Psychological Adjustment.

In context of work.
Psychological well being.
 Psychological well-being resides within the
experience of the individual (Campbell et.al.
1976). It is person’s evaluative reaction to his
or her life—either in terms of
 life satisfaction (Cognitive evaluations) or
 affect (ongoing emotional reaction).
variables that influence peoples’ evaluations of their
Psychological well-being do vary across culture.


2 Philosophical Perspectives
 Happiness that leads to the Theory of
Subjective Well Being ( SWB)
 Self actualization that leads to the
Theory of Psychological Well Being
(PWB)
Subjective WB
 Subjective well-being can be simply defined as
the individual’s current evaluation of her
happiness. Such an evaluation is often expressed
in affective terms; when asked about subjective
well-being, participants will often say, “I feel
good” (Schwartz & Strack, 1999). Subjective well-
being is thus, at least in part, a proxy for a global
affective evaluation.
Subjective WB & Psychological
WB
 Both theories aim to describe how people evaluate their
lives but each gives emphasis to different aspects
 SWB defines evaluations on the basis of 3 elements
 Judgments of positive effect
 Judgments of negative effect
 Overall life satisfaction
 PWB is based on 6 elements
 Judgments of self acceptance * positive relations with
others
 Personal growth * environmental mastery
 Purpose of life * autonomy
Work life balance (WLB)& its
work psychology implications
 WLB from an employee’s perspective is the
maintenance of balance between
responsibilities at home and at work
 Employees view the benefits or working
conditions provided to help employees
balance the family and work domains as work
life benefits
 WLB strategies in an org include policies
covering flexi working hours, child &
dependent care, family & parental leave
WLB
 Work-life balance is a broad concept
including proper prioritizing between career
and ambition on one hand, compared with
pleasure, leisure, family and spiritual
development on the other.
 As the separation between work and home
life has diminished, this concept has become
more relevant than ever before.
Work Life Conflict ( WLC)
 WLC on the other hand is defined as a form
of inner role conflict in which role pressures
from the work and other life domains are
mutually incompatible in some respect,
whereby participation in one role is made
more difficult by participation in the other
 It covers impact of family life on work as well
as impact work has on individual stress,
relationships and family well being
Gender differences regarding
work-life balance
 Many women feel additional stress
when they must decide what they feel is
best for their families or what is best for
their career
 Work-life balance concerns of men and
women are alike
 Work-life balance issues and their
influence on children
Stress and work-life balance
 Symptoms of stress are manifested both physiologically
and psychologically. Persistent stress can result in cardio
vascular disease, sexual health problems, a weaker
immune system and frequent headaches, stiff muscles,
or backache. It can also result in poor coping skills,
irritability, jumpiness, insecurity, exhaustion, and difficulty
concentrating. Stress may also perpetuate or lead to
binge eating, smoking and alcohol consumption.
 Traditional stress-management programs placed the
responsibility of reducing stress on the individual rather
than on the organization-where it belongs.
 No matter how healthy individual employees are when
they start out, if they work in a dysfunctional system,
they’ll burn out.
STRESS
 “The adverse reaction people have to excessive
pressure or other types of demand placed on
them”
 This makes an important distinction between
pressure, which can be a positive state if managed
correctly, and stress, which can be detrimental to
health. Pressure will be present in all jobs in one form
or another. Pressure and challenge, even when high,
can be motivating and stimulating. However, when an
individual feels pressure at a time when they cannot
cope, or in some cases too little pressure or
challenge, this can lead to stress. The ability to cope
with stress differs from person to person and it will
depend on the individual how they react to stress.
SIGNS OF STRESS
 Persistent or recurrent moods e.g. anger, irritability,
detachment, worry, depression, guilt and sadness.

 Physical effects e.g. aches and pains (headaches,

back ache, neck ache), raised heart rate, increased
sweating, dizziness, blurred vision, skin or sleep
disorders.

 Changed behaviours e.g. increased absence levels,

difficulty concentrating or remembering things,
inability to switch off, loss of creativity, making more
errors, double checking everything, eating disorders,
covering up mistakes by lying, increased use of
alcohol, tobacco or drugs.
Psychological Adjustment.

Work Adjustment.
Work Adjustment
 The study of work adjustment or occupational mental health
is about adjustment or maladjustment of employees in the
context of work organizations
 Individual’s occupational health cannot be separated from
the individual’s personal adjustment nor from the org health
nor from the environment in which both individual & org
exist & function
 Thus it is necessary to understand the interaction between
employees & their org because the degree of adjustment
/maladjustment is not caused only by the situation or
individual personality traits but may instead be the type of
congruence/fit between individual and the work situation
Summary.
 Originally developed in the 1950’s at the Univ.
of Minnesota to address the needs of a voc.
rehab. Population
 Person-Environment Correspondence Theory
as known as TWA
 Focuses satisfaction and skills assessment
 TWA theory does not integrate personality
and interests as typically defined; although
similar constructs exist
 Typically best applied to work settings
Theory of Work Adjustment
 The Theory of Work Adjustment (TWA)
describes the relationship of the individual to
his or her work environment.
 TWA was developed as the guiding
framework for a program of research in
vocational psychology, and this is the area of
its greatest application today.
 TWA has led to the development of the
instruments and materials as well as a series
of researches.
TWA Theory:
Definition of important terms
 Needs and Skills
 Satisfaction and Satisfactoriness
 Correspondence
 Adjustment
Main points of TWA
 Work is conceptualized as an interaction between an
individual and a work environment.
 The work environment requires that certain tasks be
performed, and the individual brings skills to perform
the tasks.
 In exchange, the individual requires compensation for
work performance and certain preferred conditions,
such as a safe and comfortable place to work.
 The environment and the individual must continue to
meet each other's requirements for the interaction to
be maintained. The degree to which the requirements
of both are met may be called correspondence.
Mn.Pnt TWA..Contd….
 Work adjustment is the process of achieving and
maintaining correspondence. Work adjustment is
indicated by the satisfaction of the individual with the
work environment, and by the satisfaction of the work
environment with the individual--by the individual's
satisfactoriness which result in an tenure, that is the
principal indicator of work adjustment. Tenure can be
predicted from the correspondence of an individual's
work personality with the work environment.
Success Factors.
 Focuses less on problems
and more on successes
and opportunities.
 Adopt an attitude that views
challenges as opportunities.
 Work on creating
tomorrow's Business
instead of focusing on
yesterday’s problems.
Benefits of TWA
 Goes beyond “just finding a job” to what
happens on the job.
 Work environment could easily be broadened to
include structural/cultural factors that affect
satisfaction - More applicable for diverse groups
 This could include needs/abilities around
managing family-work interface, sexual
harassment/discrimination, chronic
disabilities
Psychological Maladjustment.
 Psychological Maladjustment occur when an
individual is emotionally unstable and having
difficulty coping with personal relationships
 Psychological maladjustment exists when the
organism denies awareness of significant
sensory and visceral experiences(characterized
from instinct rather than intellect ), which
consequently are not symbolized and organized
into the gestalt of the self structure. When this
situation exists, there is a basic or potential
psychological tension.
Contd……..
 A causal model of job stressors and stress reactions
was examined to clarify the developmental process of
employee maladjustment in work place.
 Which is being measured at Job Stress Scale (JSS),
which measured job stressors, stress reactions,
coping strategies, and social support. Employees with
high stress reaction scores were interviewed to obtain
information Results showed that the quantitative job
stressors had only an indirect effect, mediated by
fatigue and irritability, on mental instability, whereas
qualitative ones had both direct and indirect effects.
The findings suggest that the developmental
processes of employee maladjustment in work place
differ depending on the kind of job stressors they
experience.
Work Dysfunctions
 Work Dysfunctions are psychological
conditions in which significant impairment in
the capacity to work may be caused by either
attributes in the individual or by the
interaction between individual and the work
environment
 This approach includes psychiatric disorders
or psychopathology and work dysfunctions
related to employee attitudes, perceptions,
feelings and behavior that determine an
individual’s personal effectiveness, success
and happiness.
Occupational Mental Health
 Occupational Mental Health is the
scientific study of the causes, symptoms
and characteristics of individuals,
groups, org, management, work
situation and the external environment
that leads to and support various forms
of maladjustment and the study of the
treatment, management and utilization
of problem of rehabilitated workers
 EAP – Employee assistance Programme.
 It is designed to enhance employee well-being and productivity
job through resolution of job stress, personal challenges, and
family problems interfering with work.EAP’s goal is to help
employees and their immediate family members prevent small
problems from becoming larger ones, and to provide the
assistance they need to improve their professional, personal,
and/or work life, also helps supervisors and managers work with
employees to address their problems, seek and receive
appropriate counseling or treatment, and improve workplace
performance and/or behavior.
 EPA Includes..
 1. Assessment, short-term counseling, and referral
 2. services Employee orientations
 3. Supervisor training and coaching
 4. Talks, workshops, and safety seminars
 5. Supervisor referrals
 6. Organizational and management consultation
 7. Return to work evaluations
 8. Fitness for duty coordination
 Professional and Personal Development Program
(PPDP)

 This expalins assosiationwith individuals and

organizations in providing consultation,
professional seminars and customized
workshops, executive/professional/life coaching,
and career planning. Leadership development
 Professional and Personal Development Program
(PPDP)

 This expalins assosiationwith individuals and

organizations in providing consultation,
professional seminars and customized
workshops, executive/professional/life coaching,
and career planning. Leadership development
PPDP Includes..
 Change management
 2. Executive coaching
 3. Professional and life coaching
 4. Career coaching
 5. Inspiring excellence
 6. Conflict management
 7. Team-building
 8. Effective communication
 9. Safety seminars
 10. Drug-free workplace
 11. Spirituality and mindfulness
 12. Emotional intelligence
 14. Relationship enhancement
 15. Grief and loss
 16. Work/family balance
 17. Mind-body wellness
Strategies to manage & promote org &
employee well being individual methods to
promote the psychological health in
workplace
 Development of an organizational health center
(OHC) to improve both organizational and individual
health as well as help workers manage job stress.
 Innovations included labor-management
partnerships, suicide risk reduction (there had
previously been elevated suicide risk at the complex),
conflict mediation, and occupational mental health
support.
 Stress and Wellness Committee (SWC) which
solicited ideas from workers on ways to improve both
their well-being and productivity.
Contd………
 Employee well-being is a key factor in determining an
organisation's long-term profitability. Many studies show a direct
link between productivity levels and the general health of the
workforce.
 There are a variety of steps you can take to reduce both
your overall stress levels and the stress you find on the job
and in the workplace. These include:
 Taking responsibility for improving your physical and
emotional well-being.
 Avoiding pitfalls by identifying knee jerk habits and negative
attitudes that add to the stress you experience at work.
 Learning better communication skills to ease and improve
your relationships with management and coworkers.
Signs and symptoms of excessive job and
workplace stress
 Feeling anxious, irritable, or depressed
 Apathy, loss of interest in work.
 Problems sleeping
 Fatigue,
 Trouble concentrating
 Muscle tension or headaches
 Stomach problems
 Social withdrawal
 Loss of sex drive
 Using alcohol or drugs to cope
Common causes of excessive workplace
stress

 Fear of layoffs
 Increased demands for overtime due to
staff cutbacks
 Pressure to perform to meet rising
expectations but with no increase in job
satisfaction
 Pressure to work at optimum levels – all
the time!
Reducing job stress by taking care of
yourself 
 When stress on the job is interfering with your ability to work,
care for yourself, or manage your personal life, it’s time to take
action. Start by paying attention to your physical and emotional
health. When your own needs are taken care of, you’re stronger
and more resilient to stress. The better you feel, the better
equipped you’ll be to manage work stress without becoming
overwhelmed.
 Taking care of yourself doesn’t require a total lifestyle overhaul.
Even small things can lift your mood, increase your energy, and
make you feel like you’re back in the driver’s seat. Take things
one step at a time, and as you make more positive lifestyle
choices, you’ll soon notice a noticeable difference in your stress
level, both at home at work.
Reducing job stress by prioritizing and
organizing

 When job and workplace stress surrounds

you, you can’t ignore it, but there are simple
steps you can take to regain control over
yourself and the situation. Your growing
sense of self-control will also be perceived by
others as the strength it is, leading to better
relationships at work.
 Here are some suggestions for reducing job
stress by prioritizing and organizing your
responsibilities …..
Time management tips for reducing job
stress
 Create a balanced schedule. Analyze your schedule,
responsibilities, and daily tasks. All work and no play is a recipe for
burnout. Try to find a balance between work and family life, social
activities and solitary pursuits, daily responsibilities and downtime.
 Don’t over-commit yourself. Avoid scheduling things back-to-back
or trying to fit too much into one day. All too often, we underestimate
how long things will take. If you've got too much on your plate,
distinguish between the "shoulds" and the "musts." Drop tasks that
aren't truly necessary to the bottom of the list or eliminate them
entirely.
 Try to leave earlier in the morning. Even 10-15 minutes can make
the difference between frantically rushing to your desk and having
time to ease into your day. Don’t add to your stress levels by running
late.
 Plan regular breaks. Make sure to take short breaks throughout the
day to sit back and clear your mind. Also try to get away from your
desk for lunch. Stepping away from work to briefly relax and recharge
will help you be more, not less, productive.
What managers or employers can do to
reduce stress at work
 It's in a manager's best interest to keep stress
levels in the workplace to a minimum. Managers
must act as positive role models, especially in
times of high stress. All of the tips mentioned in
this article are twice as important for managers
to follow. If someone that we admire remains
calm, it is much easier to remain calm ourselves
– and vice versa! There are also organizational
changes that managers and employers can
make to reduce workplace stress.
Steps….To be taken…
 Improve communication
 Share information with employees to reduce uncertainty about
their jobs and futures.
 Clearly define employees’ roles and responsibilities.
 Make communication  friendly and efficient, not mean-spirited or
petty.
 Consult your employees
 Give workers opportunities to participate in decisions that affect
their jobs.
 Consult employees about scheduling and work rules.
 Be sure the workload is suitable to employees’ abilities and
resources; avoid unrealistic deadlines.
 Show that individual workers are valued.
Contd….
 Offer rewards and incentives
 Praise good work performance verbally and institutionally.
 Provide opportunities for career development.
 Promote an “entrepreneurial” work climate that gives
employees more control over their work.
 Cultivate a friendly social climate
 Provide opportunities for social interaction among employees.
 Establish a zero-tolerance policy for harassment.
 Make management actions consistent with organizational
values.