Workplace stress and female employees' performance.
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Date
2004
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Abstract
Stress is placed upon anything that is given special emphasis or significance, especially where this leads to, or involves, psychological, emotional and physical strain or tension. A part of it is therefore subjective, in that different reactions are produced in different individuals by the same set of circumstances. Stress is caused by a combined physical and psychological response to stimuli (stressors) that occur or are encountered during the course of living. The study will look at causes of stress and workplace stress and its impact on female employees' performance. Stressors from a general perspective will be identified. Further, workplace stress will be dealt with in detail using the integrated stress framework. The study will also look at effects on employees of negative feedback on self, as for example when a hierarchical superior in the course of an appraisal interview states that performance is unsatisfactory. The study will orientate towards a few questions such as: to what extent are individual well-being and performance similarly affected by stressors of various kinds, and to what extent to their effects appear to be distinct? What are the social and organizational conditions which give rise to the immediate stressors, and what qualities of personality and interpersonal relations mitigate the effects of stress? Creating workplaces that work for women and why the 'bottom-line' benefits workplaces that attract women are important components of this study. Further, organisations that target female consumers or clients is increasingly important as more women are entering the workforce and their spending power and disposable income continues to grow. To ensure a successful market focus on women, employers will want women employees to be a critical component of their organization. However, the mere presence of women in the workplace will not guarantee positive outcomes. What is required is a variety of best practice changes to ensure a work culture in which diversity is valued and effectively leveraged for better performance. A self-administered questionnaire will then be sent out to respondents to get their views on the effects of stress that they have felt in the past 12 months and how they rate their workplaces. Their views will also be sought on performance management issues and how to improve their performance management systems. A holistic approach which incorporates stress management into company health and i safety policies is viewed as the optimal strategy of this study.
Description
Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2004.
Keywords
Employee performance--Women., Stress management--Personnel., Theses--Business administration.