Effects Of Stress On Employee Job Performance Research (Essay Sample)

EFFECTS OF STRESS ON EMPLOYEE JOB PERFORMANCE
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Business Report
Introduction
Multiple employees and organizations experience the effects of work-related stress especially on work performance. Ideally, stress has both negative and positive impacts. People’s perceptions about stress varies from one person to another depending on situations. Negative stress has contributed to low performance at workplaces since it debilitates employees. Managers need to know their employees; they should identify the ones suffering from stress and establish programs that will enable them to cope with it. Ideally, such programs can minimize the effects of stress on worker’s job performance. The study aims at determining the effects contributed by stress on the employees. Moreover, the research also touches on the methods that can aid employers in managing employees’ stress. Identification of negative effects of stress is vital as it enables employees to cope with stress. Proper stress management plays a critical in improving the performance of organization’s employees, therefore, benefitting both the employee and the employer.
Literature Review
Bono et.al (2013), provides examples of organizations that have successfully implemented stress management programs. The Morrison Company saves approximately $8 for every 1$ utilized in wellness by providing programs like exercise, weight loss and back care. Similarly, Axon petroleum has set aside $1.6 million annually for their 650 employees health care. Basing on the Wellness Bureau in the United States, success of numerous organizations depends largely on their wellness programs. Such programs minimize health care costs, increases productivity and reduces absenteeism.
Driskel & Salas (2013) indicates that stress determines the employees job performance since it affects areas such employee decision making abilities, employee morale and employee absenteeism. Stress is an issue that needs to be addressed to minimize stressful activities in multiple business organizations. Organizations that have stress-management programs for their employees have recorded higher worker performance.
KS, R (2016) asserts that increased stress affects productivity, morale, absenteeism, profitability and organizational efficiency for both organizations and individuals. Knowing how to cope and determine stressful areas is challenging to numerous business organizations. Awareness on how to utilize constructive confrontation techniques to minimize stress hence improving efficiency is of essence to numerous business companies. Dealing with stress builds employees trust thus increasing organization’s performance.
LePine et.al (2016) indicates that stress-induced illnesses have increased in workplaces today. Stress affects both the employer and the employee. For instance, stress results in absenteeism and other problems like alcoholism, drug addiction, poor job performance and depression. According to the Barlow annual forum on Human Resource Trends and Issues, multiple business corporations registered severe stress levels exhibited by their employees. The panelists concurred with one another about the need of helping employees in managing stress especially at their places of work. The suggestions that were raised include;
* Expansion of wellness programs
* Provision of stress management seminars
* Education on how to balance family and work life.
For example, Olympic TeamTech computer management firm has dealt with stress affecting their employees by offering training programs, monitoring their concerns, holding monthly meetings to make them proactive instead of becoming reactive. Such efforts have increased Olympic TeamTech’s turnover rate.
Ruotsalainen et.al (2015) asserts that stress results in problems that negatively affect organizational productivity and employee health. Ideally, stress causes problems like alcoholism, job dissatisfaction, physical ailments, poor job performance and absenteeism. Managers awareness on how to cope and prevent stress is vital in numerous business organizations since that knowledge can boost companies’ productivity. Multiple firms which have instituted wellness programs have benefited since such programs have reduced absenteeism, accident and sickness costs. Stress-management programs increases employees’ job performance. Moreover, stress inventory assists managers and executives in assessing the stress of their employees. The inventory identifies the causes of stress including their physical elements. Similarly, the program can also provide the skills necessary for reacting to stress.
Methodology
A questionnaire was used to collect data. Respondents indicated whether stress decreased, had not changed or increased their job performance; they also provided 15 work areas that were associated with a lot of stress and 15 others that had the least stress. The questionnaire also contained 17 wellness programs and the respondents were expected to indicate the programs that had been implemented in their organizations. Lastly, the questionnaire was designed to capture respondent’s demographic data including age group and full-time classification. For instance, a total of sixty questionnaires were given to business employees and a response rate of about 80% was recorded. Random sampling technique was utilized in selecting the respondents. The primary data collected was reliable since confidentiality was guaranteed throughout the entire process. All respondents received stamped, self-addressed envelopes which contained the questionnaires. Controls were utilized to eliminate responses duplication. Simple statistical methods were utilized in tabulating the study results.
Discussion of the findings
Presentation of findings will be done according to the following characteristics;
* Demographic profile
* Job performance areas affected by stress
* Wellness programs provided by employers to manage stress
Demographic Profile
All the respondents were full-time employees and their age ranges were as follows;
Age range (years)

Percentage (%)

Below 20

2.1

20-29

33.7

30-39

29.4

40-49

26.1

50-59

5.4

Above 60

3.3

Job performance areas affected by stress
Out of the 15 provided work areas, four areas had more than 50% response rate; such areas include;
* Job satisfaction/morale 74%
* Courtesy 65.2%
* Accuracy 52.7%
* Creativity 51.5 %
Therefore, stress strongly affects employees’ creativity and morale negatively. Stress impacts on organizational skills, cooperation, initiative, productivity, alertness, productivity, decision making abilities and perseverance fall between the range of 30-50%. Ideally, increased stress and anxiety have negative influence on employee’s organizational productivity and efficiency (Bono et.al 2013 p.1605). The findings of how stress affects work performance negatively is shown in the table below
No:

Work area

% effect

1

Productivity

42.8

2

Job satisfaction morale

74

3

Decision Making Abilities

39.1

4

Accuracy

52.7

5

Creativity

51.6

6

Attention to Appearance

28.o

7

Organizational Skills

46.3

8

Courtesy

65.2

9

Cooperation

49.5

10

Initiative

45.2

11

Reliability

26.6

12

Alertness

39.4

13

Perseverance

35.5

14

Tardiness

25.8

15

Absenteeism

28.3

Basing on the results, productivity and job satisfaction were adversely affected by stress while absenteeism and personal appearance registered least effect. However, stressed individuals were inclined to be tardy or absent.
Wellness programs provided by employers to manage stress
The responses for the 17 programs provided in the questionnaire were as follows
No:

Type of Program

Responses

1

Therapy

2.1%

2

Assistance/ On-Site with Child Care

4.3%

3

Financial Counseling

8.5%

4

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