Work Stress

Causes of Stress
Categories affecting occupational
stress

Causes of Stress
Continued

Extra organizational stressors

Societal/technological change
Globalization
Family, relocation, economic and
financial conditions
Sociological-demographic
Residential or community conditions

Organizational stressors

Causes of Stress
Continued

Group stressors
Lack of group cohesiveness
Lack of social support

Individual stressors: role of

dispositions
Type A characteristics
Personal control
Learned helplessness
Psychological hardiness

Causes of Stress
Continued

Individual stressors (continued)

Type A characteristics

Intra individual Conflict

Conflict in organizational behavior

Intra individual Conflict

Continued

Conflict due to frustration

Intra individual Conflict

Continued

Goal conflict
Approach-approach conflict
Approach-avoidance conflict
Avoidance-avoidance conflict

Role conflict and ambiguity

The person and the role
Intra role
Inter role

Interactive Conflict
Interpersonal conflict
Personal differences
Information deficiency
Role incompatibility
Environmental stress

Inter group behavior and conflict

Competition for resources
Task interdependence
Jurisdictional ambiguity
Status struggles

Effect of Stress and Intra-individual

Conflict
Physical problems
Immune system problems
Cardiovascular system problems
Musculoskeletal system problems
Gastrointestinal system problems

Psychological problems
Anger, anxiety, depression,
nervousness, irritability, tension, and
boredom

Effect of Stress and Intra-individual

Conflict Continued
Behavioral problems
Direct behaviors include under-eating or
overeating, sleeplessness, increased
smoking and drinking, and drug abuse.

Coping Strategies for Stress and

Conflict
Individual coping strategies
Exercise
Relaxation
Behavioral self-control
Cognitive therapy
Networking

Organizational coping strategies

Reorganization initiatives
Work and life benefit policies and programs

Coping Strategies for Stress and

Conflict
Organizational coping strategies
(continued)

In case of downsizing:
Be proactive
Acknowledge survivors emotions
Communicate after the downsizing
Clarify new roles

Coping Strategies for Stress and

Conflict
Coping strategies are carried out to reduce the risk of harmful
consequences that might result from a stressful event
(problem-focused coping) or to adjust the negative emotional
reactions to the event (emotion-focused coping) (Lazarus &
Folkman, 1984).
In addition to the functions served by coping strategies, a
second dimension of each coping strategy is approach vs.
avoidance (Roth & Cohen, 1986; Stroebe, 2001).
For example, somebody may confront a possible health threat
by undergoing the relevant diagnostic procedures, or they may
deny any possible threat. As a general conclusion, frequent
reliance on avoidant coping strategies seems to have adverse
effects on health (Carver et al., 1993; Epping-Jordan, Compas
& Howell, 1994; Stanton & Snider, 1993).

Several researchers have obtained evidence for the

assumption that optimism is indeed associated with less
mood disturbance and fewer negative effects of stress on
health (e.g., Scheier et al., 1989; Segerstrom, Taylor,
Kemeny & Fahey, 1998).
An interesting study by Scheier et al. (1989) showed that
optimists recovered faster from surgery (bypass patients and
women who underwent surgery for breast cancer).
There was also a positive relationship between optimism
and post-surgical quality of life several months after surgery.
Social support reflects the information from others that one is
loved and cared for, esteemed and valued, and part of a
network of communication and mutual obligation (Cobb,
1976; for typologies of social support see House, 1981).
A literature review by Cohen and Wills (1985) shows that
social support does indeed have a moderating ('buffering')
effect upon health. There is even consistent evidence that
low levels of social support are associated with an increased
risk of mortality (e.g., Berkman & Syme, 1979; cf. Stroebe,
2001).

There was also a positive relationship between

optimism and post-surgical quality of life several
months after surgery.
Social support reflects the information from others
that one is loved and cared for, esteemed and
valued, and part of a network of communication and
mutual obligation (Cobb, 1976; for typologies of
social support see House, 1981).
A literature review by Cohen and Wills (1985)
shows that social support does indeed have a
moderating ('buffering') effect upon health. There is
even consistent evidence that low levels of social
support are associated with an increased risk of
mortality (e.g., Berkman & Syme, 1979; cf. Stroebe,
2001).

Like smoking or eating a fatty diet, leading a stressful life

can have an adverse effect on your health. There are two
ways in which stress can affect health, namely through
changes in health behaviour and through bodily changes
(e.g., changes in the immune system). People who are
stressed tend to stop eating regularly, increase their alcohol
consumption or take tranquillizers and sleeping pills. For
example, widows and widowers in the Tbingen Longitudinal
Study of Bereavement reported increased use of
tranquillizers and sleeping tablets and increased
consumption of both alcoholic beverages and cigarettes
after the loss of a partner (Stroebe, 2001).
However, stress may also have indirect effects upon health,
by reducing the body's resistance to diseases. The
especially clear-cut study described in the question
confirmed this mechanism, with results showing that
participants with higher scores on scales of psychological
stress were at greater risk of developing a cold. The
researchers also took numerous precautions to preclude
alternative explanations of the effect (e.g., confounding with
personality variables, different health practices).