ABSTRACT

The word “stress” is defined by “Oxford dictionary of psychology” as “Psychological and

physical strain or tension generated by physical, emotional, social, economic or occupational
circumstances, events or experience those are difficult to manage or endure. The term woman
is usually used for an adult girl. Womanhood generally refers to the period after the age of 18
years in the life of a female. Working women can utilize their abilities and skills not only for
them but for their family and society as well. Rich experiences out of the home may consist
of intellectual stimulation, problem solving, and handling challenge. These experiences are
the source to enhance their self-esteem, self-confidence and sense of satisfaction. They have
their own income, which offers independence, security and freedom. Working women have
also been found to promote higher level of independence in their children as it is impossible
for them to solve every problem due to their absence, so their children tend to become more
independent and better problem solvers. Stress is defined as “a state of psychological and
physiological imbalance resulting from the disparity between situational demand and the
individual's ability and motivation to meet those needs.” Stress management consists of
making changes to your life if you are in constant stressful situation, preventing stress by
practicing self-care and relaxation and managing your response to stressful situations when
they do occur.
 CHAPTER - I

1.1 INTRODUCTION

The word “stress” is defined by “Oxford dictionary of psychology” as “Psychological and

physical strain or tension generated by physical, emotional, social, economic or occupational
circumstances, events or experience those are difficult to manage or endure. The term woman
is usually used for an adult girl. Womanhood generally refers to the period after the age of 18
years in the life of a female. Woman is the great creation of God, a multifaceted personality
with the power of benevolence, integrity, adjustability and tolerance the lives of women of
current era are much different than the older days. On the other hand there are lots of benefits
of working besides being a homemaker that it seems to be a mistake to be a stay at home
mother. However the decision to be a house wife or working lady may depend on factors
such as financial situation, work availability, children's age, partner support, work passion,
education and health Working women can utilize their abilities and skills not only for them
but for their family and society as well. Rich experiences out of the home may consist of
intellectual stimulation, problem solving, and handling challenge. These experiences are the
source to enhance their self-esteem, self-confidence and sense of satisfaction. They have their
own income, which offers independence, security and freedom. Working women can meet
the financial needs of their family in case of husband’s health or marriage failure. Along with
financial distress the housewives may experience lack of satisfaction, boredom and feelings
of worthlessness. These problems become serious as their children get older. Enveloped up in
their own lives, children assert their independence and husbands are busy with their careers.
At this point in life non-working women may find the empty nest traumatic indeed, whereas
working mothers with rewarding careers have ample chances for positive reinforcement
outside the home. Working women have also been found to promote higher level of
independence in their children as it is impossible for them to solve every problem due to their
absence, so their children tend to become more independent and better problem solvers.

1.2 STRESS MANAGEMENT

Stress is defined as “a state of psychological and physiological imbalance resulting from the
disparity between situational demand and the individual's ability and motivation to meet
those needs.” Stress management consists of making changes to your life if you are in
constant stressful situation, preventing stress by practicing self-care and relaxation and
managing your response to stressful situations when they do occur. Before we move on to

2
stress management techniques, it's important to note that not all stress is bad. Stress is
actually a survival response when our body thinks that it is in danger. That is why our
sympathetic nervous system kicks in and makes our heart rate increase and gives us a burst of
the energy hormone, adrenaline, so that we can deal with whatever situation is being thrown
at us. This is also called our flight or fight response. The problem is when we deal with
constant stress and worry, or when we don't know how to properly manage a stressful
situation. That's why stress management is tremendously important for our health, quality of
life and relationships.

Stress is the process by which we appraise and cope with stressors. A person may consider an
event stressful and threatening but at the same time another person may consider the same
event a challenge. It all depends on how we perceive the event. If we believe that we have no
control over the event and there is nothing we can do to deal with the stressor, then it
becomes very stressful. Stress is defined as an adaptive response to an external situation that
results in physical, psychological and/or behavioral deviations, for organizational
participants.

“Stress is a dynamic condition in which an individual is confronted with an opportunity,

constraint or demand related to what he or she desires and for which the outcome is perceived
to be both uncertain and important.”

According to Ivancevich and Matterson, “Stress is the interaction of the individual with the
environment. It is an adaptive response, mediated by individual differences and/or
psychological process; that is a consequence of any external (environmental) action, situation
or event that places excessive psychological and/or physical demands upon a person”

According to Beehr and Newman, “Job stress is a condition arising from the interaction of the
people and their jobs, and characterized by changes within people that force them to deviate
from their normal functioning

1.3 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

1. This study helps to know the stress level among the working women
2. This study helps to know about the factors that makes the women more stress
3. This study helps to come out with the solution to reduce the stress level among working
women.

3
1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
1. To identify the stress level among the working women in Tiruchengode.
2. To know the various factors causing to get more stress in their workplace.
4. To find out the level and kinds of stress among the working women of different age.
5. To study the effects of the stress among the working women.

1.5 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

1. The respondents were hesitant to give correct information.
2. Many respondents give positive information though they are in affected in stress.
3. Due to time constraints the study was done only in Tiruchengode.
4. Many respondents are not willing to take the survey.

1.6 INDUSTRY PROFILE

Working Women

Women in India have come a long way after independence. From just a skilled homemaker,
women today have acquired skills and capabilities of not just being a homemaker but being at
par with their male counterparts. This is the new generation of women, who wants to pursue
their dream career. But this life is not a bed of roses for all. More conflict arises with the
working mother. One has to fulfill the demand at work followed by various demands at
home. In today’s scenario the husband and wife both work towards creating a balance with
their work life as well as at home with their children. But it is still difficult for women as she
has to play multiple roles of a cook, a family maid, a tutor, a nurse as well as cater to the
demands of office work. This can leave a working woman stressed and anxious; more so if
the family is not supportive. “My office is quite far from my home. By the time I get home
my husband takes care of my children’s studies and sometimes also prepares food. He gets
time as his office is nearby and he reaches home early. If it was not for his support I would
have left my job long time back”, says a working professional.

Women aging from 22 years to 55 years are the most stressed and struggling hard to balance
their home lives, social activities and job. Out-dated family structures have an uneven effect
on the lives of Indian women. This also includes women from urban areas who are highly
educated and probably the first one in their family to go for professional career. The research
conducted revealed that most of the women woke up as early as 4:30am in the morning,

4
preparing breakfast for in-laws, children and husband and going for work, all day long. After
returning home, they have to prepare dinner for family and clean up their home.

Majority of companies have stepped out to help stressed women and Infosys in this regard is
worth to mention. They engage women to work in a friendly environment and pursue the
stress point that forces women to leave the organization. Survey showed that women who got
married left their job. The number was surprisingly high after giving birth to first child. For
this purpose, Infosys hosted 1 year child care leave along with part time work for next two
years. Further debates with women helped in recognizing how organization can help them to
maintain balance in work and home life. Women are asked about three things that can
improve the working environment in Infosys and make it easy for them to carry on with their
jobs.

Indian Women are playing major roles in the field of finance, pharmaceutical research and
other activities that can result in growth of India’s economy. Helping to ease the stress helps
them to retain in big and small companies and make a major contribution in economy growth
and attaining key talent. Although it is not sure, whether this role will contribute in on-going
economic success but not doing will surely limit it.

Stress

Stress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension. It can come from any event or thought
that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or nervous.Stress is your body's reaction to a challenge
or demand. In short bursts, stress can be positive, such as when it helps you avoid danger or
meet a deadline. But when stress lasts for a long time, it may harm your health.

We live in stressful times. We are holding down two or more jobs. We are putting up with
heavy job loads and unreasonable demands. We are swallowing outrage and frustration with
unfair situations and irrational superiors because we cannot afford to be laid off or fired. Or
we have already been laid off and we are struggling to find another job. Or we have given up
and are coping with unemployment. Outside strains like these are called stressors. Stressors
are the barely-tolerable pressures that bring us unhappiness and, eventually, disease. Some
people hardly seem to be affected by stressors. They maintain a sense of perspective and a
sense of humor. They remain calm in the midst of adversity and catastrophe. Other people are
overwhelmed by a lesser number and intensity of stressors and slide downhill, losing
relationships, jobs, and eventually their mental and physical health. The physiological and

5
psychological responses to situations or events that disturb the equilibrium of an organism
constitute stress.

While there is little consensus among psychologists about the exact definition of stress, it is
agreed that stress results when demands placed on an organism cause unusual physical,
psychological, or emotional responses. In humans, stress originates from a multitude of
sources and causes a wide variety of responses, both positive and negative. Despite its
negative connotation, many experts believe some level of stress is essential for well-being
and mental health.

Stress can affect all aspects of your life, including your emotions, behaviors, thinking ability,
and physical health. No part of the body is immune. But, because people handle stress
differently, symptoms of stress can vary. Symptoms can be vague and may be the same as
those caused by medical conditions. So it is important to discuss them with your doctor. You
may experience any of the following symptoms of stress.

6
 CHAPTER – II

2.1 REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Muntazir Maqbool Kermane has state that Modern era is the era of science and technology
where everyone is striving to excel in his/her field whether it is at home or at work place. In
this modern era, stress has become a universal phenomenon. In a research it discusses that
every person wants more and more for the attainment of pleasure, due to this competition is
increased in every field of life and this competition generates stress among people, no doubt
the competition is must but we don’t ignore its result in the recent years as more and more
women are coming to take on many jobs. It is a general belief in many cultures that the role
of women is to build and maintain the homely affairs like task of fetching water, cooking and
rearing children. In the traditional society, women’s role was naturally limited to the family.
Since she was the bearer of children, she was fully occupied with her duties as a mother and
homemaker.

ParulTripathi, SandeepBhattacharjee has pointed out that Women in India have proved
their mettle in the work domain. Behind such success lies a big story of struggle and freedom
in the traditional social arena. Besides, changing roles of working women, they have
maintained the traditional work ethos of household. This research is devoted towards finding
the root causes of the existing problems faced by the working women. It also aims at finding
feasible solutions that have been practiced elsewhere and needs to be adopted at other social
fronts. The Industrial Revolution in part was fuelled by the economic necessity of many
women, single and married, to find waged work outside their home. Women mostly found
jobs in domestic service, textile factories, and piece workshops. They also worked in the coal
mines. For some, the Industrial Revolution provided independent wages, mobility and a
better standard of living. For the majority, however, factory work in the early years of the
19th century resulted in a life of hardship.

Harilal A and Santhosh VA in their research they stated that women play a pivotal role in
the decision making process of organisations and within the family. Indian culture bestows on
women the role of caretaker of the family. Women are increasingly moving out of their
homes and into the work environment. A greater number of women are also entering the
workforce of restricted industries. Thus women play the dual role of housewives and working
women. A comparative study on the stress levels of women in this dual role of housewife and
working woman becomes significant. The study explores the stresses faced by women in

7
society. The result indicates that the financial position of the family makes an impact on the
stress levels among both housewives and working women. A housewife's main duties are
managing the family, caring for and educating her children, cooking and storing food, buying
goods, cleaning and maintaining the home, sewing clothes for the family, etc. It is ironical
that a woman employed within the home is referred to as a housewife, and outside the home,
as a working woman. In both situations, the woman is working but how the woman is
referred to, is based on the working place.

Karve and Nair examined the different role stressors encountered by women executives and
coping styles used by them. Results indicate that there is a significant correlation between
Inter role distance, and Defensive mode of role stress. Employees tend to use more of a
proactive style of Approach mode of coping with role stress wherein they deal with role
stress through own efforts.

Ansuman, Adithya and Madhulita determined that maximum number of women is

suffering from poor mental health. According to them home and workplace atmosphere
played a major role in deciding mental health status of women. Additionally, this study is a
comparison in the degree of occupational stress experienced by married and unmarried
working women. The study reveals that married women are experiencing more stress than
unmarried women, and the stress is explained in terms of traditional trends, demands of
society and more roles and responsibilities assigned to them as a mother, wife and
homemaker.

Rajasekhar and Sasikala concluded that employed women face stress due to family
responsibilities, job insecurity, workplace culture and high demand of job performance. They
also concluded that effective management of stress involves preparing role occupants to
understand the nature of stress, directing stress for productive purposes, and making role
occupants to understand their strength and equipping them to develop approach strategies for
coping with stress.

Balaji studied various factors which could lead to work family conflict and the stress
undergone by women employees. He concluded that married women employees experience
work family conflict due to the number of hours worked outside the home, flexible or in
flexible working hours, size of the family and number of dependants of the family. These
factors have an severe consequences for the psychological distress and well-being of married
working women.

8
Bhuvaneshwari revealed that stress in married working women is caused due to various
family and official commitments, harassments at work place, working for long hours and
improper work life balance. These factors lead to stress in working women such as prolonged
headaches, hypertension and obesity. She also concluded that stress can be relieved from
balancing work and family, from institutional support, by spending time with the family and
performing physical exercises.

Bhawana Sharma and Manju Nair have stated that women in India have come a long way.
From just a expert homemaker/housewife, she not only has acquired skills and abilities to
being a perfect housewife but being at same level with their spouse or life partner.
Now,women wants to follow up their dream career and this is the new propagation of
working women. At the same time, women are suffering from many symptoms of stress.
More difficulty arises with those women, who are working. They have to fulfil the assorted
demand at workplace and home. Today, maximum married couples are working to create a
balance with occupational life as well as their personal life at home with their children. But it
is no that easy for a women as she has to take on multiple roles right from a cook, a tutor, a
housemaid who take care of the home, a care taker as well as cater to fulfil requirements at
home. At this place, a working woman can be strained and restless; especially when family is
not very cooperative. Working women, no matter whether they are single or married, face
higher strain and contrary health effects. Working women most probably feel accented
because of their diverse workload.

Vijaya Lakshmi has conducted a study to find the issues and problems of women faculty
working in educational institutions. She also found that women faculty members underwent
severe stress in the process of attaining Work Life Balance. Continued work pressure resulted
in poor performance. The result revealed that many female teachers have neglected their
health in the process of improving the life of their family members and their students.

Kanta Devi in the study they stated that Stress is a psychologically and physiological
response to events that upset our personal balance in some way. When faced with a threat,
whether to our physical safety or emotional equilibrium, the body Defence kicks into high
gear in a rapid automatic process known as the flight response. The signs of stress to include
heart pounding in the chest, tensing of muscles, fast breathing and every sense on red alert.
The mind and body are in mutual two ways integrated communication such that any
turbulence in one tilts the other. The continued by saying body malfunction originally

9
triggered by psychological forces or not, can exert a profound on mental behaviour. Stress is
an occasional attribute of every person’s ecology. It is the pressure, tension or worry resulting
from problems of meeting the challenges in life.

ShrutiShukla, and Dr. MamtaJaiswal has stated that the word “stress” is defined by
“Oxford dictionary of psychology” as “Psychological and physical strain or tension generated
by physical, emotional, social, economic or occupational circumstances, events or experience
those are difficult to manage or endure. The term woman is usually used for an adult girl.
Womanhood generally refers to the period after the age of 18 years in the life of a female.
Woman is the great creation of God, a multifaceted personality with the power of
benevolence, integrity, adjustability and tolerance the lives of women of current era are much
different than the older days. Working women can meet the financial needs of their family in
case of husband’s health or marriage failure. Along with financial distress the housewives
may experience lack of satisfaction, boredom and feelings of worthlessness.

Deepthi and Janghel discussed coping strategy of stress in employed women and in non-
employed women. They observed that employed women use self-distraction technique
(surprisingly effective technique for changing mood) more as coping strategy compared to
non-employed women.

Balaji studied various factors which could lead to work family conflict and the stress
undergone by women employees. He concluded that married women employees experience
work family conflict due to the number of hours worked outside the home, flexible or in
flexible working hours, size of the family and number of dependants of the family. These
factors have an severe consequences for the psychological distress and well-being of married
working women.

Dhanabakyam and Malarvizhi stated there is a positive relationship between stress and
family difficulties in working women. The increase in work-family conflict leads to increase
in work stress and vice versa in married working women. It is observed that women in
professional job positions with high job demand were more prone to experience work family
conflict and work stress.

Amir Shani and Abraham Pizam in their article “Work-Related Depression among Hotel
Employees” conducted a study on the depression of work among hotel employees in Central
Florida. They have confirmed the incidence of depression among workers in the hospitality

10
industry by evaluating the relationship between the occupational stress and work
characteristics.

Viljoen, J.P., and Rothmann, S aimed at studying and investigating the relationship
between “occupational stress, ill health and organizational commitment” (2009). The results
were that organizational stressors contributed significantly to ill health and low
organizational commitment. Stress about job security contributed to both physical and
psychological ill health. Low individual commitment to the organization was predicted by
five stressors, namely work-life balance, overload, control, job aspects and pay.

J.E. Agolla in his research article titled “Occupational Stress Among Police Officers: The
Case of Botswana Police Service”, (2009) has conducted a study among the police to find out
work stress symptoms and coping strategies among the police service in Botswana. This
study reveals that the police work stressors are; getting injured while on duty and the use of
force when the job demands to do so, etc. The coping strategies were identified as exercising,
socializing, healthy eating or diets, career planning and employee training.

Richardson, K. M., and Rothsetin, H.R. in their article titled “Effects of occupational stress
management intervention programs” (2008) they provided an empirical review of stress
management interventions, employing meta-analysis procedures. The results also revealed
that relaxation interventions were the most frequent type of intervention. Further, there were
a few stress interventions focused on the organizational level. More specific results also
indicated that cognitive-behavioural interventions produced larger effects than other types of
interventions.

Pal, S., and Saksvik, P. In their article titled “Work-family conflict and psychosocial work
environment stressors as predictors of job stress in a cross-cultural study” conducted a study
on job stress on 27 Norwegian doctors and 328 nurses and 111 Indian doctors and 136 nurses.
The result was that work-family conflict was not predictive of job stress in Norwegian
doctors, but work-family conflict, high job demands, and low flexibility in working hours
predict job stress in Norwegian nurses. For the Indian sample, job stress was predicted by
high family-work conflict and low social support in nurses and low job control in doctors.
Hence, it seems to be overlapping and some differences in cultures when considering the role
of demands, control, support, and flexibility in predicting strain.

11
Jackson, Leon; Rothmann, Sebastiaan in their titled “Occupational stress, organisational
commitment, and ill-health of educators in the North West Province” (2006) discussed to
determine the differences between occupational stress and strain of educators in different
biographical groups, and to assess the relationship between occupational stress,
organizational commitment and ill-health. A sample of 1170 was selected and Organizational
Stress Screening Tool and a biographical questionnaire were administered. The results show
differences between the occupational stress, organizational commitment and ill-health of
educators of different ages, qualifications and associated with different types of schools.

Botha, Christo; Pienaar, and Jaco in their titled “South African correctional official
occupational stress: The role of psychological strengths” conducted a study to determine the
dimensions of occupational stress of employees of the Department of Correctional Services in
a management area of the Freestate Province of South Africa. The results indicated that an
external locus of control and negative affect contributed to the experience of occupational
stress.

Salmond, Susan; Ropis, Patricia E In their research work titled, “Job Stress and General
Well-Being: A Comparative Study of MedicalSurgical and Home Care Nurses they analysed
the job stress among medical-surgical and home care nurses in the U.S. According to them,
high stress leads to negative work environments that deprive nurses of their spirit and passion
about their job. Key factors contributing to workplace stress include team conflict, unclear
role expectations, heavy workload, and lack of autonomy.

Ryan, P.; Hill, R.; Anczewska, M.; Hardy, P.; Kurek, A.; Nielson, K.; Turner, CIn their
book titled, “occupational stress reduction” they have attempted to address the issue of work-
related stress through whole team training programmes, on a background of largely
ineffective stress reduction training programmes offered to individuals within the workplace.
The findings show significant implications to the conceptual, methodological and everyday
organizational practice levels of tackling this central issue to the health of the workplace.

Oginska-Bulik, Nina In their article titled “Emotional Intelligence In The Workplace”,

(2005) explored the relationship between emotional intelligence and perceived stress in the
workplace and health-related consequences in human service workers. They selected 330
respondents as sample size. Three methods were used in the study, namely, the Emotional
Intelligence Questionnaire with Polish modification, the Subjective Work Evaluation
Questionnaire developed in Poland, and the General Health Questionnaire with Polish

12
modification. The results confirmed an essential, but not very strong, role of emotional
intelligence in perceiving occupational stress and preventing employees of human services
from negative health outcomes.

Michailidis, Maria; Georgiou, Yiota In their article titled, “Employee occupational stress in
banking”,have stated that occupational stress literature emphasized the importance of
assessment and management of work related stress. The recognition of the harmful physical
and psychological effects of stress on both individuals and organizations is widely studied in
many parts of the world. A sample of 60 bank employees at different organizational levels
and with different educational backgrounds was used. Data collection utilized the
Occupational Stress Indicator (OSI). It implied that educational levels affect the degree of
stress they experience in various ways finally, the drinking habits (alcohol) of the employees
were found to play a significant role in determining the levels of occupational stress.

13
 CHAPTER - III

3.1 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research methodology is a systemized effort to gain knowledge. It can also refer to as

“the search of knowledge”. Research methodology is a technique used systematically to solve
the research problem. It helps the research to know which research method and analysis could
be utilized to bring out a possible solution for a research problem. “Methodology” implies the
methods that are intend to use to collect data. It is often necessary to include a consideration
of the concepts and theories which underlie the methods. There are many different ways to
approach the research that fulfils the requirements of a dissertation.

The research methodology describes the actions to be taken to investigate a research

problem and the rationale for the application of specific procedures or techniques used to
identify, select, process, and analyse the information applied to understanding the problem,
and it is used to find solution to the research problem.

3.2 RESEARCH DESIGN

Descriptive research design is adopted for this study. Data for the study have been
collected among working women in Tiruchengode. The researcher used both closed-ended
and open-ended questions to collect primary data.

3.3 SAMPLING METHOD

The study adopted multi stage sampling method. In the first stage the respondents
were selected through simple random sampling by lottery method. 58 samples were collected
for the study.

3.4 SOURCES OF DATA

This study used both primary and secondary data.

PRIMARY DATA
Primary data from the respondents were collected by using a structured questionnaire.
The questionnaire was prepared with the utmost care incorporating all necessary information
by using both open-end and close-end questions.

14
SECONDARY DATA

The secondary data were collected from published and unpublished thesis, national
and international well-reputed journals, magazines, newspapers, government bulletin,
websites and books from different libraries and internet.

3.5 DATA COLLECTION

The research is primarily based on the primary data collected through interview
schedule. A structure interview schedule was prepared by taking inputs from past research
works, expert opinion and the questionnaire was fine-tuned. Personal interview method is
used in the research to gather the relevant information. Apart from the primary data,
secondary sources of information were used to understand the concept, practices and
outcomes of past research work.

3.6 TOOLS OF ANALYSIS

1. Simple Percentage Method.

15
 CHAPTER – IV

ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

4.1 ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

Table No. 4.1.1

AGE GROUP OF THE RESPONDENTS

S. No Age (Years) No. of. Respondents Percentage

1 Below 25 09 15.5

2 25-30 17 29.3

3 31-35 16 27.6

4 36-40 07 12.1

5 41-45 05 8.6

6 Above 45 04 6.9

Total 58 100.0

Source: Primary data

INTERPRETATION

The above table shows that 15.5% of the respondents are in the age group of below 25 years,
29.3% of the respondents are in the age group of 25-30 years, 27.6% of the respondents are in
the age group of 31-35 years, 12.1% of the respondents are in the 36-40 years and 8.6% of
the respondents are in the age group of 41-45 and 6.9% of the respondents are Above 45
years.

16
 Chart No: 4.1.1
AGE GROUP OF THE RESPONDENTS

Age group of the respondents

18 17
16
16
14
12
10 9
8 7 No.of.respondents
6 5
4
4
2
0
Below 25 25-30 31-35 36-40 41-45 Above 45

17
 Table No. 4.1.2

MARITAL STATUS OF THE RESPONDENTS

S. No Marital Status No. of. Respondents Percentage

1 Married 33 56.9

2 Unmarried 25 43.1

Total 58 100.0

Source: Primary data

INTERPRETATION

From the above table it is clear that 56.9% of the respondents are married, and 43.1% of the
respondents are Unmarried.

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 Chart No: 4.1.2
MARITAL STATUS OF THE RESPONDENTS

Marital status of the respondents

35 33

30
25
25

20

15 No.of.respondents

10

0
Married Unmarried

19
 Table No. 4.1.3

FAMILY TYPE OF THE RESPONDENTS

S. No Family type No. of. Respondents Percentage

1 Joint 21 36.2

2 Nuclear 37 63.8

Total 58 100.0

Source: Primary data

INTERPRETATION

From the above table it is clear that 36.2% of the respondents are in joint family, and 63.8%
of the respondents are in nuclear family.

20
 Chart No: 4.1.3
FAMILY TYPE OF THE RESPONDENTS

Family type of the respondents

40 37
35

30

25
21
20
No.of.respondents
15

10

0
Joint Nuclear

21
 Table No. 4.1.4

FAMILY SIZE OF THE RESPONDENTS

S. No Family size No. of. Respondents Percentage

1 Up to 4 32 55.2

2 Above 4 26 44.8

Total 58 100.0

Source: Primary data

INTERPRETATION

From the above table it is clear that 55.2% of the respondent’s family size is up to 4, and
44.8% of the respondents family size is Above 4.

22
 Chart No: 4.1.4
FAMILY SIZE OF THE RESPONDENTS

Family size of the respondents

35
32
30
26
25

20

15 No.of.respondents

10

0
Up to 4 Above 4

23
 Table No. 4.1.5

LEVEL OF EDUCATION OF THE RESPONDENTS

S. No Level of Education No. of. Respondents Percentage

1 HSC 09 15.5

2 Graduates 18 31.0

3 Post-Graduate 12 20.7

4 Professional Degree 05 8.6

5 Diploma Degree 06 10.3

6 Others 08 13.9

Total 58 100.0

Source: Primary data

INTERPRETATION

It is clear that 15.5% of the respondents level of education is HSC, 31.0% of the respondents
are level of education is Graduate, 20.7% of the respondents are level of education is Post
Graduate, 8.6% of the respondents are level of education is Professional Degree. 10.3% of the
respondents are level of education is Diploma Degree, 13.9% of the respondents are level of
education is others.

24
 Chart No: 4.1.5
LEVEL OF EDUCATION OF THE RESPONDENTS

Level of Education of the respondents

20 18
18
16
14 12
12
10 9
8
8 6
6 5
4 No.of.respondents
2
0

25
 Table No. 4.1.6

SALARY OF THE RESPONDENTS

S. No Salary (Per Month) No. of. Respondents Percentage

1 Below 15,000 06 10.3

2 Rs.15,000 – 20,000 23 39.7

3 Rs.20,000 – 25,000 14 24.2

4 Rs.25,000 – 30,000 09 15.5

5 Above Rs.30,000 06 10.3

Total 58 100.0

Source: Primary data

INTERPRETATION

It is clear that 10.3% of the respondents salary is Below 15,000, 39.7% of the respondents
salary is Rs.15,000 – 20,000, 24.2% of the respondents salary is Rs.20,000 – 25,000, 15.5%
of the respondents salary is Rs.25,000 – 30,000 and 10.3% of the respondents salary is Above
Rs.30,000.

26
 Chart No: 4.1.6
SALARY OF THE RESPONDENTS

Salary of the respondents

25 23

20

15 14

10 9 No.of.respondents
6 6
5

0
Below 15,000 Rs.15,000 – Rs.20,000 – Rs.25,000 – Above
20,000 25,000 30,000 Rs.30,000

27
 Table No. 4.1.7

EXPERIENCE OF THE RESPONDENTS

S. No Experience No. of. Respondents Percentage

1 Up to 5 Years 31 53.4

2 5-10 Years 17 29.4

3 10-15 Years 08 13.8

4 Above 15 years 02 3.4

Total 58 100.0

Source: Primary data

INTERPRETATION

From the above table it is clear that 53.4% of the respondents’ experience is Up to 5 Years,
29.4% of the respondents’ experience is 5-10 Years, 13.8% of the respondents’ experience is
10-15 Years and 3.4% of the respondents’ experience is Above 15 years.

28
 Chart No: 4.1.7
EXPERIENCE OF THE RESPONDENTS

Experience of the respondents

35
31
30

25

20
17
15 No.of.respondents

10 8

5
2
0
Up to 5 Years 5-10 Years 10-15 Years Above 15 years

29
 Table No. 4.1.8

STATUS OF THE SPOUSE OF THE RESPONDENTS

S. No Status of the spouse No. of. Respondents Percentage

1 Employed 33 56.8

2 Unemployed 14 24.3

3 House husband 11 18.9

Total 58 100.0

Source: Primary data

INTERPRETATION

From the above table it is clear that 56.8% of the respondents’ spouse is employed, 24.35%
of the respondents’ spouse is unemployed, 18.9% of the respondents’ spouse is House
husband.

30
 Chart No: 4.1.8
STATUS OF THE SPOUSE OF THE RESPONDENTS

Status of the spouse of the respondents

35 33

30

25

20

15 14 No.of.respondents
11
10

0
Employed Unemployed House husband

31
 Table No. 4.1.9

RESPONDENTS DISTANCE FROM RESIDENCE TO WORK PLACE

S. No Distance from work place No. of. Respondents Percentage

1 Below 10 Km 27 46.6

2 Above 10 Km 31 53.4

Total 58 100.0

Source: Primary data

INTERPRETATION

From the above table it is clear that 46.6% of the respondents’ have below 10 km from their
residence to work place and 53.4% of the respondents’ have above 10 km from their
residence to work place.

32
 Chart No: 4.1.9
RESPONDENTS DISTANCE FROM RESIDENCE TO WORK PLACE

Respondents distance from residence to work place

32
31
31

30

29

28 No.of.respondents
27
27

26

25
Below 10 Km Above 10 Km

33
 Table No. 4.1.10

TRANSPORTATION OF THE RESPONDENTS

S. No Transportation No. of. Respondents Percentage

1 Own transport 19 32.8

2 Public transport 26 44.8

3 Employer’s transport 13 22.4

Total 58 100.0

Source: Primary data

INTERPRETATION

From the above table it is clear that 32.8% of the respondents’ avail their own transportation
to their work place, 44.8% of the respondents’ avail their public transportation to their work
place and 22.4% of the respondents’ avail their Employer’s transportation to their work place.

34
 Chart No: 4.1.10
TRANSPORTATION OF THE RESPONDENTS

Transportation of the respondents

30
26
25

20 19

15 13
No.of.respondents
10

0
Own transport Public transport Employer’s transport

35
 Table No. 4.1.11

COMFORTABLE OF THE RESPONDENTS IN WORK PLACE

S. No Comfortable No. of. Respondents Percentage

1 Always 28 48.3

2 Sometimes 19 32.8

3 Never 11 18.9

Total 58 100.0

Source: Primary data

INTERPRETATION

From the above table it is clear that 48.3% of the respondents’ always feel comfortable in
their work place, 32.8% of the respondents’ Sometimes feel comfortable in their work place
and 18.9% of the respondents’ never feel comfortable in their work place.

36
 Chart No: 4.1.11
COMFORTABLE OF THE RESPONDENTS IN WORK PLACE

Comfortable of the respondents in work place

30 28

25

20 19

15
11 No.of.respondents
10

0
Always Sometimes Never

37
 Table No. 4.1.12

CONFIDENCE LEVEL HELP RESPONDENTS TO OVERCOME STRESS IN

WORK PLACE

S. No Confidence level No. of. Respondents Percentage

1 Always 18 31.0

2 Sometimes 27 46.6

3 Never 13 22.4

Total 58 100.0

Source: Primary data

INTERPRETATION

From the above table it is clear that 31.0% of the respondents’ said that their individual
confidence level always help them to overcome stress, 46.6% of the respondents’ said that
their individual confidence level Sometimes help them to overcome stress, 22.4% of the
respondents’ said that their individual confidence level never help them to overcome stress.

38
 Chart No: 4.1.12
CONFIDENCE LEVEL HELP RESPONDENTS TO OVERCOME STRESS IN
WORK PLACE

Confidence level help respondents to overcome stress in

work place
30
27

25

20 18

15 13
No.of.respondents
10

0
Always Sometimes Never

39
 Table No. 4.1.13

WORK LOAD IN THE ORGANIZATION AFFECT RESPONDENTS PERSONAL

LIFE

S. No Confidence level No. of. Respondents Percentage

1 Always 19 32.8

2 Sometimes 26 44.8

3 Never 13 22.4

Total 58 100.0

Source: Primary data

INTERPRETATION

From the above table it is clear that 32.8% of the respondents’ said that their work load in the
organization always effect their personal life, 44.8% of the respondents’ said that their work
load in the organization sometimes effect their personal life, 22.4% of the respondents’ said
that their work load in the organization never effect their personal life.

40
 Chart No: 4.1.13
WORK LOAD IN THE ORGANIZATION AFFECT RESPONDENTS PERSONAL
LIFE

Work load in the organization affect respondents personal

life
30
26
25

20 19

15 13
No.of.respondents
10

0
Always Sometimes Never

41
 Table No. 4.1.14

PERSONAL PROBLEMS AFFECT RESPONDENTS JOB ACTIVITY

S. No Confidence level No. of. Respondents Percentage

1 Always 11 18.9

2 Sometimes 19 32.8

3 Never 28 48.3

Total 58 100.0

Source: Primary data

INTERPRETATION

From the above table it is clear that 18.9% of the respondents’ said that their personal
problems always affect their job activity, 32.8% of the respondents’ said that their personal
problems sometimes affect their job activity, 48.3% of the respondents’ said that their
personal problems Never affect their job activity.

42
 Chart No: 4.1.14
PERSONAL PROBLEMS AFFECT RESPONDENTS JOB ACTIVITY

Personal problems affect respondents job activity

30 28

25

20 19

15
11 No.of.respondents
10

0
Always Sometimes Never

43
 Table No. 4.1.15

PROMOTION FOR THE RESPONDENTS LEADS TO STRESS

S. No Promotion No. of. Respondents Percentage

1 Always 19 32.8

2 Sometimes 15 25.9

3 Never 24 41.3

Total 58 100.0

Source: Primary data

INTERPRETATION

From the above table it is clear that 32.8% of the respondents’ said that promotion in their
organization will always lead to stress, 25.9% of the respondents’ said that promotion in their
organization will sometimes lead to stress, 41.3% of the respondents’ said that promotion in
their organization will never lead to stress.

44
 Chart No: 4.1.15
PROMOTION FOR THE RESPONDENTS LEADS TO STRESS

Promotion for the respondents leads to stress

30

25 24

20 19

15
15
No.of.respondents
10

0
Always Sometimes Never

45
 Table No. 4.1.16

WORKING HOURS AND SHIFTS ARE NOT PROPERLY PLANNED MAKES THE
RESPONDENTS STRESS LEVEL HIGH

S. No Factors No. of. Respondents Percentage

1 Strongly Agree 26 44.8

2 Agree 16 27.6

3 Neutral 03 5.2

4 disagree 08 13.8

5 Strongly disagree 05 8.6

Total 58 100.0

Source: Primary data

INTERPRETATION

From the above table it is clear that 44.8% of the respondents’ strongly agree that working
hours and shifts are not properly planned makes the respondents stress level high, 27.6% of
the respondents’ agree that working hours and shifts are not properly planned makes the
respondents stress level high, 5.2% of the respondents’ are in neutral that working hours and
shifts are not properly planned makes the respondents stress level high, 13.8% of the
respondents’ disagree that working hours and shifts are not properly planned makes the
respondents stress level high, 8.6% of the respondents’ strongly disagree that working hours
and shifts are not properly planned makes the respondents stress level high.

46
 Chart No: 4.1.16
WORKING HOURS AND SHIFTS ARE NOT PROPERLY PLANNED MAKES THE
RESPONDENTS STRESS LEVEL HIGH

Working hours and shifts are not properly planned makes

the respondents stress level high
30
26
25

20
16
15
No.of.respondents
10 8
5
5 3

0
Strongly Agree Neutral disagree Strongly
Agree disagree

47
 CHAPTER – V

FINDINGS SUGGESTIONS AND CONCLUSION

5.1 FINDINGS

1. Majority 29.3% of the respondents are in the age group of 25-30 years.
2. Superior Majority 56.9% of the respondents are married.
3. Superior Majority 63.8% of the respondents are in nuclear family.
4. Superior Majority 55.2% of the respondent’s family size is up to 4.
5. Majority 31.0% of the respondents are level of education is Graduate.
6. Majority 39.7% of the respondents salary is Rs.15,000 – 20,000.
7. Superior Majority 53.4% of the respondents’ experience is Up to 5 Years.
8. Superior Majority 56.8% of the respondents’ spouse is employed.
9. Superior Majority 53.4% of the respondents’ have above 10 km from their residence to
work place.
10. Majority 44.8% of the respondents’ avail their public transportation to their work place.
11. Majority 48.3% of the respondents’ always feel comfortable in their work place.
12. Majority 46.6% of the respondents’ said that their individual confidence level Sometimes
help them to overcome stress.
13. Majority 44.8% of the respondents’ said that their work load in the organization
sometimes effect their personal life.
14. Majority 48.3% of the respondents’ said that their personal problems never affect their
job activity.
15. Majority 41.3% of the respondents’ said that promotion in their organization will never
lead to stress.
16. Majority 44.8% of the respondents’ strongly agree that working hours and shifts are not
properly planned makes the respondents stress level high.

48
5.2 SUGGESTIONS

 As co-existence of women at workplace is almost going to be an irreversible reality for

generations to come, gender sensitization in every profession is urgent and necessary for
men and women separately as well as in groups.
 It is not enough that each workplace has a full-fledged 'sexual harassment complaints
committee', what is more important than this is that the members who constitute the
workplace significantly feel its power, presence and effect.
 It is observed that the presence of the National Commission for Women is felt only when
a case of 'violence against woman' elevates to national media. And we all know, the
percentage of such elevated cases out of the total occurred cases is absolutely negligible.
Thus, women's commissions both at the state and\ national levels must pay attention to
the menace of harassment at workplace.
 Women administrators should not be arbitrarily/frequently assigned tours or placement
that necessitate longer commuting. Such assignments should be sparingly made.
 There is overall disappointment among academic women for their invisibility in
educational administration. True, their disappointment is not unfounded. Provision must
be made in such a manner that it ensures the representation of women in various spheres
of educational administration and at all levels of policy-making bodies/committees.

49
5.3 CONCLUSION

The foregoing analysis reveals that women working in public and private sectors face the
occupational stress. Working women having less experience face the stress relatively more as
compared to working women having higher level of experience. Adequate feedback, training
and proper promotion facilities should be provided to working women. There is a need to
reduce the workload among working women. Proper working conditions should be provided
to working women at the workplace. Working woman should be involved in decisions
making process so that they may not feel isolated at the work place.

50
REFERENCES

1. Antoniou, A.S., Polychroni, F. and Vlachakis, A.N. (2006), “Gender and Age Differences
in Occupational Stress and Professional Burnout between Primary and High School
Teachers in Greece”, Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 21 No. 7, pp. 682-690.
2. Broadbridge, A. (2000), “Stress and the Female Retail Manager”, Women in
ManagementReview, Vol.15 No.3, pp.145-159.
3. Carr, J.,Kelley, B., Keaton, R. and Albrecht, C. (2011), “Getting to Grips with Stress in
Workplace”, Human Resource Management Internal Digest, Vol.19 No.4, pp. 32-38.
4. Chang, E.M., Bidewell, J.W., Huntington, A.D., Daly, J., Johnson, A., Wilson, H.,
Lambert, V.A., Lambert, C.E., (2007). “A Survey of Role Stress, Coping and Health in
Australian and New Zealand Hospital Nurses”. International Journal of Nursing Studies
Vol. 44, pp. 1354-1362.
5. Frese, M., and Zapf, D. (1988). “ Methodological Issues In The Study of Work Stress”:
Objective vs. Subjective Measurement of Work Stress and Question of Congitudinal
Studies. In : C.L. Cooper and R. Payne (Eds.) Causes, Coping and Consequences of
Stress at Work. (pp. 375-411). New York. Wiley
6. Gibbons, R.M., Gibbons, C. (2007), “Occupational Stress in Chef Profession”,
International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 19 No. 1, pp. 32-
42.
7. Gupta, C.B, Human resource management, Sultan Chand and Sons, New Delhi.
8. Happell, B., (2013). “How Nurses Cope With Occupational Stress Outside the
Workplaces”. Journal of Sciverse Science Direct. Vol. 20, pp. 195-199.
9. House, James S., and James A. Wells. 1978. “Occupational Stress and Social Support”.
Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley
10. House, James S., and James A. Wells.1978. “Occupational Stress, Social Support and
Health. in Reducing Occupational Stress”: Proceedings of a conference, edited by Alan
McLean, Gilbert Black, and Michael Colligan. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of
Health, Education and Welfare.
11. Isikhan, V. (2004). “Job Stress and Coping Strategies in Health Care Professionals
Working with Cancer Patients”. European Journal of Oncology Nursing, Vol.8, pp. 234-
244.
12. Maslach, C., and Jackson, S.E. (1996). “ Maslach Burnout Inventory Manual”. 3th ed.
Palo Alto: Consulting Psychological. ( Binding Science Direct) Page 157.

51
13. Narayan, G.S. (2005), “Women in Management and Occupational Stress”, Agenda
Feminist Media, Vol. 65, pp. 83-94.
14. Nezhad, M.Z., Goodarzi, A.M., Hasannejad, L. and Roushani, K. (2010), “Occupational
Stress and Family Difficulties of Working Women”, Current Research in Psychology,
Vol.1 No. 2, pp.75-81.
15. Sveinsdottir, H. ,Biering, P. and Ramer, A. (2005), “Occupational Stress, Job Satisfaction
and Working Environment among Icelandic Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire
Survey”, International Journal of Nursing Studies, Vol. 43, pp. 875-889.

52
QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Name and Address :

2. Age :

Below 25 25 – 30

31 – 35 36 – 40

41 – 45 Above 45

3 Marital Status :

Married Unmarried

4 Type of family :

Joint Nuclear

5. Family Size :

Up to 4 Above 4

6. Educational Qualification :

HSC Graduates

Post-Graduate Professional Degree

Diploma Degree Others

7. Salary (P.M.) :

Below 15,000 Rs.15,000 – 20,000

Rs.20,000 – 25,000 Rs.25,000 – 30,000

Above Rs.30,000

8. Experience :

Up to 5 years 5 years to 10 years

10 years to 15 years above 15 years

9. Status of your spouse (Applicable married women)

Employed

Unemployed

House husband

53
 10. Distance from Residence to work place in (kilometres)

Below 10

Above 10

11. Transport

Own Employer’s Transport

Public

12. Whether you feel comfortable in your work place.

Always Sometimes Never

13. Factors influencing level of stress among the women employees.

(SA-Strongly Agree; A-Agree; NO-No Opinion; D-Disagree; SD-Strongly

Disagree)

Sl.No. Work Environment SA A N D SD

1 The lighting and

ventilation facility provided
in your work place is inadequate

2 The environment is not

hygienic and free from
pollution

3 The drinking water provided

insufficient and impure

4 Break time provided in the

work place inadequate

5 Working hours and shifts are

not properly planned

6 Toilet facilities are inadequate

14. Whether individual confidence level help you to overcome stress.

Always Sometimes Never

54
15. Whether over work load in the organization affect your personal life.

Always Sometimes Never

16. Factors that make your stress level high when you are in work
1 The opportunities provided by
the institution/company are
inadequate to enrich the
knowledge and job skills of
employees

2 Performance appraisal technique

adopted by the
institution/company are not
reasonable

3 The management does not

provides opportunities to excel in
their creative ideas

4 The training programme offered

by the institution/company are
not useful

5 Career opportunities are not good

6 The promotion policy adopted by

the institution/company is not fair
7 The target fixed by the
institution/company is not
reasonable and cannot be
attained.
17. Whether personal problems affect your job activity?

Always Sometimes Never

18. Change in work responsibility (promotion) will lead to stress.

Always Sometimes Never

55
19. What are the problems faced by the women employees in workplace? (Rank the

following)

S.No Problems Rank

1. No time to spend with the family/ friends.
2. Health hazard
3. No times to participate in Social functions
4. Inadequate leisure time read news paper, magazines and
TV programs etc.
5. Restless
6. Bad temperament
7. Depression
8. Delayed Marriage

20. What are the suggestions to reduce the stress? (Please give)
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

Thank You

56