1. Mini Project No. 4- Management for Engineers
Investigate the role of stress management as a
management strategy for improved
performance of workers. Taking an
organization on your own study the existing
practices in stress management, by conducting a
survey among employees. Comment on further
improvements possible.

2. What is stress?
Symptoms
Effects
Dealing with stress
STRESS AT WORK
N S Senanayake

3. What is stress?
 Everyday fact of life
 Stress can be good
 Excessive stress can be harmful

4. What is job stress?
Job stress can be defined as the harmful
physical and emotional responses that occur
when the requirements of the job do not match
the capabilities, resources, or needs of the
worker.

5. Causes of Job Stress
 Results from the interaction of the worker and the
conditions of the work
 Depends on individual characteristics, such as
personality and coping style
 What may be stressful for one person may not be
a problem for someone else.

6. Some causes of job stress
 Lack of rest breaks
 Long work hours and demanding work shifts
 Hectic and routine tasks that have little inherent meaning, do
not utilize a worker's skills, and provide little sense of control
 Management styles - a lack of participation by workers
in decision-making, poor communication in the organization, lack
of family-friendly policies
 Interpersonal relationships - poor social environment, lack of
support or help from co-workers and supervisors

7. Some causes of job stress Cont..
 Work roles - conflicting or uncertain job
expectations, too much responsibility
 Career concerns - job insecurity, lack of growth
opportunity, rapid changes for which workers are
unprepared
 Environmental conditions - unpleasant physical
conditions such as crowding, noise, air pollution;
ergonomic problems
 Work conditions that pose risk to health and safety

8. Warning Signs of Job Stress?
 Headaches
 Sleep disturbances
 Difficulty concentrating
 Short temper
 Upset stomach
 Job dissatisfaction
 Low morale
 Increased absenteeism, lateness, and
 Intentions of workers to quit their jobs

9. What Can Be Done about Job Stress?
Job stress may need to be approached in two
ways. The two approaches would include
 Stress Management
 Improve a worker's ability to cope with
difficult work situations.
 Offer stress management training or offer
assistance through an Employee Assistance
Program

10. What Can Be Done about Job Stress?
 Organizational Change
 Thecompany should identify stressful
aspects of work, and designing strategies and
improving work conditions to reduce or eliminate the
identified stressors

11. What Organizational Changes Can
Help Reduce Job Stress?
 Ensure the workload is in line with workers' capabilities and
resources
 Design jobs to provide meaning, stimulation, and
opportunities
for workers to use their skills;
 Clearly define workers' roles and responsibilities
 Give workers opportunities to participate in decisions
making process that affect their jobs
 Improve communications
 Provide opportunities for social interaction among workers
 Establish work schedules that are compatible with demands
and responsibilities outside the job.

12. Worker Characteristics Can Cause Job
Stress?
 A need to be in control
 The worker views lack of control as a sign of weakness,
has difficulty delegating assignments to others, avoids
showing signs of weakness or nervousness
 A lack or perceived lack of competence
 The worker feels his or her work is inferior compared to others,
makes poor judgments, lack of common sense, doubts about
his or her competence and ability to do the job

13.  A desire to please people
 The worker relies on favorable opinions and input from
others as a basis for building self-esteem, fears he or
she may disappoint others, cares more about others'
needs than his or her own, avoids communications and
actions that would displease others

14.  A need to be perfect (perfectionism)
 The worker feels under pressure to achieve targets, is
highly self-critical, feels a job well done could have
been done even better, sacrifices pleasure in order to
excel and achieve

15. In your project..
Identify a workplace with about 20 or
more workers
Investigate whether there are stressors
Determine most affecting causes for
stress
Recommend how to overcome stress
conditions pertaining to the workplace

16. In your report..
 The following should be included
 Description of workplace – type and no. of workers, the
present work environment
 General description on job stress (with references)
 The methods used to assess the situation of stress-
interviews, questionnaire
 Analysis of outcomes
 Recommendations