1.

Introduction

Conflict among the roles begins because of the human desire to reach success, and because of the
pressure put on an individual by two imposing and incompatible demands competing against
each other. Persons experience role conflict when they find themselves pulled in various
directions as they try to respond to the many statuses they hold. Role conflict can be something
that can be for either a short period of time, or a long period of time, and it can also be connected
to situational experiences.

Frustration involves a highly negative emotion that occurs when a potentially rewarding act or
sequence of behavior is blocked (Colman, 2001, 1). Frustration–aggression theory, is a theory
of aggression proposed by John Dollard, Neal Miller, Leonard Doob, Orval Mowrer, and Robert
Sears in 1939, and further developed by Neal Miller in 1941 and Leonard Berkowitz in
1969. The theory says that aggression is the result of blocking, or frustrating, a person's efforts to
attain a goal.

When first formulated, the hypothesis stated that frustration always precedes aggression, and
aggression is the sure consequence of frustration. Two years later, however, Miller and Sears re-
formulated the hypothesis to suggest that while frustration creates a need to respond, some form
of aggression is one possible outcome. Therefore, the re-formulated hypothesis stated that while
frustration prompts a behavior that may or may not be aggressive, any aggressive behavior is the
result of frustration, making frustration not sufficient, but a necessary condition for aggression.

The hypothesis attempts to explain why people scapegoat. It attempts to give an explanation as
to the cause of violence. According to Dollard and colleagues, frustration is the "condition
which exists when a goal-response suffers interference. The theory says that frustration causes
aggression, but when the source of the frustration cannot be challenged, the aggression gets
displaced onto an innocent target. For example, if a man is disrespected and humiliated at his
work, but cannot respond to this for fear of losing his job, he may go home and take
his anger and frustration out on his family. This theory is also used to explain riots and
revolutions, which both are believed to be caused by poorer and more deprived sections of
society who may express their bottled up frustration and anger through violence.

This paper attempts to describe about some features of frustration based on the given case study.
Therefore, the paper first discusses about frustration model, and then describes about the impact
of frustration. Finally, it tries to suggest strategy of withdrawal and conclusion.

2. Objective

By analyzing and understanding the case study focused on James’s behavior, know about the
nature and effect of frustration in relation to frustration model, role conflict and conflict
resolution strategy. Finally, suggest a remedy to heal the James’s frustration.

3. Analysis for questions raised in the case study

3.1. Frustration is a concept from psychoanalysis in the Freudian tradition. Freud uses the
term “frustration” to describe unpleasant inner conditions, which primarily emerge when
expected rewards are lacking or targeted goals are missed (Freud, 2000). Later Freud
gives up his early theories and puts aggression in the context of his dualistic instinct
theory. Accordingly, many authors define frustration as the “blocking or prevention of a
potentially rewarding or satisfying act or sequence of behavior” (Colman, 2001).

According to the definition above, the following three elements of frustration may be
differentiated: frustration incident, frustration sensation and frustration behavior.

A frustration incident is understood to be the withdrawal of a positive affirmation or a

non-affirmation following an affirmation that occurred previously. Frustration thus
implies the expectation of a reward based on a preceding reward experience or at least
the antecedent promise of a reward (Sta¨cker, 1977, p. 15; Smith and Ellsworth, 1985, p.
833).

The frustration sensation triggered by frustration incidents is a negative emotion and is

described as “very unpleasant” (Smith and Ellsworth, 1985, p. 833). This negative
 emotion is associated with a high degree of arousal and particular attentiveness toward
the causing incidents and the person who can be made responsible (Janis, 1971, p. 152).

Frustration behavior involves the actions following the frustration sensation, seeking to
lessen or eliminate the negative feeling (Berkowitz, 1989, p. 68). These subsequent
actions may be basically classified as protest, intensification of effort and avoidance.

Protest is a form of aggressive behavior that has been the main topic of psychological
frustration research for a long time. Aggressions as the consequence of frustration have
attracted a great deal of attention, primarily in the context of the frustration-aggression
hypothesis (Dollard et al., 1939; Miller et al., 1941; Alcock, 1994). According to this
theory, an aggressive activity designed to remove or to break through the frustrating
barrier is carried out as the consequence of the aversive emotion. Such activities include
not only physical violence, but also thoughts of revenge and verbal punishment and
protests.

According to frustration model, frustration occurs when a motivated drive is blocked

before a person reaches a desired goal. And hence, in James Emery’s case he has a need
for achievement and power within him. However, with his current job in which it does
not offer any opportunity for improving his situation, he has no motivated drive or right
direction to pursue. That creates a covert barrier, meaning that the frustration is inward
and mental psychosocial which makes him to go to a place where alcoholic drinks are
sold at night and become alcoholic. And as the frustration is increasing, he wants to do
something about it and there comes the defense mechanism of fixation. He wants to fix
himself but don’t know exactly how to do it. Whether he should talk to his boss about it
or union steward.

3.2. Role conflict occurs when there are incompatible demands placed upon a person
relating to their job or position. Persons experience role conflict when they find
themselves pulled in various directions as they try to respond to the many statuses they
hold. Role conflict can be something that can be for either a short period of time, or a
long period of time, and it can also be connected to situational experiences.
 Conflict among the roles begins because of the human desire to reach success, and
because of the pressure put on an individual by two imposing and incompatible demands
competing against each other. The effects of role conflict, as found through case-studies
and nationwide surveys, are related to individual personality characteristics and
interpersonal relations. Individual personality characteristic conflicts can arise within
personality role conflict where "aspects of an individual's personality are in conflict with
other aspects of that same individual's personality". Interpersonal relations can cause
conflict because they are by definition "having an association between two or more
people that may range from fleeting to enduring, which can cause that conflict."

Generally, role conflict occurs when there are incompatible demands placed upon a
person such that compliance with both would be difficult. James Emery is the one
responsible for all the finances of his home. He has to provide his wife with money and
his children the essentials. But as he is not able to fulfill these things due to low pay he
has become frustrated and started going to the alcoholic drink even on the pay day and
spends a lot of money there even knowing this that his wife is not able to meet both
ends.

3.3. As the union steward suggested that when their contract runs out, they all are going to
stick together and demand for better working conditions and good money which they
deserve, this is “Networking” if we look into Individual coping strategies in which an
individual makes a network in the social system or environment to cope up with the
stress and frustration. This can also come into the High-risk negotiation techniques if we
consider Contemporary negotiation skills where the employees are going to bargain with
the company when the contract runs out.

3.4. In my opinion, the real problems that James is facing are not only due to the working
conditions and money but the job itself. James’s needs for achievement and power were
developed while he was a kid. And working in a dead-end job is the problem itself. He
needs a sense of belonging, a sense of achievement with his job, where his identity
matters. The only thing that can help James is to make his job more achievable and more
 demanding. The working conditions and money won’t help James unless he starts to feel
a sense of belonging with his job. As far as he is working in this dead-end job, he will
remain frustrated. Even if he starts to get good pay, a different kind of frustration will
take him over where he just has “continence commitment” for the job and nothing else.

4. Conclusion
Life is full of frustrations. From the minor irritations of losing something to the major problem
of continued failure towards a desired goal. Since many of the things we truly want require a
degree of frustration, being able to manage frustration is required in order to allow us to remain
happy and positive even in trying circumstances.

Frustration is an emotion that occurs in situations where a person is blocked from reaching a
desired outcome. In general, whenever we reach one of our goals, we feel pleased and
whenever we are prevented from reaching our goals, we may succumb to frustration and feel
irritable, annoyed and angry. Typically, the more important the goal, the greater the frustration
and resultant anger or loss of confidence.

Frustration is not necessarily bad since it can be a useful indicator of the problems in a person's
life and, as a result, it can act as a motivator to change. However, when it results in anger,
irritability, stress, resentment, depression, or a spiral downward where we have a feeling of
resignation or giving up, frustration can be destructive.

Reference
 1. Alcock, J.E. (1994), “Frustration-aggression hypothesis”, in Corsini, R.J. (Ed.),
Encyclopedia of Psychology, Wiley, New York, NY, pp. 42-3. Available at
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2. Berkowitz, L. (1989), “Frustration-aggression hypothesis: examination and
reformulation”, Psychological Bulletin, Vol. 106 No. 1, pp. 59-73. Available at
https://www.researchgate.net/figure
3. Colman, A.M. (2001), A Dictionary of Psychology, Oxford University Press, New York,
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4. Dollard, John; Miller, Neal E.; Doob, Leonard W.; Mowrer, Orval H.; Sears, Robert R.
(1939). Frustration and Aggression. New Haven, CT, US: Yale University
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and Aggression, Greenwood Press Reprint, New Haven, CT. Available at
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6. Janis, I.L. (1971), Stress and Frustration, Thomson Learning, New York, NY.
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frustration-aggression hypothesis”, Psychological Review, Vol. 48 No. 5, pp. 337-42.
https://en.wikipedia.org/
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Drinking Up the paycheck: case study

James Emery is the father of four children. He was raised in a hardworking immigrant family.
His needs for achievement and power were developed while he was growing up. Now he finds
himself in a low paying, dead-end assembly line job with a large manufacturing firm. It is all he
can do to get through the day, so he has started daydreaming on the job. On payday he often
goes to the tavern across the street and generally spends a lot of money. The next day he is not
only hung over but also very depressed because he knows that his wife cannot make ends meet
and his children often go without the essentials.

Now he cannot take it any longer. At first he thought of going to his boss for some help and
advice, but he really does not understand himself well enough, and he certainly does not know
or trust his boss enough to discuss his problems openly with him. Instead, he went to his union
steward and told him about his financial problems and how much he hated his job. The steward
told James exactly what he wanted to hear.

"This darn company is the source of all your problems. The working conditions are not suited for
a slave, let along us. The pay also stinks. We are all going to have to stick together when our
present contract runs out and get what we deserve-better working conditions and more money."

Questions

(a) Explain James’s behavior in terms of the frustration model.

(b) Cite a specific example of role conflict in this case.
(c) What type of conflict resolution strategy is the union steward suggesting? Do you think the
real problems facing James are working conditions and pay? Why or why not?
(d) What, if anything, can be done to help the James Emery’s of the world? Keep your answer in
terms of Human Resources Management.