BUSINESS STUDIES
Stress can cause physiological changes in the body such as increased heart rate,
muscles that are tight and ready for work, quickened breathing, sharper mind, and
senses.
2.1 What causes stress in the work context?
➢ Stress can be caused by HOW work is done, and by WHERE work is done.
➢ Categories of HOW work is done includes the job content, the workload and
place, working hours, participation, and control.
➢ Categories of WHERE work is done includes career development,
status and pay, role in the organisation, interpersonal relationships,
organisational culture, and home versus work.
2.2. Discuss the categories of causes on stress in terms of HOW work is done
and WHERE work is done.
How the work is done:
1. Job content
This includes the lack of variety, unpleasant tasks, dangerous tasks, boring
and meaningless tasks.
2. Workload and place
, This includes employees having too much or too little to do and working
under time pressure.
3. Working hours
This includes employee’s strict working schedules, long hours working
alone, unpredictable working hours and badly designed shift systems.
4. Participation and control
This includes employee’s lack of participation in decision making, lack of
control (for example, over work methods, work pace and working hours).
Whare the work is done:
1. Career development, status and pay
This includes factors such as job security, lack of promotion opportunities,
Under-promotion and over-promotion, work of low social value, piece rate
payment schemes, unclear/unfair performance evaluation system, being
over-skilled or under-skilled for the job.
2. Role in the organisation
This includes unclear role in organogram, conflicting roles, Crisis and
change management, responsibility for people, always dealing with other
people and their problems.
3. Interpersonal relationships
This includes weak and careless supervision, bad relations with coworkers,
bullying (forcing someone to do something against their will), harassment
and violence, isolated or solitary (done alone) work and no process to deal
with problems or complaints.
4. Organisational culture
This includes poor communication, poor leadership, lack of clarity about
the business’ objectives.
5. Home versus work
The demands of work and home that interfere, not receiving support for
home problems at work and receiving no support for work problems at
home.
Stress can cause physiological changes in the body such as increased heart rate,
muscles that are tight and ready for work, quickened breathing, sharper mind, and
senses.
2.1 What causes stress in the work context?
➢ Stress can be caused by HOW work is done, and by WHERE work is done.
➢ Categories of HOW work is done includes the job content, the workload and
place, working hours, participation, and control.
➢ Categories of WHERE work is done includes career development,
status and pay, role in the organisation, interpersonal relationships,
organisational culture, and home versus work.
2.2. Discuss the categories of causes on stress in terms of HOW work is done
and WHERE work is done.
How the work is done:
1. Job content
This includes the lack of variety, unpleasant tasks, dangerous tasks, boring
and meaningless tasks.
2. Workload and place
, This includes employees having too much or too little to do and working
under time pressure.
3. Working hours
This includes employee’s strict working schedules, long hours working
alone, unpredictable working hours and badly designed shift systems.
4. Participation and control
This includes employee’s lack of participation in decision making, lack of
control (for example, over work methods, work pace and working hours).
Whare the work is done:
1. Career development, status and pay
This includes factors such as job security, lack of promotion opportunities,
Under-promotion and over-promotion, work of low social value, piece rate
payment schemes, unclear/unfair performance evaluation system, being
over-skilled or under-skilled for the job.
2. Role in the organisation
This includes unclear role in organogram, conflicting roles, Crisis and
change management, responsibility for people, always dealing with other
people and their problems.
3. Interpersonal relationships
This includes weak and careless supervision, bad relations with coworkers,
bullying (forcing someone to do something against their will), harassment
and violence, isolated or solitary (done alone) work and no process to deal
with problems or complaints.
4. Organisational culture
This includes poor communication, poor leadership, lack of clarity about
the business’ objectives.
5. Home versus work
The demands of work and home that interfere, not receiving support for
home problems at work and receiving no support for work problems at
home.
