Organizational policy: The organizational policy refers to broad rules or guidelines for

action. Polices state the organization's objectives and basic principles for doing business and
are intended as a guide for leaders in getting jobs done. Policies may be written or implied;
that is, developed from years of past practice. Three characteristics of the organizational
policy can produce stress:

a. Role ambiguity: when the policy, usually implicitly, tends to provide insufficient
guidelines about what an individual should be doing or aiming for in his job,
uncertainty arises and produces stress. Job insecurity may come may come under
this factor.
b. Perceived inadequate appreciation or promotion: individuals experience stress if
they feel passed by for recognition and/or promotion.
c. Poor interpersonal relationships: good and adequate interpersonal relationships
are crucial for experiencing social support from fellow employees. If social
support is poor, job satisfaction decreases, which, in turn, produces stress.

Organization structure: Organizational structure provides formal relationship among

the people in the organization. Lack of social support from colleagues and poor interpersonal
relationship can cause stress, especially among employee with a high social need. Any defect
in organization structure like lack of opportunity of participation in decision making, lack of
opportunity for advancement, high degree of specialization, line & staff conflict etc. works as
stressors. A rapidly growing body of research has also shown that negative co-worker and
supervisor behaviors, including fights, bulling, incivility, racial harassment, and sexual
harassment, are especially strongly related to stress at work. These include career related
concerns, such as job security and advancement, as well as financial and family concerns.
The most notable feature of their instrument is that many positive life changes (i.e., marriage,
Christmas, vacations, etc.) are substantial sources of stress. Generally, stress appears to be a
result of any change in one's daily routine.

Organizational Processes: Organizational processes create stress on a person as a

function of the particular role he or she plays in the organization. Role conflicts create
expectation that may be hard to reconcile or satisfy. Organizational processes like poor
communication, poor & inadequate feedback of work performance, etc. cause stress for
people in the organization. Role overload occurs when the employee is expected to do more

than time permits. Role ambiguity means role expectations are not clearly understood and the
employee is not sure what to do. Individuals who face high situational constrain (such as
fixed working hours or demanding job responsibility) are also less able to engage in the
proactive coping behaviors that reduces stress level of distress at the time, but theyll also be
less likely to take steps to eliminate stressor in the future. Poor interpersonal relationships are
also a common source of stress in organizations. Arnold and Feldman (1986) cite three types
of interpersonal relationships that can evoke a stress reaction: 1) too much prolonged contact
with other people, 2) too much contact with people from other departments, and 3) an
unfriendly or hostile organizational climate.
Physical conditions: Adverse working conditions, such as excessive noise, extreme
temperatures, or overcrowding, can be a source of job-related stress. Task demands relate to a
persons job. They include the design of the job (its degree of autonomy, task variety, degree
of autonomy), working conditions, and the physical work layout. Assembly lines can put
pressure on people when they perceive thee lines speed to be excessive. Working in an
overcrowded room or a visible location where noise and interception are constant can
increase anxiety and stress. One source of environmental stress ignored in the organizational
literature is non-natural electromagnetic radiation. Modern offices are filled with electronic
devices that produce high levels of radiation. These include computers, video monitors,
typewriters, fluorescent lights, clocks, copying machines, faxes, electric pencil sharpeners,
and a host of other electronic devices. Human sensitivity to electomagnetic fields is welldocumented, and the design of future office equipment will most likely involve a
consideration of emitted radiation.
EXTRA ORGANIZATIONAL STRESSORS: Social and technical changes economic &
financial conditions, social class conflicts, community conditions etc. work as stressors.
Economic stress can be triggered by actual stressful experiences like the loss of a job or
home, for example, or major changes to your familys income and budget. Anticipated or
possible events, however, can be just as stressful as actual happenings. The fear of your
family losing their home or no longer being able afford college costs can be just as stressful,
and sometimes more so, than the actual events. Social stress is stress that stems from one's
relationships with others and from the social environment in general. A person experiences
stress when he or she does not have the ability or resources to cope when confronted with an
external stimulus (stressor), or when they fear they do not have the ability or resources. An

event which exceeds the ability to cope does not necessarily have to occur in order for one to
experience stress, as the threat of such an event occurring can be sufficient. This can lead to
emotional, behavioural, and physiological changes that can put one under greater risk for
developing a mental disorder and physical illness.