Deck 2: Managing Stress and Time

Question 1

Great managers are aware of different sources of stress and seek ways to proactively manage it to avoid its harmful effects.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

People tend to underestimate how much large events in their lives contribute to their stress level and grossly overestimate the effects of "daily hassles."

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Coping strategies are "first line" defenses for managing stress.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Good time management means being an efficient workaholic.

Question 5

Stress can and does facilitate higher performance and productivity.

Question 6

Stressful events by themselves generate stress in individuals.

Question 7

What makes choking so fascinating is that it happens only to star performers.

Question 8

All stress is bad.

Question 9

When we do not know how to fill a role or what we are supposed to do in it,we experience role conflict.

Question 10

Age is one of the strongest demographic predictors of burnout with older employees experiencing significantly greater burnout than younger employees.

Question 11

Different stressors call for different coping strategies.

Question 12

Strains are more long-term consequences of chronic stress that have not been alleviated by some means.

Question 13

One of the antidotes for choking is pressure-free practice.

Question 14

Research has shown that with respect to burnout,the only gender differences seem to be that men experience more emotional exhaustion symptoms,while women experience slightly more cynicism symptoms.

Question 15

Coping strategies are not always practical because it is not possible to remove every stressor from the work environment.

Question 16

Emotional labor is the process of regulating both feelings and expressions for the benefit of organizational goals.

Question 17

Appraisal support is feedback that builds your self-esteem.

Question 18

Instrumental support is support that is tangible and practical in nature and is a direct means of helping someone.

Question 19

Deep acting is "managing observable expressions" such as maintaining a pleasant facial expression and vocal tone.

Question 20

In general,having an external locus of control is more beneficial than having an internal locus of control with regard to job performance and stress.

Question 21

Which of the following is NOT a likely behavior for a manager experiencing high levels of stress?

A)Underestimation of how fast time passes
B)Selective information perception
C)Fixation on single solutions to problems
D)Reversion to old habits for problem solving
E)Decreased creativity

Question 22

The inability to manage time is among the greatest sources of stress and can doom the most conscientious of people.

Question 23

Which of the following is experienced when in fulfilling a family role,a work role is neglected?

A)Psychological hardiness
B)Locus of control
C)Eustress
D)FIW
E)WIF

Question 24

Psychologically hardy individuals view change as a stumbling block,not a stepping stone.

Question 25

Which of the following is NOT a common stress-related physical problem?

A)Heart disease
B)Stroke
C)Depression
D)Diabetes
E)Cancer

Question 26

What you choose not to do can be as important as what you do.

Question 27

"Eustress" is defined as:

A)maximum psychological pressure.
B)a productive stress.
C)an autoimmune response.
D)a response to uncertain conditions.
E)a response pattern to perceived threat.

Question 28

When under intense stress,we naturally ask for help from our network of family and friends.

Question 29

Which of the following is an example of a "traumatic/major event" type of stress?

A)Losing all access to work files because of a computer crash.
B)Starting on a new job that requires substantial training.
C)Receiving an e-mail that requires an immediate response.
D)Having an unexpected visitor drop in.
E)Unexpected and urgent phone calls from a client.

Question 30

When people encounter something potentially stressful in the environment,they first go through:

A)cognitive responses.
B)primary appraisal.
C)physiological responses.
D)coping strategies.
E)denial.

Question 31

Current research shows that one specific aspect of the Type A behavior pattern is most predictive of one's health.Identify that aspect.

A)Hostility
B)Time urgency
C)Ambitiousness
D)Impatience
E)Perfectionism

Question 32

Why do organizations often make accommodations for large stressful events?

A)These events occur infrequently.
B)Most individuals expect these events.
C)These events are not accepted as a source of trauma.
D)The role of these events as stressors is overestimated.
E)Families and friends help with these events.

Question 33

Often referred to as Pareto's Law,the 80/20 rule holds that only 20 percent of the work produces 80 percent of the value.

Question 34

One stress-management strategy closely aligned with control is that of seeking big achievements.

Question 35

As management guru Peter Drucker has famously noted,doing things right should come before doing the right things.

Question 36

Which of the following observations about strains is true?

A)Strain is defined as a controlled or nonproductive stress.
B)Strain occurs when people are experiencing both high work demands and high control over the task.
C)Strain is a personal,non-work issue and should not be a concern in a work organization.
D)Strains are often more long-term consequences of chronic stress that have not been alleviated.
E)There is no clear evidence of the impact of sustained stress in strains.

Question 37

Research has helped identify four recurring factors that distinguish those with psychological hardiness: psychological fitness,physical fitness,control,and challenge.

Question 38

Depersonalization is associated with:

A)the feeling that one's work does not really matter.
B)feeling cynical,psychologically detached,and indifferent to one's work.
C)the state of feeling psychologically "drained" by the job.
D)the actual management of feelings.
E)giving employees some latitude over the emotions they can express.

Question 39

The ABC method is a strategy used to address procrastination.

Question 40

Focused automated behavior is one of the antidotes for choking.

Question 41

Duffy Smith started having nightmares and chest pains and losing car keys and theater tickets.His wife urged him: "Take a vacation.See a physician.Do something!" So Duffy went to work on a Sunday afternoon.He threw out old files and glanced at the stack of weekly work logs accumulating next to the rubber tree plant.He sat down to eat the pizza he had ordered and looked at the work logs again.Then he retrieved the rest of them for a thorough study.Over the last quarter,the time spent on paperwork and reporting tasks had grown from 20 percent to 80 percent.He usually began to prepare the item status and inquiry report on Monday.Co-workers delivered rumors,management changed weekly priorities three or four times during the week,and balance estimates fluctuated constantly.So Duffy revised the report daily through the week until submitting it to management on Friday afternoon.The productive work of outside client contacts,which used to account for most of his time,was now squeezed into long lunches.Duffy decided to make some changes and left the building feeling better than he had in months.He told his wife,"If my new work plan works next quarter,we'll go to Calgary for a week in July." He started to prepare the item status and inquiry report on Thursday mornings,turning it in by noon on Friday.He scheduled contact meetings a week or two in advance,doing preparation work by phone and e-mail to increase client contact value.He followed up earlier and more thoroughly with each client.Duffy quickly returned to his old patterns of peaceful sleep and feeling good.Tomorrow Duffy and his wife go to Canada.Please answer the following question based on this scenario.
Duffy's stress source at the start of the scenario was:

A)daily hassles.
B)big events.
C)family pressures.
D)daily uplifts.
E)eustress.

Question 42

Which of the following is a specific time management suggestion?

A)Taking a break
B)Lengthening workday
C)Multitasking
D)Working on weekends
E)Checking e-mail in the morning

Question 43

Duffy Smith started having nightmares and chest pains and losing car keys and theater tickets.His wife urged him: "Take a vacation.See a physician.Do something!" So Duffy went to work on a Sunday afternoon.He threw out old files and glanced at the stack of weekly work logs accumulating next to the rubber tree plant.He sat down to eat the pizza he had ordered and looked at the work logs again.Then he retrieved the rest of them for a thorough study.Over the last quarter,the time spent on paperwork and reporting tasks had grown from 20 percent to 80 percent.He usually began to prepare the item status and inquiry report on Monday.Co-workers delivered rumors,management changed weekly priorities three or four times during the week,and balance estimates fluctuated constantly.So Duffy revised the report daily through the week until submitting it to management on Friday afternoon.The productive work of outside client contacts,which used to account for most of his time,was now squeezed into long lunches.Duffy decided to make some changes and left the building feeling better than he had in months.He told his wife,"If my new work plan works next quarter,we'll go to Calgary for a week in July." He started to prepare the item status and inquiry report on Thursday mornings,turning it in by noon on Friday.He scheduled contact meetings a week or two in advance,doing preparation work by phone and e-mail to increase client contact value.He followed up earlier and more thoroughly with each client.Duffy quickly returned to his old patterns of peaceful sleep and feeling good.Tomorrow Duffy and his wife go to Canada.Please answer the following question based on this scenario.
Duffy's stress symptoms were:

A)subtle.
B)familial.
C)eustresses.
D)physiological.
E)hardy.

Question 44

Which of the following activities CANNOT be classified as a mood "repair" activity?

A)Imagine being on vacation
B)Do deep breathing exercises
C)Listen to a piece of music
D)Have a piece of chocolate
E)Talk to a friend

Question 45

The most important challenge in effective time management is to:

A)exercise willpower.
B)implement time management skills.
C)resist temptation.
D)evaluate plan options.
E)learn time management skills.

Question 46

___________ is defined as performance decrements under pressure circumstances.

A)Choking
B)Loss of control
C)Burnout
D)Emotional labor
E)Fraying

Question 47

Trivia falls under the _____ quadrant in a time management matrix.

A)relevant/not urgent
B)important/not urgent
C)important/urgent
D)not important/urgent
E)not important/not urgent

Question 48

Surface acting and deep acting are parts of:

A)burnout.
B)role conflict.
C)emotional labor.
D)role ambiguity.
E)locus of control.

Question 49

The TRAF system is used to:

A)run staff meetings.
B)organize paper and e-mail.
C)evaluate peer feedback on assessment instruments.
D)schedule personal fitness activities.
E)balance life and work demands.

Question 50

Which of the following time management strategies is an "instant task" related to?

A)The 80/20 rule
B)The Swiss Cheese Method
C)The ABC method
D)The next action
E)The two-minute rule

Question 51

Nollie always misses the deadline for her quarterly report.She works diligently and sincerely makes "to-do lists." Nevertheless,she ends up spending most of her time on whatever comes up,is urgent,or is in front of her.Which time management principle does Nollie need to master?

A)First be effective,then be efficient
B)Multitasking
C)Follow the five-second rule
D)Exercise willpower
E)Start earlier in the morning

Question 52

Duffy Smith started having nightmares and chest pains and losing car keys and theater tickets.His wife urged him: "Take a vacation.See a physician.Do something!" So Duffy went to work on a Sunday afternoon.He threw out old files and glanced at the stack of weekly work logs accumulating next to the rubber tree plant.He sat down to eat the pizza he had ordered and looked at the work logs again.Then he retrieved the rest of them for a thorough study.Over the last quarter,the time spent on paperwork and reporting tasks had grown from 20 percent to 80 percent.He usually began to prepare the item status and inquiry report on Monday.Co-workers delivered rumors,management changed weekly priorities three or four times during the week,and balance estimates fluctuated constantly.So Duffy revised the report daily through the week until submitting it to management on Friday afternoon.The productive work of outside client contacts,which used to account for most of his time,was now squeezed into long lunches.Duffy decided to make some changes and left the building feeling better than he had in months.He told his wife,"If my new work plan works next quarter,we'll go to Calgary for a week in July." He started to prepare the item status and inquiry report on Thursday mornings,turning it in by noon on Friday.He scheduled contact meetings a week or two in advance,doing preparation work by phone and e-mail to increase client contact value.He followed up earlier and more thoroughly with each client.Duffy quickly returned to his old patterns of peaceful sleep and feeling good.Tomorrow Duffy and his wife go to Canada.Please answer the following question based on this scenario.
Which time management principle does Duffy's work revision illustrate?

A)To increase motivation,do the fun part first.
B)Start with written goals and action plans.
C)Use the Swiss Cheese approach effectively.
D)When work is out of sight,it is out of mind.
E)Spend the bulk of time on the most important work.

Question 53

The Swiss Cheese Method is suggested to fight:

A)procrastination.
B)busywork.
C)boredom.
D)isolation.
E)harassment.

Question 54

The task of _____ should be performed during external prime time.

A)writing a letter
B)long-range planning
C)having a team meeting on an important project
D)attending recreational programs
E)analyzing the budget

Question 55

Relationship building falls under the _____ quadrant in a time management matrix.

A)relevant/urgent
B)important/not urgent
C)important/urgent
D)not important/urgent
E)not important/not urgent

Question 56

Which of the following is often referred to as Pareto's Law?

A)The 80/20 rule
B)The Swiss Cheese Method
C)The ABC method
D)The five-second rule
E)The two-minute rule

Question 57

Interruptions fall under the _____ quadrant in a time management matrix.

A)relevant/not urgent
B)important/not urgent
C)important/urgent
D)not important/urgent
E)not important/not urgent

Question 58

The tendency of people under stress to focus on the threat to the exclusion of all else is a well-established process called:

A)"tunnel vision."
B)"stress focusing."
C)"focused coping."
D)"concentrated appraisal."
E)"cognitive narrowing."

Question 59

"Do it now if you are ever going to do it at all" is an application of the _____ time management technique.

A)Swiss Cheese
B)two-minute rule
C)ABC
D)matrix management
E)prime internal goal monitor

Question 60

Employees who have ________________ exhibit better mental performance,greater ability to cope with stress,lower obesity levels,and higher energy levels.

A)role conflict
B)psychological strength
C)physical hardiness
D)many daily hassles
E)good time management skills

Question 61

Kathy is a financial analyst working for one of the top investment banks on Wall Street.She has recently survived a massive layoff at her bank and is suffering from a burnout.What is a "burnout"? What are its emotional components?

Question 62

Your friend Alice has an important exam coming up.She desperately needs to score high in this exam.She is experiencing extreme stress.She concludes that all stress is bad.Do you agree with her? Elaborate.

Question 63

Your co-worker Betty is a single mother of two.She has to finish an important report by the end of the day.She realizes she might not be able to do that because the daycare where her kids stay has decided to close two hours earlier that day.You decide to chip in and tell her she can leave early to pick up her kids.You will take care of the report.What is this kind of support called? What other kinds of support can social networks provide us with?

Question 64

What is stress and how is it different from strain?

Question 65

Your sister had asked her friend to suggest a few strategies for coping with stress she was facing while trying to balance work,family,and school.She later confided to you that most of those strategies did not help in the long run,although they did temporarily reduce her stress levels.Can you predict a few of those strategies?

Question 66

All stressors are not created equal.Give three examples of sources of stress (stressors)for yourself.Now list out top three stressors for the person you know best apart from yourself (could be a friend,parent,or sibling).Do these two lists match?

Question 67

Shania,a senior HR executive at a leading retail chain,has identified mornings as her internal prime time and afternoons as her external prime time.She wishes to accomplish certain high-priority tasks (analyze recruiting pattern in the last six months;write up a report on employee retention;prepare a list of potential hires)and certain low-priority tasks (orient new hires;train junior HR executives)in the next two days.Help her plan these tasks according to her prime time.

Question 68

Your friend Myra recently appeared for an interview for her dream job.She later described the interview to you as a washout.Although she had prepared really well,she could not think straight and her mind went blank during the interview.What is this phenomenon called? Suggest and discuss two antidotes for this.

Question 69

Identify some common myths about stress and time management.

Question 70

Describe the major components to the stress process.

Question 71

Henry,a top sales executive at Personalized Inc. ,a personal care product company,is described around his workplace as a Type A individual.What are the characteristics of a Type A individual?

Question 72

List a few organizational characteristics that have been associated with high performance and lower stress.

Question 73

What is psychological hardiness? What are the factors that distinguish those with psychological hardiness?

Question 74

Draw up a time management matrix and categorize your activities in it.How does a time management matrix help you in managing your time effectively?

Question 75

Your friend Dave is an extreme believer of "What happens to me is my own doing." How would you describe him with respect to "locus of control"? Is his attitude beneficial with regard to job performance and stress?