Working Environmental Factors - Assignment Example

Work stress Environmental factors Environmental factors are the physical stressors that are external to the body as opposed to physical stressors internal to the body. The external factors such as noise, pollution, over-crowding and excess heat have a common feature of causing a physically uncomfortable conditions that are capable of causing stress. It is not intensity of the stress alone that matters but also the duration of exposure. A low pitched continuous noise is equivalent to a sudden load noise in terms of stress (SKYbrary, 2010). Examples Working environmental factors can be weather conditions, hot or cold indoor conditions, dust, dirt, grease, oil, vapours, gases, smoke, noise of different kinds (industrial, traffic and office noise), draughts and second-hand smoke. The job-related stress factors are workloads, unergonomic working conditions, time pressure, constant contact with customers, overtime, monotony, accident risk, work on computers etc. It has been found that workers encounter four or more working environmental risks at the same time (EFILWC, 2007). Evidence shows that noise usually of > 90 dBA and unpredictable noise exposure would increase catecholamine, blood pressure, heart rate and skin conductance. Noise level above 90 dBA results in decrement in secondary tasks in dual task situations besides interference with tasks requiring rapid detection and response to continuous signals. Noise also interferes with detection of infrequent signals during sustained vigilance. Noise can be beneficial in tasks requiring gating or filtering of competing stimuli. It also influences memory in complex ways. Crowding which is an environmental factor is the psychological state that occurs when demand for space is in excess of available space. Crowding is different from density. But this concept is subject to criticism. However crowding is associated with inside density and outside density. The former is the number of people per living or interior spatial unit i.e number of persons per room or per square feet. The latter refers extent outside of a unit i.e people per square mile, buildings per acre etc. Crowding has been found to vary endocrine levels in different densities. Increased catecholamines were noticed in commuters in crowded trains and increased cortisol levels in crowded shoppers. There was however no such increased cortisol levels in crowded dormitory residences. Just like noise, crowding also causes increased blood pressure, heart rate and skin conductance. Crowding is also associated with negative effects including tension, anxiety and stress. Reduced helping behaviour has been found high-density conditions. Heat, yet another environmental factor, if exceeds 37 ° C, it can result in serious disorders such as heat stroke and heat exhaustion which can be fatal. Both heart rate and skin conductance can also increase if the ambient temperature rises. In prolonged heat wave conditions, there have been cardiac arrests among the elderly. Air pollution which is a collection of toxic agents such as sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and particulates fall in to two categories of indoor air pollutants and outdoor air pollutants. In the former, most harmful compounds are present in nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, asbestos, and various solvents. The latter include heavy metals which include lead, mercury; cadmium and others which enter into human body through particulant settlement from air, ground water and plant absorption (Evans & Cohen, 1986). Work environment such as large volume of work (high working pace), one-sided, repetitive and monotonous work, role conflicts i.e unclear roles, constant changes i.e insecure tenure, possibilities of threats and violence, irregular working hours, victimisation, complex tasks, working with people, social contacts, mental strains, solitary work and physical environment are also factors environmental to working conditions (Yu, 2014) Organizational factors Organizational factors relate to the possible issues or problems that can be sources of stress among employees. Organizational factors can also cause occupational stress which can arise out of excessive pressure on the affected individual at the workplace and the nature of the individual’s job itself may be stressful. Organizational factors can also be classified as internal sources of stress manifesting as organizational stress, group stress, superior stress and work stress. As all these are experienced by employees in organisations and as such, they can be called organizational factors (MSG, 2013). Examples They are, discrimination in wages or wage structure, strict rules and regulations, peer pressure, ineffective communication, goals conflicts or ambiguity, centralized organisational structure, limited promotional opportunities, denial of opportunity in decision making and excessive control of employees by the managers (MSG, 2013). Police officers, medical ambulance personnel, fire fighters, disaster workers have to contend with considerable stress (Iqbal, 2011). Work stress can be characterised by mechanical threats, physical injuries, chemical dangers, fire problems, respiratory diseases, absence of safety instruments, excess workload, rigid schedule and role problems. Management influenced stress can be due to long working hours, hostile command, oppressive control, low employee value, lack of recognition, lack of freedom and autonomy, torture culture and nuisance operation. Personal complaints such as low salary, absence of promotional chances, less job security, insufficient leave, absence of on-the-job training, absence of workmen compensation and lack of retirement benefits can prove to be permanent sources of stress. Working background or conditions such as frequent transfers, low ventilation, dust and fume, inadequate safety, poor lighting, poor layout and defective machines can also cause stress. Group influences such as group cohesiveness, disrespect, politics, conflict and association dispute can cause stress. (Joy & Radhakrishnan, 2011), (EL Shikieri & Musa, 2012). Individual factors Individual factors can arise out of individual differences among the employees or specific personality traits of individuals. Within the cognitive context, stress arises in terms of an individual’s perception and coping ability. A person’s understanding of the situation, their thinking that the said situation is harmful to them and their doubts on their ability to cope with it are at the core of their stress. In their efforts to cope, they may take steps to solve the problem or try to ventilate the emotional distress associated with it. This kind of situation is re-appraised and the response said above is repeated. Psychological or physical strain continues to persist with the resultant prolonged adverse effects on their health (NOHSC, 2001). Examples Family expectation and expectations from peers, supervisors, sub-ordinates are often not understood by employees leading to stressful conditions for them. By not understanding such expectations, the employees run into role conflicts which cause stress. Inherent personality traits like impatience, aggressiveness, rigidity and feeling of time pressure are additional factors at the individual level. In addition, family problems, personal financial problems, sudden career changes are also factors that cause stress on individual basis (MSG, 2013). Individual differences also impede performance of people at work. Two persons doing the same job can react differently in opposite ways. Personality factors such as openness, agreeableness, extraversion, conscientiousness and neuroticism are individual factors and the last two are the major causes cited in compensation claims. People who are associated with conscientiousness are prone to musculoskeletal and occupational injuries. They display somatic symptoms and as they are subject to peripheral muscle tension, they experience more wear and tear from repetitive moments. Emotionality, another individual factor is largely found in people seeking psychological injury compensations especially for the long-term. Such individuals with high levels of emotionality react to life events negatively and think negatively about themselves and they eventually become “more distressed, more anxious or more depressed.” They also carry personal work stressors to workplace and vice versa (Ford, 2004). Strategies for coping with stress. There are organisational strategies and individual strategies for coping with work related stress. Theoretical speaking, coping strategies depend on the environment both psychological and physical. The potential resource for coping may come from the nature of the environment itself. Measures of psychosocial environment especially social support have had positive impacts on the reported stress. Coping by withdrawal is likely in supportive environments. Case studies in a London hospital have found that organisational environments can contribute to coping patterns. For example, the social structure of the ward prompts adoption of strategies such as detachment, projection and denial as coping measures. But exercise of autonomy and discretion known constraints have been particularly useful in coping behaviours (Parkes, 1986). Organizational strategies Role ambiguity or role conflict should be ruled out by promoting organizational communication even more effectively. Organizational communication properly handled can change the views of employees. Managers should choose better symbols and signs which are not capable of being misinterpreted by the employees. Employees must be allowed take part in decision making. They should have greater independence, greater responsibility and should be given timely and meaningful feedback. Organizational structure may be decentralized to the extent possible. There should be fair distribution of incentives and wage structure. Job rotation and job enrichment should be adopted to overcome monotony. Safe working conditions should be put in place. The hiring process should have an effective orientation phase. Prompt appreciation of employees for individual accomplishments and exceeding targets (MSG, 2013). Organizations must ensure that the workload is commensurate with the capacity of the workers and resources. Job designs must be meaningful, stimulating and offering opportunities for workers to apply their skills. Workers’ roles and responsibilities must be clarified and defined. Improved communications should be ensured in order to avoid uncertainty about their career prospects. There should also opportunities for social interaction among the employees. Work schedules should be conducive to demands and responsibilities for the workers outside the job. Telecommuting is the best alternative organizations have found to be useful in reducing stress for the workers. It is highly desirable as the workers gain more control over their work. Telecommuters have reported more job satisfaction and are less inclined to find new jobs. They have less stress by working from home, improved work/life balance and achieve higher performance rating from their supervisors. As part of a stress prevention program, studies among hospitals have reported decline in frequency of medication errors by 50 percent and in malpractice claims by 70 percent (Boundless, 2013). Individual coping strategies The employees should prepare list of things to be done daily on daily basis and adhere to the plan. They should take regular breaks for proper relaxation of mind and body. Time management in an effective manner will enable employees to achieve their targets in time and can overcome work pressures. Working hard to the detriment of the family members should be avoided. Employees should perform regular physical exercise so as to have effective blood circulation and diversion of mind from work pressure. Having regular and plenty of water, healthy eating habits will lead to a healthy lifestyle. Relaxation techniques such as yoga, listening to music and meditation should be practiced. They should be optimistic about their work approach. Avoiding connecting with negative minded employees greatly helps. There should be emotional intelligence at workplace with proper self-awareness, self-confidence and self-control in the employees. They should connect with society for social support by connecting with peers who can listen to their problems so as to be relieved of stress. Employee counselling is also a method of getting relief from stress. They should be encouraged to pursue fun by cracking jokes, playing sports which can greatly release stress. Employees should avoid being preoccupied with their self. Instead, by focussing outside, they should try helping others so as to get relief from stress (MSG, 2013). Among those who do the same job only one out of ten are characterised by conscientiousness stress factor and affected by overuse syndrome, they file compensation claims after the damage is done. Such people must be identified before the damage starts or worsens and counselled (Ford, 2004). The classification of stress at work as above may be found to be as overlapping conditions among the factors. It only shows that work stress is omnipotent and it can be targeted at any angle for coping with. Besides, understanding of work stress on a broad-spectrum enables formulation of coping strategies in wider perspectives. References Boundless. (2013). Stress in Organizations in Management. Boundless Learning, Incoporated . EFILWC. (2007). Working environment risks and other job-related stress factors in Austria. European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (EFILWC) , 1-11. EL Shikieri, A. B., & Musa, H. A. (2012). Factors Associated with Occupational Stress and Their Effects on Organizational Performance in a Sudanese University. Creative Education , 3 (1), 134-144. Evans, G. W., & Cohen, S. (1986). Environmental Stress. Plenum US. Ford, S. (2004). Workplace stress: environmental and individual factors. In-Psych . Garside, R., Johal, S., Naswall, K., & Johnston, D. (2013). A general review of psychological factors relating to disaster recovery in the workplace in a 2010-2011 Canterbury context. GNS Science Report , 31. Iqbal, A. (2011). Faculty Perception of Stress and Coping Strategies in a Saudi Private University: An Exploratory Study. International Education Studies , 4 (3), 137-149. Joy, J. P., & Radhakrishnan, R. (2011). A Study on the Impact of Stress on Work Performance of Textile Employees. International Journal of Strategic Organization and Behavioral Science , 1 (2), 1-11. MSG. (2013). Employee Stress - Strategies for managing stress at workplace. Retrieved March 14, 2014, from Management Study Guide : http://managementstudyguide.com/employee-stress.htm NOHSC. (2001). The NOHSC Symposium on the OHS Implications of Stress. National occupational health and safety commission . Parkes, K. R. (1986). Coping in Stressful Episodes: The Role of Individual Differences,Environmental Factors, and Situational Characteristics. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 51 (6), 1277-1292. SKYbrary. (2010, October 26 ). Stress and Stress Management (OGHFA BN). Retrieved March 21, 2014, from SKYbrary : Available from : http://www.skybrary.aero/index.php/Stress_and_Stress_Management_%28OGHFA_BN%29 [Accessed 20th March 2014] Yu, M. (2014). Stress– an increasingly common work environment problem. Swedish Work environment Authority. Read More