A STUDY OF STRESS MANAGEMENT IN EMPLOYEES OF BANKING SECTOR:

WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO EMPLOYEES OF HDFC BANK

A project submitted for the degree of master of commerce (Part two)

Submitted by Manisha J Singh

Under the guidance of

Dr. Dilip Bangadhe Sir

Prof. Sachin Puranik Sir

Post graduate department of commerce

Satish pradhan dyansadhana college of commerce thane west

Submitted to university of Mumbai

For the year 2017-2018

 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that, MANISHA J SINGH student of M.com-II (MANAGEMENT), Dnyansadhana College
of Thane has completed the project work and has submitted a report for the same in partial fulfilment of the
course by University of Mumbai for the batch 2017-18 in the topic

A STUDY OF STRESS MANAGEMENT IN EMPLOYEES OF BANKING SECTOR:

WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO EMPLOYEES OF HDFC BANK under my supervision.
It is her own work and facts reported by her personal findings and investigation.

Internal Examiner External Examiner

Principal
 DECLARATION

I MANISHA J SINGH here declare by that the following project report A STUDY OF STRESS
MANAGEMENT IN EMPLOYEES OF BANKING SECTOR: WITH SPECIAL
REFERENCE TO EMPLOYEES OF HDFC BANK

Is a results of my original research work, this view of mine and the project which is to be completed as per
the rules of Mumbai University for full time-M.com.

I honestly express that the information has been collected from genuine and authentic sources. Thus the main
objective of collecting informations is of academic purpose and I assure that collected information shall be
put to use only for the project report and nothing else.

The information submitted is true and original to the best of my knowledge.

DATE:-

PLACE:-THANE SIGNATURE OF STUDENT

(MANISHA SINGH)
 AKNOWLEDGEMENT

My first and foremost heart-felt thanks goes to Almighty , who gave me strength , courage and showered
me his grace to materialize my long cherished desire in form of this thesis.

I express my sincere gratitude to my Research guide, Dr. Dilip Bangadhe Sir and Prof. Sachin Puranik Sir
Principal Marathe Sir. Under his guidance I was successfully able to overcome many difficulties in this
research study and in my life personal life as well. I could learn many things from guider. His guidance and
support provide me the necessary insight in the entire research work and gave me the very much needed
correct and appropriate direction to complete this research work within the stipulated time. I am deeply
indebted and shall remain grateful to her forever for his excellent guidance, caring, patience, and providing
me with an excellent atmosphere for doing this research. I am fortunate to have such a guide in my academic
life.

I deeply acknowledge with HDFC Bank Manager Mr. Pushpjivi Tiwari, Professor and Head, and all Faculty
Member And Staff member for continuously supporting me throughout the their valuable inputs , direction
and motivation.

I take this opportunity to express my sincerest gratitude and thank to Dr. Dilip Bangadhe Sir.For providing
me with very essential recommendation letters to the selected banks.
 INDEX

Sr. No. Content Page no

1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Introduction of HDFC BANK
1.2 Concept of stress
1.2.1 Introduction to stress
1.2.2 Types of stress
1.2.3 Stress in Biological term
1.2.4 What is stress
1.2.5 Coping with stress at work place
1.2.6 Stress management
1.2.7 Work place stress
1.2.8 Reduce your stress
1.2.9 Employees opinion about how to reduce stress
2 Research methodology
2.1 Research objective
2.2 Scope of the study
2.3 Research design
2.4 Data collection technique
2.5 Data sampling
2.6 Data analysis
2.7 Area of the study
2.8 Time consideration
2.9 Limitation of the survey
2.9.1 Advantages of written questionnaires
2.9.2 Disadvantages of written questionnaires
2.10 Findings
2.11 Hypothesis
3 Literature review
4 Data Analysis and Tables
5 Conclusion
5.1 Suggestion
5.2 Bibliography
5.3 Appendix
 CHAPTER

NUMBER-1
INTRODUCTION
 1 INTRODUCTION
(1.1) Introduction of HDFC bank in INDIA

The HDFC bank was incorporated on August 1994 by the name of HDFC bank limited

With its registered office in Mumbai, India. HDFC commenced operations as scheduled commercial
bank in January 1995. The housing development finance corporation (HDFC) was amongst the first to
receive and In principle approval from the Reserve Bank Of India (RBI)

To set of a bank in private sector, as part of RBI Liberalisation of the Indian banking industry in 1994.

HDFC bank head quartered in Mumbai. The bank at present has an enviable network of over 1416
branches spread over 550 cities across India. All branches are linked on an online real- time basis.
Customers in over 500 locations are also serviced through telephone banking. The bank also has a
network of about over 3382 networked ATMs across the cities.

The promoter of the company HDFC was incepted in 1977 is Indias premier housing Finance Company
and enjoys an impeccable track record in India as well as in International market.HDFC has develop
significant expertise in retail mortgage loans to different market segments and also has a large corporate
client base for its housing related credit facilities. With its experience in the financial market, a strong
market reputation, large shareholders base and unique consumer franchise, HDFC was ideally positioned
to promote a bank in the Indian environment.

The shares are listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange Limited and the National Stock Exchange India
Limited. The banks American depository shares (ADS ) are listed on the New York Stock Exchange
(NYSE) under the symbol HDB and the banks global depository receipts (GDRs)are listed on
Luxembourg Stock Exchange. On May 23, 2008 The amalgamation of Centurion Bank of Punjab with
HDFC bank was formally approved by Reserve Bank of India to complete the statutory and regulatory
approval process. As per the scheme of amalgamation, shareholders of CBoP received one share of
HDFC bank every 29 shares of CBoP.

The merged entity now holds a strong deposited base around Rs. 122000 crore and Net advances of
around Rs. 89000 crore. The balance sheet size combined entity would be over Rs. 163000 crore. The
amalgamation added significant value of HDFC bank in terms of increased branch network geographic
reach, and customer base, and a bigger pool of skilled man power.
In a milestone transaction in the Indian Banking Industry, Times Bank Limited was merged with HDFC
bank Ltd., Effective February 26, 2000. This was the first merger of to private banks in the new
generation private sector banks. As per the scheme of amalgamation approved by the shareholders of
both banks and the Reserve Bank of India, shareholders of times bank received one share of HDFC bank
5.75 shares of Times bank .

HDFC bank offers a wide range of commercial and transaction banking services and treasury products
to wholesale and retail costumers . The bank has three key business segments

Wholesale banking services- The banks target market ranges from large, blue-chip manufacturing
companies in the Indian corporate & mid sized corporate and agri-based businesses.

Retail banking service- The objective of the retail bank is to provide its target market customer a
full range of financial product and banking services, giving the customer a one-stock window for
his/her banking requirements .

Treasury Within this business, the bank has three main product areas, foreign exchange and
derivatives, local currency, money market and debt securities, and Equities. The treasury business
is responsible for managing the returns and market risk on this investment port folio.

HDFC bank was the first bank in India to launch an international debit card in association with
Visa and issues the Master card Maestro Debit card as well.
 (1.2) CONCEPT OF STRESS

(1.2.1) INTRODUCTION TO STRESS

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 project you will find :

1) Introduction and Definition of stress

2) Stress in biological terms
3) What is stress?
4) Coping with stress at work place
5) Stress management
6) Reducing of stress

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

1) Burn out test

2) Stress analysis questionnaires.

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

1) Research Objectives
2) Sampling
3) Research instrument
4) Data analysis and interpretation
5) Employees opinion to reduce stress
6) Research flow chart
7) Time consideration
8) Limitations of survey
9) Advantages and disadvantages of written questionnaires
10) Findings

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 approach open warfare between competing theories and definitions: Views have been
passionately held and aggressively defended.
Stress is, as it is something we have all experienced. A definition should therefore be obvious except that it
is not.

DEFINITION:

Hans Selye was one of the founding fathers of stress research. His view in 1956 was that stress is not
necessarily something bad-it all depends on how you take it. The stress of exhilarating, creative successful
work is beneficial, while that of failure, humiliation or infection is detrimental. Selye believed that the
biochemical effects of stress would be experienced irrespective of whether the situation was positive
negative.

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

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

This is the main definition used by this section of mind Tools, although we also recognize that there is an
intertwined instinctive stress response to unexpected events. The stress response inside us is therefore part
instinct and part to do with the way we think.

(1.2.1) The types of stress are as follows:-

MECHANICAL
Stress (physics), the average amount of force exerted per unit areas.
Yield stress, the stress at which a material beings to deform plastically.
Compressive stress, the stress applied to materials resulting in their compaction.

BIOLOGICAL
Stress (biological), physiological or psychological stress; some types include
o Chronic stress, persistent stress which can be lead to illness and mental disorder.
o Eustress, positive stress that can lead to improved long-term functioning
o Work place stress, stress caused by employment.
CHRONIC STRESS
Chronic stress is that last a long time or occurs frequently. Chronic stress is potentially damaging.

Symptoms of Chronic stress can be:-

Upset stomach
Headache
Backache
Insomnia
Anxiety
Depression
Anger

In the most severe causes it can lead to panic Attack or a panic disorder.

There are a varies of method 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 individual with
lower levels of magnesium or those who have a magnesium deficiency. Chronic stress can also lead to a
magnesium deficiency, which can be a factor in continued chronic stress, and a whole host of other negative
medical conditions caused by a magnesiums 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.

In a review of the scientific literature on the relationship between stress and disease, the authors 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 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 yield for 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 stress has stress units (force per unit area), usually with negative values to indicate the
compaction. However in geotechnical engineering, compressive stress is represented with positive values.

(1.2.3) 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 and adrenaline production, short-term resistance as a coping mechanism, and
exhaustion. It refers to the 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 rate.

The term "stress" was first used by the endocrinologist Hans Selye in the 1930s to identify physiological
responses in laboratory animals. He later broadened and popularized the concept to include the perceptions
and responses of humans trying to adapt to the challenges of everyday life. In Selye's terminology, "stress"
refers to the reaction of the organism, and "stressor" to the perceived threat. Stress in certain circumstances
may be experienced positively. Eustress, for example, can be an adaptive response prompting the activation
of internal resources to meet challenges and achieve goals.

The term is commonly used by laypersons 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 severe 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
stressful.

(1.2.4) 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 fast paced world, it is impossible to live without stress, whether you are a
student or a working adult. There is both positive and negative stress, depending on each individuals 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 in extreme cases, heart palpitations. Hence, whilst
some stress may be seen as a 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 are
experiencing negative stress. This knowledge will help you to identify when you need to take a 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 cause 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.

What causes stress? There are many different causes of stress, and that which causes stress is also known as
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 an economic downturn, or from 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.
 Theoretical framework

Occupation stress is a common factor in any job, but bank employees are mostly found to be facing it. As the
diagram below shows occupational stress is associated with the Job content, Employment conditions, and
Social relations at work place and Working conditions. These four categories are the basis for stressors that
stem from them as overburden, unclear job description, reward system, job in security, supervisor and
colleague support, empowerment, trade off between work and social life, public dealings, late sitting and
deadlines. All these stressors affect employees performance and decrease their efficiency as mentioned in
the diagram below:
STRESS
STRESS

JOB CONTENTS EMPLOYMENT WORKING RELATIONS WORKING

CONDITIONS CONDITIONS

Overburden Reward system Supervisory support

Late
Lack of empowerment sitting
Unclear job Jon insecurity
Non-cooperative deadlines
colleagues

Social life

Effects on performance

Absenteeism

Lack of interest

inefficiency
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. Negative stress
can cause many physical and psychological problems, whilst positive stress can be very helpful for us.
Heres how we differentiate between them.

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 camels 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. If the job scope is boring and repetitive, it would be a good idea to implement some form
of job rotation so that there is always something new to learn.

The types of stress are named as eustress and distress. Distress is the most commonly-referred to
type 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.

What Are The Signs Of Stress?

Stress can cause both mental and physical symptoms. The effects of stress are different for different people.

The mental symptoms of stress include:

Tension
Irritability
Inability to concentrate
Feeling excessively tired
Trouble sleeping

The physical symptoms of stress include:

Dry mouth
A pounding heart
Difficulty breathing
Stomach upset
Frequent urination
Sweating palms
Tight muscles that may cause pain and trembling
Facts about stress

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, two-thirds of officevisits to family

doctors are for stress-related symptoms.
Almost everyone experiences events that they find difficult to cope with. In arecent poll, 89 percent
of people said they had experienced serious stress in theirlives.
According to one study, middle-aged men under severe stress who lackedemotional support were
five times more likely to die within seven years thanthose who had the same amount of stress but had
close personal ties.
A recent study indicated that stress-management programs may reduce the risk of heart problems,
including heart attack, by up to 75 percent in people with heartdisease.

How Stress Can Hurt

It has been estimated that two-thirds of all visits to physicians are for stress-relatedproblems. Recent
evidence indicates that the physical changes associated with stress maycontribute to the leading causes of
death - heart disease and cancer.

The effects of stress include the following:

1) Stress can cause chronic fatigue, digestive upsets, headaches, and back pain.

2) Stress can affect the blood cells that help you fight off infection, so you are morelikely to get colds and
other diseases.

3) Constant stress can increase blood pressure and can increase the risk for stroke.

4) Stress can increase the danger of heart attacks, particularly if you are often angryand mistrustful.

5) Stress can make an asthma attack worse.

6) Stress triggers behaviours that contribute to death and disability, such as smoking,alcoholism, drug abuse,
and overeating.

7) Stress can lead to diminished sexual desire and an inability to achieve orgasm.

8) Stress makes it harder to take other steps to improve health, such as giving upsmoking or making changes
in diet
Stress among employees at workplace
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 other types of emotional strain (e.g., dissatisfaction, fatigue, tension, etc.),
maladaptive behaviours (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-job stress than a
generation ago. Evidence also suggests that stress is the major cause of turnover in organizations.

Research findings from WHO (World Health Organization) with special reference to
employees
40% of workers reported their job was very or extremely stressful.
25% view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives.
Job stress is more strongly associated with health complaints than financial orfamily problems.
25% have felt like screaming or shouting because of job stress, 10% areconcerned about an
individual at work they fear could become violent.
9% are aware of an assault or violent act in their workplace and 18% hadexperienced some sort of
threat or verbal intimidation
19% had quita previous position because of job stress
26% have been driven to tears because of workplace stress.
62% routinely find that they end the day with work-related neck pain.
44% reported stressed-out eyes.
38% complained of hurting hands
34% reported difficulty in sleeping because they were too stressed-out.
12% had called in sick because of job stress.
Workplace stress has a negative impact on the business as well as on theindividual employee. The
increase in job stress creates emotional, financial, andsafety concerns for employers and managers
The World Health Organization labeled stress a worldwide epidemic. Today,workplace stress is
estimated to cost companies more than $300 billion a year inpoor performance, absenteeism and
health costs.
Stress Management
A predetermined strategy for coping with psychological or emotional turmoil at workplace. Stress can be
controlled by individuals or as part of a health benefits package, a company may offer stress management
therapy to improve job performance.

Why Organizations need stress management?

Economic benefits

Lower risks of litigation because they comply with legal duties

Improved return on investment in training and development

Improved customer care and relationships with clients and suppliers

Reduced costs of sick pay, sickness cover, overtime and recruitment

Benefits for individuals

People feel more motivated and committed to their work

Morale is high

People work harder and perform better increasing their earning power

People feel that they are part of a team and the decision-making process, so accept change better

Relationships with managers and within teams are better

People are happy in their work and dont want to leave

Line managers can outwardly show their duty of care

Line Managers can demonstrate good management skills that could help their promo ability and
career development.
Management benefits

Reduced staff turnover and intention to leave, so improving retention

Better absence management

Fewer days lost to sickness and absenteeism

Fewer accidents

Improved work quality

Improved organisational image and reputation

Better staff understanding and tolerance of others experiencing problems

A self approach towards stress management

1) Determine what causes stress in your life.

2) Think of ways that you can reduce the stress.

3) Formulate your stress management technique for relieving stress

Steps for Stress Management

One thing you need to keep in mind is that you cannot expect to totally get rid of stress. It is a process
wherein your initial goal would be to reduce the amount of stress in your life until you eventually get rid of
it. The following ideas will help you establish a stress management method that could work for you:

1) Improve your time management skills. Most of your stress in life is a result of your inability to squeeze in
your plans within the time available to you. So, creating your schedule will enable you to achieve more in
less time. When creating your schedule, put the most important items on top of your list.

2) Study the way you react to stress. This requires your honesty to determine whether your own coping
mechanisms are effective or not. If not, then look for other means.

3) Take care of your body. This is often the most neglected aspect of stress management. Get enough rest
and eat well. Your health is the most vital factor in stress management.

4). Change your mind set. Oftentimes, stress is produced only by your mind. So, if that is the case with you,
then adopting a new perspective might reduce your stress levels.
Other Ways to Manage Stress

1) Humor

2) Hobbies

3) Meditation

4) Biofeedback

5) Massage therapy

HR role in Stress Management

HR can help by implementing effective employee wellness programs that help employees manage and
eliminate stress in their work and personal lives. Such initiatives include employee assistance programs
(EAPs), stress management workshops, fitness subsidies or on-site gyms and workplace massage days. Also
of significance are programs designed to save employees time such as corporate cafeterias, on-site amenities
such as dry cleaners, post offices, pharmacies and even employee concierge services.

Strategies to overcome stress management

Work Life Balance Strategy

Establishing work schedules that are compatible with demands and responsibilities outside the job and
offering supportive services can help reduce stress. Here are some key strategies:

1) Flex time:-Allowing workers to start or end the workday earlier or later can reduce work/life stress,
especially for working parents. Flex time can also reduce the stress of commuting in rush hour traffic.

2) Job sharing:-This allows at least two people trained to perform each job, enabling each employee to have
time off without losing productivity.

3) Work from home:-Working from home results in higher morale and job satisfaction and lower employee
stress and turnover, according to an analysis of two-decades of studies involving nearly 13 thousand
employees, conducted by researchers at Pennsylvania State University. The prime reason is that working at
home provides employees more control over how they do their work, according to lead author Ravi S.
Gajendran. Working at home also helps workers better manage work/family demands.
(1.2.5) Coping with Stress at Work place

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. Whilst 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 led to greater occupational stress. Many companies have taken to
consulting experts and professionals on ways to increase connectedness and 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 companies have such measures in place, and some have not gotten it 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 are 3
simple steps to help you with coping with stress in the workplace.

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 to 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 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 diary 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. Whilst it is not always possible to eradicate
them, we can change the way that we cope with it.

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, remove yourself
from it. Go outside and take a walk 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 to 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.

(1.2.6) 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 'fight or flight' 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.

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 reacting 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 palpitation, dizzy
spells, tight muscles or various body aches that something is wrong. It is important to remain attentive to
such symptoms and to 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 such 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 coerced 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 stressaway 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 releases 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, increases the amount and activity of T lymphocytesthe natural
killer cells. Laughter also increases the number of T cells that have suppresser receptors.
What Laughter Can Do Against Stress And Its 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 (studies shows, laughter induces reduction of at least four of neuroendocrine
hormonesepinephrine, cortical, dopac, and growth hormone, associated with stress response).

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 from 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 endorphinsbody's natural painkillers.

Produces a general sense of well-being.

(1.2.7) 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 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-job stress than a generation ago. Evidence also suggests
that stress is the major cause of turnover in organizations.

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 viewpoints 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 ignored, scientific evidence suggests 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 redesign 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 deadlines at least one-fourth of their working time in 1990,
increasing to 56% in 1995 and 60 % in 2000. However, no change was noted in the period 19952000 (data
not collected in 1990) in the percentage of workers reporting sufficient time to complete tasks. A substantial
percentage of 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 hours worked among employed women, an increase in extended work weeks (>40 hours) by
men, and a considerable increase in combined working hours among working couples, particularly couples
with young children.

Signs of Workplace Stress

Mood and sleep disturbances, upset stomach and headache, and disturbed relationships with family; friends
and girlfriends 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 to develop and can be influenced
by many factors other than stress. Nonetheless, evidence is rapidly accumulating to suggest that stress plays
an important role in several types of chronic health problems-especially cardiovascular disease,
musculoskeletal disorders, and psychological disorders.
 Prevention

A combination of organizational change and stress 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 skills.
Clearly define workers' 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 compatible with demands and responsibilities outside the job.
Discrimination inside the workplace. (e.g. nationality and language )

(1.2.8) Reduce your stress

1. Job analysis:-We have all experienced that appalling sense of having far too much work to do and too
little time 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 is Job Analysis. Job Analysis is a key technique for
managing job overload an important source of stress.

To do an excellent job, you need to fully understand what is expected of 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, you can focus on these
activities and minimize work on other tasks as much as possible. This helps you get the greatest return from
the work you do, and keep your workload 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 into 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 stressful. Do not suppress any thoughts. Instead, just let them run their course while you
watch them, and write 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 to 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 in 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 in dealing with 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 enough? If you have 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 that 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 things 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 other 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 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.
 (1.2.9) Employees opinion about how to reduce stress

This project consist of the information about the employees undergoing from stress who working
in the banks. So considering this factor this topic becomes one of the most important part of the project as it
consists of the opinion of the employees who work in the banks. In short it was a direct interview of the
employees who gave their opinion about how to reduce stress. The response of employees in the major
banks of Thane like The HDFC bank was marvelous and they have given their valuable opinion about
reducing stress as a result of the last question included in the questionnaire 2. So the opinion if the
employees were as follows:

Just smile away An employee- HDFC Bank

Just believe in your self and just do what your heart wants An employee- HDFC Bank
-Talking to family members, - Watching TV or listening good music, - Going for a walk or long
drive An employee- HDFC Bank
Believe in God An employee- HDFC Bank
Respect yourself and give time to yourself An employee- HDFC Bank
Working in environment welfares, lot of positive attitude. Positive attitude is only that reduces
stress and achieves success. Most of the people frustrate due to lack of positivity and stress level
climbs up due to that. So get positive attitude about work, about life, and forget the stress An
employee- HDFC Bank
We should do such activities from which we get happiness and also make others happy. Pass your
time with your close friends and relatives. An employee- HDFC Bank
Play and watch cricket An employee- HDFC Bank
Listen music and spend time with family An employee- HDFC Bank
Get adjusted with others, Find and spend time for prayer, Study the scriptures, See oneness in all,
All are manifested of the supreme GOD An employee- HDFC Bank

It is also noticed that in the HDFC bank Thane in the time of afternoon slow instrumental music are been
played so that the employees can work stress free. This is one of the positive things which are seen in the
organization who is caring for their employees. This will help the organization to boost up the productivity.
 CHAPTER
NUMBER-2

Research Methodology
 2. Research Methodology
Research is a common parlance which refers to search for knowledge. It is a procedure of logical and
systematic application of the fundamentals of science to the general and overall questions of a study
and scientific technique, which provide precise tools, specific procedures, and technical rather
philosophical means for getting and ordering the data prior to their logical analysis and manipulating
different type of research designs is available depending upon the nature of research project,
availability of manpower and circumstances.

According to D. Slesinger and M. Stephenson research may be defined as the manipulation of

things, concepts or symbols for the purpose of generalizing to extend, correct or verify knowledge,
whether that knowledge aids in the construction of theory or in the practice of an art. Thus it is
original contribution to the existing stock of knowledge of making for its advancement. In short, the
search of knowledge through objective and systematic method of finding solution to a problem is
research.

(2.1) Research Objective: -

Primary objective
A study of stress and stress management by employees working in HDFC bank.

Secondary objectives
1) To study the various reasons that leads to stress in employees.

2) To determine the overall consequences of stress on their work.

3) To find the effect of stress.

4) To find the relationship between the age of the employees and their stress level.

5) To find out the coping strategy to manage stress.

6) To find the personal coping strategy which is effective to reduce and manage stress.
 (2.2) Scope of the study

The research has been conducted with respect stress management in HDFC banks. The study offers a
valuable opportunity to know about the source of stress consequence of stress among the employees and to
efficiently cope up with stress. Thus performance productivity and profitability of whole organization are
improved. This finding of the present study can be used for further research work.

(2.3) Research Design

A research design is the arrangement of conditions for collection and analysis of data in a manner that aims
to combine relevance to the research purpose with economy in procedure. In fact, the research design is the
conceptual structure within which research is conducted. This research was descriptive in nature.

Descriptive research:

The research undertaken was a descriptive research as it was concerned with specific predictions, with
narration of facts and characteristics concerning stress management.

(2.4) Data Collection Technique

Secondary data:- Secondary data is the data collected from already been use or published
information like journals, diaries, books, etc .In this research project, secondary source used were
various journals, and website of various online journals. Secondary data was collected from other
sources such as Internet, Books and Articles.

Primary data:-Primary data is the data collected for the first time from the source and never have
been used earlier. The data can be collected through interviews, observations and questionnaires. In
this project, an appropriate questionnaire was designed which was filled by the employees of HDFC
Bank to know their opinions regarding the Stress management.
 (2.5)Sampling technique
The following factors have been decided within the scope of sample design:

Universe of study: Universe of the study means all the persons who are the customers of HDFC Bank in
the world.

Theoretical: It covered all the individuals who are the employee of HDFC Bank in the
Vartak nagar, Wagale est, and Vaishali nagar.

Accessible: It covered all the individuals who are the employee of HDFC Bank in the
Vartak nagar, Wagale est, and Vaishali nagar.who are within our reach. In this study accessible
population was employee of HDFC Bank at Vartak nagar, Wagale est, and Vaishali nagar..

Sample Size: A sample of minimum respondents was selected from various areas of Vartak nagar, Wagale
est, and Vaishali nagar. An effort was made to select respondents evenly. The survey was carried out on 50
respondents.

Sample Unit: In this project sampling unit consisted of the various individuals who had working with
HDFC Bank.

Sampling Technique: For the purpose of research convenient sampling technique was used.

Sampling Frame:-It consisted of various sources from where information about the respondent is extracted.
Mainly personal links and employees of HDFC Bank at Vartak nagar, Wagale est, and Vaishali nagar are
used for getting information about the respondents.
 (2.6)Data Analysis
Microsoft excel was used for data analysis. Data transcription from questionnaire to Microsoft excels was
done for analysis. Percentage analysis was applied.

(2.7)Area of the study

The study on stress management was conducted at HDFC bank.

Vartak Nagar, Vaishali nagar, and Wagale 16 no. branch thane west.

(2.8) Time Considerations

Many researchers underestimate the time required to complete a research project. The following
form may be used as an initial checklist 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 time 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 they
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 example, my estimate of goal clarification may be
four hours, but other 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 time 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.
 (2.9) Limitation of the survey

The questionnaires were filled be 50 employees working in the HDFC Bank. So the scope of sample
findings was less.

The questionnaire was filled by 50 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. Some times 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.
 (2.9.1) 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.
 (2.9.2) 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 allowing frequent 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 for completion. 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.
 (2.10) Findings

Majority of employees dont feel Depression as per the analysis. Few employees feel the work load
and only to limited extent.

All employees agree that they get efficient sleep and they face stress only sometimes or never.

Few employees agreed that they feel certain stress symptoms.

Majority of employees manage to indulge themselves into extracurricular activities regularly.

Only minority of staff have no interest in extracurricular activities.

Few employees agree to possess passion for certain activities but they fail to secure time for the
same.

From above findings it can be estimated that there is presence of good work life balance among
employees.

2.11 HYPOTHESIS

1) Stress has negative impact on employee health.

H1- Stress has affect on performance of an employees.

Stress has negative health affect.

2) Some employees have access/means to cope/manage stress, while other do not.

 CHAPTER-3
LITRATURE REVIEW
Review of Literature.

(Marishkumar & Tamilmathi, 2014) on their study Work Stress of the Employees in Life Insurance Industry
revealed that stress is highly personalized phenomenon. It can vary with identical situation with different
reason. His study was based on survey method and empirical nature.

(Devi.T, 2011) Conducted study on stress management in IT companies. The objective of study was to
identify the level of stress among employees of IT companies. The conclusion of study identified that Stress
can make an individual productive and constructive when it is identified and well managed. In times of great
stress or adversity, its always best to keep busy, to plow anger and energy into something positive.

(K.S.Sathyanarayan & Dr.K.Maran, 2011) in study of stress management on IT industry aimed to understand
concept of Job stress and its impact on employees. He concluded that employees faced medium level of
stress and were satisfied with company environment.

(Mankikar, 2014) Carried out a study on Insurance sector Stress Management in Insurance Sector : a
Veracity Check through descriptive research. Her study says that most of the female employees are under
stress. Proper stress management and relaxation can lead to numerous health benefits.

(A, Ogbebor, & A.A.Ojo, 2013) Carried out study on Occupational stress management among nurses in
selected hospital in Benin city, Edo state, Nigeria. The objective of study was to determine type of stress
experienced by nurses in selected hospital. The descriptive survey design was employed to carry out this
study. In conclusion, health care professionals are more susceptible to occupational stress because of intense
daily activity.

(Parilla, 2012) conducted a study on stress experienced by NWU employees. Title of study was Level of
stress experienced by NWU employees: Towards developing a stress management. The primary objective
was to identify level of stress at levels of management. Conclusion of research indicated that Job stress had
significant relationship with job position.
(Shukla & Garg, 2013) Undertook a stress management study on employees of nationalized banks. The
primary objective was to study the causes of stress among employees. Conclusion os study suggested that
most of the employees fear with the fact that lack quality in their work puts stress on them. It is found that
maximum number of employees in banks remains in stress.

(Rao, Mohan, & Pandey, 2014) Conducted a study on Stress management and Performance status of
employees of public and private banks. The objective of study was to analyze study of occupational stress in
public and private banks employees. The study followed descriptive research design. Conclusion of research
indicated the stress levels in both public and private sector bank employees were similar and employees
generally were satisfied with their work cultures and achievements.

(Kulvinskien & Gintar, 2014) carried out a study on work related stress on insurance intermediaries. The
objective of study was to analyze level of stress among insurance intermediaries and effect of stress on
productivity. The research conclusion presented that from the organizational point of view, low career
opportunities and the problems at work can cause a work-related.

(JAYASHREE) In her study Stress Management with special reference to Public sector bank employees in
Chennai concluded that stress in banking sector is mostly due to excess of work pressure and work life
imbalance the organization should support and encourage taking up roles that help them to balance work and
family. The study was explorative as well as descriptive in nature.

(Hellriegel & Slocum, 2004)Stress is the excitement, feeling of anxiety, and/or physical tension that occurs
when the demands placed on an individual are thought to exceed his ability to cope. This most common
view of stress is often called distress or negative stress. The physical or psychological demands from the
environment that cause this condition are called stressors.

(Holmes & Rahe, 1967) defined stress as a stimulus event that presents unusual demands.

(Ganster and Murphy 2000) as a form of strain provoked in response to situational demands labeled
stressors which occur when jobs are simultaneously high in demands and low in control.

(Weihrich and Koontz, 1993)Is an adaptive response, mediated by individual differences and/or
psychological processes, that is, a consequence of any external (environment) action, situation, or event that
places excessive psychological and/or physical demands on a person.

(Leslie & Lloyd, 1977)Stress is the mental or physical condition that results from a perceived threat of
danger (physical or emotional) and the pressure to remove it.
(Weiten, 1986).Stress is any circumstances or transactions with the environment that threaten or are
perceived to threaten our well-being and thereby tax our adaptive capacities.

(Ivancevich, Konopaske and Matteson, 1987) An adaptive response, moderated by individual differences,
that is a consequence of any action, situation, or event and that places special demands on a person.

(Auerbach et al, 2007 / Encarta 2008)Stress (psychology), an unpleasant state of emotional and
physiological arousal that people experience in situations that they perceive as dangerous or threatening to
their well-being. In physics, stress refers to the external force applied to an object for example, a bridge
girder. The response is strain, which is the impact the force has on the girder.

(Selye, 1956) Stress is defined as a nonspecific response of the body to a stimulus or event (stressor).

Under a general model of the stress response, when an individual experiences a stressor, the stressor will
lead to a physiological response, one that can be measured by several indicators, such as elevated heart rate.
In related literature, the term stress is used to refer to this physiological response.

(Holroyd & Lazarus, 1982;Stressors vary in form and can include extreme temperature or lighting, time
pressure, lack of sleep, and exposure to threat or danger, among others. All stressors, however, tend to
produce similar physiological responses within the body. Transactional model of stress championed by
Richard Lazarus and his colleagues

( Lazarus & Folkman, 1984) - A theory that proposes that the experience of stress depends on ones
subjective appraisal of events. Thus, stress is neither a stimulus nor a response but a stimulus-response
transaction. Lazarus emphasizes that the experience of stress is highly personal & subjective, depending on
how people appraise the events they encounter.

From the above definitions of the term stress, stress means different things to different people.

From a laypersons perspective, stress can be described as feeling tense, anxious, or worried. The term stress
itself has been defined in literally hundreds of ways in the literature. Virtually all of the definitions can be
placed into one of the two categories, however; stress can be defined as either a stimulus or a response.

A stimulus definition treats stress as some characteristic or event that may result in a disruptive consequence.
In a response definition, stress is seen partially to some stimulus, called a stressor.

A stressor is a potentially harmful or threatening external event or situation. In a response definition, stress is
the consequence of the interaction between an environmental stimulus (a stressor) and the individuals
response. That is, stress is the result of a unique interaction between stimulus conditions in the environment
and the individuals predisposition to respond in a particular way.

Stress is an amorphous and ambiguous term to explain its meaning. The literature shows a wide range of
thoughts concerning the meaning of stress. Stress can be stimulus based and response based. The stimulus
based is a condition based stress; a person can find conditions like work load, heat, cold, time pressure as a
stressor and the response based stress application holds that stress is caused by the internal responses of any
individual as behavioral, cognitive and effective. The difference is that the response based stress is more of
an individuals own nature (Staal, 2004). Stress has its types; positive stress helps an individual to perform
well and negative stress is associated with constraints (Kavitha., n.d.).

According to McGrath (1976) there are certain conditions that cause stress as; First whenever an
environmental situation is perceived as a demand, second when the perceived demand threatens the persons
capabilities or the resources to cope with it and thirdly due to the perceived importance that a person places
on the demand. His definition provides a concept of stress that is directly linked to an individuals
performance, if a perceived demand exceeds the skills or abilities of an employee it will be a source of
discomfort leading towards stress (McGrath, 1976).

Whenever a demand exceeds the capacity of a person he is said to be in stress and it leads to strain, stress is
a psychological level and strain is physical level. When stress over burdens and becomes distress the person
starts feeling hopeless. This situation reduces a persons efficiency in playing the role assigned to him in
workplace (Kavitha, n.d.). Under the condition of stress a persons attention appears to channel, and reduces
his/her focus on the tasks that are perceived less important and focus centralize on main tasks. The
determinants of main task are the individuals perceived importance that he/she is placing on the task. This
process can lead to either enhanced or reduced performance depending on the situation. Performance level
decreases if some important tasks are left unattended. Workload also tunnels attention (Staal, 2004).

Occupational stress and its impacts on performance

Organizational work can sometimes become a burden on employees if they have to meet deadlines, tackle
confused bosses, overtime working hours, workload, inadequate monetary rewards and personal issues.
These issues are increasing level of stress and decreasing employees performance level (Imtiaz & Ahmed,
2009; Salami et al., 2010). Pressure of avoiding errors at job or to complete tasks in a given limited time
makes employees pressurized and this work load is a factor contributing to stress. Working conditions and
repetitive work also causes stress among employees decreasing Job satisfaction (Kausar et al., 2006). Stress
can also be created when no clear job description is given or lack of understanding among supervisor and
employees, in adequate time for completion of tasks, heavy responsibilities with no authority, no reward
system, lack of opportunities and chance of small errors resulting in serious consequences (Kavitha, n.d.).

Employee performance is also related to an employees job satisfaction. Job satisfaction is the extent to
which an individual is satisfied with the job (Kumari and Pandey, 2011). A happier and satisfied employee
will be more productive. Satisfaction level decreases stress among employees. Work overload causes more
stress among employees in comparison to other factors. Job satisfaction and self-perceived work stress show
the extent to which employees perceive their daily work stressful (Park, 2007). Managers can evaluate the
stress level of employees by considering their job satisfaction and their perception about daily job tasks.

Every organization encounters one or more issues like these and it deeply influences the performance of the
employees and ultimately affecting the organizations productivity. Changes have occurred over the decade,
globalization, technological development and restructuring are a root cause for excessive work demands, and
these demand are creating conflicts among employees family and work life. They arent able to give time to
their family because of workload and overtime. Social problems arise causing a wave of dissatisfaction to
float among employees and they feel less motivated towards their work (Imtiaz and Ahmed, 2009; Salami et
al., 2010). Certain stressors have much more severe effect on an individual, these are role ambiguity, lack of
feedback given for performance, no career development programs and organizational structure and climate
but if social support is present stress can be reduced (Weiss, 1983).
Stress is normal to human behavior a person without stress is considered to be dead. Effective organization
members need to know the level of stress that an employee can bear because if stress is not handled properly
it can result in negative behavior or dissatisfaction at work. Effective management system is required the
managers need to realize the resistance level of the employees so that the potential employees dont get upset
and their overall performance doesnt decrease (Imtiaz and Ahmed, 2009; Salami et al., 2010).

Considerate management will try solving employees problems for retaining them and enhancing their
performance levels. In todays working environment every employee is facing work related stress; many
employees are seen complaining about it. Employees are complaining about their co-workers, job task and
their bosses and its absolutely normal, what is not normal is protracted and prolonged stress. Occupational
stress is a major hurdle towards continuous improvement process in any organization and it is also
increasing cost of health care problems (Wolfe, 2004). Previous study showed 62% of respondents agreed
that authoritative organization system is a source of stress among employees. Employee empowerment is
essential for employees in workplace. Lack of empowerment causes stress and contributes to employee
turnover (Ongori and Agolla, 2008).

Employees suffer from higher level of work-related stress if existences of work-related stress factors are
more in the working environment (Ismail and Hong, 2011). Occupational stress is recognized as an emerging
cause for health issue among employees. The work burden and environment of work job leads to negative
reactions like anxiety, headache or stomach distress (Spector, 2002). Stressful life can have obvious effects
on employee psychological systems and immune system. Stressful life greatly effects employees physical
integrity, creates anxiety, frustration, heart disease, cholesterol or feeling of helplessness (Kemeny, 2003).
Anxiety or frustration is harmful elements for any individual it would make them less interested in job tasks
and their performance level will likely decline.

Work control is also an important factor for satisfaction and increased or decreased performance level. More
an employee has control over their work more satisfied they will be causing fewer health and mental issues.
Work control can be control over any aspect of work; it may be task or authority given to employees or
anything else (Spector, 2002). Work place stress cannot be eliminated completely but can be reduced to
some extent by avoiding as much conflicts as possible, by negotiating with supervisors about work load and
communicating with co workers and resolving conflicts. This will keep employee safe from much of mental
stress and biological diseases caused by stress.
General Principles of Stress by Richard Lazarus

I. Stress may be either physical or psychological: Examples of physical stress include infections,
exposure to excessive heat or cold failure to get adequate sleep, and pain. Examples of psychological
stress include arguing with your spouse, starting a new job, staring at a stack of bills you are unable
to pay, and being lonely.

II. Physical and psychological stress may overlap and interact: although it is convenient to distinguish
between physical and psychological stress, you should not think of these two types of stress as being
altogether independent. They may overlap in that a single event, such as being wounded in combat,
can produce both physical and psychological stress. Furthermore, there is evidence (Friedman, Ader
& Glasgow, 1965) that physical and psychological stressors may function interactively.

III. The appraisal of stress is not necessarily objective: when under threat, people respond emotionally
and seem particularly prone to deviate from objective and rational modes of thought (Folkman,
Schaefer & Lazarus, 1979).

IV. Stress may be self-imposed: we tend to think of stress as something imposed on us from without by
others and their demands. Surprisingly often, however, it would seem appropriate to characterize
stress as self-imposed. For example, you might put pressure on yourself to get good grades or to
climb the corporate ladder rapidly. These overly high expectations often lead to perceptions of failure
and feelings of disappointment.

V. Our response to stress is complex and multidimensional: stress affects us at several levels. It tends
to produce changes in our emotions, our physiology, and our behavior.

VI. The effects of stress may be cumulative or additive: it had long been suspected that stress has
cumulative effects along the lines of the fabled straw that broke the camels back. Recent evidence
(Kanner, Coyne, Schaefer & Lazarus, 1981) that little everyday hassles can add up to damage
ones health appears to confirm that suspicion. For example, you might be experiencing stress of
moderate intensity at home, at school and at work. Coping with each source of stress singly, you
might be able to handle things without great difficulty. But collectively, the stress in these three areas
of your life might be overwhelming. Moreover, it appears that the stressful events do not have to take
place at the same time in order to have additive effects. The evidence suggests that a series of
stressful events, following closely on one another, may also have cumulative effects.
CHAPTER NUMBER- 4
DATA ANALYSIS AND

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

Yes No No response

39 11 0

Yes

No

No response

From the diagram it is clear that 78 % of the employees are satisfied with the performance they give in the
work while 22 % of the employees are not satisfied.
2. Do you think that you are suffering from depression at work?

Yes No No response

07 43 0

100% 86%
80%
60%
40%
14%
20%
0
0%
YES NO NO
RESPONSE

14 % of the employees feel that they are suffering from depression while 86 % of the employee feel that that
they are free from the depression
3. Do you worry about your colleague's opinion about you?

Yes No No response

13 37 0

Yes

No

No response

26% of the employees worry about their colleagues opinion about them while 74% of the employees are not
concern with the opinion about their colleague.
4. Do you discuss your work related problem with your spouse or friend or any other close to you?

Yes No No response

45 5 0

Sales
100% 90%

80%

60%

40%

20% 10%
0%
0%
YES NO NO RESPONSE

90% of the employees of the bank discuss their problem and share their feelings with their spouse
or friends or others while 10 % of the employee is not concerned with it.
5. Do you work more than 8 hours?

Yes No No response

46 4 0

Yes

No

No response

92% of the employees work for more than 8 hours which is the starting point of the stress while 8 % of the
employees dont work for more than 8 hours.
6. Do you feel that you are achieving less than you can?

Yes No No response

20 27 3

60% 54%
50%

40% 40%

30%

20%

10% 6%

0%
YES NO NO RESPONSE

40 % of the employees are proved to be work dedicated and they are ready to miss the important function at
their house while 54 % of the employees said no and 6 % of the employee did not gave any answer.
7. Do you regularly spend time for entertainment?

Yes No No response

29 21 0

Yes

No

No response

58% of the employee spent regular time on entertainment which helps us to remain stress free while 42 % of
the employees dont do that.
8. Is your social life balanced?

Yes No No response

27 20 3

60%
54%
50%
40%
40%

30%

20%

10% 6%

0%
YES NO NO RESPONSE

54 % of the employees find their social life to be balanced while 40 % of the employees dont have their
social life balanced. 6% of the employees remain silent.
9. Do you plan your work before doing?

Yes No No response

44 6 0

Yes

No

No response

It is a good habit to plan the work you do. 88 % of the employees plan their work before doing while
12 % of the employees dont plan their work.
10. Do you fear about the quality of your performance?

Yes No No response

31 19 0

70%
62%
60%
50%
38%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
0%
YES NO NO RESPONSE

62% of the employees fear the quality of performance which they give while 38 % of the employees
dont fear the quality of their work.
11. Are you a heart patient?

Yes No No response

2 48 0

Yes No No response

Here 4 % of the employees are heart patient which is partially the result of stress.
12. Do you get tensed at your non achievement of your target?

Yes No No response

36 14 0

80%
71%
70%
60%
50%
40%
29%
30%
20%
10%
0%
0%
YES NO NO RESPONSE

71% of the employees get tensed at the non achievement of the target while 29 % of the employees work
casually
13. Is there feeling of stress at work times?

Yes No No response

40 9 1

90%
80% 80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
18%
20%
10% 2%
0%
YES NO NO RESPONSE

80% of the employees feel stressed sometimes while 18 % of the employees are not feeling stressed. 2 % of
the employees did not respond.
 14) Is the reason of your stress your work load?

Yes No No response

29 13 8

Yes

No

No response

58% of the employees find themselves to be stressed by their work over load. 26 % of the employees are not
stressed because of the work overload. 16 % of the employees did not answer.
 15) Are you becoming frustrated with parts of your job?

Yes No No response

14 26 10

60%
52%
50%

40%

30% 28%
20%
20%

10%

0%
YES NO NO RESPONSE

28 % of the employees are stressed because of their work problems 52% by other problems while 20% of the
employees did not responded.
 16) Do you get stressed when your boss scolds you?

Yes No No response

14 26 10

Yes

No

No response

20% of the employee did not responded when they were asked weather their get stressed because of the
scolding of their boss. 52% of the employees dont get stress because of the scolding of their boss. 28 % of
the employees get stressed because of the scolding of their boss.
 17) Do you feel that there is more work to do than you practically have the ability to do?

Yes No No response

34 9 7

80%
70% 68%
60%
50%
40%
30%
18%
20% 14%
10%
0%
YES NO NO RESPONSE

68 % of the employees say there is more work at what practically have the ability, while 18 % are not .
And 14% are not gave response.
 18) Do you feel that you do not have time to do many of the things that are important to do a good
quality job?

Yes No No response

39 11 0

100%
90% 88%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30% 22%
20%
10% 0%
0%
YES NO NO RESPONSE

88% employees feel that they dont have time to do good things.
 19) Do you feel that you are in the wrong organization or the wrong profession?

Yes No No response

28 11 11

Yes

No

No response

56% employees feel that they are at wrong work place, while remaining 22% employees not. 22%
employees not gave there opinion.
 20) Do you feel misunderstood or unappreciated by your co-workers?

Yes No No response

25 20 5

60%

50% 50%
40%
40%

30%

20%
10%
10%

0%
YES NO NO RESPONSE

50% employees feel uncomfortable with their co-workers.

CHAPTER NUMBER -5

CONCLUSION-

SUGGETION
 Conclusion

Overall study of level of stress suggests that the organization is functioning in a desirable condition
from viewpoint of employees. But some more work are causes little stress on work.
There is requirement of stress relief programs in this organization.
Few employees who face stress relatively higher than employees can get rid of it by self- stress relief
practices.
Management can help employees facing stress by motivating and encouraging.
 SUGGETION
To management should conduct stress management work shop continuously.
Since the majority of the worker under goes stress.
The management should decrease the burden of workers and should also reduce work pressure
involved in the work.
The line manager should always be in contact with the employees.
The coping strategy proposed by the research should be put in action by the management.
 BIBILIOGRAPHY

o www.google.com

o www.yahoo.com

o Organizational Behavior Stephen P. Robbins

o Self analysis of questionnaire

 4. Appendix

No Questions Yes No

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

2 Do you think that you are suffering from depression?

3 Do you worry about your colleague's opinion about you?

4 Do you discuss your problem with your spouse or friend or any

other close to you?

5 Do you work more than 8 hours?

6 You have an important function at your home and your boss asks to
give a 4 hour over time, what will be your response?

7 Do you regularly spend time for entertainment?

8 Is your social life balanced?

9 Do you plan your work before doing?

10 Do you fear about the quality of your performance?

11 Are you a heart patient?

12 Do you get tensed at your non achievement of your target?

13 Do you feeling stress some times?

14) Is the reason of your stress your work load?

15) Are you becoming frustrated with parts of your job?

16) Do you get stressed when your boss scolds You?

17) Do you feel that there is more work to do then you practically have
the ability to do?

18) Do you feel that you do not have time to do many of the things that
are important to do a good quality job?
19) Do you feel that you are in the wrong organization or the wrong
profession?

20) Do you feel misunderstood or unappreciated by your co-

workers?