The impact of occupational role stress on employees’ performance in the banking sector – a comparative study of two banks in Johannesburg

Abstract: This comparative study explored the effects of occupational role stress on employees in two selected banks in Johannesburg with the aim of examining ways in which the banks’ operations and job performance requirements correlate with stress among their employees. The study intended to achieve four objectives: to survey the operational management activities of two selected banks, to examine the nature and the effects of occupational role stress on the employees’ performance and to identify the major stressors among the employees. A survey of hundred respondents from Bank A and Bank B was conducted using a closed-ended and open-ended questionnaire. Data analysis regarding factors of stress reveals that employees’ dissatisfaction with remunerations and pressure to perform promote stress. Employees’ good relationships with customers, colleagues, management, friends, and family members in secured, safe and clean environments prevent stress. Data analysis of fear of losing jobs, commitment to work and the need for salaries, concern about children and importance of a balance between work and social responsibilities and having enough time for themselves, indicated that most of the respondents in Bank A provided positive responses with a majority of the respondents in Bank B giving opposing responses or vice versa. Some results also indicated instances where some respondents in either Bank A or Bank B expressed divergent views. Data analysis of occupational role stress showed that relationships between expectations of respondents’ superiors and expectations of their juniors were causes of occupational role stress. Conversely, the respondents’ use of their training and expertise to work and a positive correlation between personal values and role demands hinder occupational role stress. The respondents also expressed ambivalent views regarding feeling overburdened in their role functions. Similarly, ambivalent responses emerged from data analysis of the following: occupational roles interfering with family lives; role functions having been re-assigned to entities or people; relationship between occupational role and personal interests and how the amount of work interfered with the quality of work. Data analysis regarding coping strategies concluded that time management, daily goal setting, prioritising work, preparation of action plans, talking with friends and family members and looking at issues from different perspectives were the most favoured strategies. Quitting jobs, writing stress diaries, complaining, smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol and day dreaming were the five least preferred strategies.M.Tech. (Operations Management