Emotions and Stress on the Job

Chapter 4

Learning Objectives
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Distinguish between emotions and moods. Describe the effects of emotions and moods on behavior in organizations. Describe ways that people manage their emotions in organizations. Identify the major causes and consequences of stress. Identify various organizational resources for managing stress. Identify various ways that we can manage our own stress as individuals.
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Emotions and Moods

Emotions: Overt reactions that express feelings about events.

Emotions always have an object. There are six major categories of emotions. Expression of major emotions is universal. Culture determines how and when people express emotions.
Display Rules: Cultural norms about the appropriate ways to express emotions.

Mood: An unfocused, relatively mild feeling that exists as background to our daily experiences.
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Categories of Emotion

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Emotions, Moods, and Job Performance

People in highly emotional states have lower job performance.
Especially true in the case of negative emotions.

People showing high positive affectivity make better decisions than those showing high negative affectivity. Being in a positive mood helps people recall positive things and being in a negative mood helps people recall negative things. People report greater satisfaction with their jobs while they are in a good mood. Being in a good mood leads people to judge the work of others more positively. People who are in a good mood also tend to be more generous and are inclined to help their fellow workers. People who are in a good mood are inclined to work more carefully with others to resolve conflicts.
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Managing Emotions in Organizations

Emotional Dissonance: Inconsistencies between the emotions we feel and the emotions we express. Emotional Labor: The psychological effort involved in holding back ones true emotions. Organizational Compassion: Steps taken by organizational officials to alleviate the suffering of its employees or others.
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Organizational Compassion

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Stress

Stressor: Any demand, either physical or psychological in nature, encountered during the course of living. Stress: The pattern of emotional states and physiological reactions occurring in response to demands from within or outside an organization. Cognitive Appraisal: A judgment about the stressfulness of a situation, based on the extent to which someone perceives a stressor as threatening and capable of coping with its demands. Strain: Deviations from normal states of human functioning resulting from prolonged exposure to stressful events.
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Stress

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Causes of Stress
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Occupational demands Conflict between work and nonwork Stress from uncertainty Overload and underload Responsibility for others Lack of social support Sexual harassment
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Occupational Demands

Making decisions Constantly monitoring devices or materials Repeatedly exchanging information with others Working in unpleasant physical conditions Performing unstructured rather than structured tasks
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Work vs. Nonwork

Role Conflict: Incompatibilities between the various sets of obligations people face. Rule Juggling: The need to switch back and forth between the demands of work and family.
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Stress from Uncertainty

Role Ambiguity Uncertainty about what one is expected to do on a job.
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Overload and Underload

Quantitative Overload Qualitative Overload Information Anxiety Quantitative Underload Qualitative Underload

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Overload
Quantitative Overload: The belief that one is required to do more work than possibly can be completed in a specific period. Qualitative Overload: The belief that one lacks the required skills or abilities to perform a given job.
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Information Anxiety
Pressure to store and process a great deal of information in our heads and to keep up constantly with gathering it.

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Underload
Quantitative Underload: The boredom that results when employees have so little to do that they find themselves sitting around doing nothing much of the time. Qualitative Underload: The lack of mental stimulation that accompanies many routine, repetitive jobs.
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Responsibility for Others

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Social Support
The friendship and support of others, which help minimize reactions to stress. Sources:
Cultural norms Social institutions Friends and family

Benefits:
Boosting self esteem Sharing information Providing diversion Giving needed resources
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Sexual Harassment
Unwanted contact or communication of a sexual nature, usually against women

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Statistics about Stress

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Stress Effects
Task Performance:
Some individuals perform at higher levels in times of high stress. For most people, however, higher levels of stress lead to lower levels of job performance.

Desk Rage: Lashing out at others in response to stressful encounters on the job.
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Burnout
A syndrome of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion coupled with feelings of low self-esteem or low self-efficacy, resulting from prolonged exposure to intense stress, and the strain reactions following from them.
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Characteristics of Burnout
Physical Exhaustion: Includes low energy levels and feeling tired much of the time, as well as symptoms of physical strain such as frequent headaches, nausea, poor sleep, and changes in eating habits. Emotional Exhaustion: Depression, feelings of helplessness, and feelings of being trapped. Depersonalization: A pattern of behavior marked by becoming cynical toward others, treating others as objects, and holding negative attitudes toward others. Feelings of Low Personal Accomplishment, both in the past and in the future.
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Components of Burnout

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Stress and Health

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Organizational Resources
Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs): Plans that provide employees with assistance for various personal problems (e.g., substance abuse, career planning, and financial and legal problems). Wellness Programs: Company-wide programs in which employees receive training regarding things they can do to promote healthy lifestyles. Absence Control Programs: Procedures that give employees flexibility with respect to when they can take time off work. Stress Management Programs: Systematic efforts to train employees in a variety of techniques that they can use to become less adversely affected by stress.
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Managing Stress
Manage your time Eat a healthy diet and be physically fit Relax and meditate Get a good nights sleep Avoid inappropriate selftalk Control your reactions Take a time out
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Time Management
The practice of taking control over how you spend time. Effective practices:
Prioritize your activities: Distinguish between tasks that are urgent and important. Allocate your time realistically: Accurately assess how much time needs to be spent on each task. Take control of your time: Make a to do list and carefully keep track of what you have to accomplish. Unless something urgent comes up, dont let yourself be distracted.
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Assigning Priorities

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The Good Sleep Habit

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Schedule your sleep Dont go to bed after strenuous activity Avoid stimulants before bedtime Dont eat or work in bed Clear your mind
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Stress Prevention Approaches

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