A STUDY ON IMPORTANCE OF WORKSTRESS AMONG EMPLOYEES WITH SPECIAL

REFERENCE TO

ASIAPOWER ELECTRICAL CONTRACTING

SHARJAH, U.A.E

PROJECT REPORT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULLFILMENT FOR THE AWARD OF THE

DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

OF

CALICUT UNIVERSITY

BY

CHITHRA PRASAD

UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF Mr. NISHAD ABDU,

AL HILAL EDUCATION CENTRE, SHARJAH

SCHOOL OF DISTANCE EDUCATION

UNIVERSITY OF CALICUT

2009-2010

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First and foremost I thank GOD who helped me in my endeavor. ASIAPOWER

Electrical Contracting Company gave me an opportunity to do my project. I owe my

special word of thanks to Mr. Prasad Ramakrishnan Nair (General Manager) for

his constructive comments and their employees who have given full support to

fill the questionnaire and co operated with me to carry out this research work.

This project would be incomplete without me expressing gratitude towards all my respondents who help me with the required information and data, which is the base of my study.

To carry out this Project work I have got help from my parents and teachers. They are one who motivated and helped me for the completion of this project report.

I wish my sincere gratitude to Mr. Nishad Abdu, AL HILAL EDUCATION

CENTRE, School Of Distant Education, and University of Calicut for his immense

help guidance and corporation.

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DECLARATION

I hereby declare that the project titled “a study on the importance of work

stress among employees” is a bonafied work done by me in partial

fulfillment of BBA course of CALICUT University.

CHITHRA PRASAD

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INTRODUCTION TO THE COMPANY

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INTRODUCTION TO THE COMPANY

ASIAPOWER ELECTRICAL CONTRACTING

(COMPANY PROFILE)

ASIAPOWER ELECTRICAL CONTRACTING established in April 2006 technology driven engineering Company registered in the emirate of SHARJAH, UAE and is a subsidiary of SALEM AL MIDFA GROUP. The Chief Executive is a veteran in the Engineering Industry, having gained vast wealth of experience spanning 30+ years, in multifaceted Engineering Disciplines Electrical, Mechanical and Instrumentation, and Automation, leading teams of professionals offering engineering expertise to a diverse client base including, the Oil – Gas- Petrochem sector, Water & Power sector and the Industrial sector in the UAE.

The Projects experience is related to the manufacture, includes Design, Engineering, Material procurement, Production / Assembly of various custom designed Engineering Equipment. Complementary to these, he has substantial experience in turn key Projects covering Installation / Erection, Testing and Commissioning of Electrical Equipment for new Installations and Service & Maintenance of existing Installations. The Organizational culture lays emphasis on Quality of service, Manpower training, HSE functions, employee motivation and morale. Periodic training programmers are held to step up awareness in these areas and to sharpen the skill set of the work force

The Services currently offered by the company include, but not limited to the following:

Power and distribution systems Substations H.V. and L.V. cable installations and jointing services Electromechanical works for industrial projects Diesel generating stations and allied works Instrumentation filed works Automation Jobs Manufacturing of LV Switch gears, VFD Panels, Apron lighting and

Control system for international Airport, Capacitor Banks and Control Panels.

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BMS & CMS Control Wiring and Installation for Air conditioning & Chilled water system.

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ORGANISATION CHART

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN

GENERAL MANAGER

QUALITY ASSURANCE

PROJECT SUPPORT

COMMMERCIAL MANAGER

OPERATIONS / ENGINEERING

MANAGER

ACCOUNTANT

ESTIMATING / ENGINEERING

PROCUREMENT MANAGER

WAREHOUSE CONTROLLER

CONTRACT SUPERINDENT

PAYROLL / ACCOUNTS

COMPANY SECRETARY

PROJECT MANAGER

PROJECT MANAGER

PROJECT MANAGER

PROJECT MANAGER

PROJECT OPERATIVES

PROJECT OPERATIVES

PROJECT OPERATIVES

PROJECT OPERATIVES

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QUALITY ASSURANCE:

A. QUALITY ASSURANCE:

This Quality Assurance manual refers to the various projects being executed by the ASIA POWER Electrical Contracting, Sharjah U.A.E In the Project category, this manual refers to the Turnkey Electrical/ Instrumentation /BMS and Control System projects including design, engineering, material procurements, production, assembly, site work and the electrical/ Instrumentation /BMS and Controls contracting work. In the product category, this manual refers to the Supply of fully assembled, wired, tested Electrical / Instrumentation control panels.

B. DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING :

ASIA POWER generally procure world known products with proven track record from foreign principles. Hence design, manufacturing, QA is carried at factory .The design, manufacturing, QA of control panels are carried out at ASIAPOWER.

C. DOCUMENTATION CONTROL:

ASIA POWER shall make all provisions to control adequately all documents including drawings, codes, specifications, Bill of Materials, procedure s which supports the Quality management Systems throughout all stages of design, construction quality, installation, tests and contracting work, including any Client imposed standards. Controlled documents shall be subject to review and approval for adequacy by the authorizing personnel prior to issue.

a) Correspondence: All documents and drawings are transmitted with a document transmittal form with a transmittal number on it. All the drawings are submitted to in duplicate for review and approval. The Commented drawings will be revised to incorporate client’s comments and re- submitted with a new transmittal number. All the correspondence to the client will have a correspondence reference number. All the correspondence references are logged into a logbook.

b) QA Documents and Test Reports:

The results of all inspection, test, site visits and observations are recorded and documented in an order so that they can be accessed

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easily at any point of time during the execution of the job and defect liability period. The formats for various tests and inspection reports can be produced on request for client reference before the starting of project execution. In addition to the formats available with ASIA POWER, on clients request for specific requirement, a relevant format is prepared and submitted for client’s approval. Once they are approved it will become part of the project quality manual. All the records shall be maintained until the end of contractual completion period. They can be made available to the client or their representatives on demand.

D. PROCUREMENT:

The Procurement System is established to ensure that all purchased products or services are in accordance with the specified requirements.

a) Assessment of sub - contractors and sub- vendors:

Sources selected by the Procurement Department for procurement of material, equipment and services shall be evaluated and approved b y the department responsible for technical and quality functions. Supply of material, equipment and services shall be processed from acceptable/approved Suppliers. The method of selecting satisfactory Suppliers shall be based on, for example:

Satisfactory previous performance in supplying to similar specification.

Satisfactory assessment to an appropriate standard by ASIAPOWER.

Satisfactory assessment by a third party for example, internationally established Agency.

A current list of accept able/approved suppliers for material, equipment and services shall be maintained by the Procurement Department.

b) Purchase data:

All procurement documents shall contain a clear description of the products or services required. The description, as far as necessary, shall include a clear indication of the relevant issue of specification, Drawings, technical requirements, quality assurance clause, certificate of conformity and other relevant requirements. Where traceability is required to be applied to the product; it shall be specified on the Purchase Order and shall be operable throughout manufacture. All

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purchase orders and associated reference data where required by the Contract shall be available for review by the Customers on request.

c) Verification of Purchased Products:

When required, the client will be offered the right to verify at source, or after receipt, that purchased material equipment or services conform to the specified requirements. This right of access shall extend to a sub- contractors facility to permit verification of source. If client demands, all the material proposed to be purchased shall be submitted for client’s approval with a material approval form. Purchase orders will be placed only after approval of the material by the client.

E. CLIENT SUPPLIED MATERIAL:

Client may supply material as per the contractual understanding. However in case there are any in future as a variation to the contract during the course of the execution of the job, a procedure to receive and handle shall b e developed and incorporated in the Quality manual.

F. PRODUCT IDENTIFICATION AND TRACEABILITY:

a) Incoming Material:

Incoming material are inspected by ASIA POWER personnel. Material of non -compliance will be identified, a non confirmation report is prepare d and that material will be stored separately with a marking on it stating the material is not for use or rejected.

b) Prefabrication:

A scheme will be prepared to identify t he fabricated spool pipes. All t he fabricated spools are identified with a unique number, which might be an extended form of the relevant drawing number. Where traceability is required by order, codes or regulations, items shall be traceable to a specified source and identified to their respective material and test certificates. Where applicable, the unique identifications shall be recorded on all documents, such as Construction Schedules, Welding Procedure Specifications, and inspection and test records. Records of all despatches of material, components and equipment in which traceability requirements have been specified shall be retained until the end of defect liability period.

Documented instruction and procedures shall be written, stating by whom and what method the work and/or process is to be carried out

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to ensure product quality. Documented instructions and procedures shall be raised for all activities as far as is necessary which include manufacturing, inspection and testing, control of non conforming reports, corrective action, handling, storage, packaging etc. The characteristic of processes and products shall be monitored and controlled to ensure correct understanding and performance of the test and recording the test reports. To ensure the required level of workmanship meets or exceeds the specified requirements, only trained and qualified personnel shall be employed on job.

The ASIA POWER Engineer shall have the responsibility to ensure the required level of workmanship meets or exceeds the specification(s). Only qualified technicians, who are qualified on the procedure specified and approved, will carry out work. Qualified personnel using written procedures or instructions shall perform special inspection and testing processes.

G. INSPECTION AND TESTING:

a) Receiving inspection and testing:

Client’s personnel or the representatives can inspect the incoming material at ASIA POWER. All material supplied in accordance with specifications shall be inspected upon receipt for damage, completeness, identification and general compliance with shipping document requirements. Material received shall be withheld from use pending completion of inspection and testing and receipt of test reports or certificates of analysis and/or certificates of conformance. Material rejected shall be suitably identified as non conforming an d returned to the Supplier/Sub Contractor. Items rejected in receipt shall be identified as being on HOLD and shall be placed in QUARANTINE AREA, pending implementation of the non conformance report. Corrective action shall be initiated as agreed with the Supplier. Procurement items accepted as conforming to requirements and not immediately required for installation shall be stored in a secure location and utilized on a "first in first out" (F.I.F.O) basis where practical, or as detailed in the Construction on Schedule.

b) In Process Inspection and Testing:

The Project Manager is responsible for quality in workmanship based on the technical specification and construction data. The job shall not be released for further processing until all the required inspection and tests have been completed and reported.

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Each inspection and test completed shall be recorded on the relevant Construction Schedules with the date and identity of the inspector and the “Hold Point" indicated. As each "Hold Point" is cleared on the Inspection checklist, prior inspection approvals shall be verified. "Hold Points" are detailed on the Construction Schedule. Nonconforming items shall be identified, tagged, and separated from the material. Where order, codes or specifications require traceability, this shall be handled in accordance with the procedures for "Identification and Traceability. The tests are to be carried out by competent and qualified personnel; all tests are to be recorded and documented using the agreed format as attached with this manual.

c) Final inspection and testing:

Constructed items shall be inspected and tested in accordance with documented procedures or instruction. Acceptance of finished items shall be confirmed on the Construction Schedule and Inspection checklist after verifying that all previous inspection and process stages have been accepted. Following final inspection and testing, items shall be identified in the manner prescribed by the drawings. Final inspection checklists are to prepare in accordance with the formats as attached or included at a later date.

d) Inspection and test records:

Inspection and testing records shall be maintained by the ASIA POWER engineer and be available as evidence that the Client's specified requirements have been satisfied.The ASIA POWER engineer shall ensure records are maintained showing the extent and findings of incoming, in process and final inspections and tests.

e) Inspection and test status:

A positive system shall be maintained for indicating the status of inspection and test throughout manufacture and installation by means of authorized stamps, tags, labels, paint, and inspection records.

H. CONTROL OF NON-CONFORMANCE:

All nonconforming products which deviates beyond the permitted tolerances in the specification at any stage shall be clearly identified and segregated from the production floor or installation process to prevent inadvertent use, shipment or mixing with conforming product.

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It shall be the responsibility of the ASIA POWER engineer to ensure all non-conforming product remains identified and suitably labeled. Records of all nonconforming material shall be maintained for the purpose of investigation and corrective action.

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a) Non-Conformity Review and Disposition:

Where a decision cannot be reached readily on the status of nonconforming product, it shall be discussed with senior staff of ASIA POWER and Client’s representatives. For product deemed unusable, the Project Manager shall ensure disposal is monitored. If the nonconforming product is found suitable for use, a concession shall be issued. The Project Manager is responsible for monitoring the concession procedure. Where rework or repair is required, the procedure utilized shall be documented and Client’s approval is obtained.

Conformance Report shall be forwarded to the supplier with details of the deficiency.

Non-conforming material received from Supplier/Sub Contractors shall be subject to Management Review. The nonconformance Report shall be forwarded to the supplier with details of the deficiency.

b) Equipment handling at the place of manufacture:

Adequate precautions shall be taken at the place of manufacture to avoid damage or physical distortions to the equipment.

I. EQUIPMENT HANDLING AND STORAGE:

All equipment shall be handled with due care by means of approved methods by using appropriate lifting lugs, suitable eyebolts etc. Design of lifting lugs and eyebolts shall be done to allow sufficient factor of safety.

a) Packing and shipment:

Adequate precautions shall be taken to prevent damage during movement of material Where ever required preservative coatings shall be applied on the equipment to prevent corrosion during shipping.

b) Storage:

Material and product shall be held in stores to prevent damage or deterioration prior to installation. Authorized receipt or dispatch methods shall be followed. An authorized storekeeper shall control the stores area. Self life checks shall be made effective by use of stock records. Material subject to shelf life deterioration shall be stored under recommended conditions. Such as all the paints shall be stored in an air-conditioned room during summer.

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There shall be a Quarantine Area for segregating nonconforming material, products and customers returns.

J. QUALITY RECORDS:

The ASIA POWER engineer shall ensure that records are maintained as evidence of compliance with the contents of this Manual. These records consist of as minimum records showing the extent and findings of inspections of goods, inward, work in progress, final inspections, corrective actions, and supplier and subcontractor reports. Records shall be retained in the office and shall be made available to the Client on demand. Records shall be maintained until the end of defect liability period. ASIA POWER engineer shall ensure that all records are legible and are properly identifiable to item or activity etc. to which these records pertain.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This project gives us a detailed idea of what is stress and also the definition of stress is been defined. For more detailed study the types of the stress is also defined. By looking at the starting of the project you will find:

Introduction to Human Resource Introduction and Definition of stress Stress in Biological terms What is stress? Coping with stress at work place Stress management Work place stress Reducing of stress

After the theoretical part I have included the research part. My research work includes two questionnaires.

Burn out test Stress analysis questionnaire.

My research includes the research methodology which contains the information as follows:

Research objectives Sampling ( types and methods of sampling ) Research instrument Data analysis and interpretation Employees opinion to reduce stress Research flowchart Time consideration Limitation of survey Advantages & Disadvantages of written questionnaire Findings

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INDEX

No. CONTENT PAGE No.

1 Conceptual Framework1.1 Introduction to HR1.2 Concept of stress

1.2.1 Introduction to stress1.2.2 Stress in Biological terms1.2.3 What is stress1.2.4 Coping with stress at work place1.2.5 Stress Management1.2.6 Work place stress1.2.7 Reduce your stress

2 Research Methodology 2.1 Research Objective2.2 Burnout2.3 Research instrument

3 Data analysis & Interpretation3.1 Research flowchart3.2 Time consideration3.3 Limitation of the survey

3.3.1 Advantages of Written questionnaires3.3.2 Disadvantages of Written questionnaires

4 Findings & conclusions

4.1 Findings

4.2 Conclusions

5 Bibliography

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CHAPTER - 1

Conceptual framework

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1. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

(1.1)INTRODUCTION TO HR

Human Resource Management is an art of managing people at work in such a manner that they give their best to the organization. In simple words human resource management refers to the quantitative aspects of employees working in an organization.

Human Resource management is also a management function concerned with hiring, motivating and maintains people in an organization. It focuses on people in organization. Organizations are not mere bricks, mortar, machineries or inventories. They are people who staff and manage organizations.

Decisions relating to employees must be integrated. Decision on different aspect of employees must be consistent with other human resource decisions.

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

Human Resource Management is not confined to business establishment only. They are applicable to non-business organizations, such as education, health care, recreation etc.

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

HRM is a broad concept. Personal management and human resource management is a part of HRM.

Before we define “Human resource Management”, it seems good to fist define heterogeneous in the sense that they differ in personality, perception, emotions, values, attitudes, motives, and modes of thoughts. Human Resource Management plays an important role in the development process of modern economy. In fact it is said that all the development comes from the human mind.“Human Resource

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Management is a process of producing development, maintaining and controlling human resources for effective achievement of organization goals”.

(1.2)CONCEPT OF STRESS

(1.2.1) INTRODUCTION TO STRESS

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

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

Definition:

Hans Selye was one of the founding Fathers of stress research. His view in 1965 was that “stress is not necessarily something bad – it all depends on how you take it. The stress of exhilarating, creating successful work is beneficial, while that of failure, humiliation or infection is detrimental”.

Selye believed that the biochemical stress would be experienced irrespective of whether the situation was positive or negative.

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

The most commonly accepted definition of stress (mainly attributed to Richard.S.Lazarus) is that stress is a condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that “demands exceed the personal and social resources, the individual is able to mobilize”. In short, it’s what we feel when we think we’ have lost control of events.

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TYPES OF STRESS:

The types of stress are as follows:

a. MECHANICAL :

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

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

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

b. BIOLOGICAL :

Stress (biological), physiological or psychological stress, some types include:

Chronic stress, persistent stress which I can lead to illness and mental disorder.

Eustress, positive stress that can lead to improved long term functioning.

Workplace stress, stress caused by employmentc. MUSIC:

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

d. OTHERS:

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

language.

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

Stress is a measure of the average amount of force exerted per unit area. It is a measure of the intensity of the total internal forces acting within a body across imaginary internal surfaces, as a reaction to external applied forces and body forces. It was introduced into the

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elasticity by Cauchy around 822. Stress is a concept that is based on the concept of continuum.

In general, stress is expressed as

σ = F/A

where

σ = the average stress, also called engineering or nominal stress, and

F = Force acting over the area A

CHRONIC STRESS:

Chronic stress is stress that last long time or occurs frequently. Chronic stress is potentially damaging.

Symptoms of chronic stress can be:

Upset stomach Headache Backache Insomnia Anxiety Depression Anger

Most of the severe cases it can lead to panic attacks or a panic disorder.

There is variety of methods to control chronic stress, including exercise, healthy diet, stress management, relaxation techniques, adequate rest, and relaxing hobbies.

Ensuring a healthy diet containing magnesium may help control or eliminate stress. In those individuals with lower levels of magnesium or those who have magnesium deficiency. Chronic stress can also lead to magnesium deficiency which can be a factor in continued chronic stress and a whole host of negative medical conditions caused by magnesium deficiency.

It has been discovered that there is a huge upsurge in the number of people who suffer from this condition. A very large number of these new cases suffer from insomnia.

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In a review of the scientific literature on the relationship between stress and disease, the author found that stress plays a role in triggering or worsening depression and cardiovascular disease and in speeding the progression of HIV/AIDS.

COMPRESSIVE STRESS:

Compressive stress is the stress applied to materials resulting in their compaction (decrease of volume). When a material is subjected to compressive stress, then this material is under compression. Usually compressive stress is applied to bars, columns, etc. leads to shortening.

Loading a structural element or a specimen will increase the compressive stress until the reach of compressive strength. According to the properties of the material, failure will occur as a field of materials with ductile behavior (most metals, some soils and plastics) or as rupture for brittle behavior (geometries, cast iron, glass etc).

In long, slender structural elements – such as columns or truss bars – an increase of compressive force F leads to structural failure due to buckling at lower stress than the compressive strength. Compressive strength has the strength units (force per unit area), usually with negative values to indicate the compaction. However in geotechnical engineering, compressive strength is represented with positive values.

(1.2.2) STRESS IN BIOLOGICAL TERMS:

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

The term “stress” was first used by the endocrinologist Hans Selye in the year 1930’s to identify physiological response in laboratory animals. He alter broadened and popularized the concept to include the

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perceptions and response of humans trying to adapt to the challenges of everyday life. In Selye’s terminology, “stress “refers to reaction of organism, and “stressor” to the perceived threat. Eustress, for example, can be adaptive response prompting the activation of internal resources to meet challenges and achieve goals.

The term is commonly used by lay persons in a metaphorical rather than literal or biological sense, as a catch-all for any perceived difficulties in life. It also became a euphemism, a way of referring to problems and eliciting sympathy without being explicitly confessional, just “stressed out”. It covers a huge range of phenomena from mild irritation to the kind of sever problems that might result in a real breakdown of health. In popular usage almost any event or situation between these extremes could be described as a stressful.

(1.2.3) WHAT IS STRESS?

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

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

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

Part of managing your stress levels include learning about how stress can affect you emotionally and physically, as well as how to identify if you are performing at your optimal stress level (OSL) or if you

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are experiencing negative stress. This knowledge will help you to identify when you need to take break, or perhaps seek professional help. It is also your first step towards developing techniques to managing your stress levels.

Modern day stresses can take the form of monetary needs, or emotional frictions. Competition at work and an increased workload can also greater levels of stress. How do you identify if you are suffering from excessive stress?

Psychological symptoms commonly experienced include insomnia, headaches and an inability to focus. Physical symptoms take the form of heart palpitations, breathlessness, excessive sweating and stomachaches.

Causes of stress:

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

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

Good Stress v/s Bad Stress:

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

There are 4 main categories of stress, namely:

Eustress Distress Hyper stress and Hypo stress

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Eustress:

This is a positive form of stress, which prepares your mind and body for the imminent challenges that it has perceived. Eustress is a natural physical reaction by your body which increases blood flow to your muscles, resulting in a higher heart rate. Athletes before a competition or perhaps a manager before a major presentation would do well with Eustress, allowing them to derive the inspiration and strength that is needed.

Distress:

We are familiar with this word, and know that it is a negative form of stress. This occurs when the mind and body is unable to cope with changes, and usually occurs when there are deviations from the norm. They can be categorized into acute stress and chronic stress. Acute stress is intense, but does not last for long. On the other hand, chronic stress persists over a long period of time. Trigger events for distress can be a change in job scope or routine that the person is unable to handle or cope with.

Hyper stress:

This is another form of negative stress that occurs when the individual is unable to cope with the workload. Examples include highly stressful jobs, which require longer working hours than the individual can handle. If you suspect that you are suffering from hyper stress, you are likely to have sudden emotional breakdowns over insignificant issues, the proverbial straws that broke the camel’s back. It is important for you to recognize that your body needs a break, or you may end up with severe and chronic physical and psychological reactions.

Hypo stress:

Lastly, hypo stress occurs when a person has nothing to do with his time and feels constantly bored and unmotivated. This is due to an insufficient amount of stress; hence some stress is inevitable and helpful to us. Companies should avoid having workers who experience hypo stress as this will cause productivity and mindfulness to fall.

Problems of study

(1.2.4) COPING WITH THE STRESS AT WORK PLACE?

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With the rapid advancement of technology, the stresses faced at work have also increased. Many people dread going to work, hence the term “Monday Blues”.

What is the reason for this? There is partly the fear from being retrenched in bad times, leading to greater job insecurity on the part of those who remain.

Undoubtedly, occupational stress is one of the most commonly cited stressors faced by people all over the world. Stress refers to the pressure and reactions to our environment which results in psychological and physical reactions. Some stress is good for motivation and increasing efficiency, too much stress can result in negative impacts such as reduced effectiveness and efficiency. More and more people are feeling isolated and disrespected at work, and this has lead to greater occupational stress. Many companies have taken to consulting experts and professionals on ways to increase motivation of their employees.

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

Step 1: Raising Awareness

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

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

Step 2: Identify the Cause

You need to be able to analyze the situation and identify what is causing the rise in stress. These stressors can be external and internal. External stressors refer to things beyond your control, such as the environment or your colleagues at work. Internal stressors refer to your

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own thinking and attitude. Often, we only start reacting to stress when a combination of stressors working together exceeds our ability to cope.

Keep a dairy or a list of events that have caused you to feel strong negative emotions, or that are likely stressors. This will help you to identify the causes of your stress.

Step 3: Coping with Stress

In order to deal with the situation that is causing you stress, you need to calm your mind and body so as to stave off the reactions and cope with it in a positive way. This can be through different methods, such as taking time off. If a situation is triggering your stress and you are unable to calm down. Alternatively, you can try implementing relaxation techniques such as deep breathing. If it is an internal stressor, stop your thought process until you are able to deal with it logically.

The key of making these 3 steps work for you is to practice them. These are not instantaneous solutions, and you need to condition your mind and practice them so that you can implement it when you are feeling stressed.

Signifance of the study

(1.2.5) STRESS MANAGEMENT

Stress management is the need of the hour. However hard we try to go beyond a stress situation, life seems to find new ways of stressing us out and plaguing us with anxiety attacks. Moreover, be it our anxiety, mind-body exhaustion or our erring attitudes, we tend to overlook causes of stress and the conditions triggered by those. In such unsettling moments we often forget that stressors, if not escapable, are fairly manageable and treatable. Stress, either quick or constant, can induce risky body-mind disorders. Immediate disorders such as dizzy spells, anxiety attacks, tension, sleeplessness, nervousness and muscle cramps can all result in chronic health problems. They may also affect our immune, cardiovascular and nervous systems and lead individuals to habitual addictions, which are inter-linked with stress.

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

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Recognizing a stressor:

It is important to recognize whether you are under stress or out of it. Many times, even if we are under the influence of a stressful condition and our body reacts to it internally as well as externally, we fail to realize that we are reaching under stress. This also happens when the causes of stress are there long enough for us to get habituated to them. The body constantly tries to tell us through symptoms such as rapid palpitations, dizzy spells tight muscles or various body aches that something is wrong. It is important to remain attentive to such symptoms and learn to cope with the situations.

We cope better with stressful situation, when we encounter them voluntarily. In cases of relocation, promotion or layoff, adventurous sports or having a baby, we tend to respond positively under stress. But, when we are compelled into situations against our will or knowledge, more often than not, we wilt at the face

of unknown and imagined threats. For instance, stress may mount when one is forced into undertaking some work against one’s will.

Laughter:

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

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

During stress, the adrenal gland release corticosteroids, which are converted to cortical in the blood stream. These have an immunosuppressive effect. Dr. Lee Berk and fellow researcher Dr. Stanley Tan at Loma Linda University School of Medicine have produced carefully controlled studies showing that the experience of laughter lowers serum cortical levels; increase the amount of activity of T lymphocytes-the natural killer cells. Laughter also increases the number of T cells that have suppressor receptors.

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What Laughter can do against stress and it effects?

Laughter lowers blood pressure and reduces hypertension. It provides good cardiac conditioning especially for those who are

unable to perform physical exercise. Reduces stress hormones. Laughter cleanses the lungs and body tissues of accumulated

stale air as it empties more air than it takes in. It is beneficial for patients suffering form emphysema and other respiratory ailments.

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

Boosts immune function by raising levels of infection-fighting T-cells, disease fighting proteins called Gamma- interferon and disease destroying antibodies called B-cells.

Laughter triggers the release of endorphins-body’s natural painkillers.

Produces a general sense of well-being.

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Problems of the study

(1.2.6) WORKPLACE STRESS

Workplace stress is the harmful physical and emotional response that occurs when there is a poor match between job demands and the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker. Stress-related disorders encompass a broad array of conditions, including psychological disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder) and the other types of emotional strain (e.g. dissatisfaction , fatigue, tension, etc.) maladaptive behaviors (e.g. aggression, substance abuse), and cognitive impairment (e.g., concentration and memory problems). In turn, these conditions may lead to poor work performance or even injury. Job stress is also associated with various biological reactions that may lead ultimately to compromised health, such as cardiovascular disease.

Stress is a prevalent and costly problem in today’s workplace. About one-third of workers report high levels of stress. One-quarter of employees view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives. Three-quarters of employees believe the worker has more on-the-topic stress than a generation ago. Evidence also suggests that stress is major cause of turnover in organizations.

Health and Health care Utilization:

Problems at work are more strongly associated with health complaints than are any other life stressor-more so than even financial problems or family problems. Many studies suggest that psychologically demanding jobs that allow employees little control over the work process increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. On the basis of research by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and increases the risk of development of back and upper-extremity musculoskeletal disorders. High levels of stress are associated with substantial increases in health service utilization. Workers who report experiencing stress at work also show excessive health care utilization.

In 1998 study of 46,000 workers, health care costs were nearly 50% greater for workers reporting high levels of stress in comparison to “low risk” workers. The increment rose to nearly 150%, an increase of more than $1,700 per person annually for workers reporting high levels of both stress and depression. Additionally, periods of disability due to

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job stress tend to be much longer than disability periods for other occupational injuries and illnesses.

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Causes of Workplace Stress:

Job stress results from the interaction of the worker and the conditions of work. Views differ on the importance of worker characteristics versus working conditions as the primary cause of job stress. The differing view point suggest different ways to prevent stress at work, According to one school of thought, differences in individual characteristics such as personality and coping skills are most important in predicting whether certain job conditions will result in stress. In other words, what is stressful for one person may not be a problem for someone else? This viewpoint leads to prevention strategies that focus on workers and ways to help them cope with demanding job conditions. Although the importance of individual differences cannot be ignoring, scientific evidence suggest that certain working conditions are stressful to most people. Such evidence argues for a greater emphasis on working conditions as the key source of job stress, and for job re-design as a primary prevention strategy. Personal interview surveys of working conditions, including conditions recognized as risk factors for job stress, were conducted in Member States of the European Union in 1990, 1995, and 2000. Results showed a trend across these periods suggestive of increasing work intensity. In 1990, the percentage of workers reporting that they worked at high speeds at least one-fourth of their working time was 48%, increasing to 54% in 1995 and to 56% in 2000. Similarly, 50% of workers reported they work against tight to 56% in 1995 and 60% in 2000. However, no change was noted in the period 1995-2000 (data not collected in 1990) in the percentage of workers reporting sufficient time to complete tasks. A substantial percentage Americans work very long hours. By one estimate, more than 26% of men and more than 11% of women worked 50 hours per week or more in 2000. These figures represent a considerable increase over the previous three decades, especially for women. According to the Department of Labor, there has been an upward trend in hour’s works among employed women, an increase in combined working hours among working couples, with young children.

Signs of workplace stress:

Mood and sleep disturbances, upset stomach and headaches, and distributed relationship with family, friends and girl friends or boyfriends are examples of stress related problems. The effects of job stress on chronic diseases are more difficult to see because chronic diseases take a long time develop and can be influenced by many factors other than stress.

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Nonetheless, evidence is rapidly accumulating to suggest that stress plays an important role in several types of chronic health problems-especially cardiovascular diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, and psychological disorders.

Prevention:

A combination of organizational change and stress a management is often the most useful approach for preventing stress at work.

How to change the Organization to prevent Job Stress :

Ensure that the workload is in line with workers capabilities and resources.

Design jobs to provide meaning, stimulation, and opportunities for workers to use their sills.

Clearly define worker’s roles and responsibilities. Give workers opportunities to participate in decisions and actions

affecting their jobs. Improve communications-reduce uncertainty about career

development and future employment prospects. Provide opportunities for social interaction among workers. Establish work schedules that are compactable with demands and

responsibilities outside the job. Discrimination inside the workplace (e.g. nationality and language)

St.Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company conducted several studies on the effects of stress prevention programs in hospital settings. Program activities included

(1)employee and management education on job stress,(2)changes in hospital policies and procedures to reduce organizational

sources of stress, and(3)Establishment of employee assistance programs.

In our study, the frequency of medication errors declined by 50% after prevention activities was implemented in a 700-bed hospital. In a second study, there was a 70%reduction in malpractice claims in 22 hospitals that implemented stress prevention activities. In contrast, there was no reduction in claims in a matched group of 22 hospitals that did not implement stress prevention activities.

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(1.2.7) REDUCE YOUR STRESS

1. Job Analysis :-

We have all experienced that appalling sense of having far too much work to do it in. we can choose to ignore this, and work unreasonably long hours to stay on top of our workload. The risks here are that we become exhausted, that we have so much to do that we do a poor quality job and that we neglect other areas of our life. Each of these can lead to intense stress. The alternative is to work more intelligently, by focusing on the things that are important for job success and reducing the time we spend on low priority tasks. Job analysis is the first step in doing this. The first of the action-oriented skills that we look at its Job Analysis. Job Analysis is a key technique for managing lob overload-an important source of stress. To do excellent job, you need to fully understand what is expected for you. While this may seem obvious, in the hurly-burly of a new, fast-moving, high-pressure role, it is oftentimes something that is easy to overlook. By understanding the priorities in your job, and what constitutes success within it, possible.thi helps you get the greatest return from the work you do, and keep your work load under control.

Job analysis is a useful technique for getting a firm grip on what really is important in your job so that you are able to perform excellently. It helps you to cut through clutter and distraction to get to the heart of what you need to do.

2. Rational & positive thinking:-

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

One approach to it is to observe your “stream of consciousness” as you think about the thing you’re trying to achieve which is

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stressful. Do not suppress any thoughts. Instead, just let them run their course while you watch

them down on our free worksheet as they occur. Then let them go. Another more general approach to Thought Awareness comes with logging stress in your stress Diary. When you analyze your diary at the end of the period. You should be able see the most common and the most damaging thoughts.

Tackle these as a priority using the techniques below.

Here are some typical negative thoughts you might experience when preparing to give a major presentation:

Fear about the quality of your performance or of problems that may interfere with it.

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

Dwelling on the negative consequences of a poor performance; or Self criticism over a less-than perfect rehearsal.

Thought awareness is the first step in the process of managing negative thoughts, as you cannot manage thoughts that you are unaware of.

Rational Thinking:

The next step I dealing negative thinking is to challenge the negative thoughts that you identified using the Thought Awareness technique. Look at every thought you wrote down and challenge it rationally. Ask yourself whether the thought is reasonable. What evidence is there for and against the thought?

Would your colleagues and mentors agree or disagree with it?

Looking at the examples, the following challenges could be made to the negative thoughts we identified earlier:

Feelings of inadequacy:

Have you trained yourself as well as you reasonably should have? Do you have the experience and resources you need to make the presentation? Have you planned, prepared and rehearsed

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enough? If you done all of these, you’ve done as much as you can to give a good performance.

Worries about performance during rehearsal:

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

Problems with issues outside your control:

Have you identified the risks of these happening, and have you taken steps to reduce the likelihood of them happening or their impact if they do? What will you do if they occur? And what do you need others to do for you?

Worry about others people’s reactions:

If you have prepared well, and you do the best you can, then you should be satisfied. If you perform as well as you reasonably can, then you should be satisfied. If you perform as well as our reasonably can, then fair people are likely to respond well. If people are not fair, then fair people are likely to respond well. If people are not fair, the best thing to do is ignore their comments and rise above them.

Tip:

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

Similarly, make sure you take the long view about incidents that you are finding stressful. Just because you are finding these new responsibilities stressful now, doesn’t mean that they will always be so for you in the future.

Tip:

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

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When you challenge negative thoughts rationally, you should be able to see quickly whether the thoughts are wrong or whether they have some substance to them. Where there is some substance, take appropriate action. However, make sure that your negative thoughts are genuinely important to achieving your goals, and don’t just reflect a lack of experience, which everyone has to go through at some stage.

Positive Thinking & Opportunity Seeking:

By now, you should already be feeling more positive. The final step is to prepare rational, positive thoughts and affirmations to counter any remaining negativity. It can also be useful to look at the situation and see if there are any useful opportunities that are offered by it.

By basing your affirmations on the clear, rational assessments of facts that you made using Rational Thinking, you can use them to undo the damage that negative thinking may have done to your self-confidence.

Continuing the examples above, positive affirmations might be:

Problems during practice: “I have learned from my rehearsals. This has put me in apposition where I can deliver a great performance. I am going to perform well and enjoy the event.”

Worries about performance: “I have prepared well and rehearsed thoroughly. I am well positioned to give an excellent performance.”

Problems issues outside your control: I have thought through everything that might reasonably happen and planned how I can handle all likely contingencies. I am well placed to react flexibly to events.”

Worry about other people’s reaction: “Fair people will react well to a good performance. I will rise above my unfair criticism in a minute and professional way.”

Tip:

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

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Make sure that identifying these opportunities and focusing on them is part of your positive thinking.

CHAPTER - 2

RESEARCH METHODOLGY

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(2) RESEARCH METHODOLGY

(2.1) RESEARCH OBJECTIVE

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

Stress is not necessarily bad in and itself. Although stress is typically discussed in a negative context. It also has a positive value. It’s an opportunity when it offers potential gain. Consider for example, the superior performance that an athlete or stage performer gives in “clutch” situations. Such individuals often use stress positively to rise to the occasion and perform at or near their maximum. Similarly, many professionals see the pressures of heavy workloads and deadlines as positive challenges that enhance the quality of their work and satisfaction to get from their job.

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

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

Stress, either quick or constant, can include risky body-minded disorders. Immediate disorders such as dizzy spell, anxiety attacks, tension, sleeplessness, nervous and muscle cramps ca all result in chronic health

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problems. They also affect our immune, cardiovascular and nervous systems and lead individuals to habitual additictions, which are interlinked with stress.

(2.2)PREVENTING BURNOUT

SIGNS, SYMPTOMS, CAUSES, AND COPING STRATEGIES

If constant stress has you feeling disillusioned, helpless, and completely worn out, you may be suffering from burnout. When you’re burned out, problems seem insurmountable, everything looks bleak, and it’s difficult to muster up the energy to care—let alone do something about your situation.

The unhappiness and detachment burnout causes can threaten your job, your relationships, and your health. But burnout can be healed. If you recognize the signs and symptoms of burnout in its early stages, simple stress management strategies may be enough to solve the problem. In the later stages of burnout, recovery may take more time and effort, but you can still regain your balance by reassessing your priorities, making time for yourself, and seeking support.

WHAT IS BURNOUT?

Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed and unable to meet constant demands. As the stress continues, you begin to lose the interest or motivation that led you to take on a certain role in the first place.

Burnout reduces your productivity and saps your energy, leaving you feeling increasingly helpless, hopeless, cynical, and resentful. Eventually, you may feel like you have nothing more to give.

Most of us have days when we feel bored, overloaded, or unappreciated; when the dozen balls we keep in the air aren’t noticed, let alone rewarded; when dragging ourselves out of bed requires the determination of Hercules. If you feel like this most of the time, however, you may be flirting with burnout.

YOU MAY BE ON THE ROAD TO BURNOUT IF:

EVERY day is a bad day. Caring about your work or home life seems like a total waste of energy. You’re exhausted all the time. The majority of your day is spent on tasks you find either mind-numbingly dull

or overwhelming. You feel like nothing you do makes a difference or is appreciated.

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The negative effects of burnout spill over into every area of life – including your home and social life. Burnout can also cause long-term changes to your body that make you vulnerable to illnesses like colds and flu. Because of its many consequences, it’s important to deal with burnout right away.

DEALING WITH BURNOUT: THE "Three R" APPROACH

Recognize – Watch for the warning signs of burnout Reverse – Undo the damage by managing stress and seeking support Resilience – Build your resilience to stress by taking care of your physical and

emotional health

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STRESS AND BURNOUT

Burnout may be the result of unrelenting stress, but it isn’t the same as too much stress. Stress, by and large, involves TOO MUCH: too many pressures that demand too much of you physically and psychologically. Stressed people can still imagine, though, that if they can just get everything under control, they’ll feel better.

Burnout, on the other hand, is about NOT ENOUGH. Being burned out means feeling empty, devoid of motivation, and beyond caring. People experiencing burnout often don’t see any hope of positive change in their situations. If excessive stress is like drowning in responsibilities, burnout is being all dried up. One other difference between stress and burnout: While you’re usually aware of being under a lot of stress, you don’t always notice burnout when it happens.

Stress Burnout

Characterized by over engagement Characterized by disengagementEmotions are over reactive Emotions are bluntedProduces urgency and hyperactivity Produces helplessness and hopelessnessLoss of energy Loss of motivation, ideals, and hopeLeads to anxiety disorders Leads to detachment and depressionPrimary damage is physical Primary damage is emotionalMay kill you prematurely May make life seem not worth living

CAUSES OF BURNOUT

There are many causes of burnout. In many cases, burnout stems from the job. But anyone who feels overworked and undervalued is at risk for burnout – from the hardworking office worker who hasn’t had a vacation or a raise in two years to the frazzled stay-at-home mom struggling with the heavy responsibility of taking care of three kids, the housework, and her aging father.

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But burnout is not caused solely by stressful work or too many responsibilities. Other factors contribute to burnout, including your lifestyle and certain personality traits. What you do in your downtime and how you look at the world can play just as big of a role in causing burnout as work or home demands.        

WORK-RELATED CAUSES OF BURNOUT

Feeling like you have little or no control over your work.   Lack of recognition or rewards for good work. Unclear or overly demanding job expectations. Doing work that’s monotonous or unchallenging. Working in a chaotic or high-pressure environment

LIFESTYLE CAUSES OF BURNOUT

Working too much, without enough time for relaxing and socializing Being expected to be too many things to too many people. Taking on too many responsibilities, without enough help from others Not getting enough sleep Lack of close, supportive relationships

PERSONALITY TRAITS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO BURNOUT

Perfectionist tendencies; nothing is ever good enough Pessimistic view of yourself and the world The need to be in control; reluctance to delegate to others High-achieving, Type A personality

WARNING SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT

Burnout is a gradual process that occurs over an extended period of time. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it can creep up on you if you’re not paying attention to the warning signals. The signs and symptoms of burnout are subtle at first, but they get worse and worse as time goes on. Think of the early symptoms of burnout as warning signs or red flags that something is wrong that needs to be addressed. If you pay attention to these early warning signs, you can prevent a major breakdown. If you ignore them, you’ll eventually burn out.

PHYSICAL SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT

Feeling tired and drained most of the time

Lowered immunity, feeling sick a lot

Frequent headaches, back pain, muscle aches

Change in appetite or sleep habits

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EMOTIONAL SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT

Sense of failure and self-doubt Feeling helpless, trapped, and

defeated Detachment, feeling alone in the

world

Loss of motivation Increasingly cynical and negative

outlook Decreased satisfaction and sense of

accomplishment

BEHAVIORAL SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT

Withdrawing from responsibilities Isolating yourself from others Procrastinating, taking longer to get

things done

Using food, drugs, or alcohol to cope

Taking out your frustrations on others

Skipping work or coming in late and leaving early

PREVENTING BURNOUT

If you recognize the warning signs of impending burnout in yourself, remember that it will only get worse if you leave it alone. But if you take steps to get your life back into balance, you can prevent burnout from becoming a full-blown breakdown.

BURNOUT PREVENTION TIPS

Start the day with a relaxing ritual. Rather jumping out of bed as soon as you wake up, spend at least fifteen minutes meditating, writing in your journal, doing gentle stretches, or reading something that inspires you.

Adopt healthy eating, exercising, and sleeping habits. When you eat right, engage in regular physical activity, and get plenty of rest, you have the energy and resilience to deal with life’s hassles and demands. 

Set boundaries. Don’t overextend yourself. Learn how to say “no” to requests on your time. If you find this difficult, remind yourself that saying “no” allows you to say “yes” to the things that you truly want to do.

Take a daily break from technology. Set a time each day when you completely disconnect. Put away your laptop, turn off your phone, and stop checking email.

Nourish your creative side. Creativity is a powerful antidote to burnout. Try something new, start a fun project, or resume a favorite hobby. Choose activities that have nothing to do with work.

Learn how to manage stress. When you’re on the road to burnout, you may feel helpless. But you have a lot more control over stress than you may think. Learning how to manage stress can help you regain your balance.

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RECOVERING FROM BURNOUT

Sometimes it’s too late to prevent burnout – you’re already past the breaking point. If that’s the case, it’s important to take your burnout very seriously. Trying to push through the exhaustion and continue as you have been will only cause further emotional and physical damage.

While the tips for preventing burnout are still helpful at this stage, recovery requires additional steps.

BURNOUT RECOVERY STRATEGY #1: SLOW DOWN

When you’ve reached the end stage of burnout, adjusting your attitude or looking after your health isn’t going to solve the problem. You need to force yourself to slow down or take a break. Cut back whatever commitments and activities you can. Give yourself time to rest, reflect, and heal.

BURNOUT RECOVERY STRATEGY #2: GET SUPPORT

When you’re burned out, the natural tendency is to protect what little energy you have left by isolating yourself. But your friends and family are more important than ever during difficult times. Turn to your loved ones for support. Simply sharing your feelings with another person can relieve some of the burden.

BURNOUT RECOVERY STRATEGY #3: REEVALUATE YOUR GOALS AND PRIORITIES

Burnout is an undeniable sign that something important in your life is not working. Take time to think about your hopes, goals, and dreams. Are you neglecting something that is truly important to you? Burnout can be an opportunity to rediscover what really makes you happy and to change course accordingly. 

RECOVERING FROM BURNOUT: ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR LOSSES

Burnout brings with it many losses, which can often go unrecognized. Unrecognized losses trap a lot of your energy. It takes a tremendous amount of emotional control to keep yourself from feeling the pain of these losses. When you recognize these losses and allow yourself to grieve them, you release that trapped energy and open yourself to healing.

Loss of the idealism or dream with which you entered your career Loss of the role or identity that originally came with your job Loss of physical and emotional energy Loss of friends, fun, and sense of community

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Loss of esteem, self-worth, and sense of control and mastery Loss of joy, meaning and purpose that make work – and life – worthwhile

DEALING WITH JOB STRESS

In order to avoid job burnout, it’s important to reduce and manage stress at work. Start by identifying what factors are stressful. Then you can take steps to deal with the problem, either by changing your work environment or changing the way you deal with the stressor.

Actively address problems. Take a proactive approach – rather than a passive one – to issues in your workplace. You’ll feel less helpless if you assert yourself and express your needs. If you don’t have the authority or resources to solve the problem, talk to a superior.

Clarify your job description. Ask your boss for an updated description of your job duties and responsibilities. Point out things you’re expected to do that are not part of your job description and gain a little leverage by showing that you’ve been putting in work over and above the parameters of your job.

Ask for new duties. If you’ve been doing the exact same work for a long time, ask to try something new: a different grade level, a different sales territory, a different machine.

Take time off. If burnout seems inevitable, take a complete break from work. Go on vacation, use up your sick days, ask for a temporary leave-of-absence—anything to remove yourself from the situation. Use the time away to recharge your batteries and take perspective.

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(2.3) RESEARCH INSTRUMENT

Checking yourself for burnout

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

Introduction

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

Using the tool

Work through the table on paper and calculate values manually. Fill in values appropriately on the sheet. This will automatically calculate

scores for you and interpret these scores, showing the scores and interpretation in row 30.

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

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Q U E S T I O N N A I R E :

S.No.

QuestionsNot at all

RarelySometim

esOfte

nVery often

1Do you feel run down and rained of physical or emotional energy?

2Do you find that you are prone to negative thinking about your job?

3Do you find that you are harder and less sympathetic with people than perhaps they deserve?

4Do you find yourself getting easily irritated by small problems, or by you co-workers and team?

5Do you feel misunderstood or unappreciated by your co-workers?

6Do you feel that you have no-one to talk you?

7Do you feel that you are achieving less than you should?

8Do you feel an unpleasant level of pressure to succeed?

9Do you feel that you are not getting what you want out of your job?

10Do you feel that you are in the wrong organization or the wrong profession?

11Are you becoming frustrated with parts of your job?

12Do you feel that organizational politics or bureaucracy frustrate your ability to do a good job?

13

Do you feel that you do not have time to do many of the things that are important to do a good quality job?

14Do you find that you do not have time to plan as much as you would like to?

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Instructions: For each question, put an ‘X’ in the column that most applies. Put one ‘X’ only each row?Please write the total number of ‘X’ at the space given at the bottom of each column.

Answer Number Weight Weighted TotalNot at all 0Rarely 1Sometimes 2Often 3Very Often 4

S.No.

QuestionsYes

No

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

2 Do you think that you are suffering from depression?

3Do you discuss your problem with your spouse or friend or any other close to you?

4 Do you work more than 8 hours?

5You have important function at your home and your boss asks to give 4 hour overtime, what will be your response?

6 Do you regularly spend time for entertainment?7 Is your social life balanced?8 Do you plan your work before doing?9 Do you fear about the quality of your performance?10 Are you a heart patient?11 Do you get tensed at your non-achievement of your target?12 Do you feel stress sometimes?

If the answer to the above question is ‘yes’ then answer the following?a. Is the reason for your stress is workload?

b. Are you stressed because of your family problems? c. Do you get stressed when your boss scolds at you? d. Do you try to find any solution for the problem of your stress? e. Do you practice yoga or any other ayurvedic therapy for reducing stress?

To make the survey report more clear the above questionnaire was also filled. As result the employees have given proper response and the report of the questionnaire is presented in the project.

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CHAPTER - 3

DATA ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION

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DATA ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION

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

Let’s have a watch on the basic data of the survey.

The report of a contracting company:

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

YES NO NO RESPONSE0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70% 64%

25%

11%

From the diagram it is clear that 64% of the employees are satisfied with the performance they give in the work while 25% of the employees are not satisfied and the rest 11% has no response.

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

YES NO NO RESPONSE0%

20%

40%

60%

80%85%

15%

0%

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From the above diagram it is clear that 85% of the people are not suffering from depression while 15% of the people are suffering from depression.

3. Do you discuss your problem with your spouse or friend or any other close to you?

YES NO NO RESPONSE0%

10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%87%

10%3%

Sales

From the above diagram it is clear that 87% of the people discuss their problem with their spouse or friend while 10% of the people do not discuss their problem with their spouse or friend.

4. Do you work more than 8 hours?

YES NO NO RESPONSE0%

10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

83%

10%3%

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From the above diagram it is clear that 83% of the people work more than 8 hours but 10% of the people do not work more than 8 hours and 3% people has no response.

5. You have important function at your home and your boss asks to give 4 hour overtime, what will be your response?

YES NO NO RESPONSE0%

10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%90%

8%2%

90% of the employees are proved to be work dedicated and they are ready to miss the important function at their house while 8% of the employees said no and 2% of the employee did not give any answer.

6. Do you regularly spend time for entertainment?

YES NO NO RESPONSE0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%58%

42%

0%

58% of the employee spent regular time on entertainment which helps us to remain stress free while 42% of the employees don’t do that.

7. Is your social life balanced?

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YES NO NO RESPONSE0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70% 63%

31%

6%

63% of the employees find their social life to be balanced while 31% of the employees don’t have their social life balanced. 6% of the employees remain silent..

8. Do you plan your work before doing?

YES NO NO RESPONSE0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%59%

39%

2%

Good habit to plan the work you do. 59% of the employees plan their work before doing while 39% of the employees don’t plan their work while 2% kept silence.

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

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YES NO NO RESPONSE0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%60%

40%

0%

60% of the employees fear the quality of performance which they give while they give while 40% of the employees do not fear the quality of their work.

10. Are you a heart patient?

YES NO0

20

40

60

80

100 90%

3%

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

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

YES NO NO RESPONSE0%

10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80% 74%

26%

0%

74% of the employees get tensed at the non-achievement of the target while 26% of the employees work casually.

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12. Do you feel stress sometimes?

YES NO NO RESPONSE0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%77%

21%

2%

77% of the employees feel stressed sometimes while 21% of the employees are not feeling stressed. 2% of the employees did not respond.

If the answer to the above question is ‘yes’ then answer the following?

a. Is the reason for your stress is workload?

YES NO NO RESPONSE0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%64%

25%

11%

64% of the employees find themselves to be stressed by their work load. 25% of the employees are not stressed because of the work overload. 11% of the employees did not answer.

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b. Are you stressed because of your family problems?

YES NO NO RESPONSE0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80% 73%

20%

7%

73% of the employees are stressed because of their family problems 20% by other problems while 7% of the employees did not respond.

c. Do you get stressed when your boss scolds at you?

YES NO NO RESPONSE0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80% 73%

21%

6%

6% of the employees did not respond when they were asked whether they get stressed because of the scolding of their boss. 21% of the employees don’t get stress by the scolding of their boss and 73% of the employees get stressed.

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d. Do you try to find any solution for the problem of your stress?

YES NO NO RESPONSE0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70% 64%

30%

2%

Sales

64% of the employees try to find the solution for their stress.

e. Do you practice yoga or any other ayurvedic therapy for reducing stress?

YES NO NO RESPONSE0%

10%20%30%40%50%60%70%

38%

60%

2%

Sales

38% of the employees try the yoga and other ayurvedic techniques to reduce their stress while 60% of the employees use other techniques to reduce stress.

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(3.1) RESEARCH FLOWCHART

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

Design Methodology

Determine feasibility

Develop instruments

Select Sample

Conduct pilot test

Revise instruments

Conduct research

Analyze research

Prepare report

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(3.2) TIME CONSIDERATIONS

Many researchers underestimate the time required to complete a research project. The following form may be used as an initial check list in developing time estimates. The best advice is to be generous with your time estimates. Things almost always take longer than we think they should.

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

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

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(3.3) LIMITATIONS OF THE SURVEY

The questionnaires were filled by the employees working in this contracting company (ASIAPOWER ELECTRICAL CONTRACTING) so the scope of sample findings was less.

The questionnaire was filled by the employees of different designations. So the point of view of employees differs as per their designations.

The employees from whom the questionnaires are filled are in a heavy workload so some of the questionnaires filled by the employees who are in stress cannot be called reasonable.

The responses of the employees cannot be accurate as the problem of language and understanding arises.(these problems are not in all cases)

One of the other problems of questionnaire is the cost. Sometimes it may be possible that even by spending so much the result may not be reasonable.

Many a times the employees may not be really conscious or may not be bothered about the questionnaire. This may create a problem in the research.

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(3.3.1) ADVANTAGES OF WRITTEN QUESTIONNAIRES

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

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

Questionnaires are familiar to most people. Nearly everyone has had some experience completing questionnaires and they generally do not make people apprehensive.

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

Questionnaires are less intrusive than telephone or face-to-face surveys. When a respondent receives a questionnaire in the mail, he is free to complete the questionnaire on his own time-table. Unlike other research methods, the respondent is not interrupted by the research instrument.

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(3.3.2) DISADVANTAGES OF WRITTEN

QUESTIONNAIRES

One major disadvantage of written questionnaires is the possibility of low response rates. Low response is the curse of statistical analysis. It can dramatically lower our confidence in the results. Response rates vary widely from one questionnaire to another (10% - 90%), however, well-designed studies consistently produce high response rates.

Another disadvantage of questionnaires is the inability to probe responses. Questionnaires are structured instruments. They allow little flexibility to the respondent with respect to response format. In essence, they often lose the "flavor of the response" (i.e., respondents often want to qualify their answers). By allowingfrequent space for comments, the researcher can partially overcome

this disadvantage. Comments are among the most helpful of all the information on the questionnaire, and they usually provide insightful information that would have otherwise been lost.

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

When returned questionnaires arrive in the mail, it's natural to assume that the respondent is the same person you sent the questionnaire to. This may not actually be the case. Many times business questionnaires get handed to other employees forcompletion. Housewives sometimes respond for their husbands. Kids

respond as a prank. For a variety of reasons, the respondent may not be who you think it is. It is a confounding error inherent in questionnaires.

Finally, questionnaires are simply not suited for some people. For example, a written survey to a group of poorly educated people might not work because of reading skill problems. More frequently, people are turned off by written questionnaires because of misuse.

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CHAPTER - 4

FINDINGS & CONCLUSIONS

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(4.1) FINDINGS

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

In the first questionnaire one of the question was “ you have an important function at your home and your boss asks to give a 4 hour over time what will be your response, “Yes” or “No”? The employees have given their opinion as per their mood.

While considering the point of view of entertainment it depends upon the mood of the employees. The entertainment is considered one of the most ultimate solutions to reduce the stress. Most of the employees do not spend regular time in entertainment. This may be because they may not be getting time for entertainment or they may not be interested in the same.

One of the questions was asked that were their social life balanced?

It is observed that the employees who have scored more in the test did not have their social life balanced. Thus we conclude that the employees who have scored more than 20 marks don’t have their social life balanced. Thus it is proved that may affect our social life also.

The questions were asked that whether you get stressed at the non-achievement of their target? All the employees have responded positively. But this is not concern with the test score. From this conclude that all the employees are given achievable target and naturally by the non-achievement of the target all the employees may get stressed. One of the other possibilities is that the employees have responded positively to show themselves to be good.

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The employees having more than 10 marks in the test says that they are under stress. Out of 35 employees of the sample 20 of the employees accepted that the reason for their stress is workload. 10 employees are not stressed because of the work load but because of their family problem. 5 of the employees are not suffering from stress. 14 employees out of 30 employees who were stressed feel stressful when their boss scolds them while 16 employees refused that they are not stressed because their boss scold them. All then 30 employees have accepted that they try to find the solution of their stress.10 employees out of 30 employees practice yoga to reduce their stress and the other 20 employees don’t practice yoga. Thus we can conclude that the employees have reduced their stress by yoga therapy and other employee’s have just stated the yoga because of high level of stress.

The above analysis is done by the data received from the questionnaire. So the accuracy of data depends upon the response of the employees.

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(4.2) CONCLUSION

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

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

The three week study was concentrated on the importance of motivation among employees in APEC. It helps to find many problems and which type of stress relief is expecting by the employees from the organization.

First week was spend for observation, one week for collecting data and next one week for analysis and presenting report.

This study will be useful to APEC to reduce their work stress. This study will improve the thinking of management and helps in taking correct decision. It helps in motivation of employees in correct measures and thereby increases the production and will change this firm into a unique one.

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BIBILIOGRAPHY

www.mindtool.com

Organizational behavior “ Stephen p. Robbins”

Self analysis questionnaire

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Research methodology

Research objective

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

Stress is not necessarily bad in and of itself. Although stress is typically discussed in a negative context it also has appositive value.its opportunity when it offers potential gain. Considers for example the superior performance that an athelete or stage performer gives in clutch situations . such individuals often

Types of research

Discuss the research design population source of data sampling technique sample size sample unit tools for analysis representation and limitation of study

Research design

A research design is an arrangement of conditions for collection and analysis of data in a

Manner that combines relevance to the research

Purpose with economy procedure, it is a conceptual structure within which research is conducted and it constitutes the blue print for the collection, measurement and analysis of data. The research design used for the study is descriptive design. Descriptive research includes surveys and fact findings of different kinds. The major purpose of research design is description of the state of affairs, as it exists at present

Period of study

The present study had been undertaken for period of 6 weeks, in which it had divided into 3 stages as such. Stage1 is of research problem and collecting the literature of the topic chosen. Stage 2 is of analysis and interpretations by using different statistical tools, findings and recommendations.

Source of data

The relevant data has been collected from primary sources and secondary sources.The primary data collected by a questionnaire was circulated among

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the employees to collect information. The secondary data is collected by newspapers, company journals, magazines and websites

Sampling Technique

A sample of 50 respondents was taken using random sampling. The researcher contacted the executive personally and brief summary of the nature of the study and details in the questionnaire were narrated to them.

Sample Size

The sample is constituted of those 50 employers and employee in the organization

Sample Unit

The sample unit is the firm’s name ( GULF HEIGHTS TECHNICAL CONTRACTING) who helped me to conduct the study of the topic time management

Statistical tools used

For the purpose of present study percentage analysis was used.

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Objectives Of The study

Objectives

The general aim of this course will be to explore and evaluate the various facets and myths surrounding the construct of stress at work. It will provide an opportunity to expose a variety of salient arguments which are helpful in developing a better understanding of stress and that will result in improving the management of stress-related problems for participants and their colleagues at work.

a. To understand the meaning of stress and well being at work.b. To evaluate models and processes of well-being at work.c. To highlight work and well-being interventions.d. To enable participants to draw up a wellness personal action plan.

Method

a. Lecturettes/theoretical and practical examplesb. Powerpoint presentation/video clipsc. Group discussionsd. Reflexive Exercises and workshopse. Handouts