Cognitive Discourses International Multidisicplinary Journal ISSN 2321-1075 Volume 1, Issue 1, July 2013

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AN EMPIRICAL STUDY ON STRESS LEVEL AMONG WOMEN

EMPLOYEES AND ITS IMPACT ON THEIR BEHAVIOR/HEALTH
Rajesh Sain1 and Madhumala Pathy2
Abstract
The paper studies the causes of stress among women employees working in BPO sector. The data for
the study was collected from two companies engaged in BPO activities. For accomplishing the objective of this
research, a structured questionnaire was designed and administered on 50 employees selected from all levels.
Information was also collected through personal interviews and observation for getting deeper insights with
regard to the topic of study. Both the organizational and individual factors were analyzed for availing a focused
perspective on the causes of stress. It was identified that the employees mostly suffer from stress due to heavy
work load leads to work life imbalance anxieties and ill health. Women constitute a significant number of the
workforce in BPO sector in the country. They are primarily in their mid-twenties and qualified with graduate or
post graduate degrees.. However, it has been found that thin strains of discontentment creep in over time on
issues such as inadequate salary packages, differential promotional prospects and increments, ambiguous
service conditions, irregular and arduous work schedules and lack of facilities in workplace.
INTRODUCTION
At present work environment has become more stressful because of diverse role expectations, cut throat
competition, globalization and technological innovation. Such changes have created several complications on
both the domestic and professional fronts for the employees. It is because of these problems that a number of
organizations have been organizing several programs for helping their employees get rid of their baggages of
stress. Managed effectively, stress can enhance motivation and effort, thus contributing to professional growth
and developmentThere are three categories of potential stressors: environmental, organizational and individual.
The environmental factors could be economic uncertainty, political uncertainty; organizational factors include
task demand, role demand, interpersonal demand, organizational structure and organizational leadership; and the
individual factors could be family issues, personal economic problems and personality characteristics BPO
sector is one of the fastest growing sectors in the present scenario with ample growth opportunities and, apart
from this, is one of the major sources of employment. Companies face several challenges in the pursuit of
business excellence, and a few amongst them are:

cost effective and timely responses to regulatory changes;

Improving productivity;

Delivering guaranteed results through commercial innovation, including outsourcing and joint
ventures; and

Optimizing resources

With the expansion of business possibilities in the competitive environment, the employees of BPO
sector face a high level of stress, leading to several complications in the fulfillment of job responsibilities.
BPO sector has been one of the most rapidly growing sectors in the present scenario with a remarkable
growth rate of 52 percent annually, thus attracting the cream talent to the industry. Insurance along with the
banking sector has contributed to the tune of 7% percent to the GDP of the country. A fast growing industry is
susceptible to several changes, and thus may contribute to high stress levels for the employees. Since BPO sector
is one of the most profitable sectors of the Indian economy, where employees are the most crucial resource in
defining the success of an organization, a study on stress under such circumstances becomes all the more
important as it affects their efficiency and motivation for performing relentlessly in their pursuit of excellence.
The study aims at understanding the causes of stress among the employees in BPO sector by assessing
the present trends, the work ambience and the personal feedback from the employees of different BPOs. The
focus is on identifying the subtle issues that affect the performance of the employees both directly and indirectly.
The main objective is to diagnose the pertinent stressors and offer remedial measures for helping the
employees in overcoming the problems related with it. For a deeper perspective on this issue, studies on stress
1
2

Hod dept of Business Administration

Senior lecturer, Business Administration Ravenshaw university

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Cognitive Discourses International Multidisicplinary Journal ISSN 2321-1075 Volume 1, Issue 1, July 2013
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were reviewed, which facilitated a focused understanding of the topic under study; and along with that the causal
factors responsible for stress among employees were also analyzed.
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Arnold and Feldman (1986) define stress as the reactions of individuals to new or threatening factors
in their work environment. Since our work environments often contain new situations, this definition suggests
that stress is inevitable. This definition also highlights the fact that reactions to stressful situations are
individualized and can result in emotional, perceptual, behavioral, and physiological changes. Stress ma be
regarded as a force that strains usual coping resources. It is the physiological response by the body to external or
internal stimuli. Described usually as a response to a threatening or challenging situation or environment
(Franks, 1994), stress may involve self-doubt, anxiety, fear and anger. It is often accompanied by physical
symptoms such as muscular tension, headaches and exhaustion (Fry, 1995). Work-related stress can affect
individuals when they feel an inability to cope or control demands placed on them within their work environment
and can eventually contribute to the development of maladaptive behaviors such as drinking and smoking (Stan
field et al., 2000) and physical conditions such as depression, anxiety, nervousness, fatigue and heart disorder
(European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, 2002).
Research indicates that time pressures, excessive demands, role conflicts, ergonomic deficiencies, job
security and relationship with customers are particularly common stressors amongst employees in the financial
services sector (Toivanen et al., 1993; Graca and Kompier, 1999). Furthermore, new stressors such as computer
breakdowns, computer slowdowns and electronic performance monitoring, have developed as a result of
increased human interaction with computers (Smith et al., 1999). As the occupational environment,
organizational structure and policies, and role and task demands are the determining factors in the levels of stress
and violence to which employees are exposed to (Dharmangadan, 1988), researchers assert the need to recognize
and deal with these issues more accurately at a situational level (Sparks and Cooper, 1999; Giga et al., 2002; and
Di Martino et al., 2003).
Past research has proven that stressors can be divided into those that arise from within an individual
(internal), and those that are attributable to the environment (external). Internal stressors are the results from
individual factors and are within a person's control, whereas external stressors are solely the environmental
factors and are beyond a person's control. Bhagat (1983) has reported that work performance can be seriously
impaired by external stressors. The various external stressors are issues of structure, management's use of
authority, monotony, a lack of opportunity for advancement, excessive responsibilities, ambiguous demands,
value conflicts and unrealistic work loads. For that matter, a person's personal life, including the family, friends,
health and financial situations, May also is an important source of stress.
A lot of published evidences exist on stress and its effect on employees in financial and banking sector,
but very little attention has been paid to the BPO sector. The growth of BPO sector has been a recent
phenomenon, due to which enough of literary review on the major stressors affecting the BPO employees does
not exist. This study aims at identifying the vital causes of stress usually affecting the employees of BPO sector
in the Indian context.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
1.

To gain familiarity about various social, emotional and physical problems faced by BPO employees.

2.

To study the impact of inadequate sleep on the health of employees working in the BPO sector.

3.

To find out various strategies adopted by companies to help their employees to maintain good worklife balance.

4.

To find out various present stressful practices.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

A sample of 50 employees of two leading BPO companies from the city Bhubaneswar irrespective of
their level of employment and demographic status were taken randomly for our research work.
HYPOTHESIS
1.

Employees working in day shifts are more productive than those working in night shifts.

2.

Employees working in night shifts are facing more physical and emotional problems than those of day
shifts.

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3.

Night shift BPO employees have poor work-life balance.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Sample
The total sample size was 50 employees of the two of the leading BPO companies. EXL and HCL the
respondents were from all the cadres of management (top, middle and bottom), because employees of all the
levels faced some form of stress or the other due to various reasons.
Tool
As the study aimed at knowing the causes of stress among the employees working in the BPO sector,
the information was mainly collected from primary sources, which included questionnaires, interviews and
personal observation of the work environment for capturing the pulse of the professional ambience. A nondisguised structured questionnaire for measuring the causes of stress was designed, comprising of multiple
options, out of which the respondents were asked to select their preferred options. The options covered various
factors leading to a stress buildup among the employees.
Data Collection
A pilot testing was conducted initially by administering the questionnaire on around 10 numbers of
respondents. The information was collected from the employees at all levels from two of the leading BPO
companies in Bhubaneswar EXL and HCL. Moreover, interviews were also conducted with the employees for
gathering information on their perception about their organization and the problems which they faced both
directly and indirectly in the discharge of their responsibilities. To interview the respondents, a format was
prepared, including several questions on the issues affecting the stress levels of the employees, such as the
perception about their place of work, impact of family pressures on their work, expectations from their roles, up
to what extent they are satisfied and possible suggestions for overcoming the adversities of stress by evaluating
the individual initiatives and organizational initiatives.
RESEARCH DATA ANALYSIS
This paper also includes an analysis of the data collected by representing it in tabular form along with
the interpretations. Moreover, the information collected from interviews and observation was also analyzed for
arriving at proper perspectives on the topic.
From Table 1, it could be inferred that a majority of the respondents working in the organizations under
study felt that they were under stress. Around 96 percent respondents felt that they faced stress due to both
personal and professional reasons, whereas around 4 percent of the respondents felt that they were not stressed.
Table 1. Percentage of Respondents who Felt that they were Stressed
Category

% of Respondents

Stressed

96

Not Stressed

From Table 2, it could be understood that the causes of stress among the BPO employees are long
working hours (12 percent) and excess work load (36 percent). Moreover, due to the effect of privatization, most
of the organizations have adopted a hire-and-fire policy, including the insurance sector, due to which around 23
percent of the respondents had a tremendous sense of job insecurity. The burden of competition was also felt by
around 14 percent of the respondents. The findings from the interviews even supported the fact that the
employees felt that they were facing severe work pressure, as they were expected to handle multiple roles and
responsibilities. Moreover, the target limits kept on piling with each passing day which led to a feeling of
insecurity and fear of losing the job in case of non-achievement of targets; this was a potent source of stress for
the employees.

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Cognitive Discourses International Multidisicplinary Journal ISSN 2321-1075 Volume 1, Issue 1, July 2013
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Table 2. Major Causes of Stress

factors

% of Respondents

long working hours

12

Job Insecurity

23

Burden of competition

14

Work Overload/Bound Less work

36

Lack of Support

15

Table 3 presents details on the secondary causes of stress which usually affect the BPO employees.
Secondary factors affect the stress levels of the employees but to a minor extent. It indicates that amongst the
secondary factors related to stress, communication gap (13 percent) is one of the causes of stress.
Communication gap means disturbances or misunderstandings generated out of ineffective communication, thus,
leading to problems in relationships. Moreover, around 13 percent of the respondents also considered work life
imbalance as one of the factors contributing to stress for an employee. This can be regarded as a factor building
up stress because a lot of employees complained that they were unable to balance both the personal and
professional fronts successfully. Extra work pressures and demands from the work environment at times led to
the neglect of personal front. Around 11 percent of the respondents held low economic status as one of the
important causes of stress. It was clear from the interviews that managers in senior level positions enjoying
higher income were less stressful in comparison to the employees working in the junior positions with less
salary.
Table 3. Secondary Causes of Stress
Factors

% of Respondents

Communication Gap

13

Lack of Acceptability

Limited Future Prospects

Work Life Imbalance

13

Lack of Skills

Lack of Awareness

Work Environment

10

Unmatched Expectations

Technology Change

Difference in Salary

Low economic status

11

From Table 4, it could be implied that around 21 percent of the respondents reckoned that they require
continuous training for improving their performance and efficiency level. The respondents were keen on product
training and honing their soft skills, which would enable them to achieve their targets successfully. Moreover,
around 18 percent of the respondents expected that they required recognition from the organization for a superior
performance which would facilitate their motivation level and provide them extra kick for giving their best shot.
Around 18 percent of respondents also wanted an encouraging and an open work culture in their organization, as
it would improve their level of motivation for a better performance. 15 percent of the respondents felt that their
organization must organize stress management programs for helping the employees in getting rid of their
baggages of stress. Around 13 percent of the respondents wanted job enrichment, which means they required
enrichment of their responsibilities by adding special roles to the existing set of responsibilities for better
opportunities in the future

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Table 4. Preferential Need for Success

Factors

% of Respondents

Continuous Training

21

Constant Recognition

18

Good Ambience

18

Stress Management Campaign

15

Job Enrichment

13

Longer Breaks in Between Works Hours

15

When you are in a stressful situation, your body launches a physical response. Your nervous system
springs into action, releasing hormones that prepare you to either fight or take off. It's called the "fight or flight"
response, and it's why, when you're in a stressful situation, you may notice that your heartbeat speeds up, your
breathing gets faster, your muscles tense, and you start to sweat. This kind of stress is short-term and temporary
(acute stress), and your body usually recovers quickly from it.
But if your stress system stays activated over a long period of time (chronic stress), it can lead to more
serious health problems. The constant rush of stress hormones can put a lot of wear and tear on your body,
causing it to age more quickly and making it more prone to illness. this can be better illustrated through table-5
and table-6.
Table 5. Pshysical Sign of Stress
Headache
Difficulty sleeping
Fatigue
Difficulty concentrating
Upset stomach
Irritability
When stress becomes long-term and is not properly addressed, it can lead to a number of more serious health
conditions, including:
Table 6. Serious Health conditions
Abnormal heartbeat (arrhythmia)
Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis)
Heart disease
Depression
High blood pressure
Heart attack
Heartburn, ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome

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upset stomach -- cramps, constipation, and diarrhea

Weight gain or loss
changes in sex drive
Fertility problems
Flare-ups of asthma or arthritis
Skin problems such as acne, eczema, and psoriasis.

MAJOR FINDINGS OF THE RESEARCH

The research was primarily an empirical examination of the factors affecting the
employees and some of the crucial findings of this study are:

stress levels of BPO

Around 96 percent of the respondents of BPO sector believed that they face high level of stress, which
may be due to both professional and personal reasons.

A majority of the respondents considered heavy target load as one of the causal factors for aggravating
stress in the work. Apart from this, the respondents also felt that they were overburdened with work load
in their work place which led to a rise in their stress levels.

Some of the secondary factors causing stress amongst the employees were communication gap and work
life imbalance. Usually the communication gap took place because of lack of effective communication of
the organizational policies from the top, weak interpersonal relationship, clutter of responsibilities and
misperception.

The respondents expected that the management should come up with a few of the initiatives for
controlling their stress levels.

From the research it is revealed that workplace stress can affect the quality of your work and employees
health.

SUGGESTIONS
1.

The organization must take the initiative for managing their employees stress by building up a fostering
work climate, promoting employee motivation by organizing training programs and recognizing excellent
performance, and offering timely feedback through mentoring and counseling sessions.

2.

Employer should involve the employees in the organizational process and should intimate every new
initiative of the management and required empowerment for developing an involvement in their work.

3.

The management must help individuals in building up stress management skills by teaching employees
time management and relaxation techniques, or suggesting changes to ones diet or exercise.

4.

management must enforce policies for mandatory vacations

5.

management should also enforce reasonable working hours by providing extra breaks during the working
schedule

6.

Management should provide ample opportunities for employee recreation and rejuvenation for boosting
the energy level of their workforce.

CONCLUSION
The problem of stress is inevitable and unavoidable in the BPO sector. A majority of the employees
face severe stress-related ailments and a lot of psychological problems. Hence, the management must take
several initiatives in helping their employees overcome its disastrous effect, as otherwise this would ultimately
affect their productivity and presence in a highly competitive market. Efforts should be made to provide a
common platform to the workforce, where they get an opportunity to communicate freely and project them as a

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potential talent. Since stress in BPO sector is mostly due to excess work pressure and heavy targets, continuous
training and motivation and offering programs on stress management and work life balance would produce
positive results.
REFERENCES
Centre for Global Justice, 2005 Conference Mattingly, D. J. "Indian Call Centers: The Outsourcing of 'Good
Jobs' for Women", Centre for Global Justice, 2005 Conference Papers.
ILO (2001) World Employment Report, 2001; ILO, Geneva.
Mattingly, D. J. "Indian Call Centers: The Outsourcing of 'Good Jobs' for Women".
NASSCOM Directory of Indian IT Enabled Services 2002, NASSCOM, New Delhi.
NASSCOM Indian ITES-BPO Industry Fact Sheet, ASSCOM, New Delhi, 2004.
Ramesh, B. P. "Labour in Business Process Outsourcing: A Case Study of Call Centre Agents", NLI Research
Studies Series No.51, V. V. Giri National Labour Institute, Noida, 2004.
Singh, P. and A Pandey (2005) 'Women in Call Centers', Economic and Political Weekly, Vol.40, No.7, pp. 684688.

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