Human Behavior in Organizations

MGMT 4534 (Monday -Wednesday Sessions) Class 04 What about stress at work . . . And emotions Dr. James A. Burrescia

Class 4 What to expect! (Monday)

Saturday: November 19, 2005
Administrative Break

/ Introductions

1:00 1:30 1:30 1:40 1:40 2:30 2:30 2:45

#1 1

Session Break

#2

Session

2:45 3:40
3:40 3:50
2

Wrap-Up

Dr. Jim Burrescia

Class 4 What to expect! (Wednesday)

Saturday: November 19, 2005
Administrative Break

/ Assignments

7:00 7:30 7:30 7:40 7:40 8:30 8:30 8:45

#1 1

Session Break

#2

Session

8:45 9:40
9:40 9:50
3

Wrap-Up

Dr. Jim Burrescia

Access Class Website

http://coursesite.cl.uh.edu/BPA/burrescia/

Dr. Jim Burrescia

Emotions and Stress on the Job

Class Session 4

Learning Objectives
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Distinguish between emotions and moods. Describe the effects of emotions and moods on behavior in organizations. Describe ways that people manage their emotions in organizations. Identify the major causes and consequences of stress. Identify various organizational resources for managing stress. Identify various ways that we can manage our own stress as individuals.
Dr. Jim Burrescia 6

Emotions and Moods

Emotions: Overt reactions that express feelings about events.

Emotions always have an object. There are six major categories of emotions. Expression of major emotions is universal. Culture determines how and when people express emotions.
Display Rules: Cultural norms about the appropriate ways to express emotions.

Mood: An unfocused, relatively mild feeling that exists as background to our daily experiences.
Dr. Jim Burrescia 7

Categories of Emotion

Dr. Jim Burrescia

Emotions, Moods, and Job Performance

People in highly emotional states have lower job performance.
Especially true in the case of negative emotions.

People showing high positive affectivity make better decisions than those showing high negative affectivity. Being in a positive mood helps people recall positive things and being in a negative mood helps people recall negative things. People report greater satisfaction with their jobs while they are in a good mood. Being in a good mood leads people to judge the work of others more positively. People who are in a good mood also tend to be more generous and are inclined to help their fellow workers. People who are in a good mood are inclined to work more carefully with others to resolve conflicts.
Dr. Jim Burrescia 9

Class Question
Review: What are emotions and how do they influence peoples behavior in organizations?

Dr. Jim Burrescia

10

Class Question
Discussion: What advice would you give to a company interested in managing emplotees emotions in times of stress?

Dr. Jim Burrescia

11

Class Question
Discussion: What are emoticons, and what role do they play in communication by e-mail?
;-) Wink ~ Steaming Mad

http://www.computeruser.com/resources/dictionary/emoticons.html
Dr. Jim Burrescia 12

Managing Emotions in Organizations

Emotional Dissonance: Inconsistencies between the emotions we feel and the emotions we express. Emotional Labor: The psychological effort involved in holding back ones true emotions. Organizational Compassion: Steps taken by organizational officials to alleviate the suffering of its employees or others.
Dr. Jim Burrescia 13

Organizational Compassion

Dr. Jim Burrescia

14

Class Discussion
1. We all experience emotions, but some people disguise their true feelings better than others. Do you think this is a helpful or harmful thing to do? Under what conditions do you think it would be most useful to express your true feelings? Likewise, when do you think it would be best to keep your feelings to yourself?

Dr. Jim Burrescia

15

Stress

Stressor: Any demand, either physical or psychological in nature, encountered during the course of living. Stress: The pattern of emotional states and physiological reactions occurring in response to demands from within or outside an organization. Cognitive Appraisal: A judgment about the stressfulness of a situation, based on the extent to which someone perceives a stressor as threatening and capable of coping with its demands. Strain: Deviations from normal states of human functioning resulting from prolonged exposure to stressful events.
Dr. Jim Burrescia 16

Stress

Dr. Jim Burrescia

17

Causes of Stress
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Occupational demands Conflict between work and nonwork Stress from uncertainty Overload and underload Responsibility for others Lack of social support Sexual harassment
Dr. Jim Burrescia 18

Occupational Demands

Making decisions Constantly monitoring devices or materials Repeatedly exchanging information with others Working in unpleasant physical conditions Performing unstructured rather than structured tasks
Dr. Jim Burrescia 19

Work vs. Nonwork

Role Conflict: Incompatibilities between the various sets of obligations people face. Rule Juggling: The need to switch back and forth between the demands of work and family.
Dr. Jim Burrescia 20

Stress from Uncertainty

Role Ambiguity Uncertainty about what one is expected to do on a job.
Dr. Jim Burrescia 21

Overload and Underload

Quantitative Overload Qualitative Overload Information Anxiety Quantitative Underload Qualitative Underload

Dr. Jim Burrescia

22

Overload
Quantitative Overload: The belief that one is required to do more work than possibly can be completed in a specific period. Qualitative Overload: The belief that one lacks the required skills or abilities to perform a given job.
Dr. Jim Burrescia 23

Information Anxiety
Pressure to store and process a great deal of information in our heads and to keep up constantly with gathering it.

Dr. Jim Burrescia

24

Underload
Quantitative Underload: The boredom that results when employees have so little to do that they find themselves sitting around doing nothing much of the time. Qualitative Underload: The lack of mental stimulation that accompanies many routine, repetitive jobs.
Dr. Jim Burrescia 25

Class Discussion
1. Think of a time when it was necessary for you to express compassion on the job in response to a traumatic situation. What were the circumstances? What did you do that was effective? What steps might you take to become even more effective the next time it is necessary to express compassion on the job?

Dr. Jim Burrescia

26

Responsibility for Others

Dr. Jim Burrescia

27

Social Support
The friendship and support of others, which help minimize reactions to stress. Sources:
Cultural norms Social institutions Friends and family

Benefits:
Boosting self esteem Sharing information Providing diversion Giving needed resources
Dr. Jim Burrescia 28

Class Discussion
What was the most stressful situation you ever encountered on the job? What were the stressors, and how did you react, both physically and psychologically? What role did social support play in helping you manage this stress?

Dr. Jim Burrescia

29

Class Discussion
1. Social support can be a very helpful means to reduce stress. However, do you think its wise to seek social support on the job, where you stand to make yourself vulnerable by talking about your work-related stressors (e.g., by showing your weaknesses, or by speaking negatively about your bosses)? Or do you think that only your coworkers are in a good position to understand your work-related stressors, suggesting that you should talk to them about the work-related stress you are experiencing?
Dr. Jim Burrescia 30

Sexual Harassment
Unwanted contact or communication of a sexual nature, usually against women

Dr. Jim Burrescia

31

Statistics about Stress

Dr. Jim Burrescia

32

Stress Effects
Task Performance:
Some individuals perform at higher levels in times of high stress. For most people, however, higher levels of stress lead to lower levels of job performance.

Desk Rage: Lashing out at others in response to stressful encounters on the job.
Dr. Jim Burrescia 33

Burnout
A syndrome of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion coupled with feelings of low self-esteem or low self-efficacy, resulting from prolonged exposure to intense stress, and the strain reactions following from them.
Dr. Jim Burrescia 34

Characteristics of Burnout
Physical Exhaustion: Includes low energy levels and feeling tired much of the time, as well as symptoms of physical strain such as frequent headaches, nausea, poor sleep, and changes in eating habits. Emotional Exhaustion: Depression, feelings of helplessness, and feelings of being trapped. Depersonalization: A pattern of behavior marked by becoming cynical toward others, treating others as objects, and holding negative attitudes toward others. Feelings of Low Personal Accomplishment, both in the past and in the future.
Dr. Jim Burrescia 35

Components of Burnout

Dr. Jim Burrescia

36

Stress and Health

Dr. Jim Burrescia

37

Organizational Resources
Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs): Plans that provide employees with assistance for various personal problems (e.g., substance abuse, career planning, and financial and legal problems). Wellness Programs: Company-wide programs in which employees receive training regarding things they can do to promote healthy lifestyles. Absence Control Programs: Procedures that give employees flexibility with respect to when they can take time off work. Stress Management Programs: Systematic efforts to train employees in a variety of techniques that they can use to become less adversely affected by stress.
Dr. Jim Burrescia 38

Managing Stress
Manage your time Eat a healthy diet and be physically fit Relax and meditate Get a good nights sleep Avoid inappropriate selftalk Control your reactions Take a time out
Dr. Jim Burrescia 39

Time Management
The practice of taking control over how you spend time. Effective practices:
Prioritize your activities: Distinguish between tasks that are urgent and important. Allocate your time realistically: Accurately assess how much time needs to be spent on each task. Take control of your time: Make a to do list and carefully keep track of what you have to accomplish. Unless something urgent comes up, dont let yourself be distracted.
Dr. Jim Burrescia 40

Assigning Priorities

Dr. Jim Burrescia

41

The Good Sleep Habit

Dr. Jim Burrescia

Schedule your sleep Dont go to bed after strenuous activity Avoid stimulants before bedtime Dont eat or work in bed Clear your mind
42

Stress Prevention Approaches

Dr. Jim Burrescia

43

Learning Objectives-Review
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Distinguish between emotions and moods. Describe the effects of emotions and moods on behavior in organizations. Describe ways that people manage their emotions in organizations. Identify the major causes and consequences of stress. Identify various organizational resources for managing stress. Identify various ways that we can manage our own stress as individuals.
Dr. Jim Burrescia 44