Organizational Stress - PA 112 Finals Coverage PDF

# Organizational Stress The document describes organizational stress and how to manage it. ## What is Stress? - An adaptive response to a situation that is perceived as challenging or threatening to the person's well-being. - An adaptive response to an external situation that results in physical,...

# Organizational Stress The document describes organizational stress and how to manage it. ## What is Stress? - An adaptive response to a situation that is perceived as challenging or threatening to the person's well-being. - An adaptive response to an external situation that results in physical, psychological and/or behavioural deviations for an organizational participant. ## 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. ## Work-related Stressors - Role ambiguity - Work overload - Occupation - Job insecurity - Resource inadequacy - Monitoring - Management style - Working conditions ## 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. ## Acute Stress - Uneasiness and worry - Feelings of sadness - Increase in energy - Alertness and excitement - Loss of appetite - Immune System suppression - Increased metabolism ## Chronic Stress - Loss of sex drive - High blood pressure - Irritability - Anxiety and panic attacks - Depression - Diabetes - Lowered resistance - Eating disturbances ## Stress Response - An unconscious mobilization of energy resources that occurs when the body encounters a stressor. ## Role Conflict A situation in which different roles lead to conflicting expectations. ## 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. ## Workplace Stress Defined - Stress can be acute (short-term) - Stress can be chronic (long-term) ## Managing Stress in the Workplace - **Traditional View**: The responsibility of the individual. - **Organisational View**: Employers and employees have a responsibility to address work-related stress. ## Organisational Coping Strategies - Employee assistance programmes - Wellness programmes - Less controls - Flat structures - Employee empowerment - Stress management training ## Work/Family Balance - More and more people in the workforce are putting emphasis on family as an important priority. - Over 70% of workers do not think there is a healthy balance between work and family. - Increasingly employees are exploring new careers because of the inability to manage work and family stressors. ## Steps to Risk Assessment 1. **Identify Hazards** - What might cause harm? 2. **Evaluate Harm** - Who could be harmed and how? 3. **Evaluate Risks** - How likely is it that the hazard could cause harm? 4. **Introduce Controls** - What can we do to reduce the risk that hazards will cause harm? 5. **Record and Re-Assess** - Maintain a record of steps and re-assess regularly. ## Stress Risk Assessment Process 1. Planning and Consultation 2. Data Collection - Qualitative methods e.g interviews, focus groups, Stress Diaries. - Quantitative methods e.g structured surveys, Stress Tools. 3. Data Analysis 4. Feedback and Action Planning ## Steps to Building a Strong Organizational Culture - Socialization 1. **Careful selection**: Hiring the right people. 2. **Challenging early work assignments**: Giving new employees challenging projects. 3. **Training to develop capabilities with culture**: Continuously train employees on the culture. 4. **Reward and sustain culture**: Reward good behaviors and maintain the culture. 5. **Adoption of cultural value policies**: Formalize the culture into company policy. 6. **Reinforce culture with ritual, stories and rites**: Using company events, stories and culture to reinforce the culture. 7. **Role model to sustain culture**: Employees emulate senior staff as role models for the culture. ## Organizational Culture - The unique dominant pattern of shared beliefs, assumptions, values, and norms that shape the socialization, symbols, language and practices of a group of people. - The attitudes and approaches that typify the way staff carry out their tasks. - Culture is developed and transmitted by people, consciously and unconsciously, to subsequent generations. ## Cultural Iceberg - **Observable Elements of Culture**: Practices, Language, Symbols. - **Not Observable Elements of Culture**: Norms, Values, Assumptions. ## Shared Assumptions Shared assumptions are the thoughts and feelings that members of a culture take for granted and believe to be true. ## Values and Norms - Values are the basic beliefs people hold that specify general preferences and behaviours, and define what is right and wrong. - Cultural values are reflected in a society's morals, customs and established practices. - Norms are rules that govern behaviours of groups of people. ## Symbols A symbol is any visible object, act, or event that conveys meaning to others. Examples: Artefacts, Dress, Office layout, Slogans, ceremonies. ## Language Language is a shared system of vocal sounds, written signs, and/or gestures used to convey meaning among members of a culture. ## Practices Practices are observable cultural customs such as taboos (culturally forbidden behaviours) and ceremonies. ## Socialization Socialization is the process by which people learn values, norms, behaviours and social skills. It is the means by which new members are brought into a culture. ## Types of Organizational Culture 1. **Bureaucratic**: Behavior is governed by formal roles and standard operating procedures. 2. **Clan**: Behavior is shaped by tradition, loyalty, personal commitment, extensive socialization and self-management. 3. **Market**: Values and norms reflect the significance of achieving measurable and demanding goals, mainly concerning those that are financial and market based. 4. **Entrepreneurial**: Characterized by high levels of risk taking and creativity. ## Relationship Between Culture and Organizational Performance - Organizational culture has the potential to enhance organizational performance, individual satisfaction, and the sense of certainty about how problems are to be handled. - Culture serves as a control mechanism to channel behaviour towards desired behaviours and to prevent undesired behaviours. ## Building a Strong Organizational Culture - A common behavioural style must be shared by managers and employees. - Have the same basic approaches to solving problems, meeting goals, and dealing with stakeholders. - Have share common norms that guide rule governing rewards and punishment. - A strong organizational culture assists in the creation of a stable organization, the consequence of which leads to the achievement of the company's strategic goals. ## Outcomes of Socialization Process **Successful Socialization:** - Job satisfaction - Role clarity - High work performance - Understanding of culture - Commitment to organization - Internal values **Unsuccessful Socialization:** - Job dissatisfaction - Role ambiguity and conflict - Misunderstanding, tension, and perceived lack of control - Low job involvement - Low performance - Rejection of values ## What is Action Research? A problem-solving process aimed at improved effectiveness for the entire organization or specific work units. - This process is planned, organization-wide, and managed from the top. - It uses behavioral-science knowledge to create planned interventions in the organization's processes. ## Steps in Action Research 1. **Entry**: Finding needs for change within an organization. 2. **Start-up and Contracting**: Identifying critical success factors, clarifying roles, and dealing with resistance within the organization. 3. **Assessment and Diagnosis**: Collecting data to find opportunities and problems in the organization. 4. **Feedback**: A two-way process to tell those what one found out, based on an analysis of the data. 5. **Action Planning**: Distilling recommendations from the assessment and feedback, considering alternative actions. 6. **Intervention**: Carrying out the change process. 7. **Evaluation**: Verifying success, identifying needs for new or ongoing activities, and improving the process. 8. **Adoption**: Implementing processes to ensure that the activity remains an ongoing one. 9. **Separation**: Recognizing when it is more productive for the client and consultant to undertake other activities. ## Why Do OD? - **Human Resources**: Employees are a large fraction of the costs of doing business. - **Changing Nature of the Workplace**: Workers want feedback on their performance and a sense of accomplishment. They also need to be more efficient. - **Global Market**: The competition is stiff, so organizations must change to survive and prosper. - **Accelerated Rate of Change**: Thinking has changed radically about organizational structures to emphasize faster customer response, lower costs, and continuous learning. ## Who Do OD? - **Change Agents:** - **Internal Consultants:** Employees of the organization. - **External Consultants:** People from outside the organization. - To be successful, OD must have the involvement of all employers. ## When is an Organization Ready for OD? - When the organization is dissatisfied with its current state. - When the organization has a vision for the future. - When the organization is willing to take the first steps. ## Formula for Change - **Dissatisfaction** x **Vision** x **First Steps** = **Resistance to Change** ## To Thrive in Tomorrow's Business Environment Organizational development must be an ongoing effort because of a dynamic workforce, rapid changes in technology, changing nature of the workplace and the increasing instability of the global environment. ## Encouraging Change Continual examination and readiness for change must be part of the organization's culture. ## Stress Tools - **14 Management Standards Providing Guidance on How to Prevent Work-Related Stressors:** - Workload - Job Insecurity - Teamworking - Performance feedback - Training & development - Hours of work - Job design - Management support - Tools and equipment - Communication - Role ambiguity - Skill under-utilisation - Work-life balance - Effort-reward imbalance ## Toxin Handlers The following behaviours 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 - Estimates suggest that Johnson & Johnson's wellness 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, defined as 30 minutes of activity three or more times each week. - 60% of employees will be trained in resilience/stress management. ## Golden Principles of Stress-Free Living - Stress is a messenger — listen to it. - Pressures are challenges — increase coping mechanisms. - Meet, greet, and beat your stress successfully. - Don’t worry about the future. - Don’t feel ego. - Life is short — try to enjoy it. - Manage your time properly. - Think positively; positive attitudes help. - Think from others’ point of view. - Develop a "Can do Attitude". - Discuss and share with others. - Develop hobbies like painting, dancing, and singing. The document ends with a thank you to the audience and a reminder that the information was presented by Abing, Almacen, and Añora. ## Conclusion Overall, this document provides valuable information on organizational stress and the importance of addressing it in a holistic manner. It emphasizes the role of individual responsibility, organizational support, and the importance of fostering a positive and supportive culture within a workplace.