THE IMPACT OF STRESS ON MANAGERIAL EFFICIENCY (A CASE STUDY OF SELECTED COMMERCIAL BANKS AUCHI, EDO STATE.)

ABSTRACT
The purpose of this research work is to examine the management of stress among bank workers, using some selected commercial banks in Auchi Edo State as a case study. the research work focused on the causes of stress in the workplace ( such as work over load role ambiguity, poor working conditions, job insecurity, poor working relationships, new technology, e.t.c) a random sample of fifty esoky employees from some selected commercial bank were selected . Self administered questionnaire was used to collect data and necessary recommendation were mode on findings.

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The workplace of the 21st century is a fast-paced, dynamic and highly stimulating environment which brings a large number of benefit and opportunities to those who work within it. The ever-changing demands of the working world can increase levels of stress, especially for those who are consistently working under pressure such as bank workers. While pressure has its positive side in rising performance, if such pressure becomes excessive, it can lead to stress, which has negative consequences (Santiago,2003).
According to the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, stress could among other things, refer to pressure, tension on worries arising from problematic situations in an individual’s life. Where the incidence of such stress is traceable to a job or work situation, it is know as job stress (Narayanan et al 1999). As Narayanan et al (1999) further observed, stress could in fact be identified with almost any aspect of job or work situation such as extremes of heat, noise and light, or too much or too little responsibility etc. According to Irene (2005), job stress is a pattern of reactions that occurs when work demands that are not marched with their knowledge, skills or abilities and which challenge their ability to cope. It is evident that job stress is associated with under-employment.

Stress at work is a relatively new phenomenon of modern lifestyles. The nature of work has gone through drastic changes over the last century and it is still changing at whirl wind speed. They have touched almost all professions, starting from an artist to a surgeon, or a commercial pilot to a sales executive. Change inevitably comes with stress. In most cases, job stress is attributable to negative situations such as a formal reprimand by one’s superior for poor performance. Pleasant circumstances could also bring about job stress, such as job promotion and transfer to another location. Job stress has attracted considerable attention in recent tomes especially within the context of organizational behaviour (Kazm) et al 2008; Shah and Gole 2008; Nilufa et al 2008
Most research findings suggest that when an individual comes under stress, his cognitive performance and decision making may be adversely affected. Kazmi et al (2008) investigated the effect of stress on job performance and fond that there is a negative relationship between stress and job performance. Shahu and Gole (2008) inquired if there was any relationship between job performance, job satisfaction and job stress and found that higher stress levels are related to lower performances. Sabir and Helge (2003) noted that the major changes that have been implemented in the financial sector have caused major negative effects on worker’s working and personal lives. Santiago (2003) examined the negative effects of internal stress in police performance and found that the negative stress that often results from organization settings through poor management can be debilitating.
There is evidence to suggest that there are ways in which an organization can help to reduce instances of stress, or better manage the issue when it arises. Effective people management, good two-way communication between employers and employees, suitable working environments and effective work grangerization are just some of the factors which can have an impact. However, there is the need to examine critically the nature and effect of stress in Nigerian Banking sector before suggesting ways by which the management could deal with it. This the main thrust of this study.

1.2. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
For most people, work is a significant and meaningful feature of their life with the majority of them spending around 25% of their adult lives working. While work can provide people with structure, purpose, satisfaction, self-esteem and spending power, the workplace can also be a setting of stress and worry.
According to Jungwee (2007), there is no single cause of stress. While stress can be triggered by sudden unexpected pressures, it is often the result of a combination of stressful factor which accumulate over time. Some people can become so used to the symptoms of excessive stress that it goes unnoticed to their detriment; most stress is related to management of work, relationships at work, organizational setup and whether you feel you have power and control in your work. As Jungwee (2007) noted, the experience of stress is different for every person. Some people are affected more than others, so what is stressful for one person may not be stressful for another. It can depend on your personality type and on how you have learned to respond to pressure.
Stress is not always negative or harmful and indeed, the absence of stress is death. Luthans (1989) asserts that we all need some degree of stress to function normally. Thus, in his opinion, Mild levels of stress may not be completely bad for employees as a means of enhancing their job performance. However, empirical studies carried out on the incidence of stress among Nigerian workers by Olugbile (1982), Asika and Ade-Serrano (1985) and Akinnusi (1995) have shown that consistently high level of stress in conjunction with other socio-political and economic factors has contributed to the declining performance and productivity of the Nigerian workers (Nwaroh 1991). Apart from the grave national economic consequences of such declining performance and productivity, stress also poses serious health problems (Cox et al 1996)
The current turbulent Nigerian business environment requires workers and organizations to re-examine their practices. Banking is an inherently stressful profession with long working hours, stiff competition, ethical dilemmas, regulatory bottlenecks and difficult customers. The issue of stress among Nigerian bank workers could be better addressed if the factors responsible for such stress were properly identified and evaluated. The question of how stress affects workers performance is relevant one given the nature of today’s banking environment and the challenges face by Nigerian workers.