Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
ON
STRESS MANAGEMENT
GURU GOBIND SINGH INDRAPRASTHA UNIVERSITY
IN PARTIAL
FULFILLMENT FOR
THE AWARD OF
BACHELOR OF
BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATION
Submitted To
Submitted By
Name:Jerin Joice
I, Jerin Joice, here by declare that the project report entitled STRESS
MANAGEMENT is original of mine, submitted in partial fulfillment of Bachelor
Degree in Business Administration.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
S.NO
PARTICULARS
INTRODUCTION OF STRESS
MANAGEMENT
Research Methodology
2
Source of Data
Primary Data
Secondary Data
Conclusion
Bibliography
4
SIGN
CHAPTER - I
INTRODUCTION TO STRESS MANAGEMENT
INTRODUCTION
Stress is a part of day-to-day living of every individual. The college students may experience
stress in meeting the academic demands, people on the job, business men may suffer stress to
reach office in time and to complete the projects on time and even the house hole ladies may
experience stress in managing the home affairs and to look for the maid servant. The reasons for
the stress differ from person to person. The stress people experience should not be necessarily
treated as harmful. An optimum amount of stress can always act as an energizer or motivator
and propel people to apply the efforts and complete the work. But a high level of stress can be
serious threat to the personality trails of the individual and can cause physiological and social
problems.
What is Stress?
Stress is the "wear and tear" our bodies experience as we adjust to our continually
changing environment; it has physical and emotional effects on us and can create
positive or negative feelings.
How can I
tell what
is optimal
stress for
me?
There is no single level of stress that is optimal for all people. We are all individual
creatures with unique requirements. As such, what is distressing to one may be a joy to
another. And even when we agree that a particular event is distressing, we are likely to
differ in our physiological and psychological responses to it.
How
can
I
tell
manage
stress
better?
Identifying unrelieved stress and being aware of its effect on our lives is not sufficient
for reducing its harmful effects. Just as there are many sources of stress, there are many
possibilities for its management. However, all require work toward change: changing
the source of stress and/or changing your reaction to it. How do you proceed?
1.Know what
stresses you
most.
Not
your
coworker,
friend,
husband, or
wife. YOU!!
Get
your
feelings out. Write them out and describe each situation. Share all bad feelings with a
friend or in a journal. Before you can conquer your stresses you must know what is
stressing you.
2.Say
no.
Focus
on you
own
goals,
not
your
spouse's or parents'. You must know yourself, your dreams, and your passions. If asked
to chair another group or take on another responsibility, look at your mission statement
or goals for the day. If it is does not fit it there say thank you but I just cannot. Saying
no is one of the hardest things in life, but will help make you a success in your chosen
field.
3.Learn to relax. Work hard but know when to take time off to be with the family, go to
the
beach, or read a book. Work all day if you must but when you get home play,
watch cartoons, or tell your child a story. This allows stress tension to go away and
helps you calm the heart's pace and digest food normally, and protect your immune
system. Learn to meditate and take deep breaths to calm down.
4. Eat healthy. Eat less junk food and more fruit and vegetables for an amazing overall
lowering of stress levels. We can actually lower the amount of the bad stress hormone,
Cortisol, by taking vitamins. Take those vitamin pills daily.
5. Keep laughing. Keep a sense of humor. Studies show a good attitude helps lower
cancer rates, makes surgery more effective, and keeps a relationship together through
hard times.
6. Ask yourself WHY. Why are you doing this? Write down your wants, needs, goals,
hopes,and dreams. Does what you are doing now help you get fulfill any of these
things? What is your motivation? The more you understand why you doing what you
are doing the less stress you will have. If you cannot come up with a good reason, then
stop doing it.
7. Stay
active.
Exercise is a great
way to relive tension
and gives you a great
break from exams. A
healthy body makes a
happy body. Even a
three-minute jog is
helpful at taking your
mind
off
your
pressures.
You'll
come back with an acute focus and renewed energy.
8. Follow your bliss. Try to know which subjects and type of people you enjoy.
Structure your life around activities that you love. Joseph Campbell, a wise philosopher,
advises you to follow your bliss. The more you do in life that goes with your own flow,
the
more
passion
you'll
have
for
what
you
do.
9. Organize and Prioritize. Do the worst and hardest tasks first. Keep a to-do list and
calendar with you at all times. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
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We generally believe that the stress is caused by the external events and the dynamics of
the environment. But we need to emphasis the fact that the Stress is caused by our
reaction to the external environment. The manner in which we perceive and understand
the changes or the particular event creates same event can bring happiness and cause
stress in two different people depending upon how they react to it. When students are
asked to prepare a presentation, some may take it to the other students may be perturbed
by it for the fear of his weakness. So, Stress is our reaction to external events and it can
be positive or negative depending upon how we react, it is the general wear and tear of
the body machine that takes place due to extra demands put on it.
Stress is the biggest killer in the Western world and the cause of huge losses of
production in industry. But the techniques to combat stress and
Increase well being in your daily life are within your reach if you know how to go
about them.
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's will.
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Definition of stress
According to the father of stress of research, Hans Selye, stress is the spice of life;
the absence of stress in death.
Ivancevich and Matteson define stress simply as the interaction of the individual
with the environment.
Remember that our main definition of stress is that stress is a condition or feeling
experienced when a person perceives that demands exceed the personal and social
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resources the individual is able to mobilize. With this in mind, we can now look at how
you can manage all of the stresses that your career will bring From our definition, you
can see that there are three major approaches that we can use to manage stress;
Action-oriented: In which we seek to confront the problem causing the stress, often
changing the environment or the situation;
Emotionally-oriented: In which we do not have the power to change the situation, but
we can manage stress by changing our interpretation of the situation and the way we
feel about it; and
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Sometimes, we have so little power in a situation that it is all we can do to survive it.
This is the case, for example, when loved-ones die. In these situations, often the first
stage of coping with the stress is to accept ones lack of power. The section on Building
Defenses Against Stress looks at building the buffers against stress that helps you
through these difficult periods. Arguably, the section on Useful Relaxation Techniques
also fails in to this category.
These different approaches to stress management address our definition of stress
indifferent ways: the action-oriented techniques help us to manage the
demands upon us and increase the resources we can mobilize; the emotionally oriented
techniques help us to adjustor perceptions of the situation; and the acceptance-oriented
techniques help us survive the situations that we genuinely cannot change.
took the relationship between stress and industry very seriously.
Levels of Stress
Eustress: Eustress denotes the presence of optimum level of stress in an individual,
which contributes positively to his performance. This may lead employees to new and
better ways of doing their jobs. In certain jobs such as sales, creativity a mild level of
stress contributes positively to productivity.
Distress: Distress denotes the presence of high level of stress in an individual, which
affects job performance adversely and creates many types of physical, psychological
and behavioral problems.
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Symptoms of Stress
As stated earlier Stress is caused by or reaction to the external events and bring about
changes in our response and our general behavior. The presence of Stress can be
estimated by the analysis of certain symptoms an individual shows. These symptoms
can be divided into three different categories.
They are Feelings, Behavior and Physiology. When the individual experience Stress,
one or more of the following symptoms can be exhibited
Feelings
The individual becomes anxious become anxious about the outcomes and is
scared. The person feels that he has got something to loose or something wrong
will take place.
During high level of Stress the individual develops a negative frame of mind
and suffers from low self-esteem. The person loose faith in his capabilities and
is afraid of the failures. The individual does not have a focused approach and is
not able to concentrate and is involved in his own plans and thoughts.
Speech problems
Impulsive Behavior
Grinding of teeth
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Being accident-prone
Trembling
Nervous ticks
Tiring easily
Urinating frequently
Sleeping problems
Butterflies in stomach
Headaches
Premenstrual tension
Causes of Stress
Both positive and negative events in ones life can be stressful. However major life
changes are the greatest contributors of stress for most people.
1. If people have to travel a lot and have to move from place to place, it can cause
stress.
2. Individual can also be under stress if they are about to enter some new
environment. They may be going to new colony. To a new college or they may
be joining a new organization.
3. Some events, which are generally once I a lifetime can also cause stress. The
social institutions of marriage or divorce can cause stress. Pregnancy can also
generate Stress.
They are:
Time pressure
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Competition
Financial problems
Noise
Disappointments
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.
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
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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 19952000 (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 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.
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
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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.
Ensure that the workload is in line with workers' capabilities and resources.
Establish work schedules that are compatible with demands and responsibilities
outside the job.
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.
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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.
REDUCING 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.
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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.
Fear about the quality of your performance or of problems that may interfere
with it;
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Worry about how the audience (especially important people in it like your boss)
or the press may react to you;
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:
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?
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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.
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.
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."
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Make sure that identifying these opportunities and focusing on them is part of your
positive thinking.
3. LAUGHTER
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 lymphocytesthe natural
killer cells. Laughter also increases the number of T cells that have suppresser
receptors.
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cells.
Laughter triggers the release of endorphinsbody's natural painkillers.
Produces a general sense of well-being.
TYPES OF STRESSES
The different types of stress are as follows:
Mechanical
Stress (physics), the average amount of force exerted per unit area.
Biological
Chronic stress, persistent stress which can lead to illness and mental disorder
Other
Stress (physics)
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:
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upset stomach
headache
backache
insomnia
anxiety
depression
anger
In the most severe cases it can lead to panic attacks or a panic disorder.
There are a number of methods to control chronic stress, which include, 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
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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.
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.
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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.
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
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.
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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 camels 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.
UNDERSTADING STRESS
Three potential sources of stress:
Environmental Factors
Organizational Factors
Individual Factors
Environmental Factors:
Economic uncertainty is created when there is a change in the business cycle.
That is when people become anxious about their security. This uncertainty not only
affects the stress level of the organization but also to design of the organisation. By the
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coming up to the new innovations in the field of technology like computers, robotics,
automation etc. It has become a threat to many people, which causes stress. This type of
uncertainty is called Technology Uncertainty.
Organizational Factors:
There is no storage of factors within the organization that can cause stress.
These are categorized into:
Task Demands
Role Demands
Interpersonal demands
Organizational Demands
Organizational Leadership
Task Demands: Task demands are factors related to a persons job. They include the
design of the individuals job (autonomy, task variety, degree of automation). Working
conditions, and the physical work layout. Working in an overcrowded room or in a
visible location where interruptions are constant can increase anxiety and stress
Interpersonal Demands: Interpersonal demands are pressures created by other
employees. Lack of social support from colleagues and poor interpersonal relationships
can cause considerable stress, especially among employees with a high social need.
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CHAPTER-2
SOURCE OF DATA
RESEARCH AND METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION:
Under Research Methodology various steps that are generally adopted by a researcher
in studying his research problem along with logic behind them is discussed. The
researcher methodology has many dimensions and research methods to constitute a part
of the research methodology. It is necessary for the researcher to design the
methodology for his problem as it may differ from problem to problem. In the process
of conduction the study, the researcher has followed the following methodology
Collection Of Data
Primary Data:
Primary data was collected within the employees of organization through survey and
personnel interview.
Secondary Data:
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Secondary data was collected from various published books, companies web sites and
company old records.
Research Design
The research designs under taken for the study is in descriptive one. The methodology
involved in this design is mostly qualitative in a nature.
RESEARCH TOOL
A structured questionnaire has been prepared to get the relevant information from the
respondents. The questionnaire consists of a variety of questions presented to the
respondents for their despondence.
SAMPLING
Sampling is that part of statistical practice concerned with the selection of individual
observations intended to yield some knowledge about a population of concern,
especially for the purposes of statistical inference. Each observation measures one or
more properties (weight, location, etc.) of an observable entity enumerated to
distinguish objects or individuals. Survey weights often need to be applied to the data to
adjust for the sample design. Results from probability theory and statistical theory are
employed to guide practice.
SAMPLE UNIT
The employees are the sample unit in the survey.
SAMPLE SIZE
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The sample size chosen for this study is 30 as instructed by the department since it is a
MINI RESEARCH PROJECT.
SAMPLING METHOD
Sampling methodsError: Reference source not found 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.
In this research, the sampling methods used are Random sampling, Convenience
samplingError: Reference source not found and Snowball sampling
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Snowball samplingError: Reference source not found is a special nonprobability 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.
Types of Study
The present study is partly exploratory, partly descriptive and partly causal.
It is exploratory because it is concerned with identifying the existence and nonexistence of stress.
It is descriptive as it aims to describe the various internal and external factors that
contribute to stress.
It is causal as it aims to analyze the causes for stress and the effect of stress in the
performance of the employees.
Stress is the way human beings react both physically and mentally to changes, events,
and situations in their lives. People experience stress in different ways and for different
reasons.
The reaction is based on your perception of an event or situation. If you view a situation
negatively, you will likely feel distressed overwhelmed, oppressed, or out of control.
Distress is the more familiar form of stress. The other form, eustress, results from a
positive view of an event or situation, which is why it is also called good stress.
Eustress helps you rise to a challenge and can be an antidote to boredom because it
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engages focused energy. That energy can easily turn to distress, however, if something
causes you to view the situation as unmanageable or out of control. Many people regard
public speaking or airplane flights as very stressful causing physical reactions such as
an increased heart rate and a loss of appetite while others look forward to the event. Its
often a question of perception: A positive stressor for one person can be a negative
stressor for another
Life events such as marriage, changing jobs, divorce, or the death of a relative or friend
are the most common causes of stress. Although life-threatening events are less
common, they can be the most physiologically and psychologically acute. They are
usually associated with public service career fields in which people experience intense
stress levels because of imminent danger and a high degree of uncertainty police officer,
fire and rescue worker, emergency relief worker, and the military.
You may not plan to enter a high-stress career, but as a college student, you may find
that the demands of college life can create stressful situations.
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The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) notes some of the more common
stressors for college students:
Increased academic demands
Being on your own in a new environment
Changes in family relations
Financial responsibilities
Changes in your social life
Exposure to new people, ideas, and temptations
Awareness of your sexual identity and orientation
Preparing for life after graduation.
Symptoms of Distress
Symptoms of stress fall into three general, but interrelated, categories physical, mental,
and emotional. Review this list carefully. If you find yourself frequently experiencing
these symptoms, you are likely feeling distressed:
Headaches
Fatigue
Gastrointestinal problems
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
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Even when you dont realize it, stress can cause or contribute to serious physical
disorders. It increases hormones such as adrenaline and corticosterone, which affect
your metabolism, immune reactions, and other stress responses. That can lead to
increases in your heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, and physical demands on your
internal organs.
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A sustained high level of stress is no laughing matter. It can affect every area of your
life productivity in the workplace and classroom, increased health risks, and
relationships, to name just a few.
Managing Stress
As noted in the Introduction, you can learn to manage stress. The first step is
understanding yourself better how you react in different situations, what causes you
stress, and how you behave when you feel stressed.
Decide what is really important to get done today, and what can wait. This helps
you to know that you are working on your most immediate priorities, and you dont
have the stress of trying to remember what you should be doing.
Practice facing stressful moments. Think about the event or situation you expect to
face and rehearse your reactions. Find ways to practice dealing with the challenge. If
you know that speaking in front of a group frightens you, practice doing it, perhaps
Stress management is key to academic success.
with a trusted friend or fellow student. If the pressure of taking tests causes you to
freeze up, buy some practice tests at the school bookstore or online and work with
them when there are no time pressures.
Examine your expectations. Try to set realistic goals. Its good to push yourself to
achieve, but make sure your expectations are realistic.Watch out for perfectionism. Be
satisfied with doing the best you can.Nobodys perfect not you, not your fellow Cadet,
nobody.
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Allow people the liberty to make mistakes, and remember that mistakes can be a good
teacher.
Live a healthy lifestyle.Get plenty of exercise. Eat healthy foods. Allow time for rest
and relaxation. Find a relaxation technique that works for youprayer, yoga,
meditation, or breathing exercises. Look for the humor in life, and enjoy yourself.
Learn to accept change as a part of life.Nothing stays the same. Develop a support
system of friends and relatives you can talk to when needed. Believe in yourself and
your potential. Remember that many people from disadvantaged backgrounds have
gone on to enjoy great success in life.
At the same time, avoid those activities that promise release from stress while actually
adding to it. Drinking alcohol (despite what all those TV commercials imply), drinking
caffeine, smoking, using narcotics (including marijuana), and overeating all add to the
bodys stress in addition to their other harmful effects.
seminars on time management. Once you cut down on time wasters, youll find
more time to recharge yourself.
Learn to say no. Setting limits can minimize stress. Spend time on your main
responsibilities and priorities rather than allowing other peoples priorities or needs
to dictate how you spend your time.
Exercise regularly to reduce muscle tension and promote a sense of well-being.
Tap into your support network. Family, friends, and social groups can help when
dealing with stressful events.
Unfortunately, a persons inability to deal with stress can often lead to clinical
depression. People with depression have similar symptoms to stress, except the
symptoms are not Temporary they can last for weeks at a time. Because of the sustained
symptoms, the effect on the body, mood, and behavior is often more serious than with
temporary stress.
Depression can have severe effects on your eating habits, your relationships, your
ability to work and study, and how you think and feel. The illness is not unique to a
particular group of people or area of the country.Millions of adult Americans, including
many college students, suffer from clinical depression. percent of those treated begin to
feel better in just a few weeks.
Its normal to have some signs of depression some of the time. But the NIMH says
that if someone has five or more symptoms for two weeks or longer, or suffers
noticeable.
changes in normal functioning, that person should go to a mental health professional
for evaluation. Depressed people often may not be thinking clearly and may therefore
not seek help on their own. They frequently require encouragement from others they
need help to get help.
Mental health professionals say depression among college students is a serious problem.
A recent UCLA survey of college freshmen indicates that todays students are feeling
more
overwhelmed and stressed than students did 15 years ago. The National Mental Health
Association reports that more than 30 percent of college freshmen report feeling
overwhelmed a great deal of the time.
If you think you might be depressed, you should talk with a qualified health-care or
mental-health professional. The resident adviser in your dorm, the student health center,
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your family health-care provider, or a clergy member can help steer you to treatment
resources. Several effective treatments for depression are available, and depending on
the severity of the symptoms can provide relief in just a few weeks. But individuals
respond differently to treatment. If you dont start feeling better after a few weeks, talk
to your treatment provider about other treatments, or seek a second opinion.
As noted above, severe depression often manifests itself in thoughts about death or
suicide, or in suicide attempts. Many people are understandably uncomfortable talking
about suicide, but doing so can save lives. The NIMH reports that in 2000, suicide was
the 11th leading cause of death for all Americans and the third leading cause of death
for those aged 15 to 24. While women are three times as likely to attempt suicide as
men, men are four times as likely as women to succeed.
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CHAPTER-3
CONCLUSIONS
The employees of a company are selected in a step by step procedure, only the
best are selected and the rest are screened out, the usual working hours are 8 to
10 hours a day, depending upon the work load. The work is assigned on
equitable basis. On achieving the targets, monetary incentives and perks are
given.
No medical camps are held, but medical reimbursement is given. The employees
are satisfied with the working environment; a friendly environment usually
prevails in the organization. The management maintains both formal and
informal relationship with the employees. There is low participation of
employees in the management decisions. The promotion policy and transfer
policy is favorable to the employees. If an employee is unable to complete the
job he is given constant back ups.
The management understands the various reasons for stress and plans different
techniques and implements it to reduce stress and increase employee moral. The
cost incurred on implementing the work stress management techniques is
considered to be cost effective. APIL considers work stress as a management
process.
The different techniques are adopted to boost of the moral the employee and it is
achieved. Work stress management is considered to be profitable to the
organization. The employees have job satisfaction. The techniques adopted are
usually pre-planned but in unavoidable cases they are instant. While planning
and implementing the different techniques the opinions of team leaders are also
considered. The work stress management techniques have also proved to be
effective in appraising the employee performance. The H.R department is
Responsible for planning and implementing work stress management.
APIL the work stress management is being implemented from the past 3-4 yrs
and is successful in enhancing the employee morale. This can be seen in the
employee performance; the employee avoids absenteeism and is satisfied with
his job. The techniques so implemented have proved to be positive in nature.
The employees are surely benefited from work stress management. The more
the employee morale, the less the chances of leaving the organization, so this
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QUESTIONNAIRE
Dear Respondent,
The objective of this study is to identify the existence of
WORK STRESS in our Organization. Hence, I kindly request you to spend a
little time in helping me know your views.
Name
Age
Designation :
:
Education :
b) 1-5 years
c) 5-10 years
2. Do you think that you are undergoing any stress in your job?
a) Yes
b) No
b) Work timings
c) Meeting targets
d) Ventilation
e) Interpersonal relationship
f) Performance anxiety
g) Others_______________________
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b) Psychological
c) Meeting targets
d) Work itself
e) Others________________________
5. Are you comfortable with the working environment in which you
work?
a) Yes
b) No
6. Does Stress in the work place have an impact over your basic
performance?
a) Yes
b) No
b) No
9. Is all the stress generated having its origin in the work place or
home place?
a) Work place
Yes
No
b) Home place
Yes
No
10. How do you think stress in the work place, which is internal in
nature can be stopped?
a) Flexible work hours
c) Timely targets
d) Periodic relaxation
Others________________
11. Do you thin work Stress Management improves the morale of the
employees and employee Good Will?
a) Yes
b) No
b)Job rotation
c) Leisure breaks
d Informal relationship
e) Sports activities
b) No
14. Do you feel using work Stress Management techniques will improve
the working environment?
a) Yes
b) No
15. What are the Recreational Activities does your company provide to
the employees to reduce the work stress?
a) Recreational Tours
c) Family Tours
b) Sports Activities
d) Honoring the hard working people
b) Half-Yearly
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c) Quarterly
17. Do you think the performance of the employees have enhanced due
to various techniques adopted by the management?
a) Yes
b) No
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CHAPTER - 4
Bibliography
1. http://helpguide.org/mental/stress_signs.htm
2. http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_management_relief_coping.htm
3. http://stress.about.com/
4. http://www.studygs.net/stress.htm
5. www.wikipedia.com
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