MECHANISMS OF STRESS

Disciplina: Psihologie experimentală; Psihologie organizaţională

The Methodological Frame Of Research

EUSEBIU TIHAN, PhD student,
LAURA GHIZA, PhD student,
The Social Ecology and Human Protection Institute - Focus

The goal of research is to determine the intensity of psycho physiological states of stress, chronological tiredness and depression for the staff employee of a sale department (into organisational group), under the conditions of the period of development of the target society. The session of social psychological poll was delivery in the Nov.2001- April 2003, under VIASAN program.

THE HYPOTHESIS OF RESEARCH

These are the hypothesis from which we started the research:
1. Physiological states of stress, chronological tiredness and depression are overcoming higher levels within the target community.
2. If the first hypothesis is confirmed, then we may consider these results to be determined by the following arguments: relatively young age of the employees and their reduced work experience within the organisation, which constitutes strong motivated factors that determine a bigger resistance towards stressing factors.
3. In the context of the organisational climate the problem is for the staff to have a very large capability for a limited period of time, or to have a reduced capacity for solving the problems, as a consequence of their limited level of professional training.

THE UNIVERSE OF RESEARCH

The research was done on a commercial society of the type joint-stock one, with the headquarter in Bucharest. The society has been founded and has been activating for almost six years, having as main object of activity trade with a great variety of cars and outfits.
The sale products activity is developed with the help of Sale Department directed by the Commercial Manager.
The investigated community, which is the representative sample included in our research numbers 15 human beings, respectively the whole staff of the Sale Department.
On the “sex” variable the structure is the following: 2 human beings of feminine type and 13 of masculine type.
The “age” of the subjects is between 25 and 39 years. You can notice from the graphic number 4 that most of the subjects belong to the group of age between 26 and 30 years (5 masculine human beings).
As concerning the “marital status” of the investigated human beings (graphic no. 5) we notice that from the total number of 13 subjects of masculine type 7 are single, different from the human beings of feminine type, where the proportion is equal ( 1 married to 1 single).
From the point of view of “studies” variable, we can state that the majority of human beings from the total number has graduated university, excepting one, who has graduated college. They have graduated university either in technical field ( 11 subjects) or in economic field (3 subjects).
As you can notice from the graphic no. 6, the investigated population can be grouped into 3 categories, taking into account their “work experience for the organisation”: period of 1 year (1 subject), 2 years (7 subjects), 4 years (6 subjects), 5 years (1 subject). We must state that all the investigated human beings in our research had a similar position in another company for a period of 1 to 7 years, previously of their arrival in this society.

METHODS AND METHODOLOGY OF RESEARCH

For realising the research we have used the following methods:
- documents analysis,
- observation,
- survey based on inquiry,
- semi structured interview.
The starting point of the research was constituted by the analysis of official documents, which is:
- diagram of the society,
- Organising and Activating Rule,
- specific diagram of Sale Department,
- position records.

From analysing these documents we could extract important dates, which have helped us in forming the exact image of the organisatorical structure of the society, and more of that, to familiarize with the responsibilities of the staff employee within the Sale Department.
Using the direct systematic observation as a method of research, we have tried to surprise both the verbal behaviour and the nonverbal one of the members of the group. In this regard we have taken into account:
- the environment in which members of the group develop their activity;
- stable symptomatic, starting from the premise that the look of an individual is not mute, on the contrary, it can provide a lot of useful information.
- labile symptomatic, in other words, lots of behaviours and flexible, mobile conducts of the individual.
We have used the following guide of observation in order to notice these behavioural manifestation:
personalization of the environment;
conditions of physical environment (space for developing the activities, enlightening, temperature, noise, logistics of the company, etc);
dressing aspect of each employee from the Sale Department;
attitudes they had when they started their activities (opposition, passivity, cooperation, enthusiasm, hedonic tonus);
attitudes they manifested during their activities (irritation, spontaneity, asking some questions regarding the task which they had to solve);
uncontrolled actions and moves (agitation, tics, moves of eyes, mouth, hands, legs and body);
reactions to stressing situations (failures, difficulties in solving the task, etc.);
verbal behaviour (pronunciation, stressing, deficiencies in speaking, type of verbal behaviour, content of verbal behaviour).
The third method was the survey based on inquiry, when we have used 3 inquiries, as follows:
- Inquiry for identifying the stress, (the goal being the identification of the level of stress of the investigated individuals). The inquiry contains 20 items, the answers being dichotomies, closed, precodified, of the type Yes/No.
- Burnout inquiry, its goal being the identification both of the existence, as well as the level of the symptom of Burnout (chronical tiredness). The inquiry contains 15 items, each of them having an evaluating scale of the type Lickert with marks from 0 to 5.
- Depression inquiry, its goal being also the identification of the depression and of its level. This inquiry contains 12 items. Each item has an evaluating scale of the type Lickert with 4 intervals, the answers being marked from 1 to 4.
The inquiries have been applied collectively. Each subject had a sample of the set of inquiries, set which contains a briefing page and the 3 inquiries.

Another method used in our research was the semi structured interview. As it is known, for this type of interview there are approached pre-established themes and hypothesis, as well as in the case of structured interview, the difference being that questions and their succession are not pre-established.
The interview with members from the Sale Department had the purpose of completing the information obtained with the help of the inquiries, and it was focussed on the following themes:
- identification dates: surname and first name, sex, age, qualification and position.
- work experience for the position in the organisation.
- work experience in a similar position, previously of their arrival in the organisation.
- responsibilities of the job.
- work system applied with the sales representatives form the territory.
- difficulties for the sale the products.
- proposals for improving the sales activity.
- repercussions of the professional activity on health.
- repercussions of the professional activity on psychic state of mind.
- manifestation of state of stress.
- methods for overcoming the state of stress.
We also have to mention the fact that the interview took part the day after the inquiries were distributed and their period of time was of 45 minutes.

ANALYSIS OF THE RESULTS

From the analysis of the documents we could extract a lot of useful information for our research which is:
- Organisatorical structure of the society is pyramidal hierarchically. The Sale Department is at Commercial Manager’s orders, having connections to the Stock Department, Service, Marketing and Economic ones.
- Both the Organising and Activating Rule and the position records are well structured and emphasize very clearly the responsibilities of the department and of its members.
- From the analysis of the position records we jump to the conclusion that the sale of the products is done by direct sale, as well as by the network of representatives from the territory. Because of the fact that the headquarter of the society is in Bucharest and the products are meant for food production, the management of the company decided to found some representative centres in many counties of the country.

Taking into account this point of view, the activity of the members of the Sale Department has been divided on areas, each commercial agent having a certain area which contains 2/3 counties. This repartition of the activity of commercial agents on areas was made taking into account mainly the agricultural area of the counties.
The responsibilities of the 13 commercial agents are: to contact directly the clients; to negotiate, to conclude and to develop commercial agreements; to deliver the products to the clients; also to supervise the activity done by the representatives in the territory.
According to the organisatorical structure, the other 2 positions from the Sale Department are: economist and PC operator.
The responsibilities of the individual which has the position of economist consist mainly, in drawing out and keeping documents connected to the development and contraction of commercial agreements, cashing the payment from the clients, drawing out different statistic reports regarding the sale or the payment situation, etc; while the individual which has the position of PC operator has the following responsibilities: to draw out invoices, notices for expedition or reception of merchandise, verbal process of delivery – reception or custody.
► Regarding the remuneration system of commercial agents, we must add the fact that this one is fixed, not on basis of commission from the sales.
From the use of direct systematic observation we found that:
- The 15 employees of the Sale Department develop their activity in one single room, the space being used at maximum capacity.
- The enlightening is both natural (through big windows) and artificial (fluorescent lamps).
- If on winter temperature does not rise any problems, (heat is done with the help of a power thermo) on summer this will represent a stressing factor. Because of the fact that rooms do not have conditioning air or any type of ventilation on very hot days the office atmosphere becomes suffocating.
- Another problem is represented by noise. The room is too small and there are too many phone calls, to these the presence of a client in the office can be add, and all of them decrease the moments of silence.
- The number of software equipment is not sufficient, members of the department having only 5 computers.
- Dressing aspect of the employees is well, decent, adequate, although, we could remark the fact that clothes are gloomy, the predominant colours being dark (brown, grey, black).
- We could state that there weren’t any problems for the investigated individuals when the inquiries were distributed as well as when they did the interviews. The subjects were cooperant, being also interested in the results they would obtain.
Analysing the results obtained from the inquiry for identifying the stress (chart no. 7) we found out that from the total number of 15 subjects, only 5 felt the effects of stress, but they had a very good capacity of controlling themselves in order to reorientate the stressing factors. As regarding the risk area, 6 individuals have been registered as being strongly influenced, an area where the effects of stress are much felt, being also possible to lose the capacity of control if the stressing agent’s actions are for a long period of time, or if specific programs of analysis and correction aren’t applied (the stress management).






The results obtained by the subjects at Burnout inquiry (graphic no. 8) indicate us the fact that only 5 subjects (from 15) have a good psycho physiological state of mind, while 5 of them are located in the “risk area”, and other 5 individuals having big scores can be considered candidates for Burnout syndrome. We remind that the “Burnout” term (in English meaning used, exhausted) describes the professional usage or overload. In other words, the Burnout term is equivalent with chronical tiredness manifested in professional environment. In this context, the 5 individuals placed in the risk area, which also the 5 individuals candidates for Burnout syndrome are added, bring the community into an alarming state as regarding the necessity of therapeutical intervention.

Processing the results obtained from the subjects at depression inquiry (chart no. 9) we can note the fact that, from the investigated lot 2 subjects have registered big scores equivalent to the severe depression. Among this alarming signal, we have also to remark the results obtained by the other subjects which may be classified as manifesting: tendency of depression (3 subjects), minor depression (5 subjects) and moderate depression (5 subjects).



At the same time, we have tried to check if there is some correlation between the results obtained for each of the 3 inquiries and the work experience of individuals in the organisation.
Analysing the graphic no. 10, regarding the correlation of the variable work experience (period) and intensity of stress state we emphasize the fact that only one employee with 1 year work experience and 3 other employees with 2 years work experience manifest a low stress level. Among these situations, all the rest of individuals belong to increasing values, on the intensity of stress scale. The top of the pyramid is occupied by the employees with 2 years work experience, this one decreasing to those with 4 years work experience. The individual with the largest work experience, 5 years respectively, belongs to the area where the stress is controlled (chart no. 10).



According to the graphic no. 11, to the correlation of the variable work experience and the intensity of Burnout syndrome, we notice that the individual with the largest work experience in the organisation registers an excessive level on the intensity of the syndrome.


An interesting thing is emphasized on the scale of depression (chart no. 12). The subject CC, which has registered on the other scales unimportant levels, appears here with a quota of moderate depression, this fact being justified by him as an expression against helplessness for developing what he might consider was about to happen. The depression is also evident in the case of the individual with the maximum work experience in the company.



Giving the emphasized image from these inquiries we proceed to the interview. From each interview had with every individual of the Sale Department we have obtained a lot of important information. We present these information that are structured depending on the comprised themes in the interview guide.

► Regarding the work system practiced with the representatives from the territory, the majority of the subjects (13 individuals from 15) stated that this is “heavy”.
The formula system is huge (cover in documents). Many times when a representative is asked to solve a certain problem, he is not prompt in solving the respective task; the agreements concluded by the representatives are not numerous, much many agreements were concluded by direct sale. The information gathered by the representatives from the territory regarding the competitors and clients preferences arrive to the central headquarter too late. All these problems are met at commercial agents, as they are the “intermediaries” between the management of the company and the representatives from the territory.

► Difficulties met in saling the products can be classified in 2 large categories: those connected to products and those connected to the financial power of clients.
From the point of view of products there is a supplementary effort of belief, due to the lack of real arguments of the commercial agent (weak quality of products, taffy supply with spare parts, slow service or without credibility, etc.).

► The financial situation of clients is also a problem, because of the fact that the price of products is very high, and some clients do not deal even with hire – purchase system. It also represents a problem the rigid policy approached by the company regarding to the application of the hire – purchase system or leasing one.

► The repercussions of the professional activity on health. The tensions are obvious within the company. This is strengthened by the leadership of the company’s idea of realising some trips, to which the employees refuse to take part. More than that, the staff is not supported in attending professional courses for forming their career, they are not financially encouraged, they are not allowed to have any time for studying, for relaxing and they are allowed only a strict number of permissions to solve personal problems. This state of facts has generated physiological dysfunctions of the staff, especially for feminine staff.
► The repercussions of the professional activity on psychic state of mind. The majority of the subjects declared that their activity in the company is counterproductive, they are tired, tensioned, sometimes exhausted, conditions which more often induce in their mind the idea of resigning, abandoning their job. The interviewed individuals declared that they woke up in the morning very difficult, that they are able to work also very difficult and in this way they need to take energizers.
► On the correlation scale of work experience – level of stress we emphasize the fact that the individual with the largest work experience in the organisation controls the stress, but from the analysis obtained with systematic observation and with semi structured interview we jump to the conclusion that he is taking drugs, just for maintaining himself to the best level of efficiency. In this way we understand that this person does not denote an adequate psychological level for solving the stressing factors, the subject himself being a victim of psychological disorder. Once obtained this signal we got thoroughly the investigation on the vector of drugs consuming. Regarding the ways used for overcoming the stress state of mind, 3 individuals declared that they used pills (dystonocalm), 4 individuals used physical exercises to relax themselves (football, jogging, walking), and other 3 individuals prefer meeting friends or watching TV shows. Although, we noticed that from the total number of 15 individuals, 9 subjects mentioned also an excessive use of coffee and cigarettes, especially during work time.



REFERENCES:
1. Tihan E., Ghiza (Tihan) L., Stresul; Mecanisme fiziologice şi psihologice. Studiu de caz în mediul organizaţional.. Ed. IESPU-FOCUS, 2002.
2. Tihan E.(sub red.), Sănătatea populaţiei. Ed. IESPU-FOCUS, 2002.