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Acknowledgements
First of all, I would like to thank God, for having enabled me and for strengthening me every
day in the face of obstacles. I would like to thank my family for the support they have given
over the years. I would like to thank my teacher --------, for the trust deposited in me; and
Declaration
I [], make sure that this research and its all content has been personal, unsupported effort and
has not been published or submitted before. Furthermore, it explains my views and takes on
Signature: _________________
Dated: ___________________
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Abstract
Occupational stress has become an increasing problem in the modern world and is today one
of the most prevalent work-related health problems in Europe. It is a growing concern for
many industries, not least for the construction industry. As the construction industry is known
to be challenging and very competitive based, it is important as an employer that one's staff is
able to perform in the best way. Work-related stress has been identified as a significant factor
and efficiency, which in turn is costly to the company. Work-related stress is also considered
among employees. Given that most individuals spend a lot of time at work, their behavioural,
physical and mental health plays an important role both for the organisation, but also for the
challenging task for organisations. Within this industry, there are several different risk factors
that are related to the work. However, the most prominent factor contributing to work-related
stress is a lack of control in one's daily work. This was mainly noticeable among the
individuals who work at the construction site, as they often have to handle unexpected events.
The biggest problem seems to be the lack of recovery in construction personnel. Today, there
are no strategies that are effective enough to address this problem, which requires a change. It
is important to develop and implement feasible strategies that can reduce the occupational
stress level and increase the level of satisfaction of the employees. Above all, considering that
the stress levels and well-being of staff in the construction industry have not improved, but
rather deteriorated.
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CONTENTS
Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................... 2
Declaration ................................................................................................................................. 3
CHAPTER 1 LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................... 6
1.1 Aim ............................................................................................................................................... 6
1.2 Objectives ..................................................................................................................................... 6
1.3 Construction a Macho Industry………………………………………………………….…………………………………….6
1.4 Stress ............................................................................................................................................. 7
1.5 Theoretical Models on Stress ........................................................................................................ 8
1.6 Construction Stress ....................................................................................................................... 9
1.7 Coping Strategies ........................................................................................................................ 10
1.8 Work-Family Conflict ................................................................................................................. 11
1.10 Mates in Mind .......................................................................................................................... 13
1.11 Current Method of Tracking Stress using a Mobile Phone App ................................................ 13
1.12 Graham's Connect Plus Health and Well-being Initiative......................................................... 14
CHAPTER 2 METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................ 16
2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 16
2.2 Research Method ........................................................................................................................ 16
2.3 Population and Sample ............................................................................................................... 17
2.4 Instruments.................................................................................................................................. 17
2.4.1 Description of the Stress Scale............................................................................................. 17
2.4.2 Description of the Coping Scale .......................................................................................... 18
2.4.3 Description of the Quality of Life Scale .............................................................................. 18
2.5 Data Collection Procedure .......................................................................................................... 18
2.6 Procedure .................................................................................................................................... 19
2.7 Data Analysis Procedure ............................................................................................................. 19
2.8 Ethical Consideration .................................................................................................................. 20
2.9 Reliability and Validity ............................................................................................................... 21
References ................................................................................................................................ 22
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1.2 Objectives
1. Define stress and identify risk/contributing factors that may lead to elevated levels of stress
2. Identify key stressors within the construction industry and how these may impact upon
operatives
3. Identify and explore how the construction industry operatives cope with stress compared to
other industries
4. Determine the extent to which construction companies manage stress among employees
5. Provide and justify potential recommendations that will enable positive stress
management.
According to Milner, et al, (2018) 99% of on-site construction labourers are men in the UK.
Within other areas of this sector, the figures are same, with just 11% of the entire
construction business being female. There is a long-lasting view that the construction
business is male-dominated. There is a feeling that construction is more suited to men, with
women stressed that they might be managed in a different way as they are female, or that they
must keep their head down and made-up to be "one of the guys" to be effective. Whether or
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not this is supported by real experiences, several individuals’ natural anticipation is that their
construction project will be managed by a male manager (Zolina, 2017). This is not
essentially down to a sexist context but supported by assessments that this sector, as it stands,
is mainly male. According to Hutchins, Penney, and Sublett, (2018), people explained that
the construction sector has a male-dominated, macho image symbolised through ‘the builders
bum’ or ‘Stratford smile’. The construction business shows a macho tradition where
relationships are made by conflict, argument, and crisis. As a consequence, workers (male
and female) observe that they are revealed to an extremely hostile situation. From a young
age, construction works are marketed in a male-centric manner that focuses on young male
labourers as their major target. It can be suggested in a manner that encourages construction
as a system into a "masculine" and "strong" career that will make individuality and purpose
as a man. On the other hand, it can be explained as a route for people who have tried in
school or in a society that is focusing to turn their life around and apply their power
effectively (Milner, et al, 2018). These images are normally focused on male beneficiaries,
which refers that some young women feel drawn into working in the construction business
1.4 Stress
Man, from ancient times, shows some concern in seeking justifications for existing diseases.
Campbell, (2006) reports that the disease was long considered to be an event provoked by
construction spirits, demons or even a punishment from God, and in order to cure these evils,
various methods of treatment were used, such as spells, dances, bleeding, flagellations, drug
ingestion. The word stress originated in Latin and from the 17th century on, it was popularly
used as "fatigue", “tight" or "painful". Sutton, Allinson, and Williams, (2013) explained that
at the end of the eighteenth century, its use evolved to denote strength, effort and tension. It is
an ancient biochemical mechanism of man's survival, perfected throughout his own bio
8
physiological evolution (Nelson, and Quick, 2013). Studies on stress became recognised from
Lingard, Francis, and Turner, (2012) research. He observed that stress generated defence and
adaptation reactions to the stressor. He then described what he called the General Adaptive
Syndrome (SAG) or biological stress, in 1956, a model to represent stress and classified it
into three phases: alarm phase, resistance phase and the last phase of exhaustion (Lingard,
understood as the individual's response to the stressor. This model according to Lingard, and
covering only the physical, psychological, or psychosomatic manifestations and does not
make it possible to ascertain the causes of the stress or sources of it. The second mechanistic
approach according to Cooper, and Quick, (2017) refer to stress as a harmful external
stimulus, which is triggered by physical, emotional or sensory reactions. These events are
positive or negative and are called stressing or stressing agents. This second model presented
progress but is still considered a simplifier. According to Cooper, Dewe, and O'DRISCOLL,
(2001), stress also presents a complex process, called a transactional process, which arises
from the interaction between the individual and the external environment and depends on the
perception and interpretation of the situations experienced by him. This approach differs from
the previous one because it takes into account the complexity and interaction of the factors
involved in stress. This work was based on the transactional model. The transactional model
differs from the mechanistic model because of the approach taken in each approach.
According to Bowen, Edwards, and Cattell, (2014) the stress response approach focuses on
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physical responses (eg excessive sweating, palpitation), psychological responses (eg anxiety,
In the approach of stress with a focus on the stimulus occurs in the physical stimulus,
emotional or sensory order. In the transactional approach, the focus is on the perception and
since the decentralisation of productive activities is one of the main characteristics. Bowen,
Edwards, and Govender, (2014) argue that in the area of construction the set of tasks
performed by manual labour constitutes the master spring of the productive process, even
where the technological development was more incisive and gave more dynamism to the
production rhythm. The current competitiveness requires dynamic and organised companies,
allowing the work environment to evolve over time. However, this competitiveness requires
that employees respond to the demands of organisations, enabling the triggering of some
factors that can generate stress. Brannon and Feist, (2009) emphasise that: Construction
Industry, by itself, is a stressful industry to work due to its characterisation and the work
process itself. The discontinuity of productive activities, the poorer male labour force coupled
with the sector's low salaries and the overtime work often generate demotivation and
disinterest in work. The product is unique, nomadic, and dependent on a transient workforce;
the product is produced outdoors, without any protection; design changes occur frequently.
These factors are clearly observed in the work environment, especially in periods that precede
salary and end-of-construction (Anbazhagan, and Soundar, 2013). In addition to the above
considerations, those in charge of the works: engineers, technicians and labour masters most
of the time have to deal with reduced work periods, poorly defined and incompatible projects,
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as well as constant changes in projects, low profit margin, a reduced number of skilled
workers and even inadequate workplaces, all these factors result in enormous pressure and
stress.
every day, and can be perceived as more threatening or destabilizing than others, being real
or imaginary, which implies that each individual will react in a more or less effective way,
depending on his environment, his social environment, his history and his personal resources.
For Ahmad and Darzi, (2008), confrontation, also known as coping, refers to cognitive and
behavioural efforts, which are in constant change, once the person starts to administer
external or internal requirements specifically. According to Zolina, (2017) coping is the set of
control efforts, without taking into account the consequences, is a response to stress in order
to decrease aversive qualities. Coping is a response that aims to expand, build or maintain the
perception of personal control, and this sense can be illusory. People can notice stress
consistently and how to fight it, but that consistency depends on systematic variations of
situations or style. Choosing a coping strategy will depend on the individual. Hutchins,
Penney, and Sublett, (2018) conceptualize coping as the set of strategies people use to adapt
to adverse circumstances.
According to Zoni, and Lucchini, (2012) in situations of stress the individual changes the
behaviour, and may also alter their environment to seek suitable conditions. Coping depends
on a context formed by experiences, skills, self-assessment, and other aspects. Milner, et al,
(2018) stresses that the responses to face these stressful events will depend on how the person
reacts to them, whether they be effective or not. For Lingard and Francis, (2005) the study of
coping strategies refers to situational factors, through thoughts or behaviours with the
purpose of reducing or modifying the stressful effect of the fact itself. Leung, Skitmore, and
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Chan, (2007) state that the secret of health and happiness resists the successful adjustment to
the conditions of this world, perpetually in the process of modification. It can be concluded
that the coping strategies are characterised by the process by which the individual manages
the stressful situations/emotions that they generate, aiming to respond by solving or softening
them. The coping strategies have been the object of study of researchers of social, clinical
planning that innovates the way to look at the interaction between the various factors that
permeate the relationship between the worker and the organisation. The new demands of the
globalized market make necessary new ways of planning the productive system and daily life
of the workers. It is also important to consider that, according to Hutchins, Penney, and
Sublett, (2018), in countries, families with double employment exceed the number of single-
employment families, explaining the need to reconcile the professional interests of the subject
with the dedication of this family. Another important issue revealed by Leung, Skitmore, and
Chan, (2007) is the fact that in UK own business is growing and one of the reasons for the
individual wanting to be his own boss is the flexibility of schedules, which converge to an
attempt to achieve a more balanced work-family relationship. With this, people management
policies and practices in work organisations need to reinvent themselves in order to deal with
Another factor to be highlighted in the man-work relationship, and which is more relevant
today when it comes to people management in the organisational context, is the commitment
of the worker to his professional tasks and to the organisation itself; the worker's commitment
is directly related to his working conditions and his level of satisfaction with the organisation
12
where he works. Commitment and satisfaction with work are components that have a
significant impact on the success of contemporary work organisations (Lingard, and Francis,
2005).
According to Milner, et al, (2018), the theme of risk is addressed since the 1970s and 1980s,
where researchers have studied risk intensively and from various perspectives. The field of
risk analysis grew rapidly, focusing on risk assessment and risk management. Some
researchers’ associate risk only with situations of loss or danger and others argue for the
possibility of something beneficial associated with risk situations. They argue that there is
much more to their definition than simply the implication of the concepts of danger or loss.
When risk situations can translate into a benefit for society, for example in the case of life-
saving, the risk has a positive connotation. In the same decade, and according to Milner, et al,
(2018), the concept of risk is defined as the degree of uncertainty that exists in relation to an
event, and where there will be uncertainty, there will always be an associated risk.
Risk assessment is a tool used in risk management. According to Hutchins, Penney, and
Sublett, (2018) risk assessment can be defined as the process of assessing risks arising from a
hazard, taking into account the adequacy of any existing controls on whether or not the risk is
acceptable. Risk assessment is the process that identifies the hazards present in a given task
or activity (risk analysis) and estimates the extent of the consequences resulting from such
risks, damages or injuries (risk estimation), taking into account any precautions or which
have already been put into operation. According to Anbazhagan, and Soundar, (2013) the
main purpose of risk assessment is to reduce the risk profiles posed by a given situation. The
management proposes alternatives, calculates the risk profile for each alternative, makes
13
safety decisions, selects risk control alternatives and rehearses corrective actions. Risk
profiles are almost always associated with uncertainties that hinder risk analysis and
subsequent management. The uncertainties are related to the severity levels of accidents and
their frequencies. The subjectivity of the human dimension is, nevertheless, the basis of risk
analysis and management. Usually, different people select different base events to conduct a
risk analysis.
(HCLG) with the assistance of the British Safety Council and is a charitable programme
that focuses to enhance knowledge and consideration of poor mental health in the
construction industry. Along with its main partners which include Mind, Mental Health
First Aid England and Samaritans, this plan comprises three training modules. Its aim is to
bring the business together to openly discuss and focus the stigma related to mental ill
health (Cooper, and Quick, 2017). Originally based on the Mates in Construction model,
which started in 2008, it focuses to assist companies in focusing on this issue of poor
mental health and signpost them to particular information sources. Mates in Construction
Self-tracking stress could facilitate gaining knowledge and awareness of one’s mood patterns
and thus help maintain emotional well-being. Researchers have employed various
technologies to help individuals to record, analyse, and regulate mood. For example,
MobiMood allows users to register their stress by selecting colours, and Aurora supports self-
14
tracking by allowing users to select photos that best represent their stress. CopeSmart users
log their mood by selecting a corresponding value on a scale (Nelson, and Quick, 2013).
Other mobile apps have elicited users’ mood using emojis. Besides self-tracking, apps such
as Aurora and MobiMood also encourage users to share self-tracked stress data in their social
networks to seek emotional support. Study results suggest that users are willing to share their
mood with their friends in social networks. In addition to designing self-tracking technologies
for the general population, researchers have also investigated the use of mood tracking to
help patients with mental diseases self-manage their conditions. The above studies mainly
investigate one particular app in research settings (Sutton, Allinson, and Williams, 2013).
Since the use of mobile apps for promoting health has grown exponentially in recent years,
researchers have started to systematically review apps to identify features, opportunities, and
challenges for healthcare practices. However, Lingard, Francis, and Turner, (2012) have also
called for more rigorous research and design guidelines for the functionalities and interfaces
of apps available for the smartphone. Other researchers have provided comprehensive
analyses of the literature on mobile apps for specific health conditions, such as mental
illnesses and weight loss. These studies pointed out the limitations of evaluating mobile apps
for health intervention within a limited number of participants using one specific app.
Systematic reviews of health apps have identified a gap between the standards in scientific
inaugural Excellence in Health and Wellbeing Award at the recent Investors in People
Awards in London. The prestigious award, which was an international award across all
initiative, Connect Plus. Connect Plus focuses on individualised plans that develop
employees to have the right skills, behaviours and physical and mental wellbeing which will
support them to flourish in all aspects of their lives, whilst delivering real results for the
business in terms of engagement, retention and productivity (Hutchins, Penney, and Sublett,
2018). Based on cutting-edge research across performance, health and wellbeing, the
initiative has already produced fantastic results. Staff engagement has increased by 20%
whilst turnover is 33% lower than the industry average. The firm has also witnessed a 100%
decrease in absenteeism, which is now 400% lower than the UK average (Hutchins, Penney,
and Sublett, 2018). It has formulated a ‘Wellness High Achievement Model’ focused on
seeking to influence the way they do the job; and supporting individuals to be physically and
CHAPTER 2 METHODOLOGY
2.1 Introduction
This research has as an objective of identifying the stress, coping and quality of life in the
work of its employees. It is descriptive research, with a quantitative approach and that was
developed through the design of a survey. According to Milner, Law, and LaMontagne,
(2018) the descriptive searches have an as main objective to describe the characteristics of a
specific population or phenomenon or to establish the relation between the variables. One of
the significant characteristics of this research can be considered the use of standard
techniques of data collection. In relation to the quantitative method, it can be said that it is
directed to measurable data, through the use of resources and standardized techniques such as
understanding of fundamental reasons and opinions (Zoni, and Lucchini, 2012). This
provides understandings into the difficulty or supports to develop hypotheses or ideas for
quantitative research. On the other hand, quantitative research method is used to measure the
problem in terms of generating the numerical data which can be transformed into statistical
tables. This is used to measure opinions, behaviours, attitudes, and other variables and also
generalize findings from the larger sample populations. The quantitative method has been
used in this research because this method uses quantifiable data in order to formulate the facts
and expose the patterns in the study. The data collection techniques in quantitative studies are
usually more structured as compared to data collection method in qualitative studies. The data
forms of surveys such as paper surveys, online surveys, mobile surveys and face-to-face or
17
telephone interviews, longitudinal studies, systematic observations etc. Thus, considering the
aspect of this study survey method has been used in this study in order to collect the data
(Nelson, and Quick, 2013). Survey method has been used in this study because the researcher
aimed at finding the views of people about the issues facing the Construction Industry at
The study population was formed by professionals who work in different companies (RM
Steel Ltd, Tracey Brothers and BHC Ltd). This research used 30 site workers from each
company so total there were 90 participants. The subjects studied in the quantitative stage
2.4 Instruments
The following instruments were used for data collection: Stress Scale, Coping Scale, Job
Quality of Life Questionnaire based on the Job Diagnostic model Survey, and Questionnaire
and Quick, 2013). These items are presented by statements that are distributed on a Likert
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scale (from one to five), progressively from "almost never" (value equal to one) to "almost
the Stress Scale. This is composed of different affirmations, also on a Likert scale in five
points (from one to five) in which the respondent indicates that the proposed approaches are
almost never used (Zoni, and Lucchini, 2012). The control strategy determines the
regularisation of behavioural, mental and emotional reactions. The subject tries to dominate
the situation through prudence, that is, he avoids making hasty decisions without reflecting
work, and a questionnaire to obtain data on the sociodemographic profile of the subjects that
Committee. The participants that participated in the research signed the authorisation in the
Term of Free and Informed Consent. Each participant also signed a free and informed
consent form, authorizing the use of the data provided by him in this research. The
instruments were applied at the construction sites, usually in the refectory for the better
accommodation of the workers (Milner, Law, and LaMontagne, 2018). They were applied
19
individually or in a group, according to the authorisation of the master, seeking not to hinder
2.6 Procedure
Following fully-informed consent wherein the participants have acquired a participant
information sheet and signed a participant consent form, the participants were requested to
complete the questionnaire. It was expected that the questionnaire was taken from 5 to 10
minutes to complete. The participants were needed to respond to the questionnaire on their own
without support or help from anyone else. After the completion of the questionnaire, the
participants were given with the participant debrief sheet, thanked for their contribution in
research, and given the opportunity to ask any questions that they may have had about the
research. Afterwards, the raw data from the questionnaires were moved from the paper
questionnaires to a computer-based database for analysis (Lingard, Francis, and Turner, 2012).
treated separately by scale. It contains important statistical tests and tools for analysing texts,
assisting teachers, students and researchers in conducting research and statistical analysis of
data in academic papers (Nelson, and Quick, 2013). In relation to the classification of the
level of stress was used, which uses the global category of stress, through the sum of the
coping strategies were identified through the coping scale, which considered the strategies in
isolation: control, social support, isolation and refusal. Strategies can be considered positive
or negative, making a global index impossible for this instrument. Quality of life analysis was
performed through a questionnaire based on the quality scale model. It considered the
following variables: Basic Task Dimensions, Critical Psychological States, Personal and
20
Work Results, and Individual Growth Needs. For the analysis of data resulting from the
application of stress scales, coping and quality of life at work, Excel and SPSS software for
The t-test was selected to verify the existence of significant differences between the means of
two different conditions. Since in this research the participants take part in only one of the
conditions, researchers opted for the independent t-test. However, in order to apply the t-test,
it is necessary to know if there is the homogeneity of variances and this was done using the
Chi-square test, automatically associated with the t-test by the SPSS. In cases where there
were three or more conditions to be compared, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was
performed, the results of which indicate whether there is variation among some or all of the
conditions. The t-test was selected to complement the ANOVA since it allows multiple
comparisons and points out which group averages differ from the means of other groups or
the consent form in which all the information about the study has been described for them.
Any kind of misleading has been avoided to mislead the participants (Lingard, Francis, and
Turner, 2012). Moreover, participants have given the opportunity to withdraw the survey or
any questions which they do not want to respond. The confidentiality and privacy of
questionnaires were anonymous, but these were kept in a locked cupboard until the raw data
is moved to a computer database. After this, the hard copies of the questionnaires were
destroyed, and the raw data in the computer were kept in a password-protected computer.
Furthermore, any data pertaining to the respondents from the recruitment procedure, like
21
names and contact information, were similarly kept on the same computer and destroyed
questionnaire to find the authentic views of people about the issues facing the Construction
Industry at present due to stress and discover possible new resolutions (Milner, Law, and
LaMontagne, 2018). The questions in the survey questionnaires have been designed by
considering the research objectives, thus it can be said that the findings of the research are
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