Organized workplaces are going through metamorphic changes under intense economic transformations and consequent pressures. Reorganizations, takeovers, mergers, downsizing and other changes have become major stressors for employees, as companies try to live up to the competition to survive. High Demand for Performance Unrealistic expectations, especially in the time of corporate reorganizations, which, sometimes, puts unhealthy and unreasonable pressures on the employee, can be a tremendous source of stress and suffering.
Increased workload, extremely long work hours and intense pressure to perform at peak levels all the time for the same pay, can actually leave employees physically and emotionally drained. Excessive travel and too much time away from family also contribute to an employee’s stressors. Technology The expansion of technology—computers, pagers, cell phones, fax machines and the Internet—has resulted in heightened expectations for productivity, speed and efficiency, increasing pressure on the individual worker to constantly operate at peak performance levels. Workers working with heavy machinery are under constant stress to remain alert.
In this case both the worker and their family members live under constant mental stress. There is also the constant pressure to keep up with technological breakthroughs and improvisations, forcing employees to learn new software all the times. Workplace Culture Adjusting to the workplace culture, whether in a new company or not, can be intensely stressful. Making one adapt to the various aspects of workplace culture such as communication patterns, hierarchy, dress code if any, workspace and most importantly working and behavioral patterns of the boss as well as the co-workers, can be a lesson of life.
Maladjustment to workplace cultures may lead to subtle conflicts with colleagues or even with superiors. In many cases office politics or gossips can be major stress inducers. Personal or Family Problems Employees going through personal or family problems tend to carry their worries and anxieties to the workplace. When one is in a depressed mood, his unfocused attention or lack of motivation affects his ability to carry out job responsibilities. Consequences of stress
The negative consequences of stress are of lot of concern to both individuals and organization. They include change in the behavior of an individual. It is evident that alcohol, smoking and drug abuse are linked to stress. Also, he may turn violent and show appetite disorders. Stress also has some medical consequences which may affect person’s physical well-being. Heart disease and stroke are linked to stress. The organizational consequences include decline in performance, withdrawal, negative change in attitudes.
Burnout, another consequence of stress may result in loss of self-confidence and psychological withdrawal. Stress Coping Strategies Stress coping strategies can be divided into 3 parts viz. individual coping mechanisms, institutional programs and collateral programs. The following diagram gives an overview of the above mentioned strategies.
References
• What exit interviews tell? http://www. financialexpress. com/news/What-exit-interviews-tell/113459/ • E. J. Sharma. Why Exit Interviews are Essential. http://www. expressitpeople.com/20020624/management1. shtml
• Robert D. Gray. Exit Interviews And Employee Turnover http://www. insightlink. com/exit_interviews_employee_turnover. html
• Exit Interviews Call for a fair feedback http://www. hinduonnet. com/jobs/0702/2007022800140400. htm
• Exit Interview http://jobsearchtech. about. com/cs/interviewtips/a/exit_interview. htm
• Stress at work http://www. lifepositive. com/Mind/psychology/stress/stress-at-work. asp
• Gregory Moorhead, Ricky W. Griffin. Organizational Behavior, Managing People & Organizations, 7th Edition. Delhi, 2007.