MGT 321

ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR

CHAPTER 10
STRESS
MANAGEMENT
DGKU ALMAHIRAH AG KEE

LEARNING OUTCOMES
After studying this chapter you should be able to:
1. Define stress and stressor.
2. Identify
the three sources and symptoms of
stress.
3. Discuss the relationship between stress and
performance.
4. Describe the personality types that
can affect
stress level.
5. Explain how to managing stress in organization.
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STRESS

Causes/
Sources
of
Stress

1. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

Environmental uncertainty may influence the stress

levels among employees in an organization due to the
uncertainty in an organizations structure, such as:
1. Economic uncertainty
An economic situation can be stable or unstable.
Employees feel stress if economic uncertainty affects
their job security.
2. Political uncertainty
Due to instability of political condition, it gives effects to
people in a particular country.
3. Technological uncertainty
As technology is growing faster, employees need to be
equipped with skills to move ahead with technology.
Failing to do so, employees may feel threatened as their8
skills become obsolete.

2. ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS

1. Task demands
Sometimes a persons tasks are too much, causing
the employees to feel burdened.
2. Role demands
This factor is related to the pressures placed on a
person for a particular role he or she is playing.
Such as role conflict ( role ambiguity and role
overload).
3. Interpersonal demands
Pressures created by other employees, lack of social
support from colleagues, and poor relationships are
all factors leading to stress.
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3. INDIVIDUAL FACTORS
1. Family problem - Arguments in a family or family health
(ill/handicapped, pregnancy or miscarriage)
2. Economic problem - Financial problems, rising cost of
living.
3. Personality- Type A vs Type B

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TYPE A

Chronic sense of urgency

and excessive competitive
drive.
Always
moving
walking and eating rapidly.
Feel impatient at most
event take place. Strive to
think/ do 2 or more things
simultaneously.
Dealing
with challenging task, they
easily
aroused
(blood
pressure increases)

TYPE B

Desire to do more than one

task at any time but at his
own pace. Never suffer
from a sense of time
urgency
with
its
accompanying impatience.
Feel no need to display or
discuss
either
their
achievement unless such
exposure is demanded by
the situation. Play for fun
and relaxation rather to11
exhibit their superiority at
any cost. Relax without

INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES
Moderator Variable. Stress or Not it depend on
individual
Perception, Job experience, Social support, Belief in locus
control, Self efficacy, Hostility, Type A & Type B.
Perception is a process of interpreting the environment.
The way people interpret the same environment may
differ from one to another. The different interpretation
may also influence the stress level of a person.

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The level of job experience also moderates the

relationship. A person with a lot of experience
tend to have low level of stress compared to a
person with little experience.
Personality also influences stress. There are
two types of personality: Type A and Type B. The
characteristics of each type influence the stress
level.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF TYPE A AND

TYPE B PERSONALITIES
Type A

Type B

Impatient

Patient

Has trouble relaxing

Relaxes easily

Aggressive

Easy going, mellow

Has a short fuse

May avoid confrontation

May get upset over small things

Not easily gets upset

Competitive , achievement oriented

Handle task in a structured

manner

Time urgency(interrupts others ,

becomes frustrated while waiting in
line)

Finish work on time

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PHYSIOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS
Consequences of Stress-Physiological Symptoms
Most early concern with stress was directed at physiological
symptoms because most researchers were specialists in the
health and medical sciences.
Research has found profound effect of stress on physical
aspects ( manifested physically)
Stress affects health, thus gives impact on the whole activity
of a person.
If a person under stress due to some factors, they will keep
thinking about their problems.
Result: Bodily influenced symptoms such as headache, high
blood pressure and heart disease.

18-16

PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS

Consequences of Stress-Psychological Symptoms

Normally,

organizational factors lead to psychological symptoms.

Job-related stress and job-related dissatisfaction.
Problems with emotional health
Job dissatisfaction is the simplest and most obvious
psychological effect of stress.
Multiple
and conflicting demands increase stress and
dissatisfaction.
The less control people have over the pace of their work, the
greater the stress and dissatisfaction.

Psychological symptoms are the impact related to a

persons mind such as anxiety, depression and a decrease
in job satisfaction.
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BEHAVIORAL SYMPTOMS

Consequences of Stress-Behavioral Symptoms

Research

on behavior and stress has been

conducted across several countries and over
time, and the relationships appear relatively
consistent.
Behavior-related stress symptoms are those that
give impact on the behaviour of employees which
include reductions in productivity, absence, and
turnover, as well as changes in eating habits,
increased smoking or consumption of alcohol,
rapid speech, fidgeting, and sleep disorders.
18-18

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THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STRESS

AND JOB PERFORMANCE

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STRESS

AND JOB PERFORMANCE (CONT.)

Low levels of stress - low performance

Due

to the boredom in performing the tasks as they are not

demanding and challenging.

The

person experiences little stimulation. It can lead to feeling of

boredom. Result to underutilization of physical & mental skills

High level of stress - low performance

Too

much stress places unattainable demands on a person.

Personal

resources are strained. Stretch beyond physical & mental

limits.

Moderate levels of stress - high performance

Resources

and energy within an employee are adequate enough to

perform the tasks.

Performance

is high because physical and mental capacities are

challenges. Thus, the person is motivated

high
p
e
r
f
o
r
m
a
n
c
e
low

Eustress
Optimum
stress point
Distress
Constructive
zone

Destructive
zone

stress

high

Performance/22
health

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