Aurora House, 430 Ortigas Ave.

, 1605 Pasig
LUMENS ELECTRONICS (02) 515 0010/ 0910 123 4567
lumenselectronics@gmail.com

For: Ms. Carla Diaz, Human Resource Manager

From: Caryl Anne Balbas, Human Resource Assistant
Date: 26 March 2019
Subject: A Report on the Relationship between Stress and Productivity
Reference: J JP 2-2019

Please note the attached report on the relationship between stress and productivity for
research-based recommendations on how to enliven the productivity within the office. Thank
you.
 Aurora House, 430 Ortigas Ave., 1605 Pasig
LUMENS ELECTRONICS (02) 515 0010/ 0910 123 4567
lumenelectronics@gmail.com
Lumens Electronics
A Report on the Relationship between Stress and Productivity

1.0 Terms of Reference

The report is accompanied per request of Ms. Carla Diaz to enliven workplace productivity.

2.0 Procedure
Data was gathered through the use of a short questionnaires. These questionnaires were given
at random to 50 workers in the offices of Lumens Electronics. It includes five choices as to how
the worker perceive the work environment inside the office, from motivating, and comfortable, to
dull, stressful, and hostile. It also asks them to list the main reason for their answer. It also includes
a checklist for their causes of stress in the workplace such as poor working conditions, shift work,
long hours, work under-load, work overload, conflict with other employees, financial security, lack
of feedback, role ambiguity and/or conflict, responsibility, and others. Another checklist is for the
causes of stress in their personal life such as health, relationships and family, and others. The
last question asks them if they think these stressors affect their productivity (e.g. quantity/ quality
of work). The data and questionnaire design are also supported by various researches that report
a relationship between stress and productivity.

3.0 Findings
3.1 Related Literature
According to Blackwell (1998), stress shows itself in a number of ways that can be grouped under
three categories, Physiological, Psychological, and Behavioral symptoms.

Physiological symptoms include increased heart rate and blood pressure. The effects are back
pains, migraines, insomnia, and others that can affect employees’ productivity.

Psychological symptoms include anger, anxiety, depression, and others. These symptoms can
lead to burnout. A burnout is a prolonged withdrawal from work which can make the employee
undervalue his work and see it as a source of frustration.

Behavioral symptoms include eating more or less, having vices such as smoking and drinking
alcohol, and others. These may lead to absenteeism from work.

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Arnold, Robertson and Cooper (1993), identified five major causes of work stress, factors intrinsic
to the job, role in the organization, relationships at work, career development and
organizational structure and climate.
3.1.1 Factors Intrinsic to the Job
Arnold, Robertson and Cooper (1993) explained that the factors intrinsic to work include poor
working conditions that talks about the physical environment inside the workplace. This includes
noise, ventilation, temperature, and interior design of the office. Another cause of stress would be
shift work. Some shifts may involve working staggered hours, which may affect the worker’s
health. The long working hours in the job may also take a toll on employees’ health, which in
return will affect the quality of their work. Work under-load is another problem of some employees.
They might feel that they are not sufficiently challenged by their jobs, making their routines
repetitive, boring, and under-stimulating. The opposite, work overload, also causes stress.

3.1.2 Role in the Organization

The role in the organization as cause of work stress include role ambiguity, role conflict, and
responsibility. Role ambiguity happens when employees do not know what is expected of them
at the workplace and how their performances are evaluated. Hence, employees do not know
where they fit into the organization. According to Johns (1996), there is substantial evidence that
role ambiguity can induce stress. Role conflict happens when two superiors are demanding
conflicting things which may cause confusion and stress to the employee. Responsibilities also
cause stress when the employees feel pressured.

3.1.3 Relationship at Work

Employees spend so much time at the workplace, thus having poor working relationships with
bosses, peers, and subordinates can affect them harmfully.

3.1.4 Organizational Structure and Climate

According to Robbins (2004) the organizational structure and climate as cause of work stress
include economic uncertainties, technological uncertainties, and organizational leadership.
Economic uncertainties arise when the economy is failing and employees become anxious about
their job security, and financial security. Technological uncertainties happens when innovations
drive an employee’s skill and experience outdated. Organizational leadership cause stress when
superiors are characterized by fear and tension. It establishes unrealistic pressure to
subordinates.

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 3.2 Data Analysis
Among the 50 employees surveyed, 8 ranked the work environment as motivating, 13 ranked it
as comfortable, 21 ranked is as dull, 8 ranked it as stressful, and none ranked it as hostile (See
Table A). Majority of the 21 people who ranked the work environment as dull stated the reason
as the office having poor interior design and poor ventilation system (See Table B). This also
shows in the results of the second question. All 50 employees listed at least one stressor in the
workplace. The top three stressors are the poor working conditions, work overload, and work
under-load (See Table C). Very few employees listed any stressors in their personal lives (See
Table D). All 50 employees thinks that these stressors affect their productivity in terms of quality
and quantity of work.

4.0 Conclusion
From the data and research information gathered, the main reason for lack of productivity in the
workplace is the poor working condition, specifically poor interior design and poor ventilation
system. The two other main reasons are work overload and work under-load. This suggests that
there is an uneven allocation of work. Some are perceiving their work as under-stimulating and
some are overwhelmed by the workload.

5.0 Recommendations
From the data, the following steps are recommended:
 Supervisors and the management must reassess the level of their employees’ knowledge
and skills and reallocate the workload accordingly.
 Time management training should be given to employees on a continuous basis to avoid
work overload.
 The Management should allocate budget for a change in interior design and hire a
professional interior designer to specify the changes needed to stimulate productivity.
 The Management should allocate budget to fix/replace the ventilation system in the office.
 Supervisors should organize team-building activities to enhance interactions between
employees and induce healthy relationships in the workplace.

Caryl Anne Balbas

Human Resource Assistant
26 March 2019

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6.0 References
Arnold, J., Cooper, L. & Robertson, I.T. (1991). Work Psychology. London: Pitman Publishing.
Blackwell, S. (1998). Organisational Theory. New York: Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc.
John, G. (1996). Organisational Behaviour, Understanding and Managing Life at Work. New
York: Harper Collins College Publishers
Robbins, S.P. (2004). Organisation Behaviour. 11th Ed. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.

7.0 Tables
Table A

Work Environment perceived by Employees

21

13

8 8

Motivating Comfortable Dull Stressful Hostile

Table B

Reasons for a Dull Environment

14

Poor Interior Design Lack of Interactions Lack of Changes

4
Table C

Stressors in the Workplace

39

26
22 20
15
12 10
5 3 4 2

Table D

Stressors in their Personal Lives

29

12

Health Relationships and Family Others None