A STUDY ON STRESS MANAGEMENT AND COPING
STRATEGIES WITH REFERENCE TO IT COMPANIES IN
TAMILNADU
Dr.K.Premkumar1, Dr.P.Ganapathi2, Dr.Sumathipremkumar3
1
Director Academic, Muthayammal Engineering colleges, (Autonomous) Rasipuram, Namakkal,
Tamilnadu, India.
2
Assistant-Professor, Department of Management Studies, Muthayammal Engineering colleges,
(Autonomous) Rasipuram, Namakkal, Tamilnadu, India.
3
HEAD, Department of Management Studies, Muthayammal Engineering colleges, (Autonomous)
Rasipuram, Namakkal, Tamilnadu, India.
ABSTRACT style modification programs, finding triggers
Stress has become significant due to dynamic and stressors, supportive organization
social factor and changing needs of life styles. culture, stress counseling programs, and
Stress is man‘s adaptive reaction to an spiritual programs.
outward situation which would lead to Keywords: Stress, Adaptive reaction,
physical, mental and behavioral changes. Behavioral change, Eu-stress, IT employees;
Even though stress kills brain cells, not all and Coping strategies.
stresses are destructive in nature.
Appropriate amount of stress can actually INTRODUCTION
trigger passion for work, tap latent abilities In the 1990s India emerged as a major player in
and even ignite inspirations. The study throws the field of software engineering, information
light on the wide spread silent problem by technology services and Web based services.
name Stress‘, which gave raise to acute Presently the Indian information technology
dysfunctions and are called many diseases, industry employs as little more than half million
increase divorce rates, and other people and provides indirect employment to over
harassments. The work stress is found in all a quarter of a million people (NASSCOM). In
professions. IT professionals are very streed today‘s world, the degree of stress increased
because they are highly target driven and owing to urbanization, globalization that results
highly pressured on results. Athletes into cut-throat competition. Stress is inescapable
experience the strength that comes from part of modern life, work place is becoming a
eustress right before they play a big game or volatile stress factory for most employees and it
enter a big competition. Because of eu-stress, is rightly called as the Age of anxiety.
they suddenly receive the strength that is Stress has becoming significantly with
required to perform to the best of the ability. the result of dynamic social factors and changing
Stress can make a person productive and needs of life styles. Stress is man‘s adaptive
constructive, when it is identified and well reaction to an outward situation which would
managed. The focus of the paper is to study lead to physical mental and behavioral changes.
the stress level among IT employees and to Brain cells create ideas, Stress may kill brain
suggest the coping strategies. A survey of 200 cells. The truth is that not all stresses are
IT employees in the IT companies situated in destructive in nature. Appropriate amount of
and around Tamilnadu State is done. Some of stress can actually trigger your passion for work,
the stress coping strategies identified by this tap your latent abilities and even ignite
study includes stress management programs, inspirations.
physical activities planned in job design, life
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CURRENT ENGINEERING AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
(IJCESR) the
Stress is the emotional and physical
strain caused by our response to pressure from
the outside world. Common stress reactions
include tension, irritability, inability to
concentrate, and a variety of physical
symptoms that include headache and a fast
heartbeat. 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. S=
P>R i.e., stress occurs when the pressure is
greater than the resources. Stress is our body's
way of responding to any kind of demand. It
can be caused by both good and bad
experiences. When people feel stressed by
something going on around them, their bodies
react by releasing chemicals into the blood.
These chemicals give people more energy and
strength, which can be a good thing if their
stress is caused by physical danger. But this
can also be a bad thing, if their stress is in
response to something emotional and there is
no outlet for this extra energy and strength.
What is stress?
Stress is the body‘s nonspecific response
to a demand placed on it. HansSelye.
Stress as a condition or feeling
experienced when a person perceives that
demands exceed the personal and social
resources the individual is able to
mobilize. Richard S. Lazarus
The study throws light on the wide spread
silent problem by name Stress‘, which
gave raise to acute dysfunctions and are
called many diseases, increase divorce
rates, and other harassments. If left
uncared the extremity of stress may turn a
person vulnerable and even lead to the
suicide of the person. The work stress is
found in all professions, the very affected
are the IT professionals who are highly
target driven, highly pressured on results,
and are squeezed both physically and
mentally to the maximum on their roles
and loads. The stress is manifested in
various ways and means, and the much
prone sector is the IT sector, which has
turned upside down only their working
hours, but also their biological system,
which affects at three different levels viz.,
individual, interpersonal and
organizational level. It becomes the vital
role of the management to take care of the
employees health rather providing only
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CURRENT ENGINEERING AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
(IJCESR) psychological distress absence relationship
monetary benefits, which is not so in
was not moderated by demographic variables.
practice of the fullest.
Michael R. Frone
REVIEW OF LITERATURE (2008), the combinations of
Vasudha Venugopal, (2010), an increasing relationship of work coping strategies end
number of IT professionals has been finding it stressors, those work up with different
difficult to handle emotional stress, according over load and job levels of distress. They
to experts. An occupational hazard,' the stress insecurity, to fared best by using a
related to work needs to be addressed without employees alcohol combination of
delay, they emphasize. Coping with stress and use illicit drug use problem-focused
striving for mental health welfare should be a resulted, support the coping and emotion-
matter of concern for all and not treated relation of work focused coping.
simply as a lifestyle problem of the IT stressors to alcohol Vijay V. Raghavan,
phenomenon, says Nithya Chandrasekaran, a and illicit drug use (2010) , The effect of
consultant physician for many IT companies before work, during flexible work
in the city. Post recession, employees feel the workday, and after schedule, employee
pressured to perform well. Regular work. support and training,
occupational problems such as wrist problems Shane Schick, and telecommuting as
due to constant handling of the mouse, slip (2007), stressed IT potential coping
disc and eye fatigue are common now, but professionals who use resources to relieve
handling stress that arises owing to fear of a balance of problem stress. Perceived
losing job or to cope with the increasing focused coping workload, role
competition, affects the employee's strategies and emotion ambiguity, work
performance, eventually, taking a major toll focused coping facilitation, and
on his health, doctors explain. As if to strategies are most decision latitude are
acknowledge the prevalence of high levels of successful in dealing potential stressors of
stress among employees, many IT companies with the stress of IT professionals.
have help hotlines that provide counseling staying perpetually Removing role
intervention to their employees who face up-to-date. The study ambiguity and
stress or psychological fatigue. Companies highlights the improving work
are also trying to help employee’s combat importance of facilitation reduce
stress better. Companies such as Infosys, Tata monitoring the stress work related stress and
Consultancy Services, Cognizant and Wipro that results from the allowing employees to
have regular stress breaks intended to help the constant demand on have flexible work
employees strike a healthy balance between IT professionals to schedules ease their
work and fun. update their technical perceptions of
Deshmukh N.H. (2009), Stress and life skills because the workload. Sahana
satisfaction among working and non working threat of technical Charan, (2007), High
women from similar levels of socio economic obsolescence may work pressure, long
status of the society, resulted that there was result in a higher rate hours in front of the
no significant difference in physical and of absenteeism, work computer and a fast
family stress among working and non burnout and a desire paced lifestyle, if these
working women. Role stress was significantly to change careers. factors team up to
higher among working than non working Managers can help by weaken your physical
women. Life satisfaction was better in providing IT health, here is one
working women than non working women. professionals with more strong reason
Gillian E. Hardy, David Woods and Toby D. concrete resources why they are simply
Wall (2003), Psychological distress such as research time, unhealthy mental
particularly depression was found to predict opportunities to attend health professionals
absence, with higher levels of distress courses, and physical are now convinced
predicting a greater number of days and facilities that facilitate that an increasing
number of times absent. Job satisfaction and trial and error. IT number of persons
psychological distress independently professionals who working in the IT and
predicted levels of absence. The deploy different IT enabled services
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CURRENT ENGINEERING AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
sector fall prey to
(IJCESR) strategies which are from: more than triple
competing in the
depression, because directed towards the rate of
same field.
of the high stress they increasing worker cardiovascular
Moreover, insecurity
undergo. autonomy, problems; over five
about the job may
Murali Raj, participation and times the rate of
(2009), Depression lead to feelings of
control. These colorectal cancer; up
is usually expression. Kamala
strategies include: to three times the rate
related to work and Balu, (2002), most
redesigning tasks, of back pain
stress these people stress management
redesigning the Health Canada:
undergo because of programs focus
physical work Problems at work are
the pressure to attention on the
environment, role more strongly
perform better, individual either
definition and associated with
compete with other assisting employees
clarification, health complaints
colleagues and meet or help them to cope
establishing more than are any other life
tight deadlines. Most with job related
flexible work stressor; more so than
of their work is stressors. There is
schedules, even financial
target-oriented and if more concern in
participative problems or family
targets are not met, it organizations with
management, problems
can lead to anxiety. coping with the
employee- centered St.Paul Fire and
Peers are not very consequences of
career development Marine Insurance
supportive as they stress rather than
programmes, Co: Every year in
also eliminating or
providing feedback Japan around 30,000
reducing the actual
and social support deaths occur
stressors themselves.
for employees and
Wide range of stress
more equitable
reducing
reward system.
programmes for
These are
employees rather
approaches which
than interventions to
could prevent stress
change the nature of
at work rather than
work which would
treat stress once it
bring a more
has developed. 75%
effective solution for
to 90% of all visits to
the problem.
primary care
Employee assistance
physicians are for
programmes such as
stress-related
counseling and
complaints.40% of
support services for
job turnover is due to
employees have
stress; Up to 80% of
shown a promising
on-the-job accidents
approach of dealing
are stress related.
with stress, however
American Institute
their effectiveness is of Stress: The annual
limited. Training or cost
counseling to Canadian
employees to cope companies due to
with stress are just stress related disorders
short-term solutions is $12 billion
but have long-term Absenteeism due to
benefits for mental stress has increased by
health and well- over 300% since 1995
being. Elkin and Statistics Canada:
Rosch (1990) have Employees in extreme
summarized a wide workplace stress
range of other conditions suffer
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(IJCESR)
because of Karoshi (over work). In a study No Appreciation
conducted by Delhi based NGO - Saarthak in When is the last time you praised an employee
30 Indian companies, it was found that 50% of for a job well done? Say Thank you more
the employees suffered from stress related often. Put it in writing for even greater impact.
problems. Further, in the studies conducted in Corporate wellness is a good investment, with
the US and UK, it was found that more than a strong return on investment.
60% of employees complain to be stressed out No Feedback, good or bad
in their jobs. Don‘t wait until the annual review to let
Conceptual Basis for the Study employees know how they‘re doing. They
This qualitative study takes the lead from a wonder every day.
recent survey (2014), published in the Journal Career and Job ambiguity
of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Uncertainty about opportunity within the
and noted that for those working 12 hours a company or job security can lead to a feeling
day, there was a 37% increase in risk of illness of loss of control. Keep employees clear about
and injury in comparison to those who work performance goals, room for advancement and
fewer hours. And another study done by how your organization is doing.
Northwestern National Life, reports that one- Unclear Policies and no Sense of Direction
fourth of employees view their jobs as the Clearly communicate policies and company
number one stressor in their lives. A St. Paul goals, and alert top management if employees
Fire and Marine Insurance Co. study need further clarity.
concluded that problems at work are more Mistrust, Unfairness and Office Politics
strongly associated with health complaints than It‘s important to treat everyone the same and
any other life stressor, even financial or family perfectly appropriate to reprimand someone
problems. who is negative about other employees.
Sethy and Schulter (1996) outlined four major Backbiting keeps everyone on edge.
reasons why job stress and coping have Pervasive Uncertainty: This results from
become important issues: inadequately explained or unannounced
Concern for individual employee health and changes. Meet with people individually to
well being: (E.g. coronary heart disease, high review changes. Follow those meetings with a
blood pressure, job related accidents) written memo so everyone can review the facts
The financial impact on organization: after emotions have died down.
(Including days lost due to stress related illness Random Interruptions
and injury) Organizational effectiveness: for Telephone calls, e-mails, walk-ins and
organizational health and well being supervisor demands can keep employees from
Legal obligations: on employers to provide completing the work at hand. Consider time
safe and healthy working environment. management training to help people prioritize
According to Global business and Economic and delegate.
Roundtable of Addiction and Mental Health, The Treadmill syndrome
the top 10 stressors are: Having too much or too little to do
Lack of Control results in self-defeating behavior that can lead
Less control employees have over their to high stress. Make sure work is evenly
situations, the greater their stress. Solicit and divided, and hire additional help where
consider employee suggestions, comments and needed. The research problem is formulated on
input. the basis of vast study of related literature
Lack of Communication survey which provides theoretical background
Try communicating early and often, making and conceptual frame work to this study which
sure you listen as often as you deliver news or broaden knowledge base in this area of
observations. research. The research takes the lead from the
following dimensions; those are the impact of
stress on body, mind, behavior and emotions
on the basis of review of literature
.
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Table-1: Impact of stress in various dimensions
Impact on
Impact on Impact on Mind Behavior Impact on
Body Emotions
Headaches, Worrying, Accident prone, Loss of confidence,
Taut muddled loss of more fussy
muscles, thinking,
appetite
night mares
Breathlessness
Frequent Impaired Drinking and Irritability,
infections, skin judgment, smoking more Depression, Apathy
irritations indecisions
Fatigue, Loss of sex drive, Alienation,
Negativity, hasty
muscular insomnia apprehension
twitches decisions
Source: Review of literature
Objectives of the present study The study is based on a survey conducted in 10
1. To study the level of stress among IT Information Technology companies in and
employees; and around Tamilnadu with sample size 200. Out
2. To identify stress coping strategies at of total sample, 130 (65%) were men and rest
organizational level women. The respondents were software
Hypothesis professionals at lower and middle levels with a
H1: Occupational stress has impact on mean of about 5 years in the company and 7
organizational level outcomes years in industry.
Data and Profile of the Respondent Companies Table1.5 shows sample description on the
basis of respondent‘s age group.
Table 1.5: Sample description
Sampl
Age group
e size
20-29 35
30-34 55
35-39 60
>40 50
Total sample size: 200
Table 2 shows that, the stress among IT employees at body, mind, behavioral and emotional
levels. Table-2: Number of respondents who felt high level of stress
Age group 20-29 30-34 35-39 >40
Impact on
22 45 52 46
Body
Impact on
28 50 56 40
Mind
Impact on 32 49 50 40
Behavior
Impact on 33 50 57 38
Emotions
Source: primary data
Analysis of the Table 2 statistics
Impact on Body Impact on Behavior
From the Table 2, 92% of respondents from 91% from 20 -29 age group felt high level of
>40 age group felt high level of stress impact stress impact on behavior followed by 89%
on body followed by 87% from 35 -39 age from the age group of 30 -34, 83% from 35
group, 82% -39 and
from 30 -34 age group and 63% from 20 -29 80% from 20 -29 age group. Stress impacts on
age group. Stress impacts on body lead to behavior leads to unsafe behavior pattern,
headaches, fatigue, Hypertension, Coronary Speech disturbance, and even suicidal
artery diseases, Skin disease etc., the data tendencies etc.
obtained from primary source, draw the Impact on Emotions
attention and alarming the individual as well as 94% from 20 -29 age group felt high level of
IT companies. stress impact on emotions followed by 91%
Impact on Mind from the age group of 30 -34, 87% from 35 -39
93% of respondents from 35 -39 age group felt ages and 75% from above 40 years. Emotional
high level of stress impact on mind followed impact of stress on individual leads to
by 91% from the age group of 30 -34 and 80% Alienation, apprehension etc., causes
from the rest age groups. Depressions, Anger, absenteeism, employee turnover and low
Irritability, Mood swings, Lack of self- productivity etc.
confidence etc., are the symptoms of stress on
mind which leads to serious effect on
individual.
Table 3 shows that the identified stressors in IT companies
Table-3: Number of respondents who felt high level stress from following stressors
Age groups 20-29 30-34 35-39 >40
Work loads 20 40 50 45
Organizational
20 42 52 44
changes
Lack of employee
28 48 53 40
control
Organization
25 47 52 48
culture
Operating style 32 45 51 44
Emphasis on
29 49 54 47
competition
Fear of job loss 32 48 50 38
Increasing
22 48 54 45
technology
Push for multi
20 40 52 46
tasking
From Table 3, it is evident that the employees 90% from 36-40 years of age group. Another
felt more pressure from workloads highly i.e., most important stressor is fear of job loss
90% in above 40 years of age followed by 83% creates more stress among employees,
in the age of 35-40. Coming to the specifically 20- 29 age groups of employees
organizational changes also above 40 years with 91% followed by 30-34 years with 87%.
employees were taking as a dominant stressor Increasing technology and Push for multi
followed by 35 -40 age group. Lack of tasking became major stressors among IT
employee control has become a major stressor professionals and the most effected ages are
for the employees who are under 35–40 years above 40 years 90 and 92% consequently
of age. Organization culture impacts more on followed by 35-39 age groups.
above 40 years employees (96%) followed by Identified stress coping strategies at
employees of 36 -40 age group. operating organizational level
cycle influences more on the employees are in The study further continued to identify stress
20 -29 age group i.e., 91% followed by above coping strategies at organizational level.
40 years employees. The following are the outcomes of this study.
Competition has become a major stressor in IT Stress management programs
companies and 94% from above 40 years of Conducting stress management programs at
employees were felt higher stress followed by organizational level, with the objective of
creating awareness about stress and making employees from 6 IT companies. The primary
employees to learn stress management data collected for this study is perceptual.
techniques. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
Physical activities planned in job design On the basis of discussions, the
The body can release stress, better through following measures can be applied to reduce
physical exertion, as physicians were the impact of stress among IT professionals
suggesting, indulging any kind of physical and make stress constructive.
activity is recommended while job design. Self Exploration
Stress-audit Self Exploration is the starting point in
Conducting stress-audit at organizational level, discovering you. It allows you to find out about
for the purpose teaching individual, what your attitude towards life, what is important to
causes stress and its impact on themselves. you and what is not. To find anchor points that
This leads to design the best suitable strategies will leads to the development of Character And
for managing the stress. Leadership style over a period of time giving
Life style modification programs you the confidence and poise to face daily
To combat the ill effects of stress, life style living with effectiveness and without stress.
modification programs at individual and Character strength
organizational level are recommended, after Character is doing what‘s right where
discussing experts. Ultimately individual nobody‘s looking and determines what exactly
should be responsible to carry forward these you are. The true test of character is not how
programs. Finding triggers and stressors much we know how to do but how we behave
Identifying triggers and stressors through when we don‘t know what to do. The
continuously monitoring health of the reflections of your character are your thoughts,
employees and proactive organizational style actions, habits, behavior and destiny.
will be a coping strategy in stress management. Undoubtedly It makes you excel and unique in
Supportive organization culture the world.
Though, Organization culture impacts in Leadership
multiple dimensions of organizational Leaders aren't born, they are made. And they
outcomes, stress management is also among are made just like anything else, through hard
them. A supportive organizational system will work. And that's the price we'll have to pay to
integrate an individual system in order to achieve the goal. You are the creator of your
understand stress and designing appropriate destiny. You should energize, motivate and
coping strategies. lead yourself to make your life worthy.
Ergonomics and environmental design Exercise 3 c’s
Need for improvement in equipment used at By eliminating Conflicts, exercising the right
work, and physical working conditions are in Controls to make the correct Choices you can
much demand in present tech-savvy world, and direct yourself properly to make a right path
undoubtedly this will become one of the best for smooth and stress free life.
stress coping strategies at organizational level. CONCLUSION
Stress counseling programs Stress issue has become contemporary,
Introducing stress counseling programs, in being an occupational hazard in fast pacing IT
order to understand and solve stress related profession, needs to be addressed without
problems to control mostly behavioral and delay. Hence the importance of the study of
emotional outcomes of employees. stress at various levels, among IT employee is
Spiritual programs growing. At organizational level, well
Conducting spiritual programs at designed coping strategies have become the
organizational level will leads to introspection attention of companies like Tata Consultancy
of employees and reduce stress to create more Services, Infosys, Wipro, Microsoft, and
energetic and enriched platform which can Cognizant etc., Stress can make an individual
increase organizational performance. productive and constructive when it is
Limitations of the study identified and well managed. In times of great
Geographical location of this study is limited stress or adversity, it‘s always best to keep
to Tamilnadu, with sample size of 200 IT busy, to plow anger and energy into something
positive. Positive attitude and meditation will
be helpful for coping the
stress. Having broader perspective of life will • Reshma S Gavali, (Nov 2016), Applied
definitely change the perception of stress. Let ergonomics and ways to reduce work
us hope that we will be successful in making stress, Icfai Univ. press, HRM Review.
distress into eu-stress for our healthy lifestyle • Rangit Kumar, (2014), Research
as well as organizational well being. methodology, 2nd edition, Sage pub
• Sunday Hindustan times, (May 4th
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