ST.

PAUL UNIVERSITY DUMAGUETE | SPUD Graduate School | Doctor of Business Administration

ACTION RESEARCH

EFFECT OF STRESS ON EMPLOYEE

WORK PERFORMANCE ON
ACADEMIC INSTITUION IN
KABANKALAN CITY

MARIA CORAZON E. MRECADO, DBA

Professor

AVERY JAN M. SILOS, MBA-HTM

DBA Student

AVERY JAN M. SILOS, MBA-HTM | DBA 305 Strategic Human Resource Management | St. Paul University Dumaguete 1
ST. PAUL UNIVERSITY DUMAGUETE | SPUD Graduate School | Doctor of Business Administration

Rationale and Backgrond

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 approaching open warfare between competing
theories and definitions: Views have been passionately held and aggressively defended. What
complicates this is that intuitively we all feel that we know what stress is, as it is something we have all
experienced. A definition should therefore be obvious…except that it is not. 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 or 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.
These effects have rarely been observed in positive situations. The most commonly accepted definition
of stress (mainly attributed to Richard S Lazarus) is that stress is a condition or feeling experienced
when a person perceives that “demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able
to mobilize.” In short, it's what we feel when we think we've lost control of events.
Stress is an adaptive response to a situation that is perceived as challenging or threatening to
person’s well-being (Meshane, 2008).The presence of stress at workplace is also inevitable in many
jobs. However, individual differences account for a wide range of reactions to stress a task viewed as
challenging by one person may produce high levels of anxiety in another. When pressure begins to pile
up, it can cause adverse strain on a person’s emotions through process behaviors and physical
conditions. When stress becomes excessive employees develop various symptoms of stress that can
affect job performance and health, even threaten their ability to cope with environment
(Newstorm,2007).
Stress has been one of the most concerning health issues in the workplace. It is also set to be
the main influence at work performance.in the modern world, as technology becomes ever more
sophisticated and work force takes demanding jobs. Indeed, as a result of such factors as the fear,
redundancy and the increasing competitive, nature of workplace stress related problems now cost
organizations a lot of money every year. However managers do not realize that stress is neither good
nor bad and its effects depends entirely on what employees are trying to achieve (Mullins, 2002).
Stress can either be temporary or long term, either mild or severe. The effects on an employee
depends mostly on how long it’s causes continue, how powerful they are and strong the employee’s
recovery powers are if stress is temporary and mild, most people can handle it or at least recover from
its effects rather quickly. The nature of managerial jobs at most gives managers unavoidable stress. The
opportunities in the organization and threats in the environment either gives a manager chance to
improve the organizations effectiveness jeopardizes an organization success and even survival.
Managers get stress from their job organizations and even their personal lives in the workplace. The
major causes of stress for managers are role conflict and role overload. Role conflict occurs when there
is conflict between expected behaviors. Role overload occurs when managers have too many
responsibilities and activities to perform (Jones, Jennifer & Hill, 1998).
According to Newstorm (2007) stress also leads to physical disorder, because the internal body
system changes to try to cope with stress. Some physical disorder because the internal body system
changes to try to scope with stress. Some physical disorders are short range such as ulcers. Stress over
a prolonged time also leads to degenerative diseases of the heart, kidneys, blood vessels and other
parts of the body. Therefore, it is important that stress both on and off the job be kept at level low
enough for most people to tolerate without developing either emotional or physical disorder.
One of the reasons that occupational stress has been receiving so much attention of late is that
organizations are genuinely beginning to care about employee welfare work. Stress is costing
organizations billions of shillings per year. These costs include salaries for sick days, cost of
hospitalization and outpatient care and cost related decreased productivity. Other stress related
factors are catching up the eyes of organizations leaders. Employees trained over a long period of time
at great cost may breakdown when stressed on the job. They may make poor decisions, miss days of

AVERY JAN M. SILOS, MBA-HTM | DBA 305 Strategic Human Resource Management | St. Paul University Dumaguete 2
ST. PAUL UNIVERSITY DUMAGUETE | SPUD Graduate School | Doctor of Business Administration

work, begin abusing alcohol and other drugs or die and must be replaced by another worker who need
training all of this costly. Having such a great number of employees and students hence make the
institution vulnerable to various challenges such as work overload, inadequate resources i.e. lecture
halls and other work related stressors.

Significance of the study

The information derived may be of benefit to the following individuals in organizations: the
management of the institution if it requires to know the causes of stress and the way it affects their
performance. The study may also help other organizations to know how to manage workplace stress,
how to control stress within their employees and treat stressed employees. Scholars are not left behind as
it may increase their knowledge of cause of stress, effects and the levels of stress at the workplace.

Scope of the study

The research will be conducted in tertiary institutions in Kabnakalan City and it will focus on the
randomly selected workforce. It is meant to determine the workplace stress in the performance of
employee. The study will be concentrated on the cause of vulnerability of employees to stress and
influence on the job performance.

Action Methods
This section describes in detail how the researcher carried out the study, how the study design
was created, the study population, data collection tools, and how data will be analyzed.

Research design
The researcher will use descriptive research. According to Mugenda & Mugenda (1999).
Descriptive is a method of investigation in which data is collected, analyzed in order to describe the
current conditions, terms or relationship concerning a problem. Questionnaires was used; this method
will be preferred because it allows in depth study of case and also gather information from many
people simultaneously.

Target Population
According to Mugenda & Mugenda (1999) target population is the population to which the
researcher wants to generalize the results of the study. The organization target is 68 that constitute
top management, middle, lower management and non-managerial staff.

Table 3.3 Target population

Population Percentage Percentage (%)
Top management 4 5
Middle management 23 29
Lower management 53 66
Total 80 100

Sample size
The researcher will use Krejcies and Morgan table to determine the sample size. The number of
employees in the organization will be listed and sample size will be 52 out of the target population of 68
employees.

Data collection instruments

Data will be collected through a well-designed questionnaire and observation. The questionnaire
will consist of both open ended and closed questions and observation in this method of research
will involve carefully watching the subject under study in order to deduce data for analysis.

Reliability and validity of instrument

Mugenda & Mugenda (1999) defines reliability as the measure of the degree to which the
researcher instrument yields consistence results or data repeated trials. The author also defines validity
as the degree to which results obtained from the analysis of the data actually represent the phenomenon

AVERY JAN M. SILOS, MBA-HTM | DBA 305 Strategic Human Resource Management | St. Paul University Dumaguete 3
ST. PAUL UNIVERSITY DUMAGUETE | SPUD Graduate School | Doctor of Business Administration

under study. To check the validity and reliability, the researcher pre-tested 10 questionnaires that were
administered to the employees of accounts department, because they were not part of the target
population. The questionnaire after pre-testing proved to be valid and reliable.

Data analysis procedure

The data will be collected from the respondents which will then be collected, then coded and
edited later they will be summarized using both qualitative and quantities tools such as frequencies,
percentage and presented using table and graphs.

Discussion
There was 87% of the respondents was returned.104 questionnaires which represented 13% of
the respondents were not returned. From that it can be said the response rate was high. The 62% of the
respondents were male while the remaining 38% of them were female. This shows that majority of the
employees are male.
With regard to length of service that employees have worked in the organization. From the data
most of the respondents had served between 6-10 yrs. Representing 44%.31% had served below 5 years,
18% of them had served between 11-15years and 7% of them had served the organization for over 15
years.
Thus, it shows that 80% of the respondents indicates that were comfortable with their job
security. While only 20% were not comfortable with their job security. From that it can be said majority
of the respondents are very comfortable with their job security. On whether employees have good
relationship in the organization respondents. 91% of the respondents indicated that their workplace
relationship with other employees is good and only 9% of them indicated that they do not have a good
workplace relationship with other employees. When there is good relationship between employees the
productivity of organization was high. It was found out that 62% of the respondents finds that their job
interferes with their family life. 38%of the respondents finds that their job does not interfere with their
family life.
On the other hand, 49%of the total respondents indicated that the conditions of their workplace
are good while 36% of the respondents indicated that workplace conditions is bad while 15% of them
did not respond to the question. The result showed that of employees indicated that they have a
satisfying job compared to minority that they are not satisfied with the current job.
More so, based on the result, most employees indicated that they always felt that they have too
much work to do 51% of them and 33% of the respondents indicated that they sometimes felt that.
Therefor majority of them are having role overload which is one of the main stimuli of occupational
stress. The organization should put strategies to minimize them.
Most of the employees always or sometimes experience that they have little authority to carry
out their responsibilities. This is represented by 86% of the total respondents. Only 14% indicated they
are comfortable with authority given to them. The response on whether situations employees are in
positively or negatively affect their physical or emotional well-being. The effects of situations
employees on physical or emotional. There was 40% of the total respondents sometimes find that
situations they are in positively or negatively affect their physical or emotional well-being. 31% of them
are always affected by the situations 13% said that the situations there are in never affect their physical
or emotional well- being and 16% of the respondents did not respond whether situations affect them or
not.
The Respondents were given seven effects in which they were required to rate experiences when
undergoing stress and the results were as shown below. Experience: Response frequency and
percentages. The respondents indicated that they always experience headache are 73% of them. The
20% indicated that they sometimes experience the same while only 7% does not experience it at all. 64%
of the respondents experienced anxiety always. 20% of the employees sometimes experienced and only
16% does not experience, 31% of the respondents experienced insomnia always and 38% sometimes
experienced the same. While only 31% does not experience insomnia. When situations negatively affect
the physical or emotional well-being of the employees 18% agree that they are absent from work, 42%
indicated that are sometimes absent for their work, 40% indicated that are never absent. 54% of the
respondents agree that they always experienced extreme anger when situation affect them and 29% of
them indicated that they sometimes experienced it, only 18% of the respondents does not experience it.
Some few employees agree that they experienced family conflict and substance abuse only
represented by 11% and 9% respectively. Majority of them indicated that they don’t experience neither
family conflict nor substance abuse. On whether the employees find that the above pressures are

AVERY JAN M. SILOS, MBA-HTM | DBA 305 Strategic Human Resource Management | St. Paul University Dumaguete 4
ST. PAUL UNIVERSITY DUMAGUETE | SPUD Graduate School | Doctor of Business Administration

affecting their job performance the results indicates that majority of the respondents agree that is 60% of
them while only 29% disagree with that. 11% of the employees did not respond to the question.

Recommendation on how to manage workplace stress

The data was collected from open ended questions. According to analysis on the
recommendation on ways of managing workplace stress majority of the respondents suggested that
organizations should provide workplace counseling to employees to curb the effects on employees’
performance. Other ways which the respondents suggested are organizations should create an enabling
environment for employees to fully participate in decision making to minimize stress and minimize
productivity, delegations of authority. Organizations motivating their employees and team spirit, social
reinforcement and encourage communication between departments.
Data analysis and interpretation of questionnaire from the top, middle and lower management
levels employees’ Academic institutions in Kabankalan city, revealed that most employees experienced
workplace stress. Majority of the employees agree that their jobs interfere with their family lives,
conditions at workplace not favorable for them to work in and other employees indicated that they are
not comfortable with their job security. All the above are the causes of workplace stress. From the
findings of the study, it revealed that the major problem that makes employees to be more vulnerable to
workplace stress include: employee feeling that they have to authority to carry out the responsibilities.
Most of the employees indicated that they always have too much work to do within a given time also the
workplace conditions are sometimes unpleasant or unsafe for employees to work in.
The findings on stress and job performance revealed that situations employees are in negatively
affect the physical and emotional well-being of the employees. Most of the employees of indicated that
they experience the following: headache, extreme anger, anxiety, and insomnia because of the situations
they are negatively affecting their physical and emotional well-being. Most employees also agree that
the pressure affect their job performance.

Conclusions
Conclusion
The study focused on effects of workplace stress on employees’ performance in an organization.
From most of the respondents indicated that the major causes of workplace stress in organizations is that
interferes with the employee’s family lives, unfavorable workplace conditions and employees not
comfortable with their job security. The little authority that employee have in carrying out their
responsibilities, too much work to do at a given time and conditions that are unpleasant are unsafe and
make employees to be vulnerable to stress. Most of the respondents experienced extreme anger, anxiety,
headache, and insomnia because the situations they are in negatively affect their physical and emotional
well-being.
Most of the employees agreed that these pressures affect their job performance.
Recommendation on what to be done to the problem of stress, most of them suggested that counseling
should be provided to employees’ involvement and participation of employees in decision making,
delegation of authority and organization should always provide conducive working environment.

References
Cole A.G (2002), Personnel and Human Resource Management, (5th edition).China c/c offset. Daily
Newspaper dated 27th December 2013

DeCenzo and Robins (2003), Personnel and Human Resource Management, (3rd edition).

Gibson Ivancevich Donnelly, (1997), Organizational behavior structure processes (9th edition), Irwin
McGraw- Hill.

Greenberg J.S (2002). Comprehensive Stress Management, (7th edition).McGraw Hill.

Gunow Von A.M and Mcsahne L.S (2001), Organizational Behavior. Essentials, (2nd edition). United
State.

AVERY JAN M. SILOS, MBA-HTM | DBA 305 Strategic Human Resource Management | St. Paul University Dumaguete 5
ST. PAUL UNIVERSITY DUMAGUETE | SPUD Graduate School | Doctor of Business Administration

Lecky, R. (1999). Constructive Appraisal. Thompson Marshall Publishing, London.

Lusthaus, C., (2000); Enhancing Organizational Performance. Vikas Publishing house PVT Ltd, New
Delhi.

Newstrom J.W (2007), Organizational Behavior, (12thedition).

Mullins, J. L. (2002). Management and Organizational Behaviour, Prentice Hall, England

Mugenda and Mugenda A.G (2003), Research methods, quantitative and qualitative approaches, acts
press, Nairobi

Selye H, (1993): History of the stress concept, in L.Goldberger and S.Breznitz,eds ., The hand book of
stress, (2nd edition), The Free Press, New York.

Selye, H (1956) : The Stress of life New York : McGraw-Hill, New York. www.Combank.net

AVERY JAN M. SILOS, MBA-HTM | DBA 305 Strategic Human Resource Management | St. Paul University Dumaguete 6