ORGANIZATIONAL STRESS AND BURNOUT

The purpose of this report is to provide an in-depth analysis of organizational stress and burnout. The sources, consequences, and prevention of stress and burnout at the organizational and individual levels will be emphasized.

Stress, in the negative connotation, can be defined as "incidents which cause discomfort, tension, and anxiety." With respect to positive connotations, stress can be defined as situations that generate .. excitement, stimulation, and arousal" (Quick and Quick, 1984, p. 2).

Stress, at a most general level, can be defined as referring to situations in which a person is overtaxed in some way. Within this framework, definitions have developed which emphasize different aspects of the overtaxing situation. These definitions involve references to "strain" (i.e., the negative or pathological outcomes of stress).

Stressors are physical and/or psychological demands, that are encountered in the course of living (Quick and Quick, 1984, p. 3).

The stress response is the "generalized, patterned, unconscious mobilization of the body's natural energy resources when confronted with a stressor" (Quick and Quick, 1984, p. 3). The stress response was identified above with reverence to Selye, the "father of stress." Several other stress responses are discussed below.

Stress responses are physiological or behavioral nature and represent the actions of the sympathetic nervous sy

984). Burnout results in workers' loss of enthusiasm and vitality for the job and may lead to medical problems. The "burnout syndrome" refers to the "stressfulness of striving" in individuals when in professions that offer limited rewards for labor. Burnout occurs in stages characterized by: first, poorer work performance, second, poorer physical condition, and third, behavioral symptoms (Quick and Quick, 1984, p. 57). Chronic stress. Researchers have confirmed the relationship between stress, especially chronic (long-term) stress and medical consequences such as heart disease and stroke (Quick and Quick, 1984, p. 59). Smoking, hypertension, blood lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides), Type A personality, diabetes, lack of exercise, and poor diet are all contributing factors and are also risk factors that may be related to stress. Brief (1987, p. 458) indicates that stressful person-job interactions and coronary heart disease (CHD) are related. Brief (1987, p. 458) notes three linkages between the two: (1) job problems and dissatisfaction are related with CHD and related risk factors; (2) job pressures (eg., heavy work loads) are related to CHD and related risk factors; and (3) Type A behavior (discussed in more d

Category: Psychology - O