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Chapter 16. Occupational Stress. What is Occupational Stress?. Sources of stress at work Involves individual characteristics Related to the employee’s role within the organization See Figure 16.2, “Occupational Stress Model”. Sociocultural Organizational Work setting Interpersonal.
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Chapter 16 Occupational Stress
What isOccupational Stress? • Sources of stress at work • Involves individual characteristics • Related to the employee’s role within the organization • See Figure 16.2, “Occupational Stress Model”
Sociocultural Organizational Work setting Interpersonal Psychological Biological Physical/ environmental Occupational Stress Evaluation Grid Recognizes that occupational stress occurs in seven different contexts:
Why is Occupational Stress of Concern? • Cost to businesses is >$200 billion/year (Swoboda, 1992) • Americans take fewer vacation days • Employees “always on call” concept • Leads to increased sick days, drug or alcohol abuse, and early death • Can promote high turnover rates of employees
Gender and Occupational Stress • Stressors that particularly affect women include: • Career blocks • Sexual harassment • Male-dominated climate • Performance pressure • Gender stereotyping • Isolation • Lack of role models
Occupational Stressand Disease • Physiological effects • Elevated serum cholesterol • Elevated blood pressure • Increased left ventricular mass • Increased catecholamines • High plasma fibrinogen concentrations
Occupational Stressand Disease, cont’d • Disease states • Coronary artery disease • Obesity • Psychosomatic symptoms • Diabetes • Hypertension • Peptic ulcers
Occupational Stressand Disease, cont’d • Psychological effects • Low self-esteem • Increased job tension • Low job satisfaction
OccupationalStressors • Workers feel stress at work because of: • Lack of participation in decision-making process • Role problems • Role overload • Role insufficiency • Role ambiguity • Role conflict
OccupationalStressors, cont’d • Workers feel stress at work because of: (cont’d) • Job dissatisfaction • Motivational factors affect job satisfaction • See Figure 16.5 • Work environment
The Workaholic • Immersing oneself excessively in work at the expense of non-work activities • Two factors for classifying workaholics (Naughton, 1987) • Career commitment • Obsession-compulsion
The Workaholic, cont’d • Scott, et al. (1997) classified workaholics as: • Compulsive-dependent • Perfectionist • Spence & Robbins (1992) proposed a workaholic triad: • Work involvement, driveness, and work enjoyment
Burnout • Adverse stress reaction to work with psychological, psychophysiological, and behavioral components • Symptoms include: • Diminished sense of humor • Skipping rest and meals • Increased overtime/no vacation • Increased physical complaints • Social withdrawal • Changed job performance • Self medication • Internal changes
Five Stages of Burnout • Stage 1: The honeymoon • Stage 2: Fuel shortage • Stage 3: Chronic symptoms • Stage 4: Crisis • Stage 5: Hitting the wall
How to Combat Burnout • Identify the value and meaning of your job • List all activities you like and rank them in order of importance • Create a support group • Start a physical self-care program • Start a psychological self-care program • Do something silly every day
Women andWork Characteristics • Women are clearly disadvantaged in the world of work: • They make less money than their male counterparts • Women are subjected to more sexual harassment • Minority women earn less than non-minority women • Women tend to be primary caretakers of children
Sexual Harassment at Work • Unwelcome sexually-related actions that interfere with work performance • The Equal Employment Opportunities Commission defines sexual harassment as sexual advances or conduct that: • Makes submission to the conduct a term of employment • Makes submission to the conduct a basis for employment decisions • Interferes with the individual’s work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment
Working in the Home • Homemakers experience denigration of their role • Homemakers are at risk for all of the same occupational stressors: • Role overload • Role insufficiency • Role conflict • Role ambiguity • Empty-nest syndrome is a potent stressor
Interventions • Life-situation interventions • Perception interventions • Emotional arousal interventions • Physiological arousal interventions
Chapter 16 Occupational Stress