Stress Management Research Paper

Study of stress among Public and Private sector employees

SYNOPSIS

Submitted for the Enrollment in Doctor of Philosophy

SUBMITTED BY: ShubhiAgarwal

DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

UNIVERSITY OF LUCKNOW

Introduction:

THE CONCEPT OF STRESS

Defining stress - Modern definitions of stress all recognize that it is a personal experience caused by pressure or demands on an individual, and impacts upon the individual’s ability to cope or rather, his/her perception of that ability. Work-related stress occurs when there is a mismatch between the demands of the job and the resources and capabilities of the individual worker to meet those demands. The term “stress” was first used by Selye (1936) in the

This change has occurred in terms of science and technology, industrial growth, urbanization, modernization, and automation, expanding population, unemployment.

A Regus statement said a study by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations found that India’s rapid economic expansion has boosted corporate profits and employee incomes, but has also sparked a surge in workplace stress and lifestyle diseases that few Indian companies have addressed. The survey said 45 per cent of Indian workers are particularly stressed by the increased focus on profitability that has arisen during the recession. In fact, this particular pressure is stressing out Indian employees more than workers in any of the other countries surveyed. Another factor responsible for increasing workplace stress is the pressure to maintain excellent customer service: 33 per cent identified this as a major stress-causing factor. Company size has also had an influence on the level of stress increase experienced in recent

Additionally, Cooper et al note that there is mounting evidence to suggest that days lost in British industry due to mental and stress-related causes are on the increase. This view is further endorsed by a recent estimate of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) that the annual cost of stress-related absenteeism and labour turnover is around £1.5 billion[8].Some researchers, for example Chusmir and Franks[9] and Arroba and James,suggest that organizational problems such as sick pay, absenteeism, high levels of labour turnover and lower job satisfaction thus may be regarded as costs which ultimately have an effect upon profitability. Consequently it would seem that in an increasingly competitive and fast changing business world, efficient managers should feel compelled to address the issue of work-related stress through counting the costs and taking appropriate action so as to minimize its