Demographic differences in sources of stress in higher educational institutions in Ghana

https://doi.org/10.35912/ijfam.v3i1.476
Published: Jun 3, 2021

Abstract:

Purpose: The current research aimed to investigate demographic differences in job stress prevalence and job stress causes among the staff of universities.

Research methodology: The study is based on a descriptive, quantitative, and cross-sectional research design. A sample of 100 respondents, from Sunyani Technical University, were sampled using the convenience sample method. Data were collected in a survey using a questionnaire which was designed by the researchers and administered to the respondents at their workplaces. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, regression analysis, and One-Way Analysis of Variance. Results were presented in Tables.

Results: The findings indicate that significant demographic differences exist in job stress prevalence and job stress causes. The management of universities should take into account the current findings of the research in dealing with job stress. Appropriate policies are recommended to be put in place to deal with stress related to the job to improve staff output, so as not to have a deleterious effect on staff professional work and personal welfare.

Limitations: Some respondents felt reluctant to take part in the survey. The causal conclusions cannot be made based on the current findings since a causal investigation was not the focus of the study, and hence was not done. Some respondents also did not answer all the questions asked.

Contributions: The paper contributes to the literature in the area of job stress sources and the role demographic factors in job stress causes in higher institutions. The work is the first of its kinds in the study institution on the role of culture and belief on job stress.

Keywords:
1. Job stress
2. Stress prevalence
3. Causes of stress
Authors:
1 . Ernest Owusu
Department of Marketing, Sunyani Technical University, Sunyani, Ghana
2 . Chief Bright Akomeah
Faculty of Applied Science & Technology, Sunyani Technical University, Sunyani, Ghana
3 . Francis Duah
Faculty of Applied Science & Technology, Sunyani Technical University, Sunyani, Ghana
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How to Cite
Owusu, E., Akomeah, C. B., & Duah, F. (2021). Demographic differences in sources of stress in higher educational institutions in Ghana. International Journal of Financial, Accounting, and Management, 3(1), 27–44. https://doi.org/10.35912/ijfam.v3i1.476
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Vol. 3 No. 1 (2021): June
Articles
References

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    Ahmad, A., Hussain, A., Akash, R. S. S. I., Zahoor, S., Yasmin, S., & Jaffri, N. R. (2012). Do demographic factors affect work-stress? A case study of the textile and clothing industry in Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 58(1), 307-313.

    Akinyele, S. T., Epetimehin, S., Ogbari, M., Adesola, A. O., & Akinyele, F. E. (2014). Occupational stress among academic staff in private university: empirical evidence from Covenant University, Nigeria'. Journal of Contemporary Management Research, 8(1), 1-23.

    Aydin, O. T. (2018). Impact of demographic variables on job stress factors: A study on

    Turkish employees. Journal of Business Research Turk, 10(2), 803-826.

    Blaug, R., Kenyon, A., & Lekhi, R. (2007). Stress at work. The Work Foundation, London.

    Chaturvedi, A. & Joshi, M. (2018). Job stress and performance of employees: A comparative study of public and private life insurance sector. SJCC Management Research Review, 8(2), 102-113.

    Chona, C., & Roxas, M. A. (2009). Stress among public elementary school teachers. University of Cordilleras Research Journal, 1(4), 86-108.

    Chuang, N. K., & Lei, S. A. (2011). Job stress among casino hotel chefs in a top-tier tourism city. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 20(5), 551-574.

    Cornelius, G. F. (1994). Stressed out: Strategies for living and working with stress in a correction. Laurel, MD: American Correctional Association.

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    Sudbury: HSE Research Report 449.

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    Dowden, C., Teller, C., & (2004). Predicting work-related stress in correctional officers: A meta-analysis. Journal of Criminal Justice, 32(1), 31-47.

    Dunham, J. (2001). Stress in the workplace: Past, present and future. Whurr, London.

    Eres, F., & Atanasoska, T. (2011). Occupational stress of teachers: A comparative study between Turkey and Macedonia. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 1(7), 59-65.

    Fako. T. T. (2010). Occupational stress among university employees in Botswana. European Journal of Social Sciences, 15(3), 313-26.

    Faraji, A., Karimi, M., Azizi, S. M., Janatolmakan, M., & Akhatony, A. (2019). Occupational

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    Farhat K., Muhammad, B. Azmi, M. H., & Azmi, S. S. (2013). Assessment of job stress; demographic factors in doctors working at the tertiary care hospitals of Karachi. Professional Medocal Journal, 20(1), 152-159.

    Gachter, M., Savage, D. A., & Torgler, B. (2009). Gender Variations of Physiological and Psychological Stress among Police Officers. Discussion Papers and Working Paper Series, No. 252, School of Economics and Finance, Queensland University of Technology, Social Science Research Network (SSRN)

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    Hanushek, E. A. (2007). The single salary schedule and other issues of teacher pay. Peabody Journal of Education, 82(4), 574-586.

    Hepburn, J. R. (1987). The prison control structure and its effects on work attitudes: The perceptions and attitudes of prison guards. Journal of Criminal Justice, 15, 49-64.

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    Ismail, N., & Rahman, A. A., & Abidin, E. Z. (2015). organizational factors associated with occupational stress among lecturers in community colleges, Peninsular Malaysia. Iranian Journal of Public Health, 43(3),125-130.

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    Karthikeyan, V., & Lalwani, S. (2019). Impact of demographic variables on occupational stress among bank employees. International Journal of Scientific & Technology Research, 8(10), 1078-1085.

    Khan, M. J., Altaf, S., & Kausar, H. (2013). Effect of perceived academic stress on students' performance. FWU Journal of Social Sciences, 7(2), 146-151.

    Kooli, C. (2019). Governing and managing higher education institutions: The quality audit contributions. Evaluation and program planning, 77, 1-9.

    Kooli, C. (2021). Could Education quality audit enhance human resources management processes of the higher education institutions. Vision: The Journal of Business Perspective.

    Lackritz, J. R. (2004). Exploring burnout among university faculty: incidence, performance, and demographic issues. Teaching and Teacher Education, 20(7), 713-729.

    Lambert, R., O'Donnell, M., Kusherman, J., & McCarthy, C. J. (2006). Teacher stress and classroom structural characteristics in preschool settings. In R. L. McCarthy (Ed.), Understanding teacher stress in an age of accountability (pp. 105-120). Greenwich, CT: Information Age.

    Lambert, E., Hogan, N., & Allen, R. (2006). Correlates of correctional officer job stress: The impact of organizational structure. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 30(2), 227-246.

    Landsbergis, P. A. (2003). The changing organization of work and the safety and health of working people: A commentary. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 45(1), 61-72.

    Mensah, H. K., Fosu, F. A., & Oteng-Abayie, E. F. (2017). Occupational stressors among university non-academic staff: results from a representative public university in Ghana. International Journal of Business Excellence, 13(2), 200-216.

    Meng, Q., & Wang, G. (2018). A research on sources of university faculty occupational stress: a Chinese case study. Psychology Research and Behaviour Management, 11(1), 597-605.

    Milczarek, M., Schneider, E., Rial-González, E. (2009). Occupational safety and health-facts and figures. European agency for safety and health at work. European risk observatory report.

    Muchinsky, P. M. (2007). Psychology applied to work (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

    National Union of Teachers. (1999). Tackling stress: NUT health & safety briefing.

    Ofoegbu, F., & Nwadiani, M. (2006). Level of perceived stress among lectures in Nigerian universities. Journal of instructional psychology, 33(1), 66-74.

    Owusu-Ansah, F. E. (2008). Managing stress at the workplace and in the home'. Ghana Medical Journal, 42(2), 61-67.

    Parent-Thirion, A., Macías, E., Hurley, J., & Vermeylen, G. G. (2007). Fourth European working conditions survey. European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, Luxembourg.

    Perrewe, P. L., & Ganster, D. C. (2002). "Overview", Historical and current perspectives on stress and health. Research in Occupational Stress and Well Being, 2, 7-8.

    Reddy, G. L., & Poornima, R. (2012). Occupational stress and professional burnout of University teachers in South India. International Journal of Educational Planning and Administration, 2(2), 109-124.

    Rintaugu, E. G. (2013). "Socio-demographic factors and causes of job stress of sports personnel in Kenyan universities". Human Resource Management Research, 3(4), 166-172.

    Shkëmbi, F., Melonashi, E., & Fanaj, N. (2015). Workplace stress among teachers in Kosovo. SAGE Open, 5(4), 1-8.

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    Sun, W., Wu, H, & Wang, L. (2011). Occupational stress and its related factors among university teachers in China. Journal of Occupational Health, 53(4), 280-286.

    Yahaya, M. A., Hashim, S., & Kim, T. S. (2008). Occupational stress among technical teachers' school in Johore, Melacca and Negeri Sembilan. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Institutional Repository.

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    Zakrizevska, M., & Bulatova, J. (2015). Occupational stress and professional deformation among university academic staff'. Journal of Business Management, 9, 20-28.

  1. Agai-Demjaha, T., Minov, J., Stoleski, S., & Zafirova, B. (2015). Stress causing factors among teachers in elementary schools and their relationship with demographic and job characteristics. Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences, 3(3), 493-9.
  2. Ahmad, A., Hussain, A., Akash, R. S. S. I., Zahoor, S., Yasmin, S., & Jaffri, N. R. (2012). Do demographic factors affect work-stress? A case study of the textile and clothing industry in Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 58(1), 307-313.
  3. Akinyele, S. T., Epetimehin, S., Ogbari, M., Adesola, A. O., & Akinyele, F. E. (2014). Occupational stress among academic staff in private university: empirical evidence from Covenant University, Nigeria'. Journal of Contemporary Management Research, 8(1), 1-23.
  4. Aydin, O. T. (2018). Impact of demographic variables on job stress factors: A study on
  5. Turkish employees. Journal of Business Research Turk, 10(2), 803-826.
  6. Blaug, R., Kenyon, A., & Lekhi, R. (2007). Stress at work. The Work Foundation, London.
  7. Chaturvedi, A. & Joshi, M. (2018). Job stress and performance of employees: A comparative study of public and private life insurance sector. SJCC Management Research Review, 8(2), 102-113.
  8. Chona, C., & Roxas, M. A. (2009). Stress among public elementary school teachers. University of Cordilleras Research Journal, 1(4), 86-108.
  9. Chuang, N. K., & Lei, S. A. (2011). Job stress among casino hotel chefs in a top-tier tourism city. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 20(5), 551-574.
  10. Cornelius, G. F. (1994). Stressed out: Strategies for living and working with stress in a correction. Laurel, MD: American Correctional Association.
  11. Cox, T., Griffiths, A., & Houdmont, J. (2006). Defining a Case of Occupational Stress.
  12. Sudbury: HSE Research Report 449.
  13. Darmody, M., & Smyth, E. (2011). Job satisfaction and occupational stress among primary school teachers and school principals in Ireland. Dublin, Ireland: Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI)/The Teaching Council.
  14. Dowden, C., Teller, C., & (2004). Predicting work-related stress in correctional officers: A meta-analysis. Journal of Criminal Justice, 32(1), 31-47.
  15. Dunham, J. (2001). Stress in the workplace: Past, present and future. Whurr, London.
  16. Eres, F., & Atanasoska, T. (2011). Occupational stress of teachers: A comparative study between Turkey and Macedonia. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 1(7), 59-65.
  17. Fako. T. T. (2010). Occupational stress among university employees in Botswana. European Journal of Social Sciences, 15(3), 313-26.
  18. Faraji, A., Karimi, M., Azizi, S. M., Janatolmakan, M., & Akhatony, A. (2019). Occupational
  19. stress and its related demographic factors among Iranian CCU nurses: a cross-sectional study. BMC Res Notes, 12: 634.
  20. Farhat K., Muhammad, B. Azmi, M. H., & Azmi, S. S. (2013). Assessment of job stress; demographic factors in doctors working at the tertiary care hospitals of Karachi. Professional Medocal Journal, 20(1), 152-159.
  21. Gachter, M., Savage, D. A., & Torgler, B. (2009). Gender Variations of Physiological and Psychological Stress among Police Officers. Discussion Papers and Working Paper Series, No. 252, School of Economics and Finance, Queensland University of Technology, Social Science Research Network (SSRN)
  22. Griffin, M. A., & Clarke, S. (2011). Stress and well-being at work. In S. Zedeck (Ed.), APA handbook of industrial and organizational psychology, 3, 359-397. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
  23. Grossi, W. L., & Berg, B. L. (1991). Stress and job dissatisfaction among correctional officers: An unexpected finding. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 35, 73-81.
  24. Hanushek, E. A. (2007). The single salary schedule and other issues of teacher pay. Peabody Journal of Education, 82(4), 574-586.
  25. Hepburn, J. R. (1987). The prison control structure and its effects on work attitudes: The perceptions and attitudes of prison guards. Journal of Criminal Justice, 15, 49-64.
  26. Ingersoll, R. (2003). Is There Really a Teacher Shortage? (Document R-03-4). Washington, DC: CPRE Research Reports.
  27. Isikhan, V., Comez, T., & Danis, M. (2004) Job stress and coping strategies in health care professionals working with cancer patients. European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 8(3), 234-44.
  28. Ismail, N., & Rahman, A. A., & Abidin, E. Z. (2015). organizational factors associated with occupational stress among lecturers in community colleges, Peninsular Malaysia. Iranian Journal of Public Health, 43(3),125-130.
  29. Kabito, G. G., Wami, S. D., Chercos, D. H., & Mekonnen, T. H. (2020). Work-related stress and associated factors among academic staffs at the University of Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia: An institution-based cross-sectional study. Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences, 30(2), 223-232.
  30. Karthikeyan, V., & Lalwani, S. (2019). Impact of demographic variables on occupational stress among bank employees. International Journal of Scientific & Technology Research, 8(10), 1078-1085.
  31. Khan, M. J., Altaf, S., & Kausar, H. (2013). Effect of perceived academic stress on students' performance. FWU Journal of Social Sciences, 7(2), 146-151.
  32. Kooli, C. (2019). Governing and managing higher education institutions: The quality audit contributions. Evaluation and program planning, 77, 1-9.
  33. Kooli, C. (2021). Could Education quality audit enhance human resources management processes of the higher education institutions. Vision: The Journal of Business Perspective.
  34. Lackritz, J. R. (2004). Exploring burnout among university faculty: incidence, performance, and demographic issues. Teaching and Teacher Education, 20(7), 713-729.
  35. Lambert, R., O'Donnell, M., Kusherman, J., & McCarthy, C. J. (2006). Teacher stress and classroom structural characteristics in preschool settings. In R. L. McCarthy (Ed.), Understanding teacher stress in an age of accountability (pp. 105-120). Greenwich, CT: Information Age.
  36. Lambert, E., Hogan, N., & Allen, R. (2006). Correlates of correctional officer job stress: The impact of organizational structure. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 30(2), 227-246.
  37. Landsbergis, P. A. (2003). The changing organization of work and the safety and health of working people: A commentary. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 45(1), 61-72.
  38. Mensah, H. K., Fosu, F. A., & Oteng-Abayie, E. F. (2017). Occupational stressors among university non-academic staff: results from a representative public university in Ghana. International Journal of Business Excellence, 13(2), 200-216.
  39. Meng, Q., & Wang, G. (2018). A research on sources of university faculty occupational stress: a Chinese case study. Psychology Research and Behaviour Management, 11(1), 597-605.
  40. Milczarek, M., Schneider, E., Rial-González, E. (2009). Occupational safety and health-facts and figures. European agency for safety and health at work. European risk observatory report.
  41. Muchinsky, P. M. (2007). Psychology applied to work (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
  42. National Union of Teachers. (1999). Tackling stress: NUT health & safety briefing.
  43. Ofoegbu, F., & Nwadiani, M. (2006). Level of perceived stress among lectures in Nigerian universities. Journal of instructional psychology, 33(1), 66-74.
  44. Owusu-Ansah, F. E. (2008). Managing stress at the workplace and in the home'. Ghana Medical Journal, 42(2), 61-67.
  45. Parent-Thirion, A., Macías, E., Hurley, J., & Vermeylen, G. G. (2007). Fourth European working conditions survey. European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, Luxembourg.
  46. Perrewe, P. L., & Ganster, D. C. (2002). "Overview", Historical and current perspectives on stress and health. Research in Occupational Stress and Well Being, 2, 7-8.
  47. Reddy, G. L., & Poornima, R. (2012). Occupational stress and professional burnout of University teachers in South India. International Journal of Educational Planning and Administration, 2(2), 109-124.
  48. Rintaugu, E. G. (2013). "Socio-demographic factors and causes of job stress of sports personnel in Kenyan universities". Human Resource Management Research, 3(4), 166-172.
  49. Shkëmbi, F., Melonashi, E., & Fanaj, N. (2015). Workplace stress among teachers in Kosovo. SAGE Open, 5(4), 1-8.
  50. Smith, A., Brice, C., Collins, A., Mathews, V., & McNamara, R. (2000). The scale of occupational stress: A further analysis of the impact of demographic factors and type of job (HSE Contract Research Report No. 311/2000). Sudbury, Ontario, Canada: Health and Safety Executive, HSE Books.
  51. Sun, W., Wu, H, & Wang, L. (2011). Occupational stress and its related factors among university teachers in China. Journal of Occupational Health, 53(4), 280-286.
  52. Yahaya, M. A., Hashim, S., & Kim, T. S. (2008). Occupational stress among technical teachers' school in Johore, Melacca and Negeri Sembilan. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Institutional Repository.
  53. Yeshaw, Y., & Mossie, A. (2017). Depression, anxiety, stress, and their associated factors among Jimma University staff, Jimma, Southwest Ethiopia, 2016: a cross-sectional study. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 13, 2803-2812.
  54. Zakrizevska, M., & Bulatova, J. (2015). Occupational stress and professional deformation among university academic staff'. Journal of Business Management, 9, 20-28.