Chapter 7 Stress and Wellbeing Michael A. Hitt C. Chet Miller Adrienne Colella Slides by Ralph R. Braithwaite

Who Wants to Get Rid of All the Stress in Your Life? Only One Group of People Have No Stress

Striking for Stress at Verizon Issues: Constant monitoring Promised training – didn’t happen Pressure to sell to every customer Call center perceived as a “gold-plated” sweatshop Exploring Behavior in Action

Striking for Stress at Verizon Settlement changes: Advanced notification of monitoring Monitoring only during regular hours Face-to-face feedback Permission to be away for 30 minutes Formation of a committee Funding for work-family support programs Team vs. individual performance measures Split shifts and job sharing Limits on overtime Exploring Behavior in Action

Strategic Importance of Workplace Stress 26-40% of Americans find their work to be very or extremely stressful. 35% of respondents – somewhat or completely dissatisfied with job-related stress THE GALLUP POLL 25% of people believe their jobs are the most stressful part of their lives

Knowledge Objectives Define stress and distinguish among different types of stress. Understand how the human body reacts to stress and be able to identify the signs of suffering from too much stress. Describe two important models of workplace stress and discuss the most common work-related stressors. Recognize how people experience stress. Explain the individual and organizational consequences of stress. Discuss methods that associates, managers, and organizations can use to manage stress and promote well-being.

Workplace Stress Defined Job Stress Acute Stress – a feeling of tension that occurs when a person assesses that a given situation is about to exceed his or her ability to cope and consequently will endanger his or her well-being. Job stress - the feeling that one’s capabilities, resources, or needs do not match the demands of the job. Acute stress – a short-term stress reaction to an immediate threat Chronic stress – a long-term stress reaction resulting from ongoing situations Chronic

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

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

Hans Selye Key Definitions 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.

Signs of Stress You feel irritable. You have sleeping difficulties. Edward Creagan, MD Signs of Stress You feel irritable. You have sleeping difficulties. You do not get any joy out of life. Your appetite is disturbed. You have relationship problems and have a difficult time getting along with people.

Two Models of Workplace Stress Demand-Control Model Effort-Reward Imbalance Model Demand-control model – a model that suggests experienced stress is a function of both job demands and job control. Stress is highest when demands are high but individuals have little control over the situation Effort-reward imbalance model – a model that suggests experienced stress is a function of both required effort and rewards obtained. Stress is highest when required effort is high but rewards are low.

Demand-Control Model Job Control Job Demands Passive Active (EUSTRESS) High Strain (DYSTRESS) Low Strain Job Demands Job Control High Low A model that suggests experienced stress is a function of both job demands and job control. Stress is highest when demands are high but individuals have little control over the situation. Adapted from Exhibit 7-2: The Demand-Control Model of Workplace Stress

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

A situation in which different roles lead to conflicting expectations Role Conflict A situation in which different roles lead to conflicting expectations

Restoring and Maintaining Work-Life Balance Managerial Advice Restoring and Maintaining Work-Life Balance 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?

Work-Related Stressors Role Ambiguity Work Overload Occupation Resource Inadequacy Job Security Work-Related Stressors Role ambiguity – a situation in which goals, expectations, and/or basic job requirements are unclear Work overload – too much work or work that is too complex Occupation – jobs with high demands and strong required efforts can cause stress Resource inadequacy – not enough resources to get the job done Working conditions – physical surroundings and psychological aspects Management style – impacts the psychological climate Monitoring – overseeing the activities of the employees Job insecurity – mergers, acquisitions, downsizing, and moving work offshore Monitoring Management Style Working Conditions

Individual Influences on Experiencing Stress Type A vs. Type B Personality Individual Influences on Experiencing Stress Gender Self-Esteem Hardiness Type A vs. Type B Personality - Type A – Competitiveness, Aggressiveness, Impatience, Increase their own volume of work overload. More susceptible to stress-related illnesses. Type B personalities are quite different. They tend to be less competitive, less aggressive, more patient, and more reasonable. Self-esteem - People with high self-esteem - Experience greater well-being, More resistant to the effects of stressors, More likely to engage in active coping behaviors when stressed. Hardiness - Persons high in hardiness tend to have strong internal commitment to their activities, have an internal locus of control, seek challenge in everyday life, experience less severe negative stress reactions. Gender - Women are generally lower-paid, more likely to experience discrimination, stereotyping and work-family conflict, more likely to work in stressful service industries, experience more work-related stress than men.

Experiencing Strategic OB Extreme Jobs What are your thoughts on working 60 or more hours a week? Do you think you could like a job that much to put in the extra time? Do you think everyone who works these kinds of hours is a “workaholic”? How does work-life balance fit here? Why do you think the gender difference still persists? Experiencing Strategic OB

Consequences of Stress Individual Organizational

Individual Consequences of Stress Psychological Anxiety Depression Low self-esteem Sleeplessness Frustration Family problems Burnout Physiological High blood pressure Muscle tension Headaches Ulcers, skin diseases Impaired immune systems Musculoskeletal disorders Heart disease Cancer Behavioral Excessive smoking Substance abuse Accident proneness Appetite disorders Violence Burnout – a condition of physical or emotional exhaustion generally brought about by stress; associates and managers experiencing burnout show various symptoms, such as constant fatigue, or lack of enthusiasm for work, and increasing isolation from others. Alcoholics and drug users – less productive, more sick days, more safety hazards, more workers’ compensation claims, and miss more workdays due to hangovers

Organizational Consequences of Stress Estimated cost to American industry of job stress $200 billion per year Absenteeism Diminished productivity Compensation claims Health insurance Direct medical expenses Some perspective: Total U.S. corporate profits in 2006 – $897.6 billion Entire U.S. gross domestic product (the market value of the nation’s goods and services) was approximately $13,246 billion in 2006 Adapted from Exhibit 7-4: Managerial Costs of Job Stress

Individual Stress Management 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

Individual Stress Management 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 Exercise regularly. Twenty to 30 minutes of exercise per day benefits you physically and mentally. Practice healthy habits. Get enough sleep. Eat a healthy diet. Avoid tobacco, caffeine, alcohol, and other drugs. Be realistic. Understand your limits and be willing to say “no!” Use systematic relaxation. Meditate. Engage in breathing exercises. Sit quietly and think of only pleasant things. Ten to 20 minutes of reflection can raise your resistance to chronic stress. Develop and use planning skills. Planning can help you avoid stressors and figure out ways to cope with those you do encounter. Simplify your life. Delegate. Get organized. Drop unnecessary and unpleasant activities. Take one thing at a time. Avoid unnecessary overload. Don’t take work problems home. Don’t take home problems to work. Avoid unnecessary competition. No one is always the best. Give in occasionally. Recognize and accept personal limits. Drop the urge to be “superman” or “superwoman.” No one is perfect. Develop social support networks. Research consistently shows that social support helps mitigate the effects of stress. Don’t try to cope alone. Focus on enjoying what you do. Laugh! Go easy with criticism. Go easy on yourself and others. Look for the positive. Research from the Mayo Clinic suggests that people with a positive outlook on life are healthier and live longer than those with a negative outlook. Take time off. Go on vacation. Spend time everyday doing something you enjoy.

Organizational Stress Management 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

Peter Frost Toxin Handlers 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

Wellness Programs Estimate suggests J&J’s program has saved the company $22.4 million per year. The initiative has several goals: 91% of employees will be tobacco free 90% of employees will have blood pressure of 140/90 or better 85% of employees will have a total cholesterol below 240 75% of employees will be physically active, define as 30 minutes of activity three or more times each week 60% of employees will be trained in resilience/stress management

Incentives for Participating in Wellness Programs What are your thoughts about organizations that provide an incentive to employees who participate in wellness programs? What about organizations that “penalize” employees who don’t complete programs or have medical evaluations? Should higher risk individuals be expected (or required) to pay higher rates for coverage? What exists in your organizations that are similar to these types of programs? Experiencing Strategic OB

The Strategic Lens How can good stress be distinguished from bad stress? How much stress is too much stress? How can managing stress in any organization contribute to improved strategy implementation and organizational performance? How much stress do you currently experience? How can reducing your stress increase your performance in school and enhance your life in general?

Questions