and likes to move from
project to project; more interested in initiating new enterprises than
in managing established ones.

Autonomy/ Primarily motivated to seek work situations which are maximally

Independence free of organizational constraints; wants to set own schedule and
pace of work; is willing to trade off opportunities for promotion to
have more freedom.

Sense of Service/ Primarily motivated to improve the world in some fashion; wants to
Dedication to a align work activities with personal values about helping society;
Cause more concerned with finding jobs which meet their values than
their skills.
9 Human Resource Management
 Anchor Definition
Pure Challenge Primarily motivated to overcome major obstacles, solve almost
unsolvable problems, or win out over extremely tough opponents;
define their careers in terms of daily combat or competition in which
winning is everything; very single minded and intolerant of those
without comparable success.
Lifestyle Primarily motivated to balance career with lifestyle; highly
Integration concerned with such issues as paternity/maternity leave, day care
options etc. Looks for organizations that have strong pro family
values and programs.

10 Human Resource Management

 Holland states that the job satisfaction of an individual and his/her
tendency to quit a job are determined by the extent to which his/her
personality matches with the work environment and requirements of
the job. He described six personality types

 Realistic- Skill, strength and coordination

 Investigative- Thinking, organizing and understanding
 Social- Helping and developing others
 Conventional- Rule regulated, orderly and unambiguous
 Enterprising- Verbal activities and power attainment
 Artistic- Ambiguous and unsystematic activities and creative
expression
 Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI9tVEKXQdQ
• https://openpsychometrics.org/tests/RIASEC/
• According to which career anchor does individual settle for nothing
less than a job which is perfectly suited to the life they want to live?
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92eihrdf8Z0
 Self
Awareness
and Self-
Assessment
 ICFAI Business School
VISION
To be a leader in management education through industry-focused curriculum,
case-based learning and applied research.
MISSION
To offer high quality management programs that equip students with right
knowledge, skills and attitudes required to succeed in a dynamic world
1. Knowledge: The right knowledge implies relevant, contemporary and cutting-
edge knowledge obtained through research and practice which empowers
students to think and act independently, creatively and ethically.
2. Skills: The right skills enable students to think through complex problems,
analyze them critically and find solutions quickly in a changing market
environment.
3. Attitudes: The right attitudes help students put their thought, feelings,
behaviors and actions in place while handling tough situations.
Self Awareness
Self Awareness

• It refers to the conscious knowledge of your likes and dislikes, beliefs and
aspirations, core values and passion, attitudes, strengths and shortcomings, what
type of person you are, etc

• If you know yourself, you can live for your own interests, dreams and aspirations
rather than living life for others

• You may be able to achieve this completeness of understanding over the years
The Self or Self concept (Carl Roger)
• It is essentially a mental picture of who you are as a person.
• According to Carl Rogers, self-concept has three components:
• self-image,
• self-esteem, and
• the ideal self
• Self esteem: It is the degree of liking an individual has for
himself/herself
 Self image

Self image is the way we see ourselves. Self-image includes what we know about ourselves physically
(e.g. brown hair, blue eyes, tall), our social roles (e.g. wife, brother, gardener), and our personality traits
(e.g. outgoing, serious, kind).
Self-image doesn’t always match reality. Some individuals hold an inflated perception of one or more of
their characteristics. These inflated perceptions may be positive or negative, and an individual may have a
more positive view of certain aspects of the self and a more negative view of others.

It is the mental picture of who you are and made up of variables such as:
Physical appearance
Athletic ability
Sense of humor
Special talents
Morals and ethics
Aptitudes
Values and beliefs
 Self-Esteem
Self-esteem is the value we place upon ourselves. Individual levels of self-esteem are dependent on the way
we evaluate ourselves. Those evaluations incorporate our personal comparisons to others as well as others’
responses to us.
When we compare ourselves to others and find that we are better at something than others and/or that people
respond favorably to what we do, our self-esteem in that area grows. On the other hand, when we compare
ourselves to others and find we’re not as successful in a given area and/or people respond negatively to what
we do, our self-esteem decreases. We can have high self-esteem in some areas ("I am a good student") while
simultaneously having negative self-esteem in others ("I am not well-liked").
Ideal
Ideal self is your representation of the attributes that someone (yourself or another) would like you,
ideally, to possess (i.e., a representation of someone's hopes, aspirations, or wishes for you).The "ideal-
self" is what usually motivates individuals to change, improve and achieve.

Ought
Ought is your representation of the attributes that someone (yourself or another) believes you should or
ought to possess (i.e., a representation of someone's sense of your duty, obligations, or responsibilities).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGdsOXZpyWE
Do’s of improving self esteem

• Engage in positive self talk

• Remember what you like about yourself

• Talk with others about your good qualities

• Focus on your achievements

• Plan for your future

Don’ts of improving self esteem

Don’t

• Try to imitate someone else

• Think negatively about yourself

• Neglect yourself

• Let setbacks get the best of you

Personal SWOT Analysis
• SWOT stands for: Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat. A
SWOT analysis guides you to identify your strengths and
weaknesses (S-W), as well as broader opportunities and threats

• A SWOT analysis is a tried-and-true method that can also help

people become the best versions of themselves

• While most professionals look at their strengths and

weaknesses, a SWOT analysis takes things a step further by
forcing people to think about the external factors that bear
heavily on the health and direction of their careers

• Looking at the quadrants together can be a creative way to

think about where you are in your career and the directions you
could take
Strengths (don’t be modest)

• How do your education, skills, talents certifications, and

connections set you apart from your peers?

• What would your boss or coworkers say are your strengths?

• What values or ethics do you have that your peers often lack?

• What achievements are you most proud of?

Weaknesses (be honest)

• Where are your education, training, or skills lacking?

• What would your boss or coworkers say are your weaknesses?

• What are your negative work habits and personality traits?

• What do you avoid because you lack confidence?

Opportunities
• What good opportunities are waiting for you ?

• What trends could you take advantage of ?

• How can you turn your strengths into opportunities?

Threats
• What obstacles do you currently face in your career?

• Who is your competition?

• Will new technology or certifications demands slow your

progress?

• How is your job or industry changing in ways that could affect

your advancement?

• Could any of your weakness lead to threats?

Johari Window
Self-Efficacy Theory

• Self-efficacy is the belief in one’s effectiveness in performing specific

tasks.
• The term ‘self-efficacy” was first coined by psychologist Albert
Bandura (1977) a Canadian-American psychologist and a professor at
Stanford University.
• Self-Efficacy Theory of Bandura follows the principle that people are
likely to engage in activities to the extent that they perceive
themselves to be competent at those activities.
Enactive Mastery (Performance Outcomes)
Mastery experiences are the most influential source of efficacy information because they
provide the most authentic evidence of whether one can muster whatever it takes to
succeed. Success builds a robust belief in one's personal efficacy. Failures undermine it,
especially if failures occur before a sense of efficacy is firmly established" (Bandura, 1997)
Vicarious Experiences (Self Modeling)
Bandura (1977) posits that "Seeing people similar to oneself succeed by sustained effort
raises observers' beliefs that they too possess the capabilities to master comparable
activities to succeed.“
Verbal Persuasion (Verbal Encouragement)
Self-efficacy is influence by encouragement and discouragement pertaining to an
individual’s performance or ability to perform (Redmond, 2010)

Psychologiclal Arousal (Emotional State)

The emotional, physical, and psychological well-being of a person can influece how a they
feel about their personal abilities in a particular situation.
GOAL SETTING
 What is a Goal?
• A goal is the purpose/ end towards which all the related
actions are directed.

• Goals can be explained as objectives, intentions or purposes of

an individual or the organization.

• Goals are the guidelines for organizational efforts towards a

particular objective.

• Goals are the target behind any intention to achievement.

 Goal Setting Theory
• This theory states that goal setting is linked to task performance.

• In 1960 Edwin Locke proposed that individuals who set specific,

challenging goals performs better than those who set general,
easy goals.

• Locke proposed five basic principles of goal-setting: clarity,

challenge, commitment, feedback, and task complexity.

• Setting a goal is a great way to encourage achievement and stay

motivated.

• It gives direction to employees in an organization of what needs

to be done and how much effort needs to be put in.
 Advantages of Goal setting
• Provides a standardized way to measure an
outcome or an achievement
• Improves the performance of an individual.
• Provides regular feedback on performance.
• Helps to identify the areas to which resources
and efforts can be channelized for better
output.
• Helps in decision making
• Helps in taking responsibility towards work.
 SMART Goal model
• Specific: Goals should be clear and well-defined. It should answer the
questions of what, why, when, who and where. Eg: I want to work for a
banking organization.

• Measurable: Goals should contain dates or timings to provide you a way to

measure success. Eg: I may become a zonal head in 5 years of time.

• Achievable: Goals should be possible to achieve. It answers is my goal

achievable and how to achieve? Eg: Getting a job is hardly achievable goal
rather getting the certifications and skills increases chance of getting the job.

• Realistic: Goal setting should consider resources like men, money, material,
machine, knowledge and energy available with them as per their capabilities.

• Timed: Goals should have a target time for deadline that helps to keep focus
to work in that direction. Eg: You have 3 semesters more to be a gold-
medalist.
 Career Goals in the CV
• The career goals section of the resume tells the reader about
your career aspirations.

• Career goals helps the reader an insight whether the job you
are seeking matches the offered job.

• A good career objective must be clear, specific and precise.

• Avoid writing generic statements.

 Examples of Career goals in the Resume
 To seek a challenging position in an esteemed organization which offers an opportunity
for growth and career advancement where I can contribute with my skills and expertise
to benefit the organization.

 To obtain a management position in the information division of a firm and contribute by

developing applications and implementing programs.

 Aspire to work as an accounting manager by contributing in the financial benefit to the

company.
 To obtain a management position in the information division of a major corporation or
consulting firm. Emphasis in developing applications and implementing programs

 To have a growth oriented professional career in the field of management. Prominence in

obtaining a managerial position in the analytics division/department of a major
corporation/firm

 To obtain a responsible entry level job as a data entry operator and eventually to become
the manager of a data entry center

 To become an accounting manager. Focus on international finance

 To enter a management-trainee program. Later, specialize in human resources management

 Responsible position as a systems analyst. Willing to travel

 Short term ( 5 years) goals in an interview
• Short term goals may include the things to:
 To be done immediately
 To be done after joining the job
 Show interest to take up new tasks and roles in the
organization
 Become expertise in that area of work
 See oneself in a managerial/leadership position handling a
team
 Get promoted to the next higher position/level in the hierarchy
based on achievement of organizational goals.
 Long term(10 years) goals in an interview

Long term goals may include the things to:

• Become a major contributor/stakeholder to the organization
• Build a good image and reputation
• Having good knowledge and sound understanding of how the
organization conducts its business and how economy affects
the business
• Update the knowledge and skills
• Be involved in the review and development of the
organizational policies or goals
• Be a good trainer or mentor for the new employees
Types or levels of goals
Listening
Topics need to be covered
• Concept of listening.
• Difference between listening and hearing.
• Stages of Listening- Joseph DeVito.
• Types of Listening: Discriminative, Comprehensive, Critical and
Empathetic Listening
• Barriers to effective Listening: Physiological, Environmental,
Attitudinal and Poor Listening Habits,
• Difference between a Good Listener and Bad Listener,
• Guidelines for improving better listening.
Listening- Definition

• Listening is defined as the process of hearing, receiving,

constructing meaning from and responding to verbal and non-
verbal messages

• It is the most frequent and important type of on-the-job

communication

• Listening is the most crucial skills for becoming a successful

manager

• Listening

= Hearing + Comprehending + Interpreting + Responding

Listening comes first

Listening

Speaking

Reading

Writing
Hearing

• Hearing is simply an act of perceiving sound by ears

• It is a physiological, automatic and a fast process involving the vibration of sound

waves on our ear drums and reacting to electrochemical impulses

• It is carried from inner ear to the central auditory system of the brain

• The brain transmits this into sounds of what we hear

Hearing Listening

Accidental Focused

Involuntary Voluntary

Effortless Intentional
Stages of Listening- Joseph DeVito
 Types to Listening
• Discriminative Listening: It involves an attempt to distinguish one sound from all the
others

• Comprehensive Listening: It involves understanding a speaker’s message in totality,

to interpret the meaning as precisely as possible

• Critical Listening: It involves judging the clarity, accuracy and reliability of the
evidence that is presented and being alert to the effects of emotional appeals

• Active (Empathetic)Listening: It involves encouraging the speaker to express fully

and provide him/her an affirmation with neutral summaries of what has been heard
and understood
Barriers to Listening
• Physical barriers • Attitudinal Barriers
• Noise
• Prejudices: Pre-conceived feelings
• Poor acoustic
• Defective mechanical device • Preoccupation: Engrossed with other
• Frequent interruptions
• Uncomfortable environment concerns
• Message overload • Casual Attitude: Assumption to hear
• Psychological barriers without effort
• Health status
• Hearing disability • Egocentrism: Over concerned with
• Wandering attention
oneself
• Personal anxiety
Speaking-Thinking rate
• People speak at about 140-180 words per minute, but on average, a
listener can comprehend about 400 words per minute. Different
sources offer slightly different numbers, but a common thread runs
across all version of this statistic: the listener thinks faster than
the speaker thinks.
Poor Listening Habits

• Faking attention

• Listening only for facts

• Avoiding difficult and uninteresting material

• Focusing on delivery

• Lack of common experiences

• Non verbal signs of active • Verbal sign of Active listening
listening • Positive reinforcement
• Smile • Remembering
• Eye contact • Questioning
• Posture • Reflection
• Avoid distraction • Clarification
Tips of being a active listener
• Respond appropriately
• Pay attention
• Show that you are listening
• Provide feedback
• Avoid judgment
Conclusion
• No communication process is complete without listening.
• Business people spend 45% of the time in listening.
• Good listener understand the value of words and emotions.
• Misunderstanding and misinterpretation can be avoided.
• Active listening skills can be learnt and developed.
 Time Management

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
Z6kAEQJhSoU
 Definition

Time management refers to planning and using the

hours and minutes of a workday in the most effective
and efficient manner possible to complete specific
assignments, projects and goals
 Analyze How you spend your time
• Keep a written record of what you do and how much
time is used
• Create a time- use log by listing time intervals down
the left side of a sheet of paper
• Record all the activities in the log
 Returning telephone calls
 Reading and responding to emails
 Attending meetings
• Record the lunch time and break time
• Keep the log for a day, a week of longer
• Analyze the results
 Time Logs

• Time logs are used by employees to fill in a detailed account

of the time spent at the workplace

• They can be designed for daily, weekly or fortnightly use and

can help in identifying how many hours an individual spends
on actual work

• Time logs help managers in identifying activities that waste

time and the amount of potential time wasted
 3 Questions

• During what time of the day was I most productive

and least productive?

• What caused me to lose or waste time?

• Are certain times during the day peak or slack work

period?
 Internal Time-Wasters
Internal time-waters are internal situations that result in time
wastage. They are as follows:
• Personal disorientation (Organizing workplace and work)

• Procrastination (Postponing or avoid taking important but

difficult or unpleasant decisions or tasks)

• Excessive socialization (Discussing other’s problems,

gossiping, discussing personal issues during coffee breaks or
lunch time, etc)

• Poor Communication (Leads to misunderstandings,

complications, forgetting, interrupting, etc)

• Inefficiency ( Job poorly, carelessly and hastily done)

 External Time-wasters

Situations that are external to a manger that result in wastage

of time. They are:

• Excessive meetings

• Interruptions: Unexpected visitors or phone calls

 Internal interruptions: Colleagues, subordinates or superiors
 External interruptions: Regular, potential clients, suppliers, etc

• Excessive usage of Internet

 Some more Time Wasters

• Daydreaming

• Misplaced items

• False starts

• Lethargic pace of work

 Controlling Time-Wasters

• Maintain the Biological clock

• Prioritize

• Spiritual Planning

• Accessibility

• Divide time properly

 Time Abusers

A time abuser is a person who has an internal condition of a

constant fear of being evaluated or being questioned about
his/her work by a superior and so resorts to procrastination. Its
classification is:
• The Preemptive/Proactive: Obsession with deadlines and
schedules to complete before time

• The People Pleaser/YES Man/Woman: When a person takes

more responsibilities than he/she can handle, he/she is called
as a YES Man/Woman

• The Perfectionist/Analyzer: When a person is obsessed with

the quality of the resultant work, he/she is called as a
perfectionist or analyzer
Time Planning
 Types of planning

• Long-term plans (Overall goals and objectives of the

managers)

• Short-term plans (Fortnightly, monthly or a quarterly)

• Daily plans ( To-do list that managers prepare each day)

 Components of planning time

• Time factor (An appropriate time span)

• Rewards (For meeting deadlines and targets)

• Group tasks (Grouping the similar or related activities

together)
 Prioritize your to do list

• How important is this task? Important or Urgent?

• Is there a deadline? What will happen if this task isn't

completed on time?

• Do I need input from others to complete this task?

• Can the task be broken down into manageable chunks?

• How much time will it take to complete the task?

 Develop a Workable Schedule

• Scheduling is the process by which you plan the use of your

time and set deadlines for completing tasks

• Use a printed schedule to plan and monitor your activities

helps you make the best use of your time

• If the project is large, divide the large project into smaller tasks
and begin with a simple task to get the momentum going
 Stephen Covey’s Time Management
Grid/Matrix
According to Stephen Covey, the following are the phases of time
planning
• Phase 1: Identify the various demands placed on a manager through
notes, to do lists and checklists

• Phase 2: Taking a wide-angle view of future and unforeseen events

and scheduling them

• Phase 3: Monitoring the use of time by planning, prioritizing and

controlling

• Phase 4: Self management by discovering own strengths and

weaknesses
 Description of Quadrants
• Quadrant I: Quadrant of crisis- requires immediate attention –
Crisis handling and stress (Urgent and Important)

• Quadrant II: Quadrant of Value- requires long-term planning,

anticipating and preventing problems and spending time for
personal development (Not Urgent and Important)

• Quadrant III: Quadrant of Misconception- Doing vital

activities and responding to immediate activities (Urgent and
Not Important)

• Quadrant IV: Quadrant of Time Wasters- Potential time

wasters (gossiping, reading magazines and pursuing pleasant
activities) (Not Urgent and Not Important)
Time Management Matrix
 Philosophical view towards time
management
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXBA4e
Wskrc
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmV0gXp
XwDU
 Get Organized
• Organize your workspace

• Everything you use on a daily basis should be nearby

• Place your telephone, computer components and

reference materials within easy reach

• Put materials and supplies that you use frequently

close by in a drawer, or on a shelf

• Everything at your workstation should have a place

and be in its place
 Techniques to deal with Procrastinating

• Salami technique: Breaking a big task or decision into several

smaller decisions, to be tackled one by one

• Balancing aspects technique: Depending on the positive and

negative aspects of a decisions, a decision is made

• Incentive technique: Mangers are motivated to take a rational

decision due to the driving force of the reward

• Group technique: Group of people shouldering the

responsibility of taking a decision
 Few Tips to handle Interruptions

• The office environment should be austere

• Prevent long conversations and discourage regular visits

• The manager’s desk may face away from the door

• A manger may have a closed door for his/her cabin

• A manger should set aside specific time for meetings and

visitors
Stress Management
 Topics need to be covered
• Definition of Stress.
• Eustress and Distress
• Sources of Stress: Internal and External,
• The Causes of Stress: Extra- organizational, Organizational,
Group and Individual Stressors,
• Symptoms and Effects of Stress: Physical and psychological
• Coping Strategies- Problem focused and Emotion focused
• Concept of Burnout, Steps to handle Burnout, Psychological
and Behavioral Problems,
• Strategies to cope with Stress: Individual and
Organizational.
 Definition

Stress is a dynamic condition in which an individual is

confronted with an opportunity, constraint or demand related
to what he or she desires and for which the outcome is
perceived to be both uncertain and important
Most useful and widely accepted definition of stress (mainly attributed to
Richard S. Lazarus) is this: stress is a condition or feeling experienced when
a person perceives that "demands exceed the personal and social
resources the individual is able to mobilize." In less formal terms, we feel
stressed when we feel that "things are out of control."
 Social Readjustment Scale
& Rahe, 1967
In the past year, have you experienced:
1. __ Death of a spouse 100
2. __ Divorce 73
3. __ Marital separation 65
7. __ Marriage 50
8. __ Being fired 47
17.__ Death of a close friend 37
18.__ Changing to different work 36
19.__ Change # spouse arguments 35
20.__ Taking a loan on house 31
Holmes
26. __ Wife starting/ending work 26
29. __ Change in personal habits 24
32. __ Change in residence 20
33. __ Change to a new school 20
35. __ Change in church activities 19
36. __ Change in social activities 18
38. __ Change in sleeping habits 16
41. __ Vacation 13
43. __ Minor law issue (ticket, etc.) 11
Eustress and Distress
Difference between Eustress and Distress
 Distress
• Distress is a type of stress which occurs when trauma, anxiety
and worry are not productive

• Instead of inspiring healthful action, cause the person to shut

down

• It is a stress that paralyzes a person in fear, interferes with their

ability to think clearly, work, interact with others or fulfill their
obligations in daily life which is not helpful

• When the result is less action, the stress is directly or indirectly

negative and therefore a problem
 Causes of Stress

• Extra-organizational Stressors

• Organizational Stressors

• Group Stressors

• Individual Stressors
 Extra- organizational Stressors (Outside
organizations)
• Social and Technological changes- Increase in Urbanization, time
pressures, overcrowding, fast lifestyles, etc

• Family problems- Husband and Wife working

• Relocation to a new place- Looking for a suitable school for children,

finding a home, etc

• Economic and Financial Conditions- Taking up second/part-time jobs to

meet adverse financial conditions, Death of a loved one, Sudden loss of
job, unexpected break-up in a relationship or family, changes in life
patterns, etc

• Race & Class- Minority groups feeling isolated at work, women/men

facing discrimination against their male/female counterparts and managing
work and family, etc

• Residential and Community Conditions- Lack of neighborliness in huge

apartments, level of noise pollution in a particular region
 Organizational Stressors
• High Stress jobs- Hectic work schedules and job responsibilities,
Pressure to perform well

• Job role- Work Overload, Insufficient amount of work, Role

ambiguity, role conflict and responsibility for the work of others,
Underutlization of employees, etc

• Poor working conditions- Extreme heat, noise and overcrowding,

Improperly designed workplace, improper lighting and equipement
and inadequate work surfaces

• Organizational politics- Increased competition, power struggles, etc

• Poor work relationships- Bad Interpersonal relationships with the

immediate superior and colleagues
 Group Stressors

• Absence of group cohesiveness- Excluding an employee or

prohibiting an employee from being a participant in the group
activities

• Absence of support from other members- Inability to share

problems with others within the group

• Conflicts related to the group- Conflict between personal goals

and values and those of the groups, Differences between
group members, etc
 Individual Stressors(Person’s disposition and
situation’s demand)
• Role Conflict and Role Ambiguity- Conflicting role demands and
incomplete job information, Work-family imbalance, lack of proper
training, poor communication between managers, intentional
withholding of information from employees, etc

• Type A characteristics- Being competitive and ambitious, highly

involved in work, aggressive, motivated and conscious of time,
putting long hours of work , working on weekends, etc

• Locus of Control- Degree of control over work environment

• Learned helplessness- Lack of control on work situations

• Self efficacy- Self perceptions of how well a person can cope with
situations as they arise

• Psychological hardiness- Person’s ability to cope with stress

 Learned Helplessness Theory-Martin EP
Seligman(1967)
• Learned helplessness theory explains the behavior of certain
individuals who become helpless in a stressful situation and do
not attempt to change things

• They learn to accept certain stressors as a part of their work

life

• They believe that nothing they do can change or alter their

stressors

• Martin EP Seligman and his colleagues conducted experiments

on dogs to learn the relationship between fear and learning
 Martin Seligman’s Experiment on Learned
Helplessness
• The dogs were initially subjected to a mild electric shock when the bell was
rung but the dogs could not escape because they were restrained in a
hammock

• The researchers believed that the dogs would associate the bell with electric
shock and learn to escape as per the classical conditioning theory principle

• They placed a dog which had been exposed to electric shocks in a shuttle
box with low fence that divided the box into two compartments

• When the bell rang, even when the dog was subjected to a small electric
shock, the dog just lay in its place and did not try to escape

• The dog had therefore learned to become helpless although it could have
easily jumped over the fence to escape the shock
Learned Helplessness-Martin Seligman
 Hardiness
• Resistance resource in the encounter with stressful
situations.
• Three dimensions i.e., commitment, control, and
challenge.
• Control: Tendency to believe and act as if one can
influence the life events through one’s own effort.
• Commitment: Tendency to involve oneself in the
activities in life and have a genuine interest in and
curiosity about the activities, things and other people.
• Challenge: the belief that changes in life are
opportunities for personal growth.
 Type A Personality
• Competitiveness: Type A individuals tend to be very
competitive and self-critical. They strive toward goals
without feeling a sense of joy in their efforts or
accomplishments.

• Time Urgency: Type A personalities experience a constant

sense of urgency: Type A people seem to be in a constant
struggle against the clock.

• Hostility: Type A individuals tend to be easily aroused to

anger or hostility, which they may or may not express
overtly. Such individuals tend to see the worse in others,
displaying anger, envy and a lack of compassion.
 Effects of Occupational Stress
• Physical Problems- Headaches, increase in blood pressure,
sweating, loss of appetite, gastrointestinal disorders, fatigue,
ulcers, arthritis and allergies

• Psychological Problems- Anger, anxiety, boredom, depression,

dissatisfaction, tension, irritation. Distraction, aggression,
hostile behavior and lowered self esteem

• Behavioral Problems- Sleep disorders, overeating, increased

smoking or alcohol consumption, use of addictive substances
like drugs, rude behavior, rapid speech,
fidgeting(impatience),nervousness
 Coping Skills
Problem Focused
• Define the problem
• Generate alternative solutions
• Weigh the costs and benefits of
the alternatives
• Choose between alternative
solutions and then act upon
your choice.
Emotion Focused
• Behavioral strategies include
physical exercise, using alcohol or
other drugs, venting anger, and
seeking emotional support from
friends.
• Cognitive strategies include
temporarily setting the problem
aside and reducing the threat by
changing the meaning of the
situation.
Individual Problem focused strategies to cope
with stress
These strategies help an individual cope with stress by
identifying the source of stress and determining the course of
action that will reduce the stress levels. The types are:

• Time Management- Making a time frame, prioritizing urgent

and important work, taking care of demanding tasks,etc

• Requesting others for help- Additional training, asking

superiors or colleagues to help in work

• Shifting to another job- Change the nature of the job, seek

employment on other organization
Individual Emotion focused strategies to cope with
stress
These strategies reduce the stress to manageable(healthy and
comfortable) levels by modifying the way people react to certain
stressful conditions. The types are:
• Relaxation- Meditation and Massage therapy

• Exercise- Gym, Walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, sports

• Psychological strategies- Increased self awareness and questioning

the ability to cope with the worst possible outcome

• Recreation- Hobbies and recreational activities like reading,

dancing, horse-riding, singing, vacation, etc

• Companionship- Family or friends gathering, get-together, parties,

etc
 Organizational Problem focused strategies to
cope with stress
These strategies are designed by the management to reduce work-
related stress in employees
• Redesigning the job- Job analysis, Job enrichment, flexi-time, etc

• Proper selection and placement- Proper Recruitment and Selection

policies,

• Training- Various On-the job and Off-the job Training and MDP
methods

• Team building- Team based approach

• Providing various day care facilities- Organizations providing child

care facilities to employees
 Organizational Emotion focused strategies to
cope with stress
Organizations also use the following strategies to help their employees cope
with high stress level as a last option
• Promoting open communication within the organization- Two way
communication, keeping employees informed about changes taking place,
etc

• Employee assistance program- Free counselling, referring the employees to

specialists, etc

• Mentoring- Placing less experienced employees under the care and

guidance of experienced senior employees for counselling

• Wellness programs and personal time off- Workshops on quit smoking,

prevent drug abuse, control alcohol consumption and develop a regular
exercise regimen
 Burnout

• Exhaustion is a state of extreme physical or mental tiredness

• Burnout is a state of emotional, mental and physical

exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress

• It occurs when you feel overwhelmed and are unable to meet

constant demands
Difference between Stress and
Burnout
Meaning Stress implies an Burnout refers to a state of mental
adaptive response to or emotional tiredness, occurs out of
any kind of demand continuous exposure to stress.
caused due to adverse
circumstances.

Feeling Anxiety, mood swings, Hypertension, mental depression,

guilt. impatient, irritable.

Encounters Fatigue Chronic Exhaustion

Loss of Motivation and hope Physical energy

Work Dissatisfaction with Bored and cynical about work.

work

Job commitment Dropped off Virtually zero

Results in Lack of concentration, Forgetfulness is frequent.

tends to forget things.

Undergoes Physiological changes Psychosomatic complaints