CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Performance is the employee’s ability to produce work or goods and services. Stress are

the leading cause for low performance levels in organisations. The changing world of

work, coupled together with the recent global economic crisis and recession are making

increased demands on workers at local, national, regional and global levels. Stress is a

universal element experienced by employees around the globe. Stress has become major

problem for employer particularly in developing nations where the employer does not

realize the impact of stress on employee performance. It is important to recognize and

address properly job stress because it badly affects the employee’s mental and

physiological health (Agagu, 2016).

As there are so many resources for employees to perform excellent in their jobs but there

are also some factors that hinders in their way. These factors lead to negative employee

performance. Stress at work is seen as one of the major psychosocial risks of work.

Work-related stress is one of the problems confronting employees. It is of great concern

to employees, employers and psychologists, because of its high growing rate in ill-

health, as a result of long working hours of some employees.

Stress manifests in virtually all works of life with particular reference to paid jobs which

is more prevalent among workers in corporate organizations. It is estimated that about

100 million workdays are being lost due to stress and nearly 50% to 75% disease are

1
related to stress. Stress results in high portion of absence and loss of employment. The

ratio of stress in organizations are increasing on an alarming rate which affects both the

employee performance and goal achievements. Undoubtedly, workers in Nigeria have

their own fair share of the phenomenon of stress. From the public to the private sector,

job stress is a universal experience.

Over the past few decades stress is emerging as an increasing problem in organizations.

Stress is vigorous state in which a person is confronted with an opportunity, demand, or

resource related to what the individual wishes and for which the outcome is perceived to

be both vague and vital. Stress is the force, pressure, or tension subjected upon an

individual who resists these forces and attempt to uphold its true state. Stress is an

undesirable response people have to tremendous pressures or other types of demands

placed upon them. It arises when they worry they cannot deal with. Some stress can be

good, and some can be bad. Stress is not the same as pressure (Mosic, 2016).

It is against this backdrop that the researcher intends to assess stress management and

performance of organization. Work overload is having large amount of work which does

not match ones’ strength and available time. Most academic institutions in Nigeria, offer

many programmes which required the services of their limited academic staff which not

the regular convention in the parts of the globe. Overtime is to increase the working

duration of employees above their working hour. Work environment is the physical and

technological conditions present in work places which has significant role to play in

performance of any organization (Beehr, 2016).

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1.2 Statement of the Problem

Organizational stress can have a profound effect on production and motivation in the

workplace. Worries about job security or the demands of a heavy workload increase

stress levels and cause a variety of emotional and physical ailments. Stress causes a

variety of health problems, including high blood pressure, upset stomach, ulcers,

headaches, palpitations, fatigue, sweating, weight changes, diarrhea, nausea, dizziness,

dry mouth, appetite changes, sexual problems, stiff neck, muscle aches and back pain. If

an individual is stressed, he might feel tired all the time, no matter how much he sleeps,

or he might have trouble sleeping at night. Poor emotional health can weaken your

body’s immune system, making you more likely to contract colds and other infections.

These health problems can increase work absenteeism, usage of health insurance and

work-related accidents.

Stress also can affect your ability to perform your job well. Stress can make it difficult to

concentrate on complex problems or issues, and it might affect memory. Stress can make

an individual neglect to complete certain important tasks or forget to perform a key part

of a procedure (Beehr, 2016).

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The main objective of the study is to examine stress management and performance of

public organization. The specific objectives are to:

i. Examine the effect of work over load on employees’ performance.

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 ii. Examine the effect of poor emotional health of workers on employees’

performance.

iii. Examine the effect of work environment on employees’ performance.

1.4 Research Questions

i. Does work over load have effect on employees’ performance?

ii. Does poor emotional health of workers have effect on employees’ performance?

iii. Does work environment have effect on employees’ performance?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

The following hypotheses have been raised in null form for the purpose of this study:

H01: Work over load has no significant effect on employees’ performance.

H02: Poor emotions of workers have no significant effect on employees’ performance.

H03: Work environment has no significant effect on Employees’ performance.

1.6 Significance of study

The study will be beneficial to manufacturing organization, sales and distribution

company, particularly Universal Basic Education Commission. This research work would

provide information to Nigeria Organization on the effect of stress on Employees’

performance. It will also be beneficial to policy makers in that it will show them the

effect of stress on Employees’ performance. The application of the findings of this study

4
is mainly for the design and implementation of most effective strategies for dealing with

job stress in the Nigerian Organization since it cannot be completely eliminated. It is

however hoped that the key ideas in this study can be translated into any workplace and

result in laudable performance. Lecturers, Students and researchers in Human Resources

Management will also benefit from this study. Finally, the research work will add to the

existing literature on stress and employees’ performance and compliment the work and

contribution of other authors.

1.7 Scope of the study

This study examines the effect of stress management on performance of organization

with Universal Basic Education Commission. The study covers the employees of the

Commission and will cover a period of 2019. The Independent Variable for the study is

employees’ performance and the dependent variable is stress management. The present

study employed quantitative research approach to examine the impact of job stress on employee

performance in public service. The study utilized primary source of data with questionnaire

as instrument of data collection.

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 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction

This chapter considers relevant literature which deals with job stress and job satisfaction. The

studies discussed in this chapter represent only a small subset of the studies conducted on job

stress and were chosen to be illustrative rather than comprehensive. The chapter covers the

concept of stress, causes of job stress, measures of stress, concept of performance, measures of

job employee performance, Review of empirical studies and theoretical framework

2.2 Conceptual Framework

2.2.1 The Concept of Stress Management

Job stress has been defined variously in the literature. For instance, Eweniyi (2015) defined job

stress as a combination of stressor and stress reactivity. Salami (2010) defined job stress as the

experience of unpleasant, negative emotions such as tension, anxiety, frustration, anger and

depression resulting from aspects of job and the working environment. Vischer (2017) refers to

job stress as “a mismatch or misfit between the demands of the situation and the resources of the

individual”. Kazmi, (2016) defined stress as the psychological and physical state that results

when the resources of the individual are not sufficient to cope with the demands and pressures of

the situation. Rehman, (2012) described stress as “a condition which happens when one realizes

the pressure on them or requirements of situation are wider than they can handle, and if these

requirements are huge and continue for a long period of time without any interval, mental,

physical or behavioral problems may occur”. Beheshtifar and Nazarian (2013) described stress as

the perception of a discrepancy between environmental demands (stressors) and individual

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capacities to fulfill these demands. As such, it can be said to be subjective in nature, and involves

the employee’s active interpretation of his or her objective circumstances.

According to Irene (2014), job stress is a pattern of reactions that occurs when workers are

presented with work demands that are not matched to their knowledge, skills or abilities, and

which challenge their ability to cope. He explained that these demands may be related to time

pressure or the amount of work (quantitative demands), or may refer to the difficulty of the work

(cognitive demands) or the empathy required (emotional demands), or even to the inability to

show one’s emotions at work. He also noted that demands may also be physical.

Irene (2014) argues that stress occurs in many different circumstances, but is particularly strong

when a person’s ability to control the demands of work is threatened. He further explained that

insecurity about successful performance and fear of negative consequences resulting from

performance failure may evoke powerful negative emotions of anxiety, anger and irritation. He

asserts that these stressful experiences are intensified if no help is available from colleagues or

supervisors at work. Gelsema, et al. (n.d.) opine that the term ‘stress’ is used to describe a

process that incorporates stressors, individual reactions and strain-outcomes. They explained that

a job stressor is an antecedent condition within onesjob or the organization that requires an

adaptive response on the part of the employee. They called the negative reaction to a stressor

“distress” or “strain”.

Aftab and Javeed (2012) explain that work related stress arises as a result of differences between

employee job demands and an employee amount of control over gathering these demands which

can cause a harmful impact on employee physical and emotional responses. Similarly, in

pointing out what actually constitute job stress, Jungwee (2017) notes that one important source

of work stress is job strain. He explained that four work environments can be derived from job

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strain, which is determined by the interactions between psychological demands and decision

latitude, and they include high-strain jobs, active jobs, low-strain (relaxed) jobs, and passive

jobs. He asserted that only workers that engage in high-strain jobs that suffer job stress. Sullivan,

(2010) argues that stress must be defined and assessed from individuals’ viewpoint, and it is

important to understand the nature of convergence or divergence that exists among several

possible operationalization of a stress-related construct.

2.3 Causes of Job Stress in an Organization

Stress reactions or symptoms are a function of certain factors operating within the external

environment. The nature of the interaction between these factors within the external environment

determines the extent of any subsequent stress as well as its prevalence and consequences

(Kazmi, 2016). These factors or antecedents of stress are also referred to as stressors.

Velnampy and Aravinthan, (2013) conducted a study to measure the impact of occupational

stress on organizational commitment and the relationship between stress and commitment using

291 questionnaires gathered from employees in private banks at Northern Province of Sri Lanka.

The result of the correlation analysis indicated that organizational commitment is positively

correlated with the components of occupational stress such as organizational factors, job design,

management practices, career development and social stressors except physical environment.

Based on this result, they urge banks to pay more attention on better provision of loyalty of job,

participation in job and fate of job.

Also, Ziauddin, et al. (2010) investigated the impact of Job Stress on Commitment from a sample

of 151 public and private and public sector employees of oil and gas sector in Pakistan. The

results revealed that stress is positively related to overall organizational commitment. Additional

8
analysis shows that affective and continuous commitment are positively related to job stress but

significant link between normative commitment and Job stress was not found.

Irene (2014) revealed that the causes of job stress have been linked to the work itself, e.g.

increasing demands, less freedom to control one’s work, and also to the person, e.g. insufficient

capacity to cope with time pressures, etc. The view of Irene (2014) was also supported by the

findings of Dolan and Tziner (2015) who investigated the impact of previous experience with

automation implementations on experienced stress associated with different work aspects

following the introduction of computed-based office automation and found that workers without

previous work experience are stressed by work content aspects such as task difficulty and interest

in the task, while workers with prior work experience have greater problems with contextual

aspects such as training and instruction.

Abiodun, (2013), it is evident in the available literature that stressors could be classified into four

main categories as follows:

2.3.1 Extra-Organisational Stressors

Extra-organisational stressors are those factors, which operate outside an organisation that cause

stress. They include factors such as societal changes, technological changes, family issues,

relocation issues, economic and financial conditions, racial and class discrimination and

residential and/or community conditions. These foregoing factors are briefly examined.

Societal changes are the outcome of shifting values, norms, traditions and customs etc. Such

changes tend to vary from one society to the other. Thus, in a culturally conservative country like

Nigeria, such changes would occur at a much slower pace than in a more liberal society such as

the United States of America.

2.3.2 Organisational Stressors

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Organisational stressors are those factors which are associated with the organisation itself that

cause stress. According to Salami, (2010), these include physical conditions in the work

environment ranging from noise, heat, poor lighting etc. The findings of a study by Mbadou &

Mbohwa (2013) revealed that work design in an organization affects the workers’ performance

to a large extent. Brief (2015) contend that an organisation usually comprises groups and

individuals as well as some other macro-level dimensions that are unique to such an

organisation.

Policies are general statements or understandings that establish broad guidelines for decision-

making in organisations. Policies may not necessarily be in writing as they could be implied

from the actions of managers. They ensure that decisions are consistent with organisational

objectives by limiting the area within which they could be made, while encouraging some

amount of discretion and initiative; they should be as consistent and integrated as possible to

facilitate the realisation of an organisation’s objectives. Thus, when an organisation’s policies are

carried out in a manner that could lead to any of the foregoing situations stated in figure 1 viz –

unfair arbitrary performance reviews, pay inequities, inflexible rules, rotating work shifts,

ambiguous procedures, frequent relocations and unrealistic job description, then job stress would

very likely occur (Sabir & Helge 2015, Brief, 2015).

Organisational structures should be designed in a manner that would support the accomplishment

of goals and the making of decisions to implement strategies. Such structures should therefore

embrace, among other things, easily identifiable lines of communication and work-flows, clearly

defined job responsibilities with appropriate divisions of labour and lines of performance, etc.

Thus, where organisation structures are unduly centralised, or where there is lack of participation

in decision-making or little opportunity for advancement or undue formalisation or specialisation

10
or interdependence of departments or line and staff conflicts as stated in figure 1, then there will

likely be cases of job stress (Salleh, 2016, Brief, 2015).

Poor physical conditions in an organisation may lead to job stress (Vischer, 2017). Thus, if

conditions such as those listed in figure 1, viz, crowding and lack of privacy, excessive noise,

heat or cold, presence of toxic chemicals or radiation, air pollution, safety hazards and

inadequate lighting exist in an organisation, then job stress may very likely be experienced by

some members of staff (Zafir, 2017).

2.3.3 Group Stressors

Group stressors are those factors associated with group dynamics that exert much influence on

behaviour and which could be potential sources of stress. Three categorises of group stressor

have been identified in the literature. They are as follows:

Lack of Group Cohesiveness

A cohesive group is a closely knit assembly of people who share a common interest.

Cohesiveness is highly cherished by employees especially those at the lower levels of an

organisation. Thus, where an employee is unable to fraternise and relate closely with a particular

chosen group of employees as a result of the organisations task design or due to the unreceptive

attitude of some of the members, stress may build up (McNally, 2017; Brough & Pears 2014).

Lack of Social Support

The behaviour of an employee in a cohesive group could be greatly influenced by the support

given by other members of the group. Members of a group appear to be better off when they

share their joys and tribulations together (Brough & Pears, 2014). Thus, where an individual is

deprived of such socialising he or she is likely to experience some amount of stress.

Intra-Individual, interpersonal and intergroup conflict

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According to Luthans (2015) “Conflict is normally associated with incompatible or hostile acts

between intra-individual dimensions such as personal goals or motivational needs/values,

between individuals within a group, and between groups”. From Luthan’s perception of conflict

given above, it can be inferred that conflict is closely associated with stress. This point was also

observed in Oke and Dawson (2016) in their research study on Contextualising Workplace

Stress: The Experience of Bank Employees in Nigeria”.

2.3.4 Individual Stressors

Individuals stressors are those factors associated with the individual per se that could cause

stress. The three types of stressors earlier mentioned (i.e extra-organisational, organisational and

group stressors will in one way or the other, eventually comes down to the individual level.

Individual stressors include factors such as conflict, ambiguity, personality dimensions and life

and career changes.

2.4 Strategies for Managing Stress

Stress can be managed in three ways, In the first of these three measures, individuals report the

existence of stressors initially detected through primary appraisal. Such measures, often in the

form of checklists that attempt to catalogue the existence of various stressors, are problematic

because all respondents will not universally regard every check-list item as a stressor, even if

they report its presence. In the same vein, no list of stressors can ever provide a comprehensive

set of workplace stress sources that will be relevant for all persons and situations. Some scale

developers have responded to this issue by sorting stressors into a constrained set of categories.

For example, factor analysis of items in the Job Stress Index (JSI) (Sandman, 2016) revealed

stressor categories such as bureaucratic red tape, time pressure, and incompetent coworkers and

supervisors. This measurement approach can be useful when a particular class of stressor (e.g.,

12
role overload) is the topic of investigation (Rizzo, House & Lirtzman, 1970). When the research

interest lies in the general experience of workplace stress, however, even a combined score from

multiple stressor categories may fail to assess the degree of perceived threat or conflict in the

complete set of stressors felt by the respondent. Scarpello and Campbell (2015) made an

analogous argument about the relationship of facets of job satisfaction to general job satisfaction:

They presented evidence that a typical set of job satisfaction facet scores cannot explain all the

variance in a general measure of job satisfaction.

A second approach to the measurement of work stress addresses responses to stress, including

physiological responses and the symptomatology of stress. In most models of stress (e.g.,

Lazarus & Folkman, 2015), the experience of stress can lead to symptom manifestations often

called strains. Some strains manifest primarily in the psychological domain (e.g., depression),

whereas others manifest in the physiological domain (e.g., ulcers). Checklists of physical strains

(e.g., headaches, poor appetite, nervousness, weakness) are a popular measurement approach

(Moos, Cronkite, Billings, and Finney, 2015). Other well-known measures of this type include

the Cornell Medical Index (Brodman, Erdman, Lorge & Wolff, 1949) and the Maslach Burnout

Inventory (Maslach & Jackson, 2015).

2.5 Concept of Performance

The concept of performance is difficult to define. It is considered to be a construction (Quina &

Rohrbaugh, 2015). More so, performance is a general term been used in all spheres of human

endeavour such as sports, economy, education, organization etc. Most times, the word

“performance” refers either to action (obtaining performance) or event (result) or even used

interchangeably. In the view of some researchers like Niculeseu (2016) and Borgoingnon (2016)

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the term “performance” implies at the same time three interpretations; action, the result of the

action and success.

According to Borgoingnon (2016) performance can be explained through three approaches

which include the skills, knowledge and ability of employees and ensure organizational goals

attainment. Borman and Motowidlo (2016) distinguish between task and conceptual

performance. The task performance refers to an individual’s proficiency with which he or she

perform activities which contribute to the organizations technical cores while contextual

performance refers to activities which do not contributes to the technical core but which support

the organizational, social and physiological environment in which organizational goals are

pursued. To Zalman, (2014), performance is a particular result obtained in management,

economics, marketing, etc. with features of competiveness, efficiency and effectiveness of the

organization and its procedural and structural components. Anthony (1965) gave a general

distinction and well-created distinction of performance namely efficiency and effectiveness.

Efficiency refers to performance in terms of inputs and outputs so that the resulting higher

volume for a given amount of inputs, means greater efficiency. Effectiveness refers to the

performance by the degree to which planned outcomes are achieved.

Performance is a multi-dimensional concept. On the most basic level, Borman & Motowidlo

(2016) distinguish between task and contextual performance. Task performance refers to an

individual’s proficiency with which he or she performs activities which contribute to the

organization’s ‘technical core’. This contribution can be both direct (e.g., in the case of

production workers), or indirect (e.g., in the case of managers or staff personnel).

Contextual performance refers to activities which do not contribute to the technical core but

which support the organizational, social, and psychological environment in which organizational

14
goals are pursued. Contextual performance includes not only behaviors such as helping

coworkers or being a reliable member of the organization, but also making suggestions about

how to improve work procedures. Three basic assumptions are associated with the differentiation

between task and contextual performance (Borman & Motowidlo, 2016).

2.6 Performance Measures

In the last few decades, organizations have renewed their interests in methods for measuring

employees’ performance, organizations productivities programmes and their impact. But today,

performance measurement has gained popularity especially as funders and regulators look for

ways to compare organizations. They are two main forms of measurement prevalent in

organization namely performance measurement and evaluation. Some practitioners use the terms

interchangeably, evaluation measurement uses quantitative to determine whether a programme

achieves its intended results, or outcomes (Plantz, Greenway & Hendricks, 2016), while

performance measurement measures both social impact and organizational performance

(Mckinsey & Company, 2016).

Definitions for performance measurement vary, but practitioners converged on a common

understanding. When measures are integrated into a framework and the purpose is to “track

selected performance measures at regular time intervals so as to assess performance and enhance

organization decision-making, performance and accountability” (Poister, 2015). Light (2017)

suggests that many nonprofits have repeated reformed their management strategies leading to

increased stress and higher staff turnover rates without discernable improvements. However, the

indices used to measure performance differ from one sector to another. In the private sector, one

of the most common ways to determine performance on investment is by comparing financial

information, including profit margin and stock price. On the other hand nonprofits are

15
increasingly looking for similar metrics by which to show stakeholders their relative value

(Blum, 2013; Lampkin & Hatry, 2015; Mclaughlin, 2015; Mechan, Kilmer, & Flangan, 2014). In

a similar way, some Analysts shift attention towards greater accountability as a form of

measurement. For example, the tech market bubble burst in the late 1990’s forced donors to

become more discerning with their money (cunning Ram & Ricks, 2014). Likewise, a series of

scandals involving nonprofit administrators at the united way, American Red Cross and others

led many to question the performance of the sector (Carman, 2015; Cunningham & Ricks 2014;

Strom, 2015).

The main purpose of measures of performance is to determine how training and development

have impacted on employees’ performance and the productivity and profitability of organizations

where performance is poor the organization should design training and development to bridge

the gap but where performance is high it should be sustained and even improved upon. High

performers get rewards within an organization and generally better career opportunities than low

performers (Vanscotter, Motowidlo, & Cross, 2017).

Ristea (2016), associates three concepts with performance efficiency, economics and efficacy.

This approach to performance was named by him as being the equation of the 3Es and

mathematically represents as;

PERFORMANCE = EFFICIENCY + EFFICACY+ ECONOMIES

For organizations to achieve its goal and objectives, these three variables will reflect the

performance level to be attained. Accordingly, efficiency is using a given quantity of resources

to achieve the highest level of results. Economics is providing the means to perform an activity

at the minimum cost. While, efficacy is achieving or exceeding the predetermined results

compared the actual results in an activity. Therefore, performance is the link between human

16
efforts and attainment of organizational goal and objectives. The 3Es leads to performance

achievement and the attainment of organizational objectives (Niculesan & Lavalette, 2015).

Infact, performance is what the organization hires one to do and do well.

Conclusively, all the contributors agreed to the fact that organizations need high performing

employees in order to meet their goals to deliver the products and services and also achieve

competitive advantages. Performance is a major, although not the only prerequisite for future

career development and success.

2.7 Stress and Performance

High levels of stress can impair workers’ performance and result in negative behavioral and

attitudinal work outcomes (Gilboa, Shirom, Fried, & Cooper, 2016). Recent studies have shown

that chronic work pressure conduces a feeling of overconsumption of energy that undermines

wellbeing. It occurs when job-relevant personal resources are constantly exceeded by work

demands (Urien Angulo, & Osca, 2012).

Studies(e.g., Nizam, Osman, Abdullah, Ramlia, and Annuar Lim, 2016 & Noor, 2016) have also

been conducted on the relationship between work stress and turnover intention. In turkey, Elçi,

Karabay & Aksoy (2014), examined the effect of ethical leadership and leadership effectiveness

on employee turnover intention. They used work related stress as a mediator of the relationship

among ethical leadership, leader effectiveness and turnover intention. The result shows that work

related stress has a positive effect on employees’ turnover intention. The study concluded that

the relationship between work stress and turnover intention could not be understood properly.

They recommended for further investigation to be carry out.

In the regression results of Siddiqui and Jamil (2015), it was found that turnover intentions are

influenced by job stress and work environment whereas work overload has not been found as a

17
significant predictor of turnover intentions among employees of Pakistan. The study utilised 200

employees of different educational institutions in Pakistan and recommended that other

researchers should employ larger sample size and a balanced male and female participants. Noor

(2016) examines the antecedents of turnover intentions among marketing executives in Pakistan

using a sample of 248 marketing executives from different organization. The study adopted

correlation research design and found a significant positive relationship between work stress and

turnover intentions. According to him, Work overload has a strong influence on work

exhaustion. The study failed to examine the level of effect that the predictor had on turnover

intention. XHassan and Mara (2014)

explored the factors that influence turnover intention among existing Technical employees as

well as identified the most significant factors influencing the turnover intention. Using a total of

103 respondents was involved in the study. Seven independent variables of organizational

commitment, job stress, job characteristics, promotion opportunities, pay level and rewards,

quality of work life and job satisfaction were examined to determine their relationship with

dependent variable which is turnover intention. Data was obtained and analyzed using Statistical

Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16. The results of the multiple regression analysis

showed that only job stress is found having positive and significant relationship with turnover

intention.

In Iran, Arshadi and Damiri (2013) investigated the relationship of job stress with turnover

intention and job performance, considering the moderating role of organization-based self-

esteem (OBSE). Data collected from 286 employees of Iranian National Drilling Company

(INDC), who were selected by simple random sampling method. Using Pearson correlation and

Moderated regression analysis through SPSS 19 software package, data were analyzed and

18
findings indicated positive relationship between job stress and turnover intention. Chiang and

Chang (2012) compared the levels of stress, depression, and intention to leave among clinical

nurses employed in different medical units in relation to their demographic characteristics under

the National Health Insurance (NHI) System in Taiwan. The study adopted Cross-sectional

design, using Spearman’s correlation, one-way ANOVA with Scheffe post hoc analysis tests,

and multiple regression analyses were conducted. A total of 314 research participants were

surveyed, all of whom came from regional hospitals in Northern Taiwan. The results show that

nurses working in internal and external medical wards, especially the inexperienced and married

ones, experienced greater depression and stress thereby develop stronger intention to leave.

2.8 Long Hours of work and Performance

Working time may influence job performance in a positive manner since shorter working hours

may imply that a worker is less integrated in the organization (Garcia-Serrano, 2017). It is

further notable that long working hours may also increase the desire to change one’s job. An

inverse relationship between the wage rate and the probability of a job change, which has

received the most attention in related literatures, is assumed. However, other job and employer

characteristics such as fringe benefits, flexible working schedules, promotion expectations, firm-

specific training, and firm size have been shown to relate to performance (Zweimuller & Winter,

2016).

In 2014, Sousa-Poza and Henneberger analyzed employee performance in twenty five countries

with data from the 2017 international social survey program. Results revealed that determinants

of performance do vary substantially among countries. Though, job satisfaction, job security, and

organization commitment and stress are significant in most countries. Meanwhile, in several

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psychological framework of performance, the factors such as career commitment, job

commitment, organizational commitment (Cohn, 2015), and job satisfaction are considered to be

the determinants of performance. In another development, the social work study of Freund

(2013) found that social workers’ career commitment had a significant influence on withdrawal

intentions and on thinking of quitting the organization.

Catherine (2016) contend that performance costs include other costs, such as lost productivity,

lost sales, and management’s time, estimate the performance costs of an hourly employee was

over $3,000 each. This clearly demonstrates that performance affects the profitability of the

organization and if it’s not managed properly it would have negative effect on the profit. Studies

estimates indicate that hiring and training a replacement worker for a lost employee costs

approximately 50 percent of the worker’s annual salary (John, 2014) however, the costs do not

stop there. As anytime an employee leaves the firm, it is presumes that productivity drops due to

the learning curve involved in understanding the job and the organization.

Long hours of work according to Robbins and Judge (2013) occurs when the employee is

expected to do more than time permits. Role ambiguity means role expectations are not clearly

understood and the employee is not sure what to do. Individuals who face high situational

constraints (such as fixed work hours or demanding job responsibilities) are also less able to

engage in the proactive coping behaviors that reduce stress levels. When faced with hassles at

work they will not only have higher levels of distress at the time, but they’ll also be less likely to

take steps to eliminate stressors in the future. Although in some ways teachers' role is defined

quite explicitly, that is to teach children well, in other ways with regard to school discipline and

accountability ambiguity arises. Interpersonal demands are pressures created by other employees.

Bennett (2014) noted that Lack of social support from colleagues and poor interpersonal

20
relationships can cause stress, especially among employees with a high social need. A rapidly

growing body of research has also shown that negative co-worker and supervisor behaviors,

including fights, bullying, incivility, racial harassment, and sexual harassment, are especially

strongly related to stress at work. Teachers’ organizational stress may be from their teaching

role, students’ attitude to academics, indiscipline students, parents demand for a better

performance of their wards and ambiguous role of teachers in discharging their functions.

2.9 Work Overload and Performance

Performance can be altered when an employee is having large piles of work in a given targeted

time lie which will result into stress from their work as well as their organization (Mustapha,

2013). An employee is often found to struggle with job characteristics that cause a structural lack

of fit between demands and their individual’s capability to cope with such demands.

Babatunde (2013) Ali, ishtiaq and ahmad (2014) found that workload, rule conflict, and

inadequate monitory are the prime reasons of causing stress in employees that leads to reduced

employee efficiency. Work stress does not only negatively influence the productivity and

creativity of workers, but also their overall health, well-being and morale. (Akinyamayowa &

Kadiri, 2014).

2.10 Work Environment and Performance

Work environment could be seen as the physical, social, psychological and technical conditions

that are found in the work places which impart the job performance of employees. Oyintola,

Abiodun & Ajani (2013) opined that when workers feel their work environment as a comfortable

place to work at, they will surely perform. Afsheen, Zahear, Yousaf & Batool (2012) posited that

21
the reason for this is because there is a sense of pride when your work environment is

comfortable and convenient to work in.

Taiwo (2010) also affirms that, a work environment that is favourable will ensure the wellbeing

of employees as well as enables them to exert themselves to their roles with all energy which

may translate to higher and productive performance. Organazations deemed as a positive place to

work will more likely have a competitive edge since they are in a better position to attract and

retain highly skilled employees’ (Gitahi 2014) which will enhance productive and wellness of

the employees.

Occupational stress has become an important topic for the study of organizational behaviour, and

for effective performance in any organization studies like (Rizwan & Ali, 2010) as well as

Archibong, Bassy & Effiom (2010) observed that since stress can have damaging psychological

and psychological effects on employees, it will affect their health and contribution to

effectiveness of organizations. They further pointed out that, stress is the major source of

employee turnover and absenteeism.

In a study conducted by Jamal (2011) in both multinational Malaysian and Pakistanis corporation

confirmed that there is an inverse relationship between job stress and employees’ performance.

Also, the role of organizational commitment in reducing the negative impact of job stress on

employees

Conductive work place environment ensures the wellbeing of employees as well as enables them

to exert themselves to their roles with all energy that may translate to higher performance

(Taiwo,2010). Hawks of organization departments could be exposed to various stressors on their

22
job these stressors if not managed could retard their productivity there by jeopardizing the

accomplishment of the goals of their institutions (Ajayi).

2.11 Empirical Framework

There are diverse opinions on the impact of stress on job satisfaction. This segment is devoted to

examining some of these views

Al-khasawneh & Futa (2013) examined the relationship between five stressors (the family

factors, the economic factors, job difficulty, Peers’ competition and organizational climate) with

nurses’ performance (Creativity and innovation, the ability in problem solving and decision

making). The population of the study was the nurses working at King Abdullah hospital at Irbid

city in Jordan. A random sample of 120 nurses was selected, by using descriptive statistics and

correlation coefficient. It was found in the study that the family factor is not considered a stressor

according to the sample point of view and there was no relationship between this factor and

nurses’ performance. However, there was a significant positive relationship between the other 4

stressors and performance as follows: organizational climate had the most influence on

performance followed by the economic factors, then Job difficulty and finally peers’

competition. To reduce the negative outcomes of stress, Al-khasawneh & Futa (2013)

recommended fundamental improvements in organizational climate and increase

leaders/managers support.

Arbabisarjou, (2013) investigate the relationship between Job stress and performance among

randomly selected 491 nurses in hospitals in year of 2012-2013 using questionnaire on Job stress

and performance in the survey. Data collected were analysed descriptive and inferential analysis

(Pearson coefficient correlation, regression analysis) and the results showed there was a negative

correlation between Job stress and performance. They submit that stress is necessary for

23
increasing performance of employees but up to a certain level as excessive workloads and time

constraints could reduce their performance.

Mbadou and Mbohwa (2013) studied the effect of work design, which represents an arrangement

in the workplace, on employees’ productivity. They employed qualitative questionnaires,

observations and interviews to employees of Radio Television Marketing, a call centre, with a

focus on identifying design problems and main stressors at work. The study focused on the need

to improve equipment, tools and the health of employees and it was found that work design

influence significantly the productivity of the workers. Mbadou and Mbohwa posit that the

comfort of employees must be one of the primary objectives of an organisation, so that

employees will produce the best and the organisation will make profit.

Kazmi, (2016) conducted a study to investigate the effect of job stress on job performance and

found that there is a negative relationship between job stress and job performance. They further

revealed that lack of resources, work overload and lack of communication and comfort with

supervisor and colleagues contribute to increase stress. McNally (2017) argued that stress is a

normal part of everyday life but it becomes a problem to an individual, and the organization

which he/she works for when it gets out of control. He opines that when a significant number of

the employees of an organization are suffering distress at a very high level, the profitability and

the potential long-term survival of that organisation could be in doubt.

According to Kavanagh (2013), stress can cause reduction in performance by slowing cognition

and individual information processing. He stated that stress can affect an individual’s decision-

making process and ability to make effective judgments. In addition to effects on the individual,

Kavanagh (2013) argues that stress has also been shown to negatively affect group functioning.

He explained that when workers are stressed, they are likely to yield control to their superiors

24
thereby allowing authority to become more concentrated in the upper levels of the hierarchy. He

noted that the negative effect of stress on workers is a long-term phenomenon. Sabir and Helge

(2015) opined that stress can have a detrimental effect on worker performance and subsequently

result in decreasing organizational performance and productivity due to declining employee

relations, morale and absenteeism.

Bemana, (2013) investigate the relationship between job stress and job satisfaction among

randomly selected 200 public municipality personnel from Shiraz area in Iran. They measured

job stress by “Job Stress Questionnaire, JSQ” proposed by Caplan, which includes four

dimensions, namely work load, role conflict, role ambiguity and [4] performance pressure. The

data analyses were carried using descriptive analysis and regression analysis and the results show

there is a significant negative relationship between job stress and job satisfaction.

Aftab and Javeed (2012) investigate the impact of job stress on the counter-productive work

behaviour noting that job stress has a vital importance and has become a key challenge for the

organizations because of its strapping impact on the performance of an individual as well as of

the organization. The data for the study were collected from a sample size of 352 employees

through questionnaire from different banks of Lahore and were analyzed using both inferential

and differential statistical methods. The results of the analyses show that the overall sample used

in the study faces job stress mainly due to excessive workload than normal work, forced to work

more by their supervisors and employers, poor communication, no appreciation received from

management, unfair performance evaluation system, inappropriate working conditions and

inappropriate salaries and rewards. The results of the study also revealed that the job stress

among employees lead them somewhat towards counter-productive work behaviour.

25
Also, Salami (2010) investigates the relationship between job stress and Counterproductive

Work Behaviour and the moderator effect of negative affectivity on the relationship. Data on job

stress, negative affectivity and counterproductive work behaviour were collected from a sample

of 422 secondary school teachers randomly selected from southwest Nigeria using Occupational

Stress Questionnaire and were analysed using hierarchical multiple regression. It was found that

job stress and negative affectivity correlate positively with counterproductive work behaviour,

suggesting that high levels of counterproductive work behaviour occur when job stress and

negative affectivity are both high.

Part of the findings of the research conducted by Wemme and Rosvall (2014) also showed that

poor working conditions (for example, job strain) may affect domestic life noting that poor

working conditions seemed to affect men somewhat more negatively than women.

Salami (2010) assess empirically the impact of job stress on Nigerian Managers’ Performance

among 135 managers who have worked at least 5 years in a managerial position selected using

random sampling technique. The data were collected using structured questionnaire and

hypothesis tested with the Z-score. The results of the analyses revealed that job stress brings

about subjective effects such as fear, anger and anxiety among Nigerian managers resulting in

poor concentration, mental block and poor decision making skills.

Ghavkadehi, (2012) posits that stress or neural pressure is critical in today’s organizations as it

endangers the physical and mental health of workforce. They describe stress as a pest that

destroys organizational activities. Ghavkadehi, investigated the effects of job stress on employee

performance among emergency medicine staff (115) in Guilan, drawing 191 samples selected

through random sampling. Descriptive research method was used while Job Stress Questionnaire

was used for data collection and staff performance based on the Achieve model. Analysis of

26
variance (ANOVA) and Duncan’s test were used to analyse the data. The findings revealed that

job stress has an impact on employee performance. The Duncan test showed that the high

performance level of employees occurs when there is average stress.

Rehman, (2012) examine the impact of job stress on employee job satisfaction using a sample of

150 employees from the private colleges of Pakistan. They measured satisfaction by 20 item

scale short form of 5 item likert scale of Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ), While

Ohio (NOISH) job stress questionnaire was used to measure job satisfaction. Job stress was

measured by workload and physical environment. This study results contradict prior studies that

found that stress is positively related to employee’s job satisfaction. They found that there is

positive relationship between workload and employee satisfaction and there is positive

relationship between physical environment and employee satisfaction.

Kavanagh (2013) also agreed that at certain moderate levels, stress can have positive effects on

job satisfaction and organizational commitment while reducing labour turnover intent and as

such actually improving employees’ performance. Jackson (2013) reviewed researches that

address the link between stress and personal control in work settings and noted that the adoption

of participative management style in an organisation only causes experienced stress which is

beneficial to both the workers and the organisaton.

2.3 Theoretical Framework

The study utilized coping study to underpin the study.The significance of coping as a theory with

respect to job stress and productivity is to maintain the state of balance or equilibrium which

existed before the stressor(s) began to act out contrary to the worker’s capacity to manage the

situation. However, the following theories can also be explain as they relate to the study.

2.3.1 Theory of planned behavior (TPB)

27
TPB posits that individual behavior is driven by behavioral intentions where behavioral

intentions are a function of an individual's attitude toward the behavior, the subjective norms

surrounding the performance of the behavior, and the individual's perception of the ease with

which the behavior can be performed (Ajzen, 2017). Attitude toward the behavior is defined as

the individual's positive or negative feelings about the behavior of interest. This attitude is

determined through an assessment of one's beliefs regarding the consequences arising from a

behavior and an evaluation of the desirability of these consequences. Formally, overall attitude

can be assessed as the sum of the individual consequence x desirability assessments for all

expected consequences of the behavior. Subjective norm is defined as an individual's perception

of whether people important to the individual think the behavior should be performed. Hence,

overall subjective norm can be expressed as the sum of the individual perception x motivation

assessments for all relevant referents. Behavioral control is defined as one's perception of the

difficulty of performing a behavior. TPB views the control that people have over their behavior

as lying on a continuum from behaviors that are easily performed to those requiring considerable

effort, resources, etc.

2.3.2 Person-Environment Fit Theory.

The theory described was initially proposed by French, Rodgers, and Cobb in 1974. It has

several properties which may be of theoretical and empirical value in understanding adjustment

in organizations. Person-environment (P-E) fit theory assumes that stress occurs because of a

misfit between the individual and the environment. Thus, it is neither the person nor the situation

alone which cause stress experiences and strains. There are two types of misfit between an

individual and the environment. The first type refers to the fit between the demands of the

environment and the abilities and competencies of the persons. The second type refers to the fit

28
between the needs of the person and supplies from the environment. The theory bears the popular

notion that organizations and their employees must find common grounds on how well the

characteristics of individual employees (e.g. skill sets, abilities, personality and competencies)

and the environment of the organization (including culture, tasks and job roles) match each other

in mutually beneficial ways

2.3.3 Coping Theory

Organisms resist change and react to external challenges by mounting up responses that maintain

their equilibrium. There are equivalents at many levels: at the cellular level, maintaining

homeostasis is the role of the immune system; at the organ level the endocrine and limbic

systems are involved; at the psychological and behavioral levels various coping processes are

involved, while at the social level norms and social sanctions maintain order.

Coping may be defined as thoughts or actions designed to resolve or mitigate a problematic

situation. Coping is not a fixed attribute, but is the dynamic capacity to apply suitable methods to

control, avoid or prevent distress. It is also a process that involves appraisal and reaction: we do

not use identical responses in every situation. Coping refers to the management of responses, not

mastery over stimuli (Ottawwa-Citizen, 2012). It normally refers to managing unusual demands

that tax, even exceed, a person's resources; we do not generally speak of coping with making our

bed or brushing our teeth. Within the context of this study, the concern of the researcher lies in

how far and how well the use of coping strategies may protect the person, explaining the

mismatch between stressful circumstances and the resulting level of distress a person feels. In

one form or another, the concept of coping has been with us for a long time, though it began to

come into its own formally during the 1960s and 1970s, along with the burgeoning interest in

stress. If we think of coping as a generic concept that includes ego-defenses, which deal with

29
threats to one's psychological integrity, then the psychoanalytic interest in defense was clearly its

forerunner.

Psychologists hold on to the claim that individuals respond to stress differently. The theory of

Coping as developed by Lazarus (2013) is one of such theories. Lazarus sees coping from two

perspectives namely: style (which perceives of coping as a personality characteristics) and

process (which concerns efforts to manage stress that change overtime and are shaped by the

adaptation context out of which it is generated.

Lazarus postulated that coping may be seen in the form of hierarchical approach derived from

the psychoanalytic formulation. Some defenses are said to be healthier or less regressed than

others— presumably as a result of stress or trauma. For example, Haan (2013) cited in Lazarus

(2013) proposed a tripartite hierarchy with coping as the healthiest and developmentally

advanced process of adaptation, defense as a neurotic process, and ego-failure as the most

severely regressed and perhaps psychotic adaptive process. Lazarus further added that

hierarchical, developmental approaches tended to spawn trait measures of coping, such as the

contrast between repression (avoidance or denial in some versions)—sensitization (vigilance,

isolation, or intellectualization in some versions).

However, in the late 1970s, a major new development in coping theory occurred in which the

hierarchical view of coping with its traits or style emphasis was abandoned in favor of a

contrasting approach, which treated coping as a process. From a process perspective, coping

changes over time and in accordance with the situational contexts in which it occurs. A hierarchy

of coping strategies based on preconceived notions about their inherent health or pathology runs

the danger of confounding process and outcome.

30
The study use coping theory to underpin the study. The significance of coping theory is that it

explains stress and productivity and maintain the state of balance or equilibrium which existed

before the stressor(s) began to act out contrary to the worker’s capacity to manage the situation.

Undoubtedly, there is immense variety in the coping responses of individuals: indeed, one of our

endearing characteristics is our ability to invent bizarre and even self-destructive coping

techniques.

31
 CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction

This chapter describes the techniques and procedures used by the researcher in

conducting the study and collecting the data for the study. It comprises of the research

design, the sources and methods of data collection, sample of the study and the technique

of data analysis.

3.2 Research Design

This study used survey research design. A survey study is a research which studies large

and small population (or universe) by selecting and studying samples chosen from the

population to cover the entire population.

3.3 Population of the Study

The population of study consists of the staff of Universal Basic Education Commission,

Abuja. The rationale behind restricting the population to the staff of Universal Basic

Education Commission, Abuja is that they are in position to give their opinion on the

topic of the study. The population of this research work is one hundred and seven (107).

3.4 Sample size and Sampling Technique

Sample size refers to the element that has been selected to represent to entire population,

but it possesses most characteristics of the population. For the purpose of this study, the

researcher Yamane sample size formula.

Using Yamane (1967) sample size formula as follows:

32
The formula: n =___N_______
1+N (e)2

n = sample size

N = Population size

e = level of precision

n = N/1+N(e)2

n= ?

N = 135

e= 5%= 0.05%

n =___135____
1+135(0.05)2

n =___135____
1.3375

=101

The sample size is therefore 101 after applying the above formula.

3.5 Data Collection

Data collection techniques allow us to systematically collect information about our objects of

study (people, objects, phenomena) and about the settings in which they occur. In the

33
collection of data, we have to be systematic. If data are collected haphazardly, it will be

difficult to answer our research questions in a conclusive way (Nnamdi, 2009).

Questionnaire is the main instrument used to collect information for this study from the

primary source. It is a formal list of questions designed to gather responses from

respondents about a given problem. This is done by respondents filling or answering the

questions; this method is very important as it allows time for thought and avoids any

embarrassment in answering questions of personal nature and such answers would be more

reliable. The questions are mainly close – ended questions.

Taking into cognizance the nature and objective of the study, the study used primary source

of data collection. Under the primary source of data questionnaire was used. The

questionnaire was structured and also open ended in order to be objective and allow the

respondents to provide information that are not covered. Data obtained through these means

assures originality and eschew subjectivity.

3.6 Techniques of Data Analysis

Regression analysis was conducted for this study to verify the influence of independent

variables (work overload, poor emotional health and work environment) and the dependent

variable (employees’ performance).

Regression analysis helps one understand how the typical value of the dependent variable

(employee performance) changes when any one of the independent variables is varied, while

the other independent variables are held fixed. In this study, regression analysis estimates the

34
conditional expectation of the dependent variable given the independent variables – that is,

the average value of the dependent variable when the independent variables are fixed.

3.7 Dependent Variables

The dependent variable of the study is employee performance. Employee performance is

usually looked at in terms of outcomes. It can also be looked at in terms of behavior, it is a

key to an effective organizational performance which include: setting goals, making sure the

expectations are clear, and providing frequent feedback help people perform more

effectively. Employees’ performance should be measured against the performance standards

set by the organization.

3.8 Independent Variables

The Independent Variable (IV) of this study is stress which is different type of physiological

and psychological (mental) pressures felt and handle by people in their lives. It is a condition

of physiological and psychological unbalances which arises from the discrepancy between

situational demand and capability or enthusiasm that the individuals have to cope with those

demands. Stress which is the independent variable will be measure using work overload,

poor emotional health and work environment.

3.9 The Model

The study is on impact of job stress on employee performance . Job stress can be measure with

work overload, Poor emotional health (PEH) and work environment. The study shows how

35
this different measure of job stress i.e work overload, Poor emotional health (PEH) and

work environment affect employees’ performance. The independent variables are Work

overload, poor emotional health and work environment predict the dependent variable

employee performance.

3.10 Variable Measurement

To reveal the effect of job stress on employee performance, the estimation procedure used by

Kuznetsov and Muravyev (2001) was adopted and modified as:

Yit = αit + β1Xit + εit - - - - - - - -(I)

Where,

• Yit is Job Stress (JS)

• αi = refers to time-invariant firm-specific effects

• Xit are the independent variables

• β1 coefficients

• εit is a random disturbance.

Based on the above general model the effect of work overload, long working hours and work

family conflict on employees’ performance was evaluated using the model outlined below.

EPit = β0+ β1WLit + β2PEHit + B3WEit+ εit - - (ii)

EP: Employee Performance

WL: Work Overload

PEH: Poor Emotional Health

WE: Work Environment

β0…..βn = coefficients

36
ε = error term

EP which is employee performance is usually looked at in terms of the productivity of the

employees. Employees’ performance as a key to an effective organizational performance

which include: setting goals, making sure the expectations are clear, and providing frequent

feedback help people perform more effectively. Work overload which is represented by WL

is an independent variable for the study. Also PEH which is Poor Emotional Health and WE

which is Working environment are independent variables for the study.

3.11 Summary

The chapter presented research design, population of the study, sample and sampling

procedure, data collection, techniques of data analysis/instruments and administration,

dependent variables and independent variables. The chapter describe the research design,

population and its sample, the data collection procedure as well as the method that is used in

analyzing data. Research methodology is seen as the pilot compass as it is oriented towards

discovering facts and relationships to enable a more effective and efficient relation of the

variables. Questionnaire is the main instrument used to collect information for this study

from the primary source. It is a formal list of questions designed to gather responses from

respondents about a given problem. This is done by respondents filling or answering the

questions; this method is very important as it allows time for thought and avoids any

embarrassment in answering questions of personal nature and such answers would be more

reliable.

37
 CHAPTER FOUR

DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

4.1 INTRODUCTION

This chapter contains data analysis and presentation according to questionnaire

administration. The chapter employs statistical tools of analysis such as Frequency

distribution table, percentages and regression.

4.2 DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

A total 101 copies of the questionnaire were administered, 96 was duly filled and returned.

Therefore, analysis was done on the basis of questionnaires returned. Data is presented,

analyzed and interpreted in the course of this assessment using tables, simple percentages

and regression.

Table 4.0: Questionnaire Administration

Options Total
Copies of questionnaire distributed 107
Copies returned 96
Copies not returned 13
Copies discarded 0
Copies used for analysis 96
Respondents rate 89.7%
Source: Field Survey, 2019

Question 1 is on the sex of the respondents, the respondents responded as below:

38
Table 4.1: Sex of Respondents

Options Frequency Percentage (%)

Male 68 71
Female 28 29
Total 96 100
Source: Field Survey, 2019

Table 4.1 above shows that 68 which is 71 % of the respondents are male while the

remaining 28 which is 29% of the respondents are female. This shows a response devoid

of gender bias which goes a long way to enrich this research.

Question 2 is on the age of respondents, the respondents responded as below:

Table 4.2: Age of Respondents

Options Frequency Percentage (%)

21-30 years 10 10
31-40 48 50
41-50 years 38 40
51-60 years 0 0
Total 96 100
Source: Field Survey, 2019

Table 4.2 above shows that 10 which is 10% of the respondents are from 21 - 30 years of

age, 48 which is 50% of total respondents are from 31 - 40 years of age while the

remaining 38 which is 40% of total respondents are from 41 - 50 years of age and above.

None of the respondents was from 51 - 60 years and above.

Question 2 is on the marital status of respondents, the respondents responded as

below:
Table 4.3: Marital Status of Respondents

39
 Options Frequency Percentage (%)
Single 14 15
Married 82 85
Divorced 0 0
Total 96 100
Source: Field Survey, 2019

Table 4.3 above shows that 14 which is 15% of the respondents are single while the

remaining 82 which is 85% of the respondents are married. None of the respondents

responded to being divorced. This shows that most of the respondents are married thus

giving room for a more balanced opinion as most of the respondents can be said to

understand what responsibility means.

Question 4 is on the working experience of the respondents, the respondents

responded as below:
Table 4.4: Working Experience of Respondents
Options Frequency Percentage (%)
5-10 years 48 50
11-15 years 26 27
16-20 years 12 13
21-25 years 10 10
Above 25 years 0 0
Total 96 100
Source: Field Survey, 2019

Table 4.4 above shows that 48 which is 50% of the respondents have working experience

of between 5 -10 years, 26 which is 27% of the respondents have a working experience of

between 11 - 15 years, 12 which is 13 % of the respondents have a working experience of

between 16 - 20 years while the remaining 10 which is 10% of the respondents have a

40
working experience of between 21 - 25 years. None of the respondents has a working

experience of over 25 years.

41
The response on education qualification of respondents is shown below:
Table 4.5: Education Qualification of Respondents
Options Frequency Percentage (%)
SSCE/WASC/GCE 0 0
OND/NCE 48 50
B.Sc/B.A./B.Ed/HND 32 33.3
Post Graduate Degree 11 11.5
Professional 5 5.2
Total 96 100
Source: Field Survey, 2019

Table 4.6 above shows 48 which is 50% of the respondents are OND NCE holders, 32

which is 33.3% of the respondents are holders of B.Sc./B.A./B.Ed. and HND, 11 which is

11.5% of the respondents are Post Graduate Degree holders while the remaining 5 which

is 5.2% of the respondents are holders of professional certificates. None of the

respondents was a holder of SSCE certificate as its highest academic qualification. This

shows that the respondents consist of a pool of individuals at varying degrees of

academic qualification which goes a long way to enhance a rich response.

4.3 Test of Hypotheses

Earlier in this study, the following hypotheses were formulated for acceptance or

rejection and this are:

H01: Work over load has no significant effect on employee performance.

42
H02: Poor emotional health has no significant effect on employee performance.

H03: Work Environment has no significant effect on Employee performance.

Regression Result

Table 4.6 Multiple Regression Results for Test of Hypothesis

R R2 Adjusted R2 Std. Error F Sig Durbin-

of the Watson

Estimate
a
.553 .587 .554 .4562 281.453 000a 1.456

43
 R R2 Adjusted R2 Std. Error F Sig Durbin-

of the Watson

Estimate
Table 4.6 above shows R value of 0.698 and adjusted R2 value of .665 showing how work
2

overload, long working hours and work environment predicts employee performance. The

model was significant at 1% level where F= 392.564.

Source: Regression Output 2019

Table 4.7 Coefficientsa

Unstandardized Standardized Collinearity

Coefficients Coefficients Correlations Statistics

Zero-
Model B Std. Error Beta T Sig. order Partial Part Tolerance VIF

1 (Constant) .271 .107 2.076 .000 .012 .401 .204 .3210 1.412

W O/L .435 .0176 .484 18.000 .000 .725 .665 .489 .5102 1.333

LH .453 0.164 .654 17.098 0.00 .876 .543 .654 .765 1.243

WE .564 0.178 .763 18.654 0.00 .987 .658 .987 .970 1.388

a. Dependent Variable
Source: Regression Output, 2019

Table 4.7 shows the hypotheses tested at 1% (.001) significance level. When the observed

probability p<α, we reject the null hypothesis. From the above table it can be seen that

work over load has significant effect on employee performance. Beta=.595, P = .000 at 1

percent. Therefore, since p<α, the research hypothesis is rejected. It implies that work

over load has significant effect on employee performance.

For the second hypothesis; Poor emotional health has no significant effect on employee
44
4.4 Findings of the Study

The hypotheses tested show that work over load has significant effect on employee

performance, poor emotional health has significant effect on employee performance and

work environment has significant effect on Employee performance. Employees that are

suffering with undue negative stress may lose their grip on acceptable social skills when

dealing with others which also causes a bigger problem. They may become highly

charged or unpredictable when given instructions or feedback. They may become

defensive and their performance at work will suffer as they refuse to take on board the

suggestions given or procrastinate over tasks. They may become more difficult to manage

which in turn affects their performance at work as they become unapproachable and,

therefore, do not use their full potential. Stress has significant impact on employee

performance. Stress is emerging as an increasing problem in organizations. Stress is

vigorous state in which a person is confronted with an opportunity, demand, or resource

related to what the individual wishes and for which the outcome is perceived to be both

vague and vital. Stress has significant impact on employee ability. Stress is the force,

pressure, or tension subjected upon an individual who resists these forces and attempt to

uphold its true state.

45
 CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Summary

The research is on stress management and performance of employees. The findings of the

study revealed that work over load has significant effect on employee performance, poor

emotional health has significant effect on employee performance and work environment

has significant effect on employee performance. The study showed that stress is a

universal element experienced by employees around the globe. Stress has become major

problem for employer particularly in developing nations where the employer does not

realize the impact of stress on employee performance. It is important to recognize and

address properly job stress because it badly affects the employee’s mental and

physiological health. As there are so many resources for employees to perform excellent

in their jobs but there are also some factors that hinders in their way. In chapter two, an

attempts were made to review relevant and related literature, previous research works and

papers presented at seminars on the subject matter. High levels of stress can impair

workers’ performance and result in negative behavioral and attitudinal work outcomes.

5.2 Conclusion

The study concluded that work over load has significant effect on employee performance,

poor emotional health has significant effect on employee performance and work

environment has significant effect on Employee performance. Stress manifests in

46
virtually all works of life with particular reference to paid jobs which is more prevalent

among workers in corporate organizations. The ratio of employee who are affected by

stress in organizations are increasing on an alarming rate which affects both the employee

performance and goal achievements. Undoubtedly, workers in Nigeria have their own fair

share of the phenomenon of stress. From the public to the private sector, job stress is a

universal experience.

The phenomenon of stress which is now being considered as “rising and has become a

challenge for the employer” and because “high levels of stress result in low productivity,

increased absenteeism and as having a connection to other problems such as alcoholism,

drug abuse, hypertension and a host of cardiovascular related diseases” is currently

attracting significant attention from writers and many others interested about its nature,

dimensions and impact on employees’ (as single individuals and as a group) performance

as well as how it affects organizational achievements. Job stress is readily observed in

the corporate world. Corporate organizations worldwide seek new approaches to

managing and reducing job stress at workplace.

5.3 Recommendations

The following are the recommendations for the study:

i. Since the findings revealed that work over load has significant effect on

employee performance. There is the need for management to help secure

treatment at work for the symptoms of stress which is through counseling

47
 and organizing stress reduction workshops, encouraging stress reduction

activities. There is the need for redesigning jobs to reduce role conflict and

role ambiguity.

ii. Since poor emotional health has significant effect on employee

performance. Job description and job demands should be properly

explained to employees to reduce the possibility of excess work load.

Communication among colleagues and management should be improved as

this will help reduce the impact of stress among employees. Greater focus

should be given to training and development as this would reposition

employees to be able to handle stress at the work place much better.

iii. There is the need for management to brighten the awareness of employees

regarding job stress and set up surveys to disperse to employees so thereby

giving them the much needed assistance.

5.4 Suggestion for further studies

The need to develop a better understanding of the results suggests avenues for future

research that are worthwhile. This study could be replicated by covering a larger

geographical area, so that generalisations can be made. Moderators and mediators can be

included in the model for further theoretical contributions. The study could be replicated

in other sectors of the economy other than government organization.

48
Future studies should take into account more respondents to avoid potential biases that

arise from key informant methodology. The study population was small, and it would be

appropriate that future studies should include more respondents or study different settings

like private organization.

49
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QUESTIONNAIRE

SECTION A

1. Age: 21-25 [ ] 26-30 [ ] 31-35 [ ] 36-40 [ ] 41-45[ ] 46-50 [ ] 51 and above [ ]

2. Gender: Male [ ] Female [ ]

3. What is your educational qualification? WAEC/NECO[ ] NCE [ ] OND [ ] HND [

] First Degree [ ] Masters [ ] PHD [ ] Others [ ]

4. Marital Status of the Respondents

a. Married

b. Single

c. Widow

d. Divorced

e. Others

SECTION B

5. Work over load affect employees’ performance.

a. Strongly agree { }

b. Agree { }

c. Undecided { }

d. Disagree { }

e. Strongly disagree { }

55
6. Poor emotional health of workers affect employees’ performance.

a. Strongly agree { }

b. Agree { }

c. Undecided { }

d. Disagree { }

e. Strongly disagree { }

7. Work environment affect employees’ performance.

a. Strongly agree { }

b. Agree { }

c. Undecided { }

d. Disagree { }

e. Strongly disagree { }

8. There is great relationship between job stress and employees’ productivity.

a. Strongly agree { }

b. Agree { }

c. Undecided { }

d. Disagree { }

e. Strongly disagree { }

56
9. What is the impact of job stress on workers

a. Highly positive

b. Positive

c. Constant/moderate

d. Negative

e. Highly negative

10. Workers are able to meet up with their expected productivity as a result of stress

a. Strongly agree { }

b. Agree { }

c. Undecided { }

d. Disagree { }

e. Strongly disagree { }

11. Work overload constitute job stress for an employee

a. Strongly agree { }

b. Agree { }

c. Undecided { }

57
 d. Disagree { }

e. Strongly disagree { }

12. Intrapersonal and interpersonal conflict at the work place constitutes job stress among

employees

a. Strongly agree { }

b. Agree { }

c. Undecided { }

d. Disagree { }

e. Strongly disagree { }

13. Job stress affects the performance of employees

a. Strongly agree { }

b. Agree { }

c. Undecided { }

d. Disagree { }

e. Strongly disagree { }

14. Over time constitute job stress for an employee

a. Strongly agree { }

58
 b. Agree { }

c. Undecided { }

d. Disagree { }

e. Strongly disagree { }

15. Poor working environment constitute to job stress

a. Strongly agree { }

b. Agree { }

c. Undecided { }

d. Disagree { }

e. Strongly disagree { }

16. Job stress is as a result of inadequate understanding of the scope of your job

a. Strongly agree { }

b. Agree { }

c. Undecided { }

d. Disagree { }

e. Strongly disagree { }

59
17. The long hours of work in the work place affect employee performance.

a. Strongly agree { }

b. Agree { }

c. Undecided { }

d. Disagree { }

e. Strongly disagree { }

18. Strict policies and regulations constitute work stress and affect performance.

a. Strongly agree { }

b. Agree { }

c. Undecided { }

d. Disagree { }

e. Strongly disagree { }

19. Ambiguity of the scope of my jurisdiction and authority affect employee performance.

a. Strongly agree { }

b. Agree { }

c. Undecided { }

d. Disagree { }
60
 e. Strongly disagree { }

20. The employees performance is not encouraging owing to many rules and regulations.

a. Strongly agree { }

b. Agree { }

c. Undecided { }

d. Disagree { }

e. Strongly disagree { }

61