Unit 3, Lecture 5: Quality of Work Life

QUALITY OF WORK LIFE

Prof. John Kammeyer-Mueller MGT 4301

Plan

Where we are

Understand what motivates workers in general

Understand how health and stress work into the picture of employee satisfaction and engagement

Where we want to be

How we know how were doing

How does stress tend to affect employee performance? What are the consequences of employee safety and health? What is OSHA and how does it regulate the structure and function of the workplace?

Unit 3, Lecture 5: Quality of Work Life

Safety, Health, Stress and the Bottom Line

Why should employers care about employee safety and health as a performance management issue? What responsibilities do employers have to look out for their employees well being?

Unit 3, Lecture 5: Quality of Work Life

Safety, Health, Stress and the Bottom Line

Physiological

Increased use of sick days and vacations Low levels of energy and motivation Drug/alcohol abuse symptoms Difficulty concentrating Reduced creative output Dissatisfaction and resentment Lower performance Anger and violence toward co-workers More grievances in union settings
Unit 3, Lecture 5: Quality of Work Life

Psychological

Behavioral

Stress at Work
Think about the ways that the workplace or school can be stressful How do you personally cope with these stressors? What does your organization do to help reduce the extent to which you experience stress?

Unit 3, Lecture 5: Quality of Work Life

Integras 2000 Survey Showed

65% of workers said that workplace stress had caused difficulties 10% said they work in an atmosphere where physical violence has occurred because of job stress 29% had yelled at co-workers because of workplace stress 14% said they work where machinery or equipment has been damaged because of workplace rage

2% admitted that they had actually personally struck someone;

19% had quit a previous position because of job stress 62% routinely find that they end the day with work-related neck pain 44% reported stressed-out eyes

38% complained of hurting hands

34% reported difficulty in sleeping because they were too stressed-out; 12% had called in sick because of job stress
Unit 3, Lecture 5: Quality of Work Life

What are the Most Prevalent Stressors in the Workplace?

On the job
Job or task demands, like workload and responsibility Interpersonal conflict Management practices Physical risks

Off the job

Financial distress Childcare needs

Source: NIOSH Publication No. 2008136, Exposure to Stress: Occupational Hazards in Hospitals

Unit 3, Lecture 5: Quality of Work Life

Work-Life Conflict as a Stressor

Definition
Competing demands from work and family roles Became a larger issue when dual career couples and shifting expectations for family life increased Examples of conflicts include scheduling problems, exhaustion, taking home to work with you, and taking work home with you

Stress isnt compartmentalized

Stress at work leads to stress at home Stress at home leads to stress at work

Unit 3, Lecture 5: Quality of Work Life

Work-Life Conflict as a Stressor

Research investigating negative work-family conflicts

Examined over 18,000 Finnish workers Medically certified absences as an outcome variable, with self-reported work-family conflict as a predictor

Results
Those who reported high levels of work-family conflicts took 1.4 times more certified sickness absences than those who reported low levels of workfamily conflicts Effects were especially strong among blue-collar and lower level white-collar workers

Source: Vaananen et al., Work-Family Characteristics3,as a 5: Quality of Work Life Sickness Predictor of Unit Lecture Absence, JOHP, 2008

Work-Life Conflict as a Stressor

Research investigating work-life conflicts

Examined database of 1,367 individuals working in 126 different occupations Surveys were conducted over a number of years Work that is highly interdependent Responsibility for others Inflexible schedules Strong time demands Number of children

Occupational demands that increased work-life conflict

Home demands that increase work-life conflict

Source: Dierdorff and Ellington, Its the Nature of the Work, JAP, 2008
Unit 3, Lecture 5: Quality of Work Life

Physical Stages of the Stress Response

Stressor Hypothalamus and pituitary Adrenal
The biological stress response is studied by removing glands from animals and injecting them with hormones to determine when and how various physiological responses are produced These mechanisms have been found in all mammals, and analogous mechanisms found in many animals without these basic systems of response

Stomach

Thymus lymph node

White blood cells

Notice that the nervous system is not involved at all. The stress reaction described by Selye is entirely an action of the endocrine system.
Unit 3, Lecture 5: Quality of Work Life

Terminology for Stress Researchers

Stress

A non-specific physical response to a large variety of both positive and negative environmental pressures Eustress: good stress, associated with challenges and pressures that can be met Distress: bad stress, associated with hindrances and problems that cannot be resolved in a satisfactory way
Something in the environment which is perceived as either a threat or opportunity The negative physical and emotional consequences of exposure to stressors
Unit 3, Lecture 5: Quality of Work Life

Stressor

Strain

Important Stress Concepts

Hindrance stressors

Induced by hassles, boredom, red tape, confusion about responsibilities, and other factors that reduce productive responses Related to negative physical symptoms, dissatisfaction, and poor performance

Challenge stressors

Induced by difficult assignments, pressure to perform, autonomy, and other factors that increase productive responses Related to satisfaction and positive performance

Both produce physiological arousal and psychological tension; the difference is in interpretation and resolution of stressors
Unit 3, Lecture 5: Quality of Work Life

Reacting to Stress: Coping

Primary appraisal Severity of problem Immediacy Immediate effects Physiological Emotional Behavioral Enduring effects Physical health Mood/well-being Social effects

Coping response Problem-focused Emotion-focused Avoidance

Secondary appraisal Personal resources Available assistance

Lazarus, Delongis, Folkman and Gruen, 1985

Unit 3, Lecture 5: Quality of Work Life

What Makes Stress Less Stressful?

Predictability
Individuals in central London during WWII experienced only low grade stress illness in response to bombings; those in the suburbs, who experienced infrequent and unpredictable bombings, had more stress-related illnesses Individuals who are undergoing challenging working conditions (e.g., soldiers, police) initially show the full set of physiological shifts related to stress, but with repeated exposure, arousal decreases as the organism habituates

Unit 3, Lecture 5: Quality of Work Life

What Makes Stress Less Stressful?

Control
Rats

who have a lever to turn off shock experience much less stress than those who are shocked for the same duration without a lever If you take the lever away from a rat who is used to it, stress goes through the roof Similar results with humans exposed to very loud noises Verified in occupational samples: demands are much less related to strain when control is high
Unit 3, Lecture 5: Quality of Work Life

Control and Stress

Level of Stress

Demands
Workload Time deadlines Physical demands

Low control

High control

Control (lack of)

Ambiguity Threat of termination Lack of participation opportunities

Level of Demand
Unit 3, Lecture 5: Quality of Work Life

What Makes Stress Less Stressful?

Outlets for stress

Rats who are shocked are less likely to get ulcers if they have a piece of wood to gnaw on Rats who are shocked will attack other rats in present, which also reduces stress in the short run This appears to satisfy the fight or flight urge Also found for physical exercise among humans:

the most reliable technique for reducing the relationship between stressors and physical symptoms of stress illness

Source: Why Zebras Dont Get Ulcers

Unit 3, Lecture 5: Quality of Work Life

What Makes Stress Less Stressful?

Social contact
Among

baboons, the physiological response to stressors is much lower for those who have frequent social interactions Similarly, among humans, responses to stress (including depression, heart disease, ulcers, and even mortality) are less acute among those who have a social support network

Unit 3, Lecture 5: Quality of Work Life

Discrete Reactions to Events: Social Support and Buffering

Perceived Demand Level of Stress Low support

Low support

High support

High support

Level of Demand Direct Effect

Unit 3, Lecture 5: Quality of Work Life

Perceived Demand Buffer Effect

So, to Summarize
If you can predict and control a situation, youre less likely to experience strain If you have an opportunity to express your stress, either physically or socially, youre less likely to experience strain How can this be useful to managers?

Unit 3, Lecture 5: Quality of Work Life

Coping Mechanisms to Reduce Stress

Problem focused coping

Directly attempting to change the sources of stress Examples include working harder, discussing problems with people who can fix the problem, or quitting Focusing on changing the appraisals Focusing on your strengths and capabilities, trying to consider the opportunities, and discussing issues with others just for a release Focus is entirely on reducing symptoms Trying not to think about the problem, fantasizing about alternatives, drinking, drug use

Reappraisal/emotion coping

Avoidance

Unit 3, Lecture 5: Quality of Work Life

NIOSH Recommendations for Stress Reduction Programs

Primary appraisal focus:

Problem

solving (i.e. cognitive psychology) Time management

Secondary appraisal focus:

Relaxation

training Interpersonal training

Coping focus:
Training

people about methods to reduce stress

Unit 3, Lecture 5: Quality of Work Life

Creating a Stress Reduction Program

Develop a program for reducing stress among university students in small groups
What will you do to improve primary appraisals of stress? What will you do to improve secondary appraisals of stress? How will you use social buffers?

Think back to measurement and training

What are the things you want to improve? How will you measure the effects of this program?

Unit 3, Lecture 5: Quality of Work Life

Important Reminders for Stress Reduction

Conduct focus groups and surveys first

Dont just copy what someone else needed to do Make certain youre not just trend-hopping
Is the intervention actually successful? Does the intervention work long-term?

Ensure that continuous monitoring is provided

Be prepared to modify the system over time Recognize that eliminating stress is a bad idea

Probably impossible to achieve Stress motivates action

Unit 3, Lecture 5: Quality of Work Life

Data on Occupational Safety and Health

In a typical year
there are over 1 million cases of occupational injury and illnesses requiring lost work time nearly 6,000 people have fatal occupational injuries nearly half of all fatal workplace injuries are in construction and extraction (i.e. mining) or transportation and material moving (e.g., trucking, driving, rail, flight) industries there are between 400-500 homicides on the job note that per capita injury rates are declining over time Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Unit 3, Lecture 5: Quality of Work Life

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Differences in Injury Rates by Ethnicity and Gender

Unit 3, Lecture 5: Quality of Work Life

Differences in Injury Rates by Education Levels

Unit 3, Lecture 5: Quality of Work Life

Legal Requirements for Safety and Health: OSHA

Occupational Safety and Health Act (1970)

To assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women; by authorizing enforcement of the standards developed under the Act; by assisting and encouraging the States in their efforts to assure safe and healthful working conditions; by providing for research, information, education, and training in the field of occupational safety and health; and for other purposes. The Congress finds that personal injuries and illnesses arising out of work situations impose a substantial burden upon, and are a hindrance to, interstate commerce in terms of lost production, wage loss, medical expenses, and disability compensation payments. Offsets a potential legal and economic quagmire

Companies can save money by investing less in safety and health practices Because of the workers compensation system, employers cannot be sued by workers who are injured
Unit 3, Lecture 5: Quality of Work Life

Legal Requirements for Safety and Health: OSHA

Some of the major workplace changes brought about by OSHA

Guards

on all moving parts of equipment Limits on employee exposure to chemicals and requirement to inform employees about exposure to hazardous chemicals Requirements for personal protecting equipment (e.g., respirators, gloves, goggles, ear protection) Requirements to avoid bloodborne pathogens in healthcare

Unit 3, Lecture 5: Quality of Work Life

Some of Your Rights Under OSHA

You have the right to notify your employer or OSHA about workplace hazards. You may ask OSHA to keep your name confidential. You have the right to request an OSHA inspection if you believe that there are unsafe and unhealthful conditions in your workplace. You can file a complaint with OSHA within 30 days of retaliation or discrimination by your employer for making safety and health complaints or for exercising your rights under the OSH Act.

You have a right to see OSHA citations issued to your employer.

Your employer must correct workplace hazards by the date indicated on the citation and must certify that these hazards have been reduced or eliminated. Source: OSHA Workplace Poster
Unit 3, Lecture 5: Quality of Work Life

Reducing Hazards in the Workplace: Safety Interventions

Types of safety and health interventions commonly provided

Ergonomic

training Safe use of equipment Violence prevention Defensive driving Employee assistance programs Stress reduction

Unit 3, Lecture 5: Quality of Work Life

The Importance of Climate in Improving Safety Behavior

A climate for safety reflects employee responses to safety rules and regulations
Do employees agree with the policies and procedures? Do they believe these policies are for their benefit? Do they see these policies and procedures as a hassle?

Climate for safety is a result of:

Organizational attitudes towards safety and health Supervisor behavior encouraging safety Organizational routinization and formalization

Unit 3, Lecture 5: Quality of Work Life

Zohar and Luria Study

Research design

Measure supervisor safety facilitation, organizational policies, and observations of employee safety behaviors from 401 work units in 36 different companies Climate for safety at a local level affects employee behaviors BUT A strong organizational climate reduced variability across work units Routinization and formalization of safety procedures also reduce variability, but not as much as organizational climate What does this imply for managers?

Results showed

Source: Zohar and Luria, Multilevel model of safety climate, JAP, 2005

Unit 3, Lecture 5: Quality of Work Life

Wrap Up

Where we are

Understand how companies establish pay policies for jobs Understand how companies provide benefits for employees Understand how pay can be modified to fit the individual What do each of the following theories say about incentive compensation plans?

Where we want to be

How we know how were doing

Expectancy Agency Goal setting Cognitive evaluation Risk aversion

Unit 3, Lecture 5: Quality of Work Life