Raminder Kaur

7/31/2019 Raminder Kaur

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INTRODUCTION

Human Resource Management is an art of managing people at work in such a manner

that they give their best to the organization. In simple word human resource management

refers to the quantitative aspects of employees working in an organization.

Human Resource Management is also a management function concerned with hiring, motivating,

and maintains people in an organization. It focuses on people in organization.

Organizations are not mere bricks, mortar, machineries or inventories. They are people. It is the

who staff and manage organizations.

HRM involves the application of management functions and principles. The functions and

principles are applied to acquisitioning, developing, maintain, and remunerating employees in

organizations.

Decisions relating to employees must be integrated. Decision on different aspect of employees

must be consistent with other human resource decisions.

Decision made must influence the effectiveness of organization. Effectiveness of an organization

must result in betterment of services to customers in the form of high-quality product supplied atreasonable costs.

HRM function s is not confined to business establishment only. They are applicable to non-

business organizations, too such as education, health care, recreation etc.

The scope of HRM is indeed vast. All major activities in the working life of his or her entry into

an organization until he or she leaves-come under the previews of HRM.specifically, the

activities included are HR planning, job analysis and be sign, recruitment and selection,

orientation and placement, training and development, performance appraisal and job evaluation,

employee and executive remuneration, motivation and communication, welfare, safety and

health, industrial relations and the like.


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HRM is a broad concept Personnel management and human resource development is a part of

HRM. Before we define Human Resource Management, it seems good to first define

heterogeneous in the sense that they differ in personality, perception, emotions, values,

attitudes, motives, and modes of thoughts.

Human resource management plays an important role in the development process of

modern economy. In fact it is said that all the development comes from the human

mind.

Human Resource Management is a process of producing development, maintaining and

controlling human resources for effective achievement of organization goals.


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CONCEPT OF STRESS

A lot of research has been conducted into stress over the last hundred years. Some of the theories

behind it are now settled and accepted; others are still being researched and debated. During this

time, there seems to have been something approaching open warfare between competing theories

and definitions: Views have been passionately held and aggressively defended.

What complicates this is that intuitively we all feel that we know what stress is, as it is

something we have all experienced. A definition should therefore be obviousexcept that it is

not.

Definition: Hans Selye was one of the founding fathers of stress research. His view in 1956 was

that stress is not necessarily something bad it all depends on how you take it. The stress of

exhilarating, creative successful work is beneficial, while that of failure, humiliation or infection

is detrimental. Selye believed that the biochemical effects of stress would be experienced

irrespective of whether the situation was positive or negative.

Since then, a great deal of further research has been conducted, and ideas have moved on. Stress

is now viewed as a "bad thing", with a range of harmful biochemical and long-term effects.

These effects have rarely been observed in positive situations.

The most commonly accepted definition of stress (mainly attributed to Richard S Lazarus) is that

stress is a condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that demands exceed

the personal and social resources the individual is able to mobilize. In short, it's what we

feel when we think we've lost control of events.

This is the main definition used by this section of Mind Tools, although we also recognize that

there is an intertwined instinctive stress response to unexpected events. The stress response

inside us is therefore part instinct and part to do with the way we think.


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TYPES OF STRESS

Mechanical

Stress (physics), the average amount of force exerted per unit area. Yield stress, the stress at which a material begins to deform plastically. Compressive stress, the stress applied to materials resulting in their compaction.

Biological

Stress (biological), physiological or psychological stress; some types include:o Chronic stress, persistent stress which can lead to illness and mental disordero Eustress, positive stress that can lead to improved long-term functioningo Workplace stress, stress caused by employment

Music

Accent (music). Stress (band), an early '80s melodic rock band from San Diego. Stress (punk band), an early '80s punk rock band from Athens. Stress (Neo-Psychedelic band), from the late 1980's. Stress, a song by the French band Justice on their debut album

Other

Stress (game), card game Stress (linguistics), phonological use of prominence in language


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Chronic Stress

Chronic stress is stress that lasts a long time or occurs frequently. Chronic stress is potentially

damaging.

Symptoms of chronic stress can be:

upset stomach headache backache insomnia anxiety depression anger

In the most severe cases it can lead to panic attacks or a panic disorder.

There are a variety of methods to control chronic stress, including exercise, healthy diet, stress

management, relaxation techniques, adequate rest, and relaxing hobbies.

Ensuring a healthy diet containing magnesium may help control or eliminate stress, in thoseindividuals with lower levels of magnesium or those who have a magnesium deficiency. Chronic

stress can also lead to a magnesium deficiency, which can be a factor in continued chronic stress,

and a whole host of other negative medical conditions caused by a magnesium deficiency.

It has been discovered that there is a huge upsurge in the number of people who suffer from this

condition. A very large number of these new cases suffer from insomnia.

In a review of the scientific literature on the relationship between stress and disease, the authorsfound that stress plays a role in triggering or worsening depression and cardiovascular disease

and in speeding the progression of HIV/AIDS.


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Compressive stress:

Compressive stress is the stress applied to materials resulting in their compaction (decrease of

volume). When a material is subjected to compressive stress, then this material is under

compression. Usually, compressive stress applied to bars, columns, etc. leads to shortening.

Loading a structural element or a specimen will increase the compressive stress until the reach of

compressive strength. According to the properties of the material, failure will occur as yield for

materials with ductile behavior (most metals, some soils and plastics) or as rupture for brittle

behavior (geometries, cast iron, glass, etc).

In long, slender structural elements -- such as columns or truss bars -- an increase of compressive

force F leads to structural failure due to buckling at lower stress than the compressive strength.

Compressive stress has stress units (force per unit area), usually with negative values to indicate

the compaction. However in geotechnical engineering, compressive stress is represented with

positive values.


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Stress in Biological terms:

Stress is a biological term which refers to the consequences of the failure of a human or animal

body to respond appropriately to emotional or physical threats to the organism, whether actual or

imagined. It includes a state of alarm and adrenaline production, short-term resistance as a

coping mechanism, and exhaustion. It refers to the inability of a human or animal body to

respond. Common stress symptoms include irritability, muscular tension, inability to concentrate

and a variety of physical reactions, such as headaches and accelerated heart rate.

The term "stress" was first used by the endocrinologist Hans Selye in the 1930s to identify

physiological responses in laboratory animals. He later broadened and popularized the concept to

include the perceptions and responses of humans trying to adapt to the challenges of everyday

life. In Selye's terminology, "stress" refers to the reaction of the organism, and "stressor" to the

perceived threat. Stress in certain circumstances may be experienced positively. Eustress, for

example, can be an adaptive response prompting the activation of internal resources to meet

challenges and achieve goals.

The term is commonly used by laypersons in a metaphorical rather than literal or biological

sense, as a catch-all for any perceived difficulties in life. It also became a euphemism, a way of

referring to problems and eliciting sympathy without being explicitly confessional, just "stressedout". It covers a huge range of phenomena from mild irritation to the kind of severe problems

that might result in a real breakdown of health. In popular usage almost any event or situation

between these extremes could be described as stressful.

Stress refers to the strain from the conflict between our external environment and us, leading to

emotional and physical pressure. In our fast paced world, it is impossible to live without stress,

whether you are a student or a working adult. There is both positive and negative stress,

depending on each individuals unique perception of the tension between the two forces. Not all

stress is bad. For example, positive stress, also known as eustress, can help an individual to

function at optimal effectiveness and efficiency.


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Hence, it is evident that some form of positive stress can add more color and vibrancy to our

lives. The presence of a deadline, for example, can push us to make the most of our time and

produce greater efficiency. It is important to keep this in mind, as stress management refers to

using stress to our advantage, and not on eradicating the presence of stress in our lives.

On the other hand, negative stress can result in mental and physical strain. The individual will

experience symptoms such as tensions, headaches, irritability and in extreme cases, heart

palpitations. Hence, whilst some stress may be seen as a motivating force, it is important to

manage stress levels so that it does not have an adverse impact on your health and relationships.

Part of managing your stress levels include learning about how stress can affect you emotionally

and physically, as well as how to identify if you are performing at your optimal stress level

(OSL) or if you are experiencing negative stress. This knowledge will help you to identify when

you need to take a break, or perhaps seek professional help. It is also your first step towards

developing techniques to managing your stress levels.

Modern day stresses can take the form of monetary needs, or emotional frictions. Competition at

work and an increased workload can also cause greater levels of stress. How do you identify if

you are suffering from excessive stress? Psychological symptoms commonly experienced

include insomnia, headaches and an inability to focus. Physical symptoms take the form of heartpalpitations, breathlessness, excessive sweating and stomachaches.

What causes stress? There are many different causes of stress, and that which causes stress is

also known as a stressor. Common lifestyle stressors include performance, threat, and

bereavement stressors, to name a few. Performance stressors are triggered when an individual is

placed in a situation where he feels a need to excel. This could be during performance appraisals,

lunch with the boss, or giving a speech. Threat stressors are usually when the current situation

poses a dangerous threat, such as an economic downturn, or from an accident. Lastly,

bereavement stressors occur when there is a sense of loss such as the death of a loved one, or a

prized possession.


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Good stress v/s Bad stress:

Stress has often been misunderstood to be negative, with few people acknowledging the

importance and usefulness of positive stress. In our everyday lives, stress is everywhere and

definitely unavoidable; hence our emphasis should be on differentiating between what is good

stress, and what is bad. This will help us to learn to cope with negative stress, and harness the

power of positive stress to help us achieve more.

There are 4 main categories of stress, namely eustress, distress, hyper stress and hypo stress.

Negative stress can cause many physical and psychological problems, whilst positive stress can

be very helpful for us. Heres how we differentiate between them.

Eustress:

This is a positive form of stress, which prepares your mind and body for the imminent challenges

that it has perceived. Eustress is a natural physical reaction by your body which increases blood

flow to your muscles, resulting in a higher heart rate. Athletes before a competition or perhaps a

manager before a major presentation would do well with eustress, allowing them to derive the

inspiration and strength that is needed.

Distress

We are familiar with this word, and know that it is a negative form of stress. This occurs when

the mind and body is unable to cope with changes, and usually occurs when there are deviations

from the norm. They can be categorized into acute stress and chronic stress. Acute stress is

intense, but does not last for long. On the other hand, chronic stress persists over a long period of

time. Trigger events for distress can be a change in job scope or routine that the person is unable

to handle or cope with.


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Hyper stress

This is another form of negative stress that occurs when the individual is unable to cope with the

workload. Examples include highly stressful jobs, which require longer working hours than the

individual can handle. If you suspect that you are suffering from hyper stress, you are likely to

have sudden emotional breakdowns over insignificant issues, the proverbial straws that broke the

camels back. It is important for you to recognize that your body needs a break, or you may end

up with severe and chronic physical and psychological reactions.

Hypo stress

Lastly, hypo stress occurs when a person has nothing to do with his time and feels constantlybored and unmotivated. This is due to an insufficient amount of stress; hence some stress is

inevitable and helpful to us. Companies should avoid having workers who experience hypo stress

as this will cause productivity and mindfulness to fall. If the job scope is boring and repetitive, it

would be a good idea to implement some form of job rotation so that there is always something

new to learn.


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Coping with Stress at Work place

With the rapid advancement of technology, the stresses faced at work have also increased. Many

people dread going to work, hence the term Monday Blues. What is the reason for this? There

is partly the fear from being retrenched in bad times, leading to greater job insecurity on the part

of those who remain. Undoubtedly, occupational stress is one of the most commonly cited

stressors faced by people all over the world.

Stress refers to the pressure and reactions to our environment which results in psychological and

physical reactions. Whilst some stress is good for motivation and increasing efficiency, too much

stress can result in negative impacts such as reduced effectiveness and efficiency. More and

more people are feeling isolated and disrespected at work, and this has led to greater

occupational stress. Many companies have taken to consulting experts and professionals on ways

to increase connectedness and motivation of their employees.

Some companies organize parties and make their employees feel valued at work. These are

measures to motivate employees and help them to feel secure at their jobs, translating into

greater productivity. However, not all companies have such measures in place, and some have

not gotten it quite right. Hence, it is up to you to make sure that you can cope with stress at your

workplace, and use it to help you work better. Here are 3 simple steps to help you with copingwith stress in the workplace.


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Here are 3 simple steps to help you with coping with stress in the workplace.

Step 1: Raising Awareness

Help yourself to identify when you are facing rising levels of stress, tipping the scales from

positive to negative. This is important, as being able to identify signs of being stressed can help

you to take steps to ensure that your overall quality of life does not drop. If left unacknowledged,

the problem will only snowball, leading to disastrous consequences to your health and overall

wellbeing. You can identify if you are feeling stressed by checking if you have any physical or

psychological reactions, such as excessive sweating or heart palpitations, or the onset of

headaches, irritability or the need to escape. If you experience any of these reactions, identify if

you are feeling any overwhelming negative emotions, and if you are constantly worried.

Step 2: Identify the Cause

You need to be able to analyze the situation and identify what is causing the rise in stress. These

stressors can be external and internal. External stressors refer to things beyond your control, such

as the environment or your colleagues at work. Internal stressors refer to your own thinking and

attitude. Often, we only start reacting to stress when a combination of stressors working together

exceeds our ability to cope. Keep a diary or a list of events that have caused you to feel strong

negative emotions, or that are likely stressors. This will help you to identify the causes of your

stress. Whilst it is not always possible to eradicate them, we can change the way that we cope

with it.

Step 3: Coping with Stress

In order to deal with the situation that is causing you stress, you need to calm your mind and

body so as to stave off the reactions and cope with it in a positive way. This can be through

different methods, such as taking time off. If a situation is triggering your stress and you are

unable to calm down, remove yourself from it. Go outside and take a walk to calm down.

Alternatively, you can try implementing relaxation techniques such as deep breathing. If it is an

internal stressor, stop your thought process until you are able to deal with it logically.


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Stress Management

Stress management is the need of the hour. However hard we try to go beyond a stress situation,

life seems to find new ways of stressing us out and plaguing us with anxiety attacks. Moreover,

be it our anxiety, mind-body exhaustion or our erring attitudes, we tend to overlook causes of

stress and the conditions triggered by those. In such unsettling moments we often forget that

stressors, if not escapable, are fairly manageable and treatable.

Stress, either quick or constant, can induce risky body-mind disorders. Immediate disorders such

as dizzy spells, anxiety attacks, tension, sleeplessness, nervousness and muscle cramps can all

result in chronic health problems. They may also affect our immune, cardiovascular and nervous

systems and lead individuals to habitual addictions, which are inter-linked with stress.

Like "stress reactions", "relaxation responses" and stress management techniques are some of the

body's important built-in response systems. As a relaxation response the body tries to get back

balance in its homeostasis. Some hormones released during the 'fight or flight' situation prompt

the body to replace the lost carbohydrates and fats, and restore the energy level. The knotted

nerves, tightened muscles and an exhausted mind crave for looseness. Unfortunately, today, we

don't get relaxing and soothing situations without asking. To be relaxed we have to strive to

create such situations.


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Recognizing a stressor:

It is important to recognize whether you are under stress or out of it. Many times, even if we are

under the influence of a stressful condition and our body reacts to it internally as well as

externally, we fail to realize that we are reacting under stress. This also happens when the causesof stress are there long enough for us to get habituated to them. The body constantly tries to tell

us through symptoms such as rapid palpitation, dizzy spells, tight muscles or various bodies

aches that something is wrong. It is important to remain attentive to such symptoms and to learn

to cope with the situations.

We cope better with stressful situation, when we encounter them voluntarily. In cases of

relocation, promotion or layoff, adventurous sports or having a baby, we tend to respond

positively under stress. But, when we are compelled into such situations against our will or

knowledge, more often than not, we wilt at the face of unknown and imagined threats. For

instance, stress may mount when one is coerced into undertaking some work against one's will.

Laughter:

Adopting a humorous view towards life's situations can take the edge off everyday stressors. Not

being too serious or in a constant alert mode helps maintain the equanimity of mind and promote

clear thinking. Being able to laugh stress away is the smartest way to ward off its effects.

A sense of humor also allows us to perceive and appreciate the incongruities of life and provides

moments of delight. The emotions we experience directly affect our immune system. The

positive emotions can create neurochemical changes that buffer the immunosuppressive effects

of stress.

During stress, the adrenal gland releases corticosteroids, which are converted to cortical in the

blood stream. These have an immunosuppressive effect. Dr. Lee Berk and fellow researcher Dr.

Stanley Tan at Loma Linda University School of Medicine have produced carefully controlled

studies showing that the experience of laughter lowers serum cortical levels, increases theamount and activity of T lymphocytesthe natural killer cells. Laughter also increases the

number of T cells that have suppresser receptors.


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What Laughter Can Do Against Stress And Its Effects?

Laughter lowers blood pressure and reduces hypertension.

It provides good cardiac conditioning especially for those who are unable to perform physical

exercise.

Reduces stress hormones (studies shows, laughter induces reduction of at least four of

neuroendocrine hormonesepinephrine, cortical, dopac, and growth hormone, associated with

stress response).

Laughter cleanses the lungs and body tissues of accumulated stale air as it empties more air

than it takes in. It is beneficial for patients suffering from emphysema and other respiratory

ailments.

It increases muscle flexion, relaxation and fluent blood circulation in body.

Boosts immune function by raising levels of infection-fighting T-cells, disease-fighting proteins

called Gamma-interferon and disease-destroying antibodies called B-cells.

Laughter triggers the release of endorphinsbody's natural painkillers.

Produces a general sense of well-being.


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Workplace Stress

Workplace stress is the harmful physical and emotional response that occurs when there is a

poor match between job demands and the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker. Stress-

related disorders encompass a broad array of conditions, including psychological disorders (e.g.,

depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder) and other types of emotional strain (e.g.,

dissatisfaction, fatigue, tension, etc.), maladaptive behaviors (e.g., aggression, substance abuse),

and cognitive impairment (e.g., concentration and memory problems). In turn, these conditions

may lead to poor work performance or even injury. Job stress is also associated with various

biological reactions that may lead ultimately to compromised health, such as cardiovascular

disease.

Stress is a prevalent and costly problem in today's workplace. About one-third of workers report

high levels of stress. One-quarter of employees view their jobs as the number one stressor in

their lives. Three-quarters of employees believe the worker has more on-the-job stress than a

generation ago. Evidence also suggests that stress is the major cause of turnover in organizations.

Health and Healthcare Utilization

Problems at work are more strongly associated with health complaints than are any other life

stressor-more so than even financial problems or family problems. Many studies suggest that

psychologically demanding jobs that allow employees little control over the work process

increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. On the basis of research by the National Institute for

Occupational Safety and Health and many other organizations, it is widely believed that job

stress increases the risk for development of back and upper-extremity musculoskeletal disorders.

High levels of stress are associated with substantial increases in health service utilization.

Workers who report experiencing stress at work also show excessive health care utilization. In a

1998 study of 46,000 workers, health care costs were nearly 50% greater for workers reporting

high levels of stress in comparison to low risk workers. The increment rose to nearly 150%, an

increase of more than $1,700 per person annually, for workers reporting high levels of both

stress and depression. Additionally, periods of disability due to job stress tend to be much longer

than disability periods for other occupational injuries and illnesses.


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Causes of Workplace Stress

Job stress results from the interaction of the worker and the conditions of work. Views differ on

the importance of worker characteristics versus working conditions as the primary cause of job

stress. The differing viewpoints suggest different ways to prevent stress at work. According toone school of thought, differences in individual characteristics such as personality and coping

skills are most important in predicting whether certain job conditions will result in stress-in other

words, what is stressful for one person may not be a problem for someone else. This viewpoint

leads to prevention strategies that focus on workers and ways to help them cope with demanding

job conditions. Although the importance of individual differences cannot be ignored, scientific

evidence suggests that certain working conditions are stressful to most people. Such evidence

argues for a greater emphasis on working conditions as the key source of job stress, and for job

redesign as a primary prevention strategy. Personal interview surveys of working conditions,

including conditions recognized as risk factors for job stress, were conducted in Member States

of the European Union in 1990, 1995, and 2000. Results showed a trend across these periods

suggestive of increasing work intensity. In 1990, the percentage of workers reporting that they

worked at high speeds at least one-fourth of their working time was 48%, increasing to 54% in

1995 and to 56% in 2000. Similarly, 50% of workers reported they work against tight deadlines

at least one-fourth of their working time in 1990, increasing to 56% in 1995 and 60 % in 2000.

However, no change was noted in the period 19952000 (data not collected in 1990) in the

percentage of workers reporting sufficient time to complete tasks. A substantial percentage of

Americans work very long hours. By one estimate, more than 26% of men and more than 11% of

women worked 50 hours per week or more in 2000. These figures represent a considerable

increase over the previous three decades, especially for women. According to the Department of

Labor, there has been an upward trend in hours worked among employed women, an increase in

extended work weeks (>40 hours) by men, and a considerable increase in combined working

hours among working couples, particularly couples with young children.


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Signs of Workplace Stress

Mood and sleep disturbances, upset stomach and headache, and disturbed relationships with

family; friends and girlfriends or boyfriends are examples of stress-related problems. The effects

of job stress on chronic diseases are more difficult to see because chronic diseases take a longtime to develop and can be influenced by many factors other than stress. Nonetheless, evidence

is rapidly accumulating to suggest that stress plays an important role in several types of chronic

health problems-especially cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders, and psychological

disorders.

Prevention

A combination of organizational change and stress management is often the most useful

approach for preventing stress at work.

How to Change the Organization to Prevent Job Stress

Ensure that 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 and actions affecting their jobs. Improve communications-reduce uncertainty about career development and future

employment prospects.

Provide opportunities for social interaction among workers. Establish work schedules that are compatible with demands and responsibilities outside

the job.

Discrimination inside the workplace. (e.g. nationality and language )


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St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company conducted several studies on the effects of stress

prevention programs in hospital settings. Program activities included (1) employee and

management education on job stress, (2) changes in hospital policies and procedures to reduce

organizational sources of stress, and (3) establishment of employee assistance programs. In one

study, the frequency of medication errors declined by 50% after prevention activities was

implemented in a 700-bed hospital. In a second study, there was a 70% reduction in malpractice

claims in 22 hospitals that implemented stress prevention activities. In contrast, there was no

reduction in claims in a matched group of 22 hospitals that did not implement stress prevention

activities.


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Reduce your stress

Job analysis:- We have all experienced that appalling sense of having far too much work to do

and too little time to do it in. We can choose to ignore this, and work unreasonably long hours to

stay on top of our workload. The risks here are that we become exhausted, that we have so much

to do that we do a poor quality job and that we neglect other areas of our life. Each of these can

lead to intense stress.

The alternative is to work more intelligently, by focusing on the things that are important for job

success and reducing the time we spend on low priority tasks. Job Analysis is the first step in

doing this.

The first of the action-oriented skills that we look at is Job Analysis. Job Analysis is a key

technique for managing job overloadan important source of stress.

To do an excellent job, you need to fully understand what is expected of you. While this may

seem obvious, in the hurly-burly of a new, fast-moving, high-pressure role, it is oftentimes

something that is easy to overlook.

By understanding the priorities in your job, and what constitutes success within it, you can focus

on these activities and minimize work on other tasks as much as possible. This helps you get the

greatest return from the work you do, and keep your workload under control.

Job Analysis is a useful technique for getting a firm grip on what really is important in your job

so that you are able to perform excellently. It helps you to cut through clutter and distraction to

get to the heart of what you need to do.


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Rational & positive thinking: -

You are thinking negatively when you fear the future, put yourself down, criticize yourself for

errors, doubt your abilities, or expect failure. Negative thinking damages confidence, harms

performance and paralyzes mental skills.

Unfortunately, negative thoughts tend to flit into our consciousness, do their damage and flit

back out again, with their significance having barely been noticed. Since we barely realize that

they were there, we do not challenge them properly, which means that they can be completely

incorrect and wrong.

Thought Awareness is the process by which you observe your thoughts and become aware of

what is going through your head.

One approach to it is to observe your "stream of consciousness" as you think about the thing

you're trying to achieve which is stressful. Do not suppress any thoughts. Instead, just let them

run their course while you watch them, and write them down on our free worksheet as they

occur. Then let them go.

Another more general approach to Thought Awareness comes with logging stress in your Stress

Diary. When you analyze your diary at the end of the period, you should be able to see the most

common and the most damaging thoughts. Tackle these as a priority using the techniques below.

Here are some typical negative thoughts you might experience when preparing to give a major

presentation:

Fear about the quality of your performance or of problems that may interfere with it; Worry about how the audience (especially important people in it like your boss) or the

press may react to you;

Dwelling on the negative consequences of a poor performance; or Self-criticism over a less-than-perfect rehearsal.


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Rational Thinking

The next step in dealing with negative thinking is to challenge the negative thoughts that you

identified using the Thought Awareness technique. Look at every thought you wrote down and

challenge it rationally. Ask yourself whether the thought is reasonable. What evidence is there

for and against the thought? Would your colleagues and mentors agree or disagree with it?

Looking at the examples, the following challenges could be made to the negative thoughts we

identified earlier:

Feelings of inadequacy: Have you trained yourself as well as you reasonably shouldhave? Do you have the experience and resources you need to make the presentation?

Have you planned, prepared and rehearsed enough? If you have done all of these, you've

done as much as you can to give a good performance.

Worries about performance during rehearsal: If some of your practice was less thanperfect, then remind yourself that the purpose of the practice is to identify areas for

improvement, so that these can be sorted out before the performance.

Problems with issues outside your control: Have you identified the risks of these thingshappening, and have you taken steps to reduce the likelihood of them happening or their

impact if they do? What will you do if they occur? And what do you need others to do for

you?

Worry about other people's reactions: If you have prepared well, and you do the bestyou can, then you should be satisfied. If you perform as well as you reasonably can, then

fair people are likely to respond well. If people are not fair, the best thing to do is ignore

their comments and rise above them.


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Tip:

Don't make the mistake of generalizing a single incident. OK, you made a mistake at work, but

that doesn't mean you're bad at your job.

Similarly, make sure you take the long view about incidents that you're finding stressful. Just

because you're finding these new responsibilities stressful now, doesn't mean that they will

ALWAYS be so for you in the future.

Tip:

If you find it difficult to look at your negative thoughts objectively, imagine that you are your

best friend or a respected coach or mentor. Look at the list of negative thoughts and imagine the

negative thoughts were written by someone you were giving objective advice to. Then, think

how you would challenge these thoughts.

When you challenge negative thoughts rationally, you should be able to see quickly whether the

thoughts are wrong or whether they have some substance to them. Where there is some

substance, take appropriate action. However, make sure that your negative thoughts are

genuinely important to achieving your goals, and don't just reflect a lack of experience, which

everyone has to go through at some stage.


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Positive Thinking & Opportunity Seeking

By now, you should already be feeling more positive. The final step is to prepare rational,

positive thoughts and affirmations to counter any remaining negativity. It can also be useful to

look at the situation and see if there are any useful opportunities that are offered by it.

By basing your affirmations on the clear, rational assessments of facts that you made using

Rational Thinking, you can use them to undo the damage that negative thinking may have done

to your self-confidence.

Tip:

Your affirmations will be strongest if they are specific, are expressed in the present tense and

have strong emotional content.

Continuing the examples above, positive affirmations might be:

Problems during practice: "I have learned from my rehearsals. This has put me in aposition where I can deliver a great performance. I am going to perform well and enjoy

the event."

Worries about performance: "I have prepared well and rehearsed thoroughly. I am wellpositioned to give an excellent performance."

Problems issues outside your control: "I have thought through everything that mightreasonably happen and have planned how I can handle all likely contingencies. I am very

well placed to react flexibly to events."

Worry about other people's reaction: "Fair people will react well to a goodperformance. I will rise above any unfair criticism in a mature and professional way."


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REVIEW OF LITERATURE

A review on the previous studies on stress among the employees is necessary to know the areas already

covered. This will help to find our new areas uncovered and to study them in depth. The earlier studies

made on stress among the employees are briefly reviewed here.

The research study of Jamal. M* finds that job stressors were significantly related to

employees psychosomatic problems, job satisfaction, unproductive time at the job, and absenteeism.

Type A behavior was found to be an important moderator of the stress outcome relationship.

Brief. A. P. and J. M. Atieh*, argues that it is not safe to assume that job conditions that

have an adverse impact on affective reactions to the job will also have a negative impact on overall

subjective well-being.

Fienmann views stress as a psychological response state of negative effect characterized

by a persistent and a high level of experienced anxiety or tension.

Recent research into the interaction between the mind body show that we may place

our body on stress alert quite unconsciously, because of our psychological and emotional attitudes to

stress. Anticipatory emotions like impatience, anxiety, and anger can produce the same nerve impulses

and chemical reactions as being faced with a concrete challenge. So when faced with a stressful

situation, we must either use up the energy created by the body to challenge or learn how to turn off,

the response using a conscious relaxation technique.

* Jamal M. Job stress-prone Type A behavior, personal and organizational consequences, Canadian

Journal Administration Sciences, 1985. pp 360-74.


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Brief. A. P and J. M. Atieh, Studying job stress: Are we making mountains out of molehills? Journal

of occupational behavior, 1987 pp115-26.

Hans Seyle, the endocrinologist, whose research on General Adaptation Syndrome

(GAS), for the first time, revealed how human beings adapt themselves to emotional strives and strains

in their lives. According to him emotional stress occurs in three important stages. 1. Alarm reaction

stage 2. Resistance stage 3. Exhaustion stage.

Alarm reaction is caused by physical or psychological stressors. Resistances are brought about by

ACTH hormone of the body. Exhaustion follows when ACTH dwindles as a result of continual stress.

(ACTH-Aprinocorticotropic)

According to Stephen .P. Robbins*, stress related headaches are the leading cause of loss of

work time in U. S. industry.

Cooper and Marshall* visualize stress as characteristics of both the focal individual and hisenvironment. They designate the internal and external consultive forces as pressures or stressors and

the resulting stalk of the organism on stress.


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OBJECTIVES

Primary objective:

To undergo an in-depth study about the stress among the employees of AVTARSTEELS.

Secondary objective:

To identify the factors causing stress among the employees. To find out the level and kind of stress among the employees of different age groups. To study about the effects of stress on employees in AVTAR STEELS. To identify the coping strategies to manage stress.


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RESEARCH METHDOLOGY


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ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION


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FINDING AND CONCLUSION


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BIBLIOGRAPHY


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APPENDIX

QUESTIONNAIRE

Raminder Kaur

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