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INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY STRESS MANAGEMENT Stress is a feeling that's created when we react to particular events.

It's the body's way of rising to a challenge and preparing to meet a tough situation with focus, strength, stamina, and heightened alertness. The events that provoke stress are called stressors, and they cover a whole range of situations - everything from outright physical danger to making a class presentation or taking a semester's worth of your toughest subject. The human body responds to stressors by activating the nervous system and specific hormones. The hypothalamus signals the adrenal glands to produce more of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol and release them into the bloodstream. These hormones speed up heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, and metabolism. Blood vessels open wider to let more blood flow to large muscle groups, putting our muscles on alert. Pupils dilate to improve vision. The liver releases some of its stored glucose to increase the body's energy. And sweat is produced to cool the body. All of these physical changes prepare a person to react quickly and effectively to handle the pressure of the moment. This natural reaction is known as the stress response. Working properly, the body's stress response enhances a person's ability to perform well under pressure. But the stress response can also cause problems when it overreacts or fails to turn off and reset itself properly. Stress can be managed in a number of ways. Some of the ways to manage stress includes playing a sport, exercise, yoga or indulging into music. However, this is by no means an exhaustive list of activities. There is no right or wrong ways to reduce stress. The core purpose is performing a set of activities that can keep people busy and at the same time help in stress reduction. In order to get the best result people should follow a discipline in life. The best way to avoid stress at work and in personal life is to be positive in attitude. Things take time and the winner never quits. Keep trying and put your full efforts and leave the result the destiny. Another tip would be not to indulge in contentious or debatable discussions if possible. They can induce stress in individuals and might hamper their productivity. Try not to carry office at home. This can destroy the personal life of an individual. Stress can be managed if some efforts are made in a smart manner. More people across the world are falling prey to stress. They are investing heavily in medicinal treatments. However, not realizing that the best way is to manage it naturally. Therefore make an attempt to discover the healthy change. GOOD STRESS AND BAD STRESS The stress response is critical during emergency situations, such as when a driver has to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident. It can also be activated in a milder form at a time when the pressure's on but there's no actual danger - like stepping up to take the foul shot that could win the game, getting ready to go to a big
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dance, or sitting down for a final exam. A little of this stress can help keep you on your toes, ready to rise to a challenge. And the nervous system quickly returns to its normal state, standing by to respond again when needed. But stress doesn't always happen in response to things that are immediate or that are over quickly. Ongoing or long-term events, like coping with a divorce or moving to a new neighborhood or school, can cause stress, too. Long-term stressful situations can produce a lasting, low-level stress that's hard on people. The nervous system senses continued pressure and may remain slightly activated and continue to pump out extra stress hormones over an extended period. This can wear out the body's reserves, leave a person feeling depleted or overwhelmed, weaken the body's immune system, and cause other problems. CAUSES OF STRESS OVERLOAD Although just enough stress can be a good thing, stress overload is a different story - too much stress isn't good for anyone. For example, feeling a little stress about a test that's coming up can motivate you to study hard. But stressing out too much over the test can make it hard to concentrate on the material you need to learn. Pressures that are too intense or last too long, or troubles that are shouldered alone, can cause people to feel stress overload. Here are some of the things that can overwhelm the body's ability to cope if they continue for a long time:

being bullied or exposed to violence or injury relationship stress, family conflicts, or the heavy emotions that can accompany a broken heart or the death of a loved one ongoing problems with schoolwork related to a learning disability or other problems, such as ADHD (usually once the problem is recognized and the person is given the right learning support the stress disappears)

Some people have anxiety problems that can cause them to overreact to stress, making even small difficulties seem like crises. If a person frequently feels tense, upset, worried, or stressed, it may be a sign of anxiety. Anxiety problems usually need attention, and many people turn to professional counselors for help in overcoming them. SIGNS OF STRESS OVERLOAD People who are experiencing stress overload may notice some of the following signs:

anxiety or panic attacks a feeling of being constantly pressured, hassled, and hurried irritability and moodiness physical symptoms, such as stomach problems, headaches, or even chest pain allergic reactions, such as eczema or asthma problems sleeping drinking too much, smoking, overeating, or doing drugs

Everyone experiences stress a little differently. Some people become angry and act out their stress or take it out on others. Some people internalize it and develop eating disorders or substance abuse problems. And some people who have a chronic illness may find that the symptoms of their illness flare up under an overload of stress.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY Primary objective: The primary objective of the study is to assess the stress level experienced by the employees. Secondary objectives: To find out the level of job satisfaction of the employees. To find out the reactions of the employees during stress. To analyze the stress due to work atmosphere. To find out the workload of the employees.

NEED FOR THE STUDY: A study of stress among employees is necessary to know the stress level experienced by the employees. Employees are the back bone of the company. It also aids that organization in improving their work condition and develops them in future. Stress among the employees at work place must be assessed, so that the work load is reduce their work load and can result in increase production at right time. Study of stress is very important in order to find out answers for the following: How the organizations stress reduction program has contributed to decrease stress among employees. To measure the steps taken by the employees to reduce their stress by themselves. How stress can be controlled better to facilitate continuous improvement in every stress programme. What other control can be used to improve the effectiveness of the program. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

RESEARCH DESIGN Descriptive research design was used to assess the employee work stress. The main characteristic of this method is that the research has no control over the variables and can only report what has happened or what is happening.

Sample A sample of 110 employees was taken to conduct the study.


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Result The respondents were not able to understand some technical words which have been modified and feedback was good for the rest of the questions. DATA COLLECTION Primary data collection was through questionnaire to get required data and secondary data collection was through company research and websites. DATA ANALYSIS The data collected through questionnaires was analysed using simple percentage analysis and chi square test. Based on the findings, conclusion and suggestions were drawn. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
The study is pertaining to a unit only and cannot be generalized.

Communication barrier with both the researcher as well as the respondents. Time constraint is one of the main limitations. Sample size is limited to 110. The information provided by the respondents can be biased.

STATISTICAL TOOLS: SIMPLE PERCENTAGE METHOD: Simple percentage method is used to analyse the data. Simple percentage method is divided with the given no.of respondents by the total no.of respondents and multiplied by 110.

FORMULA: Simple percentage method =

No. of respondents * 100 Total no. of respondents

CHI SQUARE TEST: Chi square test is one of the most widely used non parametric test in statistical work. This test was first used by Karl Pearson in the year 1900.quantity describes the magnitude of the discrepency between theory and observation. It is a method to test the relation between the theoritical hypothesis of the observed value. FORMULA: (Oij - Eij)^2 Chi-square = Eij Where Oij- observed frequency
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Eij-expected frequency

REVIEW OF LITERATURE McGrath (1976) proposed a definition based on the conditions necessary for stress. Stress is an imprecise term. It is usually defined in terms of the internal and external conditions that create stressful situations, and the symptoms that people experience when they are stressed. Arnold and Feldman (1986) define stress as "the reactions of individuals to new or threatening factors in their work environment." Since our work environments often contain new situations, this definition suggests that stress in inevitable. This definition also highlights the fact that reactions to stressful situations are individualized, and can result in emotional, perceptual, behavioral, and physiological changes. Selye (1946) was the first to describe the phases that the body goes through in response to a threat. The general adaptation syndrome model states that the body passes through three stages. The first stage is an alarm reaction. The body prepares for a potential emergency. Reitz (1987) writes that individuals in modern society often substitute other psychological reactions for flight-or-flight. Substitutions for fighting include negativism, expression of boredom, dissatisfaction, irritability, anger over unimportant matters, and feelings of persecution. Substitutions for fleeing include apathy, resignation, fantasy, forgetfulness, inability to concentrate, procrastination, and inability to make decisions. Pieper, C., 1990 Omni magazine (March, 1991) wrote about a series of experiments with rats to examine the physiological effects of prolonged stress. There was a significant "thickening of the heart's left ventricle, or chamber, a condition that often precedes coronary heart disease and heart attacks. The researchers found that there was actually a loss of neurons in the hippocampus section of their brains. The article concluded with a warning that there is some evidence of a similar neuron loss occurs in humans. Williams and Huber (1986) provide a comprehensive list of the symptoms of stress. These are: "constant fatigue, low energy level, recurring headaches, gastrointestinal disorders, chronically bad breath, sweaty hands or feet, dizziness, high blood pressure, pounding heart, constant inner tension, inability to sleep, temper outbursts, hyperventilation, moodiness, irritability and restlessness, inability to concentrate, increased aggression, compulsive eating, chronic worrying, anxiety or apprehensiveness, inability to relax, growing feelings of inadequacy, increase in defensiveness, dependence on tranquilizers, excessive use of alcohol, and excessive smoking." . McGrath (1978) reported that mild to moderate amounts of stress enables people to perform some tasks more effectively. The rationale is that improved performance can be attributed to increased arousal. Lawless, 1992, However, if the stressor continues, it eventually takes its toll, and results in decreased performance and deleterious health consequences.
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Furthermore, workers are aware of the toll that stress has had on their own performances. Half of all workers say that job stress reduces their productivity. Bhagat (1983) has reported that work performance can be seriously impaired by external stressors. There are many aspects of organizational life that can become external stressors. These include issues of structure, management's use of authority, monotony, a lack of opportunity for advancement, excessive responsibilities, ambiguous demands, value conflicts, and unrealistic work loads. A person's nonworking life (e.g., family, friends, health, and financial situations) can also contain stressors that negatively impact job performance. Albrecht (1979) argues that nearly all stressors are emotionally induced. These are based on peoples' expectations, or ". . . the belief that something terrible is about to happen." Thus, emotionally induced stress arises from one's imagination. Arnold and Feldman (1986) cite three types of interpersonal relationships that can evoke a stress reaction: 1) too much prolonged contact with other people, 2) too much contact with people from other departments, and 3) an unfriendly or hostile organizational climate.Personal factors are often a source of stress. These include career related concerns, such as job security and advancement, as well as financial and family concerns. French, Kast, and Rosenzweig (1985) state that the challenge is to minimize distress and maintain eustress. They point out that the conditions of organizational life create a series of paradoxes that demonstrate the need for balance and equilibrium. ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION Table No. 1 Table Showing the Age Group of the Respondents

S. No 1. 2. 3. 4.

Age Group 25 years 25 - 35 years 35 - 45 years Above 45 years Total

No. of Respondents 48 44 14 4 110

Percentage (%) 44 40 13 3 100

Interpretation From the above table it is clear that 44% of the respondents belong to 25 years, 40% of the respondents belong to 25 - 35 years, 13% of the respondents belong to 35 - 45 years and 3% of the respondents belong to above 45 years.

Table No. 2 Table Showing the Marital Status of the Respondents

S.No 1. 2.

Marital Status Married Unmarried Total

No. of Respondents 64 46 110

Percentage (%) 58 42 100

Interpretation From the above table it is clear that 58% of the respondents are married and 42% of the respondents are unmarried.

Table No. 3 Table Showing the Gender of the Respondents

S. No 1. 2.

Gender Male Female Total

No. of Respondents 82 28 110

Percentage (%) 75 25 100

Interpretation From the above table it shows that 75% of the respondents are male and 25% of the respondents are female.

Table No. 4 Table Showing the Education Qualification of the Respondents

S. No 1. 2. 3. 4.

Education Qualification Schooling Under graduate Post graduate Other Total

No. of Respondents 21 50 39 0 110

Percentage (%) 19 45 36 0 100

Interpretation From the above table it shows that 45% of the respondents have done their under graduate, 36% of the respondents have done their post graduate, 19% of the respondents have done their schooling and 0% of the respondents have done others.

Table No. 5 Table Showing the Working Experience of the Respondents

S. No 1. 2. 3. 4.

Particulars 1 4 Years 4 8 Years 8 12 Years More than 12 years Total

No. of Respondents 65 32 12 1 110

Percentage (%) 59 29 11 1 100

Interpretation From the above table it is inferred 59% of the respondents have 1 - 4 years of working experience, 29% of the respondents have 4 - 8 years of working experience, 11% of the respondents have 8 - 12 years of working experience, and 1% of the respondents have more than 12 years of working experience. Table No. 6
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Table Showing the Salary Level of the Respondents

S. No 1. 2. 3. 4.

Particulars Rs. 5,000 Rs. 5,000 Rs. 10,000 Rs. 10,000 Rs. 15,000 Above Rs. 15,000 Total

No. of Respondents 40 34 22 14 110

Percentage (%) 36 31 20 13 100

Interpretation From the above table it is clear that 36% of the respondents earn Rs.5,000, 31% of the respondents earn Rs. 5,000 Rs. 10,000, 20% of the respondents earn Rs. 10,000 Rs. 15,000, and 13% of the respondents earn above Rs. 15,000.

Table No. 7 Table Showing the Convenient Shift Time of the Respondents

S. No 1. 2.

Particulars Yes No Total

No. of Respondents 80 30 110

Percentage (%) 73 27 100

Interpretation From the above table it is clear that 73% of the respondents feel that the shift time is convenient for them and 27% of the respondents feel that the shift time is not convenient for them.

Table No. 8 Table Showing the Respondents View About Seeking Help from their Supervisors

S. No 1. 2. 3. 4.

Particulars Often Sometimes Never Occasionally Total

No. of Respondents 13 75 19 3 110

Percentage (%) 12 68 17 3 100

Interpretation From the above table it is clear that 68% of the respondents are sometimes, 17% of the respondents are never, 12% of the respondents are often and 3% of the respondents are occasionally.

Table No. 9 Table Showing the Respondents Satisfaction Towards their Work

S. No 1. 2.

Particulars Yes No Total

No. of Respondents 90 20 110

Percentage (%) 82 18 100

Interpretation From the above table it is clear that 82% of the respondents says that they are satisfied towards their work and 18% of the respondents says that they are not satisfied towards their work.
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Table No. 10 Table Showing the Respondents Opinion about doing Justice to their Work

S. No 1. 2. 3. 4.

Particulars Strongly agree Agree Strongly agree Disagree Total

No. of Respondents 16 63 11 20 110

Percentage (%) 15 57 10 18 100

Interpretation From the above table it is interpreted that 57% of the respondents agree that they do justice to their work, 18% of the respondents disagree that they dont do justice to their work, 15% of the respondents strongly agree that they do justice to their work, and 10% of the respondents strongly disagree that they dont do justice to their work,

Table No. 11 Table Showing the Respondents View about the Company treating the workers as valuable sources

S. No 1. 2. 3.

Particulars Strongly agree Agree Strongly agree

No. of Respondents 22 68 13
11

Percentage (%) 20 62 12

4.

Disagree Total

7 110

6 100

Interpretation From the above table it is shows that 62% of the respondents are agree, 20% of the respondents are strongly agree, 12% of the respondents are strongly disagree and 6% of the respondents are disagree. Table No. 12 Table Showing the Handling an Excessive Work Load of the Respondents S. No 1. 2. 3. 4. Particulars Priority work Tackle the problem Get frustrated and irritated Try to relax and complete my work Total No. of Respondents 24 37 9 40 110 Percentage (%) 22 34 8 36 100

Interpretation From the above table it is clear that 36% of the respondents handle excessive work load by trying to relax and complete their work, 34% of respondents handle the excessive work load by tackling the problem, 22% of respondents handle the excessive work load by prioritizing the work, and 8% of respondents get frustrated and irritated. Table No. 13 Table Showing the Respondents Way of Handling Problem S. No 1. 2. Particulars Sort the problems out Enjoy challenges No. of Respondents 40 55 Percentage (%) 36 50 the the the the

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3. 4.

Blame someone else Keep it to myself Total

6 10 110

5 9 100

Interpretation From the above table it is clear that 50% of the respondents enjoy challenges, 36% of the respondents handle problems by sorting out the problems, 8% of the respondents handle problems by keeping it to themselves, and 5% of the respondents handle problem by blaming someone else.

Table No. 14 Table Showing the Respondents Responds when said to do Something Unplanned S. No 1. 2. 3. 4. Particulars Anger Try for some excuse Try doing that job Others Total No. of Respondents 10 30 65 5 110 Percentage (%) 9 27 59 5 100

Interpretation From the above table shows that 59% of the respondents try doing the job, 27% of the respondents try for some excuse, 9% of the respondents get angry and 5% of the respondents give other responses. Table No. 15 Table Showing the Respondents View about taking Changes in Life S. No Particulars No. of Respondents Percentage (%)

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1. 2. 3. 4.

Accommodate changes Cannot accommodate changes Un suitable about changes Neutral Total

53 15 10 32 110

48 14 9 29 100

Interpretation From the above table it is clear that 48% of the respondents accommodate changes , 29% of the respondents are neutral, 14% of the respondents cannot accommodate changes and 9% of the respondents are unsuitable about changes.

Table No. 16 Table Showing the Respondents Feeling when Criticized in Front of the CoWorker S. No 1. 2. 3. 4. Particulars Get Anger Get embarrassed Take it as negative motivation Neutral Total No. of Respondents 20 36 24 30 110 Percentage (%) 18 33 22 27 100

Interpretation From the above table it is clear that 33% of the respondents get embarrassed, 27% of the respondents are neutral, 22% of the respondents take it as negative motivation and 18% of the respondents get anger.

Table No. 17
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Table Showing the Respondents View about their Work

S. No 1. 2. 3. 4.

Particulars Engaging Amusing Difficult Unstable Total

No. of Respondents 27 59 19 5 110

Percentage (%) 25 54 17 4 100

Interpretation From the above table it is clear that 54% of the respondents find their work amusing, 25% of the respondents find their work engaging, 17% of the respondents find their work difficult and 4% of the respondents find their work unstable.

Table No. 18 Table Showing the Respondents Stressed because of Your Family Problems

S. No 1. 2. Yes No

Particulars

No. of Respondents 60 50

Percentage (%) 55 45 100

Total

110

Interpretation From the above table it shows that 55% of the respondents says that they are stressed because of their family problem, 45% of the respondents says that they are not stressed because of their family problem. Table No. 19
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Table Showing the Respondents View about spending enough time with their family

S. No 1. 2. 3. 4. Often

Particulars

No. of Respondents 16 60 26 8 110

Percentage (%) 15 55 24 6 100

Sometimes Never Occasionally Total

Interpretation From the above table it is clear that 55% of the respondents says sometimes they spend time with their family, 24% of the respondents says never they never spend time with their family, 15% of the respondent says they often spend time with their family, and 6% of the respondent says they occasionally spend time with their family.

Table No. 20 Table Showing the Respondents View about their working Environment

S. No 1. 2. 3. 4.

Particulars Excellent Good Average Below average Total

No. of Respondents 29 55 22 4 110

Percentage (%) 26 50 20 4 100

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Interpretation From the above table it shows that 50% of the respondents says that their working environment is good, 26% of the respondents says that their working environment is excellent, 20% of the respondents says that their working environment is average and 4% of the respondents says that their working environment is below average.

Table No. 21 Table Showing the Respondents Rate the level of their Job Stress

S.No 1. 2. 3. 4. Nil Mild

Particulars

No. of Respondents 9 66 35 0

Percentage (%) 9 60 31 0 100

Moderate Severe Total

110

Interpretation From the above table it clear that 60% of the respondents level of their job stress is mild, 31% of the respondents level of their job stress is moderate, 9% of the respondents level of their job stress is nil, and 0% of the respondents level of their job stress is severe.

Table No. 22 Table Showing the Respondents View about their Working Hours

S.No 1. 2.

Particulars Less than 8 hours 8 hours

No. of Respondents 22 59
17

Percentage (%) 20 54

3. 4.

9 hours More than 9 hours Total

24 4 110

22 4 100

Interpretation From the above table it shows that 54% of the respondents work for 8 hours, 22% of the respondents work for 9 hours, 20% of the respondents work for less than 8 hours, and 4% of the respondents work for more than 9 hours. Table No. 23 Table Showing the Respondents Opinion about safety Measures provided in their Work Place

S.No 1. 2. Yes No

Particulars

No. of Respondents 91 19

Percentage (%) 83 17 100

Total

110

Interpretation From the above table it is clear that 83% of the respondents says yes, and 17% of the respondents says no.

Table No. 24 Table Showing the Respondents have satisfied with their Companys Rules and Regulations

S. No 1. Yes

Particulars

No. of Respondents 85

Percentage (%) 77

18

2.

No Total

25 110

23 100

Interpretation From the above table it shows that 77% of the respondents are satisfied with their companys rules and regulations, 23% of the respondents are not satisfied with their companys rules and regulations. CHI SQUARE TEST WORK EXPERIENCE OF EMPLOYEES

WORKING ENVIRONMENT

14 years Excellent Good Average Below Average TOTAL 15 6 1 5 27

4 8 years 39 17 5 0 61

8 12 years 10 6 5 0 21

More than 1 0 0 0 1

TOTAL 65 29 11 5 110

Degree of freedom: (Column -1 ) x (Row 1) = (5 1) ( 5 1) =4x3 = 12

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Oij

15.95 36.04 12.41 0.59 7.12 16.08 5.54 2.7 6.1 2.1 1.23

ij

Oij -

ij

(Oij -

ij

)2

(Oij -

ij

)2

ij

15 39 10 1 6 17 6 1 5 5 5

- 0.95 2.96 - 2.41 0.41 - 1.12 0.92 0.46 - 1.7 - 1.1 2.9 3.77

0.9025 8.7616 5.8081 0.1681 1.2544 0.8464 0.2116 2.896 1.21 8.41 14.2129 C.V

0.0565 0.2431 0.4680 0.2849 0.1761 0.0526 0.0381 1.0703 0.1983 4.0047 11.5552 18.1478

Level of significance Degree of freedom Calculate value Table value

5 12 18.1478 12.026

RESULT: At 5% level of significance and degree of freedom 12, calculated value is 18.1478 and table value is 12.026. Alternative hypothesis is accepted and Null hypothesis is rejected.

FINDINGS 44% of the respondents belong to 25 years. 58% of the respondents are married. 75% of the respondents are male. 45% of the respondents have done their under graduate. 59% of the respondents have 1 4 years of working experience. 36% of the respondents earn Rs.5000. 73% of the respondents feel that the shift time is convenient.
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68% of the respondents are sometimes. 82% of the respondents are satisfied. 57% of the respondents agree. 62% of the respondents agree. 36% of the respondents they try to relax and complete their work. 50% of the respondents enjoy challenges. 59% of the respondents try doing the job. 48% of the respondents accommodate changes. 33% of the respondents get embarrassed. 54% of the respondents find their work amusing. 55% of the respondents stressed because of their family problem. 55% of the respondents say some times. 50% of the respondents working environment good. 60% of the respondents job stress is mild. 54% of the respondents work for 8 hours. 8% of the respondents say yes.

CHI SQUARE TEST: There is a significant relation between two variables.

SUGGESTIONS The following suggestions are:


The management can improve the facilities given to the employees and

also to increase the level of job satisfaction. The company can train the employees in tackling the complicated situation. Opportunity can be given to the employees to use their skills in workplace. The company can prepare the employees for regular relaxation technique so that they can overcome stress during work time. CONCLUSION Job is perceived to be comfortable to the employees capability. The level of job satisfaction among the employee was high. Employees were stressed when things do not run smoothly. Employees experienced low mental stress and is observed through work behavior. Thus it could be concluded that work stress in the company is find to be low. And still it can be reduced by taking suitable measures.

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