Project management report:

Abstract: The health of people in the work place -in all sectors- has been an important
issue for sometime, and there is substantial evidence that the workplace can have an
impact upon employee health – both positive and negative. As a result, the management
of employee well-being has become a priority for all types of organizations. (Arnold et al,
2010 p 433) The degree of competition in the economy has becomes more intense as a
result of the recent recession, therefore no job is stress free. Everyone in the workplace
experiences some kind of stress be it in relation to the job or in relation to the general
work environment. (Swaminathan and Rajkumar 2013) Information Technology has
created a positive impact on the lives of millions across the globe. Today a country’s IT
potential is paramount in its march towards global competitiveness, and is a huge driver
of growth. (IBEF, no date) Stress is an inevitable factor in the life of an employee in the IT
sector. It affects the performance of an employee and detracts the ability of the
employee to contribute to the organization. The effects of stress at work are an
important area of concern among the top management of many business organizations
today. This study analyzes the causes of stress and its impact on absenteeism among IT
employees in Ireland and India. It also examines various coping strategies adopted by IT
employees in Ireland and India. The study also analyzes the impact of stress
management intervention on stress among employees of IT companies in both countries.
The study was conducted among 109 employees working in the IT sector in India and
Ireland using survey in the form of self administered questionnaires and found a) factors
intrinsic to the job b) organizational structure and climate and c) role of the employee in
the organization as the major causes of stress among the IT employees in both countries.
The study also found that more of the respondents did not have any access to stress
management interventions, and that stress did not have any significant impact on
absenteeism.

Keywords: Stress, Occupational Stress, Absenteeism, Coping Strategies, Work-Life

Balance

“Stress is an inescapable reality of most working environments.” (Gladies and Kennedy

2011) “Stress refers to any force that pushes a psychological or physical function beyond
its range of stability, producing a strain within the individual.” (Cartwright and Cooper,
1997 cited in Levy 2010, p 291). “Strains on the other hand are undesirable personal
outcomes resulting from the combined stressful experiences of various life domains.”
(Bhagat et al 1995 cited in Levy 2010, p 291). Stress leads to strains, employees who are
particularly stressed at work can experience sickness, low quality performance,
increased absence and poor communication and many other strains. (Levy, 2010, p 291)
When stressed, an individual feels that his well being is menaced but at the same time
unable to cope with it. (Lazarus and Folkman 1984, cited in Mesko et al 2013 pp 45-47)
Stress has implications for both the individual and the organization. In individuals it has a
negative impact on work performance and from an organizational perspective numerous
working days are lost as a result of stress.(Mesko, 2013 pp 45-47) “Stress in the
workplace occurs when employees try to cope with the duties, responsibilities and other
forms of pressure associated with their jobs, but encounter difficulties, anxiety and worry
in trying to manage them.” (Stranks 2005, cited in Mesko et al 2013 pp 53-45) ”Work
stress is a mental state that can cause behavioural disorders in individuals (Looker and
Greeson, 1994 cited in Mesko et al 2013 pp 53-45).” It is a result of the imbalance
between job requirements and the ability to cope. It is important that business
organizations ensure that its employees develop the ability to control the level of stress.
This can lead to higher levels of productivity in a business organization. (Rojas and
Kleiner, 2000) “With tough economic times already producing considerable stress for
employees in terms of increased workloads and expectations for greater performance,
the physical and mental health of employees is of paramount concern.” (Williams, 2014)
Work stress can occur in all professions, especially in the IT sector as it is competitive,
highly target driven and result oriented; therefore IT employees are greatly pressurized
at work. The highly competitive business environment that exists at present in the IT
sector especially after the recession has further added to the pressures to perform well.
There is always a constant demand to update their technical skills because of the threat
of technical obsolescence and this could result in higher rate of absenteeism, work burn
out, and a desire to change careers. (Uma Devi, 2011)

Aim of this Research

1) To analyze the causes of stress and its impact, if any on productivity and absenteeism
among employees of the IT Sector in India

2) To analyze stress reduction/management techniques being used in IT companies in

both countries.

3) To serve as a possible source for future research on the subject.

Research Questions

1) What do employees in IT companies in India and Ireland today identify as stress in

their life?

2) How do IT employees in both countries currently cope with stress including the
various personal and organizational coping strategies?

3) What effect does a stress management intervention have on employee-stress among

members of a team within the workplace in IT companies in both countries?

Hypotheses:

1) There is stress in the lives of IT employees in India .

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

3) Stress management intervention has an effect on the lives of employees and the way
they deal with stress and which in turn has an impact on productivity and absenteeism

Approach to the dissertation

In the first stage the researcher will do a literature review related to the research topic
and try to attain a clear scope of the problem area. The critical review of the literature
which is done to understand what the research issue will cover: a) The definitions of
stress along with a review of previous studies done on Stress and Absenteeism. b) The
causes of stress among IT employees in India and Ireland and its impact on productivity
and absenteeism. c) Various personal coping strategies adopted by IT employees in
Ireland and India. d) Analysis of stress reduction/management techniques being used in
IT companies in both countries. The second stage of this dissertation includes data
collection and this would be done by adopting a quantitative approach to the research by
distributing self-administered questionnaires to employees of IT companies in India and
Ireland. The data obtained from the filled-in questionnaires would then be analyzed and
then a conclusion would be drawn from the information obtained along with some
recommendations if possible.

“The word “stress” is derived from the Latin word stringere which means to draw tight.”
(Cox 1978, cited in Furnham 2005, p 354). “Occupational stress is a topic that has
generated a tremendous volume of research.” (Beehr 1995 and Jex 1998 cited in Jex and
Brit 2008, p 199)”A great deal of research has focussed on the physical and mental
health of the employee.”(Hoffmann and Terrick, 2003 cited in Jex and Brit 2008, p 199)
Interest in the phenomenon of work-related stress has increased markedly in the last 30
years, as indicated by several reviews of the literature, promoting different approaches
to stress control. (Brief, Schuler and Van Sell 1981; Cooper and Marshall 1976;Kahn
1981:Levi 1981:Moss 1981 cited in Parker and DeCotis 1983 p160). Selye viewed stress
as a non-specific response of the body to any demand made on it. (Furnham 2005, p
355) Individuals manifest stress in many ways, including short-term psychological states
and psychological reactions, long term psychological responses and physical difficulties
and work performance decrements.(Margolis and Kroes 1974, cited in Parker and DeCotis
1983 p164 ) Beehr and Newman (1978 cited in Parker and DeCotis 1983 p160) and
Schuler (1980, cited in Parker and DeCotis 1983 p 160) have identified that job stress
contributes to health-related problems among workers and to organizational problems
such as employee dissatisfaction, alienation, low productivity, absenteeism and turnover.
Parker and DeCotis (1983) are of the view that job stress is a particular individual’s
awareness or feeling of personal dysfunction as a result of perceived conditions or
happenings in the work setting and also suggested the organizational importance of
stress .According to a study conducted by Cox , Griffiths and Gonzalez, (2000) it is clear
that ill health related to stress is a major cause of concern in terms of its impact on both
individual’s lives and the productivity of organizations and countries. According to the
WHO, “Work-related stress is the response people may have when presented with work
demands and pressures that are not matched to their knowledge and abilities and which
challenge their ability to cope. Stress occurs in a wide range of work circumstances but is
often made worse when employees feel they have little support from supervisors and
colleagues, as well as very little control of work processes.” (WHO, no date) Workplace
Stress is a challenge affecting the profits, productivity and overall wellbeing of
employees in most business organizations, including companies in the IT sector today.
Some 16 of the sources of stress—such as downsizing, violence, technology, and
diversity—are a part of the current business environment. (De Frank and Ivancevich,
1998) “Stress has become a major issue for organizations. It is unlikely to move off the
agenda as international competition increases and organizations are faced with tougher
market conditions.” (Arnold et al, 2010 p 491). “A comprehensive framework for studying
work stress was developed by Kahn and Byosiere (1992).Their model presents several
important factors in the stress process including (1) work stressors (task and role
stressors) (2) moderators of the stress process (individual differences, social support)
and (3) consequences of stress (burnout, heart disease). “ (Landy and Conte 2010