Workplace Stress and How to Manage It

Workplace Stress and How to Manage It

BMT 517

Workplace Stress and How to Manage It

Introduction

        The successful management of workplace stress is important, because stress can negatively impact any employee in any organization (American Psychological Association [APA], 2016, para. 1).  It can lead to adverse effects for a worker’s physical and mental health, and it can diminish their overall job performance.  Stress also has the potential to reduce the success of a company through decreasing productivity, increasing employee absenteeism and turnover, and reducing organizational safety (Blanchflower, 2014, p. 37 & McShane & Von Glinow, 2009, p. 80).  Workplace stress, however, can be reduced or effectively managed by eliminating what causes it, withdrawing from it, changing how we perceive it, controlling its negative effects, or through utilizing social support (McShane & Von Glinow, 2009, p. 83).

Stress and Workplace Stress

“Stress is an adaptive response to a situation that is perceived as challenging or threatening to the person’s well-being” (McShane & Von Glinow, 2009, p. 79).  It is a multifaceted emotion that triggers “physiological changes to prepare us for fight or flight” (McShane & Von Glinow, 2009, p. 79).  Stress causes our heart rate to speed up, our breathing to increase, and our muscles to tighten.  Additionally, our body attempts to heighten our senses by increasing the amount of blood, glucose, hormones, and fatty acids that are sent into our system.  Some stress, also known as eustress, can be beneficial as it motivates us to accomplish our goals or pursue success.  Workplace stress, however, is considered distress.  Distress can be harmful, because it has the potential to negatively impact a person’s physical and mental health.  Our bodies have limited resources and limited capacity to respond to stressful situations (McShane & Von Glinow, 2009, p. 79).  They are not designed to continuously endure the physiological changes stress induces, and chronic job stress can have a detrimental effect on an employee’s overall well-being (Kumar & Kumar, 2014, p. 345).

Theories on Why Workplace Stress Occurs

There are several theories that attempt to explain why workplace stress occurs.  In 1979, Karasek introduced the job demand-control model (Babatunde, 2013, p. 74).  This model states stress in the workplace increases when a job places high demands on an employee but gives them little or no control over the tasks or responsibilities of their job.  Johnson and Thorell later added social support to this theory to make it the job demand-control-support model (Nakao, 2010, p. 3).  They concluded “that support from supervisors or co-workers” buffers “the effects of high demands and low control” and decreases job stress (Nakao, 2010, p. 3).  Additionally, Siegrist developed the effort-reward imbalance model in 1996.  This model states jobs that require a high level of effort from employees but provide little or no rewards in return create increased stress for workers (Babatunde, 2013, p. 74 & Nakao, 2010, pp. 3-4).

Why Did I Choose This Topic?

I chose to examine workplace stress, because stress can impact anyone in any career field.  No person is immune to it or its effects (APA, 2016, para. 1).  In 2012, “the American Psychological Association’s (APA) annual Stress in America Survey” determined “65 percent of Americans cited work as a top source of stress” (APA, 2016, para. 2).  This survey also found “only 37 percent” felt “they were doing an excellent or very good job managing stress” (APA, 2016, para. 2).  Additionally, the Huffington Post (2013) reported “that more than 8 in 10 employed Americans are stressed out by at least one thing about their jobs” (para. 2).  These numbers demonstrate that workplace stress affects a large number of us, and we often do not know how to or do not have the proper skills to effectively manage it.  I think it is important for me to gain a deeper understanding of what causes job stress and how to successfully reduce it.  I can apply the techniques learned to manage stress in both my personal and professional life, assist co-workers with stress reduction and management, and benefit my overall well-being and job performance.

Negative Impact of Workplace Stress on Employees and Organizations

 Prolonged workplace stress has the potential to adversely affect an employee’s physical and mental health (McShane & Von Glinow, 2009, p. 80).  It can lead to minor physical ailments such as heartburn, indigestion, fatigue, and increased headaches, or it can cause more serious health issues like high blood pressure, a lowered immune system, or an increased risk for heart attacks or strokes (APA, 2016, para. 8, Blanchflower, 2014, p. 38, Harvard Medical School, 2015, p. 3 & McShane & Von Glinow, 2009, p. 80).  High levels of workplace stress can also make employees more susceptible to depression, anxiety, irritability, and decreased concentration (Kar & Praharaj, 2013, p. 538).  Additionally, job stress may cause workers to turn to bad habits that are associated with poor health like infrequent exercise, consuming inadequate nutrition, or even drug and alcohol abuse (APA, 2016, para. 8 & Werneburg et al., 2011, p. 357).  

Workplace stress has the ability to negatively impact employee performance and productivity as well.  Mofoluwake and Oluremi (2013) determined “as organizational stress increases employee performance decreases” (p. 80).  Stressed out employees may be absent from work more frequently, experience increased mistakes, procrastinate on completing assignments, or leave their job altogether (Blanchflower, 2014, pp. 37-38).  These factors not only have undesirable consequences for employees, but they also have negative ramifications for an organization.  The increased absenteeism, reduced productivity, and higher rates of turnover created by stress can all have detrimental effects on a company’s success (Buys, Matthews, & Randall, 2010, p. 25).  Additionally, organizations may experience financial strain through increased health care costs due to higher insurance claims from strained workers, increased legal issues from overburdened employees, or through a deteriorated organizational image if the company becomes well-known for generating a stressful environment (Kar & Praharaj, 2013, p. 538 & Werneburg et al., 2011, p. 356).