This document defines and describes various aspects of stress. It begins by defining stress as an adaptive response to perceived challenges or threats, or as a dynamic condition involving uncertain and important outcomes. It then discusses stressors, types of stress including episodic, chronic and distress, and a model of stress involving environmental, organizational, personal and individual factors. The document also covers managing stress through individual and organizational approaches, cognitive dissonance theory, personality types A and B, the relationship between stress and job performance, stress research findings, occupations with different stress levels, and includes a bibliography.

1. VINAY BIHARI
MBA
MANIPAL UNIVERSITY JAIPUR

2. WHAT IS STRESS?

3. STRESS-
An adaptive response to a situation that is perceived
as challenging or threating to the person’s well-being.
or,
Stress is a dynamic condition in which an individual is
confronted with an opportunity, demand, or resource
related to what the individual desires and for which the
outcome is perceived to both uncertain and important.

4. DEMANDS-
Responsibilities, pressures, obligations, and even
uncertainties that individual face in the work place.
RESOURCES-
Things within an individual’s control that can be used to
resolve demands.

6. STRESSORS
An environmental condition or stimuli that places
physical or emotional demand on a person.
Two types of stressors:-
 Challenge Stressors.
 Hindrance Stressors.

7. CHALLENGE STRESSORS:-
Stressors associated with workload , pressure to
complete tasks, and time urgency.
 HINDRANCE STRESSORS:-
Stressors that keep you from reaching your goals (for
example , red tape, official politics, confusion over job
responsibilities.)

8. TYPES OF STRESS
EPISODIC STRESS:-
Pattern of high stress followed by intervals of relief.
CHRONIC STRESS:-
Constant confrontation of stressors without relief.
Effects are:-
Constant.
Additive.
DISTRESS:-
Stress that has a negative consequence on a person’s well-
being.

9. A MODEL OF STRESS
POTENTIAL SOURCES CONSEQUENCES
ENVIRONMENTAL
FACTORS
 Economic uncertainty
 Political uncertainty
 Technological change
ORGANIZATIONAL
FACTORS
 Task demands
 Role demands
 Interpersonal
demands
PERSONAL FACTORS
 Family problems
 Economic problems
 personality
INDIVIDUAL
DIFFERENCES
 Perception
 Job experience
 Social support
 Belief in locus of
control
 Self-efficacy
 Hostility
Experienced stress
PHYSIOLOGICAL
SYMPTOMS
 Headaches
 High blood
pressure
 Heart disease
PSYCHOLOGICAL
SYMPTOMS
 Anxiety
 Depression
 Decrease in job
satisfaction
BEHAVIORAL
SYMPTOMS
 Productivity
 Absenteeism
 Turnover

10. MANAGING STRESS
INDIVIDUAL APPROACHES-
An employee can take personal responsibility for
reducing stress levels.
Individual strategies that have proven effective include –
 Time-management techniques(making daily lists,
prioritizing, scheduling)
 Increased physical exercise(jogging, walking)
 Relaxation training(meditation, hypnosis &
biofeedback)
 Expanded social support networks(someone to hear
your problems)

11. ORGANIZATIONAL APPROACHES-
It includes:-
Selection and job placement(hiring experienced one)
Training(lessen job stress)
Realistic goal setting(specific goals)
Redesign of jobs(greater control over work activities)
Increased employee involvement(uncertainty about
goals)
Improved organizational communication(reduces
uncertainty by lessening role ambiguity and role
conflict)
Employee sabbaticals(a period of leave)
Corporate wellness programs

14. COGNITIVE DISSONANCE THEORY
Leon Festinger 1967
Three aspects of attitudes must follow each other
Cognitive aspect-knowledge about an object.
Affective aspect-liking of the object.
Behavioral aspect-behavior towards the object.
If dissonance is present there is stress and a need to
change an aspect of the attitude to produce agreement
among the elements.

15. PERSONALITY TYPE
TYPE A:-
Impatient, restless, competitive, aggressive, under intense
perceived time pressure, always attempting to accomplish
several things at once
Need job and career control.
Have more health problems and shorter careers.
TYPE B:-
Does not feel pressure, works slowly and enjoyably on a
variety of tasks.
Important to match personality type with position to avoid
stress.

16. THE PROPOSED INVERTED-U RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN STRESS AND JOB PERFORMANCE
high
P
E
R
F
O
R
M
A
N
C
E
low
low STRESS high

17. STRESS RESEARCH
Type A and complexity leads to cardiovascular
problems.
Job control, job complexity, self –efficacy interact
to influence blood pressure.
Burnout as a process.
Emotional exhaustion-lack of energy and a feeling
that one’s emotional resources are used up.
Coping strategy for emotional buffer(relaxation,
exercise, psychological, recreational,
companionship)
Sense of inadequacy.

18. STRESS AND OCCUPATION
ACCOUNT-
ANTS,
ARTIST,
AUTO
MECHANIC
&
FORESTER
HOSPITAL
MANAGER,
PHYSICIAN
PSYCHO-
LOGISTS,
SCHOOL
PRINCIPAL
POLICE
OFFICER,
911
OPERATOR,
U.S.
PRESIDENT
WAITER/
WAITRESS
LOW
STRESS
OCCUPATION
MEDIUM
STRESS
OCCUPATION
HIGH
STRESS
OCCUPATION

19. BIBLIOGRAPHY
ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR-
STEPHEN P.ROBBINS
TINOTHY A.JUDGE
NEHARIKA VOHRA
WIKIPEDIA(STRESS IN MANAGEMENT)
AUTHORSTREAM.NET

20. THANK YOU