Workplace Stressors and Employee Performance: A Conceptual Review

Abstract

In work settings, stress can be produced by an array of stressors, such as work tasks, psychosocial, and organizational stressors. Reviews of studies done on physical and psychosocial stressors revealed that physical factors, such as repetitive movements, awkward postures, high force demands, work posture, vibration and psychosocial factors, such as low co-worker support, high quantitative demands, low job control and low job satisfaction are of importance. The organizations therefore should be concerned with identifying the workplace stressors, and empowering their employees to deal with those stressors that cannot be completely eliminated. Stress is a universal element experienced by employees around the globe. Stress has become major problem for employer particularly in developing nations where the employer does not realize the impact of stress on employee performance. It is important to recognize and address properly job stress because it badly affects the employee’s mental and physiological health. As there are so many resources for employees to perform excellent in their jobs but there is also some factors that hinders in their way. These factors lead to negative employee performance. Stress at work is seen as one of the major psychosocial risks of work. Work-related stress is one of the problems confronting employees. It is of great concern to employees, employers and psychologists, because of its high growing rate in ill- health, as a result of long working hours of some employees. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of work stressors on employee performance.