A STUDY OF THE CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF STRESS ON SECRETARY’S JOB PERFORMANCE IN BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS

Format: MS WORD |  Chapter: 1-5 |  Pages: 65-80

A STUDY OF THE CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF STRESS ON SECRETARY’S JOB PERFORMANCE IN BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this work was to find out the effects of stress on the secretary’s job performance. A questionnaire was drawn up with which data were collected. This was supplemented by observations. The respondents were in selected organizations in Enugu Urban.  In all 61 questionnaires were distributed for the study. From the data collected and analyzed, it was discovered that secretaries face a lot of stressing situations in the course of doing their jobs but that some were more painful in their effects than others. The three most significant stressors identified were lack of adequate equipment and sufficient working materials and equipment, strenuous human relations in the work place and the lack of necessary qualifications. Recommendations were however made that adequate training of the secretary physically and mentally should be proved among others.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

A stress encountered by secretaries in the field of their job in business organizations is a lot to write home about.  Stress can be defined as the non specific reaction of the body to the demand made on it by external or internal stimulus events called stressors stress as emotional process has psychological and physiological implications said Han Seyle (1964). According to Teachers Rigorously checked stress” is said to be pressure, condition, causing hardship and disquiet etc. Some business organizations in Enugu urban has made life mis-enable for some secretaries working in them, due to their inability to provide one thing or the other for them. Many professional secretaries experience conflicts because of work in the office and family activities waiting demands upon their time. Conflicts occur because the person want to devote adequate attention to both for family and office work.

The causes of this stress emanate from poor conduct of the so called “manager’s who do forget that the secretary is the heart beat of an organization”. Before any form or organization attain their aim, their secret must be kept and for this to be done the secretary in particular must be involved. The roles and functions of the secretary are basic to the organization, these range from covering meetings, taking care of all office routine duties, keeping schedules in both hers and her boss’s desk diaries for complete and effective job performance up to date and supervising sub-ordinates as well as keeping other general information in the office. In the organization, she is also important to the organization because of her ability to remain clam under extra-ordinary condition of work pressures and human demands.

The work of secretaries are stressful in the since that they are the head and eye of the organization. Sometimes secretaries feel like back sliding because of the work fully packed for them and there is no time to tackle all these jobs, and upon that the manager will be shouting on them to hurry up, and as the secretary looks around and finds no help stress arises. In any event, extremely stressful situation, such as lack of sleep or physical torture bring about lack of interest to work and unhappiness while working. As I mentioned before that the secretary is the heart beat of any organization, so organizations should sit up to make life meaningful for the secretaries working in them to achieve their aims.