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June, 2002 |
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Management |
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Stress
Management
By Dr. Niranjan Prasad Upadhyay
Since
excessive job stress results in low productivity, increased absenteeism
and employee turnover, and also causes an assortment of medical ills
including alcoholism, drug abuse, hypertension, and a host of
cardiovascular problems, managing stress in organisation seems to
be a challenging job to every manager. However, this is a subject about
which there seem to exist several misunderstandings among Nepali
managers. Here
are some important fundamentals, about stress and its management: According
to various studies, the employees in Nepali organizations face stress
and conflict due to a diversity of causes including imbalance of reward
and punishment, poor salary, low motivation and poor training
facilities, improper job description and assignment, inadequate
recognition of performance, excessive political pressures, improper
placement and tendency among the seniors to ask for undue benefits. Dr.
Arzoo Deuba has reported that high level of stress among Nepali
employees is caused also by deadline pressures, inadequate career
development and lack of opportunities to travel abroad. Stress & Business Administration Stress
is not an interesting topic for personnel managers to deal with because
of its negative connotations. However, stress is also a necessary
positive force leading to effective work and maintenance of good health.
Insufficient stress might lead to “rust out” while over exposure to
stressful conditions might lead to “burnout” (Figure1). Stress-performance Relationship Stress cannot only be negative or destructive. It can also be positive as it encourages people to work hard to achieve the targets or defined objectives. Some stress researchers have categorized stress into three compartments: high, moderate and low. The low level stress may leave a worker bored, idle and not motivated to act. With a low level of stress, the workers experience little stimulation, little positive challenge, which may result in the under-utilization of mental or physical skills. A moderate level of stress may lead to better performance. It also helps in creating a more positive self-esteem. At moderate stress levels, performance is high because physical and mental capabilities are challenged. Stress & Violin The stress performance relationship may be compared with the strings on a violin. When there is either too little or too much tension on the strings, music becomes a noise. The most widely studied pattern in the stress–performance literature is the inverted ‘U’ relationship as in the Figure 1. The logic underlying the inverted U is that low to moderate levels of stress stimulates the body and increases its ability to react. Individuals then perform their tasks better, more intensely, or more rapidly. But too much stress places unattainable demands or constraints on a person, which results in lower performance in any organization. This inverted U doctrine may also describe the change intensity as well as reaction to stress over time. From the organization’s standpoint, management need not be concerned when employees experience low to moderate levels of stress. High level of stress, or even low levels sustained over long periods of time, can lead to reduced employee performance. Psychological experiments also show that strong unresolved stress makes enduring changes in workers’ personality. If a worker persists in stress over a period of years, it makes him feel inferior, dull and non-adjustive. It is very probable that such types of effects reduce his or her general ability to adjust within the workplace and gradually degrade the efficiency, productivity of the organization. Job Stress & Working Environment Stress is a result of the transaction and interaction between the person and environment. A harmonious relationship within business environment may create psychological satisfaction within the individual. But mere awareness and concern about the environment may not result in people behaving in a pro-environmental way. Job related stress is inevitable in working environment. In many job situations, particularly in certain service occupations such as that of the receptionist, the airhostess etc., high levels of stress is integral and largely unavoidable. It may also be possible that the organization structure itself is directly or indirectly supporting biasedness on the basis of age, race, gender, union affiliation or some other form of discrimination. Subjectivity of Stress The same type of stress can have different effect on different employee. Any job condition can produce stress depending on how an employee reacts to the work. Whether a particular stress level is inadequate or excessive will depend on the characteristics of the individual concerned. Organizational researchers also say that an individual may have a high stress tolerance for one variety of stress and low stress tolerance for another variety, depending on the age, physical conditioning, learned behaviour adjustment, and many other factors. Stress in Stages Seley,
the pioneer in the scientific attempts to explain stress related
problems, has said that there are three stages of stress (3s) that an
individual encounters in stressful environment. 1.
Alarm reaction: The individual’s defense mechanisms become
active. 2.
Resistance: It is the stage of maximum adaptation and, hopefully, the
person successfully returns to equilibrium. If, however, the stress
agent continues or the defense mechanism does not work, the individual
will move on to the third stage. 3.
Exhaustion: It is when the adaptive mechanisms collapse. Symptoms of Stress A
person in stress has anxious thoughts and difficulty in concentrating or
in remembering. Stress can also change outward behaviors. Teeth
clenching, hand wringing, pacing, nail biting, and heavy breathing are
common signs of stress. People also feel physically different when they
are stressed. Butterflies in the stomach, cold hands and feet, dry
mouth, and increased heart rate are all physiological effects of stress
that we associate with the emotion and anxiety.
There
is a statistical correlation between coronary heart disease and
individuals stressful behavioral patterns. These patterns are reflected
in a style of life characterized by impatience, hard driving
competitiveness, and preoccupation with vocational and related
deadlines. Management
experts point out that stress can cause dissatisfaction. Especially, job
related stress could raise frustration. When people are placed in jobs
that make multiple and conflicting demands or in which there is a lack
of clarity as to incumbent’s duties, authority, and responsibilities,
stress and dissatisfaction are increased. Dealing with Stress Figure 2 presents a scheme to understand stress in organizations and to solve the associated problem. The figure shows the multidimensional aspects of stress management, i.e. types of stress, environment factors, and level of stress, effects/symptoms, outcomes and solutions. Organization and Micro-level Stresses An
organization is made up of groups and individuals. There are also
micro-level dimensions, unique to the organizations, which can cause
stress. Figure 3 shows that these micro-level stresses can be separated
into organizational policies, structures, physical conditions and
processes. Dr. Upadhyay is a senior psychologist at Public Service Commission |
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