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A FUNCTIONAL PROJECT ON
Stress Management Among Bank Employees
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of the
Degree of
MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
BY
JYOTI (MBA/1101/09)
SURBHI KUMARI (MBA/1082/09)
DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT
BIRLA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
MESRA-835215, RANCHI
2009-11
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The satisfaction that accomplishes the successful completion of any work is when we say
thank you to the people who made it possible, whose constant encouragement and
guidance has been a source of inspiration throughout the course of the my project.
I would like to express my deep sense of gratitude to the management of the State Bank
Of India, Axis Bank and HDFC Bokaro Steel City for giving me an opportunity to
complete my training.
I also express my deep senses of gratitude to my project guide
Prof.Mr. Anand Kumar, his valuable guidance during the training.
I also express my sincere thanks to HOD of management department of BIT MESRA
Dr.S.K.Bose, and my internal guide Dr.Manju Bhagat , for their valuable guidance.
I am also indebt to my family members and friends for their valuable help and
cooperation throughout the training.
Jyoti
MBA/1101/09-IVth sem
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DECLARATION
I hereby declare that this project report entitled “Study Of Stress Management among
Bank Employees” is the result of my own efforts in and as a part of the curriculum in
“Master of Business Administration (MBA)” in Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra,
Ranchi.
I hereby declare that this is an authentic pieces of work carried out under my
supervision .To the best of my knowledge the content of this project does not form a
basis for the award of any previous degree to any one else.
JyotiMBA/1101/09Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra.
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CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL
The foregoing project entitle “Study Of Stress Management among Bank Employees”
is hereby approved as a creditable study of research topic and has been presented in a
satisfactory manner to warranty its acceptance as pre-requisite to the degree for which it
submitted .
It understood that by this approval ,the undersigned do not necessarily endorse any
conclusion drawn or opinion expressed therein, but approve the project for which it is
submitted .
(Internal Examiner) (External Examiner)
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Preface
The study of human resource management is one of the major criteria in the corporate
sector. Human resource is the heart of the organization. By this research project we will
be able to know to reduce the stress level of the employees working in the bank. By this
way the productivity of the employee increases.
Now a day the corporate sector is booming in a high speed that the people have to work
for prolonged hours to maintain the standard of living and achieve their basic needs. So is
the condition in the hospitals, colleges, BPO’s and lots of other places. In spit of having
the modern technologies and facilities, people are feeling themselves to be work loaded
and stressed. Stress arises because of many reasons which are discussed in the following
project. The project report also contain techniques how to reduce the stress and overcome
such problems.
To identify the level of stress among the people who work I have tried to survey the
people working in hospitals, BPO’s and other industries as well as institutes. Stress arises
because of unfulfilled wants, lack of job satisfaction etc. before starting the topic of
stress; let’s first understand the importance of human resource.
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Executive Summery
TITLE OF THE PROJECT: Study Of Stress Management among Bank Employees
This project gives us a detailed idea of what is stress and also the definition of stress is
been defined. For more detailed study the types of the stress is also defined. By looking at
the starting of the project you will find:
o Introduction to Human resource
o Introduction and Definition of stress
o Stress in biological terms
o What is stress?
o Coping with stress at work place.
o Stress management
o Workplace stress
o Reducing of stress.
After the theoretical part I have included the research part. My research work includes
two questionnaires.
o Burn out test
o Stress analysis Questionnaire
My research includes the research methodology which contains the
information as follows:
o Research objectives
o Sampling (types and methods of sampling)
o Research instrument
o Data analysis and interpretation
o Employee’s opinion to reduce stress.
o Research flowchart
o Limitation of survey
o Advantages and disadvantages of written questionnaire
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o Finding
INDEX
No Content Page no
1 Conceptual Framework 1
1.1 Introduction to HR 1
1.2 Concept of stress 3
1.2.1 Introduction to stress 3
1.2.2 Stress in Biological terms 8
1.2.3 What is stress 9
1.2.4 Coping with stress at workplace 11
1.2.5 Stress Management 15
1.2.6 Workplace stress 18
1.2.7 Reduce your stress 22
2 Research Methodology 27
2.1 Research objective 27
2.2 Sampling 29
2.3 Research instrument 32
2.4 Data analysis and interpretation 36
2.5 Employees opinion about how to reduce stress 48
2.6 Research flowchart 50
2.7 Time consideration 51
2.8 Limitation of the survey 52
2.8.1 Advantages of Written Questionnaires 52
2.8.2 Disadvantages of Written Questionnaires 53
2.9 Findings 55
3 Bibliography 58
4 Annexure 59
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1. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
(1.1) INTRODUCTION TO HR
Human Resource Management is an art of managing people at work in such a
manner that they give their best to the organization. In simple word human
resource management refers to the quantitative aspects of employees working in
an organization.
Human Resource Management is also a management function concerned with hiring,
motivating, and maintains people in an organization. It focuses on people in organization.
Organizations are not mere bricks, mortar, machineries or inventories. They are people. It
is the who staff and manage organizations.HRM involves the application of management
functions and principles. The functions and principles are applied to acquisitioning,
developing, maintain, and remunerating employees in organizations.
Decisions relating to employees must be integrated. Decision on different aspect of
employees must be consistent with other human resource decisions. Decision made must
influence the effectiveness of organization. Effectiveness of an organization must result
in betterment of services to customers in the form of high-quality product supplied at
reasonable costs
HRM function s is not confined to business establishment only. They are applicable to
non-business organizations, too such as education, health care, recreation etc. The scope
of HRM is indeed vast. All major activities in the working life of his or her entry into an
organization until he or she leaves-come under the previews of HRM.specifically, the
activities included are HR planning, job analysis and be sign, recruitment and selection,
orientation and placement, training and development, performance appraisal and job
evaluation, employee and executive remuneration, motivation and communication,
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welfare, safety and health, industrial relations and the like. HRM is a broad concept
Personnel management and human resource development is a part of HRM.Before we
define “Human Resource Management”, it seems good to first define heterogeneous
in the sense that they differ in personality, perception, emotions, values, attitudes,
motives, and modes of thoughts.
Human resource management plays an important role in the development process
of modern economy. In fact it is said that all the development comes from the
human mind.
“ Human Resource Management is a process of producing development,
maintaining and controlling human resources for effective achievement of
organization goals.”
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(1.2) CONCEPT OF STRESS
(1.2.1) INTRODUCTION TO STRESS
A lot of research has been conducted into stress over the last hundred years. Some of the
theories behind it are now settled and accepted; others are still being researched and
debated. During this time, there seems to have been something approaching open warfare
between competing theories and definitions: Views have been passionately held and
aggressively defended.
What complicates this is that intuitively we all feel that we know what stress is, as it is
something we have all experienced. A definition should therefore be obvious…except
that it is not.
Definition:
Hans Selye was one of the founding fathers of stress research. His view in 1956 was that
“stress is not necessarily something bad – it all depends on how you take it. The stress of
exhilarating, creative successful work is beneficial, while that of failure, humiliation or
infection is detrimental.” Selye believed that the biochemical effects of stress would be
experienced irrespective of whether the situation was positive or negative.
Since then, a great deal of further research has been conducted, and ideas have moved on.
Stress is now viewed as a "bad thing", with a range of harmful biochemical and long-term
effects. These effects have rarely been observed in positive situations.
The most commonly accepted definition of stress (mainly attributed to Richard S
Lazarus) is that stress is a condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives
that “demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to
mobilize.” In short, it's what we feel when we think we've lost control of events.
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This is the main definition used by this section of Mind Tools, although we also
recognize that there is an intertwined instinctive stress response to unexpected events.
The stress response inside us is therefore part instinct and part to do with the way we
think.
The types of stress are as follows
Mechanical
Stress (physics), the average amount of force exerted per unit area.
Yield stress, the stress at which a material begins to deform plastically.
Compressive stress, the stress applied to materials resulting in their compaction.
Biological
Stress (biological), physiological or psychological stress; some types include:
o Chronic stress, persistent stress which can lead to illness and mental
disorder
o Eustress, positive stress that can lead to improved long-term functioning
o Workplace stress, stress caused by employment
Music
Accent (music).
Stress (band), an early '80s melodic rock band from San Diego.
Stress (punk band), an early '80s punk rock band from Athens.
Stress (Neo-Psychedelic band), from the late 1980's.
Stress, a song by the French band Justice on their debut album
Other
Stress (game), card game
Stress (linguistics), phonological use of prominence in language
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Stress (physics), the average amount of force exerted per unit area.
Stress is a measure of the average amount of force exerted per unit area. It is a
measure of the intensity of the total internal forces acting within a body across
imaginary internal surfaces, as a reaction to external applied forces and body forces.
It was introduced into the theory of elasticity by Cauchy around 1822. Stress is a
concept that is based on the concept of continuum. In general, stress is expressed as
Where
Is the average stress, also called engineering or nominal stress, and
Is the force acting over the area .
Chronic Stress
Chronic stress is stress that lasts a long time or occurs frequently. Chronic stress is
potentially damaging.
Symptoms of chronic stress can be:
upset stomach
headache
backache
insomnia
anxiety
depression
anger
In the most severe cases it can lead to panic attacks or a panic disorder.
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There are a variety of methods to control chronic stress, including exercise, healthy diet,
stress management, relaxation techniques, adequate rest, and relaxing hobbies.
Ensuring a healthy diet containing magnesium may help control or eliminate stress, in
those individuals with lower levels of magnesium or those who have a magnesium
deficiency. Chronic stress can also lead to a magnesium deficiency, which can be a factor
in continued chronic stress, and a whole host of other negative medical conditions caused
by a magnesium deficiency.
It has been discovered that there is a huge upsurge in the number of people who suffer
from this condition. A very large number of these new cases suffer from insomnia.
In a review of the scientific literature on the relationship between stress and disease, the
authors found that stress plays a role in triggering or worsening depression and
cardiovascular disease and in speeding the progression of HIV/AIDS.
Compressive stress:
Compressive stress is the stress applied to materials resulting in their
compaction (decrease of volume). When a material is subjected to compressive stress,
then this material is under compression. Usually, compressive stress applied to bars,
columns, etc. leads to shortening.
Loading a structural element or a specimen will increase the compressive stress until the
reach of compressive strength. According to the properties of the material, failure will
occur as yield for materials with ductile behavior (most metals, some soils and plastics)
or as rupture for brittle behavior (geometries, cast iron, glass, etc).
In long, slender structural elements -- such as columns or truss bars -- an increase of
compressive force F leads to structural failure due to buckling at lower stress than the
compressive strength.
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Compressive stress has stress units (force per unit area), usually with negative values to
indicate the compaction. However in geotechnical engineering, compressive stress is
represented with positive values.
(1.2.2) Stress in Biological terms:
Stress is a biological term which refers to the consequences of the failure of a human or
animal body to respond appropriately to emotional or physical threats to the organism,
whether actual or imagined. It includes a state of alarm and adrenaline production, short-
term resistance as a coping mechanism, and exhaustion. It refers to the inability of a
human or animal body to respond. Common stress symptoms include irritability,
muscular tension, inability to concentrate and a variety of physical reactions, such as
headaches and accelerated heart rate.
The term "stress" was first used by the endocrinologist Hans Selye in the 1930s to
identify physiological responses in laboratory animals. He later broadened and
popularized the concept to include the perceptions and responses of humans trying to
adapt to the challenges of everyday life. In Selye's terminology, "stress" refers to the
reaction of the organism, and "stressor" to the perceived threat. Stress in certain
circumstances may be experienced positively. Eustress, for example, can be an adaptive
response prompting the activation of internal resources to meet challenges and achieve
goals.
The term is commonly used by laypersons in a metaphorical rather than literal or
biological sense, as a catch-all for any perceived difficulties in life. It also became a
euphemism, a way of referring to problems and eliciting sympathy without being
explicitly confessional, just "stressed out". It covers a huge range of phenomena from
mild irritation to the kind of severe problems that might result in a real breakdown of
health. In popular usage almost any event or situation between these extremes could be
described as stressful.
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(1.2.3) what is Stress?
Stress refers to the strain from the conflict between our external environment and us,
leading to emotional and physical pressure. In our fast paced world, it is impossible to
live without stress, whether you are a student or a working adult. There is both positive
and negative stress, depending on each individual’s unique perception of the tension
between the two forces. Not all stress is bad. For example, positive stress, also known as
eustress, can help an individual to function at optimal effectiveness and efficiency.
Hence, it is evident that some form of positive stress can add more color and vibrancy to
our lives. The presence of a deadline, for example, can push us to make the most of our
time and produce greater efficiency. It is important to keep this in mind, as stress
management refers to using stress to our advantage, and not on eradicating the presence
of stress in our lives.
On the other hand, negative stress can result in mental and physical strain. The individual
will experience symptoms such as tensions, headaches, irritability and in extreme cases,
heart palpitations. Hence, whilst some stress may be seen as a motivating force, it is
important to manage stress levels so that it does not have an adverse impact on your
health and relationships.
Part of managing your stress levels include learning about how stress can affect you
emotionally and physically, as well as how to identify if you are performing at your
optimal stress level (OSL) or if you are experiencing negative stress. This knowledge will
help you to identify when you need to take a break, or perhaps seek professional help. It
is also your first step towards developing techniques to managing your stress levels.
Modern day stresses can take the form of monetary needs, or emotional frictions.
Competition at work and an increased workload can also cause greater levels of stress.
How do you identify if you are suffering from excessive stress? Psychological symptoms
commonly experienced include insomnia, headaches and an inability to focus. Physical
15
symptoms take the form of heart palpitations, breathlessness, excessive sweating and
stomachaches.
What causes stress? There are many different causes of stress, and that which causes
stress is also known as a stressor. Common lifestyle stressors include performance, threat,
and bereavement stressors, to name a few. Performance stressors are triggered when an
individual is placed in a situation where he feels a need to excel. This could be during
performance appraisals, lunch with the boss, or giving a speech. Threat stressors are
usually when the current situation poses a dangerous threat, such as an economic
downturn, or from an accident. Lastly, bereavement stressors occur when there is a sense
of loss such as the death of a loved one, or a prized possession.
Thus, there are various stressors, and even more varied methods and techniques of
dealing with stress and turning it to our advantages. In order to do so, we must learn to
tell when we have crossed the line from positive to negative stress.
Good stress v/s Bad stress:
Stress has often been misunderstood to be negative, with few people acknowledging the
importance and usefulness of positive stress. In our everyday lives, stress is everywhere
and definitely unavoidable; hence our emphasis should be on differentiating between
what is good stress, and what is bad. This will help us to learn to cope with negative
stress, and harness the power of positive stress to help us achieve more.
There are 4 main categories of stress, namely eustress, distress, hyper stress and hypo
stress. Negative stress can cause many physical and psychological problems, whilst
positive stress can be very helpful for us. Here’s how we differentiate between them.
Eustress:
this is a positive form of stress, which prepares your mind and body for the imminent
challenges that it has perceived. Eustress is a natural physical reaction by your body
which increases blood flow to your muscles, resulting in a higher heart rate. Athletes
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before a competition or perhaps a manager before a major presentation would do well
with eustress, allowing them to derive the inspiration and strength that is needed.
Distress
We are familiar with this word, and know that it is a negative form of stress. This occurs
when the mind and body is unable to cope with changes, and usually occurs when there
are deviations from the norm. They can be categorized into acute stress and chronic
stress. Acute stress is intense, but does not last for long. On the other hand, chronic stress
persists over a long period of time. Trigger events for distress can be a change in job
scope or routine that the person is unable to handle or cope with.
Hyper stress
This is another form of negative stress that occurs when the individual is unable to cope
with the workload. Examples include highly stressful jobs, which require longer working
hours than the individual can handle. If you suspect that you are suffering from hyper
stress, you are likely to have sudden emotional breakdowns over insignificant issues, the
proverbial straws that broke the camel’s back. It is important for you to recognize that
your body needs a break, or you may end up with severe and chronic physical and
psychological reactions.
Hypo stress
Lastly, hypo stress occurs when a person has nothing to do with his time and feels
constantly bored and unmotivated. This is due to an insufficient amount of stress; hence
some stress is inevitable and helpful to us. Companies should avoid having workers who
experience hypo stress as this will cause productivity and mindfulness to fall. If the job
scope is boring and repetitive, it would be a good idea to implement some form of job
rotation so that there is always something new to learn.
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The types of stress are named as eustress and distress. Distress is the most
commonly-referred to type of stress, having negative implications, whereas eustress is a
positive form of stress, usually related to desirable events in person's life. Both can be
equally taxing on the body, and are cumulative in nature, depending on a person's way of
adapting to a change that has caused it.
(1.2.4) Coping with Stress at Work place
With the rapid advancement of technology, the stresses faced at work have also
increased. Many people dread going to work, hence the term “Monday Blues”. What is
the reason for this? There is partly the fear from being retrenched in bad times, leading to
greater job insecurity on the part of those who remain. Undoubtedly, occupational stress
is one of the most commonly cited stressors faced by people all over the world.
Stress refers to the pressure and reactions to our environment which results in
psychological and physical reactions. Whilst some stress is good for motivation and
increasing efficiency, too much stress can result in negative impacts such as reduced
effectiveness and efficiency. More and more people are feeling isolated and disrespected
at work, and this has led to greater occupational stress. Many companies have taken to
consulting experts and professionals on ways to increase connectedness and motivation
of their employees.
Some companies organize parties and make their employees feel valued at work. These
are measures to motivate employees and help them to feel secure at their jobs, translating
into greater productivity. However, not all companies have such measures in place, and
some have not gotten it quite right. Hence, it is up to you to make sure that you can cope
with stress at your workplace, and use it to help you work better. Here are 3 simple steps
to help you with coping with stress in the workplace.
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Step 1: Raising Awareness
Help yourself to identify when you are facing rising levels of stress, tipping the scales
from positive to negative. This is important, as being able to identify signs of being
stressed can help you to take steps to ensure that your overall quality of life does not
drop. If left unacknowledged, the problem will only snowball, leading to disastrous
consequences to your health and overall wellbeing.
You can identify if you are feeling stressed by checking if you have any physical or
psychological reactions, such as excessive sweating or heart palpitations, or the onset of
headaches, irritability or the need to escape. If you experience any of these reactions,
identify if you are feeling any overwhelming negative emotions, and if you are constantly
worried.
Step 2: Identify the Cause
You need to be able to analyze the situation and identify what is causing the rise in stress.
These stressors can be external and internal. External stressors refer to things beyond
your control, such as the environment or your colleagues at work. Internal stressors refer
to your own thinking and attitude. Often, we only start reacting to stress when a
combination of stressors working together exceeds our ability to cope.
Keep a diary or a list of events that have caused you to feel strong negative emotions, or
that are likely stressors. This will help you to identify the causes of your stress. Whilst it
is not always possible to eradicate them, we can change the way that we cope with it.
Step 3: Coping with Stress
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In order to deal with the situation that is causing you stress, you need to calm your mind
and body so as to stave off the reactions and cope with it in a positive way. This can be
through different methods, such as taking time off. If a situation is triggering your stress
and you are unable to calm down, remove yourself from it. Go outside and take a walk to
calm down. Alternatively, you can try implementing relaxation techniques such as deep
breathing. If it is an internal stressor, stop your thought process until you are able to deal
with it logically.
The key to making these 3 steps work for you is to practice them. These are not
instantaneous solutions, and you need to condition your mind and practice them so that
you can implement it when you are feeling stressed.
(1.2.5) Stress Management
Stress management is the need of the hour. However hard we try to go beyond a stress
situation, life seems to find new ways of stressing us out and plaguing us with anxiety
attacks. Moreover, be it our anxiety, mind-body exhaustion or our erring attitudes, we
tend to overlook causes of stress and the conditions triggered by those. In such unsettling
moments we often forget that stressors, if not escapable, are fairly manageable and
treatable.
Stress, either quick or constant, can induce risky body-mind disorders. Immediate
disorders such as dizzy spells, anxiety attacks, tension, sleeplessness, nervousness and
muscle cramps can all result in chronic health problems. They may also affect our
immune, cardiovascular and nervous systems and lead individuals to habitual addictions,
which are inter-linked with stress.
Like "stress reactions", "relaxation responses" and stress management
techniques are some of the body's important built-in response systems. As a relaxation
response the body tries to get back balance in its homeostasis. Some hormones released
during the 'fight or flight' situation prompt the body to replace the lost carbohydrates and
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fats, and restore the energy level. The knotted nerves, tightened muscles and an exhausted
mind crave for looseness. Unfortunately, today, we don't get relaxing and soothing
situations without asking. To be relaxed we have to strive to create such situations.
Recognizing a stressor:
It is important to recognize whether you are under stress or out of it. Many times, even if
we are under the influence of a stressful condition and our body reacts to it internally as
well as externally, we fail to realize that we are reacting under stress. This also happens
when the causes of stress are there long enough for us to get habituated to them. The
body constantly tries to tell us through symptoms such as rapid palpitation, dizzy spells,
tight muscles or various body aches that something is wrong. It is important to remain
attentive to such symptoms and to learn to cope with the situations.
We cope better with stressful situation, when we encounter them voluntarily. In cases of
relocation, promotion or layoff, adventurous sports or having a baby, we tend to respond
positively under stress. But, when we are compelled into such situations against our will
or knowledge, more often than not, we wilt at the face of unknown and imagined threats.
For instance, stress may mount when one is coerced into undertaking some work against
one'swill.
Laughter:
Adopting a humorous view towards life's situations can take the edge off everyday
stressors. Not being too serious or in a constant alert mode helps maintain the equanimity
of mind and promote clear thinking. Being able to laugh stress away is the smartest way
to ward off its effects.
A sense of humor also allows us to perceive and appreciate the incongruities of life and
provides moments of delight. The emotions we experience directly affect our immune
21
system. The positive emotions can create neurochemical changes that buffer the
immunosuppressive effects of stress.
During stress, the adrenal gland releases corticosteroids, which are converted to cortical
in the blood stream. These have an immunosuppressive effect. Dr. Lee Berk and fellow
researcher Dr. Stanley Tan at Loma Linda University School of Medicine have produced
carefully controlled studies showing that the experience of laughter lowers serum cortical
levels, increases the amount and activity of T lymphocytes—the natural killer cells.
Laughter also increases the number of T cells that have suppresser receptors.
What Laughter Can Do Against Stress And Its Effects ?
• Laughter lowers blood pressure and reduces hypertension.
• It provides good cardiac conditioning especially for those who are unable to perform
physical exercise.
• Reduces stress hormones (studies shows, laughter induces reduction of at least four of
neuroendocrine hormones—epinephrine, cortical, dopac, and growth hormone, associated
with stress response).
• Laughter cleanses the lungs and body tissues of accumulated stale air as it empties more
air than it takes in. It is beneficial for patients suffering from emphysema and other
respiratory ailments.
• It increases muscle flexion, relaxation and fluent blood circulation in body.
• Boosts immune function by raising levels of infection-fighting T-cells, disease-fighting
proteins called Gamma-interferon and disease-destroying antibodies called B-cells.
• Laughter triggers the release of endorphins—body's natural painkillers.
• Produces a general sense of well-being.
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( 1.2.6) Workplace Stress
Workplace stress is the harmful physical and emotional response that occurs when there
is a poor match between job demands and the capabilities, resources, or needs of the
worker. Stress-related disorders encompass a broad array of conditions, including
psychological disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder) and
other types of emotional strain (e.g., dissatisfaction, fatigue, tension, etc.), maladaptive
behaviors (e.g., aggression, substance abuse), and cognitive impairment (e.g.,
concentration and memory problems). In turn, these conditions may lead to poor work
performance or even injury. Job stress is also associated with various biological reactions
that may lead ultimately to compromised health, such as cardiovascular disease.
Stress is a prevalent and costly problem in today's workplace. About one-third of workers
report high levels of stress. One-quarter of employees view their jobs as the number one
stressor in their lives. Three-quarters of employees believe the worker has more on-the-
job stress than a generation ago. Evidence also suggests that stress is the major cause of
turnover in organizations.
Health and Healthcare Utilization
Problems at work are more strongly associated with health complaints than are any other
life stressor-more so than even financial problems or family problems. Many studies
suggest that psychologically demanding jobs that allow employees little control over the
work process increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. On the basis of research by the
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and many other organizations, it is
widely believed that job stress increases the risk for development of back and upper-
extremity musculoskeletal disorders. High levels of stress are associated with substantial
increases in health service utilization. Workers who report experiencing stress at work
also show excessive health care utilization. In a 1998 study of 46,000 workers, health
care costs were nearly 50% greater for workers reporting high levels of stress in
23
comparison to “low risk” workers. The increment rose to nearly 150%, an increase of
more than $1,700 per person annually, for workers reporting high levels of both stress
and depression. Additionally, periods of disability due to job stress tend to be much
longer than disability periods for other occupational injuries and illnesses.
Causes of Workplace Stress
Job stress results from the interaction of the worker and the conditions of work. Views
differ on the importance of worker characteristics versus working conditions as the
primary cause of job stress. The differing viewpoints suggest different ways to prevent
stress at work. According to one school of thought, differences in individual
characteristics such as personality and coping skills are most important in predicting
whether certain job conditions will result in stress-in other words, what is stressful for
one person may not be a problem for someone else. This viewpoint leads to prevention
strategies that focus on workers and ways to help them cope with demanding job
conditions. Although the importance of individual differences cannot be ignored,
scientific evidence suggests that certain working conditions are stressful to most people.
Such evidence argues for a greater emphasis on working conditions as the key source of
job stress, and for job redesign as a primary prevention strategy. Personal interview
surveys of working conditions, including conditions recognized as risk factors for job
stress, were conducted in Member States of the European Union in 1990, 1995, and 2000.
Results showed a trend across these periods suggestive of increasing work intensity. In
1990, the percentage of workers reporting that they worked at high speeds at least one-
fourth of their working time was 48%, increasing to 54% in 1995 and to 56% in 2000.
Similarly, 50% of workers reported they work against tight deadlines at least one-fourth
of their working time in 1990, increasing to 56% in 1995 and 60 % in 2000. However, no
change was noted in the period 1995–2000 (data not collected in 1990) in the percentage
of workers reporting sufficient time to complete tasks. A substantial percentage of
Americans work very long hours. By one estimate, more than 26% of men and more than
11% of women worked 50 hours per week or more in 2000. These figures represent a
considerable increase over the previous three decades, especially for women. According
to the Department of Labor, there has been an upward trend in hours worked among
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employed women, an increase in extended work weeks (>40 hours) by men, and a
considerable increase in combined working hours among working couples, particularly
couples with young children.
Signs of Workplace Stress
Mood and sleep disturbances, upset stomach and headache, and disturbed relationships
with family; friends and girlfriends or boyfriends are examples of stress-related problems.
The effects of job stress on chronic diseases are more difficult to see because chronic
diseases take a long time to develop and can be influenced by many factors other than
stress. Nonetheless, evidence is rapidly accumulating to suggest that stress plays an
important role in several types of chronic health problems-especially cardiovascular
disease, musculoskeletal disorders, and psychological disorders.
Prevention
A combination of organizational change and stress management is often the most useful
approach for preventing stress at work.
How to Change the Organization to Prevent Job Stress
Ensure that the workload is in line with workers' capabilities and resources.
Design jobs to provide meaning, stimulation, and opportunities for workers to use
their skills.
Clearly define workers' roles and responsibilities.
Give workers opportunities to participate in decisions and actions affecting their
jobs.
Improve communications-reduce uncertainty about career development and future
employment prospects.
Provide opportunities for social interaction among workers.
Establish work schedules that are compatible with demands and responsibilities
outside the job.
Discrimination inside the workplace. (e.g. nationality and language )
25
St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company conducted several studies on the effects of
stress prevention programs in hospital settings. Program activities included (1) employee
and management education on job stress, (2) changes in hospital policies and procedures
to reduce organizational sources of stress, and (3) establishment of employee assistance
programs. In one study, the frequency of medication errors declined by 50% after
prevention activities was implemented in a 700-bed hospital. In a second study, there was
a 70% reduction in malpractice claims in 22 hospitals that implemented stress prevention
activities. In contrast, there was no reduction in claims in a matched group of 22 hospitals
that did not implement stress prevention activities.
(1.2.7) Reduce your stress
1. Job analysis: - We have all experienced that appalling sense of having far too much
work to do and too little time to do it in. We can choose to ignore this, and work
unreasonably long hours to stay on top of our workload. The risks here are that we
become exhausted, that we have so much to do that we do a poor quality job and that we
neglect other areas of our life. Each of these can lead to intense stress.
The alternative is to work more intelligently, by focusing on the things that are important
for job success and reducing the time we spend on low priority tasks. Job Analysis is the
first step in doing this.
The first of the action-oriented skills that we look at is Job Analysis. Job Analysis is a
key technique for managing job overload – an important source of stress.
To do an excellent job, you need to fully understand what is expected of you. While this
may seem obvious, in the hurly-burly of a new, fast-moving, high-pressure role, it is
oftentimes something that is easy to overlook.
By understanding the priorities in your job, and what constitutes success within it, you
can focus on these activities and minimize work on other tasks as much as possible. This
helps you get the greatest return from the work you do, and keep your workload under
control.
26
Job Analysis is a useful technique for getting a firm grip on what really is important in
your job so that you are able to perform excellently. It helps you to cut through clutter
and distraction to get to the heart of what you need to do.
2. Rational & positive thinking: -
You are thinking negatively when you fear the future, put yourself down, criticize
yourself for errors, doubt your abilities, or expect failure. Negative thinking damages
confidence, harms performance and paralyzes mental skills.
Unfortunately, negative thoughts tend to flit into our consciousness, do their damage and
flit back out again, with their significance having barely been noticed. Since we barely
realize that they were there, we do not challenge them properly, which means that they
can be completely incorrect and wrong.
Thought Awareness is the process by which you observe your thoughts and become
aware of what is going through your head.
One approach to it is to observe your "stream of consciousness" as you think about the
thing you're trying to achieve which is stressful. Do not suppress any thoughts. Instead,
just let them run their course while you watch them, and write them down on our free
worksheet as they occur. Then let them go.
Another more general approach to Thought Awareness comes with logging stress in your
Stress Diary. When you analyze your diary at the end of the period, you should be able to
see the most common and the most damaging thoughts. Tackle these as a priority using
the techniques below.
Here are some typical negative thoughts you might experience when preparing to give a
major presentation:
Fear about the quality of your performance or of problems that may interfere with
it;
Worry about how the audience (especially important people in it like your boss)
or the press may react to you;
Dwelling on the negative consequences of a poor performance; or
27
Self-criticism over a less-than-perfect rehearsal.
Thought awareness is the first step in the process of managing negative thoughts, as you
cannot manage thoughts that you are unaware of.
Rational Thinking
The next step in dealing with negative thinking is to challenge the negative thoughts that
you identified using the Thought Awareness technique. Look at every thought you wrote
down and challenge it rationally. Ask yourself whether the thought is reasonable. What
evidence is there for and against the thought? Would your colleagues and mentors agree
or disagree with it?
Looking at the examples, the following challenges could be made to the negative
thoughts we identified earlier:
Feelings of inadequacy: Have you trained yourself as well as you reasonably
should have? Do you have the experience and resources you need to make the
presentation? Have you planned, prepared and rehearsed enough? If you have
done all of these, you've done as much as you can to give a good performance.
Worries about performance during rehearsal: If some of your practice was
less than perfect, then remind yourself that the purpose of the practice is to
identify areas for improvement, so that these can be sorted out before the
performance.
Problems with issues outside your control: Have you identified the risks of
these things happening, and have you taken steps to reduce the likelihood of them
happening or their impact if they do? What will you do if they occur? And what
do you need others to do for you?
Worry about other people's reactions: If you have prepared well, and you do
the best you can, then you should be satisfied. If you perform as well as you
reasonably can, then fair people are likely to respond well. If people are not fair,
the best thing to do is ignore their comments and rise above them.
28
Tip:
Don't make the mistake of generalizing a single incident. OK, you made a mistake at
work, but that doesn't mean you're bad at your job.
Similarly, make sure you take the long view about incidents that you're finding stressful.
Just because you're finding these new responsibilities stressful now, doesn't mean that
they will ALWAYS be so for you in the future.
Tip:
If you find it difficult to look at your negative thoughts objectively, imagine that you are
your best friend or a respected coach or mentor. Look at the list of negative thoughts and
imagine the negative thoughts were written by someone you were giving objective advice
to. Then, think how you would challenge these thoughts.
When you challenge negative thoughts rationally, you should be able to see quickly
whether the thoughts are wrong or whether they have some substance to them. Where
there is some substance, take appropriate action. However, make sure that your negative
thoughts are genuinely important to achieving your goals, and don't just reflect a lack of
experience, which everyone has to go through at some stage.
Positive Thinking & Opportunity Seeking
By now, you should already be feeling more positive. The final step is to prepare rational,
positive thoughts and affirmations to counter any remaining negativity. It can also be
useful to look at the situation and see if there are any useful opportunities that are offered
by it.
By basing your affirmations on the clear, rational assessments of facts that you made
using Rational Thinking, you can use them to undo the damage that negative thinking
may have done to your self-confidence.
29
Tip:
Your affirmations will be strongest if they are specific, are expressed in the present tense
and have strong emotional content.
Continuing the examples above, positive affirmations might be:
Problems during practice: "I have learned from my rehearsals. This has put me
in a position where I can deliver a great performance. I am going to perform well
and enjoy the event."
Worries about performance: "I have prepared well and rehearsed thoroughly. I
am well positioned to give an excellent performance."
Problems issues outside your control: "I have thought through everything that
might reasonably happen and have planned how I can handle all likely
contingencies. I am very well placed to react flexibly to events."
Worry about other people's reaction: "Fair people will react well to a good
performance. I will rise above any unfair criticism in a mature and professional
way."
If appropriate, write these affirmations down on your worksheet so that you can use them
when you need them.
As well as allowing you to structure useful affirmations, part of Positive Thinking is to
look at opportunities that the situation might offer to you. In the examples above,
successfully overcoming the situations causing the original negative thinking will open
up opportunities. You will acquire new skills, you will be seen as someone who can
handle difficult challenges, and you may open up new career opportunities.
2. Research Methodology
(2.1) Research Objective:
30
Stress is a dynamic condition in witch an individual is confronted with an
opportunity, demand or resource related to what the individual desires and for which the
outcome is perceived to be both uncertain and important. This is a complicated definition.
Stress is not necessarily bad in and of itself. Although stress is typically
discussed in a negative context, it also has a positive value. It’s an opportunity when it
offers potential gain. Consider for example, the superior performance that an athlete or
stage performer gives in “clutch” situations. Such individuals often use stress positively
to rise to the occasion and perform at or near their maximum. Similarly, many
professionals see the pressures of heavy workloads and deadlines as positive challenges
that enhance the quality of their work and the satisfaction the get from their job.
But it is different in the case of bank employees. The bank employees are the
people who also have to achieve the certain target and so for the non achievement of
target the employees remain stressed and tensed. The employees who have the simple
table work also have to face the problem of stress. Due to recession the banking sector is
also facing the problem of employee cut-offs and so the work load of the existing
employees increases and the feel stressed.
The types of stress are named as eustress and distress. Distress is the most
commonly-referred to type of stress, having negative implications, whereas eustress is a
positive form of stress, usually related to desirable events in person's life. Both can be
equally taxing on the body, and are cumulative in nature, depending on a person's way of
adapting to a change that has caused it. Stress management is the need of the hour.
However hard we try to go beyond a stress situation, life seems to find new ways of
stressing us out and plaguing us with anxiety attacks. Moreover, be it our anxiety, mind-
body exhaustion or our erring attitudes, we tend to overlook causes of stress and the
conditions triggered by those. In such unsettling moments we often forget that stressors,
if not escapable, are fairly manageable and treatable.
31
Stress, either quick or constant, can induce risky body-mind disorders.
Immediate disorders such as dizzy spells, anxiety attacks, tension, sleeplessness,
nervousness and muscle cramps can all result in chronic health problems. They may also
affect our immune, cardiovascular and nervous systems and lead individuals to habitual
addictions, which are inter-linked with stress.
Like "stress reactions", "relaxation responses" and stress management techniques are
some of the body's important built-in response systems. As a relaxation response the
body tries to get back balance in its homeostasis. Some hormones released during the
'fight or flight' situation prompt the body to replace the lost carbohydrates and fats, and
restore the energy level. The knotted nerves, tightened muscles and an exhausted mind
crave for looseness. Unfortunately, today, we don't get relaxing and soothing situations
without asking. To be relaxed we have to strive to create such situations.
This research is to carry out the study that how much stressed the employees of
the banks are and how do their stress affect their work life, social life, output etc. so a
sample of 14 to 15 employees are selected from all the three banks for the research of
stress among them.
(2.2) Sampling
32
Sample: I have taken the sample of 35 employees from three different banks of Bokaro
Steel City . All the employees were of the same designations.
Reason: As we find the employees of the bank to be more stressful as more and more
employees are taking VRS and are dismissed because of inflation. I have selected only
those three banks which are affiliated to the public and are specialized in consumer needs
fulfillment.
It is incumbent on the researcher to clearly define the target population. There are no
strict rules to follow, and the researcher must rely on logic and judgment. The population
is defined in keeping with the objectives of the study.
Sometimes, the entire population will be sufficiently small, and the researcher can
include the entire population in the study. This type of research is called a census study
because data is gathered on every member of the population.
Usually, the population is too large for the researcher to attempt to survey all of its
members. A small, but carefully chosen sample can be used to represent the population.
The sample reflects the characteristics of the population from which it is drawn.
Sampling methods are classified as either probability or non probability. In probability
samples, each member of the population has a known non-zero probability of being
selected. Probability methods include random sampling, systematic sampling, and
stratified sampling. In non probability sampling, members are selected from the
population in some nonrandom manner. These include convenience sampling, judgment
sampling, quota sampling, and snowball sampling. The advantage of probability
sampling is that sampling error can be calculated. Sampling error is the degree to which a
sample might differ from the population. When inferring to the population, results are
reported plus or minus the sampling error. In non probability sampling, the degree to
which the sample differs from the population remains unknown.
33
Random sampling is the purest form of probability sampling. Each member
of the population has an equal and known chance of being selected. When
there are very large populations, it is often difficult or impossible to identify
every member of the population, so the pool of available subjects becomes
biased.
Systematic sampling is often used instead of random sampling. It is also
called an Nth name selection technique. After the required sample size has
been calculated, every Nth record is selected from a list of population
members. As long as the list does not contain any hidden order, this
sampling method is as good as the random sampling method. Its only
advantage over the random sampling technique is simplicity. Systematic
sampling is frequently used to select a specified number of records from a
computer file.
Stratified sampling is commonly used probability method that is superior
to random sampling because it reduces sampling error. A stratum is a subset
of the population that shares at least one common characteristic. The
researcher first identifies the relevant stratums and their actual
representation in the population. Random sampling is then used to select
subjects from each stratum until the number of subjects in that stratum is
proportional to its frequency in the population. Stratified sampling is often
used when one or more of the stratums in the population have a low
incidence relative to the other stratums.
Convenience sampling is used in exploratory research where the researcher
is interested in getting an inexpensive approximation of the truth. As the
name implies, the sample is selected because they are convenient. This non-
probability method is often used during preliminary research efforts to get a
gross estimate of the results, without incurring the cost or time required to
select a random sample.
34
Judgment sampling is a common non-probability method. The researcher
selects the sample based on judgment. This is usually and extension of
convenience sampling. For example, a researcher may decide to draw the
entire sample from one "representative" city, even though the population
includes all cities. When using this method, the researcher must be confident
that the chosen sample is truly representative of the entire population.
Quota sampling is the non-probability equivalent of stratified sampling.
Like stratified sampling, the researcher first identifies the stratums and their
proportions as they are represented in the population. Then convenience or
judgment sampling is used to select the required number of subjects from
each stratum. This differs from stratified sampling, where the stratums are
filled by random sampling.
Snowball sampling is a special non-probability method used when the
desired sample characteristic is rare. It may be extremely difficult or cost
prohibitive to locate respondents in these situations. Snowball sampling
relies on referrals from initial subjects to generate additional subjects. While
this technique can dramatically lower search costs, it comes at the expense
of introducing bias because the technique itself reduces the likelihood that
the sample will represent a good cross section from the population.
(2.3) Research Instrument:
Checking Yourself for Burnout
35
Burnout occurs when passionate, committed people become deeply disillusioned with a job or career from which they have previously derived much of their identity and meaning. It comes as the things that inspire passion and enthusiasm are stripped away, and tedious or unpleasant things crowd in. This tool can help you check yourself for burnout.
Introduction:
This tool can help you check yourself for burnout. It helps you look at the way you feel about your job and your experiences at work, so that you can get a feel for whether you are at risk of burnout.
Using the Tool:
Work through the table on paper and calculate values manually. Fill in values appropriately on the sheet. This will automatically calculate scores
for you and interpret these scores, showing the score and interpretation in row 30.
If you choose to use the manual method, then calculate the total of the scores as described in the instructions (note that this uses a slightly different scoring method from the spreadsheet). Apply the score to the scoring table underneath to get the interpretation.
(2.4) Data analysis and Interpretation
36
The project report shows the information of the level of stress which the employees
are facing as the period of recession is going the employee cut-off and turnover
ratios are found to be high so the workload for the existing employees are high. So
they are facing the problem of work overload and thus they get stressed.
Let’s have a watch on the basic data of the survey:
The report of HDFC bank
>= response-1 No sign of burnout here! 05 Little sign of burnout here, unless some factors are particularly severe 618 Be careful - you may be at risk of burnout, particularly if several scores
are high8
35 You are at severe risk of burnout - do something about this urgently 045 You are at very severe risk of burnout - do something about this
urgently0
The Report of SBI Bank
>= response-1 No sign of burnout here! 05 Little sign of burnout here, unless some factors are particularly severe 3
37
18 Be careful - you may be at risk of burnout, particularly if several scores are high
10
35 You are at severe risk of burnout - do something about this urgently 045 You are at very severe risk of burnout - do something about this
urgently0
The report of Axis Bank
>= response-1 No sign of burnout here! 05 Little sign of burnout here, unless some factors are particularly severe 518 Be careful - you may be at risk of burnout, particularly if several scores
are high3
35 You are at severe risk of burnout - do something about this urgently 045 You are at very severe risk of burnout - do something about this
urgently0
Analysis:
It is seen from the above data that the employees working in the banks are at the risk of
two levels that is “a little sign of burn out” and “be careful”. Taking a look on the data of
all the three banks, it is seen that the employees working in SBI are found less stressed
38
out compared to other banks. This can be because it’s a public sector. If all the graphs are
compared, it is seen that the ratio of stressed employees in AXIS banks are high as
compared to all the other banks.
Overall result of the survey
>= response-1 No sign of burnout here! 05 Little sign of burnout here, unless some factors are particularly severe 1418 Be careful - you may be at risk of burnout, particularly if several scores
are high21
35 You are at severe risk of burnout - do something about this urgently 045 You are at very severe risk of burnout - do something about this
urgently0
Analysis:
From the above graph it can be seen that maximum employees of all the banks are at a
moderate level of risk of burnout while the employees who were found with a little sign
of burnout is less. So the ratio of little sign of burnout and moderate level of burnout is
2:3.
1. Are you satisfied with the performance you give at your work?
Yes No No response
27 8 0
39
Analysis:
From the diagram it is clear that 77 % of the employees are satisfied with the
performance they give in the work while 23 % of the employees are not satisfied.
2. Do you think that you are suffering from depression?
Analysis:
20 % of the employee feel that they are suffering from depression while 80 % of the
employee feel that that they are free from the depression
3. Do you worry about your colleague's opinion about you?
Yes No No response
9 26 0
Analysis:
26% of the employees worry about their colleague’s opinion about them while 74% of
the employees are not concern with the opinion about their colleague.
4. Do you discuss your problem with your spouse or friend or any other close to
you?
Yes No No response
7 28 0
40
Analysis:
91% of the employees of the bank
discuss their problem and share their
feelings with their spouse or friends or others while 9 % of the employee is not concerned
with it.
5. Do you work more than 8 hours?
Analysis:
89% of the employees work for more than 8 hours which is the starting point of the stress
while 11 % of the employees don’t
work for more than 8 hours.
6. You have an important function at
your home and your boss asks to give
a 4 hour over time, what will be your
response?
Yes No No response
32 3 0
Yes No No response
20 15 0
Yes No No response
14 19 2
41
Analysis:
40 % of the employees are proved to be work dedicated and they are ready to miss the
important function at their house while 54 % of the employees said no and 6 % of the
employee did not gave any answer.
7. Do you regularly spend time for entertainment?
Analysis:
57% of the employee spent regular
time on entertainment which helps
us to remain stress free while 43 % of
the employees don’t do that.
8. Is your social life balanced?
Analysis:
4 % of the employees find their social life to be balanced while 40 % of the employees
don’t have their social life balanced. 6% of the employees remain silent.
9. Do you plan your work before doing?
Yes No No response
19 14 2
Yes No No response
31 4 0
42
Analysis:
It is a good habit to plan the work
you do. 89 % of the employees
plan their work before doing while 11
% of the employees don’t plan their
work.
10. Do you fear about the quality of your performance?
Analysis:
63% of the employees
fear the quality of
performance which they give while 37 %
of the employees don’t fear the quality of
their work.
.
11.Do you try to find any solution for the problem of your stress?
.
Analysis:
69% of employees found the
solution of there of stress
Yes No No response
22 13 0
Yes No No response
22 13 0
Yes No No response
22 13 0
Yes No No response
19 16 0
Yes No No response
24 6 5
43
12. (IF YES) Do you practice yoga or any other ayurvedic therapy for reducing
stress?
Analysis:
31% of the employees try the yoga and
other ayurvedic techniques to reduce their stress while 51 % of the employees use other
techniques to reduce stress.
(2.5) Employee’s opinion about how to reduce stress
This project consist of the information about the employees undergoing from stress who
working in the banks. So considering this factor this topic becomes one of the most
important part of the project as it consists of the opinion of the employees who work in
the banks. In short it was a direct interview of the employees who gave their opinion
about how to reduce stress. The response of employees in the major banks of Bokaro like
State Bank of India, The AXIS Bank, and The HDFC bank was marvelous and they have
given their valuable opinion about reducing stress as a result of the last question included
in the questionnaire 2. So the opinion if the employees were as follows:
“Just smile away” An employee- HDFC Bank
“Just believe in your self and just do what your heart wants” An employee-
HDFC Bank
-“Talking to family members, - Watching TV or listening good music, - Going for
a walk or long drive” An employee- HDFC Bank
“Believe in God” An employee- HDFC Bank
Yes No No response
11 18 6
44
“Respect yourself and give time to yourself” An employee- HDFC Bank
“Working in environment welfares, lot of positive attitude. Positive attitude is
only that reduces stress and achieves success. Most of the people frustrate due to
lack of positivity and stress level climbs up due to that. So get positive attitude
about work, about life, and forget the stress” An employee- AXIS Bank
“We should do such activities from which we get happiness and also make others
happy. Pass your time with your close friends and relatives.” An employee-
AXIS Bank
“Play and watch cricket” An employee- AXIS Bank
“Listen music and spend time with family” An employee- SBI Bank
“Get adjusted with others, Find and spend time for prayer, Study the scriptures,
See oneness in all, All are manifested of the supreme GOD” An employee- SBI
Bank
These opinions are seemed to be valuable and effective as one of the effective
things has been noticed that the employees who have got less than 18 marks in the
Burnout test have given their opinions about reducing the stress.
It is also noticed that in the AXIS bank Bokaro in the time of afternoon slow instrumental
music are been played so that the employees can work stress free. This is one of the
positive things which are seen in the organization who is caring for their employees. This
will help the organization to boost up the productivity.
From the certain sample of employees selected for the research, only 10 employees have
given their opinion how to reduce stress. So we can understand that how overloaded the
employees of the bank are.
(2.6) Research Flowchart
45
Questionnaire research design proceeds in an orderly and specific manner. Each item in
the flow chart depends upon the successful completion of all the previous items.
Therefore, it is important not to skip a single step. Notice that there are two feedback
loops in the flow chart to allow revisions to the methodology and instruments.
Design Methodology
Determine Feasibility
Develop Instruments
Select Sample
Conduct Pilot Test
Revise Instruments
Conduct Research
Analyze Data
Prepare Report
(2.8) Limitation of the survey
46
The questionnaires were filled be 35 employees working in the three major Banks of
Bokaro i.e. Axis Bank, HDFC Bank and SBI Bank. So the scope of sample findings
was less.
The questionnaire was filled by 35 employees of different designations. So the point of
view of employees differs as per their designations.
The employees from whom the questionnaires are filled are in a heavy workload so
some of the questionnaires filled by the employees who are in stress cannot be called
reasonable.
The responses of the employees cannot be accurate as the problem of language and
understanding arises. (These problems are not in all cases.)
One of the other problems of questionnaire is the cost. Some times it may be possible
that even by spending so much the result may not be reasonable.
Many a times the employees may not be really conscious or may not be bothered about
the questionnaire. This may create a problem in the research.
(2.8.1) Advantages of Written Questionnaires
Questionnaires are very cost effective when compared to face-to-face
interviews. This is especially true for studies involving large sample sizes
and large geographic areas. Written questionnaires become even more cost
effective as the number of research questions increases.
Questionnaires are easy to analyze. Data entry and tabulation for nearly all
surveys can be easily done with many computer software packages.
Questionnaires are familiar to most people. Nearly everyone has had some
experience completing questionnaires and they generally do not make
people apprehensive.
47
Questionnaires reduce bias. There is uniform question presentation and no
middle-man bias. The researcher's own opinions will not influence the
respondent to answer questions in a certain manner. There are no verbal or
visual clues to influence the respondent.
Questionnaires are less intrusive than telephone or face-to-face surveys.
When a respondent receives a questionnaire in the mail, he is free to
complete the questionnaire on his own time-table. Unlike other research
methods, the respondent is not interrupted by the research instrument.
(2.8.2) Disadvantages of Written Questionnaires
One major disadvantage of written questionnaires is the possibility of low
response rates. Low response is the curse of statistical analysis. It can
dramatically lower our confidence in the results. Response rates vary
widely from one questionnaire to another (10% - 90%), however, well-
designed studies consistently produce high response rates.
Another disadvantage of questionnaires is the inability to probe responses.
Questionnaires are structured instruments. They allow little flexibility to
the respondent with respect to response format. In essence, they often lose
the "flavor of the response" (i.e., respondents often want to qualify their
answers). By allowing frequent space for comments, the researcher can
partially overcome this disadvantage. Comments are among the most
helpful of all the information on the questionnaire, and they usually
provide insightful information that would have otherwise been lost.
Nearly ninety percent of all communication is visual. Gestures and other
visual cues are not available with written questionnaires. The lack of
personal contact will have different effects depending on the type of
information being requested. A questionnaire requesting factual
48
information will probably not be affected by the lack of personal contact.
A questionnaire probing sensitive issues or attitudes may be severely
affected.
When returned questionnaires arrive in the mail, it's natural to assume that
the respondent is the same person you sent the questionnaire to. This may
not actually be the case. Many times business questionnaires get handed to
other employees for completion. Housewives sometimes respond for their
husbands. Kids respond as a prank. For a variety of reasons, the
respondent may not be who you think it is. It is a confounding error
inherent in questionnaires.
Finally, questionnaires are simply not suited for some people. For
example, a written survey to a group of poorly educated people might not
work because of reading skill problems. More frequently, people are
turned off by written questionnaires because of misuse.
(2.9) Findings
It is analyzed from the questionnaire filled by the employees that the
employees who have scored more than 20 marks in the burnout test are not satisfied with
49
the performance which they give in the organization. Thus it is proved that the employees
who are desired to give better performance than their original performance are found
more stressful than the others. While at the same time the employ that have scored less
than 20 marks in the burnout test are satisfied with the performance. From the sample of
35 bank employees who have been surveyed, one is found to be a heart patient. This can
be because of high level of stress.
Very rare of the employee are to be found suffering from depression. It is proved from
the survey that the employees who have scored more than 25 marks in the burnout test
are concern about the opinion of their colleagues. And the employees who got less than
25 marks do not mind about their colleague’s opinion. Thus it is proved that the
colleagues opinion also play a lead role in the increase and decrease of the stress level.
Those who mind about their colleague’s opinion are found to be more stressful.
The employees who have scored 28-29 marks in the burnout test don’t believe in sharing
their problems with their spouse or friend or any closed one. Thus we can say that sharing
your problems with your spouse or close friends is a better idea to reduce stress.
In the second questionnaire one of the question was “You have an important function at
your home and your boss asks to give a 4 hour over time what will be your response ‘Yes
or No’?” the employees have given their opinion as per their mood.
While considering the point of view of entertainment it depends upon the mood of the
employees. The entertainment is considered one of the most ultimate solutions to reduce
stress. Most of the employees do not spend regular time in entertainment. This may be
because they may not be getting time for entertainment or they may not be interested in
the same.
One of the questions was asked that were their social life balanced? It is observed that the
employees who have scored above 20 marks in the burnout test did not have their social
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life balanced. Thus we can conclude that the employees who are above 20 don’t have
their social life balanced. Thus it is proved that stress may affect our social life also.
The employees were asked weather they plan their work or not, moderate answers were
given. The employees scoring more than 25 marks were not found their work planned.
Thus the employees who plan their work have scored below 25 marks in the burnout test
except some cases as there are always some drawbacks in making plan. Failure of a plan
may also lead a person to stress. Thus we can conclude that planning of the work may
help to reduce stress level.
Most of the employees who have scored more than 20 marks fear about their quality of
work they give. This aspect is not dependent of the burnout level. This aspect depends
upon the dedication of work. So it is meaningless to compare this question with the
burnout test.
A question was asked that weather you get stressed at the non-achievement of their
target? All the employees have responded positively. But this is not concern with the
burnout score. From this we can conclude that all the employees are given achievable
target and naturally by the non-achievement of the target all the employees may get
stressed. One of the other possibilities is that the employees have responded positively to
show themselves to be good.
The employees having more than 10 marks in the burnout test says that they are under
stress. Out of 35 employees of the sample 20 of the employees accepted that the reason
for their stress is workload. 10 employees are not stressed because of the workload but
because of their family problem. 5 of the employees are not suffering from stress. 14
employees out of 30 employees who are stressed feel stressful when their boss scolds
them while 16 employees refused that they are not stressed because their boss scolds
them. All the 30 employees have accepted that they try to find the solution of their stress.
10 employees out of 30 employees practice yoga to reduce their stress and the other 20
employees don’t practice yoga. The burnout scores of the employees who practice yoga
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are either more than 25 or less than 20. Thus we can conclude that the employees have
reduced their stress by yoga therapy and other employees have just started the yoga
because of high level of burnout
The above analysis is done by the data received from the questionnaire. So the accuracy
of data depends upon the response of the employees.
3. BIBILIOGRAPHY
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o www.mindtool.com
o Organizational Behavior “Stephen P. Robbins”
o Burn Out tool – Questionnaire
o Self analysis of questionnaire
No Questions Not at all
Rarely Sometimes Often Very often
1 Do you feel run down and drained of physical or emotional energy?
2 Do you find that you are prone to negative thinking about
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your job?3 Do you find that you are
harder and less sympathetic with people than perhaps they deserve?
4 Do you find yourself getting easily irritated by small problems, or by your co-workers and team?
5 Do you feel misunderstood or unappreciated by your co-workers?
6 Do you feel that you have no-one to talk to?
7 Do you feel that you are achieving less than you should?
8 Do you feel under an unpleasant level of pressure to succeed?
9 Do you feel that you are not getting what you want out of your job?
10 Do you feel that you are in the wrong organization or the wrong profession?
11 Are you becoming frustrated with parts of your job?
12 Do you feel that organizational politics or bureaucracy frustrate your ability to do a good job?
13 Do you feel that there is more work to do than you practically have the ability to do?
14 Do you feel that you do not have time to do many of the things that are important to doing a good quality job?
15 Do you find that you do not have time to plan as much as you would like to?Total
4. ANNEXUREQuestionnaire
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No Questions Yes No
1 Are you satisfied with the performance you give at your work?
2 Do you think that you are suffering from depression?
3 Do you worry about your colleague's opinion about you?
4 Do you discuss your problem with your spouse or friend or any other close
to you?
5 Do you work more than 8 hours?
6 You have an important function at your home and your boss asks to give a
4 hour over time, what will be your response?
7 Do you regularly spend time for entertainment?
8 Is your social life balanced?
9 Do you plan your work before doing?
10 Do you fear about the quality of your performance?
11 Do you try to find any solution for the problem of your stress?
12 (IF YES) Do you practice yoga or any other ayurvedic therapy for
reducing stress?
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Instructions: For each question, put an 'X' in the column that most applies. Put one 'X' only in each row. Please write the total number of ‘x’ at the space given at the bottom of each column
Answer Number Weight Weighted TotalNot at all 0Rarely 1Sometimes 2Often 3Very often 4>=-1 No sign of burnout here!5 Little sign of burnout here, unless some factors are particularly severe18 Be careful - you may be at risk of burnout, particularly if several scores are high35 You are at severe risk of burnout - do something about this urgently45 You are at very severe risk of burnout - do something about this urgently
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