QUE 1:- Discuss the nature and causes of job stress.

QUE 2:- What are the major political, organisational & environmental causes of job
stress?

QUE 3:- How does job stress differ from job burnout?
Compare and contrast these concepts.

QUE 4:- What are personal and organisational based strategies of stress management?

QUE 5:- What are the various symptoms of job stress?

QUE 6:- Discuss the concept of role conflict in HRM.

Que 7:- Mention(precise & not elaborate) various sources of job stress.

QUE 8:- Interrelate the concepts of job stress, job burnout & job satisfaction in HRM.
QUE 1:- Discuss the nature and causes of job stress.
ANSWER:-

Stress is defined as “a state of psychological and physiological imbalance resulting from

the disparity between situational demand and the individual's ability and motivation to meet
those needs.”
Dr. Hans Selye, one of the leading authorities on the concept of stress, described stress as
“the rate of all wear and tear caused by life.”

NATURE OF JOB STRES

JOB STRESS

Positive Job stress Negative Job stress.

Stress is good when the situation Stress is negative when a person

offers an opportunity to a person to faces social, physical,
gain something. It acts as a motivator organizational and emotional
for peak performance. problems.

Factors that are responsible for causing stress are called stressors.
 Causes of job stress.
The factors leading to stress among individual are called as stressors. Some of the
factors/stressors acting on employees are-

 Organizational factors- With the growth in organizational stress and complexity,

there is increase in organizational factors also which cause stress among employees.
Some of such factors are-

 Discrimination in pay/salary structure

 Strict rules and regulations
 Ineffective communication
 Peer pressure
 Goals conflicts/goals ambiguity
 More of centralized and formal organization structure
 Less promotional opportunities
 Lack of employees participation in decision-making
 Excessive control over the employees by the managers
 Individual factors- There are various expectations which the family members, peer,
superior and subordinates have from the employee. Failure to understand such
expectations or to convey such expectations lead to role ambiguity/role conflict which
in turn causes employee stress. Other individual factors causing stress among
employees are inherent personality traits such as being impatient, aggressive, rigid,
feeling time pressure always, etc. Similarly, the family issues, personal financial
problems, sudden career changes all lead to stress.
  Job concerning factors- Certain factors related to job which cause stress among
employees are as follows-
 Monotonous nature of job
 Unsafe and unhealthy working conditions
 Lack of confidentiality
 Crowding
 Extra-organizational factors- There are certain issues outside the organization which
lead to stress among employees. In today’s modern and technology savvy world, stress
has increased. Inflation, technological change, social responsibilities and rapid social
changes are other extra-organizational factors causing stress.

QUE 2:- What are the major political,organisational & environmental causes of job
stress?

Politics arises when employees try to gain something which is beyond their control by
tarnishing their colleague’s reputation. It has been observed that employees who are indulged
in office politics pay less attention to their work. Individuals play politics at the workplace
when they tend to misuse their power simply to come in the limelight and gain attention of
the superiors as well as the management.
Nothing productive comes out of politics; instead it leads to criticism and negativity at the
workplace.
The term organizational politics has captured the attentionto those scientists engaged in the
study of organization. Various researchers defined the term organizational politics in various
ways. Individual or team behavior that is unofficial, disruptive and above all in a technical
sense,illegitimate - sanctioned neither by formal authority, accepted ideology, nor certified
expertise is known as organizational politics (Mintzberg, 1983).This is manifested as the
course of authority in which person gets various things by undeserved means (Mayes &
Allen, 1977).
Organizational Stressors:
Organizational stressors may relate to task demands, physical demands, role demands, or
inter-personal demands.

 Task demands are stressors associated with the specific task or job the person is
performing. Some occupations are naturally more stressful than others.

 Physical demands are stressors associated with the job setting. Environmental
temperatures, poorly designed offices, and threats to health can lead to stress.

 Role demands are stressors associated with a particular position in a group or

organization. Examples are role ambiguity and the various role conflicts that people
experience in groups.

 Inter-personal demands are stressors associated with the characteristics of the

relationships that confront people in organizations. Examples are group pressure,
personality style, and leadership style.

Environmental Stressors
Environmental stressors in the workplace can create an unpleasant atmosphere, poor
work performance, absenteeism and possibly even physical injuries.
Any external event in a natural physical environment that causes an individual stress or
anxiety is known as an environmental stressor. It can be a force caused by nature or humans
and can be done without intent. Those affected by these stressors don't necessarily change
their routines, but their behavior can be severely altered. In the workplace, environmental
stressors include a variety of hazards, strains, and inconveniences.

Ergonomic
Repeated, unnatural movements or postures while performing job duties can be considered
ergonomic environmental stressors. For instance, repeated exposure to sitting in an
uncomfortable or badly designed desk chair or using a computer without proper supports can
cause physical injuries. Truck drivers who spend hours on the road without the proper back
support can also receive an ergonomic injury. Other stressors of this kind include:

 Heavy Lifting: Without the proper back support lifting belt, you can really strain your
back.
 Walking or Standing: If you are doing either of these for extended periods of time
without wearing the correct shoes, your feet and legs can be affected.
 Talking on the Phone: Placing the phone receiver between your head and shoulder to
talk can strain your neck muscles. Use a speakerphone or headset to eliminate this
ergonomic stress.
Physical
Environmental stressors in the workplace that force your body to compensate for conditions
that are outside of the norm are known as physical stressors. These include:
 Temperature: Prolonged exposure to excessive heat or cold
 Lighting: Lighting that is too bright or too dim
 Vibration: Excessive vibrations placed upon the body such as in jack-hammering
 Indoor Air Quality: In states where there are no stateside smoking bans, indoor
smoking can be a hazard for some individuals. Also, germs from ill employees who
come to work can permeate the environment.
 Noise: Excessively loud laughter, yelling, talking and other workplace sounds
 Crowding: Large numbers of individuals in one place at the same time

Chemical
In some workplaces, various chemicals can cause employees stress, whether it's because they
work directly with the compounds or because of the fear of having them nearby is the cause
of the anxiety. Chemical stressors include:
 Flammables: Gases or liquids that can be ignited and start a flame; if stored or disposed
of on the premises, a good ventilation system must be installed
 Explosives: Materials that can explode through detonation or decomposition; must be
securely stored in an area that is safe distance away from workers
 Corrosives: Substances that can destroy or severely damage any material or substance
with which it comes in contact; should be safely stored

Biological
Biological environmental stressors can affect your body and make it tough to perform on a
day-to-day basis. These types of stressors can make you ill, tired or other feeling that is out
of your normal range. They include:

 Viruses: In the workplace, colds, flus and other infections can be spread through the air
(sneezing or coughing) or by physical contact.
 Bacteria: These single-cell organisms can rapidly multiply, spreading diseases and
germs very quickly, pretty much the same way viruses spread.
 Allergens: Substances that cause the immune system to fight against itself are called
allergens. In a workplace, they can come from a substance in the air to a natural or
unnatural agent in the environment.
 Parasites: Although very difficult to detect, parasites live inside or outside of other
organisms while feeding off of them at the same time. They can cause and spread many
diseases through physical contact.
QUE 3:- How does job stress differ from job burnout?
Compare and contrast these concept.

Comparison Chart
BASIS FOR
STRESS BURNOUT
COMPARISON

Meaning Stress implies an adaptive response Burnout refers to a state of mental or

to any kind of demand caused due to emotional tiredness, occurs out of
adverse circumstances. continuous exposure to stress.

Feeling Anxiety, mood swings, guilt. Hypertension, mental depression,

impatient, irritable.

Encounters Fatigue Chronic Exhaustion

Loss of Motivation and hope Physical energy

Work Dissatisfaction with work Bored and cynical about work.

Job commitment Dropped off Virtually zero

Results in Lack of concentration, tends to forget Forgetfulness is frequent.

things.

Undergoes Physiological changes Psychosomatic complaints

Stress => more stress => a lot of stress => too much stress =>
burnout
QUE 4:- What are personal and organisational based strategies of stress management?
Strategies for Managing Stress
Stress experienced by the employees in their job has negative impact on their health,
performance and their behaviour in the organization. Thus, stress needs to be managed
effectively so as to set off these harmful consequences. Strategies for managing stress are as
follows-

Organizational strategies for managing stress

 Encouraging more of organizational communication with the employees so that

there is no role ambiguity/conflict. Effective communication can also change
employee views. Managers can use better signs and symbols which are not
misinterpreted by the employees.
 Encourage employees’ participation in decision-making. This will reduce role
stress.
 Grant the employees greater independence, meaningful and timely feedback, and
greater responsibility.
 The organizational goals should be realistic, stimulating and particular. The
employees must be given feedback on how well they are heading towards these
goals.
 Encourage decentralization.
 Have a fair and just distribution of incentives and salary structure.
 Promote job rotation and job enrichment.
 Create a just and safe working environment.
 Have effective hiring and orientation procedure.
 Appreciate the employees on accomplishing and over-exceeding their targets.

Individual strategies for managing stress

 The employees should make a “to-do” list daily, prioritize the acts in the list and
plan the acts accordingly. Take regular breaks during work to relax you. By
effective time management, the employees can achieve their targets timely and can
meet work pressures and, thus, avoid stress.
 Do hard work. Strive to achieve your goals but do not do it to the harm of family,
health, or peer.
 Indulge in physical exercises. It helps in effective blood circulation, keeps you fit,
diverts mind from work pressures.
 Encourage a healthy lifestyle. Take a regular sleep, have plenty of water, have
healthy eating habits. Promote relaxation techniques such as yoga, listening music
and meditation.
 The employees should have optimistic approach about their work. They should avoid
connections with negative approach employees.
 The employees should have emotional intelligence at workplace. They should have
self-awareness, self-confidence and self-control at workplace.
 The employees should build social support. They should have close connections with
trustworthy peer who can listen to their problems and boost their confidence level.
This social network will help the employees to overcome stress.
 Employee counselling is a very good strategy to overcome employee stress. Through
counselling, employees can become aware of their strengths and how to develop those
strengths; their weaknesses and how to eliminate them; and they can develop
strategies for changing their behaviour. Employees are also given career counselling
which helps in reducing their ambiguities with regard to career.
 Find a fun way to release stress, such as, cracking jokes, playing tennis, golf, etc.
 Do not remain pre-occupied with yourself. Turn your focus outwards. Help others.
This will release some stress.
QUE 5:- What are the various symptoms of job stress?
The most dangerous thing about stress is how easily it can creep up on you. You get used to
it. It starts to feel familiar, even normal. You don’t notice how much it’s affecting you, even
as it takes a heavy toll. That’s why it’s important to be aware of the common warning signs
and symptoms of stress overload.

Cognitive symptoms: Emotional symptoms:

 Memory problems
 Inability to concentrate
 Poor judgment
 Seeing only the negative
 Anxious or racing thoughts
 Constant worrying

 Depression or general unhappiness
 Anxiety and agitation
 Moodiness, irritability, or anger
 Feeling overwhelmed
 Loneliness and isolation
 Other mental or emotional health problems

Physical symptoms:
Behavioral symptoms:
 Aches and pains
 Eating more or less
 Diarrhea or constipation
 Sleeping too much or too little
 Nausea, dizziness
 Withdrawing from others
 Chest pain, rapid heart rate
 Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities
 Loss of sex drive
 Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax
 Frequent colds or flu
 Nervous habits (e.g. nail biting, pacing)
QUE 6:- Discuss the concept of role conflict in HRM.
Trying to meet the demands of two or more groups (i.e. customers and managers) at the same
time can result in role conflict
The experts have been divided over the role of conflict in organizations and groups. However
there are mainly three schools of thought that emphasize the different roles of conflict in the
organizations. These three schools of thought present the traditional view, the human relation
view and the interaction view.
(i) The traditional view: The traditional view believed that conflict is harmful for the
organization. This view considered conflict as a totally negative phenomenon and considered
it synonymous with violence and destruction. In the traditional view conflict was believed to
be a dysfunction outcome of factors like poor communication, lack of trust among the
employees and a failure of the management to respond to the needs and desired of the
employees. It was believed that conflict could cause a loss in productivity and too much
conflict at the work place could also distract the managers from efficiently discharging their
duties. In this way we see that the traditional view considered conflict as a totally bad thing
and advocated its complete avoidance. This sometime resulted in a tendency to suppress the
conflict and push it under the carpet. By ignoring the presence of conflict, we somehow try to
wish it away. Both the scientific management approach and the administrative school of
management related heavily on developing such organizational structures that would specify
task, rules, regulations procedures and authority relationships so that if a conflict develops,
then these inbuilt rules will identify and correct problems of such conflict. Thus, through
proper management techniques and attention to the causes of conflict, it could be eliminated
and organizational performance improved.
(ii) Human Relation View: The proponents of human relations view believe that conflict was
a natural occurrence in all groups and organizations and the management should accept
conflict at work place. This theory says that conflict is avoidable by creating an environment
of goodwill and trust. But still conflicts are bound to happen due to differences in opinions,
faulty policies and procedures, lack of cooperation, allocation of resources which will lead to
distortion and blockage in communication. Accordingly, management should always be
concerned with avoiding conflict if possible and resolving it soon if possible, in the interests
of the organizations and the individuals.
(iii) The Interactions view: The inter-actionist approach went a step further from the human
relations approach which accepted conflict but the inter-actionist view in fact encouraged
conflict. This view is based on a belief that conflict could be a positive force in a group but it
is even necessary for a group to perform efficiently. Thus this approach encourages conflict
as these approaches believes that if there is harmony, peace and co-operation in a group it
can become static and non-responsive towards the needs for change and innovation.
Therefore it becomes imperative that the leader of the group allows some conflict in the
group so that it remains creative viable and self critical. This conflict however should be kept
under control at all times so that the dysfunction consequences of conflict avoided.
Que 7:- Mention(precise & not elaborate) various sources of job stress.

SOURCES OF STRESS
 Physiological stressors
Illness,
Lack of sleep,
Poor nutrition etc

 Cognitive / Psychological factor

Attitude,
Belief,
Our own thoughts etc

 Socio-cultural stressors
Financial problem,
Relation problem etc.

 Environmental stressors
Heat,
Cold,
Noise,
Pollution etc.

QUE 8:- Interrelate the concepts of job stress,job burnout & job satisfaction in HRM.
Nowadays, existence of efficient and self-motivated human resource is one of the
important issues of great importance in professional environments. Considering that
human resource in an organization is one of the important resources in that organization,
steps should be taken to identify weak and strong points in improving the operation of
increasing efficiency in the organization.Burnout is in positive and meaningful correlation
with job stress but burnout isn’t in a meaningful correlation with job motivation. Also
stress is in a meaningful correlation with job stress, job satisfaction and job motivation.

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 worker. Job stress can lead to poor health and even injury.

The concept of job stress is often confused with challenge, but these concepts are not
the same. Challenge energizes us psychologically and physically, and it motivates us
to learn new skills and master our jobs. When a challenge is met, we feel relaxed and
 satisfied. Thus, challenge is an important ingredient for healthy and productive work.
The importance of challenge in our work lives is probably what people are referring to
when they say “a little bit of stress is good for you.

If the situation is different (non-favourable)-the challenge has turned into job demands
that cannot be met, relaxation has turned to exhaustion, and a sense of satisfaction has
turned into feelings of stress. In short, the stage is set for illness, injury, and job
failure.

Job satisfaction is defined as the extent to which an employee feels self-motivated,

content & satisfied with his/her job. Job satisfaction happens when an employee feels
he or she is having job stability, career growth and a comfortable work life balance.
This implies that the employee is having satisfaction at job as the work meets the
expectations of the individual.
 Job satisfaction also called Employee satisfaction.

Job burnout is a state in which an employee feels prolonged stress related to physical,
mental and emotional factors that could lead to depression on the job. This can be due to
feeling a limited skills or low reward for the work
Job burnout can lead to demotivation of the employee reducing the operational efficiency
and inducing frustration and behavior that can lead to more negative energy being spread
in the organizational environment that can further hamper the smooth functioning at the
workplace.
Burnout is a phenomenon associated with job stress. It is a state of complete exhaustion of
physical, emotional and mental resources due to an extreme and long term struggle to reach
a target. Burnout builds gradually, manifesting itself in symptoms such as irritability,
decreasing productivity, discouragement, exhaustion, entrapment and resentment.