Stress

...our physiological and psychological

response to situations that threaten or
challenge us and that require some kind
of adjustment.
Pioneering Researcher: Hans Selye
He developed a theory about how
stress produces illness:
“General Adaptation Syndrome”

G. A. S.
 General Adaptation Syndrome
Stressor
...a demand placed on the body that requires
adjustment and brings about the stress reaction.

G. A. S.
3 Stages:
1. Alarm
2. Resistance
3. Exhaustion

Healthy Adaptation or Illness

 General Adaptation Syndrome
Alarm Reaction
“Fight or Flight” reaction: body mobilizes resources to
combat threat; activates the sympathetic nervous
system.
Resistance
Enhanced ability to fight stressor via moderate
physiological arousal; ability to withstand additional
stressors (e.g., infection) is reduced.

Exhaustion
Depletion of resources brings on diseases and disorders
(e.g., chronically high heart rate and blood pressure
increase chances of heart attack and stroke).
 Lazarus’s Cognitive Theory
Stressor Lazarus proposed
Selye assumed
that a mental
that stress
process determines
depended only Appraisal whether stress
on the intensity
occurs.
of the stressor.

G. A. S.

Healthy Adaptation or Illness

 Lazarus and Folkman’s Theory
Stressor

Primary Appraisal: Is Stressor Negative?

Can be negative if it involves harm or loss, No
threat, or challenge (chance to grow). Stress
Yes NO

Secondary Appraisal: Can I Control the Situation?

If coping resources are adequate, then

consider options: problem-focused or
emotion-focused coping strategies.
 Lazarus and Folkman’s Theory

The Stress Response

• Physiological Component: Arousal, hormone secretion.

• Emotional Component: Anxiety, fear, grief, resentment,

excitement (if stress is from challenge).

• Behavioral Component: Coping strategies (both behavioral

and mental)—problem focused and/or emotion-focused.
The level of stress we experience depends mainly on the
adequacy of our resources for coping and how much they
will be drained by the stressful situation.
 Coping Strategies
Problem-Focused Coping: a response aimed at reducing,
modifying, or eliminating a source of stress
(e.g., if grades in a course are low, reduce work hours,
change study strategy, etc.).

Emotion-Focused Coping: a response aimed at reducing

the emotional impact of the stressor (e.g., denial,
religious faith, wishful thinking, humor, alcohol/drugs,
promiscuous sex).
In the low grades example, you can reappraise the
stressor and reduce the importance you attach to that
course, that major, or academic work in general.

Two major emotion-focused strategies are:

MEDITATION and BIOFEEDBACK
 Definition (OB view)
• Stress is a dynamic condition in which an
individual is confronted with an opportunity,
constraint, or demand related to what he or she
desires and for which the outcome is perceived
to be both uncertain and important. (Robbins, 1998)

• Stress is associated with Constraints (forces

that prevent individuals from doing what they
desire) and Demands (loss of something
desired).
 Symptoms of Stress

• Physiological
• Psychological
• Behavioural
 Symptoms of Stress

• Physiological
– Changes in metabolism
– Increased Heart & Breath Rate, BP
– Headaches
– Hypertension, may lead to heart
attack as well
 Symptoms of Stress

• Psychological
– Tension & Anxiety
– Irritability
– Boredom
– Procrastination
– Job Dissatisfaction
 Symptoms of Stress
• Behavioural
– Changes in eating habits
– Increased smoking
– Increased consumption of alcohol
– Rapid speech
– Fidgeting
– Sleep Disorders
• Other Behavioural Symptoms pertaining to Job
– Productivity loss
– Absenteeism
– Turnover (leaving the job)
Individual Health Consequences of Stress

Aspects of all three subheads covered before

have implications for health.

Physiological
Psychological
Behavioural
 Organizational Consequences
• Psychological Symptom pertaining to Job
• Job Dissatisfaction
• Other Behavioural Symptoms pertaining to Job
– Productivity loss
– Absenteeism
– Turnover (leaving the job)
Strategies of Stress Management
• Healthy
• Unhealthy

• Typically, problem focused and emotion

focused coping strategies correspond to
healthy and unhealthy approach to
handling stress, respectively.
 Role of Social Support
• Social Support can be sought from both
personal (family & friends) and professional
(colleagues, supervisors, subordinates) fronts.
• Evidence shows – cordial relationships with
coworkers can buffer impact of work stress.
Social support acts as a palliative, mitigating
the negative effects of even high-strain jobs.
• Involvement with family, friends, and
community can meet need for ‘social’ support
and connection, consequently reducing stress.
 Organizational Approach to
Stress Management
• Selection & Placement
• Goal Setting
• Redesigning Jobs
• Increasing Employee Involvement in DM
• Increasing Organizational Communication
• Wellness Programmes
 Organizational Approach to Stress Management

• Selection & Placement: Organizations must hire people, keeping

in mind individuals vary in the way they approach and handle
stress. People with experience and internal locus of control may
be a better placement risk for especially High Stress jobs.
• Goal Setting: Setting specific and challenging goals for individuals
and giving adequate feedback on behalf of the organization helps
keep stress under control
• Redesigning Jobs: The job may be redesigned to make it more
meaningful, and interesting; regular constructive feedback also
helps reduce stress. All these helps the individual employee gain
more control over the job, the workplace, and reduces
dependence on others, which together decrease the amount of
stress experienced.
 Organizational Approach to
Stress Management
• Increasing Employee Involvement in DM: Even minor
tasks when involving people’s own decision making helps a
person feel like they’re contributing something important to the
organization. This reduces job stress, increases productivity.
• Increasing Organizational Communication:
Communication reduces misunderstandings, helps clearly define
goals and expectations. Also increases overall involvement of the
individual in the organization.
• Wellness Programmes: Wellness Programmes are common
choice for many organizations today for potential long term
benefits for the individual, and the organization. These often
help boost morale, increases motivation to work as a team,
develop helpful attitudes.
Stress Free, Successful & Happy Life

No magic solution to stress but a few things

can be kept in mind in handling daily life
stresses to keep their impact to a minimum

– Set achievable goals

– Seek help where and when needed
– Speak up – don’t let frustrations build up
– Meditate
– Do something just for yourself