A Project Report on

Stress Management among Bank Employees

Submitted to the Bhavnagar University of Bhavnagar in
partial fulfillment for the degree of Bachelor of business
administration

By Guided By
Prince Thomas MR. JAY PANDYA
Ty. B.B.A. Faculty KPES college
Roll No

The KPES college, Bhavnagar University,

Bhavnagar

Preface

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 The study of human resource management is one of the major
criteria in the corporate sector. Human resource is the heart of the
organization. By this research project we will be able to know to reduce the
stress level of the employees working in the bank. By this way the
productivity of the employee increases.

Now a day the corporate sector is booming in a high speed that the
people have to work for prolonged hours to maintain the standard of living
and achieve their basic needs. So is the condition in the hospitals, colleges,
BPO’s and lots of other places. In spit of having the modern technologies
and facilities, people are feeling themselves to be work loaded and stressed.
Stress arises because of many reasons which are discussed in the following
project. The project report also contain techniques how to reduce the stress
and overcome such problems.

To identify the level of stress among the people who work I have
tried to survey the people working in hospitals, BPO’s and other industries
as well as institutes. Stress arises because of unfulfilled wants, lack of job
satisfaction etc. before starting the topic of stress; let’s first understand the
importance of human resource.

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

To carry out this research work I have got the help from my
parents who have given full support to carry out this research work. They are
the one who motivated and helped for the completion of this project report.

Further, I would like to thank Mr. Chetan Trivedi (Branch

Manager, HDFC Bank) and their employees who have given full supported
and co operated with me to carry out this research work. Then I would like
to thank Mr. M.N. Rathod (SBS Bank Sardarnagar Branch Bhavnagar) who
has supported me to fill the questionnaire and carry on my research work. I
am also thankful to the employees of SBS bank who have supported me.
The Branch Manager of AXIS bank and their employees who have helped
me for the project work by filling the questionnaire.

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 Executive Summery
This project gives us a detailed idea of what is stress and also the definition
of stress is been defined. For more detailed study the types of the stress is also defined.
By looking at the starting of the project you will find:
o Introduction to Human resource
o Introduction and Definition of stress
o Stress in biological terms
o What is stress?
o Coping with stress at work place.
o Stress management
o Workplace stress
o Reducing of stress.
After the theoretical part I have included the research part. My
research work includes two questionnaires.
o Burn out test
o Stress analysis Questionnaire
My research includes the research methodology which contains the
information as follows:
o Research objectives
o Sampling (types and methods of sampling)
o Research instrument
o Data analysis and interpretation
o Employee’s opinion to reduce stress.
o Research flowchart
o Time consideration
o Limitation of survey
o Advantages and disadvantages of written
questionnaire
o Finding

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INDEX
No Content Page no
1 Conceptual Framework 1
1.1 Introduction to HR 1
1.2 Concept of stress 3
1.2.1 Introduction to stress 3
1.2.2 Stress in Biological terms 8
1.2.3 What is stress 9
1.2.4 Coping with stress at workplace 11
1.2.5 Stress Management 15
1.2.6 Workplace stress 18
1.2.7 Reduce your stress 22
2 Research Methodology 27
2.1 Research objective 27
2.2 Sampling 29
2.3 Research instrument 32
2.4 Data analysis and interpretation 36
2.5 Employees opinion about how to reduce stress 48
2.6 Research flowchart 50
2.7 Time consideration 51
2.8 Limitation of the survey 52
2.8.1 Advantages of Written Questionnaires 52
2.8.2 Disadvantages of Written Questionnaires 53
2.9 Findings 55
3 Bibliography 58

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 1. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
(1.1) INTRODUCTION TO HR

Human Resource Management is an art of managing people at work in

such a manner that they give their best to the organization. In simple word
human resource management refers to the quantitative aspects of employees
working in an organization.

Human Resource Management is also a management function concerned with

hiring, motivating, and maintains people in an organization. It focuses on people in
organization.

Organizations are not mere bricks, mortar, machineries or inventories.

They are people. It is the who staff and manage organizations.

HRM involves the application of management functions and principles. The

functions and principles are applied to acquisitioning, developing, maintain, and
remunerating employees in organizations.

Decisions relating to employees must be integrated. Decision on different

aspect of employees must be consistent with other human resource decisions.

Decision made must influence the effectiveness of organization. Effectiveness

of an organization must result in betterment of services to customers in the form of high-
quality product supplied at reasonable costs.

HRM function s is not confined to business establishment only. They are

applicable to non-business organizations, too such as education, health care, recreation
etc.

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 The scope of HRM is indeed vast. All major activities in the working life of
his or her entry into an organization until he or she leaves-come under the previews of
HRM.specifically, the activities included are HR planning, job analysis and be sign,
recruitment and selection, orientation and placement, training and development,
performance appraisal and job evaluation, employee and executive remuneration,
motivation and communication, welfare, safety and health, industrial relations and the
like.

HRM is a broad concept Personnel management and human resource

development is a part of HRM.

Before we define “Human Resource Management”, it seems good to first

define heterogeneous in the sense that they differ in personality, perception, emotions,
values, attitudes, motives, and modes of thoughts.

Human resource management plays an important role in the development

process of modern economy. In fact it is said that all the development comes from the
human mind.

“ Human Resource Management is a process of producing development,

maintaining and controlling human resources for effective achievement of organization
goals.”

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 (1.2) CONCEPT OF STRESS
(1.2.1) INTRODUCTION TO STRESS

A lot of research has been conducted into stress over the last hundred years.
Some of the theories behind it are now settled and accepted; others are still being
researched and debated. During this time, there seems to have been something
approaching open warfare between competing theories and definitions: Views have been
passionately held and aggressively defended.

What complicates this is that intuitively we all feel that we know what stress
is, as it is something we have all experienced. A definition should therefore be obvious…
except that it is not.

Definition:

Hans Selye was one of the founding fathers of stress research. His view in
1956 was that “stress is not necessarily something bad – it all depends on how you take
it. The stress of exhilarating, creative successful work is beneficial, while that of failure,
humiliation or infection is detrimental.” Selye believed that the biochemical effects of
stress would be experienced irrespective of whether the situation was positive or
negative.

Since then, a great deal of further research has been conducted, and ideas
have moved on. Stress is now viewed as a "bad thing", with a range of harmful
biochemical and long-term effects. These effects have rarely been observed in positive
situations.

The most commonly accepted definition of stress (mainly attributed to

Richard S Lazarus) is that stress is a condition or feeling experienced when a person
perceives that “demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is
able to mobilize.” In short, it's what we feel when we think we've lost control of

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events.

This is the main definition used by this section of Mind Tools, although we
also recognize that there is an intertwined instinctive stress response to unexpected
events. The stress response inside us is therefore part instinct and part to do with the way
we think.

The types of stress are as follows

Mechanical
 Stress (physics), the average amount of force exerted per unit area.

 Yield stress, the stress at which a material begins to deform plastically.

 Compressive stress, the stress applied to materials resulting in their
compaction.

Biological

 Stress (biological), physiological or psychological stress; some types

include:
o Chronic stress, persistent stress which can lead to illness and mental
disorder
o Eustress, positive stress that can lead to improved long-term
functioning
o Workplace stress, stress caused by employment

Music

 Accent (music).
 Stress (band), an early '80s melodic rock band from San Diego.
 Stress (punk band), an early '80s punk rock band from Athens.
 Stress (Neo-Psychedelic band), from the late 1980's.
 Stress, a song by the French band Justice on their debut album

Other

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  Stress (game), card game
 Stress (linguistics), phonological use of prominence in language

Stress (physics), the average amount of force exerted per unit area.

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:

 upset stomach
 headache
 backache
 insomnia
 anxiety
 depression
 anger

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In the most severe cases it can lead to panic attacks or a panic disorder.

There are a variety of methods to control chronic stress, including 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 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

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geotechnical engineering, compressive stress is represented with positive values.

(1.2.2) Stress in Biological terms:

Stress is a biological term which refers to the consequences of the failure of a human
or animal body to respond appropriately to emotional or physical threats to the
organism, whether actual or imagined. It includes a state of alarm and adrenaline
production, short-term resistance as a coping mechanism, and exhaustion. It refers to
the inability of a human or animal body to respond.
Common stress symptoms include irritability, muscular tension, inability to concentrate and a
variety of physical reactions, such as headaches and accelerated heart rate.

The term "stress" was first used by the endocrinologist Hans Selye in the 1930s to
identify physiological responses in laboratory animals. He later broadened and
popularized the concept to include the perceptions and responses of humans trying to
adapt to the challenges of everyday life. In Selye's terminology, "stress" refers to the
reaction of the organism, and "stressor" to the perceived threat.
Stress in certain circumstances may be experienced positively. Eustress, for
example, can be an adaptive response prompting the activation of internal resources
to meet challenges and achieve goals.

The term is commonly used by laypersons in a metaphorical rather than literal or

biological sense, as a catch-all for any perceived difficulties in life. It also became a
euphemism, a way of referring to problems and eliciting sympathy without being
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.

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(1.2.3) what is Stress?

Stress refers to the strain from the conflict between our external environment and us,
leading to emotional and physical pressure. In our fast paced world, it is impossible to
live without stress, whether you are a student or a working adult.
There is both positive and negative stress, depending on each individual’s unique
perception of the tension between the two forces. Not all stress is bad. For example,
positive stress, also known as eustress, can help an individual to function at optimal
effectiveness and efficiency.

Hence, it is evident that some form of positive stress can add more color and vibrancy to
our lives. The presence of a deadline, for example, can push us to make the most of our
time and produce greater efficiency. It is important to keep this in mind, as stress
management refers to using stress to our advantage, and not on eradicating the presence
of stress in our lives.

On the other hand, negative stress can result in mental and physical strain. The individual
will experience symptoms such as tensions, headaches, irritability and in extreme cases,
heart palpitations. Hence, whilst some stress may be seen as a motivating force, it is
important to manage stress levels so that it does not have an adverse impact on your
health and relationships.

Part of managing your stress levels include learning about how stress can affect you
emotionally and physically, as well as how to identify if you are performing at your
optimal stress level (OSL) or if you are experiencing negative stress. This knowledge
will help you to identify when you need to take a break, or perhaps seek professional
help. It is also your first step towards developing techniques to managing your stress
levels.

Modern day stresses can take the form of monetary needs, or emotional frictions.
Competition at work and an increased workload can also cause greater levels of stress.
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How do you identify if you are suffering from excessive stress?
Psychological symptoms commonly experienced include insomnia, headaches and an
inability to focus. Physical symptoms take the form of heart palpitations,
breathlessness, excessive sweating and stomachaches.

What causes stress? There are many different causes of stress, and that which causes
stress is also known as a stressor. Common lifestyle stressors include performance, threat,
and bereavement stressors, to name a few. Performance stressors are triggered when an
individual is placed in a situation where he feels a need to excel. This could be during
performance appraisals, lunch with the boss, or giving a speech. Threat stressors are
usually when the current situation poses a dangerous threat, such as an economic
downturn, or from an accident. Lastly, bereavement stressors occur when there is a sense
of loss such as the death of a loved one, or a prized possession.

Thus, there are various stressors, and even more varied methods and techniques of
dealing with stress and turning it to our advantages. In order to do so, we must learn to
tell when we have crossed the line from positive to negative stress.

Good stress v/s Bad stress:

Stress has often been misunderstood to be negative, with few people acknowledging the
importance and usefulness of positive stress. In our everyday lives, stress is everywhere
and definitely unavoidable; hence our emphasis should be on differentiating between
what is good stress, and what is bad. This will help us to learn to cope with negative
stress, and harness the power of positive stress to help us achieve more.

There are 4 main categories of stress, namely eustress, distress, hyper stress and hypo
stress. Negative stress can cause many physical and psychological problems, whilst
positive stress can be very helpful for us. Here’s how we differentiate between them.

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

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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.

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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.

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 camel’s 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.

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 The types of stress are named as eustress and distress. Distress is the most
commonly-referred to type of stress, having negative implications, whereas eustress is a
positive form of stress, usually related to desirable events in person's life. Both can be
equally taxing on the body, and are cumulative in nature, depending on a person's way of
adapting to a change that has caused it.

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(1.2.4) Coping with Stress at Work place

With the rapid advancement of technology, the stresses faced at work have also
increased. Many people dread going to work, hence the term “Monday Blues”.
What is the reason for this? There is partly the fear from being retrenched in bad times,
leading to greater job insecurity on the part of those who remain.
Undoubtedly, occupational stress is one of the most commonly cited stressors faced
by people all over the world.

Stress refers to the pressure and reactions to our environment which results in
psychological and physical reactions. Whilst some stress is good for motivation and
increasing efficiency, too much stress can result in negative impacts such as reduced
effectiveness and efficiency. More and more people are feeling isolated and disrespected
at work, and this has led to greater occupational stress. Many companies have taken to
consulting experts and professionals on ways to increase connectedness and motivation
of their employees.

Some companies organize parties and make their employees feel valued at work. These
are measures to motivate employees and help them to feel secure at their jobs,
translating into greater productivity. However, not all companies have such measures
in place, and some have not gotten it quite right. Hence, it is up to you to make sure
that you can cope with stress at your workplace, and use it to help you work better.
Here are 3 simple steps to help you with coping with stress in the workplace.

Step 1: Raising Awareness

Help yourself to identify when you are facing rising levels of stress, tipping the scales
from positive to negative. This is important, as being able to identify signs of being
stressed can help you to take steps to ensure that your overall quality of life does not
drop. If left unacknowledged, the problem will only snowball, leading to disastrous
consequences to your health and overall wellbeing.

You can identify if you are feeling stressed by checking if you have any physical or
psychological reactions, such as excessive sweating or heart palpitations, or the onset of
headaches, irritability or the need to escape. If you experience any of these reactions,
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identify if you are feeling any overwhelming negative emotions, and if you are
constantly worried.

Step 2: Identify the Cause

You need to be able to analyze the situation and identify what is causing the rise in
stress. These stressors can be external and internal. External stressors refer to things
beyond your control, such as the environment or your colleagues at work. Internal
stressors refer to your own thinking and attitude. Often, we only start reacting to stress
when a combination of stressors working together exceeds our ability to cope.

Keep a diary or a list of events that have caused you to feel strong negative emotions, or
that are likely stressors. This will help you to identify the causes of your stress. Whilst it
is not always possible to eradicate them, we can change the way that we cope with it.

Step 3: Coping with Stress

In order to deal with the situation that is causing you stress, you need to calm your mind
and body so as to stave off the reactions and cope with it in a positive way. This can be
through different methods, such as taking time off. If a situation is triggering your stress
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.

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(1.2.5) Stress Management

Stress management is the need of the hour. However hard we try to go beyond
a stress situation, life seems to find new ways of stressing us out and plaguing us with
anxiety attacks. Moreover, be it our anxiety, mind-body exhaustion or our erring
attitudes, we tend to overlook causes of stress and the conditions triggered by those. In
such unsettling moments we often forget that stressors, if not escapable, are fairly
manageable and treatable.

Stress, either quick or constant, can induce risky body-mind disorders. Immediate
disorders such as dizzy spells, anxiety attacks, tension, sleeplessness, nervousness and
muscle cramps can all result in chronic health problems. They may also affect our
immune, cardiovascular and nervous systems and lead individuals to habitual
addictions, which are inter-linked with stress.

Like "stress reactions", "relaxation responses" and stress management

techniques are some of the body's important built-in response systems. As a relaxation
response the body tries to get back balance in its homeostasis. Some hormones released
during the 'fight or flight' situation prompt the body to replace the lost carbohydrates and
fats, and restore the energy level. The knotted nerves, tightened muscles and an
exhausted mind crave for looseness.
Unfortunately, today, we don't get relaxing and soothing situations without
asking. To be relaxed we have to strive to create such situations.

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
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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.

Laughter:

Adopting a humorous view towards life's situations can take the edge off everyday
stressors. Not being too serious or in a constant alert mode helps maintain the
equanimity of mind and promote clear thinking. Being able to laugh stress away is the
smartest way to ward off its effects.

A sense of humor also allows us to perceive and appreciate the incongruities of life and
provides moments of delight. The emotions we experience directly affect our immune
system. The positive emotions can create neurochemical changes that buffer the
immunosuppressive effects of stress.

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 lymphocytes—the natural killer cells.
Laughter also increases the number of T cells that have suppresser receptors.

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What Laughter Can Do Against Stress And Its Effects?

• Laughter lowers blood pressure and reduces hypertension.

• It provides good cardiac conditioning especially for those who are unable to
perform physical exercise.

• Reduces stress hormones (studies shows, laughter induces reduction of at least four of
neuroendocrine hormones—epinephrine, cortical, dopac, and growth hormone,
associated with stress response).

• Laughter cleanses the lungs and body tissues of accumulated stale air as it empties
more air than it takes in. It is beneficial for patients suffering from emphysema and
other respiratory ailments.

• It increases muscle flexion, relaxation and fluent blood circulation in body.

• Boosts immune function by raising levels of infection-fighting T-cells, disease-

fighting proteins called Gamma-interferon and disease-destroying antibodies called B-
cells.

• Laughter triggers the release of endorphins—body's natural painkillers.

• Produces a general sense of well-being.

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(1.2.6) 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.

Health and Healthcare Utilization

Problems at work are more strongly associated with health complaints than are any other
life stressor-more so than even financial problems or family problems. Many studies
suggest that psychologically demanding jobs that allow employees little control over the
work process increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
On the basis of research by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and
many other organizations, it is widely believed that job stress increases the risk for
development of back and upper-extremity musculoskeletal disorders. High levels of
stress are associated with substantial increases in health service utilization. Workers who
report experiencing stress at work also show excessive health care utilization. In a 1998
study of 46,000 workers, health care costs were nearly 50% greater for workers
reporting high levels of stress in comparison to “low risk” workers. The increment rose
to nearly 150%, an increase of more than $1,700 per person annually, for workers

23
reporting high levels of both stress and depression. Additionally, periods of disability
due to job stress tend to be much longer than disability periods for other occupational
injuries and illnesses.

Causes of Workplace Stress

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
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 1995–
2000 (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

24
working hours among working couples, particularly couples with young children.

Signs of Workplace Stress

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
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.

How to Change the Organization to Prevent Job Stress

 Ensure that the workload is in line with workers' capabilities and

resources.
 Design jobs to provide meaning, stimulation, and opportunities for workers to use
their skills.
 Clearly define workers' roles and responsibilities.
 Give workers opportunities to participate in decisions and actions affecting their
jobs.
 Improve communications-reduce uncertainty about career development and
future employment prospects.
 Provide opportunities for social interaction among workers.
 Establish work schedules that are compatible with demands and
responsibilities outside the job.
 Discrimination inside the workplace. (e.g. nationality and language )

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, (2) changes in
25
hospital policies and procedures to reduce organizational sources of stress, and
(3) establishment of employee assistance programs. In one study, the frequency of
medication errors declined by 50% after prevention activities was implemented in a 700-
bed hospital. In a second study, there was a 70% reduction in malpractice claims in 22
hospitals that implemented stress prevention activities. In contrast, there was no
reduction in claims in a matched group of 22 hospitals that did not implement stress
prevention activities.

26
(1.2.7) Reduce your 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.
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.

2. Rational & positive thinking: -

You are thinking negatively when you fear the future, put yourself down, criticize
yourself for errors, doubt your abilities, or expect failure. Negative thinking damages
confidence, harms performance and paralyzes mental skills.
Unfortunately, negative thoughts tend to flit into our consciousness, do their damage
and flit back out again, with their significance having barely been noticed. Since we
barely realize that they were there, we do not challenge them properly, which means
that they can be completely incorrect and wrong.

27
Thought Awareness is the process by which you observe your thoughts and become
aware of what is going through your head.
One approach to it is to observe your "stream of consciousness" as you think about the
thing you're trying to achieve which is stressful. Do not suppress any thoughts. Instead,
just let them run their course while you watch them, and write them down on our free
worksheet as they occur. Then let them go.

Another more general approach to Thought Awareness comes with logging stress in your
Stress Diary. When you analyze your diary at the end of the period, you should be able to
see the most common and the most damaging thoughts.
Tackle these as a priority using the techniques below.
Here are some typical negative thoughts you might experience when preparing to give a
major presentation:

 Fear about the quality of your performance or of problems that may

interfere with it;

 Worry about how the audience (especially important people in it like your boss)
or the press may react to you;

 Dwelling on the negative consequences of a poor performance; or

 Self-criticism over a less-than-perfect rehearsal.

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

28
thoughts we identified earlier:

 Feelings of inadequacy: Have you trained yourself as well as you reasonably

should have? Do you have the experience and resources you need to make the
presentation? Have you planned, prepared and rehearsed enough? If you have done
all of these, you've done as much as you can to give a good performance.

 Worries about performance during rehearsal: If some of your practice was

less than perfect, then remind yourself that the purpose of the practice is to
identify areas for improvement, so that these can be sorted out before the
performance.

 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?

 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.

Tip:
Don't make the mistake of generalizing a single incident. OK, you made a
mistake at work, but that doesn't mean you're bad at your job.

Similarly, make sure you take the long view about incidents that you're finding
stressful. Just because you're finding th ese new responsibilities stressful now, doesn't
mean that they will ALWAYS be so for you in the future.

Tip:
If you find it difficult to look at your negative thoughts objectively, imagine that you
are your best friend or a respected coach or mentor. Look at the list of
29
 negative thoughts and imagine the negative thoughts were written by someone you were
giving objective advice to. Then, think how you would challenge these
thoughts.

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.

Positive Thinking & Opportunity Seeking

By now, you should already be feeling more positive. The final step is to prepare
rational, positive thoughts and affirmations to counter any remaining negativity. It can
also be useful to look at the situation and see if there are any useful opportunities that are
offered by it.
By basing your affirmations on the clear, rational assessments of facts that you made
using Rational Thinking, you can use them to undo the damage that negative thinking
may have done to your self-confidence.

Tip:
Your affirmations will be strongest if they are specific, are expressed in the present
tense and have strong emotional content.

Continuing the examples above, positive affirmations might be:

 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."

30
  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."

If appropriate, write these affirmations down on your worksheet so that you can use
them when you need them.
As well as allowing you to structure useful affirmations, part of Positive Thinking is to
look at opportunities that the situation might offer to you. In the examples above,
successfully overcoming the situations causing the original negative thinking will open
up opportunities. You will acquire new skills, you will be seen as someone who can
handle difficult challenges, and you may open up new career opportunities.
Make sure that identifying these opportunities and focusing on them is part of your
positive thinking.

31
 2. Research Methodology

(2.1) Research Objective: -

Stress is a dynamic condition in witch an individual is confronted with an
opportunity, demand or resource related to what the individual desires and for which the
outcome is perceived to be both uncertain and important. This is a complicated definition.

Stress is not necessarily bad in and of itself. Although stress is typically

discussed in a negative context, it also has a positive value. It’s an opportunity when it
offers potential gain. Consider for example, the superior performance that an athlete or
stage performer gives in “clutch” situations. Such individuals often use stress positively
to rise to the occasion and perform at or near their maximum. Similarly, many
professionals see the pressures of heavy workloads and deadlines as positive challenges
that enhance the quality of their work and the satisfaction the get from their job.

But it is different in the case of bank employees. The bank employees are the
people who also have to achieve the certain target and so for the non achievement of
target the employees remain stressed and tensed. The employees who have the simple
table work also have to face the problem of stress. Due to recession the banking sector is
also facing the problem of employee cut-offs and so the work load of the existing
employees increases and the feel stressed.

The types of stress are named as eustress and distress. Distress is the most
commonly-referred to type of stress, having negative implications, whereas eustress is a
positive form of stress, usually related to desirable events in person's life. Both can be
equally taxing on the body, and are cumulative in nature, depending on a person's way of
adapting to a change that has caused it. Stress management is the need of the hour.
However hard we try to go beyond a stress situation, life seems to find new ways of
stressing us out and plaguing us with anxiety attacks. Moreover, be it our anxiety, mind-
body exhaustion or our erring attitudes, we tend to overlook causes of stress and the
conditions triggered by those. In such unsettling moments we often forget that stressors,
if not escapable, are fairly manageable and treatable.

32
 Stress, either quick or constant, can induce risky body-mind disorders.
Immediate disorders such as dizzy spells, anxiety attacks, tension, sleeplessness,
nervousness and muscle cramps can all result in chronic health problems. They may
also affect our immune, cardiovascular and nervous systems and lead individuals to
habitual addictions, which are inter-linked with stress.

Like "stress reactions", "relaxation responses" and stress management techniques are
some of the body's important built-in response systems. As a relaxation response the
body tries to get back balance in its homeostasis. Some hormones released during the
'fight or flight' situation prompt the body to replace the lost carbohydrates and fats, and
restore the energy level. The knotted nerves, tightened muscles and an exhausted mind
crave for looseness.
Unfortunately, today, we don't get relaxing and soothing situations without
asking. To be relaxed we have to strive to create such situations.

This research is to carry out the study that how much stressed the employees of
the banks are and how do their stress affect their work life, social life, output etc. so a
sample of 14 to 15 employees are selected from all the three banks for the research of
stress among them.

33
(2.2) Sampling

Sample: I have taken the sample of 35 employees from three different banks of
Bhavnagar. All the employees were of the same designations.

Reason: As we find the employees of the bank to be more stressful as more and more
employees are taking VRS and are dismissed because of inflation. I have selected only
those three banks which are affiliated to the public and are specialized in consumer needs
fulfillment.

It is incumbent on the researcher to clearly define the target population.

There are no strict rules to follow, and the researcher must rely on logic and
judgment. The population is defined in keeping with the objectives of the study.

Sometimes, the entire population will be sufficiently small, and the researcher
can include the entire population in the study. This type of research is called a census
study because data is gathered on every member of the population.
Usually, the population is too large for the researcher to attempt to survey
all of its members. A small, but carefully chosen sample can be used to represent the
population. The sample reflects the characteristics of the population from which it is
drawn.
Sampling methods 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.

34
Random sampling is the purest form of probability sampling. Each member of the
population has an equal and known chance of being selected. When there are very large
populations, it is often difficult or impossible to identify every member of the population, so
the pool of available subjects becomes biased.

Systematic sampling is often used instead of random sampling. It is also called an Nth name
selection technique. After the required sample size has been calculated, every N th record is
selected from a list of population members. As long as the list does not contain any hidden
order, this sampling method is as good as the random sampling method. Its only advantage
over the random sampling technique is simplicity. Systematic sampling is frequently used to
select a specified number of records from a computer file.

Stratified sampling is commonly used probability method that is superior to random

sampling because it reduces sampling error. A stratum is a subset of the population that
shares at least one common characteristic. The researcher first identifies the relevant
stratums and their actual representation in the population. Random sampling is then used to
select subjects from each stratum until the number of subjects in that stratum is proportional
to its frequency in the population. Stratified sampling is often used when one or more of the
stratums in the population have a low incidence relative to the other stratums.

Convenience sampling is used in exploratory research where the researcher is interested in

getting an inexpensive approximation of the truth. As the name implies, the sample is selected
because they are convenient. This non-probability method is often used during preliminary
research efforts to get a gross estimate of the results, without incurring the cost or time required to
select a random sample.

Judgment sampling is a common non- probability method. The researcher selects the
sample based on judgment. This is usually and extension of convenience sampling. For
example, a researcher may decide to draw the entire sample from one "representative" city,
even though the population includes all cities. When using this method, the researcher must
be confident that the chosen sample is truly representative of the entire population.

35
Quota sampling is the non-probability equivalent of stratified sampling. Like stratified
sampling, the researcher first identifies the stratums and their proportions as they are
represented in the population. Then convenience or judgment sampling is used to select the
required number of subjects from each stratum. This differs from stratified sampling, where
the stratums are filled by random sampling.

Snowball sampling is a special non- probability 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.

36
(2.3) Research Instrument: -

Checking Yourself for Burnout

Burnout occurs when passionate, committed people become deeply disillusioned with a
job or career from which they have previously derived much of their identity and
meaning. It comes as the things that inspire passion and enthusiasm are stripped away,
and tedious or unpleasant things crowd in. This tool can help you check yourself for
burnout.

Introduction:

This tool can help you check yourself for burnout. It helps you look at the way you feel
about your job and your experiences at work, so that you can get a feel for whether you
are at risk of burnout.

Using the Tool:

 Work through the table on paper and calculate values manually.

 Fill in values appropriately on the sheet. This will automatically calculate
scores for you and interpret these scores, showing the score and interpretation
in row 30.

If you choose to use the manual method, then calculate the total of the scores as
described in the instructions (note that this uses a slightly different scoring method from
the spreadsheet). Apply the score to the scoring table underneath to get the
interpretation.

Checking Yourself for Burnout

37
 No
Questionnaire Questions Not at Rarely Sometimes Ofte Very
all n often
1 Do you feel run down and
drained of physical or
emotional energy?
2 Do you find that you are prone
to negative thinking about your
job?
3 Do you find that you are harder
and less sympathetic with people
than perhaps they deserve?

4 Do you find yourself getting

easily irritated by small
problems, or by your co- workers
and team?
5 Do you feel misunderstood or
unappreciated by your co-
workers?
6 Do you feel that you have no-
one to talk to?
7 Do you feel that you are
achieving less than you
should?
8 Do you feel under an
unpleasant level of
pressure to succeed?
9 Do you feel that you are not
getting what you want out of your
job?
10 Do you feel that you are in the
wrong organization or the
wrong profession?
11 Are you becoming frustrated
with parts of your job?

12 Do you feel that organizational

politics or bureaucracy frustrate
your ability to do a good job?

13 Do you feel that there is more

work to do than you practically
have the ability to do?

14 Do you feel that you do not have

time to do many of the things that
are important to doing a good
quality job? 38
Instructions: For each question, put an 'X' in the column that most applies. Put one 'X'
only in each row.
Please write the total number of ‘x’ at the space given at the bottom of each
column

Answer Number Weight Weighted Total

Not at all 0
Rarely 1
Sometimes 2
Often 3
Very often 4

39
(2.4) Data analysis and Interpretation

The project report shows the information of the level of stress which the
employees are facing as the period of recession is going the employee cut-off and
turnover ratios are found to be high so the workload for the existing employees are
high. So they are facing the problem of work overload and thus they get stressed.

no sign of burn out

little sign of burnout
Be careful
severe risk
Very high

The Report of a Bank

>= response
-1 No sign of burnout here! 0
5 Little sign of burnout here, unless some factors are particularly 3
severe
18 Be careful - you may be at risk of burnout, particularly if several scores 10
are high
35 You are at severe risk of burnout - do something about this urgently 0

45 You are at very severe risk of burnout - do something about this 0

urgently

40
 N o s ig n L i t t l e s i B e c a r e
g fSe v e re
V e r y h ig

The report of a Bank

>= response
-1 No sign of burnout here! 0
5 Little sign of burnout here, unless some factors are particularly 5
severe
18 Be careful - you may be at risk of burnout, particularly if several scores 3
are high
35 You are at severe risk of burnout - do something about this urgently 0

45 You are at very severe risk of burnout - do something about this 0

urgently

No sign It is seen from the

little sign above data that
be careful
Severe
risk

the employees working in the banks are at the risk of two levels that is “a little sign of
burn out” and “be careful”. Taking a look on the data of all the three banks, it is seen
that the employees working in SBS are found less stressed out compared to other banks.
This can be because it’s a public sector. If all the graphs are compared, it is seen that the
ratio of stressed employees in AXIS banks are high as compared to all the other banks.

41
Let’s have a look on the overall result of the survey
>= response
Yes No No response
-1 No sign of burnout ! 8 0 0
5 14
Little sign of burnout here, unless some factors are particularly
severe
18 Be careful - you may be at risk of burnout, particularly if several scores 21
are high
35 You are at severe risk of burnout - do something about this urgently 0

45 You are at very severe risk of burnout - do something about this 0

urgently

no sign
little sign
Be carefull
severe risk
Very high

From the above graph it can be seen that maximum employees of all the banks are at a
moderate level of risk of burnout while the employees who were found with a little
sign of burnout is less. So the ratio of little sign of burnout and moderate level of
burnout is 2:3.

1. Are you satisfied with the performance you give at your work?

Yes
No
No response
42
From the diagram it is clear that 77 % of the employees are satisfied with the
performance they give in the work while 23 % of the employees are not satisfied.

2. Do you think that you are suffering from depression?

Yes No No response
7 28 0

Yes
No
No response

20 % of the employee feel that they are suffering from depression while 80 % of the
employee feel that that they are free from the depression

3. Do you worry about your colleague's opinion about you?

Yes No No response
9 26 0

Yes
No
No response

44
 Yes No No response
31 4 0

26% of the employees worry about their colleague’s opinion about them while 74%
of the employees are not concern with the opinion about their colleague.

4. Do you discuss your problem with your spouse or friend or any other close to
you?
Yes No No response
32 3 0

Yes
No
No response

91% of the employees of the bank discuss their problem and share their feelings with
their spouse or friends or others while 9 % of the employee is not concerned with it.

44
5. Do you work more than 8 hours?
89% of the employees work for more than 8 hours which is the starting point of

Yes No No response
20 15 0
Yes No
No response

the stress while 11 % of the employees don’t work for more than 8 hours.

6. You have an important function at your home and your boss asks to give a 4
hour over time, what will be your response?
Yes No No response
14 19 2

Yes
No
No response

40 % of the employees are proved to be work dedicated and they are ready to miss the
important function at their house while 54 % of the employees said no and 6 % of the
employee did not gave any answer.

45
7. Do you regularly spend time for entertainment?

Yes

57% of the employee spent regular time on entertainment which helps us to remain
stress free while 43 % of the employees don’t do that.

8. Is your social life balanced?

Yes No No response
19 14 2
Yes
No
No response

54 % of the employees find their social life to be balanced while 40 % of the

employees don’t have their social life balanced. 6% of the employees remain silent.

46
9. Do you plan your work before doing?

Yes No No response
31 4 0

Yes No No response It
1 34 0 is
Yes No
No response a

good habit to plan the work you do. 89 % of the employees plan their work before doing
while 11 % of the employees don’t plan their work.

10. Do you fear about the quality of your performance?

Y es No No response
22 13 0 Yes
No
No response

63% of the employees fear the quality of performance which they give while 37 % of the
employees don’t fear the quality of their work.

47
11. Are you a heart patient?

Yes

Here 3 % of the employees are heart patient which is partially the result of stress.

12. Do you get tensed at your non achievement of your target?

Yes No No response
25 10 0

Yes
No
No response

71% of the employees get tensed at the non achievement of the target while 29
% of the employees work casually.

48
13. Do you feeling stress some times?
Yes No No response
28 6 1

Yes
No
No response

80% of the employees feel stressed sometimes while 17 % of the employees are not
feeling stressed. 3 % of the employees did not respond.

If the answer of the above question is ‘Yes’ then answer the following:
a) Is the reason of your stress your work load?

Yes No No response
20 9 6

Yes
No
No response

57% of the employees find themselves to be stressed by their work over load. 26
% of the employees are not stressed because of the work overload. 17 % of the
employees did not answer.

49
 b) Are you stressed because of your family problems?

Yes No No response
40 % of the 14 14 7

Yes
No
No response

employees are stressed because of their family problems 40% by other problems while
20% of the employees did not responded.

c) Do you get stressed when your boss scolds you?

Yes No No response
10 18 7

Yes
No
No response

20% of the employee did not responded when they were asked weather their get stressed
because of the scolding of their boss. 51% of the employees don’t get stress because of
the scolding of their boss. 29 % of the employees get stressed because of the scolding of
their boss.

50
 d) Do you try to find any solution for the problem of your stress?
Yes No No response
24 6 5

Yes
No
No response

69 % of the employees try to find the solution of their stress.

e) (IF YES) Do you practice yoga or any other ayurvedic therapy for
reducing stress?

Yes No No response
11 18 6

31% of the employees try the yoga and other ayurvedic techniques to reduce

Yes
No
No response

their stress while 51 % of the employees use other techniques to reduce stress.

51
 (2.5) Employee’s opinion about how to reduce
stress

This project consist of the information about the employees undergoing from
stress who working in the banks. So considering this factor this topic becomes one of the
most important part of the project as it consists of the opinion of the employees who
work in the banks. In short it was a direct interview of the employees who gave their
opinion about how to reduce stress. The response of employees in the major banks of
Bhavnagar like State Bank of Saurashtra, The AXIS Bank, and The HDFC bank was
marvelous and they have given their valuable opinion about reducing stress as a result of
the last question included in the questionnaire 2. So the opinion if the employees were as
follows:

➢ “Just smile away” An employee- HDFC Bank

➢ “Just believe in yourself and just do what your heart wants” An
employee- HDFC Bank
➢ -“Talking to family members, - Watching TV or listening good
music, - Going for a walk or long drive” An employee- HDFC Bank
➢ “Believe in God” An employee- HDFC Bank
➢ “Respect yourself and give time to yourself” An employee-
HDFC Bank
➢ “Working in environment welfares, lot of positive attitude. Positive
attitude is only that reduces stress and achieves success. Most of the people
frustrate due to lack of positivity and stress level climbs up due to that. So get
positive attitude about work, about life, and forget the stress” An employee-
AXIS Bank
➢ “We should do such activities from which we get happiness and
also make others happy. Pass your time with your close friends and relatives.”
An employee- AXIS Bank
➢ “Play and watch cricket” An employee- AXIS Bank

52
 ➢ “Listen music and spend time with family” An employee- SBS
Bank
➢ “Get adjusted with others, Find and spend time for prayer,
Study the scriptures, See oneness in all, All are manifested of the supreme
GOD” An employee- SBS Bank

These opinions are seemed to be valuable and effective as one of the

effective things has been noticed that the employees who have got less than 18 marks in
the Burnout test have given their opinions about reducing the stress.

It is also noticed that in the AXIS bank Bhavnagar in the time of afternoon
slow instrumental music are been played so that the employees can work stress free. This
is one of the positive things which are seen in the organization who is caring for their
employees. This will help the organization to boost up the productivity.

From the certain sample of employees selected for the research, only 10
employees have given their opinion how to reduce stress. So we can understand that
how overloaded the employees of the bank are.

53
 (2.6) Research Flowchart
Questionnaire research design proceeds in an orderly and specific manner.
Each item in the flow chart depends upon the successful completion of all the previous
items. Therefore, it is important not to skip a single step. Notice that there are two
feedback loops in the flow chart to allow revisions to the methodology and instruments.

Design Methodology

Determine Feasibility

Develop Instruments

Select Sample

Conduct Pilot Test

Revise Instruments

Conduct Research

Analyze Data

Prepare Report

54
(2.7) Time Considerations

Many researchers underestimate the time required to complete a

research project. The following form may be used as an initial checklist in
developing time estimates. The best advice is to be generous with your time
estimates. Things almost always take longer than we think they should.

This checklist contains two time estimates for each task. The first one
(Hours) is your best estimate of the actual number of hours required to complete the
task. The second one (Duration) is the amount of time that will pass until the task is
completed. Sometimes these are the same and sometimes they are different. Most
researchers and business-people have to divide their time among many projects. They
simply cannot give all their time to any one project. For example, my estimate of goal
clarification may be four hours, but other commitments allow me to spend only two
hours a day on this study. My "hours" estimate is four hours, and my "duration" estimate
is two days.

To arrive at your final time estimates, add the individual estimates. The hours
estimate is used for budget planning and the duration estimate is used to develop a
project time line.

55
(2.8) Limitation of the survey

➢ The
questionnaires were filled be 35 employees working in the three major Banks of
Bhavnagar i.e. Axis Bank, HDFC Bank and SBS Bank. So the scope of sample
findings was less.
➢ The
questionnaire was filled by 35 employees of different designations. So the point of
view of employees differs as per their designations.
➢ The
employees from whom the questionnaires are filled are in a heavy workload so some
of the questionnaires filled by the employees who are in stress cannot be called
reasonable.
➢ The
responses of the employees cannot be accurate as the problem of language and
understanding arises. (These problems are not in all cases.)
➢ One of the
other problems of questionnaire is the cost. Some times it may be possible that even by
spending so much the result may not be reasonable.
➢ Many a
times the employees may not be really conscious or may not be bothered about the
questionnaire. This may create a problem in the research.

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 (2.8.1) Advantages of Written Questionnaires
Questionnaires are very cost effective when compared to face-to- face interviews. This is especially true
for studies involving large sample sizes and large geographic areas. Written questionnaires become even
more cost effective as the number of research questions increases.

▪ Questionnaires are easy to analyze. Data entry and tabulation for nearly
all surveys can be easily done with many computer software packages.

▪ Questionnaires are familiar to most people. Nearly everyone has had

some experience completing questionnaires and they generally do not
make people apprehensive.

▪ Questionnaires reduce bias. There is uniform question presentation and no

middle-man bias. The researcher's own opinions will not influence the
respondent to answer questions in a certain manner. There are no verbal or
visual clues to influence the respondent.

▪ Questionnaires are less intrusive than telephone or face-to-face surveys.

When a respondent receives a questionnaire in the mail, he is free to
complete the questionnaire on his own time-table. Unlike other research
methods, the respondent is not interrupted by the research instrument.

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(2.8.2) Disadvantages of Written Questionnaires

▪ One major disadvantage of written questionnaires is the possibility of

low response rates. Low response is the curse of statistical analysis. It
can dramatically lower our confidence in the results. Response rates vary
widely from one questionnaire to another

(10% - 90%), however, well-designed studies consistently produce high

response rates.

▪ Another disadvantage of questionnaires is the inability to probe

responses. Questionnaires are structured instruments. They allow little
flexibility to the respondent with respect to response format. In essence,
they often lose the "flavor of the response" (i.e., respondents often want
to qualify their answers). By allowing frequent space for comments, the
researcher can partially overcome this disadvantage. Comments are
among the most helpful of all the information on the questionnaire, and
they usually provide insightful information that would have otherwise
been lost.

▪ Nearly ninety percent of all communication is visual. Gestures and other

visual cues are not available with written questionnaires. The lack of
personal contact will have different effects depending on the type of
information being requested. A questionnaire requesting factual
information will probably not be affected by the lack of personal contact.
A questionnaire probing sensitive issues or attitudes may be severely
affected.

▪ When returned questionnaires arrive in the mail, it's natural to assume

that the respondent is the same person you sent the questionnaire to.
This may not actually be the case. Many times business questionnaires
get handed to other employees for completion. Housewives sometimes
respond for their husbands. Kids respond as a prank. For a variety of

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 reasons, the respondent may not be who you think it is. It is a
confounding error inherent in questionnaires.
▪ Finally, questionnaires are simply not suited for some people. For
example, a written survey to a group of poorly educated people
might not work because of reading skill problems. More
frequently, people are turned off by written questionnaires
because of misuse.

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(2.9) Findings

It is analyzed from the questionnaire filled by the employees that the

employees who have scored more than 20 marks in the burnout test are not satisfied with
the performance which they give in the organization. Thus it is proved that the employees
who are desired to give better performance than their original performance are found
more stressful than the others. While at the same time the employ that have scored less
than 20 marks in the burnout test are satisfied with the performance. From the sample of
35 bank employees who have been surveyed, one is found to be a heart patient. This can
be because of high level of stress.

Very rare of the employee are to be found suffering from depression. It is

proved from the survey that the employees who have scored more than 25 marks in the
burnout test are concern about the opinion of their colleagues. And the employees who
got less than 25 marks do not mind about their colleague’s opinion. Thus it is proved
that the colleagues opinion also play a lead role in the

increase and decrease of the stress level. Those who mind about their
colleague’s opinion are found to be more stressful.

The employees who have scored 28-29 marks in the burnout test don’t
believe in sharing their problems with their spouse or friend or any closed one. Thus
we can say that sharing your problems with your spouse or close friends is a better
idea to reduce stress.

In the second questionnaire one of the question was “You have an

important function at your home and your boss asks to give a 4 hour over time what will
be your response ‘Yes or No’?” the employees have given their opinion as per their
mood.

While considering the point of view of entertainment it depends upon the

mood of the employees. The entertainment is considered one of the most ultimate

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solutions to reduce stress. Most of the employees do not spend regular time in
entertainment. This may be because they may not be getting time for entertainment or
they may not be interested in the same.

One of the questions was asked that were their social life balanced?
It is observed that the employees who have scored above 20 marks in the burnout test
did not have their social life balanced. Thus we can conclude that the employees who
are above 20 don’t have their social life balanced. Thus it is proved that stress may
affect our social life also.

The employees were asked weather they plan their work or not, moderate
answers were given. The employees scoring more than 25 marks were not found their
work planned. Thus the employees who plan their work have scored below 25 marks in
the burnout test except some cases as there are always some drawbacks in making plan.
Failure of a plan may also lead a person

to stress. Thus we can conclude that planning of the work may help to reduce stress
level.

Most of the employees who have scored more than 20 marks fear about their
quality of work they give. This aspect is not dependent of the burnout level. This aspect
depends upon the dedication of work. So it is meaningless to compare this question with
the burnout test.

A question was asked that weather you get stressed at the non- achievement
of their target? All the employees have responded positively. But this is not concern with
the burnout score. From this we can conclude that all the employees are given achievable
target and naturally by the non-achievement of the target all the employees may get
stressed. One of the other possibilities is that the employees have responded positively to
show themselves to be good.

The employees having more than 10 marks in the burnout test says that they
are under stress. Out of 35 employees of the sample 20 of the employees accepted that

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the reason for their stress is workload. 10 employees are not stressed because of the
workload but because of their family problem. 5 of the employees are not suffering from
stress. 14 employees out of 30 employees who are stressed feel stressful when their boss
scolds them while 16 employees refused that they are not stressed because their boss
scolds them. All the 30 employees have accepted that they try to find the solution of their
stress. 10 employees out of 30 employees practice yoga to reduce their stress and the
other 20 employees don’t practice yoga. The burnout scores of the employees who
practice yoga are either more than 25 or less than 20. Thus we can conclude that the
employees have reduced their stress by yoga therapy and other employees have just
started the yoga because of high level of burnout

The above analysis is done by the data received from the

questionnaire. So the accuracy of data depends upon the response of the
employees.

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3. BIBILIOGRAPHY

o www.mindtool.com

o Organizational Behavior “Stephen P. Robbins”

o Burn Out tool – Questionnaire

o Self analysis of questionnaire

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