RESEARCH PROJECT

ON

STRESS MANAGEMENT AMONG BANK

EMPLOYEES

Submitted in the Partial Fulfillment for the Degree

of
Master in Business Administration
Under the Guidance of:Submitted By:Dr. Nirmala chaudhary
singh
(Associate Professor)
No:
MBA(Gen.) FINAL

Randeep
Roll

University School Of Management

Kurukshetra University Kurukshetra

CHAPTERS

TITLE
DECLARATION
ACKNOWLEDGEMEN
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

1.

INTRODUCTION
1.1 COMPANY PROFILE
1.2 ABOUT TOPIC

2.

REVIEW OF LITERETURE

3.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

4.

DATA ANALYSIS

5.

CONCLUSION

6.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Acknowledgement
Preservation, inspiration and motivation have always played a key
role in the success of any venture. In the present world of cut
throat competition project is likely a bridge between theoretical
and practical working, willingly I have prepared this particular
project.
First of all I would like to thank the supreme power, the
almighty God who is obviously the one who has always directed
me to work on the right path of my life. With his grace this project
could become a reality.
I feel highly delighted with the way my dissertation report
on topic
Stress Management among bank employees

Any accomplishment requires the effort of many people and this

work is not different. Firstly, I would like to extend my sincere
thanks to Mrs. Nirmala ( Lect., dept. of mgt. KUK) Ms Nisha
(Assistant Professor) for her able guidance, regular counseling,
keen interest and constant encouragement, without this the
project would not have a successful end. I am highly thankful to
him for his helpful attitude, regular coaching and inspiration.
I sincerely thank to all the faculty members and the staff
associated for their support given to me time to time. Also, I
would like to thank to all my friends and family members for their
support given to me time to time. I dont have words to express
my thanks, but still my heart is full of gratitude for the favors
received by me from the every person.

(Randeep Singh)

Executive Summery
Organizations recognize the importance of focusing on human
factor to improve its productivity. People are key factor in
improving

productivity.

In

this

context

organizations

have

demonstrated their willingness to invest in human resource

development. This project gives us a detailed idea of what is
stress and also the definition of stress is been defined. For more
detailed study the types of the stress is also defined.
After the theoretical part I have included the research part. My
research work includes two questionnaires.
o Burn out test
o Stress analysis Questionnaire
My research includes the research methodology which contains
the information as follows:
o Research objectives
o Sampling (types and methods of sampling)
o Research instrument
o Data analysis and interpretation

o Employees opinion to reduce stress.

o Research flowchart
o Limitation of survey
o Advantages and disadvantages of written
questionnaire
o Finding

OBJECTIVES OF THE
STUDY
Primary objective:
-To undergo an in-depth study about the stress among the
employees of public sector banks.
Secondary objective:
-To identify the factors causing stress among the employees.
-To find out the level and kind of stress among the employees of
different age
groups.
-To study about the effects of stress on employees in pub
-To identify the coping strategies to manage stress.

Companies Profile
State Bank Of India Profile: State Bank of India ( ) (SBI) is the largest state
owned banking and financial
services company
with
its
headquartered in Mumbai, India. The bank traces its ancestry
to British India, through the Imperial Bank of India, to the
founding in 1806 of the Bank of Calcutta, making it the oldest
commercial bank in the Indian Subcontinent. Bank of Madras
merged into the other two presidency banks, Bank of Calcutta and
Bank of Bombay to form Imperial Bank of India, which in turn
became State Bank of India. The government of India nationalized
the Imperial Bank of India in 1955, with the Reserve Bank of
India taking a 60% stake, and renamed it the State Bank of India.
In 2008, the government took over the stake held by the Reserve
Bank of India.
SBI provides a range of banking products through its vast network
of branches in India and overseas, including products aimed
at non-resident Indians(NRIs). The State Bank Group, with over
16,000 branches, has the largest banking branch network in India.
It also has around 130 branches overseas. With an asset base of

$352 billion and $285 billion in deposits, it is a regional banking

behemoth and is one of the largest financial institution in the
world. It has a market share among Indian commercial banks of
about 20% in deposits and loans.[2]
The State Bank of India is the 29th most reputed company in the
world according to Forbes.[3] Also SBI is the only bank featured in
the coveted "top 10 brands of India" list in an annual survey
conducted by Brand Finance and The Economic Times in 2010.[4]
The State Bank of India is the largest of the Big Four of India,
along with ICICI Bank, Punjab National Bank and HDFC Bankits
main competitors.[5]and" GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORD "
that 56 million transactions happening per day all over the world
is definitely an achievement

HISTORY: The roots of the State Bank of India rest in the first decade of 19th
century, when the Bank of Calcutta, later renamed the Bank of
Bengal, was established on 2 June 1806. The Bank of Bengal was
one of three Presidency banks, the other two being the Bank of
Bombay (incorporated on 15 April 1840) and the Bank of
Madras (incorporated on 1 July 1843). All three Presidency banks
were incorporated as joint stock companiesand were the result of
the royal charters. These three banks received the exclusive right
to issue paper currency in 1861 with the Paper Currency Act, a
right they retained until the formation of the Reserve Bank of
India. The Presidency banks amalgamated on 27 January 1921,
and the reorganized banking entity took as its name: Imperial
Bank of India. The Imperial Bank of India remained a joint stock
company

Pursuant to the provisions of the State Bank of India Act (1955),

the Reserve Bank of India, which is India's central bank, acquired
a controlling interest in the Imperial Bank of India. On 30 April
1955, the Imperial Bank of India became the State Bank of India.
The government of India recently acquired the Reserve Bank of
India's stake in SBI so as to remove any conflict of interest
because the RBI is the country's banking regulatory authority.
In 1959, the government passed the State Bank of India
(Subsidiary Banks) Act, enabling the State Bank of India to take
over eight former state-associated banks as its subsidiaries. On
13 September 2008, the State Bank of India, one of its associate
banks, merged with the State Bank of India.
SBI has acquired local banks in rescues. For instance, in 1985, it
acquired the Bank of Cochin in Kerala, which had 120 branches.
SBI was the acquirer as its affiliate, the State Bank of Travancore,
already had an extensive network in Kerala.

Earliar SBI had only seven associate banks that, with SBI,
constitute the State Bank Group. All use the same logo of a blue
keyhole and all the associates use the "State Bank of" name,
followed by the regional headquarters' name. Originally, the then
seven banks that became the associate banks belonged
to princely states until the government nationalised them
between October 1959 and May 1960. In tune with the first Five
Year Plan, emphasizing the development of rural India, the
government integrated these banks into the State Bank of India
system to expand its rural outreach. There has been a proposal to
merge all the associate banks into SBI to create a "mega bank"
and streamline operations.
The first step towards unification occurred on 13 August 2008
when State Bank of Saurashtra merged with SBI, reducing the

number of state banks from seven to six. Then on 19 June 2009

the SBI board approved the merger of its subsidiary, State Bank of
Indore, with itself. SBI holds 98.3% in State Bank of Indore.
(Individuals who held the shares prior to its takeover by the
government hold the balance of 1.77%.)
The acquisition of State Bank of Indore added 470 branches to
SBI's existing network of 12,448 and over 21,000 ATMs. Also,
following the acquisition, SBI's total assets will inch very close to
the Rs 10-lakh crore mark. Total assets of SBI and the State Bank
of Indore stood at Rs 998,119 crore as on March 2009. The
process of merging of State Bank of Indore was completed by
April 2010, and the SBI Indore Branches started functioning as SBI
branches on 26 August 2010.

AXIS BANK Profile : -

Axis
Bank
Limited,
formerly UTI
Bank,
(BSE: 532215, LSE: AXBC) is a financial services firm that had
begun operations in 1994, after the Government of India allowed
new private banks to be established. The Bank was promoted
jointly by the Administrator of the Specified Undertaking of
the Unit Trust of India (UTI-I), Life Insurance Corporation of
India (LIC), General Insurance Corporation Ltd., National Insurance
Company Ltd., The New India Assurance Company, The Oriental
Insurance Corporation and United India Insurance Company UTI-I
holds a special position in the Indian capital markets and has
promoted many leading financial institutions in the country. The
bank changed its name to Axis Bank in April 2007 to avoid
confusion with other unrelated entities with similar name. [2] After
the Retirement of Mr. P. J. Nayak, Shikha Sharma was named as
the bank's managing director and CEO on 20 April 2009.
As on the year ended 31 March 2009 the Bank had a total income
of
13,745.04 crore (US$3.05 billion) and a net profit of
1,812.93 crore (US$402.47 million).
On 24 February 2010, Axis Bank announced the launch of 'AXIS
CALL & PAY on atom', a unique mobile payments solution using
Axis Bank debit cards. Axis Bank is the first bank in the country to
provide a secure debit card-based payment service over IVR.

BRANCH NETWORK : The Bank's Registered Office is at Ahmadabad and its Central
Office is located at Mumbai. At the end of September 2010, The
Bank has a very wide network of more than 1281 branches and
Extension Counters (as on 31st December, 2010).The Bank has a
network of over 5303 ATMs (as on 31st December, 2010). The
Bank has loans now (as of June 2007) account for as much as 70
per cent of the banks total loan book of Rs 2,00,000 crore. For

HDFC Bank, retail assets are around 57 per cent (Rs 28,000 crore)
of the total loans as of March 2007.
In the case of Axis Bank, retail loans have declined from 30 per
cent of the total loan book of Rs 25,800 crore in June 2006 to
around 23 per cent of loan book of Rs.41,280 crore (as of June
2007). Even over a longer period, while the overall asset growth
for Axis Bank has been quite high and has matched that of the
other banks, retail exposures grew at a slower pace.
If the sharp decline in the retail asset book in the past year in the
case of Axis Bank is part of a deliberate business strategy, this
could have significant implications (not necessarily negative) for
the overall future profitability of the business.
Despite the slower growth of the retail book over a period of time
and the outright decline seen in the past year, the banks
fundamentals are quite resilient. With the high level of midcorporate and wholesale corporate lending the bank has been
doing, one would have expected the net interest margins to have
been under greater pressure. The bank, though, appears to have
insulated such pressures. Interest margins, while they have
declined from the 3.15 per cent seen in 2003-04, are still hovering
close to the 3 per cent mark. (The comparable margins for ICICI
Bank and HDFC Bank are around 2.60 per cent and 4 per cent
respectively. The margins for ICICI Bank are lower despite its
much larger share of the higher margin retail business, since
funding costs also are higher).
The Bank today is capitalized to the extent of Rs. 409.90 crores
with the public holding (other than promoters and GDRs) at
53.63%. It is also listed in the top 100 most trusted brands of
India in The Brand Trust Report.

HDFC BANK Profile :HDFC

Bank
Ltd. (BSE: 500180, NYSE: HDB)
is
a
major Indian financial
services company
based
in India,
incorporated in August 1994, after theReserve Bank of
India allowed establishing private sector banks. The Bank was
promoted by the Housing Development Finance Corporation, a
premier housing finance company (set up in 1977) of India. HDFC
Bank has 1,725 branches and over 4,232 ATMs, in 779 cities in
India, and all branches of the bank are linked on an online realtime basis. As of 30 September 2008 the bank had total assets of
Rs.1006.82 billion. For the fiscal year 2008-09, the bank has
reported net profit of
2,244.9 crore (US$498.37 million), up
41% from the previous fiscal. Total annual earnings of the bank
increased by 58% reaching at
19,622.8 crore (US$4.36
billion) in 2008-09.
It is one of the Big Four banks of India, along with State Bank of
India, ICICI Bank and Punjab National Bankits main competitors.

HISTORY : -

HDFC Bank was incorporated in 1994 by Housing Development

Finance Corporation Limited (HDFC), India's largest housing
finance company. It was among the first companies to receive an
'in principle' approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to set
up a bank in the private sector. The Bank started operations as a
scheduled commercial bank in January 1995 under the RBI's
liberalisation policies.
Times Bank Limited (owned by Bennett, Coleman & Co. / Times
Group) was merged with HDFC Bank Ltd., in 2000. This was the
first merger of two private banks in India. Shareholders of Times
Bank received 1 share of HDFC Bank for every 5.75 shares of
Times Bank.
In 2008 HDFC Bank acquired Centurion Bank of Punjab taking its
total branches to more than 1,000. The amalgamated bank
emerged with a base of about Rs. 1,22,000 crore and net
advances of about Rs.89,000 crore. The balance sheet size of the
combined entity is more than Rs. 1,63,000 crore.

IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY

20th century has been regarded as the period of incredible
change in human history. Philosophers and scientists have been
various names to this period. Peter Drucker has called it The Age
of Discontinuity, John Galbraith has called it The Age of Future
Shock and Hari Albrecht called it The Age of Anxiety. Stress
has become the 21 century buzz word, from the high pervading
corporate echelons to the bassinets of teaching infants nurseries
we find this world liberally used. Stress is part of modern life.

Various events in life cause stress, starting with the birth of a

child and enduring with the death of a dear one.
Urbanization,

industrialization

and

the

increase

scale

of

operations in society are

some of the reasons for rising stress. It is an inevitable
consequence of socio-economic complexity and to some extent,
its stimulant as well. People experience stress as they can no
longer have complete control over what happen in their lives. The
telephone goes out of order, power is shut down, water supply is
disrupted, children perform poorly at school etc, we feel
frustrated and then stressed. The word stress is derived from a
Latin word stringere, meaning to draw tight. From the view
point of physical sciences, the phenomena of stress are evident in
all materials when they are subjected to force, pressure, strain or
strong-front. Every material steel, rock or wood has its own limit
up to which it can withstand stress without being damaged.
Similarly human beings can tolerate certain level of stress. Stress
is highly individualistic in nature. Some people have high levels of
stress tolerance for stress and thrive very well in the face of
several stressors in the environment. In fact, some individuals will
not perform well unless they experience a level of stress which
activates and energizes then to put forth their best results. For
every individual there is an optimum level of stress under which
he or she will perform to full capacity. If the stress experience is
below the optimum level, then the individual gets bored, the
motivational level of work reaches a low point and it results to

careless mistakes, forgetting to do things and thinking of things

other than work during work hours and also leads to absenteeism
which may ultimately lead to turnover. If on the other hand, stress
experience is above the optimum level, it leads to too many
conflicts with the supervisor or leads to increase of errors, bad
decisions and the individual may experience insomnia, stomach
problems, and psychosomatic illness.
The present world is fast changing and there are lots of pressures
and demands at work. These pressures at work lead to physical
disorders. Stress refers to individuals reaction to a disturbing
factor in the environment. It is an adaptive response to certain
external factor or situation or what can be called environmental
stimuli as reflected in an opportunity, constraint, or demand the
outcome of which is uncertain but important. In short stress is a
response to an external factor that results in physical, emotional,
behavioral deviations in a person. Stress is an all pervading
modern phenomenon that takes a heavy toll of human life.
Different situations and circumstances in our personal life and in
our job produce stress. Those can be divided into factors related
to the organization and factors related to the person which
include his experience and personality traits. Job related factors
are work overload, time pressures, poor quality of supervision,
insecure political climate, role conflict and ambiguity, difference
between company values and employee values. Person related
factors are death of spouse, or of a close friend, family problems,

change to a different line of work, prolonged illness in the family,

change in social activities, eating habits, etc.,
Personality traits are Type A personality. They are impatient,
ambitious,
competitive, aggressive, and hardworking. They set high goals
and demands of
themselves and others. And they are particularly prone to stress
inducing anticipatory emotions such as anxiety.
REMEDIES TO REDUCE STRESS : There are two major approaches to reduce stress. They are,
1. Individual approaches
2. Organizational approaches
1. INDIVIDUAL APPROACHES : An employee can take individual responsibility to reduce his/her
stress level.
Individual

strategies

that

have

proven

effective

include,

implementing time management techniques, increasing physical

exercise, relaxation training, and expanding the social support
network.
- Time management : Many people manage their time very poorly. Some of well known
time
management principles include,
o Making daily list of activities to be accomplished
o Scheduling activities according to the priorities set

o Prioritizing activities by importance and urgency

o Knowing your daily cycle and handling the most demanding
parts of your
job.

- Physical exercise
Practicing non-competitive physical exercises like aerobics, race
walking, jogging, swimming, and riding a bi-cycle.
- Relaxation training
Relaxation techniques such as meditation, hypnosis and biofeedback.
The objective is to reach in state of deep relaxation, where one
feels physically relaxed, somewhat from detached from the
immediate environment. Fifteen or twenty minutes a day of deep
relaxation releases tension and provides a person with a
pronounced sense of peacefulness.
- Social support
Having families, friends or work colleagues to talk provides an
outlet,
when stress levels become excessive. So expand your social
support network that helps you with someone to hear your
problems.
2. ORGANIZATIONAL APPROACHES

Several of the factors that cause stress particularly task and role
demands and
organizations structure are controlled by management. As such
they can be modified or changed. Some of the strategies that
management want to consider include improved personal self
section

and

job

placement,

use

of

realistic

goal

setting,

redesigning of jobs, improved organizational communication and

establishment of corporate wellness programmes. Certain jobs are
more stressful than others. Individual with little experience or an
external lower of control tend to be more proven to stress.
Selection and placement decisions should take these facts into
consideration. Goal setting helps to reduce stress. It also provides
motivation. Designing jobs to give employees more responsibility,
more
meaningful work, more autonomy, and increased feedback can
reduce stress, because these factors give the employee greater
control over work activities and lessen dependence on others.
Increasingly formal organizational communication with employees
reduces uncertainly by lessency role ambiguity and role conflict.
Wellness program, say, employee counseling form on the
employees total physical and mental condition. They typically
proud work ships to help people quit smoking, control alcohol
usage, eat better and develop a regular exercise program.
Another remedy for reducing stress is cognitive restructuring.
It involves two step procedures. First irrational or maladaptive

thought processes that create stress are identified. For example

Type A individuals may believe that they must be successful at
everything they do. The second step consists of replacing these
irrational thoughts with more rational or reasonable ones. One
important remedy to reduce stress is the maintenance of good
sleep. Research conducted on laboratory specimen to have met
with startling discoveries. Sleep starved rats have developed
stress syndrome. The amount of sleep one requires varies from
person to person and is dependent on ones lifestyle. The
American National Sleep Foundation claims that a minimum of
eight hours of sleep is essential for good health. Generally studies
shows that young adults can manage with about 7-8 hours. After
the age of 35, six hours of sleep is sufficient whereas people over
65 years may just need for three or four hours.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE
A review on the previous studies on stress among the employees
is necessary to know the areas already covered. This will help to
find our new areas uncovered and to study them in depth. The
earlier studies made on stress among these employees are briefly
reviewed here.

The research study of Jamal. M* finds that job stressors were

significantly related to employees psychosomatic problems, job
satisfaction, unproductive time at the job, and absenteeism.
Type A behavior was found to be an important moderator of the
stress outcome relationship. Brief. A. P. and J. M. Atieh*, argues
that it is not safe to assume that job conditions that have an
adverse impact on affective reactions to the job will also have a
negative impact on overall subjective well-being.
Fienmann views stress as a psychological response state of
negative effect characterized by a persistent and a high level of
experienced

anxiety

or

tension.

Recent

research

into

the

interaction between the mind body show that we may place our
body on stress alert quite unconsciously, because of our
psychological and emotional attitudes to stress. Anticipatory
emotions like impatience, anxiety, and anger can produce the
same nerve impulses and chemical reactions as being faced with
a concrete challenge. So when faced with a stressful situation, we
must either use up the energy created by the body to challenge
or learn how to turn off, the response using a conscious
relaxation technique.
* Jamal M. Job stress-prone Type A behavior, personal and
organizational consequences, Canadian Journal Administration
Sciences, 1985. pp 360-74.

Brief. A. P and J. M. Atieh, Studying job stress: Are we making

mountains out of
molehills? Journal of occupational behavior, 1987 pp115-26.
Hans Seyle, the endocrinologist, whose research on General
Adaptation Syndrome (GAS), for the first time, revealed how
human beings adapt themselves to emotional strives and strains
in their lives. According to him emotional stress occurs in three
important stages.
1. Alarm reaction stage
2. Resistance stage
3. Exhaustion stage.
Alarm reaction is caused by physical or psychological stressors.
Resistances are
brought about by ACTH hormone of the body.
Exhaustion follows when ACTH dwindles as a result of continual
stress.

(ACTH-Aprinocorticotropic)

According

to

Stephen

.P.

Robbins*, stress related headaches are the leading cause of loss

of work time in U. S. industry.Cooper and Marshall* visualize
stress as characteristics of both the focalindividual and his
environment.
They designate the internal and external consultive forces as
pressures or stressors and the resulting stalk of the organism
on stress.

Objectives
Primary objective:
To undergo an in-depth study about the stress among the
employees of public sector banks
Secondary objective:
-To identify the factors causing stress among the employees.
-To find out the level and kind of stress among the employees of
different age
groups.
-To study about the effects of stress on employees in Public Sector
Banks.
-To identify the coping strategies to manage stress.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The present world is fast changing and there are lots of pressures
and demands
at work. These pressures at work lead to physical disorders.
Stress refers to individuals reaction to a disturbing factor in the
environment. Hence this study would help the organization to
know the factors of stress and to reduce the stress in employees.
Since it is a well known fact that healthy employee is a productive
employee.

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

In spite of the precautions, vigilance and scrupulousness taken by
the investigator to make the study objective, it cannot be denied
that there are certain limitations.
-The employees were reluctant to give correct information.
- Even though the employees gave correct information during the
unstructured

interview conducted, they gave positive answer

while answering the questionnaire.

- The investigator intended to cover only few areas of stress
relevant to
the proposed study.
- As the study was done within a limited time, investigator could
not select a

sufficiently large sample for the study.

Research Objective : Stress is a dynamic condition in which an individual is

confronted with an opportunity, demand or resource related to
what the individual desires and for which the outcome is

perceived to be both uncertain and important. This is a

complicated definition.
Stress is not necessarily bad in and of itself. Although stress is
typically discussed in a negative context, it also has a positive
value. Its an opportunity when it offers potential gain. Consider
for example, the superior performance that an athlete or stage
performer gives in clutch situations. Such individuals often use
stress positively to rise to the occasion and perform at or near
their maximum. Similarly, many professionals see the pressures
of heavy workloads and deadlines as positive challenges that
enhance the quality of their work and the satisfaction the get
from their job.
But it is different in the case of bank employees. The bank
employees are the people who also have to achieve the certain
target and so for the non achievement of target the employees
remain stressed and tensed. The employees who have the simple
table work also have to face the problem of stress. Due to
recession the banking sector is also facing the problem of
employee cut-offs and so the work load of the existing employees
increases and the feel stressed.
The types of stress are named as eustress and distress.
Distress is the most commonly-referred to type of stress, having
negative implications, whereas eustress is a positive form of
stress, usually related to desirable events in person's life. Both
can be equally taxing on the body, and are cumulative in nature,

depending on a person's way of adapting to a change that has

caused it. Stress management is the need of the hour. However
hard we try to go beyond a stress situation, life seems to find new
ways of stressing us out and plaguing us with anxiety attacks.
Moreover, be it our anxiety, mind-body exhaustion or our erring
attitudes, we tend to overlook causes of stress and the conditions
triggered by those. In such unsettling moments we often forget
that stressors, if not escapable, are fairly manageable and
treatable.
Stress, either quick or constant, can induce risky body-mind
disorders. Immediate disorders such as dizzy spells, anxiety
attacks, tension, sleeplessness, nervousness and muscle cramps
can all result in chronic health problems. They may also affect our
immune, cardiovascular and nervous systems and lead individuals
to
Like

habitual
"stress

reactions",

"relaxation

addictions.
responses"

and

stress

management techniques are some of the body's important built-in

response systems. As a relaxation response the body tries to get
back balance in its homeostasis. Some hormones released during
the 'fight or flight' situation prompt the body to replace the lost
carbohydrates and fats, and restore the energy level. The knotted
nerves, tightened muscles and an exhausted mind crave for
looseness. Unfortunately, today, we don't get relaxing and
soothing situations without asking. To be relaxed we have to strive
to create such situations.

This research is to carry out the study that how much

stressed the employees of the banks are and how do their stress
affect their work life, social life, output etc. so a sample of 14 to
15 employees are selected from all the three banks for the
research of stress among them.

Sampling : Sample: I have taken the sample of 35 employees from three

different banks of kurukshetra. All the employees were of the
same designations.
Reason: As we find the employees of the bank to be more
stressful as more and more employees are taking VRS and are
dismissed because of inflation. I have selected only those three
banks which are affiliated to the public and are specialized in
consumer needs fulfillment.
It is incumbent on the researcher to clearly define the target
population. There are no strict rules to follow, and the researcher
must rely on logic and judgment. The population is defined in
keeping with the objectives of the study.
Sometimes, the entire population will be sufficiently small,
and the researcher can include the entire population in the study.
This type of research is called a census study because data is
gathered on every member of the population.

Usually, the population is too large for the researcher to attempt

to survey all of its members. A small, but carefully chosen sample
can be used to represent the population. The sample reflects the
characteristics of the population from which it is drawn.
Sampling methods are classified as either probability or
non probability. In probability samples, each member of the
population has a known non-zero probability of being selected.
Probability

methods

include

random

sampling,

systematic

sampling, and stratified sampling. In non probability sampling,

members are selected from the population in some nonrandom
manner.

These

include

convenience

sampling,

judgment

sampling, quota sampling, and snowball sampling. The advantage

of probability sampling is that sampling error can be calculated.
Sampling error is the degree to which a sample might differ from
the population. When inferring to the population, results are
reported plus or minus the sampling error. In non probability
sampling, the degree to which the sample differs from the
population remains unknown.
Random sampling is the purest form of probability
sampling. Each member of the population has an equal
and known chance of being selected. When there are
very large populations, it is often difficult or impossible

to identify every member of the population, so the pool

of available subjects becomes biased.
Systematic sampling is often used instead of random
sampling. It is also called an Nth name selection
technique. After the required sample size has been
calculated, every Nth record is selected from a list of
population members. As long as the list does not contain
any hidden order, this sampling method is as good as the
random sampling method. Its only advantage over the
random sampling technique is simplicity. Systematic
sampling is frequently used to select a specified number
of records from a computer file.
Stratified sampling is commonly used probability
method that is superior to random sampling because it
reduces sampling error. A stratum is a subset of the
population

that

shares

at

least

one

common

characteristic. The researcher first identifies the relevant

stratums

and

their

actual

representation

in

the

population. Random sampling is then used to select

subjects from each stratum until the number of subjects
in that stratum is proportional to its frequency in the
population. Stratified sampling is often used when one or
more of the stratums in the population have a low
incidence relative to the other stratums.

 Convenience sampling is used in exploratory research

where

the

researcher

is

interested

in

getting

an

inexpensive approximation of the truth. As the name

implies, the sample is selected because they are
convenient. This non-probability method is often used
during preliminary research efforts to get a gross
estimate of the results, without incurring the cost or time
required to select a random sample.
Judgment

sampling

is a common non-probability

method. The researcher selects the sample based on

judgment. This is usually and extension of convenience
sampling. For example, a researcher may decide to draw
the entire sample from one "representative" city, even
though the population includes all cities. When using this
method, the researcher must be confident that the
chosen sample is truly representative of the entire
population.
Quota sampling is the non-probability equivalent of
stratified
researcher

sampling.
first

Like

identifies

stratified
the

sampling,

stratums

and

the
their

proportions as they are represented in the population.

Then convenience or judgment sampling is used to
select the required number of subjects from each

stratum. This differs from stratified sampling, where the

stratums are filled by random sampling.
Snowball sampling is a special non-probability method
used when the desired sample characteristic is rare. It
may be extremely difficult or cost prohibitive to locate
respondents in these situations. Snowball sampling relies
on referrals from initial subjects to generate additional
subjects. While this technique can dramatically lower
search costs, it comes at the expense of introducing bias
because the technique itself reduces the likelihood that
the sample will represent a good cross section from the
population.

Research Instrument : Checking Yourself for Burnout

Burnout occurs when passionate, committed people become
deeply disillusioned with a job or career from which they have
previously derived much of their identity and meaning. It comes
as the things that inspire passion and enthusiasm are stripped
away, and tedious or unpleasant things crowd in. This tool can
help you check yourself for burnout.
Introduction:
This tool can help you check yourself for burnout. It helps you look
at the way you feel about your job and your experiences at work,
so that you can get a feel for whether you are at risk of burnout.
Using the Tool:
Work through the table on paper and calculate values
manually.

 Fill in values appropriately on the sheet. This will

automatically calculate scores for you and interpret these
scores, showing the score and interpretation in row 30.
If you choose to use the manual method, then calculate the total
of the scores as described in the instructions (note that this uses
a slightly different scoring method from the spreadsheet). Apply
the score to the scoring table underneath to get the
interpretation.

Questionnaire
Checking Yourself for Burnout

N
o
1

Questions

Do you feel run

down and drained of
physical or
emotional energy?
2 Do you find that you
are prone to
negative thinking
about your job?
3 Do you find that you
are harder and less
sympathetic with
people than perhaps
they deserve?
4 Do you find yourself
getting easily
Answer
Number
irritated by small
problems, or by your
Not co-workers
at all
and
Rarely
team?
Sometimes
5 Do you feel
Often
misunderstood or
Veryunappreciated
often
by
your co-workers?
6 Do you feel that you
have no-one to talk
to?
7 Do you feel that you
are achieving less
than you should?
8 Do you feel under an
unpleasant level of
pressure to succeed?
9 Do you feel that you
are not getting what
you want out of your
job?
1 Do you feel that you
0 are in the wrong
organization or the
wrong profession?
1 Are you becoming
1 frustrated with parts
of your job?
1 Do you feel that
2 organizational
politics or

Not
at all

Rare
ly

Weight
0
1
2
3
4

Sometim Ofte Very

es
n
often

Weighted
Total

Instructions: For each question, put an 'X' in the column that most
applies. Put one 'X' only in each row.
Please write the total number of x at the space given at the
bottom of each column.
N

Questions

o
1

Are you satisfied with the performance you

give at your work?

Do you think that you are suffering from

3
>
=
-1
4
5
5
1
6
8
3
5
4
7
5
8
9
1

Yes

No

depression?
Do you worry about your colleague's opinion
about you?
No
of burnout
here!
Do sign
you discuss
your
problem with your
Little sign of burnout here, unless some factors are
spouse or friend
or any other close to you?
particularly
severe
Do careful
you work
more
than
Be
- you
may
be 8athours?
risk of burnout, particularly if
You
have
an
important
function
at your home
several scores are high
You
severe
risk
burnout
- doover
something
and are
youratboss
asks
to of
give
a 4 hour
time, about
this urgently
what will be your response?
You are at very severe risk of burnout - do something
Do youthis
regularly
spend time for
about
urgently
entertainment?
Is your social life balanced?
Do you plan your work before doing?
Do you fear about the quality of your

0
1

performance?

1
1

Are you a heart patient?

Do you get tensed at your non achievement

2
1

of your target?

Do you feeling stress some times?

If the answer of the above question is Yes

then answer the following:
a) Is the reason of your stress your work load?
b Are you stressed because of your family
) problems?
c) Do you get stressed when your boss scolds
d

You?
Do you try to find any solution for the problem

) of your stress?
e) (IF YES) Do you practice yoga or any other
ayurvedic therapy for reducing stress?
To

make

the

survey

report

more

clear

the

above

questionnaire was also filled. As a result the employees

have

given

proper

response

and

the

report

questionnaire is presented in the project.

DATA ANALYSIS AND

INTERPRETATION
Data analysis and Interpretation

of

the

The project report shows the information of the level of

stress which

the employees

are

facing in

recession

period,which is going to cut-off employees and turnover

ratios are found to be high so the workload for the
existing employees are high. So they are facing the
problem of work overload and thus they get stressed.
Lets have a watch on the basic data of the survey:
1.The report of a bank
>
Respon
=
se
-1 No sign of burnout here!
0
5 Little sign of burnout here, unless some factors
6
are particularly severe
1 Be careful - you may be at risk of burnout,
8
8 particularly if several scores are high
3 You are at severe risk of burnout - do something
0
5 about this urgently
4 You are at very severe risk of burnout - do
0
5 something about this urgently

no sign of burn out

little sign of burnout

2. The Report of a Bank

>
=
-1 No sign of burnout here!

Be careful

sev ere risk

Respon
se
0

Very high

5
1
8
3
5
4
5

Little sign of burnout here, unless some factors

are particularly severe
Be careful - you may be at risk of burnout,
particularly if several scores are high
You are at severe risk of burnout - do something
about this urgently
You are at very severe risk of burnout - do
something about this urgently

No sign

Little sign

Be careful

Sev ere risk

3
10
0
0

Very high

3. The report of a Bank

>
Respon
=
se
-1 No sign of burnout here!
0
5 Little sign of burnout here, unless some factors
5
are particularly severe
1 Be careful - you may be at risk of burnout,
3
8 particularly if several scores are high
3 You are at severe risk of burnout - do something
0
5 about this urgently
4 You are at very severe risk of burnout - do
0
5 something about this urgently

No sign

little sign

be careful

Severe risk

Very high

It is seen from the above data that the

employees working in the banks are at the risk of two levels that
is a little sign of burn out and be careful. Taking a look on the
data of all the three banks, it is seen that the employees working
in SBI are found less stressed out compared to other banks. This
can be because its a public sector. If all the graphs are compared,
it is seen that the ratio of stressed employees in AXIS banks are
high as compared to all the other banks.

Lets have a look on the overall result of the survey

>
=

Respon
se

-1 No sign of burnout here!

5 Little sign of burnout here, unless some factors
are particularly severe
1 Be careful - you may be at risk of burnout,
8 particularly if several scores are high
3 You are at severe risk of burnout - do something
5 about this urgently
4 You are at very severe risk of burnout - do
5 something about this urgently

no sign

little sign

Be carefull

sev ere risk

0
14
21
0
0

Very high

From the above graph it can be seen that maximum employees of

all the banks are at a moderate level of risk of burnout while the
employees who were found with a little sign of burnout is less. So

Yes

the

27

No
8

No response
0

ratio

of

little

sign

of

burnout and moderate level of burnout is 2:3.

1. Are you satisfied with the performance you give at your

work?

Yes

No

No response

From the diagram it is clear that 77 % of the employees are

satisfied with the performance they give in the work while 23 % of
the employees are not satisfied.
2. Do you think that you are suffering from depression?
Yes

No

Yes

28

No

No response
0

No response

20 % of the employee feel that they are suffering from depression

while 80 % of the employee feel that that they are free from the
depression
3. Do you worry about your colleague's opinion about you?
Yes
9

Yes

No
26

No

No response
0

No response

26% of the employees worry about their colleagues opinion about

them while 74% of the employees are not concern with the
opinion about their colleague.

4. Do you discuss your problem with your spouse or friend

or any other close to you?
Yes
32

Yes

No

No response
0

No

No response

91% of the employees of the bank discuss their problem and

share their feelings with their spouse or friends or others while 9
% of the employee is not concerned with it.
5. Do you work more than 8 hours?

Yes
31

No

No response
0

Yes

No

No response

89% of the employees work for more than 8 hours which is the
starting point of the stress while 11 % of the employees dont
work for more than 8 hours.
6. You have an important function at your home and your boss asks
to give a 4 hour over time, what will be your response?
Yes

No

No
response

14

19

Yes

No

No response

40 % of the employees are proved to be work dedicated and they are ready
to miss the important function at their house while 54 % of the employees
said no and 6 % of the employee did not gave any answer.

7. Do you regularly spend time for entertainment?

Yes

No

No
response

20

15

Yes

No

No response

57% of the employee spent regular time on entertainment which helps us to

remain stress free while 43 % of the employees dont do that.
8. Is your social life balanced?

Yes

Yes

No

No

No response

No
response

19

14

54 % of the employees find their social life to be balanced while 40 % of the

employees dont have their social life balanced. 6% of the employees remain
silent.
9. Do you plan your work before doing?
Yes

No

No
response

31

Yes

No

No
response

Yes

34

No

No response

It is a good habit to plan the work you do. 89 % of the employees plan their
work before doing while 11 % of the employees dont plan their work.

10. Do you fear about the quality of your performance?

Yes

No

No response

63% of the employees fear the quality of performance which they give while
37 % of the employees dont fear the quality of their work.

Yes

No

No
response

22

13

11. Are you a heart patient?

Yes

No

No response

Here 3 % of the employees are heart patient which is partially the result of
stress.
12. Do you get tensed at your non achievement of your target?
Yes

No

No
response

25

10

71% of the employees get tensed at the non a

Yes

No

No response

c
hievement of the target while 29 % of the employees work casually.

13. Do you feeling stress some times?

Yes

No

No
response

28

Yes

No

No
response

14

Yes

14

No

No response

80% of the employees feel stressed sometimes while 17 % of the employees

are not feeling stressed. 3 % of the employees did not respond.

If the answer of the above question is Yes then answer the

following:
a) Is the reason of your stress your work load?

Yes

No

No response

57% of the employees find themselves to be stressed by their work over

load. 26 % of the employees are not stressed because of the work overload.
17 % of the employees did not answer.
b) Are you stressed because of your family problems?
Yes

No

No
response

20

Yes

No

No response

Yes

No

No
response

10

18

40 % of the employees are stressed

because of their family problems 40% by other problems while 20% of the
employees did not responded.
c) Do you get stressed when your boss scolds you?

Yes

No

No response

20% of the employee did not responded when they were asked weather their
get stressed because of the scolding of their boss. 51% of the employees
dont get stress because of the scolding of their boss. 29 % of the employees
get stressed because of the scolding of their boss.
d) Do you try to find any solution for the problem of your stress?

Yes

No

No
response

24

Yes

No

No response

69 % of the employees try to find the solution of their stress.

e) (IF YES) Do you practice yoga or any other ayurvedic therapy
for reducing stress?
Yes

No

No
response

11

18

Yes

No

No response

31% of the employees try the yoga and other ayurvedic techniques to
reduce their stress while 51 % of the employees use other techniques to
reduce stress.

Employees opinion about how to reduce

stress
This project consist of the information about the employees
undergoing from stress who are working in the banks. So
considering this factor this topic becomes one of the most
important part of the project as it consists of the opinion of the
employees who work in the banks. In short it was a direct
interview of the employees who gave their opinion about how to
reduce stress. The response of employees in the major banks of
kurukshetra like State Bank of India, The AXIS Bank, and The
HDFC bank was marvelous and they have given their valuable
opinion about reducing stress as a result of the last question

included in the questionnaire 2. So the opinion if the employees

were as follows:

Just smile away An employee- HDFC Bank

Just believe in your self and just do what your heart wants
An employee- HDFC Bank

-Talking to family members, - Watching TV or listening

good music, - Going for a walk or long drive An employeeHDFC Bank

Believe in God An employee- HDFC Bank

Respect yourself and give time to yourself An employeeHDFC Bank

Working in environment welfares, lot of positive attitude.

Positive attitude is only that reduces stress and achieves
success. Most of the people frustrate due to lack of positivity
and stress level climbs up due to that. So get positive
attitude about work, about life, and forget the stress An
employee- AXIS Bank

We should do such activities from which we get happiness

and also make others happy. Pass your time with your close
friends and relatives. An employee- AXIS Bank

Play and watch cricket An employee- AXIS Bank

Listen music and spend time with family An employee- SBI
Bank

 Get adjusted with others, Find and spend time for prayer,
Study the scriptures, See oneness in all, All are manifested
of the supreme GOD An employee- SBI Bank
These opinions are seemed to be valuable and effective as
one of the effective things has been noticed that the employees
who have got less than 18 marks in the Burnout test have given
their opinions about reducing the stress.
It is also noticed that in the AXIS bank Bhavnagar in the
time of afternoon slow instrumental music are been played so
that the employees can work stress free. This is one of the
positive things which are seen in the organization who is caring
for their employees. This will help the organization to boost up the
productivity.
From the certain sample of employees selected for the
research, only 10 employees have given their opinion how to
reduce stress. So we can understand that how overloaded the
employees of the bank are.

Research Flowchart : Questionnaire research design proceeds in an orderly and

specific manner. Each item in the flow chart depends upon the
successful completion of all the previous items. Therefore, it is
important not to skip a single step. Notice that there are two
feedback loops in the flow chart to allow revisions to the
methodology and instruments.
Design Methodology
Determine Feasibility
Develop Instruments
Select Sample
Conduct Pilot Test
Revise Instruments
Conduct Research
Analyze Data
Prepare Report

Limitation of the survey

The questionnaires were filled be 35 employees working in the
three major Banks of Bhavnagar i.e. Axis Bank, HDFC Bank and
SBS Bank. So the scope of sample findings was less.
The questionnaire was filled by 35 employees of different
designations. So the point of view of employees differs as per
their designations.
The employees from whom the questionnaires are filled are in a
heavy workload so some of the questionnaires filled by the
employees who are in stress cannot be called reasonable.
The responses of the employees cannot be accurate as the
problem of language and understanding arises. (These problems
are not in all cases.)
One of the other problems of questionnaire is the cost. Some
times it may be possible that even by spending so much the
result may not be reasonable.
Many a times the employees may not be really conscious or may
not be bothered about the questionnaire. This may create a
problem in the research.

Advantages of Written
Questionnaires

Questionnaires are very cost effective when compared to

face-to-face interviews. This is especially true for studies
involving large sample sizes and large geographic areas.
Written questionnaires become even more cost effective
as the number of research questions increases.
Questionnaires are easy to analyze. Data entry and
tabulation for nearly all surveys can be easily done with
many computer software packages.
Questionnaires are familiar to most people. Nearly
everyone

has

had

some

experience

completing

questionnaires and they generally do not make people

apprehensive.
Questionnaires reduce bias. There is uniform question
presentation and no middle-man bias. The researcher's
own opinions will not influence the respondent to answer
questions in a certain manner. There are no verbal or
visual clues to influence the respondent.

 Questionnaires are less intrusive than telephone or faceto-face

surveys.

When

respondent

receives

questionnaire in the mail, he is free to complete the

questionnaire

on

his

own

time-table.

Unlike

other

research methods, the respondent is not interrupted by

the research instrument.

Disadvantages of Written
Questionnaires
One major disadvantage of written questionnaires is the
possibility of low response rates. Low response is the
curse of statistical analysis. It can dramatically lower
our confidence in the results. Response rates vary
widely from one questionnaire to another (10% - 90%),
however, well-designed studies consistently produce
high response rates.
Another disadvantage of questionnaires is the inability
to probe responses. Questionnaires are structured
instruments.
respondent

They
with

allow

respect

little
to

flexibility

response

to

format.

the
In

essence, they often lose the "flavor of the response"

(i.e., respondents often want to qualify their answers).
By

allowing

frequent

space

for

comments,

the

researcher can partially overcome this disadvantage.

Comments are among the most helpful of all the
information on the questionnaire, and they usually
provide

insightful

information

that

would

have

otherwise been lost.

Nearly ninety percent of all communication is visual.
Gestures and other visual cues are not available with
written questionnaires. The lack of personal contact will
have different effects depending on the type of
information

being

requested.

questionnaire

requesting factual information will probably not be

affected by the lack of personal con
tact.

questionnaire

probing

sensitive

issues

or

attitudes may be severely affected.

When returned questionnaires arrive in the mail, it's
natural to assume that the respondent is the same
person you sent the questionnaire to. This may not
actually

be

the

case.

Many

times

business

questionnaires get handed to other employees for

completion. Housewives sometimes respond for their
husbands. Kids respond as a prank. For a variety of
reasons, the respondent may not be who you think it is.
It is a confounding error inherent in questionnaires.

 Finally, questionnaires are simply not suited for some

people. For example, a written survey to a group of
poorly educated people might not work because of
reading skill problems. More frequently, people are
turned off by written questionnaires because of misuse.

SUGGESTIONS
- The employees must give importance to time management
techniques there by they can complete their work within the
specified time.
- Many tasks can be delegated to subordinates without losing
effectiveness so that we can reduce the overload of work.
- Adopt the work to home transition strategy. It means instead of
carrying the
pressures of the work to home, the suggestion is to start the
unwinding process
during the work day and enter the home in a relaxed and peaceful
mind.
- Giving counseling to the employees when they face problems,
because counseling is the discussion of a problem that usually

has emotional content with an employee in order to help the

employee cope within better.
-

The

organization

must

introduce

Employee

Assistance

Programmes (EAPs) and stress control workshops accordingly to

the level of employees, because there is a strong relation
between the level of stress and level of employees. EAP includes
counseling employees who seek assistance on how to deal with
alcohol and drug abuse, managing personal finances, handling
conflicts at the work place, dealing with marital and other family
problems, and coping with health problems.
- Engaging the bored employee in aerobic exercise, because it
stimulates the brain and the body. Also the employee must do
meditation and yoga in their daily life.

CONCLUSION
Stress in the work place has become the black plague of the
present century.
Much of the stress at work is caused not only by work overload
and time pressure but also by lack of rewards and praise, and
more importantly, by not providing individuals with the autonomy
to do their work as they would like. Most of the employees were

not satisfied with the grievance handling procedure of the

organization which was found by the unstructured interview.
Organization must begin to manage people at work differently,
treating them with respect and valuing their contribution. If we
enhance

the

psychological

well

being

and

health

of

the

employees, in the coming future the organization would make

more revenue as well as employee retention. Because it is said
that,
A Healthy Employee is a Productive
Employee

Questionnaire

Questions

o
1

Are you satisfied with the performance you

give at your work?

Do you think that you are suffering from

Yes

No

depression?
Do you worry about your colleague's opinion

about you?
Do you discuss your problem with your

5
6

spouse or friend or any other close to you?

Do you work more than 8 hours?
You have an important function at your home
and your boss asks to give a 4 hour over time,

what will be your response?

Do you regularly spend time for

8
9
1

entertainment?
Is your social life balanced?
Do you plan your work before doing?
Do you fear about the quality of your

0
1

performance?

1
1

Are you a heart patient?

Do you get tensed at your non achievement

2
1

of your target?

Do you feeling stress some times?

If the answer of the above question is Yes

then answer the following:

a) Is the reason of your stress your work load?
b Are you stressed because of your family
) problems?
c) Do you get stressed when your boss scolds
d

You?
Do you try to find any solution for the problem

) of your stress?
e) (IF YES) Do you practice yoga or any other
ayurvedic therapy for reducing stress?

BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS
1. Ahuja. K.K- Industrial psychology and organizational
behavior,
Khanna publishers, New Delhi, 1991.
2. Biswanath Ghosh- A new look organizational behavior,
Himalaya Publishing
House New Delhi, 1994.

3. Finemann- A Psychological Model of Stress and its

application to managerial
unemployment, Human relations, 1979.
4. Ghosh P.K. and Ghorpade M.B. - Industrial and
Organizational Psychology,
Himalaya Publishing House, Bombay 1991.
5. Kapur S.K, Punia B.K.-Organizational Behavior and
Management,
S.K.Publishers, New Delhi
JOURNALS AND MAGAZINES
1. Business line, The stress is beginning to show,
Financial Express published by
Hindu, Trivandrum, 1989.
2. Brief A.P. and Atieth J.M., Studying Job Stress: Are we
making mountains out
of mole Hills? Journal of occupational behavior, 1987.
3. Jamal M., Job Stress-Prone Type A behavior and
personal and organizational
consequences, Canadian Journal of Administrative.