“Stress is a costly business expense that affects both

employee health and company’s profit”

WHAT IS STRESS . . . ?
Stress is an adaptive response mediated by
individual characteristics and psychological
process, that is, a consequence of any external
action, situation or event that places special
physical and psychological demands upon a
person.
 “STRESS IS AN ADAPTIVE RESPONSE TO
AN
EXTERNAL SITUATION THAT RESULTS IN
PHYSICAL,
PSYCHOLOGICAL
AND BEHAVIORIAL DEVIATIONS
FOR ORGANISATIONAL PARTICIPATION”
EMPLOYEE STRESS ::
“It is a condition arising from the interaction of
people and their jobs and characterized by
changes within people that force them to deviate
from their normal functioning”
 TYPES OF STRESSES

1. TEMPORARY STRESS

2. LONG TERM STRESS

1. MILD STRESS

2. SEVERE STRESS
Depends on:

 How long
 How powerful they are
 How strong the individual’s power are
CAUSES OF STRESSES - - STRESSORS

GROUP STRESSORS
INDIVIDUAL STRESSORS

INDIVIDUA
L STRESS

EXTRA
ORGANISATIONAL ORGANISATIONAL
STRESSORS STRESSORS
1. INDIVIDUAL STRESSORS

1. LIFE AND CAREER CHANGES

1. Every change produces a stress

2. Young people > old people , Urban people > rural people
3. Caused by Promotions, demotions, transfers, separations etc. . .
4. Below are life events causes stress
Life events Stress levels

Death of spouse 100

Divorce 73
Personal injury/illness 53
Change in financial status 38
Change in nature of work 36
Change in working conditions 20
2. PERSONALITY TYPE
1. Characteristics –
1. authoritarianism
2. rigidity
3. Masculinity
4. Feminity
5. Extroversion
6. Supportiveness
7. Spontaneity
8. Emotionality
9. Tolerance for ambiguity
10. locus of control
11. Anxiety
12. Need for achievements

2. Type A, Type B personality

 Difference between Type A, Type B personality

Type A personality Type B personality

Is always moving Is never in hurry

Walks rapidly Is patient
Eats rapidly Does not brag
Talks rapidly Plays for fun, not for win
Is impatient Relaxes without guilt
Does two things at a time Is mild mannered
Measures success by quantity Has no pressing deadlines
Is aggressive
Is competitive
Feels time pressure
3. ROLE CHARACTERISTICS

Role ambiguity
Role conflict
Inadequate knowledge /
Incompatibility of 2 or more rules
information to do a job

Job, family, club, voluntary

People not clear about actual
organization
expectations from a role
Job task, rules, resources, policies,
other people
 Stress levels depends on :
1. Over time
2. Quotas
3. Deadlines
4. Competitiveness
5. Physical demand
6. Environmental conditions
7. Hazards encountered
8. Initiative required
9. Stamina required
10. Win / lose situations
11. Working in the public eye

Job Stress scores

Firefighter 110.9
Surgeon 99.5
Real-estate agent 73.1
Pilot 68.7
Lawyer 64.3
Tax collector 34.8
2. GROUP STRESSORS

1. LACK OF GROUP COHESIVENESS

Satisfaction – group interaction

2. LACK OF SOCIAL SUPPORT

3. CONFLICT
3. ORGANISATIONAL STRESSORS
1. Organizational policies
1. Unfavorable
2. Unfair and arbitrary performance evaluation
3. Unrealistic job description
4. Frequent reallocation of activity
5. Rotating work shifts
6. Ambiguous procedures
7. Inflexible rules
8. Inequality of incentives

2. Organization structure
1. lack of opportunity of participation
2. lack of advancement
3. lack of high degree of specialization
3. Organizational process
1. Poor communication
2. Poor and inadequate feedback of work performance
3. Ambiguous and conflicting roles
4. Unfair control systems
5. Inadequate information flow etc

4. Physical conditions
1. Crowding and lack of privacy
2. Excessive noise
3. Excessive heat or cold
4. Pressure of toxic chemicals and radiation
5. Air pollution
6. Poor lighting
4. EXTRA ORGANIZATIONAL STRESSORS

Caused by
1.Environment

2.Social

3.Technical changes

4.Economic and financial conditions

5.Social class conflicts

6.Community conditions
 EFFECTS OF STRESS

1. Eustress
1. Sales
2. Creativity

2. Distress
1. Physical
1. High B.P ,cholesterol
2. Psychological
1. Mood, emotional status
3. Behavioral
1. Alcoholism
2. Drug addiction
3. Smoking
4. Sleeplessness
5. Suicide
 BURN-OUT IN JOBS

“Burnout is a syndrome wherein a person breaks down

physically and emotionally due to continuous over-work over
a long period of time”

Process of burnout:

1.Stage of job contentment – enthusiasm to work with high energy

2.Stage of fuel storage – experiencing mental fatigue, frustration
3.Stage of withdrawal and isolation- avoiding contact with co-workers, showing
anger
4.Stage of crisis- very low self esteem, negative feelings
5.Stage of final breakdown – alcoholism, drug addiction, heart attacks
 STRESS vs. BURNOUTS

STRESS BURNOUTS

1. The person feels fatigued 1. The individual encounters chronic

exhaustion
2. The person is anxious 2. Individual is hypertensive
3. The person is dissatisfied with his/her 3. The individual is bored and cynical
job about the work
4. The person feels moody 4. The individual feels impatient,
irritable
5. Person’s job commitment has dropped 5. Person’s job commitment in virtually
off nil.