Spencer is up against a tight deadline. He is stressed because his boss, Aria, just gave him two more tasks associated with a very complex project. He thinks Aria is a little passive-aggressive because she likes to throw red tape his way just to add to his stress. What are the two stressors that Spencer is feeling? What are the likely impacts of these stressors on motivation and performance?

Challenge stressors are associated with workload, job demands, job complexity, and deadlines. Challenge stressors are positively related to motivation and performance. Hindrance stressors inhibit progress toward objectives; examples are role ambiguity or conflict, hassles, red tape, and highly political environments. Hindrance stressors are negatively related to motivation and performance. Even though Spencer faces a number of challenges to finish his project, he should still feel motivated to do so. On the other hand, Aria's passive-aggressive behavior might cause Spencer to take his time with the project and diminish his drive.