STRESS AND CONFLICT

Definition of Stress

““An adaptive response, mediated by An adaptive response, mediated by individual differences and/or psychological individual differences and/or psychological process, that is a consequence of any process, that is a consequence of any external (environmental) action, situation, external (environmental) action, situation, or event that places excessive psychological or event that places excessive psychological and/or physical demands on a person”and/or physical demands on a person”

Job Stress ““A condition arising from the interaction of A condition arising from the interaction of

people and their jobs and characterized by people and their jobs and characterized by changes within people that force them to changes within people that force them to deviate from their normal functioning”deviate from their normal functioning” An adaptive response to an external An adaptive response to an external

situation that results in physical, situation that results in physical, psychological, and/or behavioral deviations psychological, and/or behavioral deviations

for organizational participants”for organizational participants”

What Stress is, and is not

Good/positive stressGood/positive stress Bad/negative stressBad/negative stress Stress is not simply anxietyStress is not simply anxiety Stress is not simply nervous tensionStress is not simply nervous tension Stress is not necessarily something Stress is not necessarily something

damaging, bad, or to be avoideddamaging, bad, or to be avoided

What about Burnout? Stress is normal and often quite healthy, Stress is normal and often quite healthy,

however, when the ability to cope with stress however, when the ability to cope with stress begins to let us down, then we may be on the begins to let us down, then we may be on the road to burnout”road to burnout”

““Burnout may be the consequence of losing Burnout may be the consequence of losing the sense of basic purpose and fulfillment of the sense of basic purpose and fulfillment of your work”your work”

Burnout creates a sense of isolation and a Burnout creates a sense of isolation and a feeling of control, causing the burn out feeling of control, causing the burn out employee to relate differently to others and to employee to relate differently to others and to their work”their work”

The causes of stress

Extra organizational stressors Extra organizational stressors Organizational stressors Organizational stressors Group stressors Group stressors Individual stressors Individual stressors

Extra organizational stressors

““Extra organizational stressors include Extra organizational stressors include things such as societal/technological things such as societal/technological

change, globalization, the family, change, globalization, the family, relocation, economic and financial relocation, economic and financial

conditions, race and class, and residential conditions, race and class, and residential or community conditions”or community conditions”

Organizational stressors ““Organization is made up of groups of Organization is made up of groups of

individuals, which includes macro level individuals, which includes macro level stressors can be categorized into stressors can be categorized into administrative policies and strategies, administrative policies and strategies, organizational structure and design, organizational structure and design, organizational processes and working organizational processes and working condition”condition”

““Organizational stressor include Organizational stressor include responsibility without authority, inability to responsibility without authority, inability to voice complaints, inadequate voice complaints, inadequate recognition,and lack of clear job recognition,and lack of clear job descriptions or reporting relationships”descriptions or reporting relationships”

Group stressors

Lack of group cohesiveness Lack of group cohesiveness Lack of social supportLack of social support

Individual stressors

““Extra organizational, organizational, and Extra organizational, organizational, and group all eventually get down to the group all eventually get down to the individual level”individual level”

““Personality control, learned helplessness Personality control, learned helplessness and psychological hardiness may all affect and psychological hardiness may all affect the level of stress someone experiencethe level of stress someone experience” ”

Definition of conflict

““A process that begins when one party A process that begins when one party perceives that another party has negatively perceives that another party has negatively affected, or is about to negatively affect, affected, or is about to negatively affect, something that first party cares about”something that first party cares about”

Views of conflict Traditional view of conflictTraditional view of conflict “The belief that “The belief that

all conflict is harmful and must be avoided”all conflict is harmful and must be avoided” Human relations view of conflictHuman relations view of conflict “ The “ The

belief that conflict is a natural and belief that conflict is a natural and inevitable outcome in any group”inevitable outcome in any group”

Interactive view of conflictInteractive view of conflict “ The belief “ The belief that conflict is not only a positive force in a that conflict is not only a positive force in a group but that it is absolutely necessary for group but that it is absolutely necessary for a group to perform effectively”a group to perform effectively”

Forms of conflict

Functional conflictFunctional conflict “ “ Conflict that supports Conflict that supports the goals of the group and improves its the goals of the group and improves its performance”performance”

Dysfunctional conflictDysfunctional conflict “conflict that “conflict that hinders group performance” hinders group performance”

Intra individual Conflict

Conflict due to frustration Conflict due to frustration Goal conflict Goal conflict Role conflict Role conflict

Goal conflict

Approach approach conflictApproach approach conflict Approach avoidance conflict Approach avoidance conflict Avoidance avoidance conflict Avoidance avoidance conflict

Role conflict and ambiguity

The person and the role The person and the role Intra role Intra role Inter role Inter role

Interactive conflict

Interpersonal conflictInterpersonal conflict Inter group behavior and conflictInter group behavior and conflict

Interpersonal conflict

Personal differences Personal differences Information deficiency Information deficiency Role incompatibility Role incompatibility Environment stress Environment stress

Inter group behavior and conflict

Competition for resources Competition for resources Task interdependence Task interdependence Jurisdiction ambiguity Jurisdiction ambiguity Status struggles Status struggles

The effects of stress andintra individual conflict

Physical problems due to stress and conflict Physical problems due to stress and conflict Psychological problems due to stress and Psychological problems due to stress and

conflict conflict Behavioral problems due to stress and Behavioral problems due to stress and

conflict conflict

Coping strategies for stress and conflict

Individual coping strategies Individual coping strategies Organizational coping strategies Organizational coping strategies

Individual coping strategies

Exercise Exercise Relaxation Relaxation Behavioral self control Behavioral self control Cognitive therapy Cognitive therapy Networking Networking

Organizational coping strategies

Be proactive Be proactive Acknowledge survivors emotions Acknowledge survivors emotions Communicate after the downsizing Communicate after the downsizing Clarify new roles Clarify new roles

The conflict process

Felt Conflict

Conflict-Handling

Intentions •Competing

•Collaborating •Compromising

•Avoiding •Accommodating

Overt conflict •Party’s behavior •Other’s reaction

Increased group

performance

Decreased group

performance

Perceived

ConflictAntecedent Condition

•Communication

•Structure

•Personal variables

The conflict process

Perceived conflict Perceived conflict Felt conflict Felt conflict Intensions Intensions Competing Competing Collaborating Collaborating Avoiding Avoiding Accommodating Accommodating CompromisingCompromising

Conflict Management Technique

Conflict resolution techniques Conflict resolution techniques Conflict stimulation techniques Conflict stimulation techniques