Stress in the Workplace

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Stress in the Workplace
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Stress in the Workplace

• BATs
• AO1 -Outline the range of sources of workplace
  stress.
• AO2/3 - Describe and evaluate research into the
  workplace as a source of stress- e.g. Johansson,
  Marmot
• AO3 - Discuss the ethical and methodological
  issues relating to Marmots study
• - Outline and evaluate and implications of
  Marmots work
• - Understand the principles behind managing
  stress in the workplace

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Sources of Stress Work

• Around 500,000 UK workers believe work stress is
  making them ill
• 5,000,000 million UK workers feel very or
  extremely stressed by their job
• Approximately 12,800,000 working days were lost
  in the UK last year due to stress, anxiety and
  depression

Source HSE
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Why is work stressful?

• Take 2 minutes to discuss aspects of work that
  are stressful (workplace stressors)

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Sources of Work Stress

• Demands
• Having more to do than you can manage, or so
  little you get bored.
• Control
• Having no control over your work rate or content
  not being able to set your own priorities
• Role
• Having to fulfill incompatible roles during work
  or having a work role that clashes with other
  roles e.g. family
• Physical stressors noise, length of working
  day, dangerous situations, temperature, amount of
  light
• Psychosocial stressors relationships with
  co-workers.

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Workplace Stressors

• 1. Work Environment
• Noise can affect concentration
• Temperature the hotter we are the more likely
  we are to be aggressive, leading to frustration
  and stress

Are all jobs in hot places stressful!!
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The Job Strain Model
Demand of job
Amount of control
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Control at Work

• Marmot et al (1997)
• Longitudinal study of 7300 civil servants
• Five year study assessing job control (work
  grade) and CHD symptoms (self report)
• Lower grade (less control) associated with higher
  risk of CHD symptoms (1.5 to 2.3x inflated risk)
• NB correlational data restricted sample

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Star Study Marmot et al., 1997

• Aim To test the job-strain model workplace
  creates stress and illness in 2 ways high demand
  and low control e.g civil servants high grades
  experience high job demand, lower grades have low
  job control
• Procedures 7,372 civil servants in London
  answered a questionnaire and checked for signs of
  cardiovascular disease. Reassessed after 5 years
  -info recorded signs of ischemia or chest pains,
  coronary risk factors e.g. smoking, employment
  grade (measure of job demand), sense of job
  control (questionnaire) , amount of social
  support (questionnaire)

Fill in the study sheet as you go
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Star Study Marmot et al., 1997

• Findings Higher grade workers- developed
  fewest cardiovascular problems.
• Lower grade workers weaker sense of job control
  and poorest social support
• Cardiovascular disease could be partly explained
  in terms of risk factors ( people who developed
  cardiovascular disease were more likely to be
  smokers and be overweight)
• Conclusion Lower control linked to higher
  stress and cardiovascular disorder.
• High job demand not linked to stress and
  illness.
• So does not fully support job-strain model.

Fill in the study sheet as you go
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Star Study Marmot et al., 1997- Criticisms

• Strengths
• Marmot et al argue that other studies show that
  lack of control does increase stress
• See next slide

• Weaknesses
• Are the findings more to do with socio-economic
  status?
• Low SES more likely to smoke, live in more
  stressful environments and have poorer diets
  which are
• linked to cardiovascular problems.
• Biased sample Civil servants may not be typical
  as they live in cities, more job oriented and
  ambitious. Rural inhabitants jobs may play less
  significance in their lives.
• Caplan (1975) ambitious people more affected by
  workplace stressors more affected by low control

Fill in the study sheet as you go
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Ethical Issues in Marmots study

• In groups discuss the ethical issues related to
  Marmots Whitehall II study
• Psychological harm may think something bad will
  happen to them when find results
• Confidentiality Must be kept anonymous, bosses
  should not know how workers responded
• Privacy giving away personal info

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Discuss the Ethical and Methodological issues
relating to Marmots study (AO3)

• Use the worksheet to help you outline and
  evaluate the ethical and methodological issues
  relating to Marmots study .
• This could be used to answer a question!

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Control at Work

• Johanssen et al (1978)
• Compared two groups of workers
• Finishers machine-paced, repetitive
• Cleaners self-paced, varied
• Finishers secreted higher levels of stress
  hormones, had higher levels of illness and
  absenteeism
• Van der Doef Maes (1998)
• High demands low control leads to greatest risk
  of heart disease

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Work Stress

• Work stress seems to be related to ill-health
• However, many studies have not considered
• Specific aspects of jobs that make them stressful
• Individual differences in stress responses

www.psychlotron.org.uk
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Other Research on workplace stressors

• Lack of control Schaubroeck et al (2001)
• Found some workers react differently and actually
  are less stressed by having no control or
  responsibility tested saliva to see how immune
  system is working. Some had high immune responses
  in low control situations.
• Some feel that ve work outcomes are their fault.
  In such cases control can make the unhealthy
  effects of stress worse.
• Role conflict and role ambiguity
• Kahn et al (1964) surveyed workers and found
  35 not clear about their job responsibilities
  and what they actually had to do

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Other Research on workplace stressors

• Length of Working Day Sparks et al (97) and
  Kageyama et al (98)
• Hair et al (2007) emails at work
• Use p 144 in your text book to find out what
  these studies found out.
• 5 mins

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Evaluation of research into workplace stressors

• Research has shown that as other cultures (e.g.
  Eastern Europe, Asia) adopt working practices of
  the West a similar relationship between lack of
  control and stress related illness is emerging.
• Individual differences - Personality was not
  controlled in the studies. Certain personalities
  may be attracted to stressful jobs, which causes
  health problems. (see next week!)

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Apply your knowledge!

• Tom shares an office with John, a young new
  employee. John regularly listens to music and
  talks to mates and colleagues on the phone.
• Identify one workplace factor that might affect
  Tom. (1 mark)
• Explain why the factor you have identified might
  lead to Tom experiencing stress (3 marks)

see next slide for EXTENSION WORK
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Implications of Workplace Stress Research

• Cost of workplace stress leads to lower
  productivity and excessive absenteeism, as well
  as early loss of key workers who develop
  stress-related health problems.
• What implications do you think the research may
  have had on improving the situation?

EXTENSION WORK
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Work Stress HSE Case Studies

• Read the HSE case study leaflets. Write a brief
  summary of each explaining
• What was the problem?
• How did this affect the workers?
• What changes were made?
• How well did these changes work?

http//www.hse.gov.uk/stress/experience.htm
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Plenary

• How much have you understood about Stressors in
  the workplace?
• Describe 2 ways in which the workplace can be a
  source of stress? (6)
• Outline the conclusions of 2 pieces of research
  into the effect of workplace stressors. (3 3)

Homework Outline and evaluate the contribution
of two or more factors to stress in the
workplace. (12 marks)
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Other Research on workplace stressors

• Environmental factors
• Physical stressors (noise, heat, poor lighting
  and overcrowding) make work more difficult and
  more energy has to be expended to overcome them.
  The increased arousal can lead to frustration and
  a number of studies have shown that increased
  noise and heat can lead to stress and aggression.
• Glass et al (1969) 60 students given cognitive
  tests in one of 5 different conditions loud or
  soft noise that was either predictable, random or
  no noise.
• Stress measured using Galvanic Skin Response
  (GSR)
• Later given puzzles (2 impossible, to increase
  frustration).
• Highest stress in random noise, then predictable
  and lowest in no noise.
• Conclusion noise creates stress especially when
  random/unpredictable which needs constant
  attention.