The document discusses work stress and strategies for managing it. It defines stress as a dynamic condition involving opportunities, constraints, or demands with uncertain and important outcomes. Stress can have physiological consequences like high blood pressure and heart disease, psychological consequences like job dissatisfaction, anger, and anxiety, and behavioral consequences like changes in productivity and increased smoking. Both individual strategies like exercise, relaxation, cognitive therapy, and social networking and organizational strategies like supportive work climates, enriched job design, and clarified roles can help manage and reduce stress.

1. Organizational BehaviorOrganizational Behavior
Work StressWork Stress
Topics Covered:Topics Covered:
●Definition of●Definition of
StressStress
●Consequences of●Consequences of
StressStress
●●Managing StressManaging Stress
Syed Md. Sajjad KabirSyed Md. Sajjad Kabir
Faculty, University of ChittagongFaculty, University of ChittagongSMS Kabir,
smskabir@psy.jnu.ac.bd;
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2. STRESSSTRESS
A dynamic condition in whichA dynamic condition in which
an individual is confrontedan individual is confronted
with an opportunity, constraintwith an opportunity, constraint
or demand related to what heor demand related to what he
or she desires and for which theor she desires and for which the
outcome is perceived to be bothoutcome is perceived to be both
uncertain and important.uncertain and important.SMS Kabir,
smskabir@psy.jnu.ac.bd;
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3. CONSEQUENCES OF STRESSCONSEQUENCES OF STRESS
Consequences of stress can beConsequences of stress can be
subsumed under three generalsubsumed under three general
categories:categories:
Physiological symptoms:Physiological symptoms: A highA high
level of stress is accompanied by highlevel of stress is accompanied by high
blood pressure and may even result inblood pressure and may even result in
heart disease, ulcers etc. There mayheart disease, ulcers etc. There may
even be a link between stress andeven be a link between stress and
cancer.cancer. SMS Kabir,
smskabir@psy.jnu.ac.bd;
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4. Psychological symptoms:Psychological symptoms: StressStress
can cause dissatisfaction and jobcan cause dissatisfaction and job
dissatisfaction is the simplest anddissatisfaction is the simplest and
most obvious psychological effectmost obvious psychological effect
of stress. High levels of stressof stress. High levels of stress
may be accompanied by anger,may be accompanied by anger,
anxiety, depression, nervousness,anxiety, depression, nervousness,
irritability, tension andirritability, tension and
boredom.boredom.
CONSEQUENCES OF STRESSCONSEQUENCES OF STRESS
SMS Kabir,
smskabir@psy.jnu.ac.bd;
4

5. Behavioral symptoms:Behavioral symptoms: BehaviorallyBehaviorally
related stress symptoms includerelated stress symptoms include
change in productivity, absence,change in productivity, absence,
turnover as well as changes in eatingturnover as well as changes in eating
habits, increased smoking orhabits, increased smoking or
consumption of alcohol, rapid speech,consumption of alcohol, rapid speech,
fidgeting (restless) and sleepfidgeting (restless) and sleep
disorders.disorders.
CONSEQUENCES OF STRESSCONSEQUENCES OF STRESS
SMS Kabir,
smskabir@psy.jnu.ac.bd;
5

6. MANAGING STRESS/MANAGING STRESS/
COPING STRATEGIES FOR STRESSCOPING STRATEGIES FOR STRESS
 Individual coping strategiesIndividual coping strategies
Some specific techniques that individualsSome specific techniques that individuals
can use to eliminate or more effectivelycan use to eliminate or more effectively
manage inevitable, prolonged stress aremanage inevitable, prolonged stress are
the following:the following:
(a)(a)Exercise:Exercise: People of all ages arePeople of all ages are
walking, jogging, swimming, ridingwalking, jogging, swimming, riding
bicycles playing tennis in order to getbicycles playing tennis in order to get
some exercise to combat stress.some exercise to combat stress.SMS Kabir,
smskabir@psy.jnu.ac.bd;
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7. (b)(b) Relaxation:Relaxation: Individual can teachIndividual can teach
themselves to reduce stress throughthemselves to reduce stress through
relaxation techniques such asrelaxation techniques such as
meditation, hypnosis etc.meditation, hypnosis etc.
(c) Behavioral self control:(c) Behavioral self control: ByBy
deliberately managing thedeliberately managing the
antecedents and the consequences ofantecedents and the consequences of
their own behavior, people cantheir own behavior, people can
achieve self control to reduce stress.achieve self control to reduce stress.
Individual coping strategiesIndividual coping strategies
SMS Kabir,
smskabir@psy.jnu.ac.bd;
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8. (d) Cognitive therapy:(d) Cognitive therapy: BesidesBesides
behavioral self control techniques, abehavioral self control techniques, a
number of clinical psychologists havenumber of clinical psychologists have
entered the stress field in recent yearsentered the stress field in recent years
with cognitive therapy technique.with cognitive therapy technique.
(e) Social Networking:(e) Social Networking: Applied as aApplied as a
strategy to reduce job stress, socialstrategy to reduce job stress, social
networking would entail formingnetworking would entail forming
close associations with trustedclose associations with trusted
coworkers.coworkers.
Individual coping strategiesIndividual coping strategies
SMS Kabir,
smskabir@psy.jnu.ac.bd;
8

9. 0rganizational coping strategies0rganizational coping strategies
Organizational coping strategies areOrganizational coping strategies are
designed by management in order todesigned by management in order to
prevent or reduce job stress:prevent or reduce job stress:
a)a)Supportive organizational climate:Supportive organizational climate:
Job stress can be prevented orJob stress can be prevented or
reduced by creating a marereduced by creating a mare
supportive climate for employees andsupportive climate for employees and
giving them more control over theirgiving them more control over their
jobs.jobs.
COPING STRATEGIES FOR STRESSCOPING STRATEGIES FOR STRESS
SMS Kabir,
smskabir@psy.jnu.ac.bd;
9

10. b) Enrich the design of tasks:b) Enrich the design of tasks:
Jobs can be enriched eitherJobs can be enriched either
by improving job contentby improving job content
factors or by improving corefactors or by improving core
job characteristics. Thesejob characteristics. These
enriched tasks will eliminateenriched tasks will eliminate
the stressors found in jobs.the stressors found in jobs.
0rganizational coping strategies0rganizational coping strategies
SMS Kabir,
smskabir@psy.jnu.ac.bd;
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11. c) Reduce conflict and clarifyc) Reduce conflict and clarify
organizational roles:organizational roles: Role conflictRole conflict
or ambiguity is a major individualor ambiguity is a major individual
stressor. So management tries tostressor. So management tries to
reduce the conflict and clarifyreduce the conflict and clarify
organizational roles so that thisorganizational roles so that this
cause of stress can be eliminatedcause of stress can be eliminated
or reduced.or reduced.
0rganizational coping strategies0rganizational coping strategies
SMS Kabir,
smskabir@psy.jnu.ac.bd;
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12. SMS Kabir,
smskabir@psy.jnu.ac.bd;
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