Ch.6: Stress Flashcards
behavioural coping
physical activities used to deal with a stressful situation
behavioural strains
patterns of negative behaviours associated with other strains
benign job demands
job demands that are not appraised as being stressful
burnout
the emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion from coping with stressful demands on a continuing basis
challenge stressors
stressors that tend to be appraised as opportunities for growth and achievement
cognitive - behavioural techniques
various practices that help workers cope with life’s stressors in a rational manner
cognitive coping
thoughts used to deal with a stressful situation
coping
behaviours and thoughts used to manage stressful demands and the emotions associated with the stressful demands
daily hassles
minor day-to-day demands that interfere with work accomplishment
emotional support
the empathy and understanding people receive from others that can be used to alleviate emotional distress from stressful demands
emotion-focused coping
behaviours and cognitions of an individual intended to help manage emotional reactions to the stressful demands
family time demands
the amount of time committed to fulfilling family responsibilities
financial uncertainty
uncertainty with regard to the potential for loss of livelihood, savings, or the ability to pay expenses
health and wellness programs
employee assistance programs that help workers with personal problems such as alcoholism and other addictions
hindrance stressors
stressors that tend to be appraised as thwarting progress toward growth and achievement
instrumental support
the help people receive from others that can be used to address a stressful demand directly
job sharing
two people sharing the responsibilities of a single job
negative life events
events such as a divorce or death of a family member that tend to be appraised as a hindrance
personal development
participation in activities outside of work that foster growth and learning
physiological strains
reactions from stressors that harm the human body
positive life events
events such as marriage or the birth of a child that tend to be appraised as a challenge
primary appraisal
evaluation of whether a demand is stressful and, if it is, the implications of the stressor in terms of personal goals and well-being
problem-focused coping
behaviours and cognitions of an individual intended to manage the stressful situation itself
psychological strains
negative psychological reactions from stressors such as depression, anxiety, and anger
recovery
an individual factor that refers to the degree to which energies used for coping with work demands are replenished from a period of rest or relief from work
relaxation techniques
calming activities to reduce stress
role ambiguity
a lack of direct information about what needs to be done in a role
role conflict
others having different expectations of what an individual needs to do in a role
role overload
an excess of demands on an employee preventing them from working effectively
secondary appraisal
when people determine how to cope with the various stressors they face
social support
the help people receive from others when confronted with stressful demands
strains
negative consequences of the stress response
stress
the psychological response to demands when there is something at stake for the individual, and when coping with these demands would tax or exceed the individual’s capacity or resources
stress audit
an assessment of the sources of stress in the workplace
stressors
demands that cause the stress response
supportive practices
ways in which organizations help employees manage and balance their demands
time pressure
the sense that the amount of time allotted to do a job is not quite enough
training interventions
practices that increase employees’ competencies and skills
transactional theory of stress
a theory that explains how stressful demands are perceived and appraised, as well as how people respond to the perceptions of appraisals
Type A Behaviour Pattern
a type of behaviour exhibited by people who tend to experience more stressors, to appraise more demands as stressful, and to be prone to experiencing more strains than most others
work complexity
the degree to which job requirements tax or just exceed employee capabilities
work-family conflict
a form of role conflict in which the demands of a work role hinder the fulfillment of the demands in a family role (or vice versa)
work responsibility
the number and importance of the obligations an employee has to others
6.1 - what is stress, and how is it different from stressors and strains?
- stress refers to the psychological response to demands when there’s something at stake for the individual and coping with these demand would tax or exceed the individual’s capacity or resources.
- stressors are the demands that cause the stress response
- strains are the negative consequences of the stress response.
6.2 - what are the four main types of stressors?
stressors come in two general forms:
- challenge stressors, which are perceived as opportunities for growth and achievement, and
- hindrance stressors, which are perceived as hurdles to goal achievement.
these two stressors can be found in both work and nonwork domains.
(work hindrance, work challenge, nonwork hindrance, nonwork challenge)
6.3 - how do individuals cope with stress?
coping with stress involves thoughts and behaviours that address one of two goals: addressing the stressful demand or decreasing the emotional discomfort associated with the demand.
6.4 - how does the ‘type A behaviour pattern’ influence the stress process?
individual differences in the Type A Behaviour Pattern affect how people experience stress in three ways. Type A people tend to experience more stressors, appraise more demands as stressful, and are prone to experiencing more strains.
6.5 - how does stress affect job performance and organizational commitment?
the effects of stress depend on the type of stressor.
-hindrance stressors have a weak negative relationship with job performance and a strong negative relationship with organizational commitment.
- in contrast, challenge stressors have a weak positive relationship with job performance and a moderate positive relationship with organizational commitment.
6.6 - what steps can organizations take to manage employee stress?
because of the high costs associated with employee stress, organizations assess and manage stress using a number of different practices. in general, these practices focus on reducing or eliminating stressors, providing resources that employees can use to cope with stressors, or trying to reduce the strains.
