Chapter Conflict, Stress, and Well-Being Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior 2e Andrew J DuBrin PowerPoint Presentation by Charlie Cook Learning Objectives Understand the nature of conflict and its leading causes Have the necessary information to resolve many workplace conflicts Understand the nature of work stress, its causes and consequences Explain what organizations can to manage and reduce stress Do a more effective job of managing your own stress A J DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition Copyright © 2002 by South-Western 7–2 Conflict Is the opposition of persons or forces that gives rise to some tension  Occurs when two or more parties perceive mutually exclusive goals, values, or events  Among individuals, conflict also occurs when persons face incompatible choices and are emotionally stressed as a result of the conflict A J DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition Copyright © 2002 by South-Western 7–3 Conflict in Organizations Conflict Frames  The differing lenses through which the disputants view a conflict situation Three dimensions of conflict frames:  Relationship versus task  differences between disputing parties in adopting either a relationship or task orientation to a conflict  Emotional versus intellectual  degree of attention the parties pay to the affective components (feeling and behaviors) of the dispute  Cooperate versus win A J DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational  degree to which parties share the blame for the conflict Behavior, Second Edition Copyright © 2002 by South-Western 7–4 Sources and Antecedents of Conflict Perceived Adverse Changes  Changes in working methods, conditions, or employment opportunities that are considered negative developments  Downsizing  Laying off of workers to reduce costs and increase efficiency affects both dismissed and surviving employees A J DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition Copyright © 2002 by South-Western 7–5 Sources and Antecedents of Conflict Sexual Harassment  Is unwanted sexually oriented behavior in the work place that results in discomfort and/or interference with the job  Types of sexual harassment:  Quid pro Quo – offering an explicit or implied employment-related benefit conditioned on an exchange of sexual favors Acceptance or rejection of the offer has no bearing on the relevance of the harassment conduct  Hostile working environment – creating an employment environment that is perceived by the harassed party as intimidating, hostile, or offensive A J DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition Copyright © 2002 by South-Western 7–6 Sources and Antecedents of Conflict Line Versus Staff Differentiation  Line units and managers deal with the primary purposes of a firm in manufacturing or selling its products or services  Staff units and managers serve in advisory roles and are concerned with secondary purposes of the firm  Conflict between line and staff units arises when:  Staff professionals attempt to influence line decisions and enforce compliance with organizational policies  Staff professionals appear have more loyalty to their professions than to the organization A J DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition Copyright © 2002 by South-Western 7–7 Significant Sexual Harassment Cases Oncale vs Sundowner Offshore Services Inc  Sexual harassment is “conduct” not “cause” (i.e.,sexual desire) and is actionable even in same sex cases Burlington Industries vs Ellerth  Sexual harassment threats not have to be carried out to be actionable  An affirmative defense limits employer liability if it takes action to prohibit or remedy sexual harassment and the harassed employee did not pursue corrective opportunities offered by the employer Faragher vs City of Boca Raton, Florida  Employer is liable for hostile environment whether or not it was aware of the environment A J DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition Copyright © 2002 by South-Western 7–8 Theoretical Explanations for Sexual Harassment Gender Approach  Sexual harassment is the likely outcome of increased interactions between men and women in the work place Role Approach  Sexual harassment results for the inappropriate carryover of sex-based expectations in the work place Power Approach  Sexual harassment is a mechanism for maintaining the economic and political superiority of men over women A J DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition Copyright © 2002 by South-Western 7–9 Negative Effects of Sexual Harassment Increased Job Stress Lowered Morale Increased and Severe Conflict Lowered Productivity A J DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition Copyright © 2002 by South-Western 7–10 Confrontation and Problem Solving D H Stamatis’ Six steps  Step 1: Awareness—recognizing that conflict exists  Step 2: The decision to confront—conflicting parties come into open contact, no longer avoiding conflict  Step 3: The confrontation—parties choose conflict management styles and work toward resolution  Step 4: Determining the cause of the conflict—parties jointly identify the source of the conflict  Step 5: Determining the outcome and further steps— parties attempt to reduce or eliminate cause of the conflict  Step 6: Follow-through—parties should check periodically A J DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational that agreements are being kept Behavior, Second Edition Copyright © 2002 by South-Western 7–21 Confront, Contain, and Connect for Anger Confront  Jump in and get agitated workers talking to prevent future blowups Contain  Move the angry worker out of sight and earshot of fellow workers Remain impartial in the situation Connect  Ask open-ended questions to get at the real reasons for the A J DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational angry outburst Behavior, Second Edition Copyright © 2002 by South-Western 7–22 Structural Methods The organizational structure of a firm can create conflict among and between employees  Structural methods emphasize juggling work assignments and reporting relationships to minimize disputes by:  exchanging members of an organizational unit for another unit’s members  resolving the conflict through an appeal to a higher authority  by maintaining an “open door” policy A J DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition Copyright © 2002 by South-Western 7–23 Work Stress Stress is the mental and physical condition that results from a perceived threat that cannot be dealt with readily  Stress has productivity, legal, and human consequences  Stress can result from both negative and positive situations  Stress creates psychological, physical, and behavioral health problems A J DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition Copyright © 2002 by South-Western 7–24 A Cybernetic Theory of Stress, Coping, and Well-Being in Organizations Stress is a discrepancy between an employee’s perceived state of being and desired state  For stress to occur, the discrepancy must be important to the employee  The worker attempts to deal with the discrepancy by coping through altering the perceptions, desires, and importance surrounding the discrepancy  To manage stress properly, a person must narrow the discrepancies between actual conditions and a desired A J.state DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition Copyright © 2002 by South-Western 7–25 Symptoms and Consequences of Work Stress Stressor  Any force creating a physiological, emotional, and/or behavioral stress reaction Strain  The adverse impact that the stress reaction has on employee health and wellbeing that coping with the stressor brings about A J DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition Copyright © 2002 by South-Western 7–26 Symptoms of Stress Physiological Emotional  Increased heart rate  Anxiety and tension  Elevated blood pressure  Depression and  Faster respiration rate  Dilated pupils   Increased perspiration  Risk factors   Heart attacks and strokes  Hypertension and headaches  Ulcers  Colitis  discouragement Boredom Prolonged fatigue Feelings of hopelessness Defensive thinking Behavioral  Nervous habits  Decreased job performance Errors in concentration and A.J.Allergies DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational judgment Behavior, Second Edition Copyright © 2002 by South-Western 7–27  Burnout A pattern of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion in response to chronic job stressors  Symptoms—cynicism, apathy, and indifference A J DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition Copyright © 2002 by South-Western 7–28 Burnout Sources of burnout (Maslach and Leitier) are mismatches between the person and:  Work overload (longer hours and less free time)  Lack of control over one’s work  Lack of reward for one’s contributions  Lack or a breakdown in the person’s work community  Lack of fair treatment  Value conflicts between job demands and personal ethics A J DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition Copyright © 2002 by South-Western 7–29 Factors Contributing to Work Stress Within the Individual  Coping with significant change  Being hostile, aggressive, and impatient (Type A individuals)  Having an external locus of control  Negative lifestyle factors (lack of exercise, poor eating habits, smoking, abusing alcohol and drugs)  Being pessimistic in general A J DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition Copyright © 2002 by South-Western 7–30 Factors Contributing to Work Stress Adverse Organizational Conditions  Stress from high job demands and lack of control over job  Role overload (too much to do)  Role underload (too little to do)  Role conflicts  Intrasender and intersender  Interrole and person-role  Role ambiguity  Emotional labor  Repetitive strain injuries (RSI) A.J.Culturally DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational diverse work force Behavior, Second Edition Copyright © 2002 by South-Western 7–31 The Job Demands-Job Control Model Low Job Demands High Job Demands Low Control Passive Job High-strain Job High Control Low-strain Job Active Job A J DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational EXHIBIT Behavior, 7-5 Second Edition Copyright © 2002 by South-Western 7–32 Organizational Approaches to Stress Management  Providing emotional support to employees  Making wellness and fitness programs available to employees  Giving on-site massages to employees  Allowing napping on the job A J DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition Copyright © 2002 by South-Western 7–33 Providing Emotional Support to Employees Emotion support from immediate supervisors can help employees cope with job stress Supportive behaviors include: Keeping communication channels open Providing the right kind of help Acting as a catalyst for change Holding back on disseminating stressful information A J DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition Copyright © 2002 by South-Western 7–34 Individual Approaches to Stress Management Control  Getting the right emotional support  Practice good work habits and time management Symptom Management  Getting physical exercise to release endorphins  Using a relaxation response technique Escape  Eliminating the stressor out theofstressor A.J.Mentally DuBrin,blocking Fundamentals Organizational Behavior, Second Edition Copyright © 2002 by South-Western 7–35 ... more effective job of managing your own stress A J DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition Copyright © 2002 by South-Western 7–2 Conflict Is the opposition of persons or forces... Laying off of workers to reduce costs and increase efficiency affects both dismissed and surviving employees A J DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition Copyright © 2002 by. .. environment that is perceived by the harassed party as intimidating, hostile, or offensive A J DuBrin, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Second Edition Copyright © 2002 by South-Western 7–6 Sources