LSU MADM 701 Module 5 Exam
Questions and Answers
Workplace Stress - Answers -30% of U.S. workers claimed to have high levels of
workplace stress
Rated 8th most stressful - losing job
"workaholic"—a compulsive need to work at the expense of everything else in one's life
job stress
"a condition arising from the interaction of people and their jobs and characterized by
changes within people that force them to deviate from their normal functioning."
1. The performance of many tasks is in fact strongly affected by stress.
2. Performance usually drops off sharply when stress rises to very high levels.
Workaholism - Answers -Sending e-mails from home in the evenings or later;
Being the last one in the office;
Having difficulty delegating;
Exhibiting excessive perfectionism;
Skipping lunch;
Looking tired; and
Having an attitude consistent with depression or exhaustion.
eustress - Answers -stress from positive things
vs.
Distress - from bad things
hindrance stressors - have negative effect - Answers -organizational politics, red tape,
role ambiguity, and in general those demands unnecessarily thwarting personal growth
and goal attainment
challenge stressors - have a positive effect - Answers -high workload, time pressure,
high responsibility, and in general those demands that are viewed as obstacles to be
overcome in order to learn and achieve
were found to have a positive effect on motivation and performance
,tense energy (bad) - vs. calm energy (good, flow) - Answers -In other words, a
completely stress-free workplace is not the ideal
POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF POWER - Answers -Those who lack political skills will
gain a reputation for folding under pressure and having no convictions.
Classical organization theorists portrayed organizations as highly rational structures in
which authority meticulously followed the chain of command and in which managers
had legitimatized power
More realistic view of organizations:
organizations that the importance of the political aspects of power and strategic
advantage comes to the forefront
- political perspective of organizations departs from the rational, idealistic model
Realities of Organizational Power / Politics - Answers -1. Organizations are composed
of coalitions that compete with one another for resources, energy, and influence.
2. Various coalitions will seek to protect their interests and positions of influence.
3. The unequal distribution of power itself has dehumanizing effects.
4. The exercise of power within organizations is one very crucial aspect of the exercise
of power within the larger social system
organizational politics - Answers -Consists of intentional acts of influence undertaken by
individuals or groups to enhance or protect their self-interest when conflicting courses of
action are possible
counterargument
organizational politics is actually the cornerstone of organizational democracy.
On-the-job stress may enhance such energy levels - calm energy
Stress - Answers -Text Definition - OB
an adaptive response to an external situation that results in physical, psychological,
and/or behavioral deviations for organizational participants
"the interaction of the individual with the environment,"
"an adaptive response, mediated by individual differences and/or psychological
processes, that is a consequence of any external (environmental) action, situation, or
event that places excessive psychological and/or physical demands on a person."
only special or unusual situations (as opposed to minor life adjustments) can really be
said to produce stress
, Stress is Not - Answers -Stress is not simply anxiety
(Anxiety operates solely in the emotional and psychological sphere, whereas stress
operates there and also in the physiological sphere)
Stress is not simply nervous tension
Stress is not necessarily something damaging, bad, or to be avoided
Burnout - Answers -Stress is normal and often quite healthy. However, when the ability
to cope with stress begins to let us down, then we may be on the road to burnout
losing a sense of the basic purpose and fulfillment of your work
burnout is not a problem of the people themselves but of the social environment in
which people work
Stressors - Answers -antecedents of stress, or the so-called stressors
Extraorganizational Stressors
More creative oriented jobs - mild stress benefit
Jobs such as nurse or firefighter - not good
Extraorganizational Stressors - Answers -one research study found that stressors
outside the workplace were related to negative affect and feelings on the job
societal/technological change, globalization, the family, relocation, economic and
financial conditions, race and gender, and residential or community conditions
wellness - Answers -"a harmonious and productive balance of physical, mental, and
social well-being brought about by the acceptance of one's personal responsibility for
developing and adhering to a health promotion program
Organizational Stressors - Answers -Macro Level
can be categorized into:
administrative policies and strategies
organizational structure and design
organizational processes
and working conditions
Specific
role ambiguity, conflict and overload, job insecurity, work-family conflict, environmental
uncertainty, and situational constraints
Group Stressors - Answers -Lack of group cohesiveness
Questions and Answers
Workplace Stress - Answers -30% of U.S. workers claimed to have high levels of
workplace stress
Rated 8th most stressful - losing job
"workaholic"—a compulsive need to work at the expense of everything else in one's life
job stress
"a condition arising from the interaction of people and their jobs and characterized by
changes within people that force them to deviate from their normal functioning."
1. The performance of many tasks is in fact strongly affected by stress.
2. Performance usually drops off sharply when stress rises to very high levels.
Workaholism - Answers -Sending e-mails from home in the evenings or later;
Being the last one in the office;
Having difficulty delegating;
Exhibiting excessive perfectionism;
Skipping lunch;
Looking tired; and
Having an attitude consistent with depression or exhaustion.
eustress - Answers -stress from positive things
vs.
Distress - from bad things
hindrance stressors - have negative effect - Answers -organizational politics, red tape,
role ambiguity, and in general those demands unnecessarily thwarting personal growth
and goal attainment
challenge stressors - have a positive effect - Answers -high workload, time pressure,
high responsibility, and in general those demands that are viewed as obstacles to be
overcome in order to learn and achieve
were found to have a positive effect on motivation and performance
,tense energy (bad) - vs. calm energy (good, flow) - Answers -In other words, a
completely stress-free workplace is not the ideal
POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF POWER - Answers -Those who lack political skills will
gain a reputation for folding under pressure and having no convictions.
Classical organization theorists portrayed organizations as highly rational structures in
which authority meticulously followed the chain of command and in which managers
had legitimatized power
More realistic view of organizations:
organizations that the importance of the political aspects of power and strategic
advantage comes to the forefront
- political perspective of organizations departs from the rational, idealistic model
Realities of Organizational Power / Politics - Answers -1. Organizations are composed
of coalitions that compete with one another for resources, energy, and influence.
2. Various coalitions will seek to protect their interests and positions of influence.
3. The unequal distribution of power itself has dehumanizing effects.
4. The exercise of power within organizations is one very crucial aspect of the exercise
of power within the larger social system
organizational politics - Answers -Consists of intentional acts of influence undertaken by
individuals or groups to enhance or protect their self-interest when conflicting courses of
action are possible
counterargument
organizational politics is actually the cornerstone of organizational democracy.
On-the-job stress may enhance such energy levels - calm energy
Stress - Answers -Text Definition - OB
an adaptive response to an external situation that results in physical, psychological,
and/or behavioral deviations for organizational participants
"the interaction of the individual with the environment,"
"an adaptive response, mediated by individual differences and/or psychological
processes, that is a consequence of any external (environmental) action, situation, or
event that places excessive psychological and/or physical demands on a person."
only special or unusual situations (as opposed to minor life adjustments) can really be
said to produce stress
, Stress is Not - Answers -Stress is not simply anxiety
(Anxiety operates solely in the emotional and psychological sphere, whereas stress
operates there and also in the physiological sphere)
Stress is not simply nervous tension
Stress is not necessarily something damaging, bad, or to be avoided
Burnout - Answers -Stress is normal and often quite healthy. However, when the ability
to cope with stress begins to let us down, then we may be on the road to burnout
losing a sense of the basic purpose and fulfillment of your work
burnout is not a problem of the people themselves but of the social environment in
which people work
Stressors - Answers -antecedents of stress, or the so-called stressors
Extraorganizational Stressors
More creative oriented jobs - mild stress benefit
Jobs such as nurse or firefighter - not good
Extraorganizational Stressors - Answers -one research study found that stressors
outside the workplace were related to negative affect and feelings on the job
societal/technological change, globalization, the family, relocation, economic and
financial conditions, race and gender, and residential or community conditions
wellness - Answers -"a harmonious and productive balance of physical, mental, and
social well-being brought about by the acceptance of one's personal responsibility for
developing and adhering to a health promotion program
Organizational Stressors - Answers -Macro Level
can be categorized into:
administrative policies and strategies
organizational structure and design
organizational processes
and working conditions
Specific
role ambiguity, conflict and overload, job insecurity, work-family conflict, environmental
uncertainty, and situational constraints
Group Stressors - Answers -Lack of group cohesiveness
