Problems of Work Stress - Assignment Example

Work and Organizational Psychology Q1: How could theory help organizations manage problems of work stress? Stress is actually thefact of everyone’s life. Each day we are presented with different alternatives, for instance, fight or flight? (Chan, 2007) our choice subsequently increases or reduces the stress. Stress theories are fundamentally related to the particular time and place which indicates that different theories are applicable only in a particular setting. Stress can be defined as the set of discrete emotions which might be experienced at a work place. However, Lazarus states that stress is a result of contract between the environment and an individual. The authority which actually formulates this contract is influenced by the appraisal process (Dewe, 2012). This subsequently means that every element of the stress has some relational meanings which can help in identifying the real issue which also managing the problems of work stress. Basically there are two types of appraisals which constitutes to the stress process, for instance, primarily appraisal relates to the personal acknowledgement by an individual that something is at risk. In a broader perspective a person can find his values and goals being seriously challenged by the environment. In contrast to this the secondary appraisal is associated with the removal of stress stimulators. Here, an individual try to recognize the possible coping resources (Dewe, 2012). In the contemporary world work stress has become as major concern for organizations as it leads to burn out, absenteeism, mental or physical sickness including tuberculosis and different heart diseases (Wall, 2014). In addition to this work stress also increases the risk of depression, anxiety, odd aches, headaches and most importantly the loss of appetite. All of these consequences cause significant loss to the organizations due to employees’ inefficiency and ineffectiveness (Beat Stress at Work, 2012). Research indicates that organizations can manage problems of work stress through implementing different theories of organizational psychology. For instance, there are three fundamental stress coping strategies including appraisal-focused coping, emotion-focused coping and problem-focused coping. However, before applying any of these strategies it is important to first conduct interviews and surveys in order to comprehend the basic antecedents of stress. Examination of stress symptoms including psychological and physiological well being of employees will actually help the organizations in selecting the right strategy. In addition to this Gryna argues that redesigning the job process also help organizations in dealing with employees’ workload and stressful conditions. For instance, incremental and radical changes can play a substantial role. Radical redesigning refers to the idea of reducing the number steps involved in job tasks (Gryna, 2004). For example, if an employee is required to deal with the suppliers then the overall process can be designed in a way which involves less documentation, simple decision making and no mandatory overtime. Incremental changes can be made through the use of computer technology and different software (Gryna, 2004). For instance, if a company is facing signification accounting workload by the end of month then it can use calculation based software to check most of the financial data. Organizations can also implement following steps in order to manage problems of work stress experienced by employees (Duane, 2010): Work underload and work overload: As discussed previously the organizations can reduce the tasks mentioned in original job description so as to minimize the employees’ work stress. However, work underload also needs to be considered through hiring employees as per the matching job requirements. Extending social support: Organizations can establish social support networks which can help in managing the employee conflicts leading to work stress. Supervisors play an important role in supporting employees and therefore organizations must maintain a healthy relationship between supervisors and sub ordinates. Leisure activities: Presently a large number of organizations are permitting the employees to bring pets at the workplace which subsequently helps them in having a good time off. Stress management programs: These primarily include internal counseling programs in which employees are asked about their on-job or personal issues leading to stress. Fitness programs: Physical fitness and well being also leads to psychological peace and tranquility. Therefore organization use fitness programs to manage work stress. Q2: what are some of the factors that influence people’s choices and decisions about their careers? Career decision making is the primary focus of different career development programs and career counseling. Here, the counselor is responsible to help individuals in making the selection from the academic alternatives which are in line with their career and occupational goals (Brown, 2012). Career decisions are also made when an individual feels the need of leaving one’s job while joining entirely different field of work. People who aren’t able to make right career decisions often end up in a job which does not supports their values and interest or it may be not up to their skills and personal attributes. Wrong career choice is directly linked with an educational degree in which the individual was primarily uninterested. Moreover, it does have significant consequences, for instance, the person began to have low self esteem, meaningless life, stress, burnout, boredom etc. (Career Decision Making, 2014). In the contemporary world individuals are exposed to significant career choices which make the career decision even more complex in nature. Research reveals that people belonging to different age groups experience almost same level of difficulties when it comes to making career decisions. However, old people have comparatively less decision issues and internal conflicts than the students (Albion, 2002). For a large number of people career decision making is a process which continues throughout their life. They constantly select their preferred jobs from the employment opportunities available to them. Hence each individual considering his career is actually exposed to different influential factors which are closely associated with his life, aptitude, education etc. (Ferry, 2006) Following are some of the factors that influence an individual’s career choices and decisions (Gardner, 2007): Values: These primarily include all the beliefs that an individual holds about his religion, society, culture and traditions. Today it has become highly significant to first recognize and evaluate personal values prior to making a career decision. This is because of the fact that if job requirements are inconsistent with personal values then it is difficult for employees to give their maximum efforts in achieving organizational goals. Interests: These are the results of one’s experiences and core values which might develop and change with the passage of time. Due to changing nature of interests people begin to feel disconnected from their studies and jobs after reaching to a particular level. For instance, a psychology student close to graduation might not be as interested in his studies as he was at the time of admission. This subsequently leads to discomfort in career choices. Skills: Skills refer to particular ability of people which helps them in doing something well. Skills can be improved or acquired as per the occupational needs. Goals: People tend to seek satisfaction in their career goals which is also considered the actual work life success. Hence it is significant to make such professional goals which support personal values, interests and skills in order to achieve satisfaction. Aptitude: They represent the fundamental requirements of skill development which are also considered a part of innate or nurtured qualities. These are helpful in building the personal strengths. Personality: It lays down the foundation of fundamental human characteristics which are different from person to person. Hence it is important to first know your personality type, for instance, calm or aggressive in order to make the right career decision. Apart from these, work experiences in early life also impact an individual career choice, for instance, today many adolescence are doing part time jobs along with their studies (Newman, 2008). This subsequently facilitates them in gaining significant exposure to the work life while developing necessary skills and attitude for their chosen fields. References Albion, MJ & Fogarty, GJ 2002, ‘Factors Influencing Career Decision Making in Adolescents and Adults’, University of Southern Queensland, pp. 1-48. Beat Stress at Work 2012, NHS Choices, UK, viewed 17 April 2014, Brown, SD & Lent, RW 2012, Career development and counseling putting theory and research to work, Wiley, Hoboken, N.J.  Career Decision Making 2014, University of Waterloo, Canada, viewed 17 April, 2014, Chan, KB 2007, Work stress and coping among professionals, Brill, Leiden. Dewe, PJ, O’Driscoll, MP & Cooper, CL 2012, ‘Theories of Psychological Stress at Work’, Springer Science and Business Media, pp. 23-38. Duane, S 2010, Psychology and Work Today, Pearson Education, India. Ferry, NM 2006, ‘Factors Influencing Career Choices of Adolescents and Young Adults in Rural Pennsylvania, Journal of Extension, vol. 44, no. 3. Gardner, JN, Jewler, AJ & Barefoot, BO 2007, Step by step to college and career success, Thomson Wadsworth, USA. Gryna, FM 2004, Work overload: redesigning jobs to minimize stress and burnout, ASQ Quality Press, Milwaukee, Wis. Wall, M 2014, Stress Test: Are you fit for work, BBC News: Business, UK, viewed 17 April 2014, Newman, BM & Newman, PR 2008, Development through life: a psychosocial approach, Wadsworth/Cengage Learning, USA. Read More