THE RELEVANCE OF EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF WORK STRESS ON EMPLOYEES JOB PERFORMANCE (CASE STUDY UNITY BANK PLC, OLEH)
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1    BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Stress is a part of life. We cannot banish it entirely form our lives on this earth. It comes upon use before we know it. Since stress affects our physical and psychological well-being, everyone has to learn to manage it (Coleman, 2003).
Passer and Smith (2004) opines that stress is not a joyful thing. It leads to distress. The emotion and physiological arousal created by stressful situations make us uncomfortable. This discomfort motivates us to do something to overcome or alleviate it.
As with organizational culture, work stress has become a subject on interest recently. Effective management of work stress is justified for two reasons; firstly, a stress is an independent variable influencing employee satisfaction and performance. Secondly, it is incumbent on management to improve quality of life of organizational members.
Stress is linked to coronary heart disease a reduction in stress is expected to improve longevity of workforce. One of the major adverse influence on job satisfaction, work performance and productivity, absenteeism and labour turnover is the incidence of stress at work.
According to Otete (2008), stress is a source of tension and frustration and can arise through a number of interrelated influences on behaviour, including the individual, group, organization and environmental factors. For example to human terms any situation that is seen as burdensome, threatening to induce stress. Thus, is the type of situation that would normally strike the individual as demanding immediate attention or concern and is viewed as unfortunate and annoying, there tends to be the feeling that the situation should not exist, but because of its, the person feels disappointed and is prone to anxiety, depression, anger, hostility, inadequacy and low frustrating tolerance. The causes of stress are complex, stress is also a very personal experience as is the response of each individual to it and their beliefs about how best to cope with the causes and effect of stress. The result of unrelieved stress on the individual and on business are worrying, the result may be higher accident rate, sickness, absence, inefficiency, damaged relationships with clients and colleagues, high staff turnover, early retirement on medical grounds and even pre-mature death (Mullina, 2008).
The cost of stress is huge, it is devastating to the individual and damaging to the business at a time when the need to control business cost and ensure effective and healthy workforce. It is every one interest to tackle the taboo on talking about emotional problems because it is this which inhibits individual from seeking help.
1.2    STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
The problems of de-motivation workforce, job dissatisfaction, negative or hostile attitude among the subordinates, low productivity, high labour turnover and absenteeism in organizations have made the researcher to evaluate the relevance of effective management of work stress on employees job performance using Unity Bank plc, Oleh Delta State as study.
This study will therefore, attempt to examine the following problems;
Firstly, one special issue is the low level of employee job performance as a result of lack of effective management of work stress.    
Secondly, another area is lack of employees job satisfaction as a result of non effective application of management of work stress.
Thirdly, another area of concern is how inadequate management of work stress affects employees attitude to work in an organization.
Finally, the problem of human resources such as high rate of absenteeism, de-motivation, low productivity, high labour turnover, job dissatisfaction among employees.
1.3    OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY    
This study intends to achieve the following objectives.
To ascertain whether effective management of work stress has any positive effect to employees job performance in an organization.
To examine the extent in which management of work stress serve as a tool for employees job performance
To determine if effective management of work stress will lead to employees job satisfaction in the organization
To find out how effective management of work stress will lead to the increase of high productivity of an organization.
1.4    RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following research questions will serve as a guide to which the study will take.
Does work stress has any positive effect to employees job performance?
Does effective management of work stress directly affects the work performance of employees?
Does effective management of work stress leads to employees job satisfaction?
Does effective management of work stress leads to the survival of Unity Bank plc?
1.5    STATEMENT OF HYPOTHESIS
To find the solution to the problems that leads to the study, the following hypotheses have been stated. The hypotheses are sated in terms of alternative(Hi) and null(Ho) hypothesis.
Hypothesis One
Hi:    There is a significant relationship between work stress and employees job performance
Ho:    There is no significant relationship between work stress and employees job performance.
Hypothesis Two
Hi:    There is significant difference between work stress and employees job satisfaction
Ho:    There is no significant difference between work stress and employees job satisfaction
Hypothesis Three
Hi:    There is a relationship between work stress and survival of Unity bank plc
Ho:    There is no relationship between work stress and survival of Unity bank plc
Hypothesis Four
Hi:    There is a significant difference between effective management of work stress and increase productivity  
Ho:    There is no significant difference between effective management work stress and increase productivity.
1.6    SCOPE OF STUDY
This study is restricted to Unity Bank Plc, Oleh Delta State to determine the relevance of effective management of work stress on employees job performance.
Furthermore, the analysis made in the study is on the data available to the researcher by the company’s staff through questionnaires and responses from head of department through research questions.
1.7    SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
On the completion of this study on the relevance of effective management of work stress of employees job performance, the following will be great benefits to beneficiary;
Organization: This study will proffer solution to the problem of motivation in an organization and will also assist management in different organization to effectively manage work stress at workplace. In other words, management of work stress in an organization is a pre-requisite to the success of every organization.
Government: This study will be also beneficial to the government because effective management of work stress will bring reduction in absenteeism labour turnover.
Society: This study will be of tremendous help to the general public, for them the know how to effectively manage stress which will help them to reduce the effect of stress such as anxiety, depression, anger, hostility, high rate of accident, sickness, damaged relationship, early retirement on medical grounds, and even pre-mature death.
School: Finally, this study will contribute to the stock of existing knowledge and also a reference point for further studies by other scholars and professional and a great benefit to all lovers of knowledge in Nigeria. It will also enlighten future researchers who will like to further the topic.
1.8    LIMITATION OF STUDY   
In the course of the research work, a number of problems were encountered which are;
Financial constrain: One of the problems faced by the researcher is financial constraint. It was very difficult to provide the necessary finance required for the research work.
Time factor: Another problems faced by the researcher is time. There was not enough time for the researcher to carryout this research work.
Inadequate information: Most of the staff of Unity bank plc were reluctant in disclosing some vital information to the researcher. It was also difficult to reach out the most of the staffs during the visit to Unity bank plc, Oleh.
1.9    OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS AND CONCEPTS
The following terms are defined to provide ample clarity in the study.
Effectiveness: A measure of the appropriateness of the goals an organization is pursuing and the degree to which the organization achieve those goals.
Efficiency: A measure at how well a productive resource are used to achieve goals.
Employee: An individual engaged to perform a job in an organization
Management: Comprises planning, organizing, staffing, leading, directing and controlling an organization or effort for the purpose of accomplishing a goal.
Job performance: Ability to reduce goods and services.
Organization: Organization is defined as a social unit that pursue specific goals which they are structure to serve
Motivation: Psychological forces that determines the direction of a person behaviour in an organization
Productivity: The output of an employee over a period of time. Productivity is also reaching the highest level of performance with the least expenditure of resource.
Stress: Stress refers to an individual reaction to a distributing factor in the environment.
Stressor: These are stimuli, situation or event which bring about distress because, they place demands on the us which force use to adapt, or to make adjustments, in some ways.