Organisational Stress Management for Employees

2. An adaptive response to a
situation that is perceived as
challenging or threatening to
the person’s well-being
Gholipour A. 2005. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.

3. “An adaptive response to an external situation
that results in physical,psychological and/or
behavioural deviations for an organisational
participants.” (Fred Luthans)

4. Stressor – environmental conditions that
cause individuals to experience stress
Eustress – positive stress that results from
meeting challenges and difficulties with the
expectation of achievement
Dystress – negative stress; often referred to
simply as stress. Often results in overload.
Job strain – function of workplace demands and
the control an individual has in meeting those
demands.
Hans Selye

6. WORK
HEALTH
FAMILY
FINANCIAL
OTHER

7. 1. You feel irritable.
2. You have sleeping difficulties.
3. You do not get any joy out of life.
4. Your appetite is disturbed.
5. You have relationship problems and have a difficult
time getting along with people.

8. Stress Job Stress
Acute
Chronic

9. Adapted from Exhibit 7-1: Some Stress-Related Conditions
Acute
Chronic
Alertness and
Excitement
Increase in
Energy
Uneasiness
and Worry
Feelings of
Sadness
Loss of
Appetite
Immune System
Suppression
Increased
Metabolism
Diabetes
High Blood
Pressure
Loss of
Sex Drive
Lowered
Resistance
Anxiety and
Panic Attacks
Depression
Eating
Disturbances
Irritability

10. An unconscious mobilization
of energy resources that
occurs when the body
encounters a stressor.

11. Demand-Control
Model
Effort-Reward
Imbalance
Model

12. Low Strain
Active
(EUSTRESS)
Passive
High Strain
(DYSTRESS)
Job Demands
Job
Control
High
Low
High
Low
Adapted from Exhibit 7-2: The Demand-Control Model of Workplace Stress

13. Adapted from Exhibit 7-3: The Effort-Reward Imbalance Model of Workplace Stress
Overcommitment
High Effort Low Reward
Demands
Obligations
Pay
Esteem

14. A situation in which different roles lead to
conflicting expectations

15. Managerial
Advice • Focus on what is truly important.
• Take advantage of work-related options.
• Protect non-work time.
• Manage your personal time.
• Set aside specific time each
week for recreation.
Thoughts?

16. Role
Ambiguity
Work
Overload
Occupation
Resource
Inadequacy
Working
Conditions
Management
Style
Monitoring
Job
insecurity

17. Type A vs.
Type B
Personality
Self-Esteem
Hardiness
Gender

18. Individual Organizational

19. Stress
Psychological
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Low self-esteem
• Sleeplessness
• Frustration
• Family problems
• Burnout
Behavioral
• Excessive smoking
• Substance abuse
• Accident proneness
• Appetite disorders
• Violence
Physiological
• High blood pressure
• Muscle tension
• Headaches
• Ulcers, skin
diseases
• Impaired immune
systems
• Musculoskeletal
disorders
• Heart disease
• Cancer

20. Adapted from Exhibit 7-4: Managerial Costs of Job Stress
• Absenteeism
• Diminished productivity
• Compensation claims
• Health insurance
• Direct medical
expenses

21. Interpersonal
Demands
• Group pressures
• Leadership styles
• Conflicting
personalities
Task Demands
• Quick decisions
• Critical decisions
• Incomplete informa-
tion for decisions
Physical Demands
• Temperature extremes
• Poorly designed office
• Threats to health
Role Demands
• Role ambiguity
• Role conflict
Organizational
Stressors

22. • Increase individuals’ autonomy and control
• Ensure that individuals are compensated properly
• Maintain job demands/requirements at healthy levels
• Ensure that associates have adequate skills to keep up-to-
date with technical changes in the workplace
• Increase associate involvement in important decision making
• Improve physical working conditions
• Provide for job security and career development
• Provide healthy work schedules
• Improve communication to help avoid uncertainty and
ambiguity

23. • Find jobs that provide a personally acceptable balance
between demands and control and between effort
required and rewards.
• Redesign a dysfunctional job.
• Follow the tactics presented in the Managerial Advice
feature.
• Develop healthy ways of coping.
Exercise Proper Diet
Support
Network
Relaxation
Techniques

24. • Exercise regularly
• Practice healthy habits
• Be realistic
• Use systematic relaxation
• Meditate
• Develop and use planning
skills
• Simplify your life – Delegate
• Take one thing at a time
• Avoid unnecessary
competition
• Recognize and accept
personal limits
• Develop social support
networks
• Focus on enjoying what you
do
• Go easy with criticism
• Take time off

25. APPROACHES TO PREVENTIVE
STRESS MANAGEMENT
Modify the Stressor Change Your Perception or
Belief About the Stressor
Change Your Reaction to the
Stressor
Practice Stress
Inoculation Behaviors

26. Mental Relaxation
◦ Meditation
◦ Breathing Exercises
◦ Visualization
◦ Self-Hypnosis
Physical Relaxation
 Stretching
 Progressive
Relaxation
 Yoga
 Massage

27. 1. Choose a quiet environment that is not too brightly lit. Allow
yourself 5 minutes at first and gradually work up to 20
minutes.
2. Sit upright with your spine erect….feet should be flat on the
ground with your hands resting in your lap. Close your eyes
and keep your body still.
3. Start with some deep breathing: inhale and exhale deeply,
letting all your breath out. Pause, then inhale letting the
breath flow naturally using your abdomen muscles.
4. Now allow your breathing to become natural and slow….as
you exhale count “one.” Continue counting, each time you
exhale. If thoughts enter your mind and your forget to count,
simply notice and dismiss the thoughts. Do the same with
sounds and bodily sensations—simply notice and dismiss
them.
5. If you wish to time yourself, use a non-ticking timer…When
you are done, rock, gently back and forth before slowly getting
up. Practice at least once daily.

28. Create Your Daydream
Picture a scene in which you are perfectly relaxed…..
Perhaps you are lying at the beach on a warm breezy
day….Continue to visualize this scene, noticing the
warmth of the sun on your body, feeling more relaxed,
while your breathing becomes slow and rhythmic.
You feel the warmth of the sun on your arms, legs, and
face….how it totally relaxes and soothes all of your
muscles…you actually can feel beads of perspiration
form and your fingers and hands swell slightly as you
continue to slow down your breathing and feel relaxed
and calm…..Focus on the sounds of the waves
crashing at the beach and feel the slight breeze of the
wind on your face as you continue feeling calm,
comfortable and very relaxed…slowly open your
eyes….Practice this visualization when you
experience stress and anxiety.

29. ⦁ Traditional view
◦ Stress the responsibility of the individual
⦁ Organisational view
◦ Employers and employees have a responsibility to
address work-related stress

30. ⦁ Employee assistance programmes,
⦁ Wellness programmes,
⦁ Less controls,
⦁ Flat structures,
⦁ Employee empowerment, and
⦁ Stress management training. etc…..,

31. ⦁ More and more people in the
workforce are putting emphasis on
family as an important priority
⦁ Over 70% of workers do not think
there is a healthy balance between
work and family
⦁ Increasingly employees are exploring
new careers because of the inability
to manage work and family stressors

32. Step 1:
Identify Hazards
Whatmight
cause harm?
Step 2:
Evaluate Harm
Who could
be harmed,
and how?
Step 3 (b):
What can we do
to reduce the risk
that hazards
will cause harm?
Step 3 (a):
Evaluate Risks Introduce controls
How likely
is it that the
hazard could
cause harm?
Step 4 & 5 - Record and Re-Assess

33. 1. Planning and Consultation
2. Data Collection
Qualitative methods e.g. interviews, focus
groups, Stress Diaries
Quantitative methods e.g. structured surveys,
StressTools
3. Data Analysis
4. Feedback and Action Planning

34. ⦁ Stress is a messenger – listen to it
⦁ Pressures are challenges- increase copings
⦁ Meet,greet and beat your stress successfully,
⦁ Don’t worry of the future,
⦁ Don’t feel ego
⦁ Life is short – Try to ENJOY
⦁ Manage your time properly,
⦁ Think positively=positive attitudes
⦁ Think from others’ point of view
⦁ Develop “Can do Attitude”
⦁ Discuss / Share with others
⦁ Develop hobbies like painting,dancing &
singing. etc…..,

35.  Workload
 Job Insecurity
 Teamworking
 Performance
feedback
 Training &
development
 Hours of work
 Job design
 Management support
 Tools and equipment
 Communication
 Role ambiguity
 Skill under-utilisation
 Work-life balance
 Effort-reward imbalance

36. The following behaviors are
necessary for handling the pain,
strain, and stress of others:
• Read your own and others’emotional cues and understand their
impact
• Keep people connected
• Empathize with those who are in pain
• Act to alleviate the suffering of others
• Mobilize people to deal with their pain and get their lives back on
track
• Create an environment where compassionate behavior toward
others is encouraged and rewarded

37. FINALLY…..