1. (Mt) – Discussion 1page
Unformatted Preview Please read Chapter 11 and use terms and concepts from the reading
in this weeks discussion in a way that demonstrates your knowledge of those terms and
concepts. On pages 441 through 447, the authors discuss the causes and impacts of stress in
the workplace. What actions can a manager take to reduce stress in the workplace while
still maintaining a high level of quality and productivity? Reducing Stressors in the
Organization There are all kinds of buffers, or administrative changes, that managers can
make to reduce stressors and improve employee well-being.270 This section reviews six
recommendations, starting with attempts to help people develop their resilience. • Build
resilience. Resilience represents the capacity to consistently bounce back from adversity
and to sustain yourself when confronted with challenges. It is a career readiness
competency desired by employers. Do you think people are born resilient, or is it something
that is learned over time? The consensus is that it represents a capacity that is developed
over time.271 Consider the example of inventor James Dyson. Dyson spent five years testing
more than 5,000 versions of what he hoped would be a better vacuum cleaner that operated
on the same principle as a cyclone. Today, his company, named after him, markets the Dual
Cyclone bagless vacuum and almost 60 other products and is worth $4.8 billion.27 2
Resilience assists you in achieving goals by encouraging positive thinking in the face of
setbacks and challenges. That is one reason it represents a career readiness competency
desired by employers. To what extent do you possess the career readiness competency of
resilience? Find out by taking Self-Assessment 11.8. • Create a supportive environment. Job
stress often results because employees work under poor supervision and lack freedom.
Wherever possible, it’s better to keep the organizational environment less formal, more
personal, and more supportive of employees. Mentors can also help reduce stress. 291 Some
companies are helping employees relieve financial worries by paying them small amounts
of money as an incentive to set cash aside in an emergency fund. 292 • Make jobs
interesting. Stress also results when jobs are routinized and boring. It’s better to try to
structure jobs so that they allow employees some freedom and variety. . Make career
counseling available. Companies such as IBM make career planning available, which reduces
the stress that comes when employees don’t know what their career options are and where
they’re headed.
