Running head: EFFECTS OF STRESS ON EMPLOYEES’ PRODUCTIVITY 1

The Effects of Stress on Employees’ Productivity in Service Industries

Jerry Stangline

Troy University

PA-6601

Dr. Rice
EFFECTS OF STRESS ON EMPLOYEES’ PRODUCTIVITY 2

The Effects of Stress on Employees’ Productivity in Service Industries

There is considerable literature to support the argument that stress is a contributing factor

to reduced productivity. Research conducted in 2017 showed that workplace stress and

psychosocial risks are the most significant aspects of employee health and safety (Chudzicka-

Czupała et al., 2019). Work can be a major source of stress. Nonetheless, stress should not be

confused with challenge, which is the motivating factor behind many employees’ success in their

workplaces. Some controlled level of stress is acceptable, but in large quantities, it can prove

detrimental to a person’s mental and physical health. How an employee handles stress

determines their success or failure.

Problem and Purpose of the Research Study

Workplace stress refers to the harmful physical and emotional responses created when

there is friction between work demands and an employee’s ability to meet the set targets (Bhui et

al., 2016). In general, stress occurs when job demands are high compared to an employee’s

control over a particular situation. There should be a balance between the level of stress and a

worker’s level of engagement. An employee needs to have the prerequisite skills required to

handle work pressure. Moreover, the workplace environment should be conducive to allowing an

employee to go about their daily routines.

Nonetheless, workplace stress has become prevalent, owing to a variety of issues. An

excellent example is the job responsibility that includes how various tasks are assigned and

handled. Aspects such as minimized shifts and increased workload can be a significant

contributor to work-related stress. When employees experience uncertain job expectations,

pressure tends to build up, leading to stressful situations. Similarly, career concerns like limited
EFFECTS OF STRESS ON EMPLOYEES’ PRODUCTIVITY 3

promotions and job uncertainty are crucial factors contributing to stress and reduced productivity

in the workplace.

The issues discussed above and several others tend to contribute to stress and a decline in

employees' productive capacity in the service industry. The role performed by workers in the

service industry enhances that created in the other sectors. Given that employees in this industry

form a significant percentage in most economies, there is a need to address the effects of

employee productivity on work engagement and develop practical and long-lasting approaches to

solve these problems.

Whether the Problem Expresses a Relationship between Two or More Variables

Stress can impact workers’ engagement and productivity in the service sector. Although

stress has its own merits, it is also very harmful, especially concerning productivity. Stress can

adversely impact an individual’s physical and mental well-being, aspects that can ultimately

impact capacity (Bhui et al., 2016).

The problem does express an implicit correlation between employees’ levels of stress and

productive capacity. For this particular study, stress is the dependent variable, while productivity

is the independent variable. Therefore, to address the research problem, the relationship between

the two variables will be measured through the following hypothesis.

HO: An employee’s level of job responsibility does not contribute to stress

H1: An employee’s level of job responsibility does contribute to stress

Whether the Problem Statement Specifies the Nature of the Population under Study

The problem statement is specific that the population under study is employees working

in the service sector. It is an industry faced with numerous challenges that often create stressful

situations for employees leading to reduced productivity.

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Significance of the Problem

The research aims to study employees in the service sector who form the bulk in most

economies. There is enough literature to evaluate how work-related stress can impact the

productivity of employees engaged in the service sector. According to Chudzicka-Czupała et al.

(2019), stress contributes to approximately half of all lost working days. Arguments presented in

the research will borrow on relevant research to similar studies conducted in this industry.

Theoretical Framework

Theories immensely contribute in construing the primary impact of stress on workers’

productivity; more so, they serve a better establishment of corrective actions. Employees in the

service industries are prone to stress due to varied reasons that range from personal

psychological situations to environmental factors at the place of work. Establishing the source of

stress among employees in the service industry is critical in developing a long-lasting solution.

Likewise, it is prudent to embody different theories relevant to explaining the effects of stress on

job productivity in the public service workforce. Such approaches include interactional theory,

stimulus-based theory, role overload and role theory, and the person-environment fit theory.

Stimulus Based Stress

Stimulus based stress theory elaborates on the impact of the external forces on

productivity while also highlighting how environmental factors influence an individual's

productivity (Goldfarb et al., 2017). Consequently, this model posits that external factors from

the environment around the service industry result in a stress reaction. Moreover, various

categories of stressors have been explored in terms of their capabilities to produce stress. Such

classes include chronic stressors, chronic intermittent stressors, acute, time-limited stressors, and

stressors sequences.
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Interactional Approach to Stress

The impact of stress on the productivity of workers in the service industry can be further

explored by applying the interactional approach to stress. This theory integrates both response

and stimulus-based approaches; thus, it can also be called a stimulus-response interaction.

Consequently, the interactional approach stipulates that stress is a result of the interaction of both

personal and situational variables. The current evidence from researches and studies supports the

theoretical construct established by the interactional approach. Researchers are increasingly

advocating for the embodiment of an intersectional approach in exploring variables determining

stress in service industries.

Role Theory Effect

The role theory effect can extensively explain the increasing stress depicted in most

workers in the service industry. The theory states that various roles assigned to a workforce may

be stressful despite their occupational qualifications. Furthermore, six roles are commonly

associated with stress regardless of an individual’s input. They include role insufficiency and

ambiguity, role overload and boundary, role responsibilities, and the physical surroundings.

Person-environment Fit

Literature postulates that various studies have tried to establish the association between a

worker, stress, and the environment. In this regard, a hypothesis has been developed to explain

how the lack of an accurate fit of a worker in a particular environment results in stress.

Specifically, the ‘person-environment fit’ theory posits how workers fit some occupations based

on multi-variable interactions. Moreover, it is significant to note that applying the person-

environment fit theory is most appropriate in determining the magnitude of stress that workers in
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the public service experience (Stoermer et al., 2017). The approach also allows the assessment of

the level of misfit between the given occupational role and the worker’s personality.

In a bid to explore the effects of stress on employees’ productivity in the service industry,

this paper integrates an interactional approach towards stress. Other theories would have served

better, but in this context, the interactional approach provides a succinct review of various

variables significantly contributing to the exploration of the topic. Furthermore, the interactional

approach substantially impacts the methodology of assessing the level of the effects of stress on

production. As such, the methods employed to collect data have a higher configuration to attain

the intended purpose. Likewise, the theory serves as a standard application that encompasses

both stimulus-based and response-based approaches.

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References

Bhui, K., Dinos, S., Galant-Miecznikowska, M., de Jongh, B., & Stansfeld, S. (2016).

Perceptions of work stress causes and effective interventions in employees working in

public, private, and non-governmental organizations: a qualitative study. BJ Psych

Bulletin, 40(6), 318-325.

Chudzicka-Czupała, A., Stasiła-Sieradzka, M., Rachwaniec-Szczecińska, Ż., & Grabowski, D.

(2019). The severity of work-related stress and an assessment of the areas of work-life in

the service sector. International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental

Health, 32(4):569–584

Goldfarb, E. V., Shields, G. S., Daw, N. D., Slavich, G. M., & Phelps, E. A. (2017). Low lifetime

stress exposure is associated with reduced stimulus–response memory. Learning &

Memory, 24(4), 162–168. https://doi.org/10.1101/lm.045179.117

Stoermer, S., Haslberger, A., Froese, F. J., & Kraeh, A. L. (2017). Person-environment fit and

expatriate job satisfaction. Thunderbird International Business Review, 60(6), 851–860.

https://doi.org/10.1002/tie.21920