Johns 10e Irm ch13 PDF

CHAPTER 13
CONFLICT AND STRESS
CHAPTER LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After reading Chapter 13, students should be able to:

LO13.1 Define interpersonal conflict and review its causes in organizations.
LO13.2 Explain the types of conflict and the process by which conflict occurs.
LO13.3 Discuss the various modes of managing conflict.
LO13.4 Review a range of negotiation techniques.
LO13.5 Distinguish among stressors, stress, and stress reactions.
LO13.6 Discuss the role that personality plays in stress.
LO13.7 Review the sources of stress encountered by various organizational role
occupants.
LO13.8 Describe behavioural, psychological, and physiological reactions to stress, and
discuss techniques for managing stress.
CHAPTER OUTLINE AND TEACHING NOTES
Conflict occurs in many groups — be they family or work groups. Students must realize
that conflict is not always “bad” and you can use the illustrations from history (great
works of art and literature) that grew out of conflict, or the Oakland A’s baseball team
that won two world series and came to be known as the fighting A’s’. The topic of stress
is a fairly new one in the organizational literature. However, this does not reduce its
significance for organizational members and, therefore, for organizational behaviour.
What Is Conflict?
Interpersonal conflict is a process that occurs when one person, group, or organizational
subunit frustrates the goal attainment of another. Conflict often involves antagonistic
attitudes and behaviours.
Causes of Organizational Conflict
Several factors contribute to organizational conflict.
Group Identification and Intergroup Bias

Identification with a particular group or class of people can set the stage for
organizational conflict. Since individuals develop a more positive view of their own
group and a less positive view of other groups, intergroup bias can be a source of
organizational conflict. Self-esteem probably is a critical factor as identifying with the
successes of one’s own group and disassociating oneself from out-group failures boosts
self-esteem and provides comforting feelings of social solidarity. Given today’s emphasis
Copyright © 2017 Pearson Canada Inc.

13-2 Johns/Saks, Organizational Behaviour, Tenth Edition
on self-managed teams and small work groups, this is an area that may prove to be a great
source of organizational conflict in the years to come given the high premium placed on
getting employees to identify strongly with their team.
Interdependence
When individuals or subunits depend on each other to accomplish their own goals, the
potential for conflict exists. Interdependence necessitates interaction between the parties
so that they can coordinate their interests. Since interdependence implies that each party
has some power over the other, it is easy for one side or the other to abuse its power and
create antagonism. However, interdependence often provides a good basis for
collaboration through mutual assistance and does not always lead to conflict.
Differences in Power, Status, and Culture

Conflict can erupt when parties differ significantly in power, status, or culture.
Power. If dependence is not mutual, but one way, the potential for conflict increases.
Antagonism may develop and the dependent party may feel hostile toward the other
party.
Status. Status differences provide little impetus for conflict when people of lower status
are dependent on those of higher status. However, sometimes individuals who have
technically lower status find themselves giving orders to, or controlling the tasks of,
higher status persons. Such a situation may promote conflict.
Culture. Differences in culture that develop in organizations can result in a clash of

beliefs and values that leads to overt conflict. Such differences are especially apparent
when dissimilar cultures are merged.
Ambiguity
Ambiguous goals, jurisdictions, or performance criteria may lead to conflict. Under such
ambiguity, the formal and informal rules that govern interaction break down. Ambiguous
performance criteria are a frequent cause of conflict between managers and employees.
Scarce Resources
Differences in power are magnified when resources become scarce, and conflict often
surfaces in the process of power jockeying. Scarcity may cause latent or disguised
conflict to turn into overt conflict.
Types of Conflict
It is useful to distinguish among relationship, task, and process conflict. Relationship

conflict concerns interpersonal tensions among individuals that have to do with their
relationship per se, not the task at hand. So-called “personality clashes” are examples of
relationship conflicts. Task conflict concerns disagreements about the nature of the work
to be done. Differences of opinion about goals or technical matters are examples of task
conflict. Process conflict involves disagreements about how work should be organized

Chapter 13 Conflict and Stress 13-3
and accomplished. Disagreements about responsibility, authority, resource allocation, and

who should do what all constitute process conflict.
In the context of work groups and teams, task, relationship and process conflict tend to be
detrimental to member satisfaction and team performance. Such conflict prevents the
development of cohesiveness. Sometimes task conflict can be beneficial for team
performance. Thus, not all conflict is detrimental.
Conflict Dynamics
A number of events occur when one or more of the causes of conflict take effect.
• “Winning” the conflict becomes more important than developing a good solution to
the problem at hand.
• The parties begin to conceal information from each other, or to pass distorted
information.
• Each group becomes more cohesive.
• Contact with the opposite party is discouraged except under formalized, restricted
conditions.
• While the opposite party is negatively stereotyped, the image of one’s own position is
boosted.
• On each side, more aggressive persons who are skilled at engaging in conflict may
emerge as leaders.
The difficulty with this is that problems escalate to the point that the conflict process
itself becomes an additional problem and this can work against the achievement of a
peaceful solution.
Modes of Managing Conflict
Managers should be aware of various approaches to managing organizational conflict.

They must be aware that they need to consider their assertiveness and how willing they
are to satisfy the other party’s needs. Conflict resolution strategies attempt to reduce or
eliminate conflict. Five approaches to managing organizational conflict are discussed.
They are a function of how assertive you are in trying to satisfy your own or your group’s
concerns and how cooperative you are in trying to satisfy those of the other party or
group. None of the five styles for dealing with conflict is inherently superior. Each style
might have its place given the situation in which the conflict episode occurs.
Avoiding
The avoiding style is characterized by low assertiveness of one’s own interests and low
cooperation with the other party. Although it can provide some short-term stress
reduction it does not really change the situation and so its effectiveness is limited. If the
issue is trivial, information is lacking, people need to cool down, or the opponent is very
powerful and very hostile, avoidance might be a sensible response.

Accommodating
Accommodating is conflict management style in which one cooperates with the other
party, while not asserting one’s own interests. It can be an effective reaction when you
are wrong, the issue is more important to the other party, or you want to build good will.
Competing
A competing style maximizes assertiveness for your own position and minimizes
cooperation. You can provide an example where this style can lead to “constructive
conflict” and can actually be beneficial to organizations. The competing style holds
promise when you have a lot of power, you are sure of your facts, the situation is truly
win-lose, or you will not have to interact with the other party in the future.
Compromise
Compromise combines intermediate levels of assertiveness and cooperation. Each party
gives up something with the expectation that it will receive something in exchange. The
goal is to establish rules of exchange between the two parties. It does not always result in
the most creative response to conflict. Compromise is not so useful for resolving conflicts
that stem from power asymmetry, because the weaker party may have little to offer the
stronger party. However, it is a sensible reaction to conflict stemming from scarce
resources. It is a good fall-back position if other strategies fail.
Collaborating
Collaborating maximizes both assertiveness and cooperation in an attempt to reach an
integrative agreement that satisfies the interests of both parties. The emphasis is on a win-
win resolution. It probably works best when the conflict is not intense and when each
party has information that is useful to the other. Although, effective collaboration can
take time and practice to develop, it frequently enhances productivity and achievement.
Many examples of collaboration are those between companies and suppliers.
Collaboration between organizational departments is particularly important for providing
good customer service.
Managing Conflict with Negotiation
Negotiation is a decision making process among interdependent parties who do not share
identical preferences. Negotiation constitutes conflict management, in that it is an attempt
to either prevent conflict or resolve existing conflict. It is an attempt to reach a
satisfactory exchange among or between the parties.
Distributive negotiation assumes a zero-sum, win-lose situation in which a fixed amount

of assets is divided between parties. Integrative negotiation is a win-win negotiation that
assumes that mutual problem solving can enlarge the assets to be divided between parties.
It is a process where gains can be made by all parties involved.

Distributive Negotiation Tactics

Distributive negotiation is essentially a single-issue negotiation. Three types of
distributive negotiation tactics are outlined in the text: threats and
promises; firmness versus concessions; and persuasion.
Threats and Promises. Threat consists of implying that punishment will be forthcoming if
the opponent does not concede to your position. Promises are pledges that concessions
will lead to rewards in the future. Threat has some merit as a bargaining tactic if one
party has power over the other that corresponds to the nature of the threat, especially if no
future negotiations are expected or if the threat can be posed in a civil and subtle way.
Promises have merit when your side lacks power and anticipates future negotiations with
the other side. Both threats and promises work best when they send interpretable signals
to the other side about your true position, what really matters to you. Careful timing is
critical.
Firmness versus Concessions. Intransigence—sticking to your target position—can yield

superior economic results, especially in face-to-face negotiations. Some concessions are
thought to be appropriate and good negotiators often use face-saving techniques to
explain them.
Persuasion. Verbal persuasion or debate is common in negotiations. It is an attempt to

change the attitudes of the other party toward your target position. Persuaders are most
effective when they are perceived as expert, likable, and unbiased. The problem is that
each party knows the other is self-interested so it helps to introduce some unbiased
parties.
Salary negotiation is a traditional example of distributive bargaining. Men have been

found to negotiate better outcomes than women although the overall difference is small.
Training programs that enable women to negotiate better staring salaries can have short-
and long-term benefits. New hires who negotiate have been found to receive a $5000
salary premium. Collaborating and competing strategies were found to be superior to
compromising and accommodating.
Integrative Negotiation Tactics

Integrative negotiation rejects a fixed-pie assumption and strives for collaborative
problem solving that advances the interests of both parties. This requires trust between
the parties, but this trust is often rewarded with superior negotiation outcomes. People
have a bias for fixed-pie thinking. This is because integrative negotiation requires
creativity and many role models that negotiators have are more likely to use distributive
tactics. A number of examples of integrative negotiation tactics are described in the text:
copious information exchange; framing differences as opportunities; cutting costs;
increasing resources; and introducing superordinate goals.
Copious Information Exchange. A freer flow of information is critical to finding an

integrative settlement. Parties need to give away non-critical information early to start the
ball rolling, ask lots of questions and listen to the answers. Trust must be built slowly so

that “positions” will give way to the communication of true interests, not just their
current positions.
Framing Differences as Opportunities. Traditionally, differences are framed as barriers to

negotiations. Differences need not represent mutually exclusive options and can serve as
a basis for integrative agreements because they contain information that can telegraph the
other party’s real interests.
Cutting Costs. If you can somehow cut the costs that the other party associates with an
agreement, the chance of an integrative settlement increases. Integrative solutions are
especially attractive when they reduce costs for all parties in a dispute.
Increasing Resources. Increasing available resources is a very literal way of getting

around the fixed-pie syndrome. The ultimate solution to “fixed-pie” bargaining is to have
the parties use their combined power to obtain greater resources which they can then
divide.
Introducing Superordinate Goals. Superordinate goals are attractive outcomes that can be
achieved only by collaboration. Neither party can achieve the goal on its own.
Superordinate goals represent the best example of creativity in integrative negotiation
because they change the entire landscape of the negotiation episode.
Third Party Involvement

Third parties may come into play to intervene between negotiating parties when an
impasse is reached (labour/management disputes) or may be involved from the start as a
normal part of the process of bargaining (real estate agents). Two approaches to third
party involvement are mediation and arbitration.
Mediation. This occurs when a neutral third party helps to facilitate a negotiated
agreement by aiding the process or atmosphere of the negotiation or by intervening in the
content of the negotiation. Mediation has a fairly successful track record in dispute
resolution. It works best when the conflict is not too intense and the parties are resolved
to use negotiation to deal with their conflict.
Arbitration. This occurs when a third party is given the authority to dictate the terms of
settlement of a conflict. This usually happens when negotiation has broken down and the
arbitrator has to make a final distributive allocation. In conventional arbitration, the
arbitrator can choose any outcome, such as splitting the difference between the two
parties. In final offer arbitration, each party makes a final offer and the arbitrator chooses
one of them. One of the most commonly arbitrated disputes between employers and
employees is dismissal for excessive absenteeism.
Is All Conflict Bad?
Some students may come to class thinking that all conflict is bad. It is important to have
students realize that there is some sentiment that conflict is good for organizations. It may
be useful to relate conflict in organizations to conflict in the natural world, where the

“strong” survive. It is important to make students aware that some conflict may be
helpful and that there are some potential benefits of organizational conflict as long as it
does not become dysfunctional.
Recently, here has been growing awareness of some potential benefits of organizational
conflict. The argument that conflict can be functional rests mainly on the idea that it can
improve decision making and promote necessary organizational change.
Constructive conflict is most likely to promote good decisions and positive organizational
change. Such conflict means that the parties to the conflict agree that its benefits
outweigh its costs. This is most likely when the tendency to avoid conflict is suppressed
and the parties engage in open-minded discussion of their differences, being open to
evidence that is counter to their current positions.
Sometimes conflict stimulation, a strategy of increasing conflict in order to motivate

change, may be necessary to cause needed changes in the organization. Very often the
underlying signal is the existence of a “friendly rut” in which peaceful relationships take
precedence over organizational goals, when parties that should be interacting have chosen
to withdraw from each other, and when conflict is suppressed or downplayed. Conflict
stimulation involves manipulating those factors that are known to cause conflict, for
example by making resources less available or increasing ambiguity. Conflict in
organizations often causes considerable stress.
A Model of Stress in Organizations
Stress has become a serious concern for individuals and organizations. Stress can be part
of the everyday routine of organizations. A model of a stress episode can provide a better
understanding of stress. There are three stages to the typical stress episode.
Stressors
Stressors are environmental events or conditions which have the potential to induce
stress. Some conditions such as extreme heat or cold, isolation, or hostile people would
prove stressful for just about everyone. Whether or not these environmental events or
conditions are stressors and actually lead to stress depends in part on an individual’s
personality.
Stress
Stress is a psychological reaction to the demands inherent in a stressor that has the
potential to make a person feel tense or anxious because of an inability to cope with
them. However, stress is not intrinsically bad, since individuals require a certain level of
stimulation from their environment. Stress does become a problem when it leads to
especially high levels of anxiety and tension.

Stress Reactions
Stress reactions are the behavioural, psychological, and physiological consequences of
stress. These reactions may be passive responses over which the individual has little
direct control or active coping responses. Coping responses involve active attempts to
deal with some previous aspect of the stress episode. Coping attempts might be directed
toward dealing directly with the stressor or simply reducing anxiety. The former strategy
has more potential for effectiveness because of the chances that the stress episode might
be terminated. Some reactions that are useful for the individual in dealing with a stress
episode may be very costly to the organization (e.g., absenteeism), which suggests that
organizations should be concerned about employee stress.
The stress model presented here appears to generalize across cultures. Similar factors
provoke stress and lead to similar stress reactions around the globe
Personality and Stress

Personality can affect both the extent to which potential stressors are perceived as
stressful and the types of stress reactions that occur. Three key personality traits are locus
of control, Type A behaviour pattern, and negative affectivity.
Locus of Control. Locus of control concerns people’s beliefs about the factors that control
their behaviour. Internals believe that they control their own behaviour, while externals
believe that their behaviour is controlled by luck, fate, or powerful people. Compared
with internals, externals are more likely to feel anxious in the face of potential stressors
since they feel less in control. Internals are more likely to confront stressors directly,
while externals are more prone to simple anxiety-reduction strategies that only work in
the short term.
Type A Behaviour Pattern. Individuals who exhibit the Type A behaviour pattern tend to
be aggressive and ambitious. Their hostility is easily aroused, and they feel a great sense
of time urgency. They are impatient, competitive, and preoccupied with their work.
Compared with Type B individuals who do not exhibit these extreme characteristics,
Type A people report heavier workloads, longer work hours, and more conflicting work
demands. Type A people encounter more stressful situations than Type B people do, or
they perceive themselves as doing so. Type A individuals are likely to exhibit adverse
physiological reactions in response to stress and frustrating, difficult, or competitive
events are especially likely to prompt these adverse reactions. They seem to have a strong
need to control their work environment. The major component of Type A behaviour that
contributes to adverse physiological reactions is hostility and repressed anger which may
also be accompanied by exaggerated cynicism and distrust of others. When these factors
are prominent in a Type A individual’s personality, stress is most likely to take its toll.
Negative Affectivity. Negative affectivity is the propensity to view the world, including
oneself and other people, in a negative light. It is a stable personality trait that is a major
component of the neuroticism factor of the Big Five. People high in negative affectivity
tend to be pessimistic and downbeat. As a consequence, they tend to report more stressors
in the work environment and to feel more subjective stress. They are particularly likely to
feel stressed in response to the demands of a heavy workload.

Factors that might be responsible for the susceptibility to stress of those who are high in
negative affectivity include (a) a predisposition to perceive stressors in the workplace, (b)
hypersensitivity to existing stressors, (c) a tendency to gravitate to stressful jobs, (d) a
tendency to provoke stress through their negativity, and (e) the use of passive, indirect
coping styles that avoid the real sources of stress.
Stressors in Organizational Life
There are many stress-provoking situations that occur in organizational life that may
affect all organizational members. However, there are other stressors that are especially
likely to affect persons performing particular roles in organizations.
Executive and Managerial Stressors

Executives and managers make key organizational decisions and direct the work of
others. As a result, they experience special forms of stress.
Role Overload. Role overload occurs when one must perform too many tasks in too short
a time period. It is a common stressor for managers. The open-ended nature of the
managerial process results in a very heavy and protracted workload. A heavy workload
often provokes conflict between the manager’s role as an organizational member and his
or her role as a spouse or parent. Thus, role overload not only provokes stress but can
prevent the manager from enjoying the pleasures of life that can reduce stress.
Heavy Responsibility. Executives are responsible for the major decisions made by the
organization that can have important consequences for organization members and the
organization. The personal consequences of an incorrect decision can be staggering. The
influence and responsibility over the future of others also has the potential to induce
stress.
Operative-Level Stressors
Operatives are individuals who occupy non-professional and non-managerial positions in
organizations. They are sometimes exposed to a special set of stressors.
Poor Physical Working Conditions. Many operative workers are exposed to physically
unpleasant and even dangerous working conditions. Accidents as well as a variety of
long-term illnesses may develop because of poor working conditions. Have students
evaluate what they might consider as “poor working conditions” (e.g., excessive heat,
cold, noise, pollution, chance of accidents).
Poor Job Design: Jobs that are too simple or not challenging enough can act as stressors.
Monotony and boredom can prove extremely frustrating to people who feel capable of
handling more complex tasks. Job scope can be a stressor at levels that are either too low
or too high.

Boundary Role Stressors, Burnout, and Emotional Labour

Boundary roles are positions in which organizational members are required to interact
with members of other organizations or with the public. They exist at all levels in the
organization. People are especially likely to experience stress as they straddle the
imaginary boundary between the organization and its environment. Boundary role
occupants may experience stress from role conflict as their role as an organizational
member might be incompatible with the demands made by the public or other
organizations. A good example of this described in the text are sales reps.
A particular form of stress experienced by some boundary role occupants is burnout.

Burnout is a syndrome made up of emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced self-
efficacy. Burnout was originally studied among those working in some capacity with
people such as teachers, nurses, paramedics, social workers, and police. However,
burnout can occur even among non-boundary spanners.
Burnout follows a process that begins with emotional exhaustion that leads one to
become cynical and distance oneself from clients, the “cause” of the exhaustion. In the
extreme, this might involve depersonalizing them, treating them like objects, and lacking
concern for what happens to them. The burned-out individual develops feelings of low
self-efficacy and low personal accomplishment. Burnout seems to be most common
among people who entered their jobs with especially high ideals. Gender and personality
are also related to burnout. Women are more likely to report emotional exhaustion and
men are more likely to report depersonalization. Those with high self-esteem, high
conscientiousness, and internal control report less burnout.
The consequences of burnout include the pursuit of a new occupation, staying in the same
occupation but seeking a new job, while some people pursue administrative careers in
their profession. Some people stay in their jobs and become part of the legion of
“deadwood,” collecting their paycheques but doing little to contribute to the mission of
the organization.
Much boundary role stress stems from the frequent need for employees to engage in
“emotional labour”. The suppression of negative emotions and exaggerating positive ones
takes a toll on cognitive and emotional resources over time.
The Job Demands-Resources Model and Work Engagement

Organizations should strive to avoid causing burnout and should strive foster the opposite
of burnout – engagement. Work engagement can be defined as “a positive work-related
state of mind that is characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption.” Vigor involves
high levels of energy and mental resilience at work; dedication means being strongly
involved in your work and experiencing a sense of significance, enthusiasm, and
challenge; absorption refers to being fully concentrated on and engrossed in your work.
The first two dimensions—vigor and dedication— position engagement as the opposite
of burnout.
According to the job demands-resources model, the work environment can be described
in terms of demands and resources. Job demands are physical, psychological, social, or
organizational features of a job that require sustained physical or psychological effort that

in turn can result in physiological or psychological costs (e.g., work overload, time
pressure, role ambiguity, role conflict). Job resources refer to features of a job that are
functional in that they help achieve work goals, reduce job demands, and stimulate
personal growth, learning, and development. Job resources can come from the
organization, interpersonal and social relations, the organization of work, and the task
itself. A central assumption of the model is that high job resources foster work
engagement, while high job demands exhaust employees physically and mentally and
lead to burnout. Research has found that job demands are related to burnout,
disengagement, and health problems, while job resources lead to work engagement,
organizational citizenship behaviour, and organizational commitment. In addition,
resources can buffer the negative impact of job demands on well-being.
Some General Stressors
Some stressors are probably encountered equally by occupants of all roles.
Interpersonal Conflict. Interpersonal conflict can be a potent stressor. When people don’t
get along, stress may be encountered. The entire range of conflict, from personality
clashes to intergroup strife, is especially likely to cause stress when it leads to real or
perceived attacks on our self-esteem or integrity.
A particular manifestation of interpersonal conflict which has received increased

attention in recent years is workplace bullying. Bullying refers to repeated negative
behaviour directed toward one or more individuals of lower power or status that creates a
hostile work environment. It is a potent source of stress and negative well-being.
Although bullying can involve physical aggression, it is most commonly a more subtle
form of psychological aggression and intimidation that can include incessant teasing,
demeaning criticism, social isolation, or sabotaging others’ tools and equipment. An
essential feature of bullying is its persistence. It is the repeated teasing, criticism, or
undermining that signals bullying. Another key feature of the bullying process is some
degree of power or status imbalance between the bully and the victim.
A phenomenon closely associated to bullying is mobbing which occurs when a number of

individuals, usually direct co-workers, “gang up” on a particular employee. Mobbing can
be especially intimidating and stressful because it restricts the availability of social
support that might be present when there is only a single bully.
The role of differential power is most apparent when managers engage in the bullying of
subordinates, a condition called abusive supervision. Abusive supervision is especially
damaging to employee well-being, because managers control considerable resources of
interest to employees (e.g., access to promotions) and are a natural place to turn to for
support when experiencing abuse. This is impossible when it is the manager who is the
abuser. Further, the negative behaviour can “trickle down” from managers to supervisors
to workers, creating a climate of abuse.
Cyberbullying is a fairly new form of bullying in which the abuse occurs electronically
via email, texting, social network platforms, or blogs. In some cases, the cyberbullying is

direct in that it consists of harassing messages (e.g., emails or texts) sent explicitly to the
target of abuse. In other cases, it is indirect in that messages are posted publicly on
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs, and web pages. Cyberbullying can be especially
destructive because the perpetrator might be anonymous, the audience for the abuse can
be large, and the abuse extends into the non-work domain, so people feel they cannot get
away from it
Victims of bullying, mobbing, or abusive supervision experience stress because they feel
powerless to deal with the perpetrator(s). Several countries and Canadian provinces have
enacted laws that pertain to bullying in the workplace and various organizations have
anti-bulling programs.
Work-Family Conflict. An increasingly important stressor in organizational life is work-

family conflict. Work-family conflict results in decreased work performance and
increased absenteeism. Two facts of life have increased the stress stemming from the
inter-role conflict between being a member of one’s family and the member of an
organization. The increase in households in which both parents work and an increase in
single-parent families has led to stressors centred around child care and increased life
spans has led to stressors associated with elder care.
Women are particularly victimized by stress due to work-family conflict, although it is a

rapidly growing problem for men as well. Occupations that require a high degree of
teamwork or responsibilities for others tend to provoke the most work-family conflict.
People who are highly engaged in their work have been shown to have elevated work to
family conflict. More conscientious employees seem to handle this tension between work
and family better.
Job Insecurity and Change. Stress is encountered when secure employment is threatened.
Major organizational changes have left many workers unemployed and threatened the
security of those who have been fortunate enough to remain in their jobs but must live
with the threat of more layoffs, the loss of friends and co-workers, and an increased
workload. The fear of job loss has become a way of life for employees at all
organizational levels. From the threat of technology for operatives, to over qualification
or overspecialization for professionals, to pressures for corporate performance and cost-
cutting in the executive suite, all employees are affected.
Role Ambiguity. Role Ambiguity can provoke stress. It exists when the goals of one’s
job, or the methods of performing it, are unclear to an employee. Stress from a lack of
direction is common. Such a lack of direction can prove stressful, especially for people
who are low in their tolerance for such ambiguity.
Sexual Harassment. Sexual harassment is a major workplace stressor with serious

consequences for employees and the organization that are similar to or more negative
than other types of job stressors. The negative effects include decreased morale, job
satisfaction, organizational commitment, and job performance, and increased
absenteeism, turnover, and job loss. Sexual harassment has serious effects on the

psychological and physical well-being of harassment victims. Organizations in which

sexual harassment is most likely to be a problem are those that have a climate that is
tolerant of sexual harassment and where women are working in traditional male-
dominated jobs and in a male-dominated workplace.
Reactions to Organizational Stress
Reactions to organizational stress can be divided into behavioural, psychological, and

physiological responses. In general, reactions that result in an addition to one’s resources
can be seen as good coping with stress. Reactions that increase demands contribute to bad
coping.
Behavioural Reactions to Stress

Behavioural reactions to stress involve overt activities that the stressed individual uses in
an attempt to cope with the stress. They include problem solving, seeking social support,
modified performance, withdrawal, presenteeism, and the use of addictive substances.
Problem Solving. Problem solving is directed toward terminating the stressor or reducing
its potency, and not toward simply making the person feel better in the short run. It is
reality-oriented. It reveals flexibility and realistic use of feedback. Problem solving is
generally a routine, sensible, and obvious approach. Examples include delegation, time
management, talking it out, asking for help, and searching for alternatives.
Seeking Social Support. Social support has to do with having close ties with other people.
These close ties can reduce stress and promote positive coping. People with stronger
social networks exhibit better psychological and physical well being. When people
encounter stressful events, those with good social networks are likely to cope more
positively. Thus, the social network acts as a buffer against stress. One’s spouse, family,
and friends as well as co-workers can provide needed social support to stress-prone
individuals. The buffering aspects of social support are most potent when they are
directly connected to the source of stress. Thus, co-workers and superiors may be the best
sources of support for dealing with work-related stress.
Performance Changes. Some stressors like role ambiguity and interpersonal conflict are
"hindrance" stressors in that they directly damage goal attainment and performance.
Other stressors such as heavy workload and responsibility are challenging. While they
can damage performance, they sometimes stimulate it via added motivation.
Withdrawal and Presenteeism. Withdrawal from the stressor is one of the most basic
reactions to stress and takes the form of absence and turnover. Absenteeism is an attempt
to reduce anxiety prompted by a stressor in the short term. However, it fails to attack the
stressor directly. Thus, it is a dysfunctional reaction to stress for the individual and the
organization. The same is true of turnover unless the intent is to assume a different, less
stressful job. In that case the reaction may be a problem-solving one and should benefit
the individual and the organization. Absence, turnover, and turnover intentions have often
been linked with stress and its causes.

Stress can also prompt the opposite of withdrawal, to the extent that people go to work ill
or what is known as presenteeism. Presentees are at work, but they are not working at full
capacity. High job demands and time pressure have been associated with presenteeism;
people feel under pressure to get work done and sense the work piling up if they are
absent. Also, bullying and harassment are related to presenteeism, causing stress but
often occurring to those with little power and few options to take time off. Depression,
frequently associated with stress, is a common health problem connected to presenteeism.
Use of Addictive Substances. Smoking, drinking, and drug use represent the least
satisfactory behavioural responses to stress since they fail to terminate stress episodes,
and they leave employees less physically and mentally prepared to perform their jobs.
Cigarette and alcohol use are associated with work-related stress.
Psychological Reactions to Stress

Psychological reactions to stress involve emotions and thought processes, rather than
overt behaviour. The most common of these reactions to stress is the use of defence
mechanisms. Defence mechanisms are psychological attempts to reduce the anxiety
associated with stress. They do not actually confront or deal with the stressor. Some
common defence mechanisms are the following:
• Rationalization. Attributing socially acceptable reasons or motives to one’s

actions so that they will appear reasonable and sensible, at least to oneself.
• Projection. Attributing one’s own undesirable ideas and motives to others so that
they seem less negative.
• Displacement. Directing feelings of anger at a “safe” target rather than expressing
them where they may be punished.
• Reaction formation. Expressing oneself in a manner that is directly opposite to
the way one truly feels, rather than risking negative reactions to one’s true
position.
• Compensation. Applying one’s skills in a particular area to make up for failure in
another area.
Defence mechanisms can be a useful reaction for temporarily reducing anxiety when
employed occasionally. As short-term anxiety-reducers they can benefit the individual
and the organization. However, when they are used chronically the stress may increase,
since the basic problem remains unresolved.
Physiological Reactions to Stress

There is evidence that work stress is associated with electrocardiogram irregularities and
elevated levels of blood pressure, cholesterol, and pulse. Stress has also been associated
with the onset of diseases such as respiratory and bacterial infections. The accumulation
of stress into burnout has been particularly implicated in cardiovascular problems.

Organizational Strategies for Managing Stress
There are a number of personal and organizational strategies to manage stress. These
strategies either reduce demands on employees or enhance their resources.
Job Redesign
Organizations can redesign jobs to reduce their stressful characteristics. Most formal job
redesign efforts have involved enhancing operative-level jobs to make them more
stimulating and challenging. Especially for service jobs, there is growing evidence that
providing more autonomy in how service is delivered can alleviate stress and burnout.
Boundary role service jobs require a high degree of emotional regulation and some
degree of autonomy allows employees to cope with emotional labour by adjusting their
responses to the needs of the moment in line with their own personalities.
“Family Friendly” Human Resource Policies

These programs are meant to reduce the stress associated with dual careers, child care,
and elder care. Individuals are provided with relief from the stresses of the regular job by
programs such as child care for workers with pre-school aged children. These policies
usually include some combination of formalized social support (newsletters, support
groups), material support (corporate daycare centres), and increased flexibility (flex-time,
telecommuting, and job sharing) to adapt to employee needs. Such policies can contribute
to improved health, lower turnover, and higher organizational performance. Perceptions
of flexibility, a reasonable workload, supportive supervision, and a supportive culture are
associated with less work-family conflict and higher job satisfaction and organizational
commitment. The province of Quebec has established a voluntary certification program
for work–life balance.
Stress Management Programs

Some organizations use programs designed to help employees “manage” work-related
stress. These programs can help healthy employees prevent problems due to stress or they
can be aimed at individuals who are already experiencing stress problems. Although the
exact content of programs varies, most involve one or more of the following techniques:
meditation; training muscle relaxation exercises; biofeedback training to control
physiological processes; training in time management; and training to think more
positively and realistically about sources of job stress. Evidence suggests that these
applications are useful in reducing physiological arousal, sleep disturbances, and self-
reported tension and anxiety.
Work-Life Balance, Fitness, and Wellness Programs

For some organizations, work-life balance programs and quality-of-life benefits have
become a strategic retention tool. Employees are increasingly demanding work-life
benefits, and employers are realizing that by providing them they can increase
commitment and reduce turnover. These programs are designed to help employees lead
more productive and balanced lives and can include fitness programs, cafeteria health
food, and weight-loss programs. Studies show that fitness training is associated with
improved mood, a better self-concept, reduced absenteeism, enhanced job satisfaction,

and reports of better performance. Work–life programs are also believed to result in
lower health care costs. Some of these improvements probably stem from stress
reduction.
VIDEO ON PRESENTEESIM IN THE WORKPLACE
You may wish to have a discussion on the topic of presenteeism in the workplace which
is described in the chapter in the section on behavioural reactions to stress. You can show
your class the following video which features Gary Johns discussing presenteeism and his
research on the topic:
http://www.concordia.ca/news/articles/2012/presenteeism-hurts-productivity.html
To generate class discussion, you might focus on the following questions:
1. What is presenteeism?
2. How do you measure presenteeism?
3. What are some of the reasons for presenteeism? Are some people more likely than
other to be absent and present at work?
4. What are the findings from research on presenteeism?
5. What are the effects of presenteeism on employees, their co-workers, and
organizations? What are the consequences?
6. What are organizations doing about presenteeism in the workplace? Why are they
not doing more about it?
7. What should organizations do about presenteeism in the workplace?
SAMPLE ANSWERS TO DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. The manager of a fast food restaurant sees that conflict among the staff is damaging
service. How might she implement a superordinate goal to reduce this conflict?
Superordinate goals are attractive outcomes that can only be achieved by collaboration.
Their introduction may be useful when conflict is so extreme that the parties use normal
problem-solving meetings only as an excuse to attack each other. The manager might
institute a team-oriented reward that can only be achieved through cooperation.
2. A company hires two finance majors right out of college. Being in a new and
unfamiliar environment, they begin their relationship cooperatively. However, over
time, they develop a case of deep interpersonal conflict. What factors could account
for this?
Interpersonal conflict is a process of antagonism that occurs when one person or
organizational subunit frustrates the goal attainment of another. Thus, conflict involves
the joint occurrence of antagonism and blocked goals, and is characterized by high
antagonism and low mutual assistance. Since the two finance majors may feel that only

one of them may be chosen for future promotions, this could lead to interpersonal
conflict.
3. Two social workers just out of college join the same social welfare agency. Both find
their caseloads very heavy and their roles very ambiguous. One exhibits negative
stress reactions, including absence and elevated alcohol use. The other seems to cope
very well. Use the stress episode model to explain why this might occur.
The stress episode model indicates that both social workers are encountering stressors —
heavy work load and role ambiguity. At least two basic factors are responsible for their
different reactions to these stressors. First, they may differ in personality. One
experiences more stress (conflict or frustration) than the other. The person who copes
poorly may be high on Type A behaviour and low in self-efficacy and thus finds the
stressors on the new job especially threatening. Second, both may experience equal levels
of stress, but one may have the resources for superior stress reactions. For instance, the
person who appears to be adjusting to the job may have exhibited a problem-solving
reaction, such as intentionally managing his or her time to cope with the case load or
asking his or her boss for feedback to reduce role ambiguity. The other social worker has
resorted to occasional withdrawal and an addictive substance to temporarily deal with
stress.
4. Imagine that a person who greatly dislikes bureaucracy assumes her first job as an
investigator in a very bureaucratic government tax office. Describe the stressors that
she might encounter in this situation. Give an example of a problem-solving reaction
to this stress. Give an example of a defensive reaction to it.
The question involves a poor fit between the investigator’s personality and the job setting
in which she finds herself. She might experience frustration if she perceives tax office red
tape as interfering with her performance. In addition, she may experience approach-
avoidance conflict. The new job may attract her because of its salary and prestige, but
repel her because it doesn’t suit her work environment preference. She may want to fit in
and look good to her boss, but at the same time she rejects the bureaucratic structure.
More specifically, she might feel considerable stress because of her boundary role as an
investigator. Those being investigated may make requests for cooperation that are not
permitted because of red tape and regulations. A problem-solving reaction might be to
seek employment in an environment that is more suited to her personality. A defensive
reaction might be to displace her anger at the bureaucracy onto those citizens she is
investigating.
5. What factors might explain why bullying persists? How do workplace bullies get
away with it?
Bullying refers to repeated negative behaviour directed toward one or more individuals of
lower power or status. Although bullying can involve physical aggression, it is most often
a more subtle form of psychological aggression and intimidation that can include
incessant teasing, demeaning criticism, social isolation, or sabotaging others’ tools and
equipment. An essential feature of bullying is its persistence. Another key feature of the
bullying process is some degree of power or status imbalance between the bully and the
victim. These factors help to explain why bullying persists and how workplace bullies get

away with it. First, because it usually involves a subtle form of psychological aggression
and intimidation rather than physical aggression, it is more difficult for others to observe
it and even if they do, some might simply pass it off as just teasing or joking around.
Obviously, when physical aggression is involved it can’t be ignored or passed off as
joking around. The second factor stems from the power or status imbalance. The victim is
not likely to complain if they fear that the situation might get worse or that they might
lose their job. Thus, being at a status and power disadvantage prevents the victim from
speaking up and doing anything about it. And if there is no physical aggression involved,
others might not perceive the bullying as a serous problem especially if they themselves
have been involved bullying the victim. It might also be the case that the bully is the
person’s boss and there is nobody to go to for help. Thus, the bullying persists and the
bully gets away with it.
ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. What are some of the factors that make it a real challenge for conflicting parties to
develop a collaborative relationship and engage in integrative negotiation?
Integrative negotiation is a win-win process where gains can be made by all parties
involved. Since developing an understanding of the other party’s wants and needs takes
time and effort, conflicting parties may only concentrate on their side of the “win”
equation.
2. Compare and contrast the stressors that might be experienced by an assembly line
worker and the president of a company.
Both could experience interpersonal incompatibility with co-workers or job insecurity. In
fact, in some unionized companies, the worker’s job might be more secure than the
president’s. It is likely that the president works longer hours and has more responsibility.
In addition, the president is susceptible to stress from the boundary role aspects of the
job. On the other hand, the assembly worker may experience stress because of poor or
unsafe working conditions, shift work, and underutilization of potential.
3. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of hiring employees with Type A

personality characteristics.
Type A persons are highly task involved and achievement oriented, and they reveal
marked organizational and occupational success when compared to Type B persons. They
work persistently on tasks and ignore fatigue. On the other side of the coin, Type A
individuals react negatively to stressful situations and have a greater incidence of
coronary heart disease than Type B individuals. They may be hostile, aggressive, and
impatient with others who slow their progress. While they may be personally successful,
Type A people may create a work climate that damages the attitudes and performance of
others.

EXTRA DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Describe the model of a stress episode.

2. Explain how personality relates to stress.
3. Discuss the various stressors that affect executives and managers. Are these stressors
likely to affect professionals or operative employees?
4. Compare the effectiveness of behavioural and psychological reactions to stress.
5. What can organizations do to reduce the stress experienced by their members?
6. Discuss the following three propositions: a) Organizations have a moral obligation to
their employees to make the organizational environment as stress-free as possible, b)
Stress reduction in organizations makes good business sense, c) Not only would a
stress-free organization be impossible to achieve, but such an environment would not
be entirely desirable for either the individual or the organization.
7. Differentiate among conflict, collaboration, and competition.
8. What causes organizational conflict?
9. Explain how conflict may be functional. Cite an example to illustrate your answer.
10. What can managers do to resolve conflict?
11. What is the difference between burnout and work engagement? What can
organizations do to prevent burnout and facilitate work engagement?
SAMPLE ANSWERS TO INTEGRATIVE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Does personality influence the way that individuals manage conflict? Consider the
relationship among each of the following personality characteristics and the five
approaches to managing organizational conflict described in this chapter: The Big
Five dimensions of personality, locus of control, self-monitoring, self-esteem, need for
power, and Machiavellianism.
The chapter describes the following approaches for managing organizational conflict:
1. Avoiding - This style is characterized by ones low assertiveness of one’s interests
and low cooperation with the other party.
2. Accommodating - This style is characterized by acquiescing to the other party’s
wishes and ignoring your own interests.
3. Competing - This style that maximizes assertiveness and minimizes cooperation.
4. Compromise - Compromise involves each party giving up something with the
expectation that it will receive something in exchange.
5. Collaborating - This style exists when mutual assistance is high and antagonism is
low. It maximizes both assertiveness and cooperation.
It is interesting to consider if personality is a factor in terms of which of these approaches

an individual will use to manage a conflict situation. Following are some suggestions of
the possible relationship between personality characteristics and conflict management
style:
1. Big Five Dimensions of Personality – Low emotional stability is likely to be

related to the avoiding or accommodating approach. Openness to experience and

agreeableness should be related to more compromising and collaborating, and

conscientiousness should be related to more compromise. Extraverts might be
more likely to compete compared to introverts.
2. Locus of Control – Individuals with an internal locus of control will be more
likely to compromise and collaborate. Individuals with an external locus of
control are more likely to use the avoiding or accommodating approach.
3. Self-Monitoring – High self-monitors, who regulate how they appear and behave
in social settings, will probably lean towards compromising and collaborating
given their concern for socially appropriate behaviour. Low self-monitors would
not hesitate to compete.
4. Self-Esteem – People with low self-esteem will be more likely to lean towards the
accommodating approach. Those with high self-esteem are more likely to
compromise and collaborate.
5. Need for Power – Individuals with a high need for power will want to exert their
influence and will use the competing or compromising approach.
6. Machiavellianism – High Machs are most likely to use the competing approach.
2. Can leadership be a source of stress in organizations? Refer to the leadership

theories described in Chapter 9 (e.g., leadership traits, behaviours, situational
theories, participative leadership, strategic leadership, and LMX theory) and explain
how leadership can be a source of stress? According to each theory, what can leaders
do to reduce stress and help employees cope with it?
Leadership can definitely be a source of stress. Leaders who are tough and domineering
and whose behaviours are directive and controlling are particularly likely to provoke
stress. The situational theories of leadership suggest that leadership will be stressful when
it does not match the situation. For example, according to Path-Goal Theory, directive
behaviour might be stressful for a routine or frustrating task. Leaders who are more
supportive and participative are less likely to provoke stress. Participative leaders that
allow employees some input and control over decisions that affect them are likely to
lessen employee stress. LMX theory suggests that leaders who develop high quality
relationships with employees can help to prevent stress. Strategic leaders should also be
effective for limiting stress and for helping employees cope with it. Strategic leadership
involves a leader’s “ability to anticipate, envision, maintain flexibility, think strategically,
and work with others to initiate changes that will create a viable future for the
organization.” Strategic leaders can reduce employees’ stress by providing them with a
clear understanding of the organization’s purpose and vision and by providing guidelines
for where the organization is going and how it will get there; ensuring that employees
receive the training they need to develop the knowledge and skills to perform their jobs
effectively; developing an effective organizational culture that provides the organization
with a competitive advantage; establishing ethical practices and an ethical culture that
guides the behaviour of organizational members; and by establishing organizational
controls that guide work and organizational activities. Thus, strategic leaders can reduce
many of the sources of work stress such as job insecurity and change, role ambiguity, role
conflict, sexual harassment, bullying, and interpersonal conflict.

In general, leaders that provide employees with what they require to perform their jobs
effectively (e.g., direction or support) are less likely to cause stress in employees. As
well, employees are less likely to experience stress or to suffer its negative effects when
their leaders are supportive and participative, and when they have high quality
relationships with them.
SAMPLE ANSWER TO ON-THE-JOB CHALLENGE QUESTION: WHY DON’T

PEOPLE TAKE THEIR VACATIONS?
What do you think explains the willingness of so many people to forego deserved vacation
time? If you were or are a manager, how would you react to staff who don’t use all their
vacation days? What are the long-term implications of this behaviour?
There are a number of reasons why people might forego their vacation time. For starters,
some people might be able to use their vacation time to earn more money. In other words,
they exchange unused vacation time for money. Some people might feel that they have
too much work to do to take time off and worry about falling behind. In fact, 13 percent
said that their work is their life and they are too busy to get away. Others might feel that
with the current economic situation they are lucky to have a job and don’t want to risk
being away for fear of not having a job when they return. Some people said they would
feel guilty taking time off while others said they don’t want to take an expensive vacation
because they are worried about losing their job. Of course some people like Type As, just
don’t want to stop working to take a break.
What are the potential consequences for employees who do not take their vacation time?
As indicated in the question, 42 percent of the respondents reported being tired, stressed,
and in need of a vacation. Thus, when employees don’t take their vacation time they are
at risk for being more stressed and this is likely to negatively affect their well-being and
performance. For example, the poll found that 41 percent of respondents say they are
more productive when they come back from vacations and 54 percent said they are
rejuvenated and reconnected to their personal lives. So employees who do not take
vacation time will not be as productive, they may be absent more often, and they might
be more susceptible to using additive substances. They might also be at risk for burnout
as well as more likely to have physiological reactions to stress such as elevated levels of
blood pressure and cardiovascular problems.
Stress experts say that the need for time away from work is more important than ever
given the increased demands and stress in the workplace. Clearly, there are risks of not
taking time away from work for employees and organizations. Employees will find
themselves increasingly stressed and unable to cope which will impact their productivity
as well as their psychological and physical well-being and health. Organizations will
have employees who might be more likely to become ill, to be absent, and less productive
and this can be costly in the long-term. In fact, it is reported that mental nervous disorders
are the top claim for disability that insurance companies are seeing as many people do not

know how to take a break. In addition, the mental and physical health issues associated
with burnout are seen in escalating drug costs and short-term disability.
Thus, there are serious long-term implications of this behaviour for employees and
organizations. Managers need to encourage and even require employees to take time off
and make good use of their vacation time – something that will benefit everyone and
contribute to greater work-life balance in the workplace and employee well-being.
TEACHING NOTES FOR STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING CONFLICT

EXPERIENTIAL EXERCISE
Before discussing this exercise, you might ask students in general how they have
managed conflict in their lives. Ask them to provide examples of conflict situations they
have been in and how they managed them. Also ask students to give specific examples of
conflict situations and how they managed the conflict and what the results were.
Students should follow the instructions provided in Chapter 13 of the text (p.502) for
Strategies for Managing Conflict. For each of the 20 statements, students should indicate
the extent to which they use each of the strategies. Once they have completed all 20
questions, they can calculate their scores on each strategy as follows:
Competing: Add 1, 6, 11, and 16

Accommodating: Add 2, 7, 12, and 17
Compromising: Add 3, 8, 13, and 18
Avoiding: Add 4, 9, 14, and 19
Collaborating: Add 5, 10, 15, and 20
Students should then identify their primary conflict management strategy (their highest
score) and their secondary conflict management strategy (their second highest score).
The following questions can be used to discuss conflict management and the exercise.
You might have students discuss these questions in groups and then have each group
discuss their answers in a class discussion.
1. Students should discuss their scores and indicate their primary and secondary conflict
management strategy. Prior to this exercise, what strategy do they think they have been
using to manage conflict situations and how successful have they been? What do their
scores say about how they manage conflict and do the scores help to understand or
explain the results of various conflict situations they have experienced?
2. Students should describe a conflict situation they have experienced and describe the
strategy they used to manage it. Did they use their primary or secondary strategy? What
was the outcome of the conflict? Ask students to consider if they should have used a
different strategy and if so, what strategy and why?
3. Students should discuss their scores on each of the five conflict management
strategies. Based on their scores, they should discuss their strengths and weaknesses in

relation to the five strategies and how they manage conflict. What do their scores say
about how effectively they manage conflict?
4. Based on their answers to the previous question, students should discuss what they
are doing that is contributing to a high or low score on each of the five strategies. In other
words, they should give specific examples of their use of the different strategies and the
results of various conflicts. What could they have done differently to achieve a better
outcome?
5. Students should discuss some actual changes they can make to improve their use of
the different strategies and to better manage conflict in their lives. Ask students to
indicate what strategies they need to try to use more often and give specific examples of
what they can do next time they are in a conflict situation.
Some additional questions to consider for class discussion:
1. What is conflict and what are the different types of conflict?

2. What are the different modes of managing conflict? How effective is each mode?
3. How is conflict managed when using negotiation? What is the difference between
distributive negotiation and integrative negotiation?
4. Describe the tactics that can be used for distributive negotiation and integrative
negotiation. What effect is each tactic likely to have?
5. What is third party involvement and when is it most likely to be used?
TEACHING NOTES FOR BRINGING BABY TO WORK CASE INCIDENT
1. A number of news stories have appeared suggesting that babies in the workplace
are a source of considerable interpersonal conflict. What are some likely reasons
for this?
Babies at work might cause conflict for a variety of reasons. Perhaps most likely is
that bringing a child to work is viewed as a perk that is not available to everyone (for
example, those with older children; those without children). Those who cannot avail
themselves of the practice become jealous of those who can. As indicated in the
vignette, some might view the presence of babies as distracting or unprofessional and
take it out on the doting parent. Some people have ideas about the separation of
family and work that might make them prone to see the practice as a violation of good
sense. It seems likely that it is mothers that would avail themselves of this practice,
and gender stereotypes might come into play (e.g., that mothers should devote full
attention to the child and not work for awhile).
2. Is bringing baby to work the ultimate example of work-family integration? Or does it

go too far in blurring the distinction between work and family?
Opinions will vary about whether bringing babies to work is good work-family
integration or whether it blurs the line between work and non-work to an
unacceptable degree. Be sure students give their reasoning behind their views on this.

3. What considerations should underpin a formal policy concerning babies at work?
A policy on bringing babies to work must specify the eligible age range and the exact
conditions under which the practice is permissible. It should also be clear who signs
off on the practice (the direct manager, HR) and what the grounds are (e.g., work
disruption) for terminating or denying the opportunity. Difficult issues might arise
when many parents desire to engage in the practice.
As an aside, you might query students about their views on the practice of allowing
employees to bring pets to work. A few organizations have done this on the
presumption that it somehow counters workplace stress or creates a more pleasant
work environment. If you can bring pets to work then why not babies? Opinions will
vary!
TEACHING NOTES FOR TOUGH GUY CASE STUDY
1. Earlier in the chapter conflict was defined as a process that occurs when one
person, group, or organizational subunit frustrates the goal attainment of
another. Speculate about how Chip Mazey has frustrated the goal attainment of
personnel at Hudson Smith Gordon.
This requires some speculation, but employees such as Jeremy Fraser surely come
to Wall Street hoping to succeed and rise through the investment bank ranks.
This requires sponsorship, mentorship, and support, all qualities that Chip Mazey
is lacking in providing. This is sure to frustrate the goal attainment of the analysts.
Support staff might harbour less lofty career ambitions, but they at least expect a
pleasant, respectful work environment. This is missing in the poisonous
atmosphere unnecessarily created by Mazey.
2. Is the conflict observed in the case relationship, task, or process conflict? Please
explain your reasoning.
There is a bit of all three forms of conflict, but the core form is relationship
conflict. Mazey has a personality that seems to stimulate and then thrive on
conflict. It perhaps stems from a combination of insecurity, narcissism, and
superiority complex. In any event, he can’t get on with others (especially those
lower ranked than he at Hudson). There are elements of task and process conflict
evident in his random micro-management activity, but they seem to stem from the
relationship conflict rather than from some deep seated ideas about what or how
work should be accomplished.
3. The chapter outlined a number of causes of conflict. Which seem to be prevalent

in this case? Feel free to cite some other contributors as well.
Poorly managed power and status differences lie at the heart of the conflict, which
is exacerbated by the close interdependence of the work. Subordinates simply
can’t avoid Mazey, and the failure to confront him just reinforces his bad

behaviour. This is one of those classic “personality” conflicts in which a difficult

individual poisons working relationships with virtually everyone of equal or lower
organizational rank.
4. The chapter discusses five modes of managing conflict: avoiding,

accommodating, competing, compromise, and collaborating. What mode does
Chip Mazey employ? What mode does his staff employ?
Mazey handles conflict by competing. Everyone else appears to be
accommodating him. This is a bad recipe for the workplace climate and for
productivity, as evidenced by the repeated “make work” assignments alluded to in
the case.
5. Chip Mazey’s subordinates seem to be suffering from stress, but what are its exact
causes? That is, how does his behaviour translate into stress for others?
Let us count the ways: “Make work” assignments lead to role overload; bullying
promotes interpersonal conflict; his management style impinges on the family life
of subordinates; people feel job-insecure.
6. Is Chip a bully? Defend your answer.

He is surely a bully. As the text explains, bullying is “repeated negative behaviour
directed toward one or more individuals of lower power or status that creates a
hostile work environment.” This is a classic case. He engages in negative
behaviour repeatedly to multiple targets who have less power than him.
7. Despite his obvious reputation, how has Chip managed to retain a position of
power?
The unit that Chip manages controls strategic contingencies (Chapter 12) at the
investment bank by procuring scarce resources—as the case notes, he makes the
bank a lot of money in spite of being obnoxious. In addition, Chip appears to be
able to control himself well enough to hide the worst of his excesses from his
superiors.
8. What should Jeremy Fraser do now? What should his goals be?
This bullying is intolerable. Fraser needs to form a coalition with a few peers and
confront Mazey with their complaints. They should put him on notice that they
are prepared to bypass him and go to top management unless he can exhibit a
more collaborative style. Mazey’s actions have even extended to potentially
disturbing client relationships, and they are virtually unethical. If he cannot
change, Mazey should be moved to a position that capitalizes on his investment
savvy but does not involve supervisory duties.

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CHAPTER 13

CONFLICT AND STRESS

CHAPTER LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After reading Chapter 13, students should be able to:

CHAPTER OUTLINE AND TEACHING NOTES

Causes of Organizational Conflict

Several factors contribute to organizational conflict.

Group Identification and Intergroup Bias

Copyright © 2017 Pearson Canada Inc.

Differences in Power, Status, and Culture

Culture. Differences in culture that develop in organizations can result in a clash of

It is useful to distinguish among relationship, task, and process conflict. Relationship

Copyright © 2017 Pearson Canada Inc.

and accomplished. Disagreements about responsibility, authority, resource allocation, and

Modes of Managing Conflict

Managers should be aware of various approaches to managing organizational conflict.

Copyright © 2017 Pearson Canada Inc.

Managing Conflict with Negotiation

Distributive negotiation assumes a zero-sum, win-lose situation in which a fixed amount

Copyright © 2017 Pearson Canada Inc.

Distributive Negotiation Tactics

Firmness versus Concessions. Intransigence—sticking to your target position—can yield

Persuasion. Verbal persuasion or debate is common in negotiations. It is an attempt to

Salary negotiation is a traditional example of distributive bargaining. Men have been

Integrative Negotiation Tactics

Copious Information Exchange. A freer flow of information is critical to finding an

Copyright © 2017 Pearson Canada Inc.

Framing Differences as Opportunities. Traditionally, differences are framed as barriers to

Increasing Resources. Increasing available resources is a very literal way of getting

Third Party Involvement

Is All Conflict Bad?

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Sometimes conflict stimulation, a strategy of increasing conflict in order to motivate

A Model of Stress in Organizations

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Personality and Stress

Copyright © 2017 Pearson Canada Inc.

Stressors in Organizational Life

Executive and Managerial Stressors

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Boundary Role Stressors, Burnout, and Emotional Labour

A particular form of stress experienced by some boundary role occupants is burnout.

The Job Demands-Resources Model and Work Engagement

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A particular manifestation of interpersonal conflict which has received increased

A phenomenon closely associated to bullying is mobbing which occurs when a number of

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Work-Family Conflict. An increasingly important stressor in organizational life is work-

Women are particularly victimized by stress due to work-family conflict, although it is a

Sexual Harassment. Sexual harassment is a major workplace stressor with serious

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psychological and physical well-being of harassment victims. Organizations in which

Reactions to Organizational Stress

Reactions to organizational stress can be divided into behavioural, psychological, and

Behavioural Reactions to Stress

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Psychological Reactions to Stress

• Rationalization. Attributing socially acceptable reasons or motives to one’s

Physiological Reactions to Stress