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STRESS COPING STRATEGIES OF WOMEN
ENTREPRENEURS – A STUDY OF SOUTHERN
RAJASTHAN
Dr. Roma Sadhwani
Guest Lecturer
Department of Business Administration
UCCMS, MlSU, Udaipur, India
Abstract: This paper is focused on the study of coping strategies of women entrepreneurs for overcoming stress. The objective of the
research was to identify the coping strategies adopted by women entrepreneurs to overcome stress and to find out whether these strategies
were effective in overcoming stress and also to determine whether these coping strategies differ significantly when studied on the basis of
various demographic variables. The result of data analysis concluded that majority of respondents are willingly using coping strategies to
relieve from stress. They were in agreement towards the frequent use of 22 out of 25 strategies. Majority of respondents are adopting
physical stress management strategies related to relaxation, meditation, yoga, diet etc. Further, it was found that demographic variables
such as age group, marital status, educational qualification, annual income, family type and family size play a significant role in the
frequency of use of coping strategies. Coping strategies were found to be effective in coping with stress.
Index Terms - Stress, Women, Entrepreneurs, Coping Strategies, Southern Rajasthan.
I. INTRODUCTION
“When we meet real tragedy in life, we can react in two ways – either by losing hope and falling into self-destructive habits or by using
the challenge to find our inner strength”
- Dalai Lama XIV
Stress is an unavoidable part of the life of people, no matter they are employed or not. But as soon as the causes of stress are identified, one
can make efforts to battle against stress and its hazardous effects. However, some amount of stress is necessary to bring excellence in their
work but excessive stress can serious damage to their lives as well as profession. Being entrepreneurs, they might see stress coping
strategies as a destruction or burden on their already busy lives. Nevertheless, these strategies might be helpful in managing stress thereby
enabling them to give their hundred percent to their business.
Therefore primary objective of this study is to identify the coping strategies adopted by women entrepreneurs to overcome stress and to
find out whether these strategies differ when studied on the basis of demographic variables and also efforts have been made to evaluate the
effectiveness of these coping strategies.
COPING STRATEGIES
Coping refers to the thoughts and actions we use to deal with a threatening situation. Coping is a very complex process that varies
according to many variables such as the situation, the evaluation of the situation, and the resources available
Coping mechanisms are the strategies people often use in the phase of stress and/or trauma to help manage difficult and/or
painful emotions. Coping mechanisms can help people adjust to stressful events while maintaining their emotional well-being.
Some may confuse defense mechanisms with coping mechanisms. Although they share some similarities, they are, in fact,
different. Defense mechanisms mostly occur at an unconscious level, and people are generally unaware they are using them. One’s use of
coping mechanisms, on the other hand, is typically conscious and purposeful. Coping mechanisms are used to manage an external situation
that is creating problems for an individual. Defense mechanisms can change a person’s internal psychological state.
A stressful situation may be considered a threat for you but not necessarily for your neighbor. You and your neighbor may
become stressed by the same situation, but for different reasons (e.g. The situation is new for you but unpredictable for your neighbor).
After all, since we all become stressed for various reasons we will need to choose different coping strategies. As you will see,
there are many strategies and some are better than others.
Coping styles can be problem-focused—also called instrumental—or emotion-focused. Problem-focused coping strategies are
typically associated with methods of dealing with the problem in order to reduce stress, while emotion-focused mechanisms can help
people handle any feelings of distress that result from the problem.
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Problem-focused strategy
This strategy relies on using active ways to directly tackle the situation that caused the stress: you must concentrate on
the problem. Here are some examples:
Analyze the situation e.g. Pay attention, avoid taking on more responsibility than you can manage.
Work harder e.g. Stay up all night to study for an exam
Apply what you have already learned to your daily life. e.g. You lose your job for the second time - you now know the steps to
apply for a new job
Talk to a person that has a direct impact on the situation e.g. Talk directly to your boss to ask for an extension to the project that is
due in one week.
Emotion-focused strategy
Emotion-focused coping strategies are used to handle feelings of distress, rather than the actual problem situation. You focus on
your emotions:
Brood e.g. you accept new tasks instead of saying “no”, but you keep complaining and saying it is unfair.
Imagine/Magic thinking e.g. you dream about a better financial situation.
Avoid/Deny e.g. you avoid everything that is related to this situation or you take drugs and/or alcohol to escape from this
situation.
Blame e.g. you blame yourself or others for the situation.
Social support e.g. you talk to your best friend about your concerns.
Further, coping mechanisms can be broadly categorized as active or avoidant. Active coping mechanisms usually involve an
awareness of the stressor and conscious attempts to reduce stress. Avoidant coping mechanisms, on the other hand, are characterized by
ignoring or otherwise avoiding the problem.
Some coping methods, though they work for a time, are not effective for a long-term period. These ineffective coping
mechanisms, which can often be counterproductive or have unintended negative consequences, are known as “maladaptive
coping.” Adaptive coping mechanisms are those generally considered to be healthy and effective ways of managing stressful situations.
Among the more commonly used coping mechanisms are:
Support: Talking about a stressful event with a supportive person can be an effective way to manage stress. Seeking external support
instead of self-isolating and internalizing the effects of stress can often greatly reduce the negative effects of a difficult situation.
Relaxation: Any number of relaxing activities can help people cope with stressful situations. Relaxing activities may include
practicing meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, or calming techniques; sitting in nature; or listening to soft music etc.
Problem-solving: This coping mechanism involves identifying a problem that is causing stress and then developing and putting into action
some potential solutions for effectively managing it.
Humor: Humor is a very effective, simple and inexpensive way to decrease stress. Humor is effective as a stress-relieving method for
numerous reasons. First, humor functions as a distraction, interrupting the chain of thought that results in stress. Effective humor also
results in laughter, which is a physical release of tension.
Physical activity: Exercise can serve, for many people, as a natural and healthy form of stress relief. Running, yoga, swimming,
walking, dance, team sports, and many other types of physical activity can help people cope with stressful situations and the after-effects of
traumatic events.
II REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Gupta, Telles, Singh and Balkrishna, (2018) This study was conducted to assess (i) the relationship between stressful life events
and coping strategies, (ii) how stressful life events influence stress indicators, and (iii) how variations in stress indicators occur according to
the coping strategies adopted. Data analysis revealed that Coping strategies, stressful life events, and stress indicators were assessed in 72
participants as a single-group cross-sectional study, Participants with low, medium, and high stressful life events showed a positive
correlation with disengagement (e.g., social withdrawal). A high level of stressful life events was positively correlated with physical and
behavioral indicators. Coping strategies such as problem-solving and cognitive restructuring showed a negative correlation with behavioral
indicators; wishful thinking showed a positive correlation with emotional indicators. Engagement showed a negative correlation with
behavioral indicators and disengagement was found to be positively correlated with emotional indicator. Further resultsconcluded that
(i)The higher the stressful life event scores, the greater was the chance of using unhealthy coping strategies; (ii) high stressful life events
correlated positively with physical and behavioral stress indicators; and (iii) healthy coping strategies (e.g., problem-solving) resulted in
lower behavioral indicators of stress.
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Krithiga and Velmurugan, (2018) The present paper attempts to explain the problems faced by women entrepreneurs in
manufacturing sector, and how their problems has been managed, i.e. their stress copying strategies, The study findings show that women
entrepreneurs faced several problems in work and family environment. The constant requirement for the work and other work environment
factors were accounted as the largest source for creating stress among women entrepreneurs. Further it was found that entrepreneurs faced
problems and were applying both problem-based and emotion-based coping strategies to manage the stress.
Dashora, Khandalwal, Jain and Purohit, (2015) Women entrepreneurs are living in affirm of inevitable stress which can be
effectively managed with the use of suitable coping strategies. Apposite management of stress leads to the efficacy, comfort, concert &
success of an entrepreneur along with popularity of enterprise. This study inspects various role stressors and coping styles among women
entrepreneurs. Standardized instruments were applied for assessing role stress and coping among total 270 women entrepreneurs, 90 from
each sector i.e. manufacturing, trading and service. Role stress was experienced by all the subjects but the differences were not significant.
Maximum stress was noticed in trading sector and explicitly in others trading sub-sector. Challenge stress and role overload were
prominent stressors for all subjects. Sector wise variations were found regarding coping preferences. Subjects were using approach mode
for materialistic issues regarding market, money, time and work load whereas, regrettably avoiding the humanistic issues such as merits of
health, values, market orientation and problem sharing. Study is evocative that efforts must be inclined to redefine the roles with self-
regulation to astutely tackle health & wellbeing issues along with all other neglected issues. The article concludes with amendments in
existing coping pattern to reduce stress for active & emerging entrepreneurs.
Nidhi Verma and Ajay Singh, (2014) nowadays people are living stressful lives, be it stress arising from occupations, finance,
career or relationships. As a result, they are suffering from various psychosomatic problems. Nowadays many kinds of therapies are
available which help in dealing with stress such as cognitive behaviour therapy, behaviour therapy, psychotherapy etc. This paper aims at
spreading light on an ancient holy book: The Bhagwad Gita which has been forgotten by young generations and is considered a religious
book only. The Bhagwad Gita, which was spoken by Lord Krishna in the battle of Kurukshetra- Mahabharata, is a key to all worries and
anxieties. Therefore this paper aims at the basic understanding of the Bhagwad Gita principles and its application in day to day life as a
valuable tool for management and coping with stress. This paper draws attention on the insight given by Gita for the healthy and effective
coping with stress in the form of 18 chapters of Gita. In The Sanskrit editions of the Gita, each chapter is named as a particular form of
Yoga. This paper helps in the understanding of these chapters in a simplified manner in order to deal with stress. In the Bhagavad Gita, a
lot of efforts have been made to equate Karma Yoga, Gyan Yoga, and Bhakti Yoga. Understanding and application of these verses can
surely help one to live happily and stress-free life.
Dr. K. Shobha and Gopal Vennila, (2012) this paper focuses on the level of stress of the women entrepreneurs and their coping
mechanism. For the purpose of study 100 women entrepreneurs were selected from Coimbatore city on the basis of random sampling.
Respondents were asked to mark their perception on a five-point scale and “Factor Analysis” (Principal Component, Varimax Rotated
Factor Analysis Method) was used to analyze the data. Results concluded that Women entrepreneurs’ characteristics and skills are the main
sources of stress. These factors are obstacles for the successful running of the business. Expectations of others and interest to do better than
others is also another form of stress. However work-home conflict isn’t considered as stress contributors for women entrepreneurs. The
coping mechanisms adopted by the entrepreneurs in the study to deal with stress were communicating with experienced people in the same
field, communicating with subordinates, maintaining cool, to take a break and delegating work.
Divina M. Edralin, (2012) an exploratory study that aims at discovering the innovative strategies by which women entrepreneurs
achieve harmony in their work and life demands. For the purpose of study140 women entrepreneurs in the Philippines were interviewed
and eight selected cases from among the samples were used to authenticate the findings. Results revealed that the positive spillover effects
of work on family needs and personal needs of the women entrepreneurs are having a good reputation in the community while negative
spillover has to do with health problems/physical exhaustion/stress due to long work hours and workload. The top three strategies used by
women entrepreneurs to integrate work and life demands are engaging in activities to manage stress, having the business located at home or
near residence and planning work and household chores ahead of time. Also, the personal entrepreneurial competencies of the Filipinas
which they use to integrate work-life demands are information seeking, systematic planning/monitoring, and goal setting. To ensure work-
life balance, women entrepreneurs, are encouraged to adopt innovative work-life balance strategies like strengthening support from spouse
and family, engage in stress management and time management activities, and redesign work structure to make it more flexible.
Uma Devi .T, (2011) conducted a study on 200 employees of IT companies situated in and around Hyderabad to determine the
causes of stress and coping strategies adopted by these employees to deal with stress. Main causes of stress identified in the study were
heavy workloads, organizational changes, organization culture, and lack of employee control, fear of job loss, competition, operating cycle,
increasing technology and push for multitasking. Coping strategies identified in this study include stress management programs, lifestyle
modification programs, physical activities planned in job design, supportive organization culture, finding triggers and stressors, stress
counseling programs, and spiritual programs.
Ahmad, Syed Zamberi Xavier, and Siri Roland, (2010) the objective of this study was to provide pragmatic evidence on the
factors causing stress among entrepreneurs in Malaysia and to study the coping mechanisms adopted by these entrepreneurs to overcome
stress. Data for the study were collected from 118 entrepreneurs and it was found that the major sources of stress were the high expectation
of others', 'business skills required', 'responsibilities' and ‘work pressure'. In order to manage stress, various coping strategies were adopted
by Malaysian entrepreneurs, among them ‘diverts thinking' (by doing something else), 'disregarding', 'networking' and 'effective
communication proved to be very effective. Moreover, People problems' and 'family' were not considered to be the major sources of stress.
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It was also suggested that in order to deal with stress entrepreneurs must properly organized their work, control their emotions and spend
time with friends.
Mateja Drnovšek, Daniel Ortqvist, and Joakim Wincent, (2010) present study analyzes the effectiveness of coping strategies
that are used by entrepreneurs to daily manage work-related stress and also to analyze relationships among these coping strategies and a set
of antecedents influencing the selection of coping strategies by entrepreneurs. In this paper two broad strategies of coping are identified;
problem-based coping and emotion-based coping. Data collected from 469 entrepreneurs from two European countries were analyzed using
structural equation modeling. Results revealed that problem-based coping facilitates well-being and venture performance. Additionally, our
findings also support interaction effects of founder centrality and contextual conditions of venturing on the extent entrepreneurs engage in
coping. In specific, our findings suggest that entrepreneurs should engage in problem-focused strategies when they want to effectively
tackle the economic aspects of their lives and they should engage in emotion-based strategies when they seem to increase the self-
knowledge they need to start subsequent ventures and facilitate learning from failure.
Syed Zamberi Ahmad and Farah Akmar Anor Salim, (2009) present study aims at determining the factors causing stress and
the coping mechanism adopted by Malaysian entrepreneurs to overcome stress. For this purpose data were collected from 118
entrepreneurs via questionnaire. It was found that Responsibility and values, need to acquire numerous skills and focusing too much on
work are the factors that serve as a major source of stress in Malaysian entrepreneurs. Results also revealed that People problems and
family were not considered as a factor causing stress even though these were highly rated as one of the stress factors in other countries.
Moreover coping mechanisms adopted by Malaysian entrepreneurs to overcome stress include effective communication, disregarding and
divert thinking (by doing something fun).
Elaine G. Porter and K.V. Nagarajan, (2005) the purpose of this research is to study motives and the obstacles faced by women
entrepreneurs in establishing and growing their businesses. Nine women entrepreneurs in a small southern Indian town with entrepreneurial
training and who had been running their business for at least five years constitute the sample for research. Their decision to enter into the
business was guided by Gender-neutral and gendered motives even if partnered with a male. It was found that Patriarchal norms within and
outside family provided many challenges along the way also work-family conflicts were among them. In order to manage interactions with
governmental and bank officials women used gender-based strategies and a professional demeanour to deal with male clients. Children
sometimes participated in their businesses after school. By being successful entrepreneurs, these women proved to be pioneers in their
environment.
Surti and Sarupriya, (1983) conducted a study on 40 women entrepreneurs with minimum two years experience to examine the
role of stress, the effect of demographic variables (marital status, type of family) on stress and how women entrepreneurs cope with stress.
Results revealed that unmarried women entrepreneurs experienced less stress and self-role distance than married women entrepreneurs also
women entrepreneurs from joint families experienced less stress, reason being they might share their problems with other family members.
Also, it was found that external focus of control was significantly related to the stress role and fear of success was related to result-
inadequacy and role-inadequacy dimensions of stress. Moreover, intrapersistent coping styles, such as taking action to solve problems,
avoidance etc. were more commonly used by entrepreneurs to deal with stress than approach – oriented styles of coping.
III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The methodology section outline the plan and method that how the study is conducted. This includes objectives of the study, hypothesis,
sample design, research tools for data collection, data analysis and interpretation and limitations of the study. The details are as follows;
3.1Objectives
The objectives of the present research are as follows:
1. To identify the coping strategies adopted by women entrepreneurs to overcome stress.
2. To find out whether these strategies differ when studied on the basis of demographic variables.
3.2 Hypothesis
The following hypothesis was formulated in consonance with the objectives of the study:
Hypothesis (Ho) 1: There is no significant difference between stress coping strategies according to various demographic variables.
Hypothesis (Ho) 2: Coping strategies used by women entrepreneurs are not effective in overcoming stress.
3.3 Sample design
Sampling Technique: Convenient Sampling
Base and size of Sample: For the purpose of accomplishing objectives of the study data has been collected from 505 women
entrepreneurs of Southern Rajasthan (Udaipur, Chittorgarh, and Dungarpur).
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3.4 RESEARCH TOOLS FOR DATA COLLECTION
3.4.1 Primary Data
Primary data was collected with the help of a questionnaire and personal interview. These are described as follows:
(i) Questionnaire: For the purpose of data collection, a structured questionnaire was designed which was divided into two
sections.
The first section was related with the demographic profile of respondents containing questions like Name, Age, Marital Status,
Investment, Annual Income, Family type, Family size, Number of Employees working with them, Experience of entrepreneurship
The second section, dealt with various coping strategies. Respondents were asked to give their agreement or disagreement towards 27
coping strategies which they use to cope up with stress. The responses were based on 5-point Likert Scale, ranging 5 for Strongly
Agreed to 1 for Strongly Disagreed. They were further asked whether these strategies really help them to cope up with stress.
(ii) Personal Interview: Along with questionnaire at some instances where respondents were illiterate, personal interview
method was used to collect data. The main purpose of the personal interview is to collect reliable and authentic information.
3.4.2 Secondary Data
For the purpose of the study, secondary data was collected with the help of various Books, Journals, Dissertations, Articles,
publications, magazines along with relevant websites.
3.5 Data Analysis and Interpretation
For the purpose of achieving the objective of the research, data collected through questionnaires and interviews were analyzed and
interpreted using various statistical techniques such as frequencies, Z test, ANOVA, etc. Data preparation was done on Ms-Excel whereas
analysis was done on SPSS 20.
3.6 Limitations of the Study:
The study is limited to women entrepreneurs only.
The geographical area was limited to southern Rajasthan only.
Women entrepreneurs’ sector in Southern Rajasthan is very Unorganized which makes it difficult to collect information about
them.
While the collection of data many respondents were unwilling to fill the questionnaire. They considered it to be a waste of time.
It was difficult to collect information from uneducated women entrepreneurs.
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IV DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
Section 1: Demographic summary of respondents.
Table 4.1: Profile of Respondents
Attributes N Percent
Attributes N Percent
Place Marital Status
Chittorgarh 51 10.1 Married 397 78.6
Dungarpur 50 9.9 Unmarried 68 13.5
Udaipur 404 80.0 Widow 33 6.5
Divorcee 7 1.4
Total 505 100.0 Total 505 100.0
Age Group Income
Less Than 30 120 23.8 < Rs. 1 Lakh 104 20.6
30-40 165 32.7 Rs. 1-3 Lakhs 290 57.4
40-50 166 32.9 Rs. 3-5 Lakhs 88 17.4
More Than 50 54 10.7 >Rs. 5 Lakhs 23 4.6
Total 505 100.0 Total 505 100.0
Business Classification Sector
Academics 64 12.7 Trade 228 45.1
Boutique 39 7.7 Manufacturing 24 4.8
Cosmetic /Jewellery 29 5.7 Service 246 48.7
Garments 82 16.2 Hand-Craft 7 1.4
General Store 25 5.0 Total 505 100.0
Hobby Class 26 5.1 No. of Employees
Others 85 16.8 0-2 315 62.4
Parlour/Saloon 91 18.0 3-5 136 26.9
Restaurant/Tiffin/Food Items 38 7.5 6-10 27 5.3
Tailor 26 5.1 11-15 12 2.4
Total 505 100.0 More Than 15 13 2.6
Investment Total 503 99.6
< Rs. 1 Lac 134 26.5 Ownership
Rs. 1-3 Lakhs 261 51.7 Sole Ownership 403 79.8
Rs. 3-5 Lakhs 40 7.9 Joint Ownership 71 14.1
Rs. 5-10 Lakhs 50 9.9 Family Business 30 5.9
Rs. 10-15 Lakhs 7 1.4 Co-operative 1 .2
> Rs. 15 Lakhs 13 2.6 Total 505 100.0
Total 505 100.0 Experience
Qualification < 5 Years 188 37.2
Illiterate 2 .40 5-10 Years 191 37.8
Up to 8 46 9.11 > 10 Years 126 25.0
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Attributes N Percent Attributes N Percent
Up to12 146 28.91 Total 505 100.0
Graduate 166 32.87 Family Size
Post Graduate 136 26.93 0-3 121 24.0
Higher 9 1.78 4-5 204 40.4
Total 505 100.0 More Than 5 180 35.6
Family Type Total 505 100.0
Joint 232 45.9
Nuclear 273 54.1
Total 505 100.0
Section 2: Stress Coping Strategies of Women Entrepreneurs.
In this section, respondents were proposed with 27 stress coping strategies to give the opinion on the frequency of their use. Table
4.2 presents the mean, standard deviation, Z-value and its significance for each of the strategies in the descending order of their mean,
segregating them into “More Frequent Use” and “Less Frequent or No Use”. Only significant strategies have been displayed.
Table 4.2: Results of Z Test for Overall Opinion towards Coping Strategies
Strategies Mean Std. Dev. Z Sig.
More Frequent Use Descending Order
R11. Faith upon God and spiritual orientation 4.28 1.065 26.993 0.00
R17. Thinking positively 4.23 1.027 26.913 0.00
R9. Spending time with friends/ family 4.05 1.052 22.508 0.00
R5. Prioritizing the work 4.04 1.003 23.381 0.00
R4. Take appropriate action to solve problems 4.03 0.969 23.825 0.00
R16. Avoid people who stress you out 3.99 1.23 18.012 0.00
R20. Eat a healthy diet and get enough sleep 3.96 1.178 18.397 0.00
R24. Taking work problems as an opportunity to learn new skills 3.96 1.123 19.301 0.00
R26. Stop the work for a while and come back refreshed 3.95 1.074 19.938 0.00
R25. Finding immediate solutions for a problem 3.92 1.084 19.002 0.00
R27. Nurturing hobbies and interests 3.89 1.151 17.358 0.00
R6. Planning work and household chores ahead of time 3.88 1.062 18.563 0.00
R19. Spare time for doing something you enjoy every day 3.83 1.107 16.847 0.00
R7. Working smarter not harder 3.75 1.304 12.899 0.00
R8. Divert thinking (by doing something else) 3.7 1.1 14.366 0.00
R18. Set aside relaxation time/ Take a walk 3.7 1.212 12.921 0.00
R10. Going out on holiday 3.54 1.193 10.107 0.00
R15. Listen to music or reading books 3.49 1.428 7.726 0.00
R14. Networking and effective communication 3.46 1.319 7.791 0.00
R3. Avoid hasty decisions 3.31 1.427 4.866 0.00
R1. Communicating with experienced people in the same field 3.22 1.6 3.06 0.002
R2. Communicating with subordinates 3.14 1.6 2.003 0.046
Less Frequent or No Use Descending Order of Mean
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R22. Deep breathing 2.64 1.47 -5.57 0.00
R21. Laughter therapy 2.4 1.516 -8.951 0.00
R12. Accepting the situation and doing nothing 2.06 1.241 -17.1 0.00
Surprisingly, Z-values of 25 strategies are significantly different from the neutral opinion (i. e. 3). Out of 25 strategies,
respondents use more frequently the strategies- “Faith upon God and spiritual orientation”, “Thinking positively”, “Spending time with
friends/ family”, “Prioritizing the work”, “Take appropriate action to solve problems”, “Avoid people who stress you out”, “Eat a healthy
diet and get enough sleep”, “Taking work problems as an opportunity to learn new skills”, “Stop the work for a while and come back
refreshed”, “Finding immediate solutions for a problem”, “Nurturing hobbies and interests”, “Planning work and household chores ahead
of time”, “Spare time for doing something you enjoy every day”, “Working smarter not harder”, “Divert thinking (by doing some thing
else) ”, “Set aside relaxation time/ Take a walk”, “Going out on holiday”, “Listen to music or reading books”, “Networking and effective
communication”, “Avoid hasty decisions”, “Communicating with experienced people in the same field” and “Communicating with
subordinates”.
Respondents use less frequently only three strategies “Deep breathing”, “Laughter Therapy” and “Accepting the situation and
doing nothing”. Results show that women entrepreneurs are doing some or the other thing for relieving stress.
Results of Z-test were not significant for “Meditation / Yoga / Exercise” and “Division of Responsibilities”. Their results have not
been displayed.
After finding that most of the coping strategies are significant at 5 % level of significance, it was decided to explore whether this
difference is still significant when studied on the basis of demographic variables.
1. Age Group
Table 4.3 presents the results of ANOVA for coping strategies according to age group. Only significantly different results have
been shown.
Table 4.3: Results of ANOVA for Coping Strategies according to Age Group
Strategies Age
Group N Mean
Std.
Dev. F Sig. Post-Hoc Analysis
R6. Planning work
and household
chores ahead of
time
< 30 120 3.56 1.172
5.674 0.001
Significant difference found between
< 30 and 30-40
< 30 and 40-50
30-40 165 3.90 1.083
40-50 166 4.07 .957
> 50 54 3.91 .896
Total 505 3.88 1.062
R14. Networking
and effective
communication
< 30 120 3.82 1.092
4.006 0.008
Significant difference found between
< 30 and 30-40
< 30 and 40-50
30-40 165 3.37 1.344
40-50 166 3.34 1.404
> 50 54 3.30 1.327
Total 505 3.46 1.319
R15. Listen to
music or reading
books
< 30 120 3.81 1.368
2.788 0.04
Significant difference found between
< 30 and 40-50
30-40 165 3.42 1.415
40-50 166 3.34 1.467
> 50 54 3.48 1.411
Total 505 3.49 1.428
R21. Laughter
therapy
< 30 120 2.56 1.544
3.162 0.024 Significant difference found between
30-40 and 40-50
30-40 165 2.56 1.543
40-50 166 2.11 1.431
> 50 54 2.41 1.536
Total 505 2.40 1.516
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Results reveal that F value is significant for 4 strategies R6 “Planning work and household chores ahead of time”, R14
“Networking and effective communication”, R15 “Listen to music or reading books” and R21 “Laughter therapy “. The calculated F-
statistic was 5.674, 4.006, 2.788 and 3.162 with p-values 0.001, 0.008, 0.04 and 0.024 respectively. Mentioned first three strategies are
more frequently used by respondents of all age groups whereas the fourth strategy is less frequently used by all age groups.
Results of Post-hoc analysis using Bonferroni Test revealed that for R6 and R14 difference was significant between Less Than 30
and 30-40 age groups & Less Than 30 and 40-50 age groups. Respondents of less than 30 years use less frequently the strategies R6 and
R14 than other age groups. For R15 significant difference was found between Less Than 30 and 40-50 age groups and for R21 difference
was significant between 30-40 and 40-50 age groups.
Thus it can be concluded that out of these 4 strategies, respondents of all age groups use more frequently R6, R14 and R15 whereas
they use less frequently R21.
2. Marital Status
Table 4.4 shows the ANOVA results for coping strategies according to marital status. Only significant results have been shown.
Difference was significant for 5 strategies R1 “Communicating with experienced people in the same field”, R6 “Planning work and
household chores ahead of time”, R12 “Accepting the situation and doing nothing”, R20 “Eat a healthy diet and get enough sleep” and R26
“Stop the work for a while and come back refreshed”. The F-statistic was 3.809, 4.331, 4.177, 5.076 and 3.734 with p-value of 0.01, 0.005,
0.006, 0.002 and .011.
Table 4.4: Results of ANOVA for Coping Strategies according to Marital Status
Strategies Marital Status N Mean Std. Dev. F Sig. Post-Hoc Analysis
R1.
Communicating
with
experienced
people in the
same field
Married 397 3.10 1.619
3.809 0.01 Significant difference found
between Married and Unmarried
Unmarried 68 3.78 1.464
Widow 33 3.45 1.438
Divorcee 7 3.29 1.496
Total 505 3.22 1.600
R6. Planning
work and
household
chores ahead of
time
Married 397 3.94 1.062
4.331 0.005 Significant difference found
between Married and Unmarried
Unmarried 68 3.46 1.099
Widow 33 3.88 .857
Divorcee 7 4.14 .690
Total 505 3.88 1.062
R12. Accepting
the situation
and doing
nothing
Married 397 2.11 1.248
4.177 0.006
Significant difference found
between
Unmarried and Divorcee
Widow and Divorcee
Unmarried 68 1.82 1.196
Widow 33 1.64 .929
Divorcee 7 3.14 1.676
Total 505 2.06 1.241
R20. Eat a
healthy diet and
get enough
sleep
Married 397 4.00 1.153
5.076 0.002
Significant difference found
between
Married and Widow
Unmarried and Widow
Unmarried and Divorcee
Unmarried 68 4.13 1.021
Widow 33 3.42 1.501
Divorcee 7 2.86 1.345
Total 505 3.96 1.178
R26. Stop the
work for a
while and come
back refreshed
Married 397 3.96 1.053
3.734 0.011 Significant difference found
between Unmarried and Widow
Unmarried 68 4.18 .976
Widow 33 3.58 1.347
Divorcee 7 3.14 1.069
Total 505 3.95 1.074
Results of Post-Hoc Bonferroni Test reveal that for R1 and R6 difference was significant between the Married and Unmarried
group, however, both the groups use it more frequently. For R12 significant difference was found between Unmarried and Divorcee &
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Widow and Divorcee, where only Divorcee group uses more frequently. This shows their adjusting and pessimistic view towards stress.
For R20 difference was significant between Married and Widow, Unmarried and Widow & Unmarried and Divorcee. For R26 significant
difference was found between Unmarried and Widow Groups.
It was concluded from the results that except R12, Divorcee women use these strategies less frequently than other women.
Divorcee women use more frequently R12 “Accepting the situation and doing nothing” whereas all other women use this strategy less
frequently.
3. Educational Qualification
Table 4.5 shows the ANOVA results for coping strategies according to educational qualification of respondents. Only significant
results have been shown. Difference was significant for 12 strategies R5 “Prioritizing the work”, R7 “Working smarter not harder”, R10
“Going out on holiday”, R13 “Meditation / Yoga / Exercise”, R14“Networking and effective communication”, R16 “Avoid people who
stress you out”, R18 “Set aside relaxation time/ Take a walk”, R19 “Spare time for doing something you enjoy every day”, R20 “Eat a
healthy diet and get enough sleep”, R21 “Laughter therapy”, R24 “Taking work problems as an opportunity to learn new skills” and R27
“Nurturing hobbies and interests”. The F-statistic (and p-value in brackets) was 2.378 (.038), 4.235 (0.001), 5.547 (0.00), 6.075 (0.00),
3.799 (0.002), 3.063 (0.01), 3.486 (0.004), 3.914 (0.002), 3.335 (0.006), 6.761 (0.00), 3.585 (.003) and 2.977 (.012) respect ively. It was
interesting to know that except “Going out on Holiday” illiterate respondents use less frequently all significantly different strategies.
Table 4.5: Results of ANOVA for Coping Strategies according to Qualification
Strategies Qualification N Mean Std.
Dev. F Sig. Post-Hoc Analysis
R5. Prioritizing the
work
Illiterate 2 2.00 0.000
2.378 0.038
Significant difference found
between
Illiterate and up to 12
Illiterate and Graduate
Up to 8 46 3.85 .965
Up to 12 146 4.12 .894
Graduation 166 4.09 .965
PG 136 4.01 1.119
Higher 9 3.89 1.364
Total 505 4.04 1.003
R7. Working smarter
not harder
Illiterate 2 1.50 .707
4.235 0.001
Significant difference found
between Up To 12 and
Graduate
Up to 8 46 3.39 1.406
Up to 12 146 3.52 1.381
Graduation 166 3.98 1.238
PG 136 3.84 1.188
Higher 9 4.11 1.269
Total 505 3.75 1.304
R10. Going out on
holiday
Illiterate 2 3.00 1.414
5.547 0.00
Significant difference found
between
Up to 8 and PG
Up to 12 and PG
Up to 8 46 3.09 1.262
Up to 12 146 3.28 1.253
Graduation 166 3.59 1.079
PG 136 3.87 1.134
Higher 9 4.11 1.269
Total 505 3.54 1.193
R13. Meditation / Yoga
/ Exercise
Illiterate 2 1.00 0.000
6.075 0.00
Significant difference found
between
Up to 8 and PG
Up to 12 and PG
Up to 8 46 2.65 1.622
Up to 12 146 2.59 1.446
Graduation 166 3.01 1.450
PG 136 3.43 1.380
Higher 9 3.44 1.878
Total 505 2.97 1.490
R14. Networking and Illiterate 2 1.50 .707 3.799 0.002 Significant difference found
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effective
communication Up to 8 46 3.04 1.563 between Up to 8 and PG
Up to 12 146 3.26 1.360
Graduation 166 3.55 1.209
PG 136 3.70 1.249
Higher 9 3.89 1.364
Total 505 3.46 1.319
R16. Avoid people who
stress you out
Illiterate 2 1.50 .707
3.063 0.01
Significant difference found
between
Illiterate and Graduate
Illiterate and PG
Up to 8 46 3.59 1.557
Up to 12 146 3.95 1.285
Graduation 166 4.08 1.146
PG 136 4.07 1.093
Higher 9 4.11 1.269
Total 505 3.99 1.230
R18. Set aside
relaxation time/ Take a
walk
Illiterate 2 1.00 0.000
3.486
0.004
Significant difference found
between
Illiterate and Up to 12
Illiterate and Graduate
Illiterate and PG
Illiterate and Higher
Up to 8 46 3.54 1.277
Up to 12 146 3.54 1.227
Graduation 166 3.74 1.231
Post Graduation 136 3.88 1.096
Higher 9 4.00 1.225
Total 505 3.70 1.212
R19. Spare time for
doing something you
enjoy every day
Illiterate 2 1.00 0.000
3.914 0.002
Significant difference found
between
Illiterate and all other
categories
Up to 8 46 3.59 .979
Up to 12 146 3.75 1.150
Graduation 166 3.97 1.064
Post Graduation 136 3.88 1.092
Higher 9 3.78 1.202
Total 505 3.83 1.107
R20. Eat a healthy diet
and get enough sleep
Illiterate 2 1.00 0.000
3.335 0.006
Significant difference found
between
Illiterate and all other
categories
Up to 8 46 4.00 1.116
Up to 12 146 3.84 1.241
Graduation 166 4.08 1.157
PG 136 3.99 1.085
Higher 9 3.78 1.481
Total 505 3.96 1.178
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R21. Laughter therapy
Illiterate 2 1.00 0.000
6.761 0.00
Significant difference found
between
Up to 8 and Higher
Up to 12 and PG
Up to 12 and Higher
Up to 8 46 2.11 1.595
Up to 12 146 2.00 1.334
Graduation 166 2.41 1.506
PG 136 2.83 1.528
Higher 9 3.78 1.716
Total 505 2.40 1.516
R24. Taking work
problems as an
opportunity to learn new
skills
Illiterate 2 1.00 0.000
3.585 .003
Significant difference found
between
Illiterate and all other
categories
Up to 8 46 4.07 1.041
Up to 12 146 3.86 1.157
Graduation 166 3.98 1.078
PG 136 4.05 1.137
Higher 9 4.33 .707
Total 505 3.96 1.123
R27. Nurturing hobbies
and interests
Illiterate 2 1.00 0.000
2.977 .012
Significant difference found
between
Illiterate and all other
categories
Up to 8 46 3.74 1.144
Up to 12 146 3.85 1.200
Graduation 166 3.93 1.113
PG 136 3.96 1.095
Higher 9 4.11 1.364
Total 505 3.89 1.151
Bonferroni Post-Hoc analysis revealed that for R5 difference was significant between Illiterates and Up to 12 & Illiterates and
Graduates, for R7 that was between Up to 12 and Graduates, for both R10 and R13 that was between Up to 8 and PG & Up to 12 and PG,
for R14 that was between Up to 8 and PG. For R16 difference was significant between Illiterates and Graduate & Illiterates and PG. for
R18 Illiterates had a significant difference with Up to 12, Graduates, PG and Higher. For R19, R20, R24, and R27 significant difference
was found between Illiterates and all other categories. For R21 significant difference was found between Up to 8 and Higher, Up to 12 and
PG & Up to 12 and Higher.
Outcomes disclosed that for significant strategies relating to personal care such as “Meditation/Yoga”, “Eat a healthy diet”,
“Laughter Therapy” and “Nurturing Hobbies” less educated respondents were on disagreement side and more educated respondents were
on agreement side.
4. Annual Income
Table 4.6 shows the ANOVA results for coping strategies according to respondents’ annual income. Only significantly different
strategies have been displayed. Results show that there are 9 strategies where the opinion of respondents of different income groups differs
significantly. These are R2 “Communicating with subordinates”, R8 “Divert thinking (by doing something else)”, R9 “Spending time with
friends/ family”, R16 “Avoid people who stress you out”, R18 “Set aside relaxation time/ Take a walk”, R20 “Eat a healthy diet and get
enough sleep”, R23 “Division of responsibilities”, R24 “Taking work problems as an opportunity to learn new skills” and R26 “Stop the
work for a while and come back refreshed”. The respective F-statistic with p-values in brackets were 3.76 (.011), 3.19 (0.023), 4.125
(0.007), 9.334 (0), 3.805 (0.01), 5.026 (0.002), 7.842 (0), 4.253 (0.006) and 4.669 (0.003).
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Table 4.6: Results of ANOVA for Coping Strategies according to Income
Strategies Income N Mean Std. Dev. F Sig. Post-Hoc Analysis
R2. Communicating
with subordinates
< Rs. 1 Lakhs 104 2.88 1.483
3.76 0.011 Significant difference found between
< Rs. 1 Lakh and Rs. 3-5 Lakh
Rs. 1-3 Lakhs 290 3.07 1.634
Rs. 3-5 Lakhs 88 3.57 1.552
> Rs. 5 Lakhs 23 3.57 1.562
Total 505 3.14 1.600
R8. Divert thinking (by
doing something else)
< Rs. 1 Lakhs 104 3.43 1.221
3.19 0.023 Significant difference found between
< Rs. 1 Lakh and Rs. 3-5 Lakh
Rs. 1-3 Lakhs 290 3.73 1.060
Rs. 3-5 Lakhs 88 3.89 1.066
> Rs. 5 Lakhs 23 3.87 .968
Total 505 3.70 1.100
Strategies Income N Mean Std. Dev. F Sig. Post-Hoc Analysis
R9. Spending time
with friends/ family
< Rs. 1 Lakhs 104 3.79 1.076
4.125 0.007
Significant difference found
between
< Rs. 1 Lakh and Rs. 3-5 Lakh
Rs. 1-3 Lakhs 290 4.06 1.059
Rs. 3-5 Lakhs 88 4.28 .946
> Rs. 5 Lakhs 23 4.30 1.020
Total 505 4.05 1.052
R16. Avoid people
who stress you out
< Rs. 1 Lakhs 104 3.47 1.468
9.334 0
Significant difference found
between
< Rs. 1 Lakh and Rs. 1-3 Lakh
< Rs. 1 Lakh and Rs. 3-5 Lakh
Rs. 1-3 Lakhs 290 4.05 1.174
Rs. 3-5 Lakhs 88 4.34 .945
> Rs. 5 Lakhs 23 4.13 1.058
Total 505 3.99 1.230
R18. Set aside
relaxation time/ Take
a walk
< Rs. 1 Lakhs 104 3.50 1.239
3.805 0.01
Significant difference found
between
< Rs. 1 Lakh and Rs. 3-5 Lakh
Rs. 1-3 Lakhs and Rs. 3-5
Lakhs
Rs. 1-3 Lakhs 290 3.65 1.251
Rs. 3-5 Lakhs 88 4.06 .939
> Rs. 5 Lakhs 23 3.83 1.302
Total 505 3.70 1.212
R20. Eat a healthy
diet and get enough
sleep
< Rs. 1 Lakhs 104 3.58 1.377
5.026 0.002
Significant difference found
between
< Rs. 1 Lakh and Rs. 1-3 Lakh
< Rs. 1 Lakh and Rs. 3-5 Lakh
Rs. 1-3 Lakhs 290 4.04 1.140
Rs. 3-5 Lakhs 88 4.15 1.012
> Rs. 5 Lakhs 23 4.04 .928
Total 505 3.96 1.178
R23. Division of
responsibilities
< Rs. 1 Lakhs 104 2.68 1.515
7.842 0
Significant difference found
between
< Rs. 1 Lakh and Rs. 3-5 Lakh
< Rs. 1 Lakh and > Rs. 5 Lakh
Rs. 1-3 Lakhs and Rs. 3-5
Lakhs
Rs. 1-3 Lakhs 290 2.91 1.406
Rs. 3-5 Lakhs 88 3.49 1.174
> Rs. 5 Lakhs 23 3.70 1.146
Total 505 3.00 1.410
Strategies Income N Mean Std. Dev. F Sig. Post-Hoc Analysis
R24. Taking work
problems as an
opportunity to learn
new skills
< Rs. 1 Lakhs 104 3.66 1.235
4.253 0.006
Significant difference found
between
< Rs. 1 Lakh and Rs. 1-3 Lakh
< Rs. 1 Lakh and Rs. 3-5 Lakh
Rs. 1-3 Lakhs 290 4.02 1.086
Rs. 3-5 Lakhs 88 4.18 1.012
> Rs. 5 Lakhs 23 3.74 1.214
Total 505 3.96 1.123
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R26. Stop the work
for a while and come
back refreshed
< Rs. 1 Lakhs 104 3.63 1.142
4.669 0.003
Significant difference found
between
< Rs. 1 Lakh and Rs. 1-3 Lakh
< Rs. 1 Lakh and Rs. 3-5 Lakh
Rs. 1-3 Lakhs 290 4.00 1.080
Rs. 3-5 Lakhs 88 4.15 .929
> Rs. 5 Lakhs 23 4.13 .920
Total 505 3.95 1.074
Results of Bonferroni Post-Hoc analysis disclosed that for R2, R8 and R9 difference was significant between Less Than Rs. 1
Lakh and Rs. 3-5 Lakh. For R16, R20, R24, and R26 difference was significant between Less Than Rs. 1 Lakh and Rs. 1-3 Lakh & Less
than Rs. 1 Lakh and Rs. 3-5 Lakh. For R18 difference was significant for Less Than Rs. 1 Lakh and Rs. 3-5 Lakh & Rs. 1-3 Lakh and Rs.
3-5 Lakh. For R23 difference was significant between Less Than Rs. 1 Lakh and Rs. 3-5 Lakh, Less Than Rs. 1 Lakh and More Than Rs. 5
Lakh & Rs. 1-3 Lakhs and Rs. 3-5 Lakhs. It was also observed for all significant strategies that mean frequent use rises with the increase in
annual income. In other words, when income level raises respondents get diverted towards coping strategies.
5. Family Type
Table 4.7 presents results of Z test for coping strategies according to family type. Only significant results have been presented. Z
value was significant for 5 strategies R8 “Divert thinking (by doing something else)”, R10 “Going out on holiday”, R13 “Meditation /
Yoga / Exercise”, R21 “Laughter therapy” and R23 “Division of responsibilities”. The Z values were 3.44, 2.065, 2.519, 3.095 and 2.225
with p-values 0.001, 0.039, 0.012, 0.002 and 0.027 respectively.
Table 4.7: Results of Z Test for Coping Strategies according to Family type
Strategies Family N Mean Std. Dev. Z Sig.
R8. Divert thinking (by doing something else)
Joint 232 3.88 1.065
3.44 0.001
Nuclear 273 3.55 1.107
R10. Going out on holiday
Joint 232 3.66 1.210
2.065 0.039
Nuclear 273 3.44 1.171
R13. Meditation / Yoga / Exercise
Joint 232 3.15 1.476
2.519 0.012
Nuclear 273 2.81 1.487
R21. Laughter therapy
Joint 232 2.62 1.550
3.095 0.002
Nuclear 273 2.21 1.463
R23. Division of responsibilities
Joint 232 3.15 1.414
2.225 0.027
Nuclear 273 2.87 1.397
It can be concluded that women living in joint families are more inclined towards the use of coping strategies. Although it was
earlier found that there is no association between stress level and family type, it seems that women find more opportunity to use these
strategies in joint families compared to nuclear families.
6. Family Size
Table 4.8 presents the ANOVA results for coping strategies according to family size. Only significant results have been displayed.
Only two strategies have a significant difference on the basis of family size, R8 “Divert thinking (by doing something else)” and R21
“Laughter therapy”. The F-statistic was 6.185 and 4.5 with p-value 0.002 and 0.0122 respectively.
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Table 4.8: Results of ANOVA for Coping Strategies according to Family Size
Strategies Income N Mean Std.
Dev. F Sig. Post-Hoc Analysis
R8. Divert
thinking (by
doing
something else)
Up to 3 121 4.00 .983
6.185 0.002
Significant
difference found
between
Up to 3 and 4-5
Up to 3 and > 5
4-5 204 3.65 1.089
> 5 180 3.57 1.154
Total 505 3.70 1.100
R21. Laughter
therapy
Up to 3 121 2.74 1.536
4.5 0.0122
Significant
difference found
between Up to 3 and
> 5
4-5 204 2.34 1.495
> 5 180 2.23 1.498
Total 505 2.40 1.516
Further, results of Post-Hoc Bonferroni analysis revealed that for R8 difference was significant between Up to 3 and 4-5 & Up to 3 and
More Than 5 whereas for R21 significant difference was found between Up to 3 and More than 5.
It was found that women from large size families use coping strategies less frequently. Probably the reason behind this is that large
family means large responsibilities and hence getting less time for stress coping.
7. Other Demographic Variables
When ANOVA was run to find any significant difference between opinions of respondents for factor scores on the basis of the
investment, business classification, business sector, number of employees, ownership of their business and experience of entrepreneurship,
no significant difference was found. In other word, there was no significant difference in the opinion of respondents for factor scores for
coping strategies of stress when studied on the basis of these variables.
Hypothesis Testing
Null Hypothesis (Ho): There is no significant difference between stress coping strategies according to various demographic variables.
Above results of this section summarize that stress coping strategies are significantly different when one takes into account the age
group, marital status, educational qualification, annual income, family type and family size. Thus the null hypothesis is rejected at 5% level
of significance for these 6 variables. On the other hand, the null hypothesis cannot be rejected for remaining coping strategies at 5% level
of significance.
8. Effectiveness of Coping Strategies
Respondents were then asked to give their agreement on whether these strategies help them to relieve stress. Again the responses
were based on 5-point Likert Scale, ranging 5 for Always to 1 for Never. The results have been presented below:
Table 4.9: Results of Z test for Effectiveness of Coping Strategies
Statement N Mean Std. Dev. Z Sig.
Do these strategies really help you to cope with stress? 505 4.18 .854 30.987 .000
Hypothesis testing
Null Hypothesis (Ho): Coping strategies used by women entrepreneurs are not effective in overcoming stress.
Results reveal that mean value of this statement is 4.18, confirming the overall agreement of respondents towards the fact that
these strategies help them to cope with stress. The calculated value of Z is 30.987 which is significant at 5 % level of significance as the p-
value is .000. Thus the null hypothesis is rejected. Coping strategies are effective in coping with stress.
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V FINDINGS
Respondents were proposed with 27 stress coping strategies to give their frequency of use. Major findings have been summed up
in following points:
1. Z-values for overall opinion for 25 strategies are significantly different from the neutral opinion.
2. Out of 25 strategies, respondents more frequently use 22 strategies and for 3 strategies they reported less frequent use.
3. Then, it was decided to explore whether this difference is still significant when studied on the basis of demographic variables.
ANOVA for age group revealed that there is a significant difference between the opinion of different age groups for R6, R14,
R15, and R21.
4. When the difference of opinion on the basis of marital status was analyzed it was found there is a significant difference between
the opinion of different marital status respondents for R1, R6, R12, R20, and R26.
5. ANOVA results for educational qualification disclosed that there is a significant difference between the opinion of differently
qualified respondents for coping strategies R5, R7, R10, R13, R14, R16, R18, R19, R20, R21, R24, and R27. Outcomes also
disclosed that significant strategies relating to personal care such as “Meditation/Yoga”, “Eat a healthy diet”, “Laughter Therapy”
and “Nurturing Hobbies” were less frequently used by less educated respondents and more frequently used by more educated
respondents.
6. There were 9 strategies where the opinion of respondents of different income groups differed significantly, these were R2, R8, R9,
R16, R18, R20, R23, R24, and R26.
7. Z test for coping strategies according to the family type disclosed that the difference of opinion was significant for R8, R10, R13,
R21, and R23.
8. From ANOVA results for family size, it was found that difference of opinion was significant for R8 and R21 strategies.
9. Above results of this section summarize that stress coping strategies are significantly different when one takes into account the age
group, marital status, educational qualification, annual income, family type and family size. Thus the null hypothesis is rejected at
5% level of significance for these 6 variables.
10. On the other hand, the null hypothesis cannot be rejected for coping strategies on the basis of remaining variables at 5% level of
significance.
11. When respondents were then asked to give their agreement on whether these strategies help them to relieve stress, it was found
that coping strategies were effective in coping with stress as the mean value of this statement was 4.18 with significant Z-value,
confirming the overall agreement of respondents towards the fact that these strategies help them to cope with stress.
VI CONCLUSION
It can be concluded that majority of respondents are willingly using coping strategies to relieve from stress. They were in
agreement towards the frequent use of 22 out of 25 strategies. Majority of respondents are adopting physical stress management strategies
related to relaxation, meditation, yoga, diet etc. The effectiveness of these techniques is also reported by many research work like exercise
and relaxation (Nelson and Nelson 198111), music (Litle 1986), balanced diet (King and Parham 198112) are different physical stress
management strategies which are effectively used by the women.
Further, it was found that demographic variables such as age group, marital status, educational qualification, annual income,
family type and family size play a significant role in the frequency of use of coping strategies.
Coping strategies were found to be effective in coping with stress.
VII SUGGESTIONS
In the view of above discussion, following suggestions have been put forth for reducing stress in women entrepreneurs:
Women should make every effort to get educated and achieve higher degrees required for their venture, so that they can take better
business decision and improve their personality.
Women entrepreneurs should keep themselves updated about the latest development in the market, business scenario; economic
conditions of the country etc. by regularly attend training programs conducted by leading educational and vocational institutions.
Women should make them aware regarding financial assistance made available by various banks, financial institutions,
government agencies etc.
In order to reduce business and work-related stress, women entrepreneurs should communicate and discuss their problems with
superiors, peers, and subordinates in the work situation and with family members.
Spending quality time with family and friends and time for self-care and self-development may mitigate the stress to a great
extent.
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Working women should properly plan both household chores and occupational work and priorities should be set among them
depending on need and urgency.
Excessive stress can be better managed through practicing meditation, physical work out, morning or evening walk, yoga etc.
In addition to regular exercise, there are other healthy lifestyle choices that can raise their confrontation against stress. Including
healthy food in the diet, reducing caffeine, junk food and sugar, avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs, regular health check-ups may
relieve the stress.
Unnecessary stress can be avoided by learning to say “No”. If the situation cannot be avoided then they should first try to alter
then to adapt it (try to change themselves). If nothing seems possible then they should accept the situation.
Training and counselling through the aid of committed NGOs, psychologists, managerial experts and technical personnel should
be provided to existing and emerging women entrepreneurs to remove psychological causes like lack of self-confidence and fear
of success.
VIII REFERENCES:
1. Gupta RK., Telles S., Singh N., and Balkrishna A. 2018.Stress and coping strategies: the impact on health. Yoga Mimamsa.
50:20-6
2. Krithiga, R., and Velmurugan, G. 2018. A review on stress and coping strategies of women entrepreneurs: manufacturing sector.
International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology (IJMET), 9(5): 640–646.
3. Dashora, P.,Khandalwal, N.,Jain, S., and Purohit, S. 2015. Coping strategies to reduce role stress among women entrepreneurs.
EDII Institutional Repository, 11th Biennial Conference on Entrepreneurship.
4. Verma, N., and Singh, A. 2014. Stress management and coping embedded in the Bhagwad Gita. Indian Journal of Health and
Wellbeing, 5 (4): 520-522.
5. Shobha, K., and Vennila, G. 2012. Coping with women entrepreneurs stress. International Journal of Advanced Research in
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