Chapter 6: Stress

Question 1

Stress

Answer 1

Psychological response to demands when there is something at stake for the individual and when coping with these demands would tax individual’s resources

Question 2

Stressors

Answer 2

Demands that cause people to experience stress

Question 3

Strains

Answer 3

Negative consequences that occur when demands tax or exceed a person’s capacity or resources

Question 4

Transactional Theory of Stress

Answer 4

Explains how stressful demands are perceived and assessed as well as how people respond to the perceptions of these assessments

Question 5

Primary Appraisal

Answer 5

Evaluation of whether a demand is stressful and, if it is, the implications of the stressor in terms of personal goals and well-being

Question 6

Benign Job Demands

Answer 6

Job demands that are not considered as stressful

Question 7

Hindrance Stressors

Answer 7

Stressors that tend to be evaluated as preventing progress toward growth and achievement

Question 8

Challenge Stressors

Answer 8

Stressors that tend to be appraised as opportunities for learning, growth and achievement

Question 9

What are the 4 types of work-hindrance stressors?

Answer 9

1. Role Conflict
2. Role Ambiguity
3. Role Overload
4. Daily Hassles

Question 10

Role Conflict

Answer 10

Conflicting expectations of what an individual needs to do in a role

Question 11

Role Ambiguity

Answer 11

Lack of direction and information about what needs to be done in a role

a. unpredictability of consequences of performance in the role
b. often experienced by new employees - haven’t been there long enough to receive instructions or observe co-workers
c. causes stress

Question 12

Role Overload

Answer 12

Excess of demands on an employee preventing them from working effectively

Question 13

Daily Hassles

Answer 13

Minor day-to-day demands that interfere with work accomplishment
E.g. dealing with necessary paperwork, office equipment malfunctions, annoying interactions with abrasive coworkers

Question 14

What are the 3 types of work-challenge stressors?

Answer 14

1. Time Pressure
2. Work Complexity
3. Work Responsibility

Question 15

Time Pressure

Answer 15

Sense that the amount of time allocated to do a job is not enough
- seen as something worth striving for because success in meeting such demands is intrinsically satisfying

Question 16

Work Complexity

Answer 16

Degree to which job requirements tax or exceed employee capabilities

Question 17

Work Responsibility

Answer 17

Number and importance of the obligation employee has to others
- level of responsibility higher when importance of obligations are higher

Question 18

What are the 3 types of non-work hindrance stressors?

Answer 18

1. Work-family Conflict
2. Negative Life Events
3. Financial Uncertainty

Question 19

Work-family Conflict

Answer 19

Form of role conflict in which demands of a work role hinder the fulfillment of the demands in a family role (or vice versa)

Question 20

Negative Life Events

Answer 20

Events such as divorce or death of a family member that tend to be evaluated as a hindrance
- hinder ability to achieve life goals and are associated with negative emotions

Question 21

Financial Uncertainty

Answer 21

Uncertainty with regard to the potential for loss of livelihood, savings or ability to pay expenses
- relevant during recessions or economic downturns

Question 22

What are the 3 types of non-work challenge stressors?

Answer 22

1. Family time demands
2. Personal development
3. Positive life events

Question 23

Secondary Appraisal

Answer 23

When people determine how to cope with the various stressors they face

Question 24

Methods of Coping

Answer 24

1. Behavioural coping: physical activities used to deal with a stressful situation
   E.g. time pressure causes them to work faster, daily hassels might lead to avoiding work
2. Cognitive coping: thoughts used to deal with a stressful situation
   E.g. time pressure leads them to think of different ways to accomplish work more effectively, daily hassles lead them to convince themselves it’s not that bad

Question 25

Focus of Coping

Answer 25

1. Problem-focused coping: behaviours and cognitions of an individual intended to manage stressful situation itself 2. Emotion-focused coping: behaviours and cognitions of an individual intended to help manage emotional reactions to stressful demands

Question 26

How do people choose a particular coping strategy?

Answer 26

- beliefs people have about how well different coping strategies can address different demands - degree to which people believe they have what it takes to execute coping strategy effectively - degree to which people believe a particular strategy can give them some degree of control over stressor

Question 27

What determines how people develop a sense of control over a stressor?

Answer 27

Nature of the demand itself | - people feel less control over a stressor when they appraise it as a hindrance instead of a challenge

Question 28

The experience of strain

Answer 28

Body has a set of responses that allow it to adapt and function effectively in face of stressful demands but if stressful demands do not decrease or occur too frequently, body's adaptive responses become toxic

Question 29

What are the 3 types of strain?

Answer 29

1. Physiological 2. Psychological 3. Behavioural

Question 30

Physiological Strains

Answer 30

Reactions from stressors that harm human body | - affect immune, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and gastrointestinal systems

Question 31

Psychological Strains

Answer 31

Negative reactions from stressors such as depression, anxiety and anger - may be seen as isolated incidents but actually reflect more general psychological condition known as burnout

Question 32

Behavioural Strains

Answer 32

Patterns of negative behaviours associated with other strains E.g. grinding your teeth, excessive smoking, compulsive gum chewing or eating

Question 33

Type A and B Behaviour Patter

Answer 33

Type A: Exhibited by people who tend to experience more stresors because appraise more demands as stressful Type B: Opposite

Question 34

Influence of Type A behaviour on stressors, stress, and strains

Answer 34

Stressors: Direct influence - tend to be more hard-driving and have strong desire to achieve Stress: Influence on stress process - hard-driving competitiveness makes them hypersensitive to demands that affect progress toward goal attainment Strains: Direct link to coronary heart disease and other physiological, psychological and behavioural strains - at higher risk

Question 35

What is another factor that affects the way people manage stress?

Answer 35

Social Support: help people recieve from others when confronted with stressful demands

Question 36

Types of social support

Answer 36

Instrumental Support: help people recieve from others to directly address a stressful demand Emotional support: empathy and understanding people receive from others that can be used to alleviate emotional distress from stressful demands - both tend to reduce harmful consequences of stressor

Question 37

Relationship between the affect of hindrance stressors on job performance and organizational commitment?

Answer 37

Job Performance: - Weak negative - Hindrance stressors result in strains and negative emotions that reduce level of physical, cognitive and emotional energy people could bring to job Org Commitment: - Strong negative - Hindrance stressors evoke strains generally linked to dissatisfying people

Question 38

Relationship between the affect of challenge stressors on job performance and organizational commitment?

Answer 38

``` Job Performance: - Weak positive Org Commitment: - Moderate positive Reasoning: Employees that experience higher levels of challenge stressors also tend to have higher levels of JP and OC because tend to trigger (+) emotions and problem-focused coping strategies, characteristic of highly engaged employees ```

Question 39

What steps can organizations take to manage employee stress?

Answer 39

1. Assessment 2. Reducing Stressors 3. Providing Resources 4. Reducing Strains

Question 40

1) Assessment

Answer 40

Stress Audit: assessment of sources of stress in workplace Looks at: a. degree of changes in org b. work itself c. quality of relationships (w co-workers and org)

Question 41

2) Reducing Stressors

Answer 41

2 solutions: a. Eliminate or reduce stressful demands - job sharing: two people sharing job responsibilities of single job b. employee sabbaticals - time off from work for alternate activity

Question 42

3) Providing Resources

Answer 42

4 ways: a. Training interventions b. Supportive practices - trauma team c. Flexible hours - working from home, part-time d. Training managers - assess their own behaviours and contribution to employee stressors

Question 43

4) Reducing Strains

Answer 43

3 categories: a. Relaxation techniques - calming activities b. Cognitive-behavioural techniques - help workers cope in rational manner c. Health and wellness programs - help with personal problems

Question 44

Presenteeism

Answer 44

Employees continue to work as a performative measure despite having reduced productivity levels or negative consequences

Question 45

Family Time Demands

Answer 45

Amount of time committed to fulfilling family responsibilities

Question 46

Personal Development

Answer 46

Activities outside of work that foster growth and learning

Question 47

Positive Life Events

Answer 47

Events such as marriage or birth of a child that tend to be considered a challenge