STRESS AND FRUSTRATION AMONG NIGERIAN BUSINESS MANAGERS (A CASE STUDY OF STAR PAPER MILLS NIG. LTD. ABA, ABIA STATE)

ABSTRACT

Several literature and publications in delight concerning the contrition of service of the Nigerian manager have not been anything to write home about most of the writer point to the face that Nigerian managers are finding it more difficult to carry on with their job tasks responsible and to meet their role expectation both personal and societal.  It is in light of this that the researcher chose to study the consequence of such difficult situation on the managers.

There is no dust that with such difficult situation on the managers parts such pettish and precarious conditions the managers are bound to have stress and frustration among them.  This study was therefore aimed at finding out the prevalence of stress and frustration among Nigeria business managers.

The identification of problem of study led to assumption being made on the various associated with stress and frustration.  The variable included the organization influence the job demand and the environment pressure.

The population of study consisted of the managerial position from the major business organization in Aba of Abia state.

This firm in our study is star paper mills Nig. Ltd in Abia state.  A total of 60 questionnaires were distributed and 47 retrenched making for 78:33% of the population of study.  Data collected were presented and analyzed, the hypothesis were tested using simple percentages and statistical decisions are based on simple data that is to accept or reject the null hypothesis (H0)    

Based on the statistical testing of hypothesis assumptions were this sustained:

i)                    That stress and frustration are major handclaps to Nigerian business managers.

ii)                  That organization influence contributes to stress and frustration among managers.

iii)                That job demand causer stress and frustration to mangers.

iv)                The environment pressure cause stress and frustration to managers

v)                  Those Nigerian business managers will not leave their job as a consequence of stress and frustrations.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

Introduction

1.1       Background of study.

1.2       Statements of problem.

1.3              Objective of the study.

1.4              Research questions

1.5       Significance of the study

1.6       Scope of the study

1.7       Limitations of the study

1.8       Definitions of terms.

CHAPTER TWO

Literature Review

2.1              Conflict in an organization

2.2              Sources of organization

2.3              Causes of stress and frustration among mangers

References

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

3.1       Introduction to the study

3.2       Population of the study

3.3       Sample size determination

3.4       Instrument for data collection

3.5       Validation of the instrument

3.6       Reliability of the instrument question distribution & retrieval

3.7       Method of data collection

3.8       Method of data analysis

CHAPTER FOUR

4.1              Presentation & analysis

4.2              Testing of hypothesis

4.3              Summary of result.

CHAPTER FIVE

5.1              Discussion of result

5.2              Conclusion and finding

5.3              Recommendation

5.4              Suggestion for further study

Bibliography

Appendix

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTIN

1.1       BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Today in our society the title “manager” carries the notion of a  highly paid business executive provide with furnished air-conditioned quarters are offices chauffeur driven and social esteemed.

He is perceived as the last to come to work and the first to leave the work place.  He is the boss whose signature and so on are regarded as important.  He is this seen as one who has succeeded in all life effort and has noting to complain of.  His entire problem is or can be taken care of.

If the manager is all that he is assumed to be and enjoys all that society and organization bestows on him.  Why then is the expected role performance to the organization and to him not always ideal and efficient? There are many factors responsible for this low performance and satisfaction on the job.  It is the aim of this research work to find out two stress and frustration among managers contribute to this low role performance and dissatisfaction in their jobs.  According to Mabjiogu, in the present dry Nigeria there is a great dealk of unacknowledged intentions in the manager’s essential authority that either frustrates him or makes his position a very difficult one.

The could be either social influence or interventions with his authority which may be responsible for the critical position of  the manager in the present day Nigeria.

Since the end of the civil war Nigeria has witnessed nearly a decade of oil boom the phenomenal rise in the demand for capital and consumer goods and the galloping rate of inflation.

Distributions of essential commodities importers and trader gained tremendously by creating artificial scarcity hoarding and selective trading. Bank markets spray up.  All these created Nigeria millionaires and quasi- millionaires over night who are not suctioned in the management of enormous wealth or able appraised long term opportunity for their invested wealth.  Unfortunately the Nigeria business manger with long years of marketing and distribution training   and experience is operating in the same market these new business tycoons either selling to them advising hem or finding for them avenues of importation and distribution.

He relives tips makes customers attend their parties and social activities and usually is sample to take bribes in other to do one centerline business with them against the interest of his employers. These societal influences sooner or later make him loose sense of him professional values. His positron, if not exacting is a potable one.  He is made to know all the avenues of acquiring personal wealth by fair or foul means.  He is required by the nature of his job to continues interacting with the very persons who tempt the standard of his professional training and education.

He is expected to settle down a fixed salary in spite of the rate of inflation.  What more is trusted to do business for his employers and account for all the profit and activities without reservation?  The result is that the ideal manger cannot be easily found in Nigeria.  Where there is one, he is sooner or later to resolve the conflict between his job and the environment by the logical act of leaking this employment to join the bandwagon.

The alternative is to stay on and battle with the ethics of his profession the sanction of his trust and the pressure of the environment in the hope that the conflict will not reach the critical point before he is ready to resolve it the logical way.  It is acknowledged that the states of the economy has greatly contributed to the stress and frustration suffered by Nigeria managers.  Due to under development and the consequent aplenty in the country the manager is deprived of his full financial benefits and his position is looked down upon in the society.  The state of affairs frustrates him and exposes him to a situation where he can easily mortgage his conscience for a moss of porridge.

If the there are job opportunities the manager would be able to asset his authority where this is threatened he leaves his job or employer for another just be fair and honest low and the distribution among the population not annoyingly unfair giving rise to the made rush to get rich overnight the manager’s honest will not be tempted. The situation compounds itself where he is unlucky to be in the midst of unscrupulous subordinate’s peers or superior.  They place him in a difficult position of having to support and defend a system which he know and believe in good for condemnation.

Poor attitudes to work reduce productivity which in turn reinforces poverty.

The Nigerian manager generally fined it too strenuous to meet targets and achieve his objective where moral among his subordinates is low.

Unrestrained birthrate and increased life expectancy has increased the inactive section of the population.  These and other under development problems reinforce polarity with attendant bottleneck and deterioration in the manager’s ability to engage in a contented work force.  The result is stress and frustration it is clear that even with the improved life sustenance conformable facilities and the self esteem and freedom from servitudes of men to nature available to a manager his situation will develop more strenuously rather than improve until he learn on how to reward handwork. Another contributing factor to stress and frustration among Nigeria managers is the structure and design of he organization in which they work.  There is internal problem arising from the scope of the manager’s authority.  Most organizations concede the principle of :unity of command” to the any general agreement or concise equation of  authority to responsibilities.  Moreover little or no emphasis has been placed by modern management science on “unity of loyalty” as a practical counter part of the preparation of “unity of command” in Nigeria most managers find themselves with imposed unity of command without unit of   loyalty.

Most organization are based on situation design have been length up with the too many personality theories of motivation and behaviour theories that describes utopia instead of reality.  Managers alone are responsible for added value.  Resources are wasted and the country is made poor if the managers are not effective.  This effectiveness will depend on the design of the organization or its regards for the integration of individual with the policies objectives goals and values of the organization.

In summary effort has so far been made in tracing the various aspects of events that might lead to stress and frustration among managers in Nigeria business organization.  The introduction was started by environment the various situations a manager finds himself in the society and in the organization and the influence from these factors. These were traced from the effect of the civil war and the corruption that ensured thereafter.  The state of the economy was also seen as contributing to the odd position of the managers

The design and structure of the business organization is considered as a factor determining the level of stress and frustration that confronts the mangers.  This goes a long way in bringing at the loyalty and command authority and conflict the manager operates in and the unto pain theories which  stardom his personal prejudice all   these factors mentioned contribute immensely as obstacles between managers and their personal expectations and demands from their job and work place.  There is fear of failure in performance and consequent psychological withdrawal from responsibilities and lack of excitement in the manager’s job.

1.2              STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

It is not questionable to say that manager’s in business organization in Nigeria find themselves in psychological conflict or road backs that is from “frying pan to fire” situation that are choice situation these situation results to stress and frustration it is evident that factors from the environment external and internal to his work place influence his position making it precarious and difficult.  He is confused.  Job insecurity conflict with organization work demand information over load pressure to conform due to high competition f faulty work design stunted expectations on the job are among factors causing the  difficult position of the manger.  Also included one individual conflict arising from family demand middle age crisis unrewarded   ambition economy condition such as Denison are all causing a difficult position for the manager.  The result from such a precarious situation included emotional disorders absenteeism defensive behaviours as projections and rationalization alcoholism drug addiction psychosomatic reaction and   total stop of work.

The constrained influence experience when these variables impede his taste for work and debilitating negative feelings characterize into lack of enthusiasm excitement and joy physical and psychological fatigue for   work.

There is a problem arising from the failure of our Nigerian business managers.  To recognize these them it is one thing to discover causes and another to find workable solutions to them.

The consequence of stress and frustration when in checked cannot be over- emphasized.

The ultimate effect negates the tendencies of motivation productivity and reasonable satisfaction in a job.  An unmotivated manager is like a motor ventricle without engine.

He cannot achieve both personal and organization goal or expectations.

It is this problem and finding possible solutions and recommendation that from the premise for this study.

1.3              OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

This study is aimed at getting information about the following.

-                      To ascertain the basic stress and frustration element I factors that are still prevalent among Nigeria business manager considering the bad economic condition

-                      To find out the degree of stress and frustration on business managers and effect on the individual and organization.

-                      To identity  whether managers recognize those stress and frustration element factors and how they respond to them

-                      To determine two economic and societal decay has tended to make it almost impossible for the business managers to operate.

-                      Finally this study will look into the possible solution available to these managers and make recommendations

1.4                RESEARCH QUESTION

1)                  How can the management of the organization recognize the duties of the manager in the selected company star paper will Aba?

2)                  How will the unit of command function in the organization without stress and frustration?

3)                  How can leadership cause stress and frustration?

4)                  How can environment pressure cause stress and frustration to managers?

5)                   How can stress and frustration be eliminated in an organization?

1.5              SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

At the end of this study if the recommendation will be properly implemental the study shall be of immense or eliminate stress and frustration in their various organizations.

1.6              SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study will focus on a selected firm in Aba Abia state on this basis a judgmental selection of the firm that is our case study “star paper mills Nig. Ltd. Aba”

In star paper mills the employees staring from the lower managers of the various department or units will constitute of the various department or units will constitute the population of study.  Therefore this study will focus on stress and frustration among these group of workers considered as managers of various capacities.  

1.         DEFINITION OF TERMS

The following operational definition have ban used in this study for the words below

STRESS:        This a perceived condition of constrained influence experienced by a manager when certain variable impede his false for the job task or occupation.

FRUSTRATION:     This is a syndrome of emotional exhaustion depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment that can occur among managers.  It involves and accumulation of intense negative feelings that so debilitating that a person with draw from in response to excessive stress or dissatisfaction

BUSINESS MANAGERS:  They get thing done thorough the efforts of other people   and establish the environment for group effort in such a way that individual and organization goals are achieved.

OGANIZATION INFLUENCES:  These are factors within the organization which effect the performance of the manager and determines the amount of satisfaction he derives from his job. Some of these are condition of   service ways and salaries benefits job security supportive interactions and relationships structure and organizational design