ORGANISATIONAL STRESS

Organisational Stress



Organisational Stress

Introduction

The Effect on Employees and Employers Job stress poses a significant threat to employee health and consequently to the health of an organization. This report will provide information on the causes of stress, the resulting symptoms, the consequences to employers, and the programs employers can implement to reduce the adverse effects of stress in the workplace. It is important for both employees and employers to recognize and understand stress and its causes. Often times employers confuse job challenges and job stressors. Most employees view a job challenge as a motivating factor, which enables them to grow within their positions. This motivation has the potential to produce positive results for both employees and employers. However, when challenges become demands, employees often resort to the fight or flight response of our primal ancestors. At the sight of a dangerous encounter, the hypothalamus sends a message to the adrenal glands and within seconds the heart is pumping at two or three times the normal speed, sending blood to the major muscle groups with soaring blood pressure. In most cases, the employee does not have the opportunity to fight or flee, and as a result the increased energy is internalized and over time manifests itself as stress. Stress is not an illness, however prolonged exposure to stressful conditions can increase the risk of injury or disease(Michiel Kompier ,1999,9.).

Discussion

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health , job stress can be defined as "the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the employee". For instance, management style, interpersonal relationships, work roles, career concerns, work-life issues, sociocultural atmosphere, and environmental conditions may all be considered stressors. The following illustrations represent extreme cases, but a common thread between all of the examples is lack of communication, lack of resources, and lack of control.

Typically, people are affected by an assortment of these stressors and at a variety of levels. Management Style Many employees suffer from stress caused by managers who expect results without establishing clear goals. An example would be an office head that is responsible for increasing profitability and decreasing overhead, without receiving a budget from the home office. At the end of the year, the office head's performance cannot be considered objectively. Consequently, his or her incentive compensation becomes subjective. Interpersonal Relationships In many organizations, workers have little decision-making power. For example, a customer service representative is responsible for fielding incoming calls. Inevitably, the calls are primarily from angry customers concerned about a late shipment(Michiel Kompier ,1999,9.).According to Clarke (1988), middle managers have the highest stress level simply because they are in the middle, which can cause a great deal of conflict. A survey conducted by the American Management Association indicated that 41% of middle management has more work than time. Hall and Savery (1986) add that middle managers must respond to sometimes conflicting demands from governmental agencies, union representatives, and the community, in addition ...