riggio donald-and-worker-stress-etc.pptx

Industrial Psychology lecture slides

1. Worker Stress and Negative Employee Attitudes and Behaviors Introduction to Industrial/Organizational Psychology by Ronald E. Riggio

2. Defining Worker Stress A stressor is an environmental event that is perceived by an individual to be threatening. Worker stress involves the physiological and/or psychological reactions to events that are perceived to be threatening or taxing. Negative stress (or distress ) can cause stress-related illness and can affect absenteeism, turnover, and work performance.

3. For example, imagine a worker with little previous experience with computer systems applying for and being hired as a communication specialist, only to find out that the job requires a thorough knowledge of various computer networking systems. Richard Lazarus (1991), in his “transactional” view of worker stress, saw stress as resulting from the worker’s perception that a certain environmental event is a threat or a challenge, factoring in their perception of how capable they will be at managing the threat

4. The physiological reactions to stress include signs of arousal such as increased heart and respiratory rates, elevated blood pressure, and profuse sweating. The psychological reactions to distress include feeling anxiety, fear, frustration, and despair, as well as appraising or evaluating the stressful event and its impact, thinking about the stressful experience, and mentally preparing to take steps to try to deal with the stress. In many ways, stress is a perceptual process. An event that one individual perceives to be stressful may not be labeled as such by someone else. For example, making a formal presentation in front of a large audience may be perceived as extremely stressful for the average college student, but may be perceived as energizing (and perhaps fun) by a person who is accustomed to public speaking. Because stress may cause a variety of reactions and feelings, and because perceptions of stress may vary from person to person, stress has not been particularly easy to define, and it is very difficult to measure.

5. Sources of Worker Stress Situational stress is stress arising from certain conditions that exist in the work environment or the worker’s personal life. Stressful occupations include air traffic controller, health care provider, police officer, and firefighter. Characteristics of jobs related to worker stress include heavy workload, poor working conditions, physical dangers, and dealing with difficult clients and coworkers.

6. Sources of Worker Stress Organizational sources of worker stress include work task stressors , such as: Work overload , which results when a job requires excessive speed, output, or concentration. Underutilization , resulting from workers feeling that their knowledge, skills, or energy are not being fully used.

7. Sources of Worker Stress Organizational sources of worker stress include work role stressors , such as: Job ambiguity , which results from a lack of clearly defined jobs and/or work tasks. Lack of control , a feeling of having little input or effect on the job and/or work environment. Physical work conditions , including extreme temperatures, loud/distracting noises, crowding, poor lighting and ventilation. Interpersonal stress , which results from difficulties dealing with others (coworkers, customers, supervisors) in the workplace.

8. Sources of Worker Stress Organizational sources of worker stress include work role stressors , such as: Emotional labor , which involves the demands of regulating and controlling emotions in the workplace. Harassment , including sexual harassment, harassment due to group membership (e.g., gender, race, sexual orientation), and being singled out by a coworker or supervisor. Organizational change , including mergers, changes in work technology, and personnel/managerial changes Work-family conflict , which results from efforts to balance competing demands of work and family.

9. Sources of Worker Stress Individual (dispositional) sources of work stress include: The Type A behavior pattern , a personality characterized by excessive drive, competitiveness, impatience, and hostility. Susceptibility to stress vs. hardiness , the notion that some people may be more resistant to the health-damaging effects of stress. Self-efficacy , an individual’s beliefs in his/her abilities to engage in courses of action that will lead to desired outcomes.

10. This behavior pattern is particularly significant because there is evidence that persons who possess the Type A personality are slightly more prone to develop stress-related coronary heart disease, including fatal heart attacks, than persons who do not have the behavior pattern, termed Type Bs (Booth- Kewley & Friedman, 1987). An important question is, how does the Type A behavior pattern relate to stress and to stress-related heart disease? Early research on Type A behavior hypothesized that it was the Type A’s hardworking, competitive drive that caused stress and subsequent heart problems (Rosenman et al., 1964). Later research, however, suggested that the Type A’s underlying hostility, and the lack of appropriate expression of that hostility, is also partly responsible for increased stress reactions in Type As (Friedman et al., 1985). Other studies suggest that the more global construct of “negative afectivity ”—the expression of negative emotions, such as anger, hostility, anxiety, impatience, and aggression—is what combines with a Type A personality to increase stress-related health risks.

11. Individual (dispositional) sources of work stress include: Susceptibility to stress vs. hardiness, the notion that some people may be more resistant to the health-damaging effects of stress. Self-efficacy , an individual’s beliefs in his/her abilities to engage in courses of action that will lead to desired outcomes.

12. The concept of hardiness was outlined by psychologist Suzanne Kobasa (1982), who argued that hardy personality types are resistant to the harmful effects of stress because of their style of dealing with stressful events. A meta-analysis shows that hardy individuals experience less stress and are better at coping with stress than nonhardy individuals ( Eschleman et al., 2010). Rather than viewing a stressful situation as a threat, hardy types view it as a challenge and derive meaning from these challenging experiences (Britt et al., 2001). Moreover, they also believe that they can control and infuence the course of their lives (a sense of lack of control can contribute to stress) and are committed to their jobs. Conversely, a lack of hardiness is associated with higher levels of self-perceived stress, and there is evidence that such “ unhardy ” or “disease-prone” persons may be more susceptible to stress-related illnesses and depression ( Kobasa & Puccetti , 1983). Thus, it appears that certain types of workers are more “stress prone.” Tat is, they are more likely to sufer stress-related physical illness and psychological symptoms (depression, anxiety, etc.) than are more hardy workers.

13. Self-efficacy , an individual’s beliefs in his/her abilities to engage in courses of action that will lead to desired outcomes. In other words, self-efficacy is related to one’s sense of competence and effectiveness. Self-efficacy is a very important concept that not only relates to one’s ability to cope with stressful situations (i.e., the possession of coping self-efficacy), but is also an important factor relating to a worker’s ability to perform his or her job (job-related self-efficacy), to lead a work team (leadership self-efficacy), and to deal effectively with relationships at work (relationship self-efficacy). There is evidence that a sense of self-efficacy can have positive effects in reducing stress in the workplace ( Rennesund & Saksvik , 2010). In one study, it was found that having a sense of control over a stressful work situation only decreased stress if the employees had a high sense of self-efficacy about their abilities to do their jobs under stress and mistrain ( Jimmieson , 2000).

14. Measurement of Worker Stress Physiological measures of stress include blood pressure monitoring, EKGs for heart rate, or blood tests for stress-linked hormones (cortisol) and cholesterol. Difficulties with such measures include variation of such physiological processes within each person throughout the day and variation between individuals. Medical personnel are needed to administer such measures.

15. Measurement of Worker Stress Self-report assessments of stress include reports about organizational conditions and reports about psychological and/or physical states. Reports on organizational conditions involve questions about job autonomy, feedback, task identity, task significance, skill variety, workload, etc. Self-report measures of psychological /physical stress include the Stress Diagnostic Survey , the Occupational Stress Indicator , and the Job Stress Survey.

16. Measurement of Worker Stress Measurement of stressful life events involves self-reports of significant events in a person’s recent history that can cause stress. One measure is the Social Readjustment Rating Scale, a checklist where individuals total the numerical “stress severity” scores associated with significant life events experienced in the past year. Research suggests that persons with high personal stress indexes perform more poorly, have higher absenteeism, and change jobs more frequently (Bhagat, 1983).

17. Measurement of Worker Stress Person-environment fit (P-E fit) refers to the match between a worker’s abilities, needs, and values, and organizational demands, rewards, and values. P-E fit is positively related to organizational commitment and negatively related to turnover (Hult, 2005). Measurement of P-E fit involves assessing worker skills and abilities, along with job demands and features of the work environment .

18. Effects of Worker Stress Stress-related illnesses include ulcers, colitis, high blood pressure, heart disease, and migraine headaches. Stress can also worsen common colds and infections. The relationship between stress and performance is complex, and generally is curvilinear (involving an inverted U), where both very low and very high stress are associated with poor performance.

19. Effects of Worker Stress Job burnout is a syndrome resulting from prolonged exposure to work stress that leads to withdrawal from the organization. Burnout is especially high in human service professions. Burnout occurs in three phases: Emotional exhaustion Depersonalization Feelings of low personal accomplishment

20. You May Be On The Road To Burnout If:

21. Signs of Burnout

22. Difference between stress and burnout Being burned out means feeling empty, devoid of motivation, and beyond caring. People experiencing burnout often don’t see any hope of positive change in their situations. Burnout is being all dried up. One other difference between stress and burnout: While you’re usually aware of being under a lot of stress, you don’t always notice burnout when it happens.

23. Difference between Stress and Burnout

24. Coping with Worker Stress Individual coping strategies are techniques such as exercise, meditation, or cognitive restructuring that can be used to deal with work stress. More efficient work methods, including time management, may also be used, although their success depends on individual commitment. Vacation time and voluntary absences may also be used to reduce stress, although missed work may increase stress upon the employee’s return to work.

25. Coping with Worker Stress Organizational coping strategies are techniques that organizations can use to reduce stress for all or most employees. Organizational strategies include: improving person-job fit and employee training and orientation; increase employees’ sense of control; eliminating punitive management; removing hazardous work conditions; providing a supportive work environment; and improving organizational communication.

26. Discussion How can you design effective work stress management program as an industrial psychologist?

27. According to Matteson and Ivancevich (1987), most stress management programs take one of two forms: Knowledge acquisition programs or skill training programs. Knowledge acquisition programs provide participants with some information about stress and a number of coping techniques.

28. 1) Overview of stress and its potential consequences (3 hours)—This might include a lecture and readings on facts and myths about stress, the impact of stress on physical and psychological health and on work performance, and potential sources of stress. 2) Self-analysis: Learning about your personal stress (3 hours)—This section can include assessments of personal stressors using instruments such as the stressful life events scale or workers’ self-reports. 3) Methods of coping with work stress (3 hours)—here, various individual coping strategies are presented and perhaps demonstrated. 4) Developing a personalized coping plan (3 hours)— In this final part, participants work on developing customized programs for managing stress, including setting personal stress management goals and finding means to assess their attainment

29. An example of a step-by-step problem-solving skill program developed by Wasik (1984) is illustrated next: 1 Identify problem (What is my problem?) 2 Select goals (What do I want to accomplish by solving the problem?) 3 generate alternatives (What else can I do?) 4 Review the consequences (What might happen?) 5 Make a decision (What is my decision?) 6 Implement the decision (Did I do what I decided?) 7 Evaluate the decision (Does it work?)

30. Negative Employee Attitudes and Behaviors Counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs) are deviant, negative behaviors that are harmful to an organization and its workers. Meta-analyses suggest that CWBs are more prevalent in younger employees and those with lower job satisfaction (Lau et. al., 2003). CWBs, and workplace aggression and violence, are linked to trait negative affectivity, anger, and other personality variables (Douglas and Martinko, 2001). The incidence of CWBs is negatively related to the incidence of organizational citizenship behaviors (Dalal, 2005).

31. Negative Employee Attitudes and Behaviors Alcohol and drug use in the workplace is related to workplace accidents, decreased productivity, increased absenteeism and turnover; it costs billions of dollars annually. Workers who report problems with alcohol or drugs have greater job instability and lower job satisfaction. Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) involve counseling that is provided for a variety of worker problems, particularly drug and alcohol abuse.

32. Discussion Questions 1) List the sources of stress in your own life. Ask a friend to do the same. Are there implications for defining and understanding important differences in your two lists, or are they quite similar? What are the implications for defining and understanding stress? 2) Consider how the work world will be changing in the next several years. What are the implications for worker stress? Will there be more of it or less? 3) Based on the material in the chapter, design a stress management program for use in an organization.

33. 2 Technological Advancements: Automation, artificial intelligence, and digitalization are likely to reshape job roles and require workers to adapt to new technologies. While this can lead to increased efficiency and productivity, it may also create uncertainty and job insecurity for those whose roles are affected. Workers may experience stress related to the need to upskill or reskill to remain competitive in the evolving job market. Remote Work: The rise of remote work, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, is expected to continue as more companies adopt flexible work arrangements. While remote work offers benefits such as greater flexibility and work-life balance, it can also blur the boundaries between work and personal life, leading to increased stress due to feelings of isolation, difficulties in unplugging from work, and challenges in maintaining work relationships.

34. Gig Economy and Freelancing: The gig economy is expanding, with more workers opting for freelance or contract work instead of traditional employment. While this provides flexibility and autonomy, it can also result in irregular income, lack of job security, and the need to constantly hustle for new opportunities, leading to financial stress and uncertainty. Workplace Culture and Well-being: There is a growing emphasis on employee well-being and mental health in the workplace. Companies are recognizing the importance of creating supportive work environments, promoting work-life balance, and addressing burnout. However, the pressure to perform, meet deadlines, and achieve targets can still contribute to worker stress, especially in high-pressure industries or competitive environments. Global Challenges: Economic volatility, geopolitical tensions, climate change, and public health crises can have profound effects on the work world. Uncertainty and instability in the external environment can trickle down to the workplace, leading to anxiety, job insecurity, and heightened stress levels among workers.

35. 3 Title: Thrive: A Stress Management Program Objective: To equip employees with practical tools and techniques to effectively manage stress, enhance well-being, and improve overall performance. Program Components: Educational Workshops: Conduct regular workshops led by trained professionals on stress management techniques, including mindfulness, time management, and resilience building. Provide education on the physiological and psychological aspects of stress to help employees understand its impact on health and productivity. Stress Assessment: Administer stress assessment surveys periodically to identify common stressors within the organization. Analyze the data to pinpoint areas of improvement and tailor interventions accordingly.

36. Mindfulness Training: Offer mindfulness meditation sessions to employees, either in person or through digital platforms. Teach mindfulness techniques to enhance present-moment awareness and reduce stress reactions. Physical Wellness Initiatives: Encourage regular physical activity by organizing group exercise classes, walking meetings, or providing gym memberships. Promote healthy eating habits through educational sessions and access to nutritious snacks in the workplace. Flexible Work Policies: Implement flexible work arrangements, such as telecommuting or flexible hours, to accommodate employees' individual needs and reduce stress related to commuting or work-life balance.

37. Time Management Tools: Offer training in effective time management techniques to help employees prioritize tasks, set realistic goals, and manage workload effectively. Provide access to productivity tools and resources that aid in task organization and time tracking. Resilience Building: Conduct resilience-building workshops to help employees develop coping skills and bounce back from adversity. Encourage self-care practices, such as relaxation techniques, hobbies, or activities that promote mental and emotional well-being. Leadership Training: Provide leadership training for managers to recognize signs of stress in their teams and effectively support their employees. Encourage managers to lead by example and prioritize their own well-being to create a positive work environment.

38. Evaluation and Feedback: Collect feedback from participants through surveys or focus groups to assess the effectiveness of the program. Monitor key metrics such as absenteeism, turnover rates, and employee satisfaction scores to gauge the impact of stress management initiatives. Continuously refine and adapt the program based on feedback and evolving organizational needs.