Page 278 - DMGT106_MANAGING_HUMAN_ELEMENTS_AT_WORK

Managing Human Element at Work

Notes mandatory. In the absence or low levels of stress, there will be boredom, apathy, and the lack
of desire to do any work. This can be easily understood with an example of a student who does
not study consistently all through the year because of lack of tension. Just before the
commencement of the examination, the tension or stress starts building up and this forces the
student to pick up the books and study so that he is able to perform effectively in the
examination. But if the stress continues to increase beyond that and persists for a long period
of time, the ability to perform effectively will decrease because of depleted energy, overload,
and anxiety. In that state, the student who otherwise has prepared well will suffer from
examination anxiety and will not remember the matter that he knows so well for his answer
and might perform poorly.

This process can be easily explained with the help of the Yerkes–Dodson Law, which states
that stress leads to improved performance up to an optimum point (Figure 12.4). After that,
stress has a detrimental impact on performance. McGrath suggests that performance declines
beyond the midpoint in the Yerkes–Dodson curve because of the increased difficulty level of
the task to be performed.

12.8 Managing Stress

Stress is an aspect of our life that cannot be avoided. Since it cannot be eliminated completely,
one needs to understand the techniques and strategies to control its consequences and thereby
enjoy more productive, satisfying lives both at the workplace and away from the workplace.
Since the source of stress lies both at the individual level and at the organizational level, the
techniques to control the negative impact of stress have to be identified both at the individual
and at the organizational level.
The management of stress consists of the following three-step process:
12.8.1 Awareness

The first step towards managing stress is to be aware of the symptoms of stress, specially the
negative ones. Some of the consequences of stress in terms of physiological, psychological, and
behavioural consequences have been discussed earlier.
12.8.2 Identifying the Source

Once the symptoms are palpable, the second step is to diagnose the source of the factors that
lead to stress.

12.8.3 Coping with Stress
After diagnosing the stressors, one needs to develop strategies to cope with them. Stressors can
be dealt in two ways: first is by directly removing or changing them and secondly, by helping
individuals modify or manage their emotional feelings and reactions in constructive ways.

12.9 Individual Coping Strategies

Since stress has an impact on the individual initially, individuals have to use coping strategies
to manage and control it effectively. The stress faced by individuals could be due to
circumstances they are in or because of their own temperament. If the stress is due the
environmental factors or job-related factors, the individual can use several coping strategies
which have been described here.

12.9.1 Change the Job
If a person is not able to derive satisfaction from the job that he is currently at, changing the
nature of the job or leaving the organization in favour of alternative employment may be the

272 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY