The person is not prepared to deal with the environmental situation. I believe that a major source of work related stress is the mismatch between what workers expect from work and the classic bureaucratic design that organizes most work. Herzberg, Maslow, etc. Yet most work places are designed as though all workers conform to Theory X expectations . Add downsizing that leads to over tasking , the expectation that managers and employees meet unrealistically high goals and role ambiguity , the situation in which the employee is uncertain about the assigned job duties and responsibilities.
Role conflict occurs when a person perceives incompatible messages from role senders.
End up with multiple roles with conflicting goals. Goal conflict is when desired end states appear incompatible. Interpersonal relations in the organization can be a source of stress or a factor in reducing stress in organizations. Hardiness is described in the text as a personality style characterized by commitment, control and challenge. Hardy people are less likely to have a negative response to stressors.