Stress Management on HR

A PROJECT REPORT ON Stress Management on HR

in partial fulfillment of the requirement

for the award of the degree

of

BBA (BACHELOR of BUSSINESS ADMINSTRATION)

SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

AP Goyal Shimla University

2015-2018

Submitted by Project advisor

Vishal Kumar Miss Monika Baltoo
15001204
 CERTIFICATE-I

This is to certify that the project entitled A STUDY ON STRESS MANAGEMENT ON HR has
been submitted to department of Business Management, A P GOYAL SHIMLA UNIVERSITY
BY Vishal Kumar.

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Business

Administration of this university. To best of my knowledge no part of this project has been
submitted for any degree or diploma anywhere elsewhere and the help received during
this course of investigation and courses of literature and sources of literature have been
duly acknowledged.

Place: (.........................)

Dated: Project Advisor

 Certificate II

This is to certify that the project entitled A STUDY ON STRESS MANAGEMENT ON HR Has
been, submitted to Department of Business Management, A P GOYAL SHIMLA UNIVERSITY
BY Vishal Kumar.

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Business

Administration of this university. The project has been approved by the Examination
Committee after conducting an oral examination in collaboration with external examiner.

........................ ..................................
(Project Guide) (External Examiner)
 DECLARATION
I Vishal Kumar Enroll no. 15001204student of BBA of School of Business, AP GOYAL
SHIMLA UNIVERSITY, SHIMLA, hereby declare that the research report on STRESS
MANAGEMENT ON HR, is an original and authenticated work done by me.

I further declare that it has not been submitted elsewhere by any other person in any
of the institutes for the award of any degree or diploma.

Signature

Student Name
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This project has been made possible through the efforts, support and co-operation of various
persons to whom I would like to express my appreciation and gratitude.

First and foremost, it gives me immense pleasure to express my sincere gratitude to Mr /Mrs/ Ms
whose sincere support has enabled me at each and every step and there experience has always
given me the right direction to achieve my goals.

I will have burden on my hot if I dont express my sincere thanks to staff members of STRESS
MANAGEMENT ON HR for his untiring help rendered during the study from time to time. I am
also thankful to him for his valuable advice and sincere guidance during the research report.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1 Introduction

1.1 Introduction to Industry

1.2 Introduction to company

1.3 Introduction to topic

Chapter 2 Need & Objective

2.1 NEED OF STUDY

2.2 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

Chapter 3 RESEARCH METHODLOGY

3.1 Sampling

3.2 Data Collection

3.3 Limitations of the Study

CHAPTER 4 DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

CHAPTER 5 FINDING

CHAPTER 6 CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION

6.1 CONCLUSION

6.2 SUGGESTION

REFERENCE

ANNEXURE
 Introduction

Stress management warrants much attention nowadays, particularly in the corporate sector, more so in the IT sector.
While a minimum level of stress is harmless, even necessary to bring out the best in human beings at work, too
much of stress will wear the employee out, upset his work life balance and simply damage him totally.

Occupational Stress is stress involving work. Stress is defined in terms of its physical and physiological effects on a
person, and can be a mental, physical or emotional strain. It can also be a tension or a situation or factor that can
cause stress. Occupational stress occurs when there is a discrepancy between the demands of the
environment/workplace and an individuals ability to carry out and complete these demands. Often a stressor can
lead the body to have a physiological reaction which can strain a person physically as well as mentally. One of the
main causes of occupational stress is work overload.

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 onthe-job stress than a generation ago.Evidence also suggests that
stress is the major cause of turnover in organizations. With continued stress at the workplace, workers will develop
psychological and physiological dysfunctions and decreased motivation in excelling in their position.

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 upperextremity musculoskeletal disorders. 6High levels of
stress are associated with substantial increases in health service utilization.

Some scholars note that an increase in workload, a hostile work environment, downsizing, and shift work can result
in occupational stress. Often workloads remain immense even though employees do their best to complete them, and
the employees may feel stressed as a result. A high demand and time pressures contribute to the stress. Downsizing
may also be due to the privatization of a company. When downsizing occurs, employees are either laid off or fired.
Those who still have their jobs often have to worry about whether they will be next on the list of employees to be
laid off. If employers are not supportive, discriminating in favor of some employees at the expense of others, do not
offer encouragement, or create a hostile work environment, this can cause stress for employees.

Interpersonal conflicts within the workplace, uncertainty about job security, and underutilized job abilities are also
causes of occupational stress.

Physical symptoms that may occur because of occupational stress include fatigue, headache, stomach problems,
muscular aches and pains, chronic mild illness, sleep disturbances, and eating disorders. Psychological and
behavioral problems that may develop include anxiety, irritability, alcohol and drug use, feeling powerless and low
morale. If exposure to stressors in the workplace is prolonged, then chronic health problems can occur including
stroke. Studies among the Japanese population specifically showed a more than fold increase in the risk of total
stroke among men with job strain (combination of high job demand and low job control). Along with the risk of
stroke comes high blood pressure and immune system dysfunction. Prolonged occupational stress can lead to
occupational burnout.
1.1 Introduction to Industry
 1.2 INTRODUCTION TO COMPANY

ZCC Group is an integrated IT solutions and service provider headquartered at Chandigarh,

India. Our offerings span across Software Product Engineering, Application
Development, Application Management, Mobile Application Development, Enterprise Business
Solutions, Business Applications and Consulting.
With an indomitable spirit to succeed,
ZCC Group made a modest start in the year 2001, from a small office with a team of six. Today,
with over a hundred people family, we have come a long way and the same inspiration to achieve
continues to drive us from one success to another.
We have a global footprint with development center at Hyderabad and Sales & Customer Service
centers in Hyderabad, Australia, New Zealand, Canada & UK catering to our clients spread
across the continents of Asia, America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

SERVICES BY ZCC GROUP

1. AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY:
2.
ZCC Group helps by focusing on competitive differentiation while steering toward value in areas
ranging from global manufacturing to after-sales and services.

In line with the constant change that the automotive industry experiences, ZCC Group tracks,
analyzes, develops and implements industry solutions that cover every aspect of the business.
We have been creating cutting-edge solutions for our automotive customers around engineering,
electronics, new materials, systems integration, plant automation, testing, quality, energy.
1.3 Industry to topic
 NEED FOR THE STUDY

The present study mainly aims to study the occupational stressors of BPO employees and the techniques
they adapt to overcome their stress. The effectiveness of the techniques is also evaluated.

The BPO industry has ushered in an era of economic freedom and the importance of this cannot be ignored
or underestimated especially in a country like India where human resource is abundantly available. The world is
becoming flatter day by day and advancement in technology has really given a very big boost to some industries
especially the BPO industry in a very big way. Thomas Friedman identifies Collapse of the Berlin Wall, Netscape,
Workflow software, uploading, outsourcing, offshoring, supplychaining, insourcing, informing and virtual
communication as the ten major flatteners.13 It is no exaggeration to say that for the average middle class English
speaking Indian the BPO industry has opened up an endless avenue of potential possibilities. Surely the BPO
industry along with its related industries like the KPO (Knowledge Processing Industry) is here to stay.

There is no point in rubbishing them for causing too much stress or upsetting the work life balance; rather
what needs to be done is an extensive study of the stress causing factors so as to analyse them. Besides the stressors,
stress coping strategies also will have to be evaluated; upon evaluation, research should be done to measure the 16
adequacy of the stress management techniques, lacuna if any and ways to overcome it.

A study of this kind will certainly go a long way in helping the HR people to assist their staff in managing
stress effectively. The present study aims to prod in detail the pressure causing factors for BPO personnel employed
in Puducherry region and methods resorted to by them to overcome stress.
 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

In order to gain a better understanding of stress management and its role on moderating the effect of occupational
stress on job satisfaction, the following objectives are framed for the present study.

1) To study the underlying dimensions of occupational stress and extent of such stress among BPO personnel
in Puducherry.

2) To identify the sources of occupational stress

3) To evaluate the stress management (stress coping strategies) among the BPO personnel.

4) To find out the extent of relationship between occupational stress on job satisfaction.

5) To identify the ways in which the stress coping pattern (stress management) moderates the relationship
between occupational stress and job satisfaction.

6) To summarize the findings, give conclusion and offer necessary suggestions

 RESEARCH METHODLOGY

Acc to Rusk 110 : Research is a point of view, an attitude of inquiry or a frame of mind, it asks questions which
have hitherto not been asked, and it seeks to answer them by following a fairly definite procedure. It is not a mere
theorizing, but rather an attempt to elicit facts to face them once they have been assembled. Research is likewise
not an attempt to bolster up pre-conceived opinions, and it implies a readiness to accept the conclusions to which an
inquiry leads, no matter how unwelcome they may prove. When successful, research adds to the scientific
knowledge of the subject.

Acc to George. J. Mouly65 He defines research as The systematic and scholarly application of the scientific
method interpreted in its broader sense, to the solution of social studies problems; conversely, any systematic study
designed to promote the development of social studies as a science can be considered research.
Acc to Francis G Cornell : The best research is that which is reliable, verifiable and exhaustive, so that it provides
information in which we have confidence. The main point here is that research is, literally speaking, a kind of
human behavior, an activity in which people engage. By this definition all intelligent human behavior involves some
research. (Yogesh Kumar Singh, 2006). Keeping in view the day to day increase in organizational stress for the
employees and ignorance about coping strategies by individuals, the following topic was selected for the study : A
Study of Organizational Stress and HR Interventions for its Reduction.

Research Objectives

1. To identify the causes of stress.

2. To study the industrial and professional work life and how it is affected by stress.

3. To identify the symptoms at early stage / detection of stress levels.

4. To identify factors which are directly responsible to create severe stress at the workplace.
5. To study whether there is any existence of auto built mechanism to overcome stress.
6. Suggestion of different techniques which are useful in stress reduction.
7. To identify whether the manufacturing or service sector faces more stress.
8. To study the role of HR Policies and Interventions for employees. 9. To give recommendations for a stress free
organization.

Research Design
Research Design refers to the overall structure and orientation of an investigation. This structure provides a
framework within which data is collected and analyzed (Yeung, 1995). Research methods, on the other hand, refer
to operational techniques of data collection. Researcher can resort to more than one method of data collection within
the same research design. For example, quantitative survey design could include both self administered
questionnaire and structured interviews. In the present study quantitative survey research design is adopted, where
data are collected through self administered questionnaire. Descriptive research is also known as statistical research;
it describes the data and characteristics about the population or phenomenon being studied.

Descriptive research often has an aim to describe the population or phenomenon and researchers may follow up
with examination of why the observation exists and what the implications of the findings are. Both primary and
secondary data were collected. The data were collected by administering a questionnaire to multiple organizations in
the ITeS-BPO industry through a sample survey. The selection of the individuals to participate in the survey was
done through the standardized randomization process.

Sources of Information
Secondary Data
The researcher collected information relevant to the subject for various available books, articles, journals,
periodicals; industry reports (NASSCOM, National IT Taskforce, Everest Research Institute etc.), magazines, press /
media publications, published and unpublished sources, electronic databases and World Wide Web facilities. Some
of the sources of books and journals were the libraries at Ahmedabad Management Association (AMA); S.K. Patel
Institute of Management and Computer Studies, Gandhinagar, G.H. Patel Post Graduate Institute of Business
Management, Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar. The online and physical resources available at Vikram
Sarabhai Library, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad were mainly studied and referred.

Primary Data
The primary data was collected by using a structured questionnaire that was developed for the purpose of this study
and administered to the respondents. Qualitative data was P a g e | 100 collected through interviews with senior
managers and HR Managers to gain better understanding on the subject of research and its impact on the industry.
The respondents were classified as below for the purpose of administering the questionnaire: Team Leader and
below were categorized as employees Managers and above including HR Managers were categorized as
management
Questionnaire Design Two sets of questionnaire consisting of close-ended questions were prepared (Refer
Appendix A and B). One was for the employees and the other for the managers. The questionnaire was prepared in
English as it was assumed that all the respondents were well versed in it and will not face any communication
challenges. The items listed in the questionnaire were grouped as per the HR functional life-cycle. The questionnaire
was reviewed by several people in academia and industry for their expert input and comment before being finalized
and administered.

Focus Group Discussion

A selected group of 12 employees with 1-2 years of experience in the ITeS-BPO companies based in Ahmedabad
were invited to a neutral location. The moderator led the discussion on the semi-structured questionnaire item by
item. The objective of the focus group discussion was to
.To delete items found redundant with respect to other items on a scale measuring a variable
. Modification of items to make it specific to the industry
.Addition of items found to be relevant and
. Deletion/modification of items which seemed ambiguous to respondents
 Sampling

All the items under consideration in any field of inquiry constitute a universe or population. The items selected
constitute what is technically called a sample. The researcher must decide the way of selecting a sample or what is
popularly known as the sample design. In other words a sample design is a definite plan determined before any data
are actually collected for obtaining a sample from a given population.

Simple random Sampling

This type of sampling is also known as chance sampling or probability sampling where each and every item in the
population has an equal chance of inclusion in the sample and each one of the possible samples, in case of infinite
universe, has the same probability of being selected.

Stratified Sampling

If the population from which a sample is to be drawn does not constitute a homogeneous group, then
stratified sampling technique is applied so as to obtain a representative sample. In this technique the population is
stratified into a number of non overlapping sub populations or strata and sample items are selected from each
stratum. If the items selected from each stratum is based on simple random sampling the entire procedure, first and
then simple random sampling is known as stratified random sampling. All the industries were selected on random
basis in Pune city. The total executives who were part of the strata were120, out of which some executives and
managers did not give valid responses, hence only 100 were considered for the research.
 DATA COLLECTION

Two set of questionnaires were prepared to collect opinions of employees and Human resource managers
working in small and medium manufacturing sector units at Mumbai Questionnaire method of data collection was
used for collecting the primary data. The questionnaire used was a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire had
eight sections.

The first section contained questions on demographic profile of the sample respondents.

The second section contained questions to understand the work profile of the respondents.

The third section contained questions so as to understand the awareness, perceptions of sample respondents
about organizational work life balance initiatives .The questions were related to employee critical variables on work
life balance.

The forth section of the questionnaire contained questions on job satisfaction of the employees working in
small and medium organization in selected manufacturing sector units

The fifth section of the questionnaire contained questions on absenteeism of the employees. The questions
were related to employees reasons for absenteeism & how to control absenteeism in the organization.

The sixth section contained questions so as to understand the impact of work life balance on employees
performance as individuals.

The seventh section of the questionnaire contained questions on organizational culture which consist of
joining culture, working culture and supervisory culture of the employees.

The eighth section contained questions on retention level of employees so as to employee continue to work
in any organization. Five point Likert scale was used to solicit data on most of the variables. An online questionnaire
was also created as some organizations insisted on mail survey only as they Cant afford to spare time for the survey
during working hours.

Primary data The Primary Data are those, which are collected a fresh and for the first time, and thus
happened to be original in character. In this research Primary method of data collection is used .Data source is
primary, which include employees of the banks.

Secondary data Secondary data is the information that has been gathered not for the immediate study but
for some other purpose.
 Limitation of the Study

A review of the scientific literature suggests that there are a number of problems with research into the
management of workrelated stress.

1. Too narrow a view has often been taken of what constitutes stress management and there has been too
strong a focus on caring for or curing the individual.
2. Much of what has been offered, even in this narrow respect, either has a weak theoretical base or has
been developed from theory outside occupational stress research.
 3. There has been a tendency to treat the application of stress management strategies as a self-contained
action and to divorce that application from any preceding process of problem diagnosis.
4. Stress management strategies often focus on single types of intervention and rarely are multiple
strategies offered.
5. Such interventions are seldom offered for evaluation beyond participants immediate reactions or
measures of face validity.

There are three common purposes for evaluations of stress management programmes. The first is to ask
whether the programme is effective; specifically whether the programmes objectives are being met. A second
purpose is to determine the efficiency or comparative effectiveness of two or more programmes or methods within a
programme. The third purpose is to assess the cost-benefit or the cost-effectiveness of the programme.

Evaluation data on stress management programmes are relatively rare. There are relatively fewer cost-
benefit and cost-effectiveness 29 studies compared to studies on the overall effectiveness of programmes or the
relative effectiveness of their component parts. What there is suggests that stress management programmes may be
effective in improving the quality of working life of workers and their immediate psychological health, albeit self-
reported. The evidence relating such interventions to improvements in physical health is weaker, largely for
methodological reasons. There have been several authoritative reviews of organisational and personal stress
management programmes in the last ten years reaching broadly similar conclusions.

It must be concluded that the jury is still out on stress management training: whilst it seems logical that
such interventions should promote employee health, there are not yet sufficient data to be confident that they do.
The evidence for employee assistance programmes, particularly those broadly conceived to include health
promotion in the workplace, may be more encouraging, although that which relates to counselling alone is weak.
The provision of counselling is largely designed to assist employees who are already suffering a problem, and is, in
that sense, post hoc. Stressor reduction / hazard control is, for several reasons, the most promising area for
interventions, although again, there is not yet sufficient information to be confident about the nature and extent of
their effectiveness. To date, such conclusions are based more on moral 30 and strategic reasoning than on empirical
data, although the data that do exist are supportive. What can be firmly concluded, however, is that there is still a
need for further and more adequate evaluation studies. Unfortunately, there are very few well designed and
evaluated such interventions available in the literature to date. Nonetheless, Murphy21 concludes that job
redesign and organisational change remain the preferred approaches to stress management because they focus on
reducing or eliminating the sources of the problem in the work environment. However, they also point out that such
approaches require a detailed audit of work beneficial to both individual and organizational health and should be
investigated and evaluated further.

In summary, there is sufficient scientific evidence to support the following:

Work-related stress is a current and future health and safety issue;
Work-related stress can be dealt with in the same logical and systematic way as other health and safety .
the management of stress at work could be based on the adaptation and application of a control cycle
approach such as that made explicit in contemporary models of risk management;
There are already practical examples of this approach in several countries of the World.
 DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

Marshall and Rossman(1999:150) describe data analysis as the process of bringing order, structure and
meaning to the mass of collected data. It is described as messy, ambiguous and time-consuming, but also as a
creative and fascinating process. Broadly speaking - while it does not proceed in linear fashion -it is the activity of
making sense of, interpreting and theorizing data that signifies a search for general statements among categories of
data (Schwandt, 2007:6). There fore one could infer that data analysis requires some sort or form of logic applied to
research. In this regard, Best and Khan (2006:354) clearly posit that the analysis and interpretation of data represent
the application of deductive and inductive logic to the research. Verma and Mallick (1999:29) and Morrison
(2012:22,24) on the other hand, state that the interpretive approach (cf. par. 5.2.1.3, p. 307), which involves
deduction from the data obtained, relies more on what it feels like to be a participant in the action under study,
which is part of the qualitative research. Very often the researchers rely on their experience of particular settings to
be able to read the information provided by the subjects involved in the study. While this thesis employed a mixed
method of data collection, namely a combination of qualitative (cf. par. 5.4.1, p. 316; 5.8.4, p. 330) and quantitative
methods (cf. par. 5.4.1, p. 316; 5.9.3, p. 339), it focused on the adoption of a pragmatic position and also used a
phenomenological approach in conducting this research.

Antonius (2003:2) succinctly states that the word data points to information that is collected in a
systematic way and organised and recorded to enable the reader to interpret the information correctly. As such, data
are not collected haphazardly, but in response to some questions that the researcher wishes to answer. Schostak and
Schostak (2008:10) capture the essences of capturing data well when they further add, that data are not given as a
fixed, but are open to reconfiguration and thus alternative ways of seeing, finding answers to questions one wishes
to answer. Implicated in the preceding views of Antonius (2003:2) and Schostak and Schostak (2008:10) are the two
methods used to analyse data, namely qualitative and quantitative.

Veal (2006:196); Schurink et al. (2011:397); Sesay (2011:95); Atkins and Wallace (2012:245) and
Tuckman and Harper (2012:387) state that a qualitative study involves an inseparable relationship between data
collection and data analysis in order to build a coherent interpretation of data. An assumption of the qualitative
researcher is that the human instrument is capable of ongoing finetuning in order to generate the most fertile array of
data. Morgan and Krueger (1998:Vol. 6:3-17) on the other hand, provide important views when they reiterate that
the analysis of qualitative methods must be systematic, sequential, verifiable and continuous. It requires time, is
jeopardised by delay, is a process of comparison, is improved by feedback, seeks to enlighten and should entertain
alternative explanations. As with qualitative methods for data analysis, the purpose of conducting a quantitative
study, is to produce findings, but whereas qualitative methods use words (concepts, terms, symbols, etc.) to
construct a framework for communicating the essence of what the data reveal, procedures and techniques are used to
analyse data numerically, called quantitative methods (Sesay, 2011:74). On the whole, regardless of the method
(qualitative or quantitative), cf. par. 1.4.2, p. 13; 1.4.5, p. 16; 1.4.6, p. 17; 5.4.2, p. 318), the purpose of conducting a
study, is to produce findings, and in order to do so, data should be analysed to transform data into findings. In this
study, data will be analysed using both the qualitative and quantitative method. At this point in time, one has to take
a closer look at both methods of analysis.

Regarding qualitative and quantitative analysis of data, Kreuger and Neuman (2006:434) offer a useful
outline of the differences and similarities between qualitative (cf. par. 6.2.1, p. 358) and quantitative methods (cf.
par. 6.2.2, p. 367) of data analysis. According to these authors, qualitative and quantitative analyses are similar in
four ways. Both forms of data analysis involve:

Inference - the use of reasoning to reach a conclusion based on evidence;

A public method or process - revealing their study design in some way;

Comparison as a central process identification of patterns or aspects that are similar or different; and

Striving to avoid errors, false conclusions and misleading inferences. The core differences between
qualitative (cf. par. 6.2.1, p. 358) and quantitative data (cf. par. 6.2.2, p. 367) analysis are as follows (Kreuger &
Neuman, 2006:434-435):

Qualitative data analysis is less standardised with the wide variety in approaches to qualitative research
matched by the many approaches to data analysis, while quantitative researchers choose from a specialised, standard
set of data analysis techniques;

The results of qualitative data analysis guide subsequent data collection, and analysis is thus a less-
distinct final stage of the research process than quantitative analysis, where data analysis does not begin until all data
have been collected and condensed into numbers;

Qualitative researchers create new concepts and theory by blending together empirical and abstract
concepts, while quantitative researchers manipulate numbers in order to test a hypothesis with variable constructs;
and
 Qualitative data analysis is in the form of words, which are relatively imprecise, diffuse and context
based, but quantitative researchers use the language of statistical relationships in analysis.

INTERPRETATION

Finding

ITeS-BPO as a new form of work organization. It has been found that outsourcing has become a critical
agenda for many multinationals in this era of globalization. The development and widespread availability of internet
and telecommunication brought about drastic changes to the way business is conducted. Today, most major
organizations are opting to outsource both functions and processes to improve their business efficiency and reduce
the cost. At present, the companies can produce their products or extend their services from anywhere using
resources from anywhere. Factors like lower costs, improved productivity, higher quality, higher customer
satisfaction, time to market, and ability to focus on core areas are some of the benefits of outsourcing.

This ITeS-BPO industry has experienced phenomenal growth in the recent years contributing significantly
to the economy as well as providing employment opportunity to the educated youth on a large scale. This trend also
presents many challenges to the organizations. One of the most primary challenges is the management of the human
resource. Human resource is an asset that can provide value and competitive advantage to an organization. A
number of studies have established the positive linkage between high performance HR practices and superior firm
performance (e.g. Arthur, 1994; Delery and Doty, 1996; Huselid, 1995). Nevertheless, the value of human resource
management (HRM) for strategic outcomes is incomplete without an analysis of the uncertainties associated with
human assets and the role that certain human resource (HR) practices play in managing these uncertainties.

ITeS-BPO wave in India began in the early 1990s and since then India has progressed substantially to
become one of the major outsourcing destinations of the world. The phenomenal growth of the Indian ITeS-BPO
industry in India can be attributed to the following factors: availability of a large number of cheap but skilled
manpower, English language skills, technical education, time difference and supportive government policies.
ITeS-BPO is a unique workplace with very peculiar work culture and characteristics. A typical ITeS-BPO
organization serves single or multiple clients spread across several geographical locations and varied cultures. It
aims to offer customer satisfaction without the personal interface. It also operates across different time zones.
Organizations choose the outsourcing arrangement to primarily increase production or service efficiency and reduce
cost.

This ITeS-BPO industry in India has received attention from academia, press and government due to its
growth employment opportunities it offers to the growing number of educated youth. However, very little attention
has been given to the long-term implications and the understanding of its complexities, particularly from the view
point of employees and their experiences at the workplace. This study provides an overview of the prevalent HRM
practices and associated employee experiences in Indian ITeS-BPO organizations.

The Indian ITeS-BPO is faced with a gamut of human resources issues very unique to the industry such as
odd working hours, working days/holidays determined by geographic considerations, pseudo identities, learning
foreign accent, altered social and family life, high burn-out rates, lack of abilities of employees to handle work-life
balance, job disillusionment, and less scope for personal growth (Shushmul, 2005; Punch, 2004). In addition to the
above issues, employees are also experiencing a number of health, social and psychological problems (Rose and
Wright, 2005; Houlihan, 2004). To cope with such complexities the people driven ITeS-BPO industry must realign
the HRM strategy and practices and must have at its center the people needs and their requirements.

The HR Managers and senior management must strive to create a motivating work environment for the
employees and create a culture of oneness. They have to continuously evolve ways to attract trained and qualified
employees and also to device tools to retain them. Today the ITeS-BPO employees have multiple options to choose
from. They join an organization, gain knowledge, skills, undergo training and work only for a short period of time.
All the hard work put in by the organization ceases to generate any result and the organizations have to restart the
cycle again. Though the staff turnover is unpredictable as technological uncertainty to a great extent, yet through
suitable HR strategies and practices the overall attrition percentage could be kept low.

The findings of this study have a number of implications for practitioners and academicians with interest in
the ITeS-BPO industry. The main message emerging from the empirical study and the analysis of existing literature
is that the work set-up of Indian ITeS-BPO is highly structured and controlled. Thus, there is a greater emphasis on
formal and guided customer interaction in order to ensure total customer satisfaction as well as confirmation to the
service level agreements. Interestingly, these findings are similar to the outsourcing studies conducted in the
developed countries.

The study also found that the HR function in the surveyed ITeS-BPO companies was striving to align the
HR practices to their business goals. This is very much unlike the traditional Indian companies, where HR as a
function still plays a reactive role (Budhwar and Sparrow, 1997).
 The following are a few thoughts to be shared and considered for the future study of job stress and job
satisfaction among military officers. The recommended ideas are categorized into two aspects application and 82
methodological. First, the application of the research findings is important for the military authority in making
decisions. Thus, the study needs to be extended to other ranks in future research

1. Future study may have to evaluate and focus on several demographic factors such as educational
qualification, gender, race, rank, corps and periodical factors, particularly as the indicators could identify
individuals who are facing stress. It may provide different findings from various perspectives.

2. It will be interesting for future research to look into the subject from different services such as Malaysian
Air Force, Malaysian Navy Force and Malaysian Army Force to represent the whole of the Malaysian
Armed Forces with appropriate results and findings. This is important for policy makers and leaders in the
military to have an understanding of the effects of the decisions concerning the Malaysian Armed Forces.

3. Future research also needs to incorporate stress factors associated with deployment, types of training and
the job nature of military personnel, specifically those that may mitigate work stress as well as other factors
that take into account raising the job satisfaction of personnel.
 CONCLUSION

The conclusions of the study are presented as

a. Every individual has some amount of stress and expects the HR department to work as a
facilitator in stress reduction - Respondents were of the opinion that there is existence of stress
within the organization and hence employees require HR interventions to overcome stress. The
HR must diagnose the stress levels at early stages and provide the proper facilities and time to
undergo stress management sessions.

b. Stress is due to organizational causes - There is a good talent pool of skills available in organizations,
qualified and with professional skills. The question is, are there the right employers who will take care of them?
When good manpower is under stress, confidence is lost and in turn the industry loses good manpower. High stress
leads to high turnover and retention strategies do not operate in stressful situations. This is a signal for the human
resources team, and a big challenge for management as a whole.
c. All HR departments must intervene in stress reduction - Employees felt that the HR department did not
intervene in stress reduction as it should. The existence of politics in the organization creates stress, training is not
adequate and counseling is hardly provided to employees. All this leads to poor job satisfaction among employees.
Moreover, there is high ego and arrogance among some employees, hence team building is not possible at all which
leads to clashes and leads to staggered groups.
d. Employees felt that Individual Strategies will facilitate coping with stress - Employees opined that if the
anxiety level is controlled and if they are not dependent on alcohol or other drugs; they can easily cope with difficult
situations. Employees were of the opinion that due to stress if anxiety level overshoots, then, if coping strategies are
implemented fast then they feel stress is controlled, then there is no need to depend on alcohol or other drugs, or
look for other types of psychological ventilation.
e. Due to stress in the organizations there is poor quality of performance- Employees feel difficult tasks are
taking a toll creating lot of stress, hence one needs to have targets according to human limits. It may be physical
work or psychological or a combination of both. Organizational politics is also one strong cause of stress since it
contributes to individuals personal life and creates a lot of negative stress, which finally leads to poor quality of
work and output thereof. Since individuals are eager to resolve conflicts and issues that arise out of dirty politics, but
if it continues, the creative talent and skill is lost in the process and hence the poor performance on the job
 f. Lack of supportive work culture Many respondents had the opinion that there must be good and
supportive work culture otherwise the job conditions becomes difficult. It is not possible to work in a suffocating
atmosphere. Unless the climate is conducive, results are not productive.

g. Young age executives are under Stress due to Recession and economic threats Majority of respondents
were in the age group of 22 to 30 years. They felt that they are affected by global slowdown and recession. Since
they are at the first level of the management pyramid, when cost cutting takes place then they are the first ones to
face the music of turnover.

h. There is no Stress Policy adopted by Industries to combat stress- HR department should develop and
publish a policy document on stress at work. It was observed that many organizations do not have any stress policy
for their respective organizations, Human resource department must create a policy manual where such severe cases
are taken care of with proper diagnosis and treatment and needed when providing compensation for employees.
Respondents felt that since there was no stress policy for the industry, stress management was not carried out
effectively. Like safety and welfare acts, stress policies are essential and it differs from country to country. The US
and UK and many leading economies practice a welfare code by developing a Stress Policy for employees for their
organizations and give them space and provision to combat stress and tools to overcome stress. Indian industries are
yet to adopt such a measure.

I. Many recent changes in work practices have led to organizational stress Many
employees were of the opinion that the recent changes in work practices have direct
impact on job description, skills and job profiles of employees. Since the industries
have accepted high competition and rigorous challenges (The global world), the
question is who will contribute? Employees have to update their skills, technology,
ERP, software, systems etc. To deal with international clients and customers and to
match their technical specifications and expectations leads to stress and hence
organizational stress.

j. Too much work to handle and insufficient time to complete the job/ task Respondents have the opinion
that there is too much workload. It becomes the prime responsibility of the employees to meet and complete the
targets in time, (industries are using squeeze in technique to get the work done) and this leads to stressful situations,
and work culture becomes suffocating. Employees opinion was that they find it difficult to complete the job / task /
project within time. Employees opined that they had too much work pressure when many tasks were to be completed
at the same time, and that was creating stress which disturbed the entire work culture. A stressed individual will
always do a slow job than an employee who is fast in his approach.
l. No opportunity for personal development Every employee expects some growth and development, i.e.
climb the organizational ladder and if this is not accomplished, the ensuing stress leads to discomfort and low job
satisfaction. m. Length of time commuting between home and work - Most employees agreed to the fact that they
experienced stress due to commuting to work and back. Those who stay in rural parts find it difficult since it takes
long time to reach office, those who are in urban and semi urban said that they were stressed due to heavy traffic and
traffic jams, blockades due to accidents or road widening etc

. n. Choosing to keep working even when sick. After yoga, meditation or other fitness programmes,
employees can handle stress or anger Employees said they keep working even when they are sick and medically
unfit. Since such kind of attitude affects health negatively, creates stress and accordingly quality of work or output
will suffer. Employees felt tense and irritated when stressed and exhausted because of deadlines, job specifications,
routine meetings and they live in constant mental tension. Majority of employees are of the opinion that yogic
practices, meditation or other fitness programmes can help reduce stress. It can also help in managing anger and
anxiety and other psychological disorders.

These results are in accordance with those of Kalkar (2009)171 who found four major reasons which
create work stress related to personal development as too much work to handle, insufficient opportunity for personal
development, insufficient time to complete the job/ task and feeling surrounded by people who were not ones type.
 H.R. Interventions and strategies for Stress Reduction

As an outcome of the study, the researcher is of the opinion that HR should intervene and formulate
strategies for reducing stress. Signs of occupational stress are an indication of problems with management systems,
which should be seen as an opportunity for workplace performance and productivity improvement. The management
of occupational stress should involve a process of

Identifying and assessing the actual and potential risks

Developing management strategies to eliminate or control these risks

Learning to understand responses of self and colleagues to stressful situations

Stress management program must result in

o Reduce the incidence of other workplace injuries

o Reduce workers compensation insurance premiums

o Reduce absenteeism o Reduce workplace conflict

o Improve workplace communication o Improve customer service

o Improve workload and other resource management issues

o Improve staff commitment and morale.

 SUGGESTION

When a person is suffering from stress, he also makes an effort to overcome it. The method of relieving the
stress is said to be coping mechanism. Coping mechanism helps in reducing or minimizing the harmful
consequences of stress which results from different factors. Following suggesations will be helpful for working
women in education sector to cope up with stress.

At personal level

1. It was found that long working hours and workload are major factors behind stress. For the
solution, women faculty should behave as professionals by avoiding gossiping and petty
politics at workplaces. It would not only save their time but also will be helpful to complete
the assigned work on proper time without stress.

2. Results show that many respondents are of a view that now a days innovative teaching
practices and methodologies are also a cause of stress to some extent. They should not think
these as an extra burden but should explore and learn to use innovative practices of teaching.
These methods and practices may be used to update their knowledge and teaching skills. This
will enhance their morale and satisfaction level among them along with reducing the stress-
effects experienced by them in various psychological aspects.

3. The respondents stated that they suffer from immediate headaches, anger, anxiety, depression
and other psychological problems. Thus, it is suggested that they may consult with physician
and take the suitable prescriptions advised by the physicians. They can also adopt suitable
diet chart if so needed.

4. Present study shows that due to many factors, working women are struggling with stress and
having psychological and physical problems. So, it is suggested that they should engage
themselves with diversions like: gardening, hobby photography, scrapbooking, maintaining a
saltwater aquarium, puzzle solving, drawing, painting, knitting, playing the Piano and writing
etc
 Many of the respondents feel problem of imbalance between workplace and household
responsibilities. Through a distribution sequence of household work and assigning household
duties to other members of family and dependents can work as an effective way to solve this
problem of workload, tiredness and physical stress to a large extent among working women.

5. Some of the respondents say that they feel stress due to lack of career development and
promotional opportunities. To overcome this problem, a career counseling cell or unit should
be established to guide women faculty, who want to undergo courses, take higher degrees or
do research for promotions and higher placements.
6.

7. Many of the respondents feel problem of work-life imbalance. Through a distribution

sequence of household work and assigning household duties to the family members and
dependents can be an effective way to solve the problem of overwork, tiredness and physical
stress to a large extent among working women

.
8. The cooperative effort of family members together in dealing with family issues can also
create a maintained and compromising situation which helps in reducing level of stress. It is a
cordially coping strategy at family level.

9. The respondents stated that most of the time, they are unable to attend their family and social
events due to heavy work pressure. Thus, they should take suitable action to plan and
complete their jobs (at work place and home) in order of immediate, urgent and routine. An
effective time management strategy will be the most effective in reducing the stress caused by
these circumstances

10. Some of the respondents revealed that uncooperative behavior of their peers and colleagues
create stress among them. This problem can be minimized by trying to learn self cure
techniques to manage their own behaviour to reduce stress.

11. Respondents should follow some effective stress buster practices like regular yoga, physical
and mental exercises, meditation, balanced diet and adequate sleep etc. There is no single
strategy suitable for all respondents. They may choose any stress reduction practice among all
(exercise, yoga, meditation or any other) as per their age and specific conditions.

12. Women faculty can create a group or join a group of trustworthy and empathetic people to get
support whenever they feel stress in their personal or professional life. This will help them in
building up confidence and to overcome from stressful situations.

13. A personal diary can also be maintained by women faculty facing stress problems to let out
the pent up their feelings and frustations through writing. Many psychologists suggest that
self talk and self analysis can be the most effective way to manage an individuals
behaviour and the stress.

14. In present era every woman wants to be a super woman along with better management and
performance at workplace and at home, which is strongly linked with their stress. The
respondents need to realize that they cant be a super teacher, super mom, super wife, and
super daughter/daughter-in-law at the same time, they all are human having limitations and
frailties too.
 15. Adopting 3Cs exercise: By reducing Conflicts, operating right Controls to take action for
correct choices, an individual can monitor and direct itself for a stress free healthy and happy
life.

REFERENCE

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8 (3): 123135.
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(NIOSH) Publication Number 99-101.

3. Northwestern National Life Insurance Company [1991]. Employee burnout: America's newest epidemic.
Minneapolis, MN: Northwestern National Life Insurance Company.

4. Princeton, NJ: Princeton Survey Research Associates [1997]. Labor day survey: state of workers.
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5. St. Paul, MN: St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company [1992]. American workers under pressure
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6. Sauter S, Hurrell J, Murphy L, Levi L [1997]. Psychosocial and organizational factors. In: Stellman J,
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7. Ishikawa, S, et al. (2009). "Prospective Study on Occupational Stress and Risk of Stroke". Archives of
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8. Lazarus, R.S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, Appraisal and Coping. New York: Springer.

9. Mills, R.C. (1995). Realizing Mental Health: Toward a new Psychology of Resiliency. Sulberger &
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2038162.

ANNEXURE
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION
 Stress management warrants much attention nowadays, particularly in the corporate sector, more so in the
IT sector. While a minimum level of stress is harmless, even necessary to bring out the best in human beings at
work, too much of stress will wear the employee out, upset his work life balance and simply damage him totally.

Occupational Stress is stress involving work. Stress is defined in terms of its physical and physiological
effects on a person, and can be a mental, physical or emotional strain. It can also be a tension or a situation or factor
that can cause stress. Occupational stress occurs when there is a discrepancy between the demands of the
environment/workplace and an individuals ability to carry out and complete these demands.Often a stressor can
lead the body to have a physiological reaction which can strain a person physically as well as mentally. One of the
main causes of occupational stress is work overload.

. 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 onthe-job stress than a generation ago. Evidence also suggests that stress is
the major cause of turnover in organizations.With continued stress at the workplace, workers will develop
psychological and physiological dysfunctions and decreased motivation in excelling in their position. 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 upperextremity musculoskeletal disorders. High levels of stress are
associated with substantial increases in health service utilization..

Some scholars note that an increase in workload, a hostile work environment, downsizing, and shift work
can result in occupational stress. Often workloads remain immense even though employees do their best to complete
them, and the employees may feel stressed as a result. A high demand and time pressures contribute to the stress.
Downsizing may also be due to the privatization of a company. When downsizing occurs, employees are either laid
off or fired. Those who still have their jobs often have to worry about whether they will be next on the list of
employees to be laid off. If 3 employers are not supportive, discriminating in favor of some employees at the
expense of others, do not offer encouragement, or create a hostile work environment, this can cause stress for
employees.

Interpersonal conflicts within the workplace, uncertainty about job security, and underutilized job abilities
are also causes of occupational stress.

Physical symptoms that may occur because of occupational stress include fatigue, headache, stomach
problems, muscular aches and pains, chronic mild illness, sleep disturbances, and eating disorders. Psychological
and behavioral problems that may develop include anxiety, irritability, alcohol and drug use, feeling powerless and
low morale.7 If exposure to stressors in the workplace is prolonged, then chronic health problems can occur
including stroke. Studies among the Japanese population specifically showed a more than 2-fold increase in the risk
of total stroke among men with job strain (combination of high job demand and low job control).8 Along with the
risk of stroke comes high blood pressure and immune system dysfunction. Prolonged occupational stress can lead to
occupational burnout.