Behavior Syndrome and Stress - Assignment Example

Running head: Behavior syndrome and stress Behavior syndrome and stress Name Course Tutor Introduction Different individuals, species and groups behave in more or less the same way in certain given situation. The tendency to show or exhibit a suit of correlated behavior across situation is what is referred to as the behavior syndrome. Some individuals and groups in organizations also tend to behave in a correlated way when subjected to same situations. Behavior syndrome is characterized by different behavior displayed by a group of people in the organization like the hostility and the aggression or even submission depending on the organization culture that has been developed over the years. Behavior syndrome contributes greatly to the personality of people and shapes their reaction towards approach to different situations (Lefebvre, 1997 Pp. 58). Behavior syndrome has been attributed to attainment of some stress levels or lack of stress at all depending on the kind of behavior adopted. In this discussion we are going to look at types of personalities that are brought about by the different behavior syndrome. The discussion will also show the relationship between the personality, health and the organization behavior. The variation in the level of impacts that the different individuals get through the different personalities is also going to be addressed. The discussion will include the type A and type B personalities as they are stipulated by Meyer Friedman and Ray Roseman in their contribution on the behavior syndrome. The research showed that it requires people of sober and health mind in the organization to be productive. Discussion Meyer Friedman, a cardiologist and a doctor friend by the name Ray Roseman conducted some researche on the behavior of people and their impacts on the personalities. The development of type A and type B personalities attracted reactions from many doctors then who forwarded their suggestion and contribution. The type A personality is characterized by persons with high competitiveness and they work compulsively hard to meet the deadlines. They don’t see anything to block them from realization of their objectives. The type A persons are very aggressive and authoritative. They tend to bark at their subordinates when they feel that they are not productive enough or when they are slow at their operations. Dr. Meyer showed that the people with the type A personality are more prone to heart attack and he gave recommendations on the treatment of this condition. This condition is brought by the fact that these people would like to do many things at the same time and very conscious about meeting their aims regardless of the situation (Jay, 2000 Pp. 113). Persons with type A personality suffer from stress at high levels. The reason is that they give pressure to themselves to attain the required results and they are affected by their workers when they fail to meet the standards and deadlines. These people are referred to as workaholics due to their tendency of always working even when they are not productive. The type B personalities are the people who are the opposite of type A in character and behavior. The type B persons are known to be relaxed, patient, easy going and never seem to be worried or affected by matters of urgency. The type B are not aggressive and are always friendly to their employees. They are not worried by deadline and are less competitive compared with type A personalities (Jay, 2000 Pp. 113). The persons with type B personality are known to be stress averse because they never put pressure on themselves or get frustrations from other people due to their failure to perform. The type B persons are always enjoying good health conditions and better lifestyles. The level of stress is comparatively low compared to their counterparts in the type A personality. The type B are said to be disengaged and therefore don’t affiliate with situations and events and their outcome does not affect them at all. However both types have their own advantages and disadvantages. For an organizations to be effective, there are situations which require the type A personalities while others require type B (Furnham,1994 Pp. 273). The type A personality is required where very authoritative orders are needed for performance. The advantages of this type of personality are that it makes lazy employees to be productive due to coercion and pressure. Type A personality is important in very competitive environment or where the industry has stiff competition so as to acquire a competitive edge. Due to the aggression of the type A personality the organization is able to enter into risky ventures where the type B cannot and establish operations which makes the organization acquire a bigger market share. Type A personality is also important in starting new business which no one else has ever established. This is made possible by the fact that type A personalities are risk takers and are not worried by the constraint on their way to success. They are result or goal oriented and therefore will not stand at anything. Type A personality is also important in situations where the company is experiencing decline in sales so that the aggression can be used to alleviate the sales. On the contrary type A personality has several disadvantages. This will include creating high levels of pressure to the employees leading to stress increment and low production. It also makes some employees feel unwanted and unworthy due to the barking they receive from the authoritative managers of type A personality. The type A personality can bring down the reputation of the company if it results to laying off of many employees due to pressure they receive. This has the effect of making the public become unfriendly to the organization and thus low sales levels are realized. Type B personality is equally important depending on the situation of the organization. This type of personality is important where the executive management has introduced new policies and they are to be implemented. To avoid resistance from the various stake holders, the managers should adopt type B personalities where they lead by example without orders and pressure. Type B personality is important where the organization has attained it maturation stage having acquired a good client base and no competition is experienced because the customers have proved their loyalty to the company. In this case the organization is just determined to maintain their customers and with the type B personality it becomes easier. Type B personality is important is important in new businesses that are upcoming in their process to gain customers. Such an organization requires employees to be motivated so as to be company loyal agents and help sell the company to the potential customers. This type of personality has low stress levels and therefore gives conducive environment for employees thus high production The type B personality has some disadvantage in that it can result to a company fall out because it does not seem to be responsive to the changes as faster to correct the deviations. Type personality makes the employees reluctant to work if they establish that their managers are the type B personalities. Personality factors and traits In the research about behavior syndrome, personality is one of the major concepts that have to be addressed. Personality is the inwardness and uniqueness that every person has and is attained differently depending on a number of factors which may include exposure, education, environmental hostility or hospitability among many others. There are five big factors of personality traits that are important in our discussion about behavior syndrome which are known to affect the level of stress that one sustains (Matthews at el, 2003 Pp. 18). One of the main factors of personality is extraversion. It is also referred to as the surgency. Extraversion involves traits such as being talkative, assertive as well as being energetic. This factor of personality is very important and those who possess this trait are less prone to stress. The research has indicated that those people who are talkative are able to handle stress s faster and more so they share their problems with people and thus reduce chances of getting stressed. The assertive persons are not caught by events unaware and therefore prepare early for outcomes thereby reducing stress. The other factor of personality is the neuroticisms or what is commonly referred to as the emotional stability. Neutralism encompasses traits like anxiety, tension and moody. The persons who possess this kind of traits are more prone to stress and health deterioration. Persons who are anxious are not even productive in an organization set up as they are never comfortable. They are not free to associate with other people and therefore not open. Openness is a factor of personality that is very important especially for managers in service giving organizations. It encompasses the traits of being imaginative, intellectual as well as insightful. The persons with these traits are stress free because they always get a way out of situation using their intelligence. Agreeableness is factor of personality that encompasses traits like affectionate, sympathetic kindness as well as empathy. Persons with these traits like associating themselves with the situation of others and consider themselves in those positions. The persons who possess these traits are prone to stress and they even suffer depression because their big concern for others stresses them and increases pressure. The last factor of personality among the big five is conscientiousness. This factor carries traits like through and organized. The persons with these traits are not affected by stress as much as those who are agreeable. The reason is that they follow certain schedule in their work and therefore consequences are determined early in advance. Strategies to support employees stress levels There are two schools of thought that try to explain the causes stress in the job places. One school suggests that stress s is brought by the personality of individuals which causes stress to one individual and not to the other. The other one postulates that the working conditions of the individual like fear for a job loss, work overload among others lead to stress. However there are some strategies that can be used to manage the level of stress of the employees in the work places (Griffin and Moorhead, 2009 Pp. 181). They will include putting your job in to the perspective. Whereas families, friends and ones health are indispensable a job is disposable. If the job is taking the better part of ones health it should be disposed. Getting some times away is also a way of stress management. When stress starts to mount one should take some times out, take personal meditation as well as some exercises, listen to some favorite music and look for some cool place to relax he mind. Job modification is also a way of stress management where the stressed individual finds a better way of working. This will include having rotational programs so that one is not bored by remaining on one place for too long. Talking out the problem is one of the major ways recommended either formally or informally. When one shares a problem with others it is considered solved because it prevents pressure building up and enhances relaxation. Owning up mistake and using them as stepping stones is one major way of stress management. The people who are angry with themselves for the mistakes they make develop pressure and stress which makes them unproductive. There are other strategies for stress management like making realistic assumptions and expectation, being positive and rewarding your self even for the slightest accomplishment among others. Stress avoidance in organizations There are however methods that an organization can take to ensure that the employees are less affected or never experience stress at all. It is the interest of all managers to having health employees either physically or mentally (Murphy, 1992 Pp. 38). For this reason to ensure the health of employees at work the manager should improve the communication about employees’ job security and future. The manager should as well clarify each employee’s role and responsibility so that one knows what is expected from him. The manager should unsure friendly and social climate with the employees so that interaction can be enhanced. Harassment of the employees should also de avoided because it increases stress levels and lower production. All the organization rules should be consistent with the policies of the organization. The managers should offer rewards and incentives to the employees due to their performance. Acknowledgement should be done for the well performing workers as well as career development programs for the employees to motivate them and increase their loyalty to the organization. Consultation of employees is one way a manager can use to ensure that the employees are not stressed up. This involves giving employees an opportunity in decision making especially with matters affecting their operations. The workers should also be given chances to formulate their own working schedules provided they fall between the organizations objectives and are practicable. Conclusion The connotation of the word stress is in negative dimension. However stress can also be positive contrary to what has been showed in the discussion above. Positive stress may be displayed in the situation where it cause new innovation and better and efficient ways of operations. Stress is known to make some people break or break record. In situations where it enhances break record due to pressure from the supervisor or the manager then it is said to be positive and necessary for productive operations. Stress in the organization is of a global concern. It requires managers to be proactive to the factors that results to stress and come up with better ways of managing the stress that is already in their organizations. There are many effects of stress to the organization like reduce production and inefficiency as well as total close down of the whole firm. Due to these effects proper and strict measures are important. The managers should also learn to detect the stress in their employees so that corrective measures are taken. The signs of stress include absenteeism from work without any apparent reason, reduced performance, and health deterioration of the employees as well as the irritation due to minor mistakes. Once the manager detects such signs interactions and socialist principles should be adopted immediately. 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