Module 6

STRESS MANAGEMENT AND WORK LIFE BALANCE

Organizational Stressors
1. Role ambiguity. This means that an employee does not know clearly what his job is and
what is actually expected and required of him. Ambiguous role and lack of clarity in the
organization brings about stress to individuals since they tend to become anxious about
what they are doing.
2. Role conflict. This refers to the role-related factor whereby an individual is faced with
simultaneous roles and complying to one makes it difficult to comply with the other.
Contradictory roles make it stressful for an individual to make decisions in the workplace.
3. Resource Inadequacy. Resources in the organization include people, time, supplies and
equipment and others. Lack of resources may result in difficulty in accomplishing given
tasks. Employees face stress when the job demands are high but the resources are
inadequate.
4. Work Overload. Increasing job demands often result in stress. People who have heavy
loads at work experience difficulty in managing work and personal life. Those with high
job demands spend longer working hours. Both their physical, mental and psychological
state of an individual become at stake due to voluminous tasks. It results in hostility and
overfatigue.
5. Management Style. The way the organization and employees are managed affect the
stress level of an individual. This is due to pressure that one may experience due to
management and leadership styles.
6. Job insecurity. When one feels insecure about their jobs, they feel stressed in the
organization. Security of tenure can make one feel relieved about his job status.
7. Work environment. The environment where an employee works can affect the stress
level of an individual. For instance, when the physical working condition is not good, it
makes the individual uncomfortable in the workplace. The same is true when the
psychological aspects like relationships with the colleagues, are working well, less
pressure and stress are experienced by the employees.

The Concept of Work-Life Balance

Work-Life Balance has become a new concept in organizational behavior. Many
research have shown that this plays a role in maintaining a healthy working environment. Work
life balance can be defined as the harmony between an individual's work and personal life. In
the 21st century, where job demands are increasing, it is important that the management
consider paying attention to this concern. The challenge is due to the increased usage of
technology in every organization. This removes the limitation of office in physical existence. This
has led to telecommuting, virtual offices and teams, and others. The boundary now between
professional and personal life seems to be warranting. Poor work life balance often leads to job
stress. When a person is not able to balance the requirements
A person whose job demands are too high will find it difficult to comply with it when his/her
responsibility at home is also requiring attention and time. This is commonly being experienced
by working mothers. For instance, a mother who is about to pick up her son in school at 4pm
was asked by her manager to do overtime for urgent tasks is stressful for her. This is the key
issue of work life balance. The employees start feeling stressed when they are not able to
create harmonious work-life integration. Stressed employees tend to be less productive and are
prone to making errors.

Importance of work-life Balance

The company’s efforts towards employee’s work life balance assessment can help in
effective and efficient resource allocation that can improve organization’s productivity and
workforce stability. This will lead to:
1. Motivated employees in the workplace
2. Desirable attitudes and behavior of employees towards their jobs
3. Improved organizational effectiveness.

Quality of Work Life

Related to work life balance is an emerging concept coined as quality of work life (QWL).
This concern has been globally demonstrated by the United Nations as sponsored by the
International Labor Organizations (ILO) so as to facilitate creation of better and meaningful job
opportunities. The term quality of work life (QWL) is too broad that it has several connotations
and interpretations to different people, thus, many researchers were led to studying its
dimension. For some, quality of work life may mean the balance between their time for their job
and for their social life. To others, for instance, a typical factory worker, quality of work life
means having equal pay for equal work or a fair day’s pay coupled with a safe working
environment.
Quality of Work Life is a concept in organizational behavior that deals with the overall
focus on the employee as an individual rather than just the work being done by him/her.
Employee dissatisfaction may be brought about when they experience low quality of work life.

Components of QWL
Mahmoudi (2015) identified six components of quality of work life.
1. Fair and adequate payment. This refers to remuneration being received by an employee
while rendering his/her services to the organization.
2. Safe and healthy workplace. This is characterized by a work environment free from any
form of hazards and strain to ensure good health and psychological conditions of
employees.
3. Provide opportunities for persistent growth and security. This refers to the availability of
career advancement and security of tenure in the organization.
4. Legalism in the organization of work. This is the constitutionalism in the workplace
through freedom and equity.
5. Social dependence of work life. This is related to ethical behaviors and fair treatment to
employees.
6. Total living space. This is the balance of an employee's personal and professional life.

Importance of Quality of Work Life

Several organizations recognize that paying attention to the needs of employees can
benefit them in various means. The following are identified as the advantage of increased
employee quality of work life.
1. Improved public relations and credibility.
2. Increased productivity,
3. Higher retention attraction and retention rates
4. Reduced absenteeism
5. Improved employee quality of working lives
 6. Increased job satisfaction and involvement
Module 7
LEADERSHIP, POSITIVE ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR AND
PSYCHOLOGICAL CAPITAL

Four Leadership Styles

Path-goal theory of leadership identifies four styles leaders may adopt.

1. Directive leaders provide specific directions to their employees. They lead employees by
clarifying role expectations, setting schedules, and making sure that employees know what to do
on a given workday. The theory predicts that the directive style will work well when employees
are experiencing role ambiguity on the job. If people are unclear about how to go about doing
their jobs, giving them specific directions will motivate them. However, if employees already
have role clarity, and if they are performing boring, routine, and highly structured jobs, giving
them direction does not help. In fact, it may hurt them by creating an even more restricting
atmosphere. Directive leadership is also thought to be less effective when employees have high
levels of ability. When managing professional employees with high levels of expertise and job-
specific knowledge, telling them what to do may create a low empowerment environment, which
impairs motivation.

2. Supportive leaders provide emotional support to employees. They treat employees well,
care about them on a personal level, and are encouraging. Supportive leadership is predicted to
be effective when employees are under a lot of stress or when they are performing boring and
repetitive jobs. When employees know exactly how to perform their jobs but their jobs are
unpleasant, supportive leadership may also be effective.

3. Participative leaders make sure that employees are involved in making important 3.
decisions. Participative leadership may be more effective when employees have high levels of
ability and when the decisions to be made are personally relevant to them. For employees who
have a high internal locus of control, or the belief that they can control their own destinies,
participative leadership gives employees a way of indirectly controlling organizational decisions,
which will be appreciated.

4. Achievement-oriented leaders set goals for employees and encourage them to reach their
goals. Their style challenges employees and focuses their attention on work-related goals. This
style is likely to be effective when employees have both high levels of ability and high levels of
achievement motivation. The path-goal theory of leadership has received partial but encouraging
levels of support from researchers. Because the theory is highly complicated, it has not been
fully and adequately tested. The theory’s biggest contribution may be that it highlights the
importance of a leader’s ability to change styles, depending on the circumstances. Unlike
Fiedler’s contingency theory, in which the leader’s style is assumed to be fixed and only the
environment can be changed, House’s path-goal theory underlines the importance of varying
one’s style, depending on the situation.

Five Decision-making Styles

The Vroom Yetton Jago Decision Model distinguishes between three leadership styles and five
different decision processes:
Autocratic I (A1)
In this decision process, the leader uses the available information to make a decision
independently. The opinion of team members or external parties is not consulted in this case.
Although the decision itself is not dependent upon the team members, and their opinion doesn’t
matter, it is important that the made decision is communicated openly and clearly towards the
team.

Autocratic II (A2)
Here too, the leader independently makes the decision, but the difference with autocratic style 1
is that the leader has a bit more time and gathers information from team members or external
parties. The team members don’t know why information is requested from them and don’t think
about the situation, alternative or eventual choice.

Consultative I (C1)
The leader adopts a consulting role and actively takes the lead to have team members
individually give their opinion about the situation, the problem and the decision to be made.
Here, the team’s involvement is higher than in the autocratic decision-making style. However,
the decision is still made by the leader; he can choose to disregard the team’s opinion and input
when these haven’t changed his outlook on the situation.

Consultative II (C2)
Where the leader requests the individual opinions from the team members in the first consulting
style, he brings the team together in a group meeting for a discussion in the second. Ideas and
suggestions are asked for in this meeting. Here, the leader shares the problem and the situation
with the group, but eventually, the leader is still the one to individually make the decision.

Group II (G2)
The group as a whole makes the decision. The leader presents the situation and the problem to
the group, identifies alternatives and makes a consensus decision. The leader purely plays the
role of facilitator and accepts the decision of the group without considering his own opinion or
vision. In order to determine which of these styles and processes is most suitable, taking into
account the three factors, the decision tree from the Vroom-Yetton-Jago Decision Model must be
completed.

Module 8

Functions of Organizational Communication

Control
Organizations have rules and processes that employees must follow, communicated to workers
to keep order and equity operating within the system.
Motivation
Goals, feedback and reinforcement are among those items communicated to employees to
improve performance and stimulate motivation.

Information
Organizations need to keep
their employees informed
of their goals, industry
information, preferred
processes, new
developments and
technology, etc., in order
that they can do their jobs
correctly and efficiently.

Emotional
Expression
Communication is the
means by which employees
express themselves, air
their grievances, and
interact socially.

Barriers to Effective Communication

1.Semantics

These are the varying gist that people attach to words. People have different
ways of interpreting the semantics of others.

For instance, when a CEO announces that only “essential workers” are
required to come to work, those who were informed that they will be
working from their respective homes may think that they are part of the
“nonessential workforce” thus may also misinterpret that their jobs are not
important.

2. Filtering of Negative Information

This involves the altering of information to make it more appealing or

pleasing to the receiver.
3. Lack of Credibility of the Sender

This involves the altering of information to make it more appealing or

pleasing to the receiver.

4. Information or Communication Overload

How to overcome:

Communicate feelings behind facts and do not be afraid to repeat the

message and ask for their feedback.

5. Poor Communication Skills

This involves mispronunciation of words, lack of attentiveness, strong

dependence on standard expressions, and all other ways or skills that limits
the ability to send or receive information.

How to overcome:

It is never too late to study and improve one’s communication skills. Be

open to constructive criticism.

Ethics in Communication

Honesty

Refrain from Doing Harm

Fairness to all Stakeholders

Types of Decision Making

1. Programmed decision. A monotonous and repetitive process

wherein the individual making decision/s consider certain SOPs,
guidelines and company policies.

2. Non-programmed decisions. These decisions are taken in

unstructured situations-non recurring situations.

Decision Making Models

1. Rational Decision Making Model . The rational decision making model

uses objective, logical, and designed information gathering and analysis.

2. Bounded Rationality Model. This model assumes that various factors

found in an individual or in an organization limit rational decision making.

3. Linear Model of Decision Making. This model involves listing the pros
and cons of each alternative that the decision maker finds.

4. Intuitive Decision Making. When a manager refers to past experiences

and personal assessment in making decisions, they use the Intuitive
decision making model.

5. Garbage Can Model. The garbage can model assumes that managers use
information about problems, members, solutions and opportunities
randomly in generating new ideas and possible decisions. Unlike the other
decision making models, this model often leads to unsatisfactory solutions.

Bias in Decision Making

Overconfidence Bias . This is when people think highly of themselves that

they tend to be overly optimistic of being right all the time.

Anchoring Bias . This is the tendency deciding based on the initial

information only and failing to adjust for succeeding information as it is
gathered.

Confirmation Bias . This is the tendency of selecting and gathering

information that only supports one’s initial conclusions to reaffirm past
choices.

Hindsight Bias . This is when an individual believes that he/she has

accurately predicted a particular occurrence after the outcome of such event
becomes known.

Representative Bias . This kind of bias occurs when an individual wrongly

compares two situations due to its similarity, or when he or she impulsively
evaluates a happening without comparing it to similar situations.

Availability Bias . This form of bias suggests that individuals tend to use
readily available information when making a decision rather than
conducting proper observation and research.

Commitment Errors . When a decision maker insists on being committed to

a previous decision in spite of negative information, he/she commits this
error.

Randomness Errors . The kind of error or bias wherein impaired decisions

are made because of creating a meaning from random events.

Module 9

Types of Workgroup

Due to Covid19 Pandemic, the management decided to form a committee who will
oversee all safety and health protocols throughout the company. This is what example
of formal work group? *
Task Forces
An employee who tends to relax and be unfocused at work knowing that he/she is
working in a team exhibits what team dysfunction? *
Social Loafing
Rose is already on her 5th year of active service in the company and aiming for the
vacant position as Account Manager for about a year ever since the former Account
Manager mentioned that she'll avail an early retirement. The next morning, the
management announced that the vacant position has been filled up. Hurt and also
curious at the same time, Rose asked the HR why they did not open the position for
internal hiring and the HR answered that it was the decision of the top management
since the newly hired is a cousin of the CEO. This case reflect what group
dysfunction? *
Status Incongruence

ABC Marketing Corp. made an FB Group in order to have an avenue to reach their
target market in the most convenient and practical manner. This is what example of
informal work group? *
Interest Groups

To form a committee, complementary skills must be considered. Members should be

from different departments to ensure that all areas are well taken care of. This is
applicable for _____? *
Team

Dysfunctions of Groups and Teams

1. Status Incongruence. This situation happens when a person has a high value
on some given aspects but low on others, or when others see a person’s
characteristics to be inappropriate for a particular position.

Examples:
working student the chairman’s son who works his way up in the organization (but usually at a
fast rate) young enthusiastic employee who is promoted to a level held by older managers

2. Group Polarization. Group members change their attitudes of behavior during problem
solving or group arguments.

For example, as a result of group discussion, members of an executive team become more
cautious about venturing into a new business line. Group polarization is assisted by group
discussions. During these meetings or discussions, members listen to persuasive
arguments and allow them to evaluate if others also share their opinions thus reinforce and
strengthen their position. The “it’s not my fault” attitude also contributes to polarization. If
members decline to take responsibility for their actions, a person will feel less accountable
and guilty about taking an extreme position

3. Social Loafing. Social loafing refers to the tendency of individuals to reduce their effort
and performance levels when working in a group context.

To reduce social loafing in groups and teams, leaders may perform the following:

● Properly identify individual contributions

● Make members feel valued and appreciated

● Keep your size as small as possible.

4. Groupthink. Groupthink occurs when members of a group are extremely pressured to

achieve conformity and consensus

5. Excessive Collaboration. Collaboration is essential for groups to function efficiently, but

having excessive collaboration can be dysfunctional

Module 10

Source of Individual Power

Formal
Legitimate, Reward, Coercive, Information

Informal
Expert, Referent, Charismatic
 Module 11

3 Components of Creativity

Creative Thinking Skills, Motivation, Expertise

Process of Innovation

Idea Generation and Mobilization- Advocacy and Screening-Experimentation-

Commercialization-Diffusion and Implementation

Module 12