ABSTRACT

This study explores the effect of stress on employees’ job performance in work organization. Hypothesis variables include stress brought about by insecurity of job, stress brought about by poor motivational factors in work place, the stress brought about by role overload and role under load, and stress due to unfriendly work environment. The Hypothesized variables were tested using questionnaire, a primary source of data method. The SPSS 11.0 version was used in analyzing the Hypothesized variables from data gathered. The validity test of the questionnaire was satisfactorily done. The reliability was also satisfactory done at over 700/0. It was discovered from the study that job insecurity do increase stress and result in poor job performance. It was also discovered that poor motivational factors do not lead to high employee turnover however role overload reduce job efficiency.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Employee performance has always being paramount in the life of any organization which has led many business organization to put in place many factors that can boast the performance of employees' welfare career development, e.t.c. Despite all the effort of management to improve employees performance, stress has being found to be one of the major hindrances to employees' performance. Hence, various definitions have been giving to stress, which can be described as' follows: Stress can be defined as any action or situation that places physical and psychological demands upon a person. It can also be described as the demand on an individual that tax or exceeded his adjective capacity body's responses to pressure.

Lazarus 1966, defined stress as a largely perceived Phenomenon which only the individual experiencing the stress can identify the specific set of factors which are causing the stress. From this definition, it is only the person experiencing the stress that knows the factors stressing him. Since it is the person involve in stress that can say that what causes stress or what stresses Mr. A may not cause stress for Mr. B. stress a medical term was coined by an Austrian born, Hans Selye; Selye was a professor at the University of Montreal, in 1974, Selye studied body reactions to almost all conceivable type of- severe, injuries, diseases, poisons, or unusual work demands from his work/study, he observed that there were common features to those reaction. In addition common specific changes, he also noted that there were some other "non-specific" reaction which he gave the name “STRESS". Stress is any force that put a psychological or physical function beyond its range of stability producing a strain within the individual. Stress has been recognized as one of the commonest problems facing people all over the world irrespective of age, sex, race, status and religion.

Truly everyday life need a level of arousal to be worthwhile and when the arousal is optimal "stress" is at its best. Beyond this point, it becomes a problem to the individual who would become over arousal. (The Psychologist 1999). Researchers also define stress as a physical, mental, or emotional response to events that causes bodily or mental tension. Simply put, stress is any outside force or event that has an effect on our body or mind. Akeredolu (1999) explained stress as the normal difficulties one encounter in getting to school or work, the difficulties encountered in buying fuel at the station and the difficulties faced over the loss of loved one. The effect of stress.

The Uncertainty brought about by job insecurity constitute a basic source of stress in the work place. Poor financial and social motivation tends to generate difficulty in work place. The normal difficulty of role over load and role under load remain a factor imbalanced in work place job assignment. The problem of unhealthy and unfriendly work environment is a stress factor to be considered. Poor promotional and earner advancement structure 111 work organization consist a strong stress basis. Poor leadership style and it attendant problem of job uncertainly constitute work place difficulty. The impacts of stress on job performance remain.

1.2      OBJECTIVES OR PURPOSE OF STUDY

The objective of this study is as follows:

1.  To identify the sources of stress in an employee

2.  To also identify the symptoms of stress in an employee

3.  To determine the effect of stress on the performance of an employee

4.  To make appropriate recommendations to how stress can be managed.

1.3      RESEARCH QUESTIONS:

1.  Does stress brought about by job insecurity affect job performance?

2.  Poor motivation factors in work place influence workers performance?

3.  Does workers productivity be influenced by stress of poor motivation factors?

4.  Is the problem of role over load and role under load a factor imbalance in work organization?

5.  Can the difficulty of unhealthy and unfriendly work environment influence job performance?

6.  Can poor leadership style brings about stress in work place?

STATEMENT OF HYPOTHESIS

1. Ho:- Stress brought about by job insecurity do not affect job

performance

H1: - Stress brought about by job insecurity do affect job

performance

2.  Ho:- Poor motivational factors in work place do not influence

workers performance

H1:- Poor motivational factors in work place do influence workers

performance

3. Ho:- The stress of role overload and role under load do not affect

job performance

H1:- The stress of role overload and role under load do affect job

performance,

4. Ho:- The difficulty of unhealthy and unfriendly work environment

do not influence workers productivity.

H1:-  The difficulty of unhealthy and unfriendly work environment

do influence workers productivity.

1.5    SCOPE OF THE STUDY

Under normal circumstances, a research is supposed to cover a particular area of study and as a result of that this research is not exception to that effect. This research is devoid of certain constraints and circumstances and so financial inadequacies was one major area that brought about setbacks to the smooth running of the research work. The second constraint of this research was the lack of getting the correct information because the responses of most respondents were hostile and in some cases negative even some are not even ready to interact with you while some of the respondent deliberately gave wrong information. Time was another major constraint as the researcher had to combine both research that required moving around, lectures and examination at the same time.

1.6      SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will be of great importance to all organizations and there employees. This study intends to bring to the notice of the organization that reaction to stress varies from individual and thus, afford the organization an insight into how much stress they can effectively handle and to also recommend stress coping strategies for the organization and her employees.

REFERENCES

Lazarus Richards (1966): Psychological Stress and Coping Stress In D.M.

Stewart. (Ed) Grower Handbook of Management Skill yo Ed.) \ 28- \ 50 England Gower.

Selye Hans (1956): The Stress of Life, New York John Wiley