CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Stress is a part of life. We cannot banish it entirely form our lives on this earth. It comes upon use before we know it. Since stress affects our physical and psychological well-being, everyone has to learn to manage it (Coleman, 2003).
Passer and Smith (2004) opines that stress is not a joyful thing. It leads to distress. The emotion and physiological arousal created by stressful situations make us uncomfortable. This discomfort motivates us to do something to overcome or alleviate it.
As with organizational culture, work stress has become a subject on interest recently. Effective management of work stress is justified for two reasons; firstly, a stress is an independent variable influencing employee satisfaction and performance. Secondly, it is incumbent on management to improve quality of life of organizational members.
Stress is linked to coronary heart disease a reduction in stress is expected to improve longevity of workforce. One of the major adverse influence on job satisfaction, work performance and productivity, absenteeism and labour turnover is the incidence of stress at work.
According to Otete (2008), stress is a source of tension and frustration and can arise through a number of interrelated influences on behaviour, including the individual, group, organization and environmental factors. For example to human terms any situation that is seen as burdensome, threatening to induce stress. Thus, is the type of situation that would normally strike the individual as demanding immediate attention or concern and is viewed as unfortunate and annoying, there tends to be the feeling that the situation should not exist, but because of its, the person feels disappointed and is prone to anxiety, depression, anger, hostility, inadequacy and low frustrating tolerance. The causes of stress are complex, stress is also a very personal experience as is the response of each individual to it and their beliefs about how best to cope with the causes and effect of stress. The result of unrelieved stress on the individual and on business are worrying, the result may be higher accident rate, sickness, absence, inefficiency, damaged relationships with clients and colleagues, high staff turnover, early retirement on medical grounds and even pre-mature death (Mullina, 2008).
The cost of stress is huge, it is devastating to the individual and damaging to the business at a time when the need to control business cost and ensure effective and healthy workforce. It is every one interest to tackle the taboo on talking about emotional problems because it is this which inhibits individual from seeking help.
1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
The problems of de-motivation workforce, job dissatisfaction, negative or hostile attitude among the subordinates, low productivity, high labour turnover and absenteeism in organizations have made the researcher to evaluate the relevance of effective management of work stress on employees job performance using Unity Bank plc, Oleh Delta State as study.
This study will therefore, attempt to examine the following problems;
Firstly, one special issue is the low level of employee job performance as a result of lack of effective management of work stress.
Secondly, another area is lack of employees job satisfaction as a result of non effective application of management of work stress.
Thirdly, another area of concern is how inadequate management of work stress affects employees attitude to work in an organization.
Finally, the problem of human resources such as high rate of absenteeism, de-motivation, low productivity, high labour turnover, job dissatisfaction among employees.
