| Abstract: | This paper is entitled, “Work stress and its causes in Dashen bank.”, and conducted with the
aim of examining major causes of stress in the bank, major symptoms observed, coping
mechanisms employees used and stress management strategies adopted by the management of
the bank with a particular reference of Dashen bank SC., Addis Ababa area branches. The
study was a descriptive study using both qualitative and quantitative method to collect data
from randomly selected 360 employees and 19 managers working in purposively selected 45
Dashen bank branches found in Addis Ababa city administration. Using questionnaire and
interview, the researcher tried to identify answers for the research questions. Using
questionnaire, employees perception towards major causes and symptoms of stress, employees
coping mechanisms and stress management strategies that the bank is using were analyzed. By
using structured interview, the managers’ perception towards stress, stress prevention and
management strategies they are using were analyzed. In attempting to determine the major
causes of work stress, pressure to work for long hour, lack of autonomy to decide on how they
execute their own work and inability to take a sufficient brake are the first top three causes of
stress. Among the given physical, psychological and behavioral symptoms observed, the
psychological one is highest in the bank. Feeling of insecurity, restlessness and anger are the
top psychological symptoms of stress that the employees experienced. There are no formal
stress management strategies in the bank. But, the management of the bank uses some
irrelevant measures such as temporary leave of absent and usage of risk management policy
that can be considered as a stress management strategies. The researcher concluded that the
existence of work stress in the bank is certain and its level also is exceeding the tolerable limit.
Since there is no stress management strategy in the bank, the necessity of establishment of
stress audit committee that can work on further in-depth study on the subject matter and
development of stress management strategies with its urgency of paramount importance. |
