GENDER AND STRESS AMONG ACADEMIC STAFF IN NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY, AWKA.

Abstract

Organizations overtime, have put in place strategies to help staff tackle stress in the organization. But, these strategies may not have considered the fact that the nature of stressors in male employees differs from that of female employees based on their gender role. Therefore, this study tried to establish a link between gender and stress. It aimed at investigating the strategies adopted by academic staff of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, to cope with stress and the extent to which these strategies have effectively tackled stress in both gender. The study answered four research questions and anchored on the Transactional theories of stress because it effectively explains the link between gender and stress. The study adopted a qualitative research design because; the researcher made use of qualitative method of data collection and data analysis. Data used for this study were derived using secondary sources of data collection technique and Key Persons Interview (KPI). Data derived from this study were analysed using a thematic and verbatim method of data analysis. Findings revealed that female staff are more stressed than their male counterparts and that, the strategies adopted by staff are effective for coping with their stress individually. It was revealed that these strategies are; relaxing, sleeping, listening to music, cooling off in restaurants and other places of choice and drinking water. on official level, it was revealed that the strategies adopted include; take breaking, go for training/ retraining and engaging in sporting activities. The study recommended that, staff take advantage of the sporting activities, leave and break to rest and also, explore the opportunities which the co-operative organizations offer to relief themselves of economic stress.