A STUDY ON OCCUPATIONAL STRESS AND COPING STRATEGIES FOR STRESS

MANAGEMENT OF BROOK TEA INDUSTRY AT OOTY

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Human Resource Management is an art of managing people at work in such a manner
that they give their best to the organization. In simple words human resource management refers
to the quantitative aspects of employees working in an organization.
Human Resource management is also a management function concerned with hiring,
motivating and maintains people in an organization. It focuses on people in organization.
Organizations are not mere bricks, mortar, machineries or inventories. They are people who staff
and manage organizations.
Decisions relating to employees must be integrated. Decision on different aspect of
employees must be consistent with other human resource decisions.
Decision made must influence the effectiveness of organization. Effectiveness of an
organization must result in betterment of services to customers in the form of high-quality
product supplied at reasonable costs.
Human Resource Management is not confined to business establishment only. They are
applicable to non-business organizations, such as education, health care, recreation etc.
The scope of HRM is indeed vast. All major activities in the working life of his or her is
an entry into the organizations until he or she comes under the preview of HRM, specifically the
activities included are HR planning, job analysis and be sign, recruitment and selection,
orientation and placement, training and development, performance appraisal and job evaluation,
employee and executive remuneration, motivation and communication, welfare, safety and
health, industrial relations and the like.
HRM is a broad concept. Personal management and human resource management is a part of
HRM.
Before we define “Human resource Management”, it seems good to fist define heterogeneous in
the sense that they differ in personality, perception, emotions, values, attitudes, motives, and
modes of thoughts. Human Resource Management plays an important role in the development
process of modern economy. In fact it is said that all the development comes from the human
mind.“Human Resource Management is a process of producing development, maintaining and
controlling human resources for effective achievement of organization goals”.
INTRODUCTION OF STRESS
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 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 is
not.
DEFINITION:
Hans Selye was one of the founding Fathers of stress research. His view in 1965 was that
“stress is not necessarily something bad – it all depends on how you take it. The stress of
exhilarating, creating successful work is beneficial, while that of failure, humiliation or infection
is detrimental”.
Selye believed that the biochemical 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 moved on. Stress is now viewed as “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’ have lost control of events.

TYPES OF STRESS:
The types of stress are as follows:
MECHANICAL:
 Stress (physics), the average amount of force exerted per unit area
 Yield stress, the stress at which a material begins to deform plastically.
  Compressive stress, the stress applied to materials resulting in their compaction.
BIOLOGICAL:
 Stress (biological), physiological or psychological stress, some types include:
 Chronic stress, persistent stress which I can lead to illness and mental disorder.
 Eustress, positive stress that can lead to improved long term functioning.
 Workplace stress, stress caused by employment
 MUSIC:
ACCENT (MUSIC)
 Stress (band), an early 80’s melodic rock band from San Diego.
 Stress (punk band, an early 80’s punk rock band form Athens.
 Stress (neo-psychedelic band), from the late 1980’s.
 Stress a song by the French band Justice on their debut album.
OTHERS:
 Stress (game), card game
 Stress (linguistics), phonological use of prominence in language.

Stress (physics), the average amount of force exerted per unit area.
Stress is a measure of the average amount of force exerted per unit area. It is a measure of
the intensity of the total internal forces acting within a body across imaginary internal surfaces,
as a reaction to external applied forces and body forces. It was introduced into the elasticity by
Cauchy around. Stress is a concept that is based on the concept of continuum.
In general, stress is expressed as
σ = F/A
where
σ = the average stress, also called engineering or nominal stress, and
F = Force acting over the area A
CHRONIC STRESS:
Chronic stress is stress that last long time or occurs frequently. Chronic stress is potentially
damaging.
Symptoms of chronic stress can be:
 Upset stomach
  Headache
 Backache
 Insomnia
 Anxiety
 Depression
 Anger
 Most of the severe cases it can lead to panic attacks or a panic disorder.
There is variety of methods 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
individuals with lower levels of magnesium or those who have magnesium deficiency. Chronic
stress can also lead to magnesium deficiency which can be a factor in continued chronic stress
and a whole host of negative medical conditions caused by magnesium 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
author 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 is 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 a field of 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 strength has the strength units (force per unit area),
 usually with negative values to indicate the compaction. However in geotechnical
engineering, compressive strength is represented with positive values.
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 adrenaline production, short term
resistance as a coping mechanism, and exhaustion.
 It refers to 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 rates.
 The term “stress” was first used by the endocrinologist Hans Selye in the year 1930’s to
identify physiological response in laboratory animals. He alter broadened and
popularized the concept to include the perceptions and response of humans trying to
adapt to the challenges of everyday life
 . In Selye’s terminology, “stress “refers to reaction of organism, and “stressor” to the
perceived threat. Eustress, for example, can be adaptive response prompting the
activation of internal resources to meet challenges and achieve goals.
 The term is commonly used by lay persons 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 sever 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 a stressful.

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 fats paced world, it is impossible to live
without stress, whether you are a student or working adult. There is both positive and negative
stress, depending on each individual’s 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 extreme cases, heart
palpitations. Hence some stress may be seen as 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 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 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.
Causes of stress:
What causes stress? There are many different causes of stress, and that which causes
stress is also known 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
economic downturn, or form 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.
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

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 camel’s 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.

ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS
OCCUPATIONAL STRESS:
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the following jobs are
considered more stressful. Certain jobs seem to contain a high amount of in-built stress in the
form of time pressures, too many meeting, difficulties in meeting standards, inter-personal
games etc., especially at higher levels.
According to Parasuraman and Alutto, at lower levels also stress-producing situations
emerge on technical grounds (equipment breakdown) or role frustration (low status, inadequate
supervision).
As rightly pointed out by Robbins, “assembly lines can put pressure on people when
their speed is the more potential stress there is “. Jobs where temperatures, noise levels,
obnoxious or toxic levels are high, dangerous or undesirable can increase anxiety. Overcrowding
could lead to the same results because of frequent interruptions to work.
Role conflict
A Role is nothing but a general set of guidelines indicating how persons holding certain
positions should or ought to behave. For example, top managers are expected to be decisive and
aggressive, while salespersons are expected to be friendly and cheerful. Teachers expected to be
sympathetic and considerate whereas the Principal of a college is expected to be tough and
demanding. These expectations, unfortunately, may cause lot of discomfort and stress to the
parties involved. This is especially true in situations about how he or she should behave. Under
these circumstances, role conflict exists, and the person in question may find himself pulled in
different and incompatible directions. Four type of role conflict May generally come to surface;
Intra sender conflict occurs when one persons asks you to accomplish two objectives that
are in apparent conflict. If your boss asks you to hurry up and finish your work but also decrease
your pay for your mistakes, you would experience this type of conflict.
Inter sender conflict occurs when two or more senders give you incompatible directions.
Your boss may want you to complete a crash project on time, but company policy temporarily
prohibits authorizing overtime payments to clerical assistance.
Inter role conflict results when two different roles you play are in conflict. Your company may
want you to travel 50 percent of the time, while your spouse threatens a divorce if you travel
more than 25 percent of the time.
Person-role conflict occurs when the role that your organization expects you to occupy are in
conflict with your basis values. Your company may ask you to fire substandard performers, but
this could be in conflict with your humanistic values.
Role ambiguity
Role ambiguity occurs when position holders are uncertain about limits of their
authority and that of others, company rules, job security and the methods used to evaluate their
work. Research studies have indicated that the more ambiguity a person reported, the lower the
person’s utilization of intellectual skills, knowledge and leadership skills. It was also found that
role ambiguity was significantly related to low job satisfaction and to feelings of job related
threats to mental physical well being.
Role overload
Imagine for a moment about an executive who is attempting to dictate a letter,
talk on three phones, conducting an interview and writing s report all the same time. There is no
use trying to do too much in too little time. Constant interruptions, changing hats every five
minutes, a constant stream of visitors, a mountain of files and papers to process and a number of
subordinates looking up to his voluble advice and guidance-all increase the quantitative and
qualitative overload. Persons who experience such conditions show clear signs of stress and
report health problem.
Role under load
 At the other extreme, having nothing to do or being asked to do too little in one’s
work can also is quite stressful. Sales people in a store with no customers, standing around all
day with nothing to do could said to experience role under load. Assembly line workers also
generally experience role under load. Rarely do they perform more than one or two tasks day
after day. Ironically, role under load can lead to many of the same problems as role overload;
low self-esteem, increased frequency of nervous symptoms and complaints, increased health
problems. One of the most unfortunate outcomes of role underload is passivity. Workers with
role under load report that they feel both physically and psychologically weary; even when they
are not at work, they do not show much interest in social activity or physical exercise. Two
factors succinctly explain the relationship between under load and stress. Most persons wish to
feel useful and needed. Thus, when they find that they are doing very little and achieving next to
nothing in their jobs, their self-esteem may be threatened. Secondly, people want stimulation.
They do not like the idea of staring blankly into space all the time. They prefer to interact with
the work around them and something worthwhile. No wonder, jobs that demand too little can be
unpleasant, boring and stressful.
Interpersonal relationship
Another source of stress in organizations is poor interpersonal relationship with others, be they
supervisors, coworkers, subordinates or clients. When interpersonal relationship at work is not
pleasant, employees develop a generalized anxiety, a feeling of fear about upcoming meeting and
interactions. Three aspects of interpersonal relationship at work, in particular, have a negative
influence on job stress: amount of contact with people in other department and organizational
climate.
Ineffective communication
Stress can result from a lack of communication or from a lack of the right kind of
communication at the right time. We begin to see the world differently and we tend to interpret
communication efforts differently. For sample, there is nothing more stressful than finding that
you have arrived at an appointment with your boss at the wrong time. You misunderstood the
appointed time, your boss is upset and you are edgy.
Responsibility
Any type of responsibility can be burdensome for some people. Different types of
responsibility function differently as stressors. One way of classifying this variable is in terms of
responsibility for people versus responsibility for things. The more responsibility for people
reported, according to one research study, the more likely the person was to smoke heavily, have
high blood pressure and show higher cholesterol levels. On the contrary, the more responsibility
for things the employee reported, the lower these indicators were.

Job change
Individuals and work undergo constant changes as organizations try to become more
competitive and aggressive in the marketplace. These changes can cause stress for the jobholder.
For example, a bank may computerize its accounting function. As a result, a job that did require
certain decisions and calculations may become merely a data collection and entry position for the
computer. As with most changes, job change entails a certain amount of uncertainty that may
ultimately lead to stress. Change can be especially stressful for individuals afraid of losing their
jobs.
Organization Climate
Employees can also experience stress when they feel that they should get more money for
their work, of if company restrains them from doing things they feel they must do to be effective
in their job.
For example, a manager wishes to assign a few extra duties to an individual for a special
project but union regulations do not permit it. Stress can also result from prohibitive physical
setting such as heat, cold, safety hazards, air pollution, uncomfortable spatial arrangements, shift
work etc, Apart from the physical surroundings, the psychological climate within a company is
also important.
When day-to-day life in an organization is characterized by unfriendly, hostile
exchanges, employees feel the tension all around. They do not trust each other and do not
express their concerns openly. They are unsupportive of each other and spend little time helping
each other with problems. Likewise, if employees are not encouraged to participate actively in
organizational activities, stressful situations may develop.
Employees may feel ‘left out’ and neglected, because they have no opportunity to
influence important events relating to their jobs. Additionally, factors like insufficient authority
pressures toward conformity faulty job designs also produce lot of stress for people working
within a company.

Impact of life change

Traumatic experiences in life (death of a loved one, divorce, loss of family estate etc)
can have significant impact on the psychological well-being of an individual. Research studies
have also indicated the fact that when individuals undergo extremely stressful changes in their
lives, their personal health often does suffer.
TYPE A AND TYPE B PERSONALITIES
Cardiologists Friedman and Rose man. Have identified several personality characteristics
of people who are most prone to stress. Such people, called as Type A personalities, gravitate
toward occupations that encourage heavy work. They are frequently found to be heavy smokers.
They are ambitious, hard driving and set tough targets for themselves. They are willing to
oppose others to get what they want. They take on increasing amounts of work and world at
incredible speed on order to meet deadlines. They are fiercely competitive and would like to win
all the time.
Type B’s, on the other hand, work at a steadier pace. They do not work against the clock.
They set reasonable targets for themselves and do not feel the pressure. They are likely to ‘let
things roll off their backs’ rather than fight every issue. Some of the typical characteristics of
Type B personalities may be stated thus:
The type A could be compared to a racehorse and the B to a turtle. Though the recent studies
question the relationship between type A behavior pattern and stress, it has been generally agreed
that type A’ s are more prone to stress than type B’s.
Externals us. Internals and the belief in external locus of control:
A person’s belief in locus of control is related to susceptibility to job stress.. People with
an internal locus of control feel that their fate is pretty much under their control. Externals look
to outside forces as controlling their fate. They generally feel that events and forces beyond their
control determine their fates. Internals generally describe their jobs as less stressful than
externals. The underlying cognitive mechanism seems to be that if people believe that they can
control potential adverse forces in their job environment, they are less prone to the stressor of
worrying about them.

Other reasons:
In the race to the top, many aspirants who do not make it ultimately, experience feeling of
failure, frustration and resentment. Family responsibilities sometimes clash with organizational
demands. People experience role conflicts because work and family pace overlapping demand
upon their limited time. Excessive rules and regulations could also act as powerful forces of
stress. Young managers with great ideas and ideals often find the organizational environment
too restrictive and overbearing. When they fail to get their ideas or ideals translated into action,
they may experience a great amount of stress.
Consequences of Stress
Stress reveals itself in a number of ways. When constructive stress is experienced, the
result is usually improved job performance which is self-rewarding to an extent’ propelling the
individual to do better in future.
Management of Stress
It is not true that employees do not want any stress at work. As the current research
evidence indicates, employees are energized and motivated by moderate amounts of stress.
What most people want in the workplace is a challenging job assignment followed by moderate
doses of competitive spirit, constructive conflict and zeal to get ahead of others. There is variety
of ways in which individuals cope, or deal with stress at work. Broadly, these could be classified
into two categories: individual coping strategies and organizational coping strategies.
INDIVIDUAL COPING STRATEGIES
Time management
Inability to manage time could create stressful situations on the job quite frequently.
Unfinished work, critical remarks from boss and colleagues, comments from subordinates in
hushed tones, misplaced papers, may all make the life of an executive quite miserable.
Physically inactive individuals have a higher incidence of heart attacks and death than do
active individuals. Exercise, as most of the studies indicate, reduces depression, anxiety and
phobias. When you do the exercise regularly, the day-long tension on the job is given a decent
burial. You focus more on your body than on your mind. It may be useful to recount the
benefits of exercise.
Not surprisingly, many organizations nowadays encourage their executives to be
physically fit and active. Companies like Infosys Technologies, Escorts, NIIT, Tate group
companies have created in-house physical fitness facilities for the benefit of employees.
Meditation and relaxation:
Mind gets the needed relaxation when we engage in a creative hobby like painting,
reading, gardening etc. The wonderful effects of prayer as a relaxation measure have been well
documented in our ancient scriptures. Meditation also helps in putting out nagging thoughts to
rest. Meditation is way of focusing on something in a relaxed state in a serene and quiet
environment. You can focus on muscular relaxation, an image, an object, a symbol, a point or
anything you like. The advocates of Transcendental Meditation have scientifically proved the
beneficial impact of the technique on human brain in recent times. The practice of TM involves
the use of a meaningless sound called a ‘mantra’. A trained instructor individually assigns the
mantra to the mediator; and proper use of the mantra is said to automatically reduce the level of
excitation and disorderly activity of the nervous system and to quiet the mind while maintaining
its alertness. One sits comfortably with closed with closed eyes and repeats the mantra for about
20 minutes twice a day.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback is another popular relaxation technique. This technique uses sophisticated
equipment to observe some of the internal body processes and to report this in observable ways.
The equipment is used to measure skin temperature, muscular tension, heartbeat and blood
pressure. This information is given to the person in the form of sounds, lights or wavy lines on a
graph. When you look at your brain waves or blood pressure, you can begin to control them by
observing the internal and external conditions that caused them to change. Once you are aware
that your internal body responses are in a state of stress, you can begin to make adjustments by
altering the environment your own frame if mind to reduce your anxiety, tension, stress levels etc
An article published in the Hindustan Times, dated 31.1.1998 catalogues other individual coping
strategies thus:
Keep a pet:
 Say your prayers:
  Sing aloud:
 Laughter the elixir
 Sleep right
 Be good at loving
 Spend time with children
 Take a walk
 Make friends
 Enjoy the idiot box
 Cultivate interests
 Dare to dream
ORGANIZATIONAL COPING STRATEGIES
Stress management includes stress prevention also. This is best achieved through certain
organizational coping strategies.
Role clarity
Define employee roles clearly. Employees must have a clear understanding of the job.
They must know what the company expects and be confident that they can meet these
expectations. Stress, most often, occurs when employees are not very sure about their work roles
or fear they cannot do their jobs. When excessive stress is present in a role, management can
initiate steps such as:
 Redefining the person’s role
 Reduce overload by redistributing the work
 Set up procedures to prevent hindrances to work
 Arrange for meeting of all those involved in a messy situation and try to find a way out
 Make the job intrinsically meaningful, challenging and rewarding.
Supportive climate
Factors such as freedom to think and act independently, a certain amount of informality
with key employees, clear communications, participative decision-making, friendly
conversations-all help in reducing stress levels in an organization. If practiced regularly, they
also reveal a supportive organizational climate where everybody is willing to contribute his best
and share the rewards thereafter. There s very little room for disruptive political games, and
conflicts to occur, vitiating the whole atmosphere. A friendly, supportive climate builds trust
and confidence among employees and they will be quite happy to extend a helping hand to
management, whenever required.

Clear career paths

To reduce uncertainly, each employee must be sure of where he is heading for say, after 5
years within the same organization. A clear career path and the job rewards and benefits that
follow committed service would go a long way in preventing or reducing stress levels greatly.
Company-wide programmers
A variety of programmers can be used to manage work stress. These include.
Management can help reduce stress in the work environment by holding team meetings, using
proper management techniques, employing effective communication system, and reducing
uncertainty among employees.
BURNOUT
A phenomenon that is receiving great attention in recent times is the problem of burnout.
Generally speaking- everyone is a potential candidate for burnout. However, the most likely
candidate to face this serious problem is the over-achiever. In the words of Haerbert J.
Freudenberger, burnout is state of fatigue or frustration brought about by devotion to a cause,
way of life or relationship that failed to produce the expected reward. It may be defined as the
total depletion of physical and mental resources caused by excessive striving to reach an
unrealistic work-related goal. In his book, Burn Out, Dr. Freudenberger poses a set of questions
designed to be a self-test to help us find out if we are in danger of burnout. Burnout is frequently
associated with people whose jobs demand close relationships with others under tension-filled
circumstances. The dangerous part of burnout is that it is contagious. A highly cynical and
pessimistic burnout victim can quickly transform an entire group into burnouts. It is, therefore,
important to put out the fires early.

COPING WITH THE STRESS

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. 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 lead
to greater occupational stress. Many companies have taken to consulting experts and
professionals on ways to increase 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 the companies have such measures in place, and some
have not gotten in 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 there are three simple steps to help you
in coping with the stress at work place.
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 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 dairy 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.
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. 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 of 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.
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 ‘flight or fight’ 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 reaching 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 palpitations, dizzy spells tight
muscles or various body aches that something is wrong. It is important to remain attentive to
such symptoms and 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 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 forced 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 stress away 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 release 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; increase the amount of activity of T lymphocytes-the natural killer cells. Laughter
also increases the number of T cells that have suppressor receptors.
Reduces stress hormones.
 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 form 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 endorphins-body’s natural painkillers.
 Produces a general sense of well-being.
REDUCE YOUR STRESS
Job Analysis:-
We have all experienced that appalling sense of having far too much work 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 its Job Analysis. Job Analysis is
a key technique for managing lob overload-an important source of stress. To do excellent job,
you need to fully understand what is expected for 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,
possible.thi helps you get the greatest return from the work you do, and keep your work load
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.
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 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 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 see the most common and the most damaging thoughts.
 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 I 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.

Rational Thinking:
The next step I dealing 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?
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 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 than 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 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 others 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 you should be satisfied. If you perform as well
as our reasonably can, then fair people are likely to respond well. If people are not fair, 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.
Positive Thinking & Opportunity Seeking:
By now, you should already be feeling more positive. The final step is to prepare rational,
positive thoughts and affirmations to counter any remaining negativity. It can also be useful to
look at the situation and see if there are any useful opportunities that are offered by it.
By basing your affirmations on the clear, rational assessments of facts that you made using
Rational Thinking, you can use them to undo the damage that negative thinking may have done
to your self-confidence.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:
To undergo an in-depth study about the stress among the employees BROOK TEA INDUSTRY
AT OOTY
SECONDARY OBJECTIVE:

 To identify the factors causing stress among the employees.

 To find out the level and kind of stress among the employees of different age groups.
 To study about the effects of stress on employees in BROOK TEA INDUSTRY AT
OOTY
 To identify the coping strategies to manage

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

  The present world is fast changing and there are lots of pressures and demands at
work.
 These pressures at work lead to physical disorders. Stress refers to individual’s
reaction to a disturbing factor in the environment.
 Hence this study would help the organization to know the factors of stress and to
reduce the stress in employees
 .Since it is a well known fact that healthy employee is a productive employee.

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

In spite of the precautions, vigilance and scrupulousness taken by the investigator to make the
study objective, it cannot be denied that there are certain limitations.
 The employees were reluctant to give correct information.
 Even though the employees gave correct information during the unstructured interview
conducted, they gave positive answer while answering the questionnaire.
 The investigator intended to cover only few areas of stress relevant to the proposed
study.
 As the study was done within a limited time, investigator could not select a sufficiently
large sample for the study.

IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY:

 It will increase the reliability of the scheduler.
 It helps to restructure the scheduler.
 It identifies the defects in the scheduler.
 It helps to add or remove the questions in the scheduler.

CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
1. Khanaka (2000) stated that management of stress is difficult unless the individual
experiencing stress is not aware of the specific causes or sources of stress. The things or
conditions that can cause stress are called ‘stressors’ or ‘loads’.
2. Briner (2000) has identified in the research on “Stress management: Effectiveness of
interventions”, that seven interventions as stress management techniques. They are stress
management training, employee assistance programmes, job-redesigning, stress audits,
risk management, improvement in health and the establishment of standard management
practices.
3. Christalline (2000) conducted a research on “Stress and the improvement of working
conditions”, in various departments of large French hospital, centre for handicapped
adults and a help centre for unemployed people. The findings of the study indicated that
stress was an integral part of a manager’s work load. Stress could be treated by
organizing and improving the serenity of the person and his /her activities which could be
done through a programme of activity management methods with the advantage of not
necessarily impinging directly on the psychology of individual on the group dynamic.
4. The Economic Times (2001) states that the World Health Organization (WHO) predicts
that by 2020, ‘depression ‘is expected to it has become increasingly important for
organizations to evolve approaches and policies that enhance the health of their
employees and keep the level of occupational stress at its optimum
5. Daga and Hussain (2001) in their study on “A study of social family role stress and
social support among working women”, and found out the effect of social support on
social and family role stress on 300 working Indian women and reported that social
support acts as a buffer against stress
6. Cooper et al. (2001) pointed out in their research on “Organizational stress: A review
and critic of theory, research and applications”, that often organizations mistakenly
assume that stress is not their problem but an individual’s problem. The first step towards
management of organizational stress is the recognition that stress is also an organisational
problem and not merely an individual’s problem. Despite widespread acknowledgement
of the detrimental impact of stress on individuals and as a consequence on organizations,
the amount of attention given by organizations towards understanding the causes of
organizational stress and taking measures to ameliorate stress from work settings has
 been limited. There are many reasons for this lack of action on the part of organizations.
Mainly manager’s beliefs about who is responsible for managing employee’s levels of
strain is always in question.
7. Messmer (2002) had suggested after conducting research on “Avoiding stress and
burnout”, that one cannot eliminate stress at work, but it is possible to learn to cope with
stressful situations more effectively by assessing priorities, effective delegations, positive
outlook, receiving assistance or ‘counseling’ etc.
8. In the study on “Emotional Intelligence and the bottom line stress in the super market”,
Wustemann L. (2002) has stated that the training has increased the levels of morale and
the quality of working life and has marginally lowered the stress levels.
9. The findings of the study conducted by Wah L. (2002) on “The emotional tight rope”
indicated programs to reduce employee stress to include sabbaticals, appointing toxic
healers, or emotional healers, to shoulder the burdens of intra-organizational emotional
stress.
10. Shailendra Singh and Arvind (2002) identified three categories of strategies,namely
strategies which act on the source of stress, strategies which act on the symptomatic
effects of stress and which acts as an escape from the source and effects of stress.
11. Russ Newman (2005) in his research on “Empirical dimensions of coping with job
related stress”, showed that attending to the things that stress an employee’s feelings like
unable to implement decisions or little or no control over their own schedules –goes a
long way in creating an atmosphere that is less stressful, has less absenteeism and allows
greater productivity.
12. Haslam and Reicher (2006) stated in their studies on “Stressing the group: Social
identity and the unfolding dynamics of responses to stress”, that social support has long
been recognized as an effective mechanism for coping with stress. The fact that one’s
network of superiors, co-workers, associates, family and friends can provide valuable
information, resources and emotional support is a well-known truth. It can therefore be
hypothesized that a higher level of social support leads to lower role stress.
13. Shubhasheesh Bhattacharya (2006) in his article pointed out that Repeated stress will
create extra burden for the heart, the blood vessels, and the kidneys. This will cause the
wear and tear of the system. Thus, repeated activation would cause fatigue and may
 damage the heart and other major systems. In recent times, the number of heart related
diseases have gone up. Because of modern life style and stress, many young, middle, and
aged people are affected by heart related diseases. Some of the techniques used for stress
managements are physical exercises, massaging, psychological techniques and regular
practice of meditation etc. which could help one’s body to respond to stress better.
14. Marantz (2006) in his article,”: Stress management, more important than ever”, stated
that common reactions to stress include eating or avoiding food, smoking, pacing,
drinking or having emotional breakdowns. These were often the signs that stress levels
had built to an un-healthy level as per the analysis made in this study. The author
suggested developing positive attitudes, finding a friend or a mentor who would listen to
one’s problems on a regular basis to deal with the stress is a healthier fashion.
15. West (2006) in his study,”Management ;Stress: coping strategies for employers”,
explained that since stress was very often caused by how a person copes in the job, rather
than the job itself; ; it was important to make sure that at the recruitment stage itself, an
individual’s skills are to be tested accurately and made sure if it matches to the demands
of the job. The study suggested training during the course of employment and increasing
the control an employee has over the work might help to reduce stress.
16. Forter et al. (2006) The purpose of the present study is to analyze the roles of direct
action, coping and palliative coping in the relationship between work stressors and
psychological well being as well as their possible interactions, in a sample of 464 bank
employees. Heirar Chital’s regression analysis showed main effects of direct action
coping on well being. Palliative coping predicts higher levels of psychological distress.
Contrary to what was expected, the interactions between work stressors and direct action
coping were not significant. Palliative coping interacted with work stressors when
predicting psychosomatic complaints.
17. The interaction 74 Andrew Maratz U., Mississippi. Editorial: Stress Management More
Important than Ever, (2006). Anna West Management: Stress; coming strategies for
employers (2006).
18. Aldwin and Carolyn (2007) stated in his publication on “Stress, coping and
development”, that primary appraisal is influenced by both person and environmental
factors and triggers the selection of coping processes. problem-focused coping is directed
at managing the problem, while emotion-focused coping processes are directed at
managing the negative emotions. Secondary appraisal refers to the evaluation of the
resources available to cope with the problem and may alter the primary appraisal. In other
words, primary appraisal also includes the perception of how stressful the problem is,
realizing that, one has more than or less than adequate resources to deal with the problem
that affects the appraisal of stressfulness. Further, coping is flexible in that the individual
generally examines the effectiveness of the coping on the situation, if it is not having the
desired effect, then he/she will generally try the different strategies.
19. Talib and Aziz (2008)stated that the detrimental effect of stress on individuals and
organizations is widely recognized. Stress is not only troublesome but also expensive as
well. Therefore, organizations have given enough attention to understand the causes of
organizational stress. Yet comprehensive response to tackle the problem is missing.
There are two aspects for the management of organizational stress. One is the individual
effort of the employee to manage stress at a personal level.
20. VasudhaVenugopal, (2010), an increasing number of IT professionals have been finding
it difficult to handle emotional stress, according to experts. An occupational hazard,' the
stress related to work needs to be addressed without delay, they emphasize. Coping with
stress and striving for mental health welfare should be a matter of concern for all and not
treated simply as a lifestyle problem of the IT phenomenon', says Nithya
Chandrasekaran, a consultant physician for many IT companies in the city.
21. Deshmukh N.H. (2009), Stress and life satisfaction among working and non working
women from similar levels of socio economic status of the society, resulted that there was
no significant difference in physical and family stress among working and non working
women. Role stress was significantly higher among working than non working women.
Life satisfaction was better in working women than non working women.
22. Gillian E. Hardy, David Woods and Toby D. Wall (2003), Psychological distress
particularly depression was found to predict absence, with higher levels of distress
predicting a greater number of days and number of times absent. Job satisfaction and
 psychological distress independently predicted levels of absence. The psychological
distress – absence relationship was not moderated by demographic variables.
23. Michael R. Frone (2008), the relationship of work stressors, those work over load and
job insecurity, to employees alcohol use illicit drug use resulted, support the relation of
work stressors to alcohol and illicit drug use before work, during the workday, and after
work.
24. Shane Schick, (2007), stressed IT professionals who use a balance of problem-focused
coping strategies and emotion-focused coping strategies are most successful in dealing
with the stress of staying perpetually up-to-date.
25. Vijay V. Raghavan, (2010), The effect of flexible work schedule, employee support and
training, and telecommuting as potential coping resources to relieve stress. Perceived
workload, role ambiguity, work facilitation, and decision latitude are potential stressors
of IT professionals. Removing role ambiguity and improving work facilitation reduce
work-related stress and allowing employees to have flexible work schedules ease their
perceptions of workload.
26. SahanaCharan, (2007), High work pressure, long hours in front of the computer and a
fast-paced lifestyle, if these factors team up to weaken your physical health, here is one
more strong reason why they are simply unhealthy: mental health professionals are now
convinced that an increasing number of persons working in the IT and IT-enabled
services sector fall prey to depression, because of the high stress they undergo.
27. Murali Raj, (2009), Depression is usually related to work and stress these people
undergo because of the pressure to perform better, compete with other colleagues and
meet tight deadlines. Most of their work is target-oriented and if targets are not met, it
can lead to anxiety. Peers are not very supportive as they also competing in the same
field. Moreover, insecurity about the job may lead to feelings of expression.
28. Kamala Balu, (2002), most stress management programmes focus attention on the
individual either assisting employees or help them to cope with job-related stressors.
There is more concern in organizations with coping with the consequences of stress
rather than eliminating or reducing the actual stressors themselves. Wide range of stress
reducing programmes for employees rather then interventions to change the nature of
work which would bring a more effective solution for the problem. Employee assistance
 programmes such as counseling and support services for employees have shown a
promising approach of dealing with stress, however their effectiveness is limited.
Training or counselling employees to cope with stress are just short-term solutions but
have long-term benefits for mental health and well-being.
29. Elkin and Rosch (1990) have summarized a wide range of other strategies which are
directed towards increasing worker autonomy, participation and control. These strategies
include: redesigning tasks, redesigning the physical work environment, role definition
and clarification, establishing more flexible work schedules, participative management,
employee-centered career development programmes, providing feedback and social
support for employees and more equitable reward system
30. Anandamurugan (2010) stated in the publication on “Tips for stress management – A
guide to coping with stress – Effective ways to beat stress” that a strong family unit
develops the tools to solve stressors, reducing stress for the entire family. Problems that
pressurize families may be either be individual stressors that are carried over to the whole
family such as school suspension, addiction, mental disorder or physical illness or family
crisis
31. Ranamanikham and Vasanthal (2008) conducted a study on the relationship between
students academic stress and adjustment in relation to their academic achievement. The
findings are – (i) there was a significant positive correlation between academic stress and
academic achievement
32. Naresh Kumar (2008) investigated in a study on the sources of academic stress and their
influence on the scholastic achievement that – (i) the urban students were higher in their
level of stress as compared to the rural area students. (ii) the overall achievement is
positively and significantly associated with the level of scholastic achievement.
33. (Hellriegel & Slocum, 2004) Stress (psychology), an unpleasant state of emotional and
physiological arousal that people experience in situation that they perceive as dangerous
or threatening to their well-being. (Auerbach et al, 2007/Encarta 2008).
34. According to WHO (2011), Stress arise from a wide range of work circumstances and
becomes worse due lack of support, low skill discretions, high job demands and
organizational condition.
35. (Hallin et al.2007.) More recently recognized stressor include workplace bullying,
discrimination in the workplace and sexual harassment. Upstream determination of
psychosocial working condition include the state of the economy and the contractual
arrangements under which workers are employed (Benach et al., 2007; Quinlan & Bhole,
2009), with many recent studies looking at contigent work or precarious employment and
its relationship with working conditions and health (Benach & Muntaner, 2007;
Cranford et al., 2003;
36. Lamontangne et al; 2009; Quinlan et al; 2001 Tompa et al; 2007). Despite many
beneficial health effects of work, jobs with poor psychosocial quality can be more
harmful to health than being unemployed, as a recent Australian study has demonstrated
(Broom et al., 2006) Kreitner, Kinicki & Buelens (1999:503) define stress as, “…..an
adaptive response, mediated by individual characteristics and/or psychological process,
that is consequence of any external action, situation or event that places special physical
and/or psychological demands upon a person”.
37. Cryer, Mccraty & Childre (2003:103) refer to stress as “….two simultaneous events:
an external stimulus called a stressor, and the emotional and physical response to that
stimulus (fear,anxiety,surging heart rate and blood pressure, fast breathing, muscle
tension, and so on) . Good stressors (a ski run, a poerty contest) inspire you achieve”.
Stress also affected the human immune system.
38. Although chronic stress typically produces suppression of a wide range of immune
system parameters, acute stress has been found to stimulate certain aspects of an immune
functioning (McEwen, 2000) . Specifically, acute stress can trigger aspects of an immune
system acute phase response, even in the absence of an infectious agent (Deak,
Meriwether, Flashner, spencers, Abouhamze, Moldawer, Grehn, Watkins, & Maier,
1997).
39. Zohu,Kusnecov,shurin,Depaoli, Rabin,1993) Thus acute phase activation is potentially
another physiological marker of stress that might be useful in human studies. Recent
animal studies have provided evidence for stress-induced impairments in memory
consolidation (Cahill & McGaugh, 1996:
40. Priyanka Das1, Alok Kumar Srivastav (2015) they have identified that banks must
manage people at work to improve physical work environment, If the organizations
 enhance the psychological well-being and health of the employees, the organizational
revenue will increase and there will be employee retention as well. Because of “A
Healthy Employee is a Productive Employee”.

CHAPTER III
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research is defined as human activity based on intellectual application in the investigation of

matter. The primary purpose for applied research is discovering, interpreting, and the
development of methods and systems for the advancement of human knowledge on a wide
variety of scientific matters of our world and the universe. Research can use the scientific
method, but need not do so.

Scientific research relies on the application of the scientific method, a harnessing of curiosity.
This research provides scientific information and theories for the explanation of the nature and
the properties of the world around us. It makes practical applications possible. Scientific research
is funded by public authorities, by charitable organizations and by private groups, including
many companies. Scientific research can be subdivided into different classifications according to
their academic and application disciplines.
Research methodology is a way to systematically solve the research problem. The research
methodology in the present study deals with research design, data collection methods, sampling
methods, survey, analysis and interpretations.

APPROACHES TO RESEARCH
Descriptive approach is one of the most popular approaches these days. In this
approach, a problem is described by the researcher by using questionnaire or schedule. This
approach enables a researcher to explore new areas of investigation.
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.
 A well structured questionnaire is framed.
 Data is collected from the employees in BROOK TEA INDUSTRY AT OOTY
 Findings are made and necessary suggestions and recommendations are given.
DATA SOURCES
There are two types of data collection namely primary data collection and secondary data
collection.
PRIMARY DATA
The primary data is defined as the data, which is collected for the first time and fresh in
nature, and happen to be original in character through field survey.
Primary data collection, you collect the data yourself using methods such as interviews
and questionnaires. The key point here is that the data you collect is unique to you and your
research and, until you publish, no one else has access to it.

There are many methods of collecting primary data and the main methods include:

 Questionnaires
 Interviews
 Focus Group Interviews
 Observation
 Case-Studies
 Diaries
 Critical Incidents
 Portfolios.

SECONDARY DATA
The secondary data are those which have already been collected by someone else and
have been passed through statistical process. The secondary data for this study are already
available in the firm's internal records, annual report, broaches, and company's website.
 In research, Secondary data is collecting and possibly processing data by people other
than the researcher in question. Common sources of secondary data for social science include
censuses, large surveys, and organizational records In sociology primary data is data you have
collected yourself and secondary data is data you have gathered from primary sources to create
new research. In terms of historical research, these two terms have different meanings. A
primary source is a book or set of archival records. A secondary source is a summary of a book
or set of records.
DATA COLLECTION METHOD
The data collection method used in this research is survey method. Here the data are
systematically recorded from the respondents.

RESEARCH TOOL
A structured questionnaire has been prepared to get the relevant information from the
respondents. The questionnaire consists of a variety of questions presented to the respondents for
their despondence. The various types of questions used in this survey are:
 Open ended questions
 Closed ended questions
 Multiple choice questions

SAMPLING-MEANING

Sampling is that part of statistical practice concerned with the selection of individual
observations intended to yield some knowledge about a population of concern, especially for the
purposes of statistical inference. Each observation measures one or more properties (weight,
location, etc.) of an observable entity enumerated to distinguish objects or individuals. Survey
weights often need to be applied to the data to adjust for the sample design. Results from
probability theory and statistical theory are employed to guide practice.

The sampling process comprises several stages:

 Defining the population of concern

 Specifying a sampling frame, a set of items or events possible to measure
  Specifying a sampling method for selecting items or events from the frame
 Determining the sample size
 Implementing the sampling plan
 Sampling and data collecting
 Reviewing the sampling process
AREA OF SURVEY:
The project is being done for a survey was conducted in BROOK TEA INDUSTRY AT
OOTY
SAMPLE UNIT
The employees of BROOK TEA INDUSTRY AT OOTY are the sample unit in the survey.
SAMPLE SIZE
The sample size chosen for this study is 120.
TYPE OF SAMPLING
The sampling type is non-probability which involves deliberating selections of particular
units constituting a sample, which represents the universe.

STRATIFIED SAMPLING:
Stratum means a layer population from which samples are to be selected may
contain a number of layers from each layer a few samples are selected that is why this method is
called stratified sampling.

STATISTICAL METHODS USED

 Percentage analysis
 Bars & charts
 Pie diagrams

STATISTICAL TOOLS USED

 Chi-square test
 Weighted average
PERCENTAGE ANALYSIS:
 Percentage refers to a special kind of ratio. Percentages are used in making
comparison between two or more series of data. Percentage is used to describe relative terms the
distribution of two or more series of data.
No. of Respondents
Percentage of Respondents = ------------------------ X 100
Total Respondents

A STUDY ON OCCUPATIONAL STRESS AND COPING STRATEGIES FOR STRESS

MANAGEMENT OF BROOK TEA INDUSTRY AT OOTY

QUESTIONNAIRES
PERSONAL DETAILS
1. Name
2. Age
a) Below 25
b) 25-30
c) 30-35
d) Above 40
3. Gender
a) Male
b) Female
4. Marital status
a) Married
b) Unmarried
5. Education qualification
a) Diploma
b) Graduate
c) Post graduate
d) Master degree
6. Monthly income
a) Below 30000
b) 30000-40000
c) 40000-50000
d) Above 50000
7. Experience
a) Below 2 years
b) 2-3 years
c) 3-4 years
d) Above 5 year

LEVEL OF STRESS MANAGEMEN

8. Is work culture supportive in your organization?

a) Mostly
b) Rarely
c) Sometimes
d) Not at all

9. How often you face stress situation in your organization.

a) Mostly
b) Rarely
c) Sometimes
d) Not at all

10. Most of your stress is related to:

a) Work environment
b) supervision
c) Workgroup
d) social injustice
11. How do you feel while working in the organization?

a) Great
b) satisfied
c) Unable to concentrate
d) frustrated
e) Depressed

EFFECTIVENESS OF STRESS

12. Adequate knowledge to handle the responsibilities:

a) Strongly agree
b) Agree
c) Neutral
d) Disagree
e) Strongly disagree
13. Not clear on the scope and responsibilities:

a. Strongly agree
b. Agree
c. Neutral
d. Disagree
e. Strongly disagree
14. Not able to use my training and experience
a. Strongly agree
b. Agree
c. Neutral
d. Disagree
e. Strongly disagree
15. Do not get enough resource to be effective?

a) strongly agree
b) Agree
 c) Neutral
d) Disagree
e) Strongly disagree
16. Do not have time and opportunity to prepare myself for the future?
a) strongly agree
b) Agree
c) Neutral
d) Disagree
e) Strongly disagree
PRODUCTIVITY OF STRESS

17. Several aspects of my role are vague and unclear:

a) strongly agree
b) Agree
c) Neutral
d) Disagree
e) Strongly disagree
18. Expectation of my senior conflict with those of my juniors:

a) strongly agree
b) Agree
c) Neutral
d) Disagree
e) Strongly disagree
19. Need more training and preparation to be effective:

a) strongly agree
b) Agree
c) Neutral
d) Disagree
e) Strongly disagree
20. Had more financial for the work assigned to me?
 a) strongly agree
b) Agree
c) Neutral
d) Disagree
e) Strongly disagree
21. Each day of work appears as though it will never end:

a) strongly agree
b) Agree
c) Neutral
d) Disagree
e) Strongly disagree
22. Job pushes me hard to finish on time:

a) Strongly agree
b) Agree
c) Neutral
d) Disagree
e) Strongly disagree
23. I am working too hard.

a. Strongly agree
b. Agree
c. Neutral
d. Disagree
e. Strongly disagree
24. Work area is very stuffy or smelly:

a) Strongly agree
b) Agree
c) Neutral
d) Disagree
e) strongly disagree
WORK CONDITION
25. My present job is interesting and allows me to use my knowledge
a) yes
b) No
c) Sometimes
26. i am clear with my duties & responsibilities
a) Always
b) Often
c) Sometimes
d) Rarely
e) Never
27. I undertake too many tasks at once
a) Always
b) Often
c) Sometimes
d) Rarely
e) Never
28 .i prioritize & plan my work
a) Always
b) Often
c) Sometimes
d) Rarely
e) Never

29. I neglect some tasks due to work overload

a) Always
b) Often
c) Sometimes
d) Rarely
e) Never
30. My targets & deadlines are often unrealistic
 a) Always
b) Often
c) Sometimes
d) Rarely
e) Never

COPING STRATEGIES
31. Have you taken any coping strategies personally to manage
a) Yes
b) No
32. What kind of strategies of the following have you taken?
a) Exercise
b) Meditation
c) Listening music
d) Take a walk
e) Spend time with children
33. Does this organization take any suitable steps to manage stress?
a) Yes
b) No
34. What type of company-wide programs that are/could be adapted to manage stress?
a) Employee counseling
b) Effective training & development program
c) Autonomous work groups
d) Health clubs
e) transport subsidy