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Stress: A Mind of its Own (Part 1)

 

By Alisha Smith

 

Are you worried about a client meeting?  Are you worried that your budget proposal might not get passed?  Are you worried that your boss feels your performance is slipping?  These questions have probably been on your mind at one time or another.  Increasing demands on the job and trying to juggle everyday responsibilities, today's workforce is feeling more distraught and exhausted than ever.  Pihulyk (2001) states “Stress and burnout among workers are reaching epidemic proportions, resulting in loss of millions of dollars in revenue due to absenteeism and corresponding reduction in productivity” (p 12).  As you can imagine, stress is becoming a silent problem in the workplace, because most people will deny that they are stressed and will continue to exhaust themselves. Pihulyk (2001) says, “stress-prone people develop worrisome, fearful and disgruntled thoughts, which cause them to become easily agitated, anxious, angry, and annoyed” (p. 12).  Gary Dessler, Management: Leading People and Organizations in the 21st Century (2001) says that people that are under stress tend to perceive things less objectively than those who are not (p. 358).  Additionally, Dessler says that in one experiment, a group of employment interviewers were under a lot of pressure to hire more employees.  Because of this pressure, the group perceived the candidate’s qualifications higher than what they actually were, subsequently hiring lower-performing candidates (p.  359).  I can definitely relate to this scenario because my new store had the highest turnover rate in the entire division; 574% and they where short staffed.  When interviewing candidates, I felt incredible pressure when hiring because of the turnover rate. I was almost afraid to hire anyone. 

 

Ioma’s Payroll Manager’s Report (2002) recently put out an article on the results of a survey from The International Survey Research.  The ISR took a survey of 320,000 United States workers.  From the survey the ISR found that 54% of responding workers feel overworked, 55% feel overwhelmed by how much work they have to do, and 59% lack the time to reflect on the work they are doing (p. 8).  Moreover, in doing research for this thesis, I felt it was important to see if my staff was stressed and what the cause of their stresses were.  Also, I knew that this would be a good opportunity for me to grow as a manager.  I am a manager for Pier 1 Imports and I have a staff of twenty-four.  I recently transferred jobs and my new staff is very tenured.  The previous manager had been there for over five years.  We all know that change is a very stressful time because it is hard to accept. Here are the results of my survey:

 

1.                             Are you presently feeling stressed at work?

·        Yes-75% No-25%

 

2.                             If you answered yes to question one, what is the main cause of the stress you feel?

·        More than 50% of the answers reflected the new change in management and adapting to different policies and procedures.

·        Almost 25% said they were stressed due to the holiday transition and hours being cut.

·        13% (all new employees) felt stress because of lack of knowledge about the products and not being fully trained.

·        The other 12% were stressed because their personal lives were influencing their work.

 

3.                             Do you feel your job is too demanding?

·        This was tied with nearly 50% saying yes and 50% saying no

 

4.                             Do you feel the company’s goals and objectives are made clear to everyone?

·        Yes-92% No-18%

 

5.                             Do you feel that when you are under stress your productivity lowers?

·        Yes-96% No-4%

 

I found the results of my survey to be very true to the research that I have found on stress in the workplace.  I was not surprised that 75% of my staff was stressed due to work.  Moreover, I was not surprised that 50% of my staff felt stress due to the recent change in command.  I did receive one clear message in this survey; as a manager I need to know that I am doing everything that I can to ensure that the stress level of my staff comes down and stays down!  As you can see from my survey and other statistics, stress in the workplace is at an all time high.  This thesis will define what stress is, show the causes and effects of stress, and show solutions that will lower stress levels in the workplace. 

 

First, we must define stress.  We will look at three different definitions of stress.  According to Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (3rd Edition), stress is defined as “a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation; to subject to physical or psychological stress” (p. 1164).  Stephen P. Robbins, author of the book Organizational Behavior (2001) defines stress as: A dynamic condition in which an individual is confronted with an opportunity, constraint, or demand related to what he or she desires and for which the outcome is perceived to be both uncertain and important (p. 563).  LifeWorks is an organization my company uses for their Employee Assistance Program. They stated that stress is the reaction our bodies and minds have to any threat to our calm and stability (www.lifeworks.com). Robbins (2001) says that two conditions are necessary for potential stress to become actual stress (p. 564).  The two conditions are that “there must be uncertainty over the outcome and the outcome must be important” (p.564).  Additionally, Robbins says that stress is the highest when individuals are uncertain about whether they win or lose and it is the lowest for those who know that winning or losing is a certainty (p. 564).  In other words, stress is worrying.  More often than not, when you are worried about something, your body is stressed. As you can see, all of these definitions are different but closely related. They all state that there is undue harm to the body.  Additionally, we need to look at the definition of stressed-out.  We all say that we are stressed-out, but do we really know what this means?  Again, according to Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (3rd Edition), stressed-out is “suffering from high levels of physical or esp. psychological stress” (p. 1164).  Once again, we see the words “physical and psychological”. These are also symptoms of stress and are related to causing the body harm.

 

Now that we know what stress is, we must answer what causes it. Of course, we all know that our everyday lives cause stress, but we will look specifically at the causes of stress in the workplace. 

 

One such cause of stress in the workplace that I made reference to in the introduction is change.  People are resistant to change.  To some people, just the word change causes the blood pressure to rise.  Robbins (2001) defines change as making things different (p. 542).  As stated above, I recently transferred jobs.  This was a huge change for my staff.  As previously mentioned, they had the same manager for five years.  In those five years, the manager did not effectively manage the store.  When you work in retail, things change every day, sometimes every hour.  This manager had not changed anything for five years.  Old policies and procedures were still being used and other company changes had not been implemented.  When I came to the store, it was very hard for my staff to adapt to me, because I had to implement everything that had not been implemented for the past five years.  So, not only was my staff stressed, but I was as well.  During this time, within one week of my move, I found out that two of my family members had serious illnesses.  Due to this I turned to LifeWorks for support, where I found out that I was not only dealing with stress from change and personal problems, but relocation stress as well.  Relocation stress is the stress associated with moving (www.lifeworks.com).  LifeWorks said that relocation stress could be severe enough that experts consider it equal to that of a divorce or death in the family.  Luckily, I am dealing with the stress of change, personal problems, and relocation.

 

There are also three factors that can contribute to stress.  These three factors are environmental, organizational, and individual.  Environmental factors can include political and economic uncertainties, along with technological uncertainties. Given the recent strain in the economy, more and more layoffs are occurring.  Employees are taking these layoffs personally and causing undue stress.  Aitken and Cherwitz (2001) state, “many employees view the current industry downturn and the resulting layoffs and cutbacks as a devastating personal assault.”  They say that the reason for this is that people’s lives are being decided for them, without their input. A magazine called Management Services did a survey in 2002 on why employees felt stress at work.  According to this survey, 41% say that they felt stress from their productivity being reduced and 20% of these people had to seek medical attention.   Robbins (2001) states:

 

Because new innovations can make an employee’s skills and experience obsolete in a very short period of time, computers, robotics, automation’s, and similar forms of technological innovations are a threat to many people and cause them stress (p. 565). 

 

Organizational factors are another cause of stress in the workplace.  Robbins (2001) writes, “There is no shortage of factors within the organization that can cause stress.  Pressures to avoid errors or complete tasks in a limited time period, work overload, a demanding and insensitive boss, and unpleasant co-workers are a few examples” (p. 565).  Robbins (2001) categorized all of these factors into six categories: task, role, and interpersonal demands, organizational structure, organizational leadership and organization’s life stage (p. 566).  Task demands are the autonomy, task variety, degree of automation, working conditions, and the physical work layout for the person’s job (p. 566).  Robbins used the example of working in an assembly line, and these cause undue stress on an individual because of the pressure to get their job done without tying up the line.  Role demands are “pressures placed on a person as a function of the particular role he or she plays in the organization” (p. 566).  The person not being clear about their role, conflicts with subordinates, and work overload can cause stress from role demands.  Interpersonal demands are found in the relationships of those you work closely with.  Robbins says, “Lack of social support from colleagues and poor interpersonal relationships can cause considerable stress…” (p. 566).  Organizational structure is the level of differentiation in the organization, and where the rules and regulations are made (p. 566).  When companies are constantly changing the rules, employees feel the stress.  They feel this because they are mind-boggled by which rule is right or which is wrong.  Organizational leadership is the managerial style of the organization’s senior executives (p.566).  They are the ones that set the tone for the entire organization.  More often than not, they cause tension, fear and anxiety in their employees.  Additionally, Robbins states that organizations go through a cycle; “they’re established, they grow, become mature, and eventually decline” (p. 566).  Robbins says, “An organization’s life stage (that is where it is in this four-stage cycle) creates different problems and pressures for employees” (p. 566). 

 

The third cause of stress, the individual factor, is a huge cause of stress.  Robbins (2001) explains, “The typical individual works 40 to 50 hours a week.  But the experiences and problems that people encounter in those other 120-plus nonwork hours each week spill over on to the job” (p. 566).  In essence, their personal lives affect their stress on the job.  These factors include family issues, personal economic problems, and personality characteristics (p. 566).  What happens is that we are trying to juggle demanding 50-60 hour workweeks plus manage a family and home.  In today’s society, where both parents work outside of the home, this is tripling the cause of stress in the workplace.  The first cause in the individual factor of stress is the workload demand from employers.  A study on workplace stress done for Management Services magazine in 2002, stated,

 

One in two people working over five days a week felt that these working  conditions were damaging their health; 43% say that it reduced their job satisifaction, 40% said that it was damaging to their relationship with their partner, and 37% said that it was reducing their productivity (Management Services, 2002).

 

In the Families and Work Institute report, workers responded that they worked an average of 41.2 hours a week (Aitken and Cherwitz, 2001).  This does not sound like a lot. However, these workers also stated that they would prefer to work 34.5 hours a week (Aitken and Cherwitz, 2001).  Also, Aitken and Cherwitz pointed out how one employee was faced with the possibility of taking a higher paying position with more responsibility.  This employee felt that taking this new job would require more time, more energy, more travel, and more responsibility.  She went to her hiring manager with her concerns, saying, “I’m concerned that taking this job won’t leave me time for a personal life” (Aitken and Cherwitz, 2001).  The hiring manager stated, “If you’re blaming your job, you’ll always have that as an excuse and you’ll never have a personal life.  Get it - it’s not just about the job, no matter how high you get in the corporation” (Aitken and Cherwitz, 2001).  Although there is a lot of truth to the hiring manager’s statement, this proves how “open” our corporations are to their employees’ concerns about workload demand.  Also, this is where the individual factor comes in; it takes a strong person to juggle both work and personal life.  Some people can do it, and some people need more support.  Patricia Moore, “All stressed out”, says, “Who’s to say what is a stress trigger?  It depends on the inner resilience of the individual” (2001).  The lady that Aitken and Cherwitz used as an example did take the job, and made the commitment to keep her personal life intact. 

 

So we know that stress is the reaction our bodies and minds have to our calm and stability (www.lifeworks.com).  We now know some causes of stress, next we must look at the negative and positive side effects of stress.  Both effects of stress have physiological, psychological, and behavioral consequences.  In Patricia Moore’s article, All Stressed out, she references surgeon commander Allison Drewry, RNZN.  Drewry was a key speaker at Employers and Manufacturers Association (Northern) conference, which focused on stress in the workplace.  Drewry said, “The main issue for business, is that stress is reflected in dollars on the bottom line through physiological, psychological, and behavioral responses” (p. 20). Drewry describes stress as a “perceived mental or physical demand, with a different meaning for every individual”.  Additionally, Drewry says, “that doesn’t mean it’s (stress) bad for you. We all need a bit of stress…it’s when stress gets out of control the problems start”.

 

First we will look at the negative side effects of stress.  LifeWorks says that symptoms of stress include physical, psychological, and behavioral.  Physical symptoms of stress are difficulty sleeping, headaches, neck or back pain, muscle tension, chest pains, heart palpitations, stomach pain, constipation or diarrhea, sweaty hands or feet, trembling, and increased menstrual symptoms (www.liefeworks.com).  Psychological symptoms of stress are irritability, anger, depression, fatigue, anxiety, rapid emotional swings, over-exercise and lack of energy (www.lifeworks.com).  Behavioral symptoms of stress are binge eating, drug or alcohol abuse, increased smoking, abuse of prescription drugs, over-exercise and inactivity (www.lifeworks.com).  As you can see the psychological and behavioral symptoms of stress can be tied together.  Drewry says, “Mental health in the workplace is affected by a range of complex causes which may include the inherent nature of work, the social and physical environment and also ‘off-the-job’ experiences.”  If you are experiencing one then you are sure that the other will be affected. 

 

According to LifeWorks, “stress can be a destructive force in our lives…unmanaged stress can push us to engage in unhealthy behavior, such as binge eating, excessive drinking, or drug abuse”, especially when we are feeling it everyday.  In fact when our bodies are continuously stressed we use the “fight or flight response” (LifeWorks, 2002).  When our bodies are continuously stressed, they cannot fully relax between un-stressful periods.  Instead, our bodies stay “tense and poised for the next challenge” (LifeWorks, 2002).  If stress is left untreated it can be fatal.  According to Sandi Aitken and Nancy Cherwitz, authors of “Getting a New Perspective” in Workspan magazine, “fifty percent of all deaths are due to social and behavioral factors, such as smoking, diet, alcohol use and sedentary behavior” (2001).  Consequently, all of these unhealthy lifestyles are a cause of stress in the workplace.  Moreover, the more you understand your body and its reaction to stress, the more you will be able to control it.  One classic reaction showing that you are stressed could be worrying about what your boss is thinking of your performance at work.  Also, we have all felt anxious about some task that has been on our “to-do-list” for months, and the more we put it off, the more we worry about it, consequently, causing undue stress to our bodies. 

 

However, not all stress is bad. Some experts say that stress can be a good thing; it helps motivate us to get the job done.  “Eliminating the causes of bad workplace stress,” an article in the Electrical Apparatus states, “Challenge stress or good stress is the kind that motivates and excites, the kind that most likely yields good results on the job” (2001).  As you can see, a lot of people thrive on stress, therefore producing better results.  I happen to be one of those people; I work better under stress.  Unfortunately, when I am stressed, I do not sleep and I experience painful migraines.  LifeWorks says, “A brief round of positive stress can leave us feeling refreshed, relaxed, and recharged.”  Stress can have a positive effect on a person, if channeled correctly. Robbins (2001) says that stress can be an opportunity “when it offers potential gain” (p. 563).  Additionally, sometimes workers perform better when they feel that they are under the gun. Also, Robbins states, “For many people, low to moderate amounts of stress enable them to perform their jobs better by increasing their work intensity, alertness, and ability to react” (p. 573).  Moreover, Drewry says “…that doesn’t mean it’s (stress) bad for you we all need a bit of stress.  It’s when stress gets out of control the problems start” (p. 20). 

It is also important to remember that as stated above people adapt to and handle stress in different ways.  Some people thrive under it, while others crumble.  One person may recognize rising levels of stress when their stomach is upset and they feel irritable, while another person gets headaches and chest pains.  However, LifeWorks says that insomnia (trouble sleeping) is the most common physical symptom of stress.  LifeWorks states:

 

Eighty five percent of people report that they have trouble sleeping when they are under stress.  And lack of sleep is directly related to many of the other symptoms of stress, including fatigue, irritability, headaches, neck and back pain, and muscle tension (www.lifeworks.com). As you can see, the negative side effects of stress more than outweigh the positive side effects.

 

Part 2 of this article will be published in the June 2003 issue of weLEAD Online Magazine!

 

Comments to: editor@leadingtoday.org

 

 

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About the author:

 

Alisha Smith is presently a manager at Pier 1 Imports where she has worked for almost three years. She started with the company in Kansas City, MO and am now manages a location in Fargo, ND. To help relieve stress, Alisha is an avid runner and enjoys nothing more than a runner's high. She is completing her undergraduate degree in Business Management from Bellevue University.

 

 

References:

 

Aitken, S. & Cherwitz, N. (2001).  Getting a new perspective.  Workspan, 10, 40-43.

Retrieved March 17, 2001 from ProQuest datatbase.

 

Carlson, R., PH.D. (1998).  DON’T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF at Work.  New York: Hyperion.

 

Dessler, G. (2001).  MANAGEMENT: Leading People and Organizations in the 21st Century.

New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

 

Eliminating the causes of bad workplace stress.  Electrical Apparatus, 9, 15.

Retrieved March 17, 2001 from ProQuest database.

 

Huling, E. (2002).  Handling stress in business life.  Roughnotes,3, 158-159.

Retrieved March 17, 2002 from ProQuest database.

 

LifeWorks (2002). Retrieved September 18th, 2002 from www.lifeworks.com.

 

Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (1998).  Tenth Edition: Massachusetts:

Merriam-Webster, Inc.

 

Moore, P. (2001).  All stressed out.  NzBusiness, 4, 20.

Retrieved March 17, 2002 from ProQuest database.

 

Pier 1 Imports. (March 2002). Creating Customer Loyalty.  Retrieved September 18th from

www.pier1.com.

 

Pihulyk, A. (2001).  When the job overwhelms you.  The Canadian Manager, 3, 12.

Retrieved March 17, 2002 from ProQuest database.

 

Robbins, S., P. (2001).  Organizational behaviors .Upper Saddle River: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Stop burnout before it stops your staff.  Ioma’s Payroll Manager’s Report, 3, 8.

Retrieved March 17, 2002 from ProQuest database.