Human Resource Development- The problems faced by employees at workplace

1. “What Do you Understand by ‘Psychosocial Problem’?
Discuss the Psychosocial Problem Faced by the employees
in any Industry”
Topic :
Nidhi Engineer

2. • Introduction :-
In the working environment , a number of negative or positive
potentially health – related psychosocial factors have been
identified in numerous studies.
• How can be Psychosocial problems arises ?
Psychosocial problems arises from poor work design,
organization and management, as well as a poor social context of
work, and they may result in negative psychological, physical and
social outcome such as work-related stress, burnout or
depression.

3. • What Do you mean by ‘Psychosocial Problem’ ?
(According to Cox & Giffiths ; 2005)
Psychosocial problems are those aspects of the design and
management of work, and its social and organizational contexts that have
the potential for causing Psychological or Physical Harm.

4. Psychosocial Problems
8.
Harassment
6.
Aggression
7.
Organizational
Conflict
5.
Incivility
1.
Stress
4.
Social
Undermining
3.
Bullying
2.
Revenge

5. 1. Stress
• What Is Stress ?
Stress often stems from unexpected responsibilities and pressure that do not align
with a person’s knowledge, skills or expectations, inhibiting one’s ability to cope. Stress
can increase when workers do not feel supported by supervisor or colleagues, or feel
as if they have control over work processes..
• What are stress-related Problems at Work ?
 Work contents includes :
o Job Content (Monotony, under-stimulation, meaningless task, lack of Variety, etc)
o Work load and work pace (too much or too little to do , work under time pressure , etc)
o Working Hours (Strict or inflexible, long and unsocial, unpredictable, badly designed
shift systems)
o Participation and control (lack of participation in decision-making, Lack of control over
work processes, pace, hour, methods and the work environment)

6.  Work context include :
• Career development, status and pay (Job insecurity, lack of promotion
opportunities, under-or-over promotion, work of ‘low social value’ , piece
rate payment schemes, unclear or unfair performance evaluation
system)
• Role in Organization (Unclear role)
• Interpersonal Relationship (Inadequate, inconsiderate or unsupportive
supervision, poor relationships with colleagues, bullying/harassment and
violence, isolated work)
• Work –life balance ( Conflicting demands of work and home, lack of
support for work problems at home, lack of organizational rules and
policies to support work-life balance).

7. 2. Revenge
• What Is Revenge ?
Workplace Revenge is often initially considered a violent act taking
place between colleagues within an Organization. However, this types of
revenge within an organization is often non-violent and legal.
• Example Of Workplace Revenge :-
i. Sabotage a colleague’s Work.
ii. Spread an unflattering rumor about a colleague.
iii. Quit their job in an unconventional way.
iv. Hide a co-worker’s belongings.
v. Scheme to get a co-work fired.
vi. Eat a co-worker’s lunch.

8. • Effects of Workplace Revenge :
Retaliation within an Organization, specifically between colleagues,
rarely impacts the Organization significantly. However, the activity of
revenge has a direct correlation with de-motivating employees as well as
affecting productivity, therefore affecting the company’s bottom line.

9. 3. Bullying
• What is Workplace Bullying ?
(According to Einarsen, Hoel, Zarf & Cooper),
“Bullying at work mean harassing, offending, socially excluding someone
or negatively affecting someone’s work task. In order for the label bullying
(or mobbing) to be applied to a particular activity, interaction or process it
has to occur repeatedly and regularly and over a period of time. Bullying is
an escalated process in the course of which the person confronted ends
up in an inferior position and become the target of systematic negative
social act.”

10. • Example Includes :-
i. Spreading malicious rumors, gossips or innuendo.
ii. Excluding or isolation someone socially.
iii. Intimidating a person.
iv. Deliberately impeding a person’s work.
v. Physically abusing or threatening abuse.
vi. Removing areas of responsibilities without cause.
vii. Constantly changing work guidelines.
viii. Assigning unreasonable duties or workload which are unfavorable to
one Person.
ix. Under work – creating a feelings of uselessness.
x. Criticizing a person.

11. 4. Social Undermining
• What is Social Undermining ?
Social Undermining is the Expression of negative emotions directed towards a
particular person or negative evaluation of the person as a way to prevent the person
from achieving his or her goals. This kinds of behavior can often be attributed to
certain feelings, such as dislike or anger.
• Negative Evaluation of the person may involve criticizing his or her action, efforts or
characteristics.
• It can affect a person’s Mental Heath an increase in depressive symptoms.
• In workplace, it has connection with social interaction.
• It can arise through interaction with Co-workers and the Supervisors.
• It affects a person’s Work, ethics and well being and Person’s Perception.

12. • Examples includes :-
i. To delay the work of the Co- workers.
ii. To make them look bad or show them down.
iii. Belittling someone in public, humiliating them or accusing them lack of
efforts.
iv. Teasing or name calling.
v. Ignoring someone’s Presence, withholding information or preventing
access to opportunities such as Leave or Training.
vi. Applying undue pressure on someone to produce work, setting impossible
deadliness or creating unnecessary disruptions.
vii. Failing to give credit when due, allocating meaningless tasks, removing
someone’s responsibility, moving the goalposts or repeatedly reminding
someone of an error.

13. 5. Incivility
• What is Incivility ?
Workplace Incivility has been defined as low-intensity deviant behavior with
ambiguous intent to harm the target. Uncivil Behaviors are characteristically rude &
discourteous, displaying a lack of regard for others.
Incivility distinct from aggression. The reduction of workplace Incivility is a Fertile
area for applied Psychology Research.
• Covert Example :-
i. Asking for input and then ignore it.
ii. Forgetting to share credit for a collaborative work.
iii. Interrupting Others.
iv. Not Listening when Someone putting their opinion.
v. Side conversations during a formal business meetings.
vi. Speaking with the Condescending tone.
vii. Waiting impatiently over someone’s desk to gain their attention.

14. • Overt Examples includes :-
i. Disrespecting works by comments.
ii. Emotional puts downs.
iii. Negative eye contact.
iv. Giving public reprimands.
v. Giving silent treatment.
vi. Insulting others.
vii. Not giving credits where actually due.
viii. Overruling decisions without giving a reason.
ix. Taking about someone’s back.
x. Undermining credibility in front of others.

15. 6. Aggression
• Workplace Aggression can include a wide range of behavior, ranging
from Verbal to Physical Attacks.
• What is workplace Aggression?
Aggression in general is any behavior an individual carries out with
the intent to harm another person or group of people. The Aggressor
must believed that their behavior is harmful to target, and that the target
is motivated to avoid their behavior.
• Types Of Aggression :-
a. Verbal – Physical
b. Direct – Indirect
c. Active – Passive

16. 7. Organizational Conflict
• What is Organizational Conflict ?
o Organizational Conflict or work Conflict, is A state of discord caused by
the actual or perceived opposition of needs, values and interests
between people working together. There is the inevitable clash between
formal authority and power and those individual and groups affected.
o There are subtler forms of conflict involving rivalries, jealousy,
personality clashes, Role definition and Struggle for power & Favor.
o Conflict arises in the group because of the Scarcity of freedom,
Position and Resources.
o Role Conflict tends to increases an individual’s anxiety and Frustration.

17. • Main Organizational Conflicts includes :-
1. Leadership Conflict
2. Work Style Conflict
3. Cultural Conflict
• Other Examples Includes :-
i. Unclear Expectations Conflict
ii. Diversity Conflict
iii. Power Struggle Conflict
iv. Interdependency – Based Conflict
v. Personality Clash

18. 8. Harassment
• What is Workplace Harassment?
Workplace Harassment is the belting or threatening behavior directed at an
individual worker or a group of workers.
• Workplace Harassment and Workplace Bullying are identified as being Core
psychosocial Problems.
A. Verbal Harassment :-
i. Inappropriate comments
ii. Offensive joke
iii. Personal Humiliation
iv. Critical remarks
v. Ostracizing behavior
vi. Yelling, insulting and cursing in public or private
vii. Interference of Employee’s personal Life

19. B. Physical Harassment :-
i. Excessive demands that are impossible to meet.
ii. Demeaning demands far below the employee’s Capacity.
C. Social Harassment :-
i. Spreading Lies or gossip on social media.
ii. Share humiliating thing by Mass Email or Mass Chat.
iii. Send harassing instant messages or text messages directly to that person.
D. Sexual Harassment :-
i. Sharing Sexual Photograph
ii. Posting Sexual Poster
iii. Sexual Comments, Joke or Questions
iv. Inappropriate Sexual Touching
v. Invading personal space in sexual way

20. • Conclusion :-
The Psychosocial Problems are common workplace occurrence
among all Organization. It may directly or indirectly impact Mentally,
Physically and socially on employees. It resulting on Employee’s
Work Performance directly. Thus, Every Organizational Sector must
be take care about the Problems and try to solve as possible as
soon.