Women and Stress at the Workplace. Why Do Women Face More Workplace Research Paper

Women and Stress at the Workplace. Why Do Women Face More Workplace Stress Than Men - Research Paper Example 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 p roductive at work because of stress (American Psychological Association, 2010). ... 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 questio n 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