Exam 13: Conflict and Stress

Suzie Desouza, the Manager of Industrial Relations at Zeta Manufacturing, has just been informed that the union representing the assembly workers has rejected management's latest offer and has issued a strike notice.Suzie is very angry at both her superiors and the union representatives for their intransigence on key negotiation issues, but she tries to keep her cool as she prepares for yet another marathon bargaining session.She is concerned that the strike will lead to layoffs in other areas of the company, and she worries about those individuals who will be adversely affected if the next round of negotiations fails.She has been told by her boss to try to avoid a strike at all costs.Yet, her boss was the one who recommended countering the union's previous offer with the current failed offer.Based on the pace of negotiations to date, she predicts that even round-the-clock negotiations will not result in a settlement soon enough to avert the strike.As she sits at her desk, she glances at the pictures of her two children who she has hardly seen since negotiations started last month.She also notices that the in-basket of her mail tray is overflowing and she has nearly 100 unopened email messages (half of them marked "URGENT").As she pops another pill for her high blood pressure problem, she sighs, "Where do I start?" Analyze Suzie's situation in terms of stressors, stress, and stress reaction.

Wayne just started a new job for a company that distributes swimming pool hardware like brass drain filters, pumps, and flexible heating coils for pool heaters.The warehouse is filled with approximately 400 SKU's or individual products.Wayne has been told that he is responsible for being the final "approver" for all orders before they get loaded on to the truck and sent to the customer.At the same time, his supervisor has asked him to try to manage the labour costs in the warehouse for himself and the dozen or so of other employees in that area.In the middle of double checking a large and very complicated order, Wayne was asked to meet with the warehouse manager, as well as a handful of other managers from the company, to discuss customer service challenges.He is experiencing quite a bit of stress and he is worried it is going to get worse as the role ambiguity he is facing gets more confusing.The stressors Wayne is experiencing are coming from the intense

When resources are low, increased job demands are associated with a

A national Canadian survey determined that work-family conflict results in decreased ________ and increased absenteeism.

Discuss several organizational strategies for managing stress.

More conscientious employees seem to handle the tension between work and family better than others.

Discuss the role of personality on the experience of stress and three personality traits associated with stress.

The avoiding style is characterized by low assertiveness of one's own interests and low cooperation with the other party.

Discuss the relationship between stressors and job performance and give examples of hindrance and challenge stressors.

People have remarkably similar levels of toleration for stress.

When are persons with high negative affectivity particularly likely to feel to stress?

Conflict involves antagonistic attitudes and behaviours.

Distributive negotiation requires a degree of creativity.

The fear that others are more adept at adapting to and using new technology than we are or that it could threaten our job is called

In order to stimulate conflict, a manager might

________ negotiation requires a degree of creativity.

Which stress reaction has the best potential to permanently terminate a stress episode?

Process conflict concerns disagreements about the nature of the work to be done.

When Jerome asked Larry about his new job, he was surprised to learn that Larry's co-workers have been teasing him and sabotaging his tools and equipment.What is this an example of?

According to a study conducted by the American Psychological Association, work was reported to be a potent source of stress, edging out ________ and ________.