The stress management and the influence of certain stressors on decisions.

Titu, Mihail ; Oprean, Constantin ; Bucur, Viorel 等

1. INTRODUCTION

Stress-related studies mention the negative influence of certain stress-generating factors (i.e. stressors) on the employees situated on the operational or managerial level of an organization.

We have identified certain stressors--called events (according to HOLMES and RALICK)--that have a decisive influence on the professional performance of employees or the results of their work. (Bucur, 2002)

Specialized literature refers to a number of effects that have a strong impact on managers' activity and, consequently, on the quality of their decisions; however, the organizational climate, work relations, attitude towards change and managers' leadership style hold, an important place.

Mention should be made of the necessity of developing good work relations, both among executives as well as between executives and managers, who should apply effective motivating strategies.

Research studies in the field of occupational management also mention the role of stress within the organizational environment in causing certain effects on the physical, mental, social, health condition of employee and, especially, for executives and managers.

The categories of stressors differ, according to the type of organization, work place or the organizational environment. Each stress-related factor requires different intervention strategies for diminishing the stress level. (Cungi, 2003)

In the process of making and carrying out a decision, managers should consider a number of specific elements, including:

* Goals;

* Specific terms for implementation;

* Potential solution-alternatives;

* Decision and implementation factors;

* Psycho-social environment of the organization;

* Duration of problem-solving, etc.

2. GOALS

The aim of the authors is to disseminate some results of a comparative study performed on a number of managers--holding managerial positions--that frequently resort to decision-making processes.

In order to accomplish the research, the authors employed investigation instruments, questionnaire-based inquiry, in view of determining certain variables (i.e. the degree of satisfaction, dissatisfaction, motivation). (Oprean & Titu, 2008)

3. EMPLOYED INVESTIGATION INSTRUMENTS.

RESULT INTERPRETING METHODOLOGY The following investigation instruments were employed for the organizations undergoing the research:

Industrial organizations:

--J.D.I. questionnaire (Job Descriptor Index)--measuring the degree of work-related satisfaction, the attitude towards the organization and the workplace; performed on [approximately equal to] 500 persons;

--Questionnaire methodology;

--Employee opinion census. Two service-providing organizations:

--Number of interviewed persons [approximately equal to] 60; --Aim: to measure the degree of satisfaction and motivation as well as the specific effects they engender;

--Employing the J.D.I. questionnaire in order to measure the specific aspects of their work regarding;

--Work proper, promotion opportunities, interaction with colleagues, salary;

--Motivational hierarchy;

--Decision-making ability. Two school units:

--Number of interviewed persons = 40; teaching staff holding managerial positions;

--Aim: assessing decision-related stress load;

--Investigation method: voluntary participation;

--Cohen-Williamson questionnaire.

4. CONTRIBUTIONS

Results and result average are employed in order to mark the presence or absence of satisfaction.

JDI questionnaire: standardized for 6 schools; it is adapted and labeled.

Data processing: employing a number of statistical processing methods included in S.P.S.S.

Partial analysis of results has led to different interpretations (of a higher or smaller scale) compared to the reference "neutral level". (Titu & Oprean 2007)

In the case of industrial organizations, the answers considered the following: salaries work proper, job, employer/head of department, colleagues and promotion opportunities. (Cungi, 2003)

The interviewed persons have mentioned a certain degree of dissatisfaction towards the salary level as well as promotion opportunities, while for the other answers one can notice a certain degree of satisfaction, which exceeds the reference "neutral level" (30). Some arguments for the degree of dissatisfaction are:

* Inappropriate payment as compared to the undertaken work and responsibilities;

* The lack of compensation systems (criteria) for work performance;

* Defective management style;

* Improper work conditions (for some work places).

Sequential analysis of the answers to JDI questionnaire highlights significant aspects regarding the degree of satisfaction on the part of the interviewed persons.

It is expected that certain dimensions of the degree of satisfaction should differ according to the position of each person within the two organizations (operational, leadership, managerial).

The summing-up of results in view of professional satisfaction and motivation evinces a biunivocal relationship between them, which explains their significance in the context of "performance equation" as well as skills, abilities and other elements.

There are also certain differences regarding the particularity of the work performed by the interviewed person in either of the two organizations, in terms of complexity, responsibility and value.

Special attention should be given to those factors that favor professional satisfaction and minimize the degree of dissatisfaction, which generate negative effects on the decision-making process.

The analysis of results obtained by means of Homes-Rahe scale, according to categories of significances, highlights the following: only 10% of the interviewed persons mentioned that they were confronted with "an average life crisis" that might have marked their life or influenced their decision-making activity.

Most of the persons interviewed (> 77%) consider that they have never been confronted with significant problems over their previous year of activity.

The results obtained by means of Cohen-Williamson questionnaire evince an average level of stress for the persons undergoing the analysis (90% of them) and good control over the stress-inducing events coinciding with the decision-making moment.

The analysis highlights different values obtained from the organizations undergoing the study, for the 6 scales of the JDI questionnaire.

No person has experienced "a major life crisis" for the previous year. This means that stress can be controlled and decisions may not be altered. While in industrial organizations the degree of dissatisfaction may be determined by complaints caused by the level of salary and promotion opportunities, for service-providing organizations, there is an additional dissatisfaction-inducing factor, i.e. the nature of work proper.

In the context of current management, decision is the main component of leadership; it is the "engine of management". (Bucur, 2002)

The lack of precise goals or information, inappropriate knowledge of the decision-making process, etc. may cause a "condition of pressure" on managers and implicitly the potential influence of stress-inducing factor on the decision-making process. It is imperative to promote certain programs for stress prevention and management which should ensure the development of proper skills for managerial performance.

5. CONCLUSIONS

So, in the context of specialized literature, a significant part is played by stress-related consequences on the activity of managers in organizations, at the behavioral, physiological and psychological levels, and thus generating a number of responses:

* Behavioral--they suffer important changes engendered by a diminished professional and physical capacity;

* Physiological--manifested by some malfunctions of the body (e.g. heart beating);

* Psychological--resulting from certain emotional and cerebral processes, and requiring the employment of some defense mechanisms by people undergoing stress.

Studies performed in the field of stress analysis have shown the relevance as well the necessity of identifying stressen-gendering sources.

There is an interdependent relation between managerial performance and the multitude of internal and external factors that act upon an organization.

Stress-inducing agents, engendering psycho-somatic adaptive responses, generating endless diseases and they obviously affect managerial performance.

It is important that the stress factors determine a diminishing of the body's capacity to cope with prolonged effort, disease, uncomfortable situations, etc.

It is imperative to devise and apply some prophylactic measures meant to diminish or eliminate such effects in view of insuring an increase of managerial performance as well as the performance of other categories of employees.

Studies performed so far highlight the necessity of adapting the "SELYE Syndrome" to the context of internal and external factors that affect managers' performance at an organizational level, and not only.

Hans Selye's pattern requires its development, including a number of factors and elements that occur in the "shock" and "post-shock" states.

Apart from the three existing stages (alarm, resistance, exhaustion) an important part is played by emotional and cognitive intelligence, as well as the three stages engendering the post-shock state (recovery, re-adaptation and re-balancing) of the body. (Cungi, 2003).

No thorough analysis can be performed without taking into account the place and role played by emotional and cognitive in Selye's pattern.

Considering the systemic approach of the human body it is necessary to get the system to its initial state (shock/post-shock, tidal flow) in view of insuring a re-adaptation of the human body to new processes and challenges.

Further requirements that cannot be overlooked include a re-adaptation of the human body to "effort", training by specific programmes aiming to improve human qualities. (Goldman, 2001)

6. REFERENCES

Bucur, V. (2002). Management. Management of Organisation, Napoca Star Publishing House, Cluj Napoca, 2002

Cungi, C. (2003). How We Can Stop the Stress, Polirom Publishing House, Bucharest

Golman, G. (2001). Emotional Inteligence, Curtea Veche Publishing House, Bucharest

Oprean, C. & "Tifu, M. (2008). Quality Management in the Economy and Organisation Based on Knowledge, AGIR Publishing House, Bucharest, ISBN 978-973-720-167-6

Titu, M. & Oprean, C. (2007). Strategic Management, University of Pitesti Publishing House, Pitesti, 978-973690-647-3