Week 10: Stress

Question 1

Define Stress

Answer 1

the overall process involving
stressors, strain and coping

stressor: causes of stress

strain: consequences of stress

Question 2

What are the three major reasons for addressing occupational stress?

Answer 2

1. financial

2. health and performance

• *3. social**
• individual behaviours: workplace violence, harassment, divorce, …*

Question 3

What are the three theoretical models of stress?

Answer 3

1. Stress as a response (Selye)
2. Stress as a stimulus
3. Stress as a transactional process

Question 4

What are the stages of stress as a response

Answer 4

Three stages in the stress response (Selye, 1975):
GAS - General Adaption Syndrom

1. alarm: body’s initial response to a stressor

2. adaptation: body’s ability to resist or adapt to the ongoing stressor

3. exhaustion: body’s inability to adapt to an ongoing stressor; exposure to chronic, continual stress can lead to severe exhaustion and death

Question 5

What are some of the common stressors in the workplace?

Answer 5

1. excessive workload (76%)
2. cuts in staffing (57%)
3. rapid changes (53%)
4. long working hours (34%)
5. bullying (33%)

Question 6

Explain the transactional stress theory of Lazarus

Answer 6

-> Stress as a process

1. Perception of the stressor (rather than just precense)

• *2. Cognitive appraical**
• > primary appraisal: impact of stressor, how improtant
• > secondary appraisal: resourcess
• > third evaluation: re-appraisal if stressor remains serious

3. Coping

Question 7

Name the four common occupational stress theories, we had in the lectures

Answer 7

• *1. person-environment fit (P-E fit)**
• French, Caplan, Harrison, 1982*
• *2. Cooper and Marhall’s work stress model**
• Cooper and Marshall, 1976*
• *3. Warr’s vitamin model**
• Warr, 1987*
• *4. Job demands-control model**
• Karasek, 1979*

Question 8

Elaborate:

person-environment fit (P-E fit) model of stress
French, Caplan, Harrison, 1982

Answer 8

– U shaped curve
– strain occurs due to an imbalance between a person’s abilities & the demands
– each person has an optimal level of environmental demands where minimal strain occurs
– too little/ too much demand results in strain

– some stress is desirable
– eustress: motivating, challenge-related stress
 when work resources match the challenging demands
 this type of stress can lead to feelings of fulfillment &achievement

Question 9

Elaborate on:

Cooper and Marhall’s work stress model

Answer 9

Question 10

Elaborate:

Warr’s vitamin model

Answer 10

10 key job characteristics that impact strain & well-being:
(curvilinear relationship):

o opportunity for personal control
o opportunity for skill use
o externally generated goals
o variety
o environment clarity
o availability of money
o physical security
o supportive supervision
o opportunity for interpersonal contact
o valued social position

Question 11

Elaborate:

Stress as Job demands-control model

Answer 11

perceived levels of job demands + job control -> stress

– high demands + low control -> high-strain jobs

– jobs with low demands and low control
result in boredom: passive jobs

Question 12

What are the three organisational consequences of stress?

Answer 12

1. Job Performance
– moderate levels of stress + resources can
increase performance (eustress)
– high stress levels + low resources -> decreased
performance

2. Abstenteeism
– Short vs. long-term absenteeism
– underestimated relationship btw.
occupational stress + absenteeism:
admission of stress as cause for absence

3. Job Attitudes
* – stress often results in changes to job attitudes (e.g. low motivation and job satisfaction, negative attitudes towards
colleagues and clients, turnover intentions)*
– chronic occupational stress can lead to decreased levels of job satisfaction, which in turn can lead to strain, decreased job performance and increased turnover intentions

Question 13

To which individual consequences can stress lead?

Answer 13

1. Psychological Consequences
anxiety & depression
low self-efficacy

2. Psychological Burnout

3. Physical Consequences

4. Behavioural Consequences

Question 14

Psychological burnout:
which are the three psychological consequences identified by Maslach et al.

Answer 14

• emotional exhaustion
• cynicism
• inefficacy

Question 15

Name Behavioural Consequences of Stress

Answer 15

• irritability, impatience, hostility
+ aggression (towards coworkers and clients)

• withdrawal behaviours (e.g. absenteeism, lateness)
• substance abuse, craving junk food

Question 16

Define Coping

Answer 16

• Coping is a response to a specific
stressor consisting of a behaviour (e.g.
exercising) or a cognition (e.g.
appraising the impact of the stressor)

• It reflects how individuals respond to or
deal with stressful events

Question 17

Name four types of coping

Answer 17

1. problem-solving
2. emotion-focused coping = avoidance
3. trait based coping
4. state based coping

Question 18

Name the tripartite model of SMI

Answer 18

SMI = Stress Management Intervention

1. stressor reduction
primary intervention
involve job analysis, work redesign, reorganisation…

2. Stress management training
secondary intervention
targets individual response, worker-orientated

3. employee assistance programs
tetertiary intervention
eg councelling