© Journal of Economics and Engineering, ISSN: 2078-0346, May, 2010

OCCUPATIONAL STRESS AND THE NIGERIAN

BANKING INDUSTRY
1 2
Akingunola Richard Oreoluwa and Adigun Abel Oludele
1
Faculty of Management Sciences, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye
2
College of Management Sciences, Bells University of technology, Ota, Ogun state (NIGERIA)

ABSTRACT

The paper reports the result of study aimed at determining the existence of stress in the Nigerian Banking
Industry especially after -math effect of the implementation of the liberalization reforms. A structured question-
naire was designed to collect information from both executives and none-executives of the Nigerian banking
2
industry. At an X 0.05 and one degree of freedom, the null hypothesis was found to be significant, significant
existence of stressors in the Nigerian banking sub-sector. However, the stress level is higher among the
executive than the none-executive. It was concluded that there exist high level of stress in the Nigerian Banking
Industry which affect personal health significantly thereby requiring management action in implementing stress-
relieving measures.

1. INTRODUCTION
Financial institutions are both strategic and crucial to the growth of any economy. They have been rightly
described as the nerve centre of the economy. Of course these assertions are not without foundation. They
perform the crucial role of fund mobilization from the surplus unit (depositors) and canalize same to the deficit unit
(investor) through the extension of credit (Akingunola 1996:1).
However, over the last few years, the Nigerian financial system has witnessed significant changes in terms
of structures, management technique and regulatory environment. These changes are more pronounced in the
banking sub sector than that sub-sector of the system (Tella & Akingunola, 1998:1). Those changes result from
such factors as banking deregulation, new competitive pressures, technological innovation in communications
and information processing, increasing wave of robbery, high level frauds unstable monetary police, e.t.c. The
taking place at both the national and global macro-environment of banking call for dynamism in banking
management in the new millennium, a complete break away from arm chair banking of the oil boom era.
The Nigerian banking system as a whole has been under serious pressure from internal and external
factors in the last few years. The system can be said to be under stress and of the negative (or bad) type,
identified by Selye (1984), as distress. The current high incidence of distress in the Nigerian banking industry is a
consequential effect of introduction of the regulatory policy under the structural adjustment programme (SAP) of
July 1986. The bank licensing liberalization policy raised the number of institution astronomically competition in
the industry.
The system witnessed other strains and stresses which culminated in terminal distress of more than sixty
banks within the last decade. The systematic distress in the Nigerian banking industry equally affected mana-
gement and staffers.
Bank management must necessarily react to changes if must remain in business and avoid the pains of
distress or outright failure. Management responses to cope these changes are diverse. It ranges from re-engine-
ering, rationalization of branches and business lines, increased working hours, staff education and retraining or
sometimes retrenchment and complete re-organisation. Bank workers who are victims of management reactions
are equally susceptible to stress.
This is perhaps true in that the operational framework of the bank require bank workers to resume early
and close very late, the introduction of weekend banking (Saturday banking), while some of them are also
required to update themselves academically within a set time, which makes must of category of worker to register
for degree/diploma weekend programmes. This is most cases borne out of compulsion rather than of interest thus
creating a stressful situation through confliction behavioural tendencies (Lewis, 1931; Millar, 1959).There is no
denying the fact that most bank workers are working under tension, it seems majority are remaining on the job in
order to avoid the pains of unemployment as against the global of job satisfaction, such condition cannot but
produce dissatisfaction, a stressful situation, (Emmons, 1989). In fact, the fear of being sacked in the psyche of
an average bank worker has its physiological consequences on such individual (Cantour, & Langston 1989,
Obikoya, 1998:8).
It is therefore important that both bank worker and management should be well acquainted with an
important issue that affect not only workers effectiveness in the work place, but there life in general. The affects
main thrust of this paper therefore is to inquire into the effect of liberalization on work related stress in the banking
sector as well as the effect of stress-related activities on bank-workers health, and therefore their productivity.
Logically, there exists of the paper is organised as follows: section two four discuss the methodology of the study
and result of our survey and finally we make some concluding remarks in section five.

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 © Journal of Economics and Engineering, ISSN: 2078-0346, May, 2010

2. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND THEORETICAL ISSUES

2.1 Concept of stress
Stress is basic to life. It is experienced by everybody. A mild stress may be desirable in stimulating or
motivating individual towards laudable achievement, however, as it becomes more severe, and stress can beco-
me dangerous and damaging, arising from its physical, psychological and behavioural harmful effects on its
victim. Stress is a very complex phenomenon and hence there exist no universally accepted definition of stress,
rather it has been used widely with varying meanings (Obikoya, 1998:3). Stress has been explained as the
process of adjusting to or dealing with circumstances that disrupt, or threaten to disrupt a person’s physical or
physiological functioning (European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, 2002).
Stress necessarily involves a relationship between people and their environment, in other words an
interaction between stressors and stress reactions. Other definition consider inter play between the environment
(such as job environments) .and individual reactions to same as stress producing. For instance, stress has been
viewed as a person’s physical chemical or emotional response to tension or pressure in his or her environment.
To him, stress result whenever environmental forces throw bodily and /or emotional functions out of balance,
consequently stress is a natural outcome of organizational conflict.
A variant of the view above is that expressed by Lazarus (1966). He defined stress as classification of a
broad class of problems differentiated from other problems because it deals with any demands which tax the
system: whatever it is, physiological system; a social system or physiological system and response of that
system. In respect of the response of the system, he was of the opinion that such reaction depends on how the
person interprets or appraises. (consciously or unconsciously) the significance of harmful, threatening or
challenging event Lazarus further argued that stress occurs from a misfit between the individual and environment.
Hans Selye (1984), a prominent stress researcher, contented that stress in itself is not altogether an
abnormal phenomenon. In this respect, he used two different words to same, the “Eutress” which is the good
stress and “distress”, the bad stress. Eutress is an environmental change that allows a person the opportunity to
progress but that is within the person’s adaptability to change. Distress, on the other hand, refers to a situation
when a person is taxed his or her limits. To Selye, the individual constantly strives to achieve a balance between
the good forces of eutress and the destructive forces of distress. He also thought of stress in form of levels. A
‘Zero stress’ level where stress is perceived as no existing is considered to be an unrealistic goal for human
being; whereas, excessive stress can lead to untimely or sudden death. An acceptable stress level, however,
differs from one person to the other and exist is a “personal and internal experience” which often create a
physiological or psychological imbalance within the individual. Interpretatively, it means that stress is an
experience of individual, however, such experience is a product of respond to certain situations (or stimuli) in the
environment; stress is not the stimuli itself.
Also, Selye’s categorization of stress to levels was consistent with Houkes et al (2001) position that
weather or not particular set of conditions will produce stress in an individual depends on that individual,
According to them, whereas response to a particular set of condition might generate a state of anxiety or tension
in excess of what normal for an individual, while it might be reasonable within the tolerable level for another. They
concluded by saying that no stimulus is a stressor to all individuals exposed to it with exception of extreme and
sudden life threatening situation
Although these definitions address different aspects of stress, they all accept that fact that stress is am
internal experience of an individual resulting from his /her adaption to internal and external pressure. Thus, stress
is not a specific event but a process which involves stressors, stress mediating factors such as circumstances in
which stressors occur each person’s characteristics and finally people’s response to stress. It is with background
in mind that we now consider stress in the Nigerian banking industry.

2.2 Stress in the work place

Studies have shown that though stress is not confined to any specific occupation or geographical area,
however, data for different occupation groups such as longitudinal national statics that particular occupational
groups such as those in the financial services are more at risk (Paola and Merlline, 2001).
Concomitantly, occupational environment organizational structure and policies, as well as role and task
demands have been identified as determining factor in the levels of stress.(Dharmangadan,1988). Thus
researchers assert the need to recognize and deal with these issues more accurately at a situational level (Di
Martino, Hoel and Cooper, 2003; Giga, Faragher and Cooper 2002).
The financial services sector is traversing a period of major changes resulting from globalization and
market deregulation, which has resulted into increased competition and substantial restricting especially through
merger and acquisition activity in industrialized and developing countries (ILO, 2001).
In addition, time pressure, excessive demands, role conflicts, Ergonomic deficiencies, job security and
relationship with customers are particular common stressors amongst employees in the financial services sector
(Graca and Kompier, 1999). Furthermore, new stressors such as computer break downs and electronic
performance monitoring have developed as a result of increased human interaction with computer (Kindstrom, K;
1991).
Specifically, in respect of the financial services sector evidence is indicative of the prevalence of stress in
the system as well as in individuals. The causal – factors of stress in the latter are traceable, inter alia, to the follo-
wing discussion. A substantial shift has taken place in the psychological contracts of employees in financial servi-
ces enterprises, which traditional ensured individuals of long-term employment security in return for their hard
work and loyalty, employers in the sector no longer viewed employees as long term assets to be developed,
motivated and contented, but rather viewed employees issues from costs perspective, which should be minimized

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 © Journal of Economics and Engineering, ISSN: 2078-0346, May, 2010

Giga, 2001; Gladstone and Reynolds, 1997) The greater uncertainty in employees’ tenure and increasing perfor-
mance are stressful.
A survey of Australia bank employees (FSU, 2002) identifies the most important changes affecting the
banking industry and its workers lives over the last ten years as including: fewer staff but increased workloads
(77percent); higher performance and sales target (76 percent) and increased pressure (69 percent).
It is perhaps stating the obvious that job cutbacks had increased the burden on surviving members of staff,
with a substantial number of employees in though finance sector about–36 percent indicated in the survey-are re-
quired the work over time. It we reported, however, that about 39 percent of those working over time are not paid.
Another major cause of psychological distress of bank workers is poor place design and a demanding
workload. This of course, is in consonance with Karasek’s (1979) model which simultaneously having relatively
little autonomy in completing their assigned task. Karriphuss and Emmel Kamp (1998) reported that bank
robberies could be traumatic, with some victims suffering from psychological distress six months after the incident
occurred, while others reported symptoms associated with post-traumatic disorder.
The effect of stress on individuals in general and workers in particular are legion especially, occupational
stress not properly handled by management or effectively controlled by victims often produce physical,
psychological or behavioral responses.
Expectedly therefore, an individual exposed to stress may suffer from anyone, combination of any two or
all of them. The physical response to stress includes rapid breathing, increased heartbeat, sweating and/or gene-
ral shakiness of the body especially in the muscles of the arms and legs. However, when stressor art longer last-
ing, these responses are only the beginning of a longer sequence of bodily reaction. Hans Selye (1976)
suggested that the longer sequence of physical responses occurs in a consisted and very general pattern, which
he called the general adaption syndrome. It begins with the alarm, reaction through resistance and eventually
exhaustion. It has been reported that catecholamines and Corticosteroids, which help fight stressors during the
resistance stage, remain at high levels for an extended time, they tend to promote such illnesses as colds, flu,
arthritis, high blood pressure and heart disease (Anderson, 1989; Matthew et al, 1986).
Pines and Eronson (1981) found a link between stress and heart disease. They contended that high level
of stress may results into diabetes, ulcers, high blood pressure, and arteriosclerosis. Other includes depression,
irritation, anxiety, and fatigue, lowers self-esteem and may eventually lead to reduced job satisfaction and perfor-
mance. Psychological stress responses occur in from of changes in emotion and cognition make up of victims.
Behaviour stress responses are usually the first visible reaction from people already undergoing physical and/or
emotional stress, such reactions are usually in form of changes in how people look, act or talk. For example nega-
tive stress may affect victim’s physical coordination and behavioural skills. It may eventually lead to aggression,
violence or drug addiction (Bernstein, 1991:511).
A study Nweze (1985) used two sets of inventories, psychological stress and somatization scales. In the
former, he employed the 28 item self-report measures of subjective stress adapted from Cochrane and Robert-
son’s Life Event Inventory; while the latter utilized a 29 items, 5 point Likert type questionnaire derived from the
Longer Cornel Medical Index Health Questionnaire. There were two groups, clinical and control. A t-test analysis
of the means and standard deviations showed the following.
A clinical subject had a higher mean stress response and therefore differed significantly from the control;
but both groups did not differ on self report of somatic symptoms. The result showed a modest relationship betwe-
en psychological distress and a set of ill-health a high correlation between measures of stress and perceived
health condition. These finding are germane to what obtain among bank workers as well.

3. DATA AND METHODOLOGY OF STUDY

The main argument of this study is that work and organization climate factors influences job commitment
and involvement, affecting employee’s sense of worth and job satisfaction (Sekaran, 1989). More importantly,
workers often perceive change as stressful due to future uncertainly and fears over job security (Gladstone and
Reynolds, 1997).
Thus, the major changes implemented in the banking sector in recent times have had a substantial impact
on workers, with many reporting negative affects on their working and personal lives. Workforce cutbacks within
banking finance and insurance organizations are of priority concern for employees. Cutbacks have, furthermore,
resulted in greater pressure on remaining workforce with increased work overload or stress.

3.1 Description of study area and data source

Our study area is the South-West state of Lagos State, Nigeria especially Lagos, a megacity where almost
all banks are represented and financial activities are very high. The study covered Lagos Mainland, Lagos Island
and Victoria Island. The respondents were mainly bank workers.

3.2 Sampling procedure & analytical technique

Primary data were collected through administration of questionnaires following random sampling proce-
dure. Questionnaires were administered using trained bank workers on the banking and finance part-time pro-
gramme of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye. That data analysis inter alia involved frequency distribution
estimation such as means and standard deviation, percentiles and cross tabulation. The first analysis sought to
establish the existence of work related stress in the banking industry. Also, we tested the effect of the letter on
bank workers health. In testing the hypothesis of non-existence of work related stress in the banking industry, the
chi-squared parametric statistics we used.

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 © Journal of Economics and Engineering, ISSN: 2078-0346, May, 2010

The test statistics is given as:-

2 2
X = (F0-FE)
Fe

Where F0 = Observed frequency and

Fe= Expected frequency

This model was used to test the existence of stress as well as the stress level among executive and non-
existence of randomly selected bank workers. In the evaluation of the effect of the stress (organizational/personal)
on the bank workers health for the combined group and then two groups of executives and non executives, we
utilized the standard normal variate, defined as:

Z=x-u
r/n

Where z= normal distribution score

x= sample mean;
u= population mean;
r = standard deviation and
n= sample size

The null hypotheses were tested at 5% level of significance in both cases. While the former utilized
normal two way (Yes or No) type of questionnaire, the latter adopted the 5 point Likert type questionnaire akin to
the longer Cornell Medical index Health Questionnaire. The heuristic evaluation method adopted, ensures validity
of the instrument, thus response were obtained.

4. RESULT AND DISCUSSIONS

Respondents came from different sections of various banks in various banks operating in Lagos metro-
polis, thus representing a broad spectrum of profession. In total, we received 117 questionnaires out of the total
number of 150 distributed, yielding 78% response rate. Out of the total 61 respondents representing 51% were
female, while 56 or 48% were male. Also, the number in the senior staff cadre was 69 representing 59%, while
the remaining 48 or 41% of the respondents were non-executive or junior staff cadre.
Literacy level of the respondents are quite appreciable and thus understanding assured; 84 representing
80% of the respondents have tertiary education, while 17 respondents or 14% hold secondary education while the
remaining six possessed at least primary education. Also, more than 85% of the respondents are below the age
of 45 years and the number of married (54%) was slightly more than the single (43%) while the divorced
representing 3% of the respondents put together. While about 80% of the respondents have spent less than five
years with the organisation.
The results of the survey showed that about 84% of the respondents have experience one ailment or the
other signifying symptoms of stress. Such ailment or ill conditions include headache, anxiety, chest pain/
palpitations, indigestion or nausea, sleeplessness, irritability, backache/neck ache and stomach disorder.
In testing the null hypothesis of non significance of liberalization contribution to work related stress in the
banking sector, implying non-existence of stress in the system the response is as shown in table 4.1 below

Table 4.1

Response Number of respondents Percentage

Yes 79 67.5
No 38 32.5
Total 117 100
Source: field survey

Respondents received indicated that 79 or 67.5% of the respondents were in agreement with the assertion
that liberalization contributes to work related stress in the banking sector of the economy, whilst 38 or 32.5% were
of contrary opinion. We used the data in table 4.1 to test the first hypothesis. In order to operationalize our test
2
statistics, X , we obtained Tables 4.2a and 4.2b for observed and expected frequencies respectively.

Table 4.2a observed frequencies of Responses

Yes No Total
Yes 79 - 79
No - 38 38
Total 79 38 117
Source: field survey

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 © Journal of Economics and Engineering, ISSN: 2078-0346, May, 2010

Table 4.2b expected frequencies of responses

Yes No Total
Yes 53.34 25.66 78
No 25.66 12.34 38
Total 79 38 117
Source: Computer by the author

Given expected frequency = column x row total

Grand total
The resulting expected frequencies is as shown in Table 4.2 (b) above since there are two rows and two
columns, the degree of freedom as:

V =(2-1) (2-1) =1
Hence, the chi – squared tabulated given one degree of freedom at 5% level of significance is
2
X 0.05= 3.841
2
However, the X calculated was derived as follows:
2 2;
X = (F0- FE) al notations as previously defined
FE
2 2 2 2 2
X = (79-53.34) + (10 -25.661) + (10 -25.661) + (38 -12.34)
53.34 25.66 25.66 12.39
= 12.34 + 25.66 + 25.66 + 53.36
= 117.02
2
Since X of 117.02 is greater than the critical value of 3.841. We thus reject the Null hypothesis and
conclude that liberalization policies contribute to the work related stress in the banking sector. Perhaps this is so
because the liberalization policies necessarily resulted into retrenchment in its implementation, thus leaving very
few workers to accomplish the same level of task in the branch or department at operations or even sometimes
higher management expectations due to the high level of competition in the industry.
On the question of whether stress has significant effect on personnel health, of bank workers, the
responses are as shown in Table 4.3 below. It was based first on all responses received and non-executives on
questions inquiring into their showing symptoms of stress.

Table 4.3a responses on the effect of distress on staff health

Options Weight Frequency %

Often 5 46 39
Sometime 4 51 44
Occasionally 3 10 8.5
Seldom 2 08 6.8
Never 1 02 1.7
Total 117 100
Source: Field survey

The result shows that 97 respondents or 83% of total respondents were of the opinion that stress (distress)
affect health negatively. However, ten were or frequency of visit to the hospital or medication especially with the
introduction of liberalization measures are as shown in the table 4.3a as well as 4.4a and 4.4b respectively. It is
most unespecially that a bank worker should take to moonlighting.
Undecided, while another ten respondents were of contrary opinion that poor health of bank staff is not
directly attributable to stress.
The result above was subjected to hypothesis testing based on the null hypothesis that stress significantly
affects personal health negatively.
HO: U > 3 against the alternate;
HI: U < 3

The required statistics was estimated and tabulated in the Table 4.3b following:
2 2
Options Weight Frequency % fx (x - x) (x – x) f(x –x)
Often 5 46 39 230 0.88 0.77443 5.6224
Sometime 4 51 44 204 -0.12 0.0144 0.7344
Occasionally 3 10 8.5 30 -1.12 1.2544 12.544
Seldom 2 0.8 6.8 16 -2.12 4.4944 35.9552
Never 1 02 1.7 02 -3.12 9.7344 19.4688
Total 117 482 104.3248
Source: Field work and author’s computation

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 © Journal of Economics and Engineering, ISSN: 2078-0346, May, 2010

X = ∑fx = 482 = 4.12

∑f
2
S = ∑f(x - x)
N–1
2
S = √ 104.3245
117 – 1
Where n = ∑f
S = √ 0.89935
S = 0.948

At 5% level of significance, the score corresponding to an area of 0.05 beyond z is 1.65, however, since we
are only interested in value of z is -1.65, such that the Null Hypothesis can only be rejected if z score is less than -
1.65.
The test statistics z is given by:
Z = x - U; Since n is large, s can be substituted for δ
δ /n
Z = 4.12 - 3
0.948/117
Z = 1.12 x 117
0.946
= 138.23

Since Z calculated is greater than Z score tabulated, we cannot reject the Null Hypothesis. We therefore
conclude that distress affect negatively, the state of health of bank staff in the Nigerian banking sub-sector. Stress
(distress) retards health and if unchecked may lead to permanent disability. Hence, both workers and
management need to take preventive measures to avoid unpleasant consequences on staffers’ health and
productivity.

Table 4.4a Responses and statistics on the executives ill-health as a measure of existence of stress
2 2
Options Weight Frequency % fx (x – x) (x – x) F(x – x)
Options 5 31 44.92 155 0.7 0.49 15.9
Sometime 4 32 46.38 128 -0.3 0.09 2.88
Occasionally 3 03 4.35 09 -1.3 1.69 5.07
Seldom 2 02 2.90 04 -2.3 5.29 10.58
Never 1 01 1.45 01 -3.3 10.89 10.89
Total 69 297 29.42
Source: Field work and Author’s computation

X = ∑fx = 297
∑f 69
= 4.30
2
S = ∑f(x - x)
N–1
2
S = √ 29.42
69 – 1
S = 0.6577

Z = x-U
δ /n
Z = 4.30 - 3
0.06577/69
Z = 4.30 – 3
0.6577/69
= 136.38

Table 4.4b Responses and statistics on Non-executive ill-health as a measure of existence of stress
2 2
Options Weight Frequency % Fx (x – x) (x – x) f(x – x)
Often 5 15 31.25 75 1.10 1.21 18.5
Sometime 4 20 41.67 80 0.10 0.01 0.20
Occasionally 3 07 14.58 21 -0.90 0.81 5.67
Seldom 2 05 10.42 10 -1.90 3.61 18.05
Never 1 01 2.08 01 -2.90 8.41 8.41
Total 48 297 50.48
Source: Field work and Author’s computation

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 © Journal of Economics and Engineering, ISSN: 2078-0346, May, 2010

X = ∑fx = 187 = 3.90

∑f 48
2
S = ∑f(x - x)
N–1
2
S = √ 50.48
48 – 1
S = 1.036

Z = x-U
δ /n
Z = 3.90 – 3.00
1.036/48
Z = 0.9 x 48
1.036
= 42.57

At 5% level of significance, the Z score calculated being greater than Z score tabulated, we cannot reject
the Null Hypothesis in both cases. However, the z score of 136.38 of the executives is greater than the Z score
42.57 of the Non-executives. This is an indication that the level among the executives is higher than the non-
executives. The observed higher level of the stress among the executives may not be unconnected with greater
work pressure on them from management, low cadre staff, as well as the competitors and customers as a
banking service provider.

5. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
The findings of the main research question of weather or not stress exists affect in the Nigerian banking
2
industry especially with liberalization measures as indicated by the chi-square test (X ) revealed that the null
hypothesis cannot be rejected 5% level of significance. This is also true for both executives and non-executives,
but there was evidence of higher level of stress among the executives than the non-executives. This is due
perhaps to greater pressure on the former. The heavy workload demands in the banks often translate into long
working hours. For example, an average worker in the Nigerian banking industry resumes work as early as 7.30 in
the morning and may not leave the office until late in the evening around 9:00pm in this category are bank
workers are branches located in major industrial/commercial cities such as Lagos, Ibadan, Porthacourt, Aba,
Kano, Kaduna, among others. The keen competition in the industry resulting into drive by banks to retain their
customers has led many banks to follow the trend in the industry. Almost all the banks have extended their normal
banking hours to between 3:00pm and 4:00pm everyday from 8:00am to 1:30pm, in addition to introduction of
Saturday banking. Besides, some weekend or month end balancing or reports will either be taken home for
completion or forced them to work on Sundays. This result into exhaustion, fatigue, it may eventually lead to
burnout which is a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion.
Such unpleasant work climate which threatens individual worker’s freedom, identify and autonomy is a
potential source of stress (Hauser, 1987). Bernstein (1991) equally contented that people under such pressure
day after sometimes begin to perform poorly develop illness engage in alcoholism, are prone to anxiety, and
many of the other stress related problems.
Also, the Nigerian banking industry is faught with increasing of high level fraud. People are therefore
working with utmost carefulness leading to a situation of mutual suspicion among bank workers. A situation where
the signatory to approve the payment of cheques are almost tuning themselves to detectives in order to protect
their job and integrity, the cashier equally exercises excessive caution before making payment. Such job
condition removes freedom, makes delegation difficult and puts everybody on the tenterhooks. Depending on the
individual, it can kill interest in the job and make the work environment unattractive. (Oludifipe, 1994:8).

6. CONCLUDING REMARKS AND RECOMMENDATION

Stress is a complex phenomenon. It has been variously defined; but a very simple definition or explanation
sees stress as a person’s adaptive response to stimulus that places excessive psychological or physical demands
on that person. A prominent study on stress is Hans Selye’s (1956) research work. He identified two forms of
stress. Eustress, a good stress and distress, a bad stress. He equally identified the process of stress which he
called general adaptive syndrome (GAS).
There are indicators of the presence of occupational stress in the Nigerian sociophysical environment in
general and among bank workers in particular, traceable mainly to increasing workload in response to intense
competition in the Nigerian business environment, especially the banking sub-sector. The various economic
reforms measures adopted by government, especially structural Adjustment programme (SAP) introduction in
1986, adversely affect banks’.
These periods witnessed large scale retrenchment in the sector and introduction of ‘stressful’ programme,
ranging from re-engineering, extended work hours to compulsory retraining and upgrading of skill by workers.
These and factors such as inequity in the reward system, threat of retrenchment, and occupational hazards
cannot but act as stress on average bank worker. A recognition of early signal and adoption of appropriate coping
strategy by both management and the workers themselves may be necessary in order to avoid the catastrophic
effect of stress on the workers and the organisation.

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