System Dynamics Modelling of The Influence of Stress on Job Performance at Workplace

 

Monika Agarwal

Research Scholar, Department of Management, Faculty of Social Sciences, Dayalbagh Educational Institute, (Deemed University), Dayalbagh, Agra. 282005.

 

ABSTRACT:

Stress is a universal phenomenon and now- a-days no organization can claim to be stress free. Every job is challenging and more demanding. Every employee is forced to have a stressful and hectic lifestyle. If he fails to meet, he faces stress and other psychological problems. It effects on human body, which gives rise to tension, anxiety, depression and anger. The main objective of the present paper was to find out causal relationship between causes and consequences of stress variable with the help of literature review, develop causal loop diagram and stock flow diagram of stress management at workplace

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

This paper provides a comprehensive review of literature related to job stress and its influence on physical, psychological and emotional on employees. Researches on job stress on employees in various sector is carried out widely around the world. The term stress was first used by selye (1936) in the literature on life sciences, describing stress as “the force, pressure, or strain exerted upon a material object or person which resist these forces and attempt to maintain its original state.” Stress has been defined as imbalance between demand and response. Stress is a psychological reaction to the demand innate in a stressor that has the potency to make a person feels restless or distressed because the person feels that he is not capable of coping with these demands. The united-nations international labour organization (ILO) has defined occupational stress as “Global Epidemic.’’

 

Employers should give a stress-free work environment, where stress creates problems for employees and take adequate action to reduce stress. Stress in the workplace not only reduces productivity but also increases management pressures and makes people physically and mentally ill. Workplace stress affects the performance of employees. Stress affects memory, concentration and learning power of employees. Stress believed to drive 70% of visits to doctors, and 85% of serious illnesses. Stress at work also provides a serious risk of clash for all employers and organizations carrying significant drawback for damages, bad publicity and loss of reputation. Dealing with stress-related claims also consumes vast amount of management time. Therefore, there are clearly strong economic and financial reasons for organizations to manage and reduce stress at work. According to a survey conducted by professional services company Towers Watson, major causes of stress include unclear or conflicting job expectations (40%), inadequate staffing and lack of support, uneven workload or performance in groups (38%)and lack of work-life balance(38%). Globally, inadequate staffing is known as the single most important contributor to work-related-stress. There are various causes, which create stressful situations in the life of an individual. These causes are also known as stressors and create a high level of stress. Stress depends on person’s capability and it varies from person to person. These cause are given below-

 

Characteristics of the job:

These potential sources of stress relate to the vital nature of the job itself such as the working conditions and type of tasks. This is related to work performance closely monitored, organizational changes for change's sake, dull and repetitive work, dealing with difficult customers and clients and lack of enjoyment of job.

 

Work-overload:

This is the point to which individuals feel that the demands of their workload and the allied time pressures are a source of pressure such as unrealistic deadlines and expectations, technology overload and under recruitment of staff for work already timetabled.

 

Role conflict:

If the employees’ role within the organization is unclear it may be source of stress. Role conflict occurs when an individual is expected to play two contradictory roles.

 

Role ambiguity:

Role ambiguity arises if the role is not well defined and it involves uncertainty regarding job expectations and job description.

 

Relationships at work:

Employees is working in organizations develop personal relationship. These relations may be with supervisor and colleagues. Poor or unsupportive relationships with colleagues and supervisors can be a potential source of pressure. Failure to establish friendly relationship can be a result of aggressive management style, absence of support from others, isolation at work, avoiding behavior, bullying and irritation, lack of understanding and leadership, manager always finding faults in your work.

 

Organizational structure:

Organizational structure defines the level of differentiation, task allocation, supervision and coordination in the organization. Extreme rules and lack of participation in decisions might be potential sources of stress.

 

Organization culture:

In an organization the quality of interpersonal relations and the style of leadership depends on the environment and culture of the organization. The environment that is full of fear, suspicion, distrust and conflict becomes the main source of stress for the employees. In other words, lack of effective communication, control and task oriented environment may also contribute an unfavorable culture.

 

Career development and Job security:

If there is lack of career opportunity in the organization and lack of job security it may be source of stress.  Job changes are a source of pressure, for example job insecurity, lack of job stability, temporary or fixed term contracts, future job change and fear of skill redundancy.

 

Work and home interface:

The demands of work have affected personal and home life and so put a strain on relationships outside work. For example, working people fail in maintaining a proper balance between personal and professional life.

 

Job induced anxiety:

Anxiety disorders have the potential to negatively affect related to the workplace.

 

Rumination:

Rumination is the compulsively focused attention on the symptoms of one's distress, and on its possible causes and consequences, as opposed to its solutions. Rumination is associated with anxiety and other negative emotional states.

 

Neuroticism:

Neuroticism is one of the Big Five higher-order personality traits in the study of psychology. Individuals who score high on neuroticism are more likely than average to be moody and to experience such feelings as anxiety, worry, fear anger, frustration, envy, jealousy, guilt, depressed mood, and loneliness.

 

Perceived problem demand:

A stimulus required a response action.

 

Perceived resources:

An entity required in order to perform a response action.

Response action- An action is taken to address a stimulus using available resources.

 

Stress and Job Performance:

Stress has a direct impact on employees’ performance. Stress leads to improve performance to an optimum point beyond the optimum point further stress and arousal have detrimental effect on performance. This is because employees who work in highly stressful situations may feel tired and depressed. They also create physical and mental problem such as high blood pressure, hearing problem and mental disorder. These mental and physical disorders not only affect the performance of the employees but also affect the productivity of the organization. Many researchers have concluded that some degree of stress is necessary for physical and mental growth. This is because due to some stress individuals become more creative, innovative and alert. They learn new skills and knowledge to cope up with adverse situations. These are positive situations to increase the morale of employee and self-satisfaction. This kind of positive stress is called as eustress. On the other, hand high degree of stress causes regularly undesirable and unpleasant situations that create physical and psychological disorders and it has known as distress. So, in this way, one can say that low degree of stress causes negative outcomes such as lack of motivation, lack of interest and gets negative impact on productivity of organization and moderate level of stress creates desirable and pleasant situations that help the individuals to improve the performance of job and the productivity of the organization.

 

Effects of Stress:

Organizations' are man-made system run by employees. Employees who work in highly stressful situations develop undesirable tendencies in their working behavior. In medical science, stress affects the human body and sub systems of human body such as nervous system, immune system and blood pressure. Stress affects individuals in various ways such as physical effects (headache, backache, restlessness, loss of appetite, infections, skin problems, and respiratory disorder), psychological effects (tension, anxiety, fear, depression, loss of concentration, forgetfulness, loss of self-confidence, nervousness, negative thinking, mental disorder, frustration, personality disorder, anger) and behavioral effects such as arguing, crying, conflicting attitude, sleeping disorder, exhaustion, burnout, carelessness and frequent mistakes, increase absenteeism, decrease commitment of work and increase staff turnover. Stress not only effects on employees but also affects the organizations such as increase absenteeism, decreased commitment to work, increase staff turnover, impaired performance and productivity, increase complaints from clients and customers and adverse effect on staff recruitment.

 

Stress reducing strategies:

Stress has become a common problem with many individuals working in an organization. It affects their quality of life. It also has a serious impact on the overall functioning of the organization. Thus it seems to be necessary for the employees and the organization to develop suitable strategies in time to maintain the stress at a moderate level. Such strategies or measures to handle a stressful situation may be initiated and develop at the individual level and at the level of the organization such as Positive attitude, Participative decision making, Employee assistance program, Team work and supportive supervision, Wellness program and Social support.

LITERATURE REVIEW:

(Garg, 2013) observed that most of the employees fear with the point that lack quality in their work sets stress on them.  The main causes of stress overloaded, non-achievement of their target of work, family problem, the order of their boss by sacrificing their important home function. (Mary musyoka, 2012) in the study “Employee stress and performance of companies listed in the Nairobi securities exchange”, have emphasized the relationship between job stress and corporate performance. The result of the study is that low level of stress is positive impact on performance but the stress is increase it decrease the performance of employees and its affect the organization.

 

(Satya Narayan, 2011)Significant correlation between workload and emotional exhaustion and there is no significant different in stress variable and gender. They have used the 100-sample size and convenience sampling method. They have given the some suggestion for reduce the stress such as yoga, counseling, brainstorming games, relaxation activity. (Zhang, 2010) has investigated the characteristics of organizational climate and its effects on organizational variables such as turnover intentions, job satisfaction, work efficiency, job stress and organizational commitment. The researcher finds out that organizational climate not only effect on human resource effectiveness but also effect on organization effectiveness.

 

(Rothmann, 2006) have found that major causes of stress such as job insecurity, pays and benefits in insurance company. Physical ill health has significant related to the workload, job characteristics, and control and psychological health has related to work life balance, work relationship. The study shows that the major difference in occupational stressors, organizational commitment, and ill health concerned clerical employees. In the study of  (kate, 2004)“A model of work stress”, there is emphasis on the specific relevance of workplace risk assessments which help educate and inform all personnel, mainly managers, human resources, health, safety and welfare professionals. The researchers have included a model of organizational stress has emphasized the relationship between work-related stress hazards, individual and organizational symptoms of stress, negative outcomes and financial costs. The researchers identify the six hazards demand, control, support, relationship, role and change. (Bloemer, 2000) examine the causes and effects of role stress in retail organizations both the mployees and the customers. The result shows that both formulization and empowerment reduce role ambiguity. The impact of empowerment of role ambiguity is relatively stronger than the impact of formulation on role ambiguity. The researchers make conceptual framework with the help of this variables such as empowerment, formulization, role ambiguity, role conflict, organizational commitment, commitment to quality and perceived service quality. Role ambiguity is negatively associated with both organizational commitment and commitment to quality (Lo, 1999) has investigated the relationship between stress, and strain and the impact of two potential moderating variables work motivation and social support. This study indicates the cross –sectional social survey. The researcher uses this variables stress, work motivation, social support, job satisfaction and mental health. The result that job stress alone has not predicted the various psychological symptoms.

 

NEED OF THE STUDY:

Stress management should be one of the top agendas in modern day society. Stress management is an important activity of strategic human resource management. It has a significant impact on the performance of the employees and efficiency of the organization, so it should be considered an efficient way of improving organizational profitability and reducing costs through for example, lowering rates of absenteeism and turnover. There is a need to find out certain measures or practices that would help to face that challenge. There are various factors that affect employee’s intent to quit, stress on workplace, time pressure and job dissatisfaction. Therefore, one can suggest that to improve the performance employees and reduce absenteeism for an organization is to develop stress management among their employees. Stress management not only help you to build and maintain an efficient productive staff but also Reduces possibilities of workplace conflicts. Stress management in the workplace will allow you to build team unity. Many times stress hurts your chance to build teamwork. The leaders who search out stress managements resources find positive results.

 

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY:

1.     To identify causal relationship between stress management variable with the help of literature review.

2.     To derive the model for better understanding the stress management at workplace through causual loop diagram and stock flow diagram.

 

Identify Causal Relationship between Stress Management Variable with the help of Literature Review

 

Relationship between Job Stress and Job Satisfaction:

Job stress has measured by conflict at work, workload and physical environment. Prior study indicate that the stressor workload, role conflict, physical environment negatively affect the employee job satisfaction. The results of the study results revealed that stress has negatively related to employee’s job satisfaction  (Ahmad, 2011)

 

Relationship between job stress and job performance:

job stress has negatively correlated with job performance and the researchers find out that job stress significantly reduce the performance of employees. The stress in work environment reduces the intention of employees to perform better in jobs. (Ramay, 2010)

 

Relationship between role conflict, role ambiguity, neuroticism, anxiety and rumination:

Role ambiguity and role conflict induces neuroticism which in turn leads to rumination. (Levine at.al) Moreover, neuroticism as well as rumination leads to job induced anxiety. Job anxiety also results in a reduced satisfaction out of the job. Decreased job satisfaction reduces the worker’s involvement on the job. (kate, 2004) Role ambiguity is negatively associated with both organizational commitment and commitment to quality.  (Rothmann, 2006)

 

Relationship between work-family conflict and job stress:

Overstress could cause personnel and organizational problems that directly decrease the performance and productivity. These results indicated statistically a positive correlation between Job stress and negative work to life. The researcher also found that there has positive correlation between low performance and negative work to life, negative life to work and Job stress.  (Balkan, 2011)

 

Relationship between working condition, poor relationship at workplace and stress- the poor working conditions is to influence the job stress in employees. Psychological illness has related to work life balance, poor work relationship. (Rothmann, 2006)

 

Relationship between physical, cognitive and emotional disorder on job security and job induced anxiety- physical and psychological disorder forces the employees to take leave from job and thus absenteeism results. Increased absenteeism proves to be a threat to the job and thus affects employees’ job security negatively. Job security is also cause of job stress (Mary musyoka, 2012) The low level of job security reduce job satisfaction in employees thereby reducing their involvement in the job.

 

Effect of stress reducing strategies on stress and job performance:

Stress is to be reduced if enterprises take the right steps. Employees perform better, work harder, feel happier and have a long-term commitment to the organization in stress free environment. Now time has come when the organizations adopt the philosophy of ―HEALTHY MIND AND HEALTHY BODY. (Despande, 2012) stress management programs, physical activities planned in job design, life style modification programs, finding triggers and stressors, supportive organization culture, stress counseling programs, and spiritual programs. Perceived social support from co-workers enhanced the level of reported job performance and decreased the level of reported job stress. (Devi, 2011).

 

Figure 1. Causal loop diagram of stress management at workplace

 

Causal loop diagram and stock flow diagram of stress management at workplace:

Causal loop diagrams (CLDs) are an important tool for representing the feedback structure of systems. It is a pictorial representation of the positive and negative relationship between various variables. (sterman,2000) in this paper, a conceptual modelling framework is develop to capture the feedback loops appropriate for assessing the influence of job stress in inducing physical, cognitive and emotional disorder at workplace. This feedback loop study is aimed at understanding the causal influence of stress and its associated factors have on the physical, cognitive and emotional disorder it affected job performance with the help of system dynamics tools. The Figure 1represents a causal loop diagram of stress management at workplace.

 

Discussion on the developed Feedback Loop Diagram:

There are five feedback (causal) loops in figure 1 which name is B1, B2, B3, B4 and R1. The complexity in the organization structure results in role ambiguity and role conflict thereby trigger neuroticism and rumination. This leads to job induced anxiety which in turn induces job stress. High level of job stress in workers is not only lead to biological and cognitive disorders but also emotional disorder forcing the employees to take leave from job. Increase absenteeism affects their job security and rumination results which trigger anxiety and the negative loop continues. Job induced anxiety in employees reduces employees’ job satisfaction and thus their involvement in job thereby reducing the job stress. Job induced anxiety in employees increase family conflict. Poor or unsupportive relationships with colleagues and supervisors and working condition can be a potential source of pressure and stress. The demands of work have affected personal and home life and so put a strain on relationships outside work. Stress is negatively effect on biological, cognitive and emotional stability which results in a response action being taken, which reduces demand and in turn reduces stress. As stress increases which reduce biological, cognitive and emotional stability which results in a response action being taken, which reduces resources and it turn reduces stress. Stress adversely affects the performance of individuals in an organization. It ultimately contributes low productivity of the whole organization because the organization works through these individuals. In other way biological, cognitive and psychological stability increase the performance of the employees. Organizational program like employee assistance programmes, wellness programmes and various types of fitness programmes may be undertaken by the organization for improving the overall well-being of employees it increase the performance of employees in the organization. Supportive supervision may help in reducing unnecessary stress caused to employees and enhance the performance of the employees. In order to cultivate a positive attitude and self- motivation among employees they are involved in decision making in higher levels. It has a direct impact on the morale, attitude and performance of employees.

 

Table :1 Details of causal model on feedback loops, loop polarity, loop name and loop components

S. No	Balancing and reinforcing loop	Feedback loop components
1	B1(Balancing)	Stress, biological-cognitive stability, absenteeism, job security, rumination, job-induced anxiety, job satisfaction and involvement in job
2	B2(Balancing)	Stress, biological-cognitive stability, absenteeism, job security, rumination, job-induced anxiety, family conflict and involvement in job.
3	B3(Balancing)	Stress, biological-cognitive stability, absenteeism, job security, rumination and job-induced anxiety
4	B4(Balancing)	Stress, emotional stability, biological-cognitive stability, response action and perceived recourses.
5	R1(Reinforcing)	Stress, emotional stability, biological-cognitive stability, response action and perceived problem demand.

 

Figure 2. Stock flow diagram of stress management at workplace

 

CONCLUSION:

In this way one can say that a conceptual framework is developed to capture the feedback loops existing in the work related stress and its effects on employees. The causal relationships in the feedback loop model were based on the insights from the existing literature. The developed causal loop model captures the dynamic interactions between the variables in the system considered which include job stress, neuroticism, rumination, physical work factors, working environment, physical and psychological disorders and job anxiety. It affects the performance of employees.

 

Limitation of the study and future direction:

The present research has considered the issues of increasing physical and psychological disorder in relation to job stress at workplace and stress reducing strategies with the help of literature review. The present study covers only few dimensions of stress management. Future studies can conduct a quantitative analysis to scale opinion of the employees, worker, women and other with regarding to any industries and companies. The present study is based on the system dynamics modelling. future studies can be conducted by using various logical tools.

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

I would like to thanks my colleagues for their wonderful collaboration. You supported me greatly and were always willing to help me.

 

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Accepted on 23.05.2017          © A&V Publications all right reserved