1. Work Stress

2. WHAT IS STRESS?
 Stress is your mind and body’s
response or reaction to a real or
imagined threat, event or change.
 The threat, event or change are
commonly called stressors. Stressors
can be internal (thoughts, beliefs,
attitudes or external (loss, tragedy,
change).

3. EUSTRESS
Eustress or positive stress occurs when
your level of stress is high enough to
motivate you to move into action to get
things accomplished.

4. DISTRESS
Distress or negative stress occurs when
your level of stress is either too high or
too low and your body and/or mind
begin to respond negatively to the
stressors.

5. Work Stress and Its Management
Stress
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.

6. Constraints
Forces that prevent individuals
from doing what they desire.
Demands
The loss of something
desired.

7. Potential Sources of Stress
 Environmental Factors
– Economic uncertainties of the business cycle
– Political uncertainties of political systems
– Technological uncertainties of technical innovations
– Terrorism in threats to physical safety and security

8.  Organizational Factors
– Task demands related to the job
– Role demands of functioning in an organization
– Interpersonal demands created by other employees
– Organizational structure (rules and regulations)
– Organizational leadership (managerial style)
– Organization’s life stage (growth, stability, or decline)

9. Potential Sources of Stress (cont’d)
 Individual Factors
– Family and personal relationships
– Economic problems from exceeding earning capacity
– Personality problems arising for basic disposition
 Individual Differences
– Perceptual variations of how reality will affect the
individual’s future.
– Greater job experience moderates stress effects.
– Social support buffers job stress.
– Internal locus of control lowers perceived job stress.
– Strong feelings of self-efficacy reduce reactions to job
stress.

10. Consequences of Stress
High Levels
of Stress
Physiological Psychological Behavioral
Symptoms Symptoms Symptoms

11. Psychological/ subjective
 The subjective or intrapersonal effects of stress are
feelings of anxiety,
 Boredom
 Nervousness
 Depression
 Fatigue and
 Anger

12. Physiological consequences
 The physiological effects can be seen in
 Increased heart and pulse rate,
 High blood pressure,
 Dryness of throat,
 Excessive sweating,
 Headache

13. Behavioral consequences
The behavioral effects are manifested in such things as:
 Accident proneness,
 Drinking,
 Excessive eating,
 Smoking,
 Impulsive behaviors,
 Depression, and withdrawal behaviors.
 Low productivity
 Absenteeism
 Turnover

14. A Model of Stress

15. Inverted-U Relationship between Stress and
Job Performance