University of Westminster
Westminster Business School

Module code and title: BBUS401.1 Perspectives On Organizations

Essay on “What is stress at work? Set out the main causes of stress at work and explain why it can have serious effects on individuals and organizations.”

Student Name: Ahmed Muhud

Seminar leader name: Donna Kamal

Word Count: 1636/ 1800 (+/- 10%)

Date: 11.12.2012

To begin with, Hans Selye was first to define the term stress, “as a non specific response of the body to any demand made upon it”(cited in Jones, 2011, p. 90). According to Health and Safety Executive (HSE) stress is defined as an “as a harmful reaction that people have to undue pressures and demands placed on them at work”. The origin of stress can be split into two parts: physical and behavioral manifestations (Speaking Book). Sickness, tiredness, cerebral pains, muscle pressure, noise, night shifts and monotonous tasks these are all part of the physical side effects. The behavioral symptoms are nervousness, emotions of disappointment, negative thoughts, time pressure, poor decision-making, steady changes of the mood, and separation from the world and individuals (BMJ, 1996). Since 2001/02 new instances of sick wellbeing have dropped, reaching a low of 452 000 in 2011/12 (Health and Safety statistics, 2014). In 2012/13 no ill information was gathered however in 2013/14 the quantity of new cases expanded to 535 000, a comparative level to that in 2009/10 (Health and Safety statistics, 2014). The surveyed number of new examples of tension, unhappiness or anxiety has remained extensively level for more than every decade, with an examination of 244 000 in the latest year (Health and Safety statistics, 2014). For musculoskeletal issue, the assessed number of new cases tumbled from 216 000 in 2001/02 to 141 000 in 2011/12, yet extended to 184 000 in 2013/14 (no data was accumulated in 2012/13 (Health and Safety statistics, 2014). Most importantly, the fundamental driver for anxiety are the various tasks that the workers are given to do at work for a short period of time, which implies that they are always suffering stress. This is not a late issue among laborers everywhere throughout the world. Each CEO needs his workers to cope with the tasks given, as fast as they can, no matter this causes them pressure (Dell, 2013). In this way the productivity of the company arises so the organization can continue competing with its opponents. An example of this increased productiveness is Michael Dell’s tactics, who as of now has 20% of his staff helping the organization from home and his further intensions are to expand this rate of individuals (Dell, 2013). What's more if more organizations take after this technique for working, the anxiety is not just going to be excessively for workers however moreover it will break up their individual lives and their family. With respect to the associations, the powerlessness to lead a group of individuals, whose fundamental reason for existing is to make an association more gainful, will unquestionably cause genuine issues. It is significant for businesses to act well disposed with their staffs and provide for them sufficient time to rest and end up before they provide for them the following thing to do. Subsequently the climate will be friendlier as well as the possibilities for higher earnings and benefits will be increased too.

An alternate, not less essential is the way that more workers are booked to work either excessively long time per day, or they have been made to work night shifts. It is determined that working during the evening can prompt genuine issues like, anxiety and diminished consideration also. Charmane Eastman (2013), a physiological analyst at Rush University, clarifies that our brains and bodies are adjusted to chill off and recover force amid night, when it is dim and to work practically amid the day. The issue with working on day and night shifts Is that human body can not cope with the stress its taking and different health an physical problems occur eventually. Also, a late research has demonstrated that individuals who are working on shifts are more prone to face the danger of coronary illness issues, in view of the issue to the circadian mood. This exploration likewise uncovers that the human heart does not react well on the off chance that it is presented to work during night (Carol, 2013 ). Keeping in mind it is hard for individuals to receive to this unpleasant way of life and continue doing their errand appropriately, so they can fulfill their business necessities, associations are likely the particular cases that experience the ill effects of these progressions. It is genuine actuality that to start with individuals think that it testing and intriguing to work around evening time, or, on a day and night shifts, however when issues begin happening this circumstance changes to work issues and errors in the middle of representatives and bosses. This later can bring about, less inspiration for work, issues with associates and insufficient time to complete errands that they have been qualified for do. To demonstrate that moves are bad for people, Maastricht's exploration which took a gander at 42 daytime specialists and 83 movement laborers, uncovered that the movement laborers have created the untimely ventricular edifices (early pulse issues) twice as quicker as their daytime partners did.

Thirdly, an alternate genuine issue that a ton of representatives face nowadays is the harassing and badgering they get at work. Anxiety can have an extraordinary control over their physical and passionate wellbeing (Hicks & Caroline, 2007) Although it is to nobody's advantage and ought not go on without serious consequences in the working environment, there have been a great deal of whines as of late. Subsequently, it is basic for laborers to discover any indications of anxiety among associates and themselves sufficiently early to anticipate affects on the association's execution levels (Hicks & Caroline, 2007) Study made in USA demonstrates that 13% of almost 15milion individuals expressed that they have been encountering profound mental hostility on a week by week premise. Considering the outcomes that may happen as an aftereffect of these unseemly and negative activities fitting choices ought to be made by CEO's. The impacts of harassing can truly influence individuals' respect toward oneself, which may prompt less work commitment or even fear of going to work, realizing what anticipates them in the workplace. Furthermore from all the causes that have been secured in the exposition as such, this one is most likely the most risky and from more noteworthy criticalness for associations to keep away, on the grounds that it is the particular case that can result in the most harms. According to Robinson (1996) individuals who are better than the others have a tendency to feel more pressured, because they have higher responsibilities. This later can prompt circumstances when representatives are not totally beyond any doubt in themselves and are stressed all that much over their partners assessment (Nolan, 2009). Having self-important workers in the organization can make the commendable one leave work. This is a genuine issue for associations, as they will need to discover new individuals who have the information and experience to do the occupation, and in addition, their managers ought to pay for the trainings that they need to finish with a specific end goal to end up completely fit for doing the employment. The issue of paying for the new entries yet, is not the greatest one. What is more terrible is that by leaving a certain association individuals begin spreading awful data among individuals for the spot where they have worked furthermore for the staff, the administrators, the air and this implies that the association will procure a terrible notoriety in the midst of their accomplices and equals and will make the association more powerless and most likely ineffective within a brief period of time. As Andrea Adams says In associations that pride themselves on solid administration, harassing can soon get to be a piece of the association's society and administration will be seen by their representatives to have approved such conduct just through their inaction.

The last topic of the essay will cover the working conditions of employees. Uncomfortable and unsafe conditions, for example, gathering, commotion or ergonomic issues, can result in incredible stress on individuals. Stress has ended up boundless in the British life. As (Hellmich, 1994) clarified overall, 89 percent of the British individuals expressed that they regularly encounter abnormal state of anxiety and an alternate 59 percent asserted they feel huge pressure constantly when working (Hellmich, 1994). Since the huge entrance of technology that continues overhauling consistently workers are certain to put extraordinary measure of cash for new electrical supplies and when this electrical merchandise begin braking down again and again and all the work and ventures are saved money on them, monstrous frenzy and disorder begin streaming around creating incredible anxiety. We additionally can see business buildings that are not appropriately cleaned and the cleanliness is not at the proper working level, creating uncomfortable environment for staff. This and different inconveniences assembled together may have truly awful impact over individuals' work and focus at working spot.

Taking everything into account, stress is thought to be the most exceedingly bad experience that each worker can experience while at work. These days the danger of anxiety has ascended colossally in light of the new innovations that individuals need to get used to in the event that they need to keep their employments. To be decreased to a minimum and supplanted with a decent and healthier environment for work, supervisors and pioneers ought to make essential strides in the advancement of friendlier air. This includes doing the most to terminate all the issues that have been secured in the article and give friendlier environment to workers to work. In this manner anxiety won't be an issue any longer and individuals will have the capacity to think just over the work that they need to do furthermore there will be authoritative success. Counteracting anxiety circumstances will expand individuals' desire to work. Additionally, it will lessen the danger of wellbeing related issues and individuals' lives will be much better and simpler.

Reference list:

(BMJ., 1996) http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.313.7059.745 (Published 21 September 1996 ( Accessed on 16/12/2014)

Hicks, T., & Caroline (2007). Stress Managing at Workplace; Universal Publisher

Nolan, M., (2009). Top ten problems at workplace and how to fight them

Peter, R (1996) – The education debate, Centrepiece 1

Ricardo B., Amy K., & Rohit Lekhi., (2013): Stress at Work

http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/overall/hssh1314.pdf - [Accessed on 13/12/14]

http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causdis/stress/stress.pdf- [Accessed on 13/12/14] http://www.dell.com/learn/us/en/uscorp1/corp-comm/cr-diversity-wf-flexible-work?c=us&l=en&s=corp- [Accessed on 13/12/14]