Impact of Job Stress on Productivity

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RESEARCH TOPIC: IMPACT OF JOB STRESS ON EMPLOYEES' PRODUCTIVITY IN CEMENT MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY IN ZIMBABWE BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY The ever-changing demands of the working world can increase levels of stress, especially for those who are consistently working under pressure such as in cement companies which operate 24hrs a day. Whilst pressure has its positive side in raising performance, if such pressure becomes excessive it can lead to stress which has negative consequences (Santiago, 2003). Stress could among other things, refer to pressure, tension or worries arising from problematic situations in an individual’s life. Where the incidence of such stress is traceable to a job or work situation, it is known as job stress (Narayanan et al 1999). Job stress could in fact be identified with almost any aspect of a job or work situation such as extremes of heat, noise and light, dust or too much or too little responsibility etc. According to Irene (2005) 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 The nature of work has gone through drastic changes over the last century and it is still changing at whirlwind speed. With change comes stress, inevitably. In some cases, job stress is attributable to negative situations such as a formal reprimand by one’s superior for poor performance. Pleasant circumstances could also bring about job stress, such as job promotion and transfer to another location. Job stress has attracted considerable attention in recent times especially within the context or organizational behavior. Most research findings suggest that when an individual comes under stress, his cognitive performance and decision-making may be adversely affected. Kazmi et al (2008) investigated the

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