AN EMPIRICAL STUDY ON STRESS LEVELS AMONG WORKING WOMEN IN EXPORT ORIENTED UNITS OF TIRUPUR DISTRICT

Man In India, 96 (9) : 3079-3087 © Serials Publications AN EMPIRICAL STUDY ON STRESS LEVELS AMONG WORKING WOMEN IN EXPORT ORIENTED UNITS OF TIRUPUR DISTRICT S. Pratheep1 and A. Dharmaraj2* This study aims to find out the level of stress faced by working women in Export Oriented Units (EOU) of Tirupur district. For this purpose, the nature of work, working environment, occupational challenges, problem relating to motivational factors and job satisfaction are analysed. It has been observed that most of the Export Oriented Units (EOU) have been looking out for women and the entrepreneurs prefer women employees as they can extract maximum work with least pay due to which most of them face stress. It has been found that the various causes of stress, at home, at work and due to physical condition. In order to assess the perception of the workers on the level of stress and to identify the different ways in which the women workers manage stress, 300 sample (i.e.) 5 per cent of the total workers of the women in EOU’s have been selected using simple random sampling techniques. From the inference it is clear that leadership status, punctuality, salary and allowances or incentives. The deficiency of transportation facility creates stress among the women workers in Export Units of Tirupur. Though the women workers faces enormous stress, it has been found that the availability of canteen culture, noise pollution at the work place, high target nature of the sample units and high concentration on work have not created any stress. Keywords: Occupational Stress, Women Employees, Working Environment, Stress Buster, Export Oriented Units INTRODUCTION In Indian social set up working women have got lot of challenges and problems to face because of gender discrimination. An obstacle is created at each stage in working environment due to the gender bias. The traditional system of male superiority or male dominated societal set up causes different hardships to women at their work place. It is an inherent belief that women’s work capability and efficiency is lesser than men. The young female generation has changed the inherent patriarchal structure on women in the society that was becoming prevalent until the end of the 20th century in India. This development is on exposure of women towards earlier male-dominated occupations. In this work, the challenges and issues of women who are in male dominated professions and it highlight the work nature and the working environment of the women in Export Oriented Units. Aside these professional challenges, issues with respect to inspirational factors are analyzed. At last the argument regarding the job satisfaction of women who are working in the export industry is analyzed. 1 2 Ph.D Research Scholar, Department of Management Studies & Research, Karpagam University, Coimbatore – 641 021 Associate Professor, Department of Management Studies & Research, Karpagam University, Coimbatore – 641 021 3080 MAN IN INDIA REVIEW OF RELATED STUDIES Gender role is described as a set of inferred behavioral norms that are associated specifically with males or females in a particular social group or system According to Adler (1991) getting the better performance from the women employees playing the occupational roles depends upon several factors. One among these is with respect to the physical amenities present at the work place. In case the employer is not able to give a sufficient facility, then the work performance quality is certainly to drop down. Kumud (1993) in his book “Women and Modern Occupational in India” has revealed the hardships faced by working women into limelight which is to adjusting with male colleagues. In this study very less number of working women surrounded by preponderant number of males. This platform makes them to feel isolated, absence of communication and irregular co-ordination at the tasks. The issues of over stay at office has also been drawn is due to working after the normal working hours particularly for women leads to several issues, such as conveyance, loneliness and sexual harassment. Another important component of this study is the family adjustment handled by the working women. Focus is thrown by several aspects on the occupation. The trends involved with the work participation of women, commitment towards work, professional ideology and the level of performance of women who are working in male dominated professional fields have also been highlighted. Morse (2001) dispersed about the occupational stress lies among the working women and feministic influence of educated women. The problems related to women such as childcare, less pay, sexual harassment, problems of pregnant women, psychological issues, family life, job satisfaction and felicity of working women. Job related psychological stress for the working women are fear of disapproval, feeling of dependency on male co-workers, need to submerge her own desires, fear of being aggressive, or self – assertive and hence, being labeled unfeminine, fear of failure, etc. K. Umarani (2012) studied on Stress Management among Workers in Garment Industry at Tirupur. The study concluded with majority of workers faced with stressful conditions. Dr. A. Jelince Dhinakar & Ms. S.Mekala (2013) analysed, the knitwear processing units contrast to other sectors with odd working hours and indifferent work culture. Their study examines the employee’s level of stress due to organisational factors among five garment processing units in Tirupur. Data have been analysed with statistical tools such as percentage analysis, weighted average method, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) & Chi-Square tests. The study identified that stress at work due to long working hours, job insecurity, inadequate wages and lack of coordination. Mohsin Aziz (2016) investigated the force of organizational role stress among women professionals in the Indian private IT sector. A sample of 264 investigated A STUDY ON TRAINING AND COMPETENCY... 3081 the level of role stress. Resource shortfall has emerged as the most heady role stressor, followed by role overload and personal shortage. They found level of stress between married and unmarried on several role stressors. Nimisha M and Dharmaraj A (2016) have stated that stress is one of the major health hazards of the modern environment. Individual stress and stressful working conditions have been linked to low productivity, increased rates of accidents on and off the job. Based on the above literature review, factors of stress have been identified and accordingly the data have been collected and analysed CAUSES OF STRESS Following are the causes at home 1) Death of spouse, family member, neighbour or friend, 2) Injury or illness in any of the family member, 3) Marriage of self/son/ daughter/brother/sister, 4) Separation or divorce from spouse, 5) Pregnancy or the birth of a child 6) Children’s behavior or their disobedience, 7) Children’s educational performance and hyperactive children. Causes of Stress at Work : 1) Capable of facing the demands of the work, 2) Relationship with colleagues, 3) Able to have control over the staff, 4) To train the staff and command them to work, 5) Support obtained from the boss, colleagues and juniors and excess of work pressure and Other Reasons for Stress: 1) Fear, either occasional or continuous, 2) Threats: physical threats, threats from society, financial threat, and other kinds of threat, 3) Uncertainty, 4) Sleeplessness, 5) Someone‘s Misunderstanding and the fear of loosing the position in society. All these causes can even rewire brain, leaving the women is more vulnerable that increases anxiety and depression. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Export oriented units have a long history of employing women folks. This is based on the entrepreneurs’ opinion to extract maximum output from them for a least payment. This creates dissatisfaction on their job and leads to stress due to various factors associated with their work. With the concept of globalization, there is a need to the small export oriented units to compete with the international market that has ensued in extracting more output from the workers. This in turn is said to create more stress. Hence, an understanding of the level of stress created in the work place due to the ever changing work environment becomes significant. Therefore this paper takes a modest attempt on the problems associated with the stress in the work place of women. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY Major objectives of this paper are 1. To assess the perception of the workers on the level of stress created by the various stressors, 3082 MAN IN INDIA 2. To identify the different ways in which the women workers manage stress. METHODOLOGY This study presently makes an examination about the different aspects in the problems of women workers in export units located in Tirupur District by using an empirical approach. Data regarding the research have been collected by means of interviewing the women workers from various export units operating in Tirupur district. In order to make the collection of data, convenient sampling method has been employed. This study makes use of 300 selected samples that comprises of five percent out of the total women workforce in the export units in Tirupur district. Weighted average method is adopted for analysis. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS The present world is changing fast and there are lots of pressures and demands at work. These pressures at work lead physical disorders. Stress represents the reaction of an individual to a troubling factor present in the environment. Hence this study would help the organization to know the factors of stress and to reduce the stress of employees. Since it is a well-known fact those healthy employees become a productive employee. TABLE 1: OPINION OF THE SAMPLE WORKING WOMEN RESPONDENTS ON FACTORS ON JOB STRESS (Percentage) Job Stressors 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. Job Role Company Infrastructure Leadership (Task Oriented) Timing of the Job Salary and Allowances Issues Incentive Issues Transport Canteen Facilities Refreshment Facilities Noise Pollution Lack of Participative Management Job Prone to Physical Stress High Target and High Concentration SA MA N MD SD Weighted Average 45.00 27.00 10.00 13.00 50.00 10.00 14.00 21.00 25.00 18.00 16.00 38.00 14.00 32.00 59.00 43.00 67.00 39.00 61.00 30.00 31.00 45.00 15.00 56.00 15.00 10.00 18.00 14.00 47.00 10.00 6.00 24.00 47.00 31.00 7.00 16.00 22.00 23.00 13.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 10.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 13.00 0.00 13.00 46.00 5.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 5.00 5.00 9.00 17.00 23.00 38.00 6.00 11.00 17.00 1.88 1.87 2.37 2.17 1.71 2.29 2.6 2.61 2.51 3.38 2.24 2.44 3.42 SA- Strongly Agree, MA - Moderately Agree, N- Neutral, MD - Moderately Disagree, SD - Strongly Disagree Source: Computed from Primary Data. A STUDY ON TRAINING AND COMPETENCY... 3083 In the case of the stress factors on job role a majority (45 per cent) of the sample women respondents are in strongly agree with the purview that the job role is clear. Another 32 per cent of the sample respondents moderately agree with the view that the job role is clear. While 18 per cent are neutral about the clarity of the job role another five per cent disagree strongly with this view. It is know that the availability of required infrastructure in the company plays an important part as a stressor. As it is seen in the table, the highest, 59 per cent of the sample respondents moderately agree with the view that the company has sufficient infrastructure. While 27 per cent of the women respondents strongly agree with the view on the sufficient infrastructure, there are no sample respondents who viewed either neutral or strongly disagree with the available infrastructure. The leadership status involves controlling the workers in the given units which naturally creates stress. The opinion sought on the nature of stress created due to the leadership status indicated that 47 per cent are neutral in their view that leadership task is a stressor. Another 43 per cent moderately agree to the view that leadership status creates stress. There are no respondents who either moderately disagree or strongly are in disagreement with the view that the leadership status is an important stressor. The timing of the job at least with regard to the women is considered as important stress factor as the women folks have to take care of their household responsibilities also. An attempt made to understand their view on the timing of the job indicates that 67 per cent moderately agree with the view that the timing of the job creates stress to them, 13 per cent strongly agree the same. There are 10 per cent respondents who viewed neutral or moderately agree to the view that timing of the job creates stress to them. With the status of the sample export units in Tirupur as the small scale or tiny units, the uncertainty in the periodical distribution of salary and allowances increases pressure in the household activities. It ultimately leads to stress. The opinion received from the sample respondents on the distribution of salary and allowances indicated that according to 50 per cent of the sample respondents strongly agree with the view that a salary and allowances issue creates stress. Another 39 per cent moderately agree with this view, while six per cent are in neutral. The remaining five per cent strongly disagree to this view. One of the important factors determines the stress in providing incentives. It is an important feature of any industrial units to provide incentives to higher output contribution. Some of the small scale units may not be willing to provide incentives in spite of the workers contribute more output than required. Such an attitude of the small scale entrepreneurs supposed to create stress. An examination the women workers on the issues relating to incentives indicate 61 per cent moderately agree with the view that creates stress, another 24 per cent are neutral, while 10 per cent 3084 MAN IN INDIA strongly agree to view of incentive issues create stress, the remaining five per cent of the sample respondents disagree to this view strongly. With fast urbanization, and the higher household responsibilities of the working women, punctuality to the work place becomes important and availability of transport facilities by the working units reduces the morning stress of working women considerably. An examination of the sample women respondents on the transport facilities indicate that 47 per cent are neutral to the view that transportation problem creates stress, 30 per cent moderately agree to this. While 14 per cent strongly agree to view of transportation creates stress to them, the remaining nine per cent strongly disagree to this view. With the monotonous nature of job relaxation and refreshment is said to reduce the stress considerably and provision of canteen facilities play a pivotal role in reducing the stress. Hence, it is attempted to examine the views of the working women on this factor. As it is seen in the table, 31 per cent of the sample women workers either moderately agree or neutral to the view that availability of canteen facilities reduces stress. Another 21 per cent strongly agree to this view, while the remaining 17 per cent strongly disagree. In the case of refreshment, similarly to the canteen facilities, while 45 per cent moderately agree to the view that provision of refreshment reduces stress, another 25 per cent strongly agree to this view. While 23 per cent strongly disagree, the remaining seven per cent are neutral to this view. In a manufacturing industry like cotton or yarn production, noise pollution is unavoidable and this continuous noise creates stress among the workers and in one stage it deteriorates the health status considerably. Hence, it becomes essential to understand the opinion of the workers on the impact of noise pollution as a creator of stress. As it is seen in the table, out of 300 respondents, 38 per cent strongly disagree that noise pollution creates stress. Another 18 per cent strongly agree to this view, while 16 per cent are neutral. The remaining 15 per moderately agree to the view that noise pollution creates stress. In a work place, decision making by a single worker creates stress and hence, the recent literature on management has identified the concept of participative management. Such a practice in the work place reduces the stress considerably. An attempt to understand the opinion of the workers on the practice of participative management and the resultant stress created to them indicated that 56 per cent moderately agree to the view the lack of participative management creates stress in their work place. Another 22 per cent are neutral to this view, while 16 per cent strongly agree. The remaining six per cent strongly disagree to this view. The nature of job is also an important factor influencing the level of stress. An attempt to understand the stress involved in their work indicates that 38 per cent viewed that their nature of job lies on physical stress. Another 23 per cent of the respondents are neutral to this vie, while 15 per cent moderately disagree to the A STUDY ON TRAINING AND COMPETENCY... 3085 view, another 11 per cent strongly disagree to the view that their nature of job lies with physical stress. With increasing concentration, the industries, particularly, the small scale units attempts to extract the maximum possible output from their workers. This is a long run stress. This statement has been proved in many studies on stress. An attempt made to understand ‘whether their units involve high target and high concentration in work” indicates that 46 per cent moderately disagree to the view that their work involves high target and high concentration. Another 17 per cent strongly disagree to this view, while 14 per cent out of the women workers strongly agree. The remaining ten per cent moderately agree to the view. FINDINGS This study explores different occupational issues and challenges that are experienced by women workers in the export oriented units of Tirupur district. From the analysis it is understood that for a majority of the sample units, as viewed by the sample units, 1) the Job Role is clear. 2) The companies have sufficient infrastructure, 3) The leadership status creates stress. 4) The timing of the job creates stress. 5) The salary, allowances status and the incentives position create stress.6) The lack of transportation creates stress. 7) Availability of canteen facilities reduces stress. 8) Noise pollution at the work place does not create stress. 9) Lack of participative management creates stress. 10) The nature of job lies with physical stress and 11) High target nature of the sample units and high concentration in work does not create any stress. SUGGESTIONS On the basis of the analysed data and the eventual findings made, some suggestions that are given as below: 1) To decrease Musculo-skeletal pain and fatigue, the organization must offer ten minutes of leisure time between the trips. Providing a separate rest room or a freeze out zone where women employees can spend few minutes with their colleagues help to reduce workplace stress. 2) Work schedules have to be flexible which can be implemented by permitting women workers to work at their convenience and strictly avoiding night shifts. 3) As majority of the respondents are married facilities like crèches to be provided. 4) A majority of women respondents had educational level of schooling only. It is a crucial situation; proper or additional education must be given to facilitate the tasks. 5) A majority of the respondents had experience less than five years and hence proper training related to their job must be given to them. 6) The targets must be fixed according to the level of performance of the respondents which does not cause stress. 7) The salary and the incentives should be provided properly on the stipulated date. 8) The Organization must create a smooth competition among the workers; hereby targets can be achieved easily. 9) The management must provide ear muffs to the 3086 MAN IN INDIA workers to prevent them from noise pollution. 10) A majority of the respondents would have chosen Yoga as a stress relief technique, organization must provide proper training on yoga. CONCLUSION The study on the stress level among women workers in Export Oriented Units (EOU’s) of Tirupur district has been carried out in order to understand & evaluate the challenges faced by the working women just because the carry the tag line “you are a lady” In this male dominated society, several problems have been faced by working women. Stress factors clearly states that majority of women employees are prone to both physical and mental stress when compared to male employees. Suggestion states that yoga has been opted as a major stress buster. Managers opt more of women employees in EOU’s as they can extract more work from them with a minimal pay. Of late, the managers have realized that only stress less employees can give a fruitful result to the work allotted. With the help of various stress relief techniques, both every individual employee and the organization will be benefited. References Adler, Taffy, Sleep for Sale: A Study of Shift Work in South Africa. 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