Women and Stress at the Workplace. Why Do Women Face More Workplace Stress Than Men - Research Paper Example

?Stress is described as experiences resulting from pressure or demands on an individual, and its impacts on the individual’s ability to cope with thesituation, Pressure is the subjective sense of tension that can be triggered by an event, in which stress results if the pressure exceeds an individual’s ability to cope. Therefore, work-related stress takes place when there is a disparity between the demands of the job and the potentials of an individual to meet those demands (Blaug, Kenyon and Lekhi, 2007). This paper seeks to illustrate the difference between stress faced by female and male managers as well as address the consequences of stress. The paper will also examine the role played by gender in stress at the workplace. The effects of work-related stress on healthy individuals are felt at most levels of a being such as physiological, cognitive, emotional and behavioural. There exist clear links between work-related stress and a variety of physical and mental disorders, which illustrate how one’s health can deteriorate in the presence of strain. In 2010, women in corporate boards of 100 companies constituted 12.5%, which was a 9.4% increase, and per the American Psychological Association, 69% of employees reported work as a significant source of stress, with some indicating being less productive at work because of stress (American Psychological Association, 2010). Consequently, the expenditure towards healthcare among employees considered to have high levels of stress was higher compared to those with lower levels of stress. The number of women referred for psychiatric services is increasing faster than that of men, which saw 56% of women of the 1.2 million referrals in 2008. This widens the gap between genders indicating a 70% growth in demand for psychiatric help. As per American Psychological Association, 28% of women are most likely to report a great deal of stress as compared to 20% of men; with 49% of the women indicating that their stress levels have increased in the past five years compared to men’s 39%. In addition, women have a higher probability of developing physical and emotional symptoms of stress such as headaches, stomach upsets, and change in appetite than men. This is represented by 41% in women and 30% in men. Married women are more likely to report higher levels of stress compared to single women; with 56% of them indicating an increase in stress levels over the past 5 years compared to 41% of single women. Research indicates suggest that both genders, women and men, handle stress in a different manner all together. Response to stress by men is characterized by the fight -flight notion while in women; response leans towards tend-and-befriend. It is for this difference that creates different professional interactions, which defines how they function both at home and in the workplace. Consequently, gender makes a great deal of difference in life and business. Unfortunately, men seem not to be persuaded by the tend-and-befriend approach, thus arises a conflict that exerts pressure on women, which contributes to work-related stress. When faced with a stressing situation, a man’s response is strategic and will assess how best the situation can be salvaged while doubts crop up to question his capacity to handle the situation. The response to his doubts is normally influenced by personal confidence and knowledge. On the hand, women are naturally more communal in their thinking and often involve others to assist in solving a stressing situation. Women tend to build a community around them from which they seek advice, social support, and alliances that their safety is dependent on. The cause of stress at workplaces may be attributed to the workload present. The workload in the public sector is considered greater than that in the private sector, and all is dependent on the work being done. Some stressors are based on the work itself, with those that pose a significant risk being achievement, overload, and downsizing. Other sources of stress can be categorized as the role and interpersonal, stemming from expectations from one's self and others, and from relationships. The role and interpersonal stressors for which executive women are at risk include organizational politics, social-sexual behavior, work-home conflict, and work-holism (Nelson and Burke, 2000). Women are known to be natural managers, with the capability to multitask and juggle numerous roles and duties. In this way, women are bound to encounter more episodes of distress as compared to their male counterparts. This is especially so since women are expected to provide support to their spouses and children while bearing their burdens. Women in managerial positions report facing pressure at the workplace with the majority of the pressure being from internal sources. Among the contributing factors of stress among women in such positions, discrimination and isolation seem to major. Women in managerial positions are faced subtle forms of discrimination and greater strained as compared to men. Such isolation and discrimination arises from chauvinistic concepts that may exist among fellow workers, which may belittle the women, lowering their confidence levels. Senior male officers may contribute as obstacles by stereotyping the idea of women in management, making the environment a non-hospitable one (Nelson and Burke, 2000). The conditions of the working environment also pose a threat to the well-being of a woman in a managerial position. A working environment that is not adequately equipped can be a source of stress. Poor working condition provide a stage for conflict and confrontations, in which the workers’ health is not addressed through an ample environment. The lack of opportunity for advancement as well as job insecurity is career concerns that eventually contribute to stress. Other forms of barriers that create stress among women in the management are poor career planning, lack of organizational practical understanding, and exclusion from informal networks. In addition to contributing to stress levels, these barriers play a vital role in the deterioration of health among women. In a bid to prove themselves, women often spend longer hours to establish a means to bridge the gap between them and their aggressors. This may result in over performance to demonstrate their abilities in an environment dominated by men. Stress among women is governed by gender-specific risk factors, which places women at a more vulnerable position than their male counterparts. Women are faced with issues of sexual harassment, which may result in posttraumatic stress. With the gender-specific risk factors in play, women are considered relatively unstable, and more prone to depression, anxiety and somatic symptoms due to the role they play in society. In addition, sudden changes within the organization may inflict a sense of uncertainty, which creates tension in the working environment. Women managers suffer from over-supervision, which is characteristic in organizations that bear prejudice over women. This destroys autonomy in them as well as reducing their self-esteem and confidence. In addition, over-supervision makes the working environment unbearable and hostile. This contributes to stressors available thus worsening the situation. Depending on the mode of administration employed, workers may decline participation in the decision-making process. As a result, poor communication within the organization may lead to an unhealthy relationship between the workers and the manager. This creates a poor social environment and alienation of the manager, which in itself, is a significant source of stress. Women in managerial positions also face challenges that are not likely faced by men in terms of balancing their careers and their personal lives. These challenges present a potential stressor as it creates conflict in the woman’s life at home. This presents as pressure from home exerting on the already building pressure from work. The women feel less support from their partners, who may have to put on hold their dreams to raise a family. Being at the managerial position demands attention at almost every time, leaving little to spend at home with the spouse. Consequently, they feel neglected due to the prolonged absence their partner. It is believed that family is a great responsibility, which causes most women to leave the senior positions to address the problems they may be facing at home. In this regard, similar studies indicate that female managers tend to be more stressed than male managers are by having greater responsibilities for home and family. The burden of bearing a child and bringing it up to maturity does not always present itself as easy to a woman manager. An intimate relationship between the woman and her children may fail to develop due to the prolonged absence, and the responsibility is left to hired care in terms of nannies. Consequences of stress at the workplace among women have negative effects on their health as well as at their work place. Short-term consequences on health may include; high blood pressure, high levels of cortisol (stress hormone), muscle tension, and overeating or loss of appetite. The women may also experience heart disease and gastrointestinal problems if the problem is not addressed, emotionally, the woman may develop low self-esteem, anxiety, guilt or suffer from depression. As a result, aggression may develop and in a bid to cope with the situation, one may result into drinking and drug abuse. In some extreme cases, an irate spouse can initiate divorce proceedings. Within the organization, effects of work-related stress range from minor to devastating ones. When stress affects a person, the ability to concentrate is reduced and judgment clouded which results in mistakes, accidents and injuries. Poor judgment at the managerial position could result in poor decisions hence loss. Stress also contributes to increased absenteeism thus reduced productivity and efficiency. The organization also stands to suffer negative public perception following decisions made by individuals under stress. Personnel under stress may also be involved in activities that are scandalous thus putting themselves and their organization under scrutiny on moral grounds. References Blaug, R, Kenyon, A and Lekhi, R. (2007). Stress at Work: A report prepared for The Work Foundation’s Principal Partners. Retrieved from http://www.theworkfoundation.com/downloadpublication/report/69_69_stress_at_work.pdf American Psychological Association. (2010). Fact sheet: By the numbers. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/practice/programs/workplace/phwp-fact-sheet.pdf Nelson, D & Burke, R (2000).Women Executives: Health, Stress, & Success. Retrieved from http://www.nelsonquickgroup.com/resources/articles/NQG-Article-05.pdf Read More