Sources Effects Stress Workers Face Work Areas Jobsites Stresses Manifest Worker Attitudes Behavior

Workplace Stress

Work-related stress is a prevalent concern that affects both workplace performance and the overall health of workers. Workplace stress is a major source of complaint for the millions of workers experiencing the physical, emotional, and mental strain associated with job demands. Understanding the sources of job related stress involves the examination of the work environment and the individual's response to job tasks. Some regard work stress as a product of the work environment alone, while others believe it is strictly caused by internal factors specific to the worker (Furnham, 2012). Environmental sources of stress range from management's use of authority and excessive workloads, to inadequate resources needed to perform the job successfully (Walonick, 1993). Internal sources such as fear of inadequacy and guilt are considered by some to be independent of the work environment. Work stress is responsible for a range of symptoms, from gastrointestinal disorders to lack of concentration, and the manifestation of this stress impacts the worker, their families, and the parent organization.

Work stress exists as a physical or emotional state caused by external or internal tension, and is experienced by millions of workers in the workforce. In the United States, it has been reported that over half of all workers experience job stress (Walonick, 1993). Another study examined the 147 million workers in the European Union and reported 30% of workers experienced backache, 28% reported stress, 20% experienced fatigue, 17% muscle pains, and 13% reported headaches (Furnham, 2012). The growing abundance of work-related stress complaints and health problems raises more questions about the sources of jobsite stress and how the resulting stress affects workers' attitudes and behaviors.

There are two general schools of thought regarding the source of work stress: some experts explain stress as a product of the work environment, while others believe stress is a product of the individual worker's response to the environment. Workplace stressors that arise from within the individual are considered internal, while stressors that are characteristic of the job site are external (Walonick, 1993).

External sources of work-related stress are a product of the work environment and are considered to be outside of the worker's control. Such environmental sources of stress include excessive responsibilities, unrealistic work loads, monotony, management styles and authority conflicts, few or no opportunities for advancement, organizational structure, value conflicts, and unclear job expectations (Walonick, 1993). Job demands cover a variety of external stressors that can cause the worker physical and emotional duress, and ultimately influence worker attitude and behavior. Additional external factors such as noise, over-crowding, time stress, and high responsibility coupled with lack of control, can lead to a worker's aversion to the job, management, co-workers, and clients.

Role ambiguity is a clear example of an environmental source of stress, stemming from uncertainty in the workplace. A worker experiencing role ambiguity has to navigate their job with lack of clarity about the scope and responsibility of the job, lack of clarity about job objectives, and may have to conduct their work with inadequate tools or information. This uncertainly may reflect in the worker's behavior and demeanor due to physiological strain and job-related tension, potentially creating intentions to leave the job, lowering self-confidence, and compromising overall life satisfaction (Furnham, 2012). Role conflict is an example of stress resulting from conflicting demands; overload and under-load stress is a result of having too much or too little work to do; and an individual who has responsibility for others may experience the stress associated with heavy burdens (Furnham, 2012). Managers may experience significant amounts of stress when their workloads are overwhelmed with endless complaints from subordinates, establishing their leadership role, and having to promote cooperation while mediating disputes (Furnham, 2012). On the opposite end of the spectrum, workers may experience stress from lack of management, social support, training, and decision making in the work environment, resulting in stress from isolation, alienation, or helplessness (Furnham, 2012). These stressors impact the individual and if left unaddressed, are likely to affect work performance.

The ongoing list of environmental stressors make work-related stress seem inevitable, however, many will argue that job-stress is strictly a product of the individual. Internal stressors are a product of the person, or worker, and are independent of the work environment. Fears of inadequacy, non-specific fears, guilt, and internal conflicts are examples of stressors that do not necessarily depend on the job site (Walonick, 1993). Personal factors such as personality traits and coping mechanisms influence an individual's vulnerability to stress. Research indicates "those with a mix of anxiety, irritability, neuroticism, and self-depreciation, tend to be less productive, less job satisfied and more prone to absenteeism" (Furnham, 2012, p. 369). Non-work-related stressors, internal and external, may negatively impact a person's work behavior and performance. Disruption in one's personal life, health, or family can alter attitudes at work, behavior, and affect quality of work performance, resulting in such additional stressors as fear of job stability, financial well-being, and safety.

There is no ranking order to stressors as every job is different, just as every worker is different. There is the acknowledgement that workplace stress is both stimuli and response, similar to the relationship between cause and consequence, incident and coping mechanism (Furnham, 2012). Regardless of the source, work stress can have a substantial negative effect on physical, mental, and emotional health (Walonick, 1993). The symptoms of stress are extensive, responsible for such indicators as high blood pressure, constant fatigue, headaches, increased aggression, irritability, moodiness, anxiety, depression, change in body weight, altered thinking, and low energy levels (Walonick, 1993; Furnham, 2012). Symptoms of stress are also revealed in behavioral patterns, including increased alcohol intake, caffeine consumption, increased smoking, obsessive exercising, accidents, absenteeism, irrational outbursts, inability to sleep, inability to concentrate, and reduced productivity (Furnham, 2012).

The consequences of work-related stress affect workers, their families, and the organizations employing them. Stress manifests in worker attitudes and behavior when the symptoms of stress impact such areas as time-management skills and efficiency, productivity, and communication. Individuals with excessive job-related stress may frequently consider quitting their jobs, feel burned-out or feel they will burn-out in the near future, and may describe work stress as the greatest source of stress in their lives (Walonick, 1993). Researchers have reported that mild to moderate amounts of stress allows some people to perform work tasks more efficiently, however, when exposed to prolonged stress, work performance and health are both at risk of being compromised (Walonick, 1993).