Stress management in IT-Sector

Stress Management in IT-Sector By EAGLES Abstract: In the present era of competition every sector tries to do their best. The employees of various companies are always running for success, to do something good for the company by which he/she can confirm his/her position in the particular company. To ensure his/her position by maintaining various difficult relationships in the workplace are a headache for most of the employees. The pressure from the top-level management is a greater issue for the employees which cause STRESS. Human beings were never meant to feel useless. Throughout their lives our hunter-gatherer ancestors may have progressed from being active hunters or gatherers to being wise elders but their worth actually increased with age. There was never any sense of being "retired" or "unemployed." Not so now. But the more we relegate people into these two categories, the more stressed they become and the more liable to psychological and emotional pain. A new Yale University study underlies this social dysfunction vividly. The researchers found that employees who lose their jobs in the years immediately preceding retirement have twice the risk of suffering a stroke when compared to peers who are still working. Introduction: As the competition is growing, expectations are growing. Employers are expecting more and that too best from their employees. These increased expectations induce a self dissatisfaction factor in employees leading to uncomfortable situation. The uncomfortable situation is best described by a word Stress. Today, IT sector is booming and India is also paving its way to lead market. Not only does it serve as an enormous opportunity but at the same time equally challenging because of the enormous pressure. This fast and high ratio of IT evolution is bringing with it long work hours, graveyard shift in verticals like BPO, adherence to deadlines, requirement for latest updates, and lack of perfect work-life balance. These all mentioned factors are taking their toll on the people. Today, the booming IT sector is fighting with two major issues at its roots- Stress and Attrition. These both factors are the gift of this booming sector but now it is facing their dreading outcomes. It has been concluded in several different reviews of the scientific literature on stress that there are essentially three different, but overlapping, approaches to the definition and study of stress (Lazarus, 1966; Appley & Trumbull, 1967; Cox, 1978, 1990; Cox & Mackay, 1981; Fletcher, 1988, Cox, 1993). The first approach conceptualizes occupational stress as an aversive or noxious characteristic of the work environment, and, in related studies, treats it as an

independent variable the environmental cause of ill health. This has been termed the engineering approach. The second approach, on the other hand, defines stress in terms of the common physiological effects of a wide range of aversive or noxious stimuli. It treats stress as a dependent variable as a particular physiological response to a threatening or damaging environment. This has been termed the physiological approach. The third approach conceptualizes work stress in terms of the dynamic interaction between the person and their work environment. When studied, stress is either inferred from the existence of problematic personenvironment interactions or measured in terms of the cognitive processes and emotional reactions which underpin those interactions. This final approach has been termed the psychological approach. The engineering and physiological approaches are obvious among the earlier theories of stress, while the more psychological approaches characterize contemporary Stress theory. A wide variety of physical hazards have been extensively studied for their effects on the psychological experience of stress and on health. Objective: 1. Analyzing the factors caused for Stress. 2. Analyzing how stress can be minimized. 3. How stress can be helpful. 4. Corelation between Stress and Attrition rate. Stress: Type of Stress: There are four main types of stress that people experience. Eustress Eustress is a type of short-term stress that provides immediate strength. Eustress arises at points of increased physical activity, enthusiasm, and creativity. Eustress is a positive stress that arises when motivation and inspiration are needed. A gymnast experiences eustress before a competition. Distress Distress is a negative stress brought about by constant readjustments or alterations in a routine. Distress creates feelings of discomfort and unfamiliarity. There are two types of distress. Acute stress is an intense stress that arrives and disappears quickly. Chronic stress is a prolonged stress that exists for weeks, months, or even years. Someone who is constantly relocating or changing jobs may experience distress. Hyperstress Hyperstress occurs when an individual is pushed beyond what he or she can handle. Hyperstress results from being overloaded or overworked. When someone is hyperstressed, even little things can trigger a strong emotional response. A Wall Street trader is likely to experience hyperstress.

Hypostress : Hypostress is the opposite of hyperstress. Hypostress occurs when an individual is bored or unchallenged. People who experience hypostress are often restless and uninspired. A factory worker who performs repetitive tasks might experience hypostress. In the working field most of the employees are felt the DISTRESS (i.e. the work pressure in the organization, pressure from colleagues, and pressure from top management). Stress at Work: Employers should provide a stress-free work environment, recognize where stress is becoming a problem for staff, and take action to reduce stress. Stress in the workplace reduces productivity, increases management pressures, and makes people ill in many ways, evidence of which is still increasing. Workplace stress affects the performance of the brain, including functions of work performance; memory, concentration, and learning. In the UK over 13 million working days are lost every year because of stress. Stress is believed to trigger 70% of visits to doctors, and 85% of serious illnesses (UK HSE stress statistics). Stress at work also provides a serious risk of litigation for all employers and organizations, carrying significant liabilities for damages, bad publicity and loss of reputation. Dealing with stress-related claims also consumes vast amounts of management time. So, there are clearly strong economic and financial reasons for organizations to manage and reduce stress at work, aside from the obvious humanitarian and ethical considerations. . In the UK HSE statistics indicate a doubling of reported clinical cases between 1990 and 1999. Working days lost per annum appear to have been about 6.5 million in the mid-1990, but rose to over 13 million by 2001. Greater awareness of the stress ailment in reporting no doubt accounts for some of this variance, but one thing's for sure: the number of people suffering from work-related stress isn't reducing. Stress Causes: Stress is caused by various factors - not all of which are work-related of course, (which incidentally doesn't reduce the employer's obligation to protect against the causes of stress at work). Causes of stress - known as stressors - are in two categories: external stressors and internal stressors. For better understanding we have done an exploratory Study based on some the IT Companies employees Stress factors. We tried to analyze the main factors behind stress in IT-Sector. External stressors - physical conditions such as heat or cold, stressful psychological environments such as working conditions and abusive relationships, e.g., bullying. Internal stressors - physical ailments such as infection or inflammation, or psychological problems such as worrying about something. From the above, it is easy to see that work can be a source of both external and internal stressors.

Stressors are also described as either short-term (acute) or long-term (chronic):

Short-term 'acute' stress is the reaction to immediate threat, also known as the fight or flight response. This is when the primitive part of the brain and certain chemicals within the brain cause a reaction to potentially harmful stressors or warnings (just as if preparing the body to run away or defend itself), such as noise, over-crowding, danger, bullying or harassment, or even an imagined or recalled threatening experience. When the threat subsides the body returns to normal, which is called the 'relaxation response'. (NB The relaxation response among people varies; i.e., people recover from acute stress at different rates.)

Table 1: Factors for Stress S.No. S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 Statements Excessive Working Hours Physically Demanding Work Psychologically Demanding Work Scheduling Incompatibilities Poor Relationships with Peers Poor Relationships with Superiors Improper Working Conditions Unclear Expectations Unclear Expectations Mean SA A WORK RELATED 4.21 45 40 45.0 40 2.48 4.06 3.57 3.09 3.67 3.67 4.08 3.57 06 6.0 40 40.0 25 25.0 15 15.0 30 30.0 30 30.0 40 40.0 28 28.0 40.0 25 40.0 40 35.0 35 30.0 30 35.0 35 35.0 35 38.0 38 31.0 31 NANDA 06 6.0 12 12.0 08 8.0 20 20.0 22 22.0 15 15.0 15 6.0 12 12.0 19 19.0 15 15.0 22 22.0 19 19.0 DA 9.0 09 27.0 30 10.0 10 12.0 12 15.0 15 12.0 12 15.0 8 5.0 5 14.0 14 11.0 11 16.0 16 5.0 5 SDA 0 0.0 22 10.0 02 2.0 8 8.0 18 18.0 8 8.0 6 8.0 2 2.0 8 8.0 13 13.0 20 20.0 2 2.0

S10 S11 S12

Family Problems Financial Difficulties Relationships at Personal Level

PERSONAL 3.55 31 30.0 31.0 30 3.00 4.01 14 14.0 36 36.6 28.0 28 38.0 38

Presentation of Statements in a Descending Order according to the Cutoff Point of Mean i.e. 3.6:
Table 1A:

Statements

Mean Score

Statements having agreement Level higher than Overall Mean Score, i.e. 3.6 Excessive Working Hours Unclear Objectives Psychologically Demanding Work Stressful Relationships Improper Working Conditions Poor Relationships with Superiors 4.21 4.08 4.06 4.02 3.85 3.67

Statements having Agreement Level lower than Overall Mean Score, i.e. 3.6 Scheduling Incompatibilities Unclear Expectations Family Problems Poor Relationships with Peers Financial Difficulties Physically Demanding Work 3.57 3.57 3.55 3.09 3.00 2.48

Long-term 'chronic' stressors are those pressures which are ongoing and continuous, when the urge to fight or flight has been suppressed. Examples of chronic stressors include: ongoing pressurized work, ongoing relationship problems, isolation, and persistent financial worries.

The working environment can generate both acute and chronic stressors, but is more likely to be a source of chronic stressors. From Table -2 Explicates that employees consider excessive working hours, psychologically demanding work and unclear objectives as the major reasons responsible for stress, as all these statements have mean score above 4, However, their perception regarding statements, such as, scheduling incompatibilities, poor relations with superiors, unclear expectations, and family problems have mean score between 3.5 and 3.7, which divulges that maximum number of employees held these factors responsible for stress but still the signs of agreement with these factors are less as compared to previous ones. Whereas in service sector the work demands less physical efforts due to which employees do not perceive it as a reason responsible for stress (mean score is 2.48). However, mean score of statement financial difficulties equal to 3.0

explains that they are unable to frame any clear-cut opinion regarding this as reason responsible for stress.

These are typical causes of stress at work:

bullying or harassment, by anyone, not necessarily a person's manager feeling powerless and uninvolved in determining one's own responsibilities continuous unreasonable performance demands lack of effective communication and conflict resolution lack of job security long working hours excessive time away from home and family office politics and conflict among staff a feeling that one's reward is not commensurate with one's responsibility working hours, responsibilities and pressures disrupting life-balance (diet, exercise, sleep and rest, play, family-time, etc)

Effects of Stress:

Stress can change the shape of human brain. "Stress causes neurons (brain cells) to shrink or grow," said Bruce McEwen, a neuroscientist at Rockefeller University in New York. "The wear and tear on the body from lots of stress changes the nervous system." Even short-term stress can be harmful.

In one US study as many as 40% of workers described their jobs as very stressful. While not a scientific gauge and not measuring serious stress health problems, this gives some indication as to how prevalent work-related stress is. As regards official health records, in the UK, the nursing and teaching occupations are most affected by work-related stress, with 2% of workers at any one time suffering from work-related stress, depression and anxiety. (The figure for teachers rises to 4% when including physical conditions relating to stress.) Care workers, managers and professionals are the next highest affected occupations, with over 1% suffering from serious work-related stress at any one time. UK HSE work-related stress statistics suggest that workrelated stress affects men and women in equal numbers, and that people in the 45-retirement age suffer more than younger people. More socially-based USA research suggests that the following American social groups are more prone to stress (this therefore not limited to work-related stress): young adults, women, working mothers, less educated people, divorced or widowed people, the unemployed, isolated people, people without health insurance, city dwellers. Combined with the factors affecting stress susceptibility (detailed below), it's not difficult to see that virtually no-one is immune from stress. An American poll found that 89% of respondents had experienced serious stress at some point in their lives. The threat from stress is perceived so

strongly in Japan that the Japanese even have a word for sudden death due to overwork, 'karoushi'. Stress is proven beyond doubt to make people ill, and evidence is increasing as to number of ailments and diseases caused by stress. Stress is now known to contribute to heart disease; it causes hypertension and high blood pressure, and impairs the immune system. Stress is also linked to strokes, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), ulcers, diabetes, muscle and joint pain, miscarriage during pregnancy, allergies, alopecia and even premature tooth loss. Various US studies have demonstrated that removing stress improves specific aspects of health: stress management was shown to be capable of reducing the risk of heart attack by up to 75% in people with heart disease; stress management techniques, along with methods for coping with anger, contributed to a reduction of high blood pressure, and; for chronic tension headache sufferers it was found that stress management techniques increased the effectiveness of prescribed drugs, and after six months actually equaled the effectiveness of anti-depressants. The clear implication for these ailments is that stress makes them worse. Stress significantly reduces brain functions such as memory, concentration, and learning, all of which are central to effective performance at work. Certain tests have shown up to 50% loss of performance in cognitive tests performed by stress sufferers. Some health effects caused by stress are reversible and the body and mind reverts to normal when the stress is relieved. Other health effects caused by stress are so serious that they are irreversible, and at worse are terminal. Stress is said by some to be a good thing, for themselves or others, that it promotes excitement and positive feelings. If these are the effects then it's not stress as defined here. It's the excitement and stimulus derived (by one who wants these feelings and can handle them) from working hard in a controlled and manageable way towards an achievable and realistic aim, which for sure can be very exciting, but it isnt stress. Stress is bad for people and organizations, it's a threat and a health risk, and it needs to be recognized and dealt with, not dismissed as something good, or welcomed as a badge of machismo - you might as well stick pins in your eyes. A person's susceptibility to stress can be affected by any or all of these factors, which means that everyone has a different tolerance to stressors. And in respect of certain of these factors, stress susceptibility is not fixed, so each person's stress tolerance level changes over time:

childhood experience (abuse can increase stress susceptibility) personality (certain personalities are more stress-prone than others) genetics (particularly inherited 'relaxation response', connected with serotonin levels, the brain's 'well-being chemical') immunity abnormality (as might cause certain diseases such as arthritis and eczema, which weaken stress resilience) lifestyle (principally poor diet and lack of exercise)

Duration and intensity of stressors.

Signs of Stress: At a clinical level, stress in individuals can be be assessed scientifically by measuring the levels of two hormones produced by the adrenal glands: cortisol and DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), but managers do not have ready access to these methods. Managers must therefore rely on other signs. Some of these are not exclusively due to stress, nor are they certain proof of stress, but they are indicators to prompt investigation as to whether stress is present.

sleep difficulties poor concentration or poor memory retention performance dip uncharacteristic errors or missed deadlines anger or tantrums violent or anti-social behavior emotional outbursts alcohol or drug abuse If the above mentioned factors are seen in any employee its the duty of the concern manager to take care of that particular employee, otherwise the performance of the employee will goes down gradually and that will affect the whole companys performance. Stress reducing factors: There is no single remedy that applies to every person suffering from stress, and most solutions involve a combination of remedies. Successful stress management frequently relies on reducing stress susceptibility and removing the stressors, and often factors will be both contributing to susceptibility and a direct cause. Here are some simple pointers for reducing stress susceptibility and stress itself-

Think really seriously about and talk with others, to identify the causes of the stress and take steps to remove, reduce them or remove you (the stressed person) from the situation that causes the stress. Understand the type(s) of stressors affecting you (or the stressed person), and the contributors to the stress susceptibility - knowing what you're dealing with is essential to developing the stress management approach. Improve diet - group B vitamins and magnesium are important, but potentially so are all the other vitamins and minerals: a balanced healthy diet is essential. Assess the current diet and identify where improvements should be made and commit to those improvements.

Reduce toxin intake - obviously tobacco, alcohol especially - they might seem to provide temporary relief but they are working against the balance of the body and contributing to stress susceptibility, and therefore increasing stress itself. Take more exercise - generally, and at times when feeling very stressed - exercise burns up adrenaline and produces helpful chemicals and positive feelings. Stressed people must try to be detached, step back, look from the outside at the issues that cause the stress. Dont try to control things that are uncontrollable - instead adjust response, adapt. Share worries - talk to someone else - off-load, loneliness is a big ally of stress, so sharing the burden is essential. Increase self-awareness of personal moods and feelings - anticipate and take steps to avoid stress build-up before it becomes more serious. Explore and use relaxation methods - they do work if given a chance - yoga, meditation, selfhypnosis, massage, a breath of fresh air, anything that works and can be done in the particular situation. seek out modern computer aids - including free downloads and desktop add-ons - for averting stresses specifically caused by sitting for long uninterrupted periods at a computer screen work-station, for example related to breathing, posture, seating, eye-strain, and RSI (repetitive strain injury).

Note also that managing stress does not cure medical problems. Relieving stress can alleviate and speed recovery from certain illnesses, particularly those caused by stress, (which depending on circumstances can disappear when the stress is relieved); i.e., relieving stress is not a substitute for conventional treatments of illness, disease and injury. Importantly, if the stress is causing serious health effects the sufferer must consult a doctor. Do not imagine that things will improve by soldiering on, or hoping that the sufferer will somehow become more resilient; things can and probably will get worse. For less serious forms of stress, simply identify the cause(s) of stress, then to commit/agree to removing the cause(s). If appropriate this may involve removing the person from the situation that is causing the stress. Counseling may be necessary to identify the cause(s), particularly if the sufferer has any tendency to deny or ignore the stress problem. Acceptance, cognizance and commitment on the part of the stressed person are essential. No-one can begin to manage their stress if they are still feeling acutely stressed - they'll still be in 'fight or flight' mode. This is why a manager accused of causing stress though bullying or harassment must never be expected to resolve the problem. The situation must be handled by someone who will not perpetuate the stressful influence.

Cope-up Mechanism to overcome Stress:

S.No. Statements I Listen to music. S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 S12 S13 S14 S15 S16 S17 S18 I attend club or Social activities I take out some time for myself during the day. I Meditate I go for a message. I try to laugh a lot during the day. I go for a walk. I take a anti-anxiety/anti-depressant drugs. I keep a time planner. I try to prioritize my work. I take planned breaks from work. I delegate responsibilities. I spend some time with my pet. I eat a balanced/well-manage diet. I try to sleep 7-8 hours a day at least 3-4 days a week. I have the habit of writing stress diary. I do exercise. I listen to others views & provide effective & timely feedback. Mean 4.07 2.77 3.15 2.46 2.52 3.02 3.45 2.02 3.50 3.54 3.04 3.09 2.86 3.09 3.10 2.19 3.27 3.62 SA A NANDA DA SDA 29 59 4 6 2 29.0 59.0 4.0 6.0 2.0 8 16 26 44 7 8.0 16.0 26.0 44.0 7.0 6. 41 18 32 3 6.0 41.0 18.0 32.0 3.0 6 6.0 3 3.0 07 7.0 22 22.0 03 3.0 25 25.0 11 11.0 04 4.0 05 5.0 06 6.0 05 5.0 07 7.0 02 2.0 05 5.0 09 9.0 20 20.0 18 18.0 30 30.0 35 35.0 09 9.0 35 35.0 54 54.0 35 35.0 36 36.0 29 29.0 50 50.0 39 39.0 10 10.0 49 49.0 63 63.0 17 17.0 19 19.0 25 25.0 20 20.0 15 15.0 20 20.0 14 14.0 23 23.0 25 25.0 21 21.0 34 34.0 16 16.0 17 17.0 20 20.0 13 13.0 27 27.0 48 48.0 34 34.0 12 12.0 33 33.0 9 9.0 20 20.0 37 37.0 31 31.0 33 33.0 11 11.0 33 33.0 47 47.0 20 20.0 11 11.0 30 30.0 12 12.0 04 4.0 11 11.0 40 40.0 11 11.0 01 1.0 01 1.0 03 3.0 11 11.0 0 0.0 05 5.0 24 24.0 06 6.0 04 4.0

Table 2 * In this case, there is no negative statement.

People use different coping mechanism to overcome their stress. Although many of these measures are used by employees in normal routine, yet its usage increase more frequently when they are in stress. Table 2 explains the responses of employees regarding the different types of strategies used by employees to reduce their stress level.

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Table 2A: Presentation of Statements in a Descending Order According to the Cutoff point of mean, i.e. 3.1

Statements Statements with Agreement level higher than overall mean Score, i.e. 3.1 I Listen to music. I listen to others views & provide effective & timely feedback. I try to prioritize my work. I keep a time planner. I go for a walk. I do exercise. I take out some time for myself during the day. I try to sleep 7-8 hours a day at least 3-4 days a week. Statements with Agreement Level lower than Overall Mean Score, i.e. 3.1 I eat a balanced/well-manage diet. I delegate responsibilities. I take planned breaks from work. I try to laugh a lot during the day. I spend some time with my pet. I attend club or Social activities I go for a massage. I Meditate. I have the habit of writing stress diary. I take anti-anxiety/anti-depressant drugs.

Mean Score 4.07 3.62 3.54 3.5 3.45 3.27 3.15 3.10 3.09 3.09 3.04 3.02 2.86 2.77 2.52 2.46 2.19 2.02

The mean response for cope up strategies used by employees to overcome the stress spells out that the most common strategy used by them is listening to music. That is why nowadays one can hear soft music in almost every organization so that the employees enjoy their work and feel energetic. However, the mean score for strategies, such as listening to others views, setting priorities for work, keeping a time planner states that these are not much favored strategies by employees to overcome their stress, furthermore, regarding the practices, such as, exercising, talking out some time for oneself from busy schedule, and taking proper rest, taking planned breaks from work, and using social circle to overcome stress, the employees are not able to frame any clear opinion. However, employees disagree with the techniques of stress reduction, such as, taking anti depression drugs, or writing of stress diary. The various strategies for stress reduction are segregated into two parts according to the cutoff point, determined on the basis of mean response of all the statements of respondents came out to be 3.1. (Table 2A). It emphasizes that due to work pressure in the competitive world they cannot afford to spare some time for their leisure purpose with which they can overcome their stress problem. They try to use those strategies for stress reduction which do not take much of their time and at the time it can reduce their stress level also. That is why for methods, such as, going for message, attending social activities, meditations and writing of stress-diary, less level of agreement has

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been observed. However, for strategies, such as listening to music, setting of priorities for work and keeping a time planner, more level of agreement was revealed. Removing the stressor(s) or the person from the stressful situation is only part of the solution; look also at the factors which affect stress susceptibility: where possible try to improve the factors that could be contributing to stress vulnerability. This particularly and frequently involves diet and exercise. The two simplest ways to reduce stress susceptibility, and in many situations alleviate stress itself (although not removing the direct causes of stress itself) are available to everyone, cost nothing, and are guaranteed to produce virtually immediate improvements. Estimation of Relationship between the Variables: Model Coefficient of Determination (R2)= 0.726 Regression Coefficients (Constant) S2 S4 S7 S14 S17 S19
Table 3

t-values 1.370 4.148* -1.344 2.306** 2.989* 2.937* -2.67**

0.464 0.179 -0.062 0.114 0.181 0.138 -0.09

Note: * Significant at 1 per cent level of significance. ** Significant at 5 per cent level of significance. The correlation matrix of all the independent variables with dependent variable was calculated. To avoid the problem of multicollinearity from the correlation matrix only variables which are highly correlated with dependent variable were taken into account. Consequently, six variables were identified these variables were used in the regression analysis. The variables found to be highly correlated were: S2 S4 S7 S14 S17 : I attend club and social activities. : I meditate. : I go for a walk. : I eat balanced/well-managed diet. : I do exercise.

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S19

: Marital Status.

Direct regression analysis was carried out to find out the relationship between the variables the results are presented in Table 3. The analysis reveals that with explanatory power of the regression model i.e. R2 is equal to 0.726, the coefficients, namely, S2,S14 and S17 are significant at 5 percent level of significance. The variables S7, S2, S14 and S17 have positive coefficients which explain the existence of positive relationship between the usage of these coping strategies and the level of stress. Thus, S2 has emerged as one of the most significant determinant of model followed by S14, S17 and S7. The variables S19, i.e. Marital Status has negative coefficient which explicates that married people are at relatively low level of stress as compared to unmarried people. So, the null hypothesis set for the study has been rejected with respect to factors such as attending of club/social activities, balanced diet and exercise and going for walk and Marital Status which differentiates significantly between relatively high and low level of stress experienced by employees.

Anger Management and Stress: The term 'anger management' is widely use now as if the subject stands alone. However, 'anger management' is simply an aspect of managing stress, since anger in the workplace is a symptom of stress. Anger is often stress in denial, and as such is best approached via one-to-one counseling. Training courses can convey anger management and stress reduction theory and ideas, but one-to-one counseling is necessary to turn theory into practice. Management of anger (and any other unreasonable emotional behavior for that matter) and the stress that causes it, can only be improved if the person wants to change - acceptance, cognizance, commitment - so awareness is the first requirement. Some angry people take pride in their anger and don't want to change; others fail to appreciate the effect on self and others. Without a commitment to change there's not a lot that a manager or employer can do to help; anger management is only possible when the angry person accepts and commits to the need to change. A big factor in persuading someone of the need to commit to change is to look objectively and sensitively with the other person at the consequences (for themselves and others) of their anger. Often angry people are in denial ("my temper is okay, people understand it's just me and my moods...."), so removing this denial is essential. Helping angry people to realize that their behavior is destructive and negative is an important first step. Discuss the effects on their health and their family. Get the person to see things from outside themselves. As with stress, the next anger management step is for the angry person to understand the cause of their angry tendency, which will be a combination of stressors and stress susceptibility factors. Angry people need help in gaining this understanding - the counselor often won't know the reason either until rapport is established. If the problem is a temporary tendency then short-term acute stress may be the direct cause. Use one-to-one counseling to discover the causes and then agree necessary action to deal with them. Where the anger is persistent, frequent and ongoing, long-term chronic stress is more likely to be the cause. Again, counseling is required to get to the

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root causes. Exposing these issues can be very difficult, so great sensitivity is required. The counselor may need several sessions in order to build sufficient trust and rapport. The situation must be referred to a suitably qualified person whenever necessary, ie when the counselor is unable to establish a rapport, analyze the causes, or agree a way forward. In any event if you spot the need for anger management in a person be aware that serious anger, and especially violence, is a clinical problem and so must be referred to a suitably qualified advisor or support group - under no circumstances attempt to deal with seriously or violently angry people via workplace counseling; these cases require expert professional help. Establishing commitment to change and identifying the causes is sufficient for many people to make changes and improve - the will to change, combined with awareness of causes, then leads to a solution. Stress Relief: Many workers in the healthcare professions are at particular risk from stress and stress-related performance issues (absenteeism, attrition, high staff turnover, etc). Other sectors also have staff that is at a higher risk than normal from the effects of work-related stress. It is the duty of all employers to look after these people. The solutions are more complex than blaming people for not being able to cope, or blaming the recruitment selection process. In these situations it is often assumed that better selection of (more resilient) new recruits is the solution. However, the challenge is two-fold - identifying best new candidates, and more importantly: helping and supporting staff in their roles. In terms of identifying best new candidates, look at Emotional Intelligence methodology. The ability to absorb high levels of stress and pressure is governed largely by emotional maturity and personal well, which to an extent are reflected in the EQ model. The Emotional Intelligence section contains some useful resources (for example an Emotional Intelligence competency framework, which can be used to structure interview questions or even to create an assessment tool to assist in the recruitment process). Other methodologies are also relevant to the qualities which greatly assist in high-stress roles (and especially training/support for the people in the roles), including NLP, Transactional Analysis, and Empathy. Existing staff and new people in stress-prone roles are also likely to benefit from help given with relaxation, stress relief, meditation, peace of mind, well-being, etc., all of which increase personal reserves necessary to deal with stressful situations, which in turn reduces attrition, absenteeism and staff losses. Happily many providers in these fields are not expensive and bring great calm to people in a wide variety of stressful jobs.

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Increased anger and loss of humor amongst people in the workplace are just two of the knock-on effects that businesses now have to deal with due to poor workplace health, according to new research (published April 2006). The 'Quality of Working Life' report published by the Chartered Management Institute and Workplace Health Connect uncovers a high number of physical and psychological symptoms and highlights the impact these have on business performance. The survey questioned 1,541 managers in the UK revealing a poor picture of health, with only half (50%) believing they are currently in 'good' health.

Key findings of the report were:

Anger and mood: 43% admitted to feeling or becoming angry with others too easily and one third (31%) confessed to a loss of humor creating workplace pressures. Muscle tension and headaches: More than half of those questioned (55%) complained of muscular tension or physical aches and pains. 44% said they experienced frequent headaches. Tiredness and insomnia: Asked about psychological symptoms, 55% experienced feelings of constant tiredness at work. 57% complained of insomnia.

The report also shows that ill-health is having an impact on morale and performance. One-third (30%) admit they are irritable 'sometimes or often' towards colleagues. Some managers also want to avoid contact with other people (26%) and many (21%) have difficulty making decisions due to ill health. Mary Chapman (no relation), chief executive of the Chartered Management Institute, says: "With the impact of ill-health being keenly felt in the workplace, managers need a better understanding of the consequences of letting relatively minor symptoms escalate. They need to take more personal responsibility for improving their health because inaction is clearly having an effect on colleagues and the knock-on effect is that customer relationships will suffer, too." Elizabeth Gyngell, programmed director at Workplace Health Connect, says: "Health activities should not be driven by a concern over legislation, but by the understanding that improved wellbeing can generate significant benefits to morale and performance. This means organizations should ensure their employees are well versed in identifying and addressing symptoms before they escalate."

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Stress and Attrition: i. Decoding Stress: Growing expectations lead to increasing discontent. This dissatisfaction, if not dealt with appropriately, ends up boiling down to an uncomfortable situation and an unpleasant word called stress. The buzzing IT sector and the exceeding stress levels and increasing attrition rates in this industry go hand-in-hand. The globalization effect and the booming Indian market, the presence of which is felt across the globe, have their share of challenges and pressures for the workforce. The evolving sector brings along with it long working hours, the graveyard shift in the BPO industry, demanding clients, imposing bosses, adhering to timelines and meeting stringent deadlines, constant pressure to perform, excel and be abreast of the latest know-how, multitasking, lack of a perfect work-life balance, all of them in totality are taking their toll on people. The term workplace stress does not restrict itself to or imply only work-related stress. This is an obvious and may be an unavoidable symptom. But the surrounding environment and workplace, office culture and ethics, team enveloping peers, subordinates and superiors, individual-personality job-fit, job role and function, skill sets and training to match it, defining and refining the same, time management programmers, stress management workshops, recognition for a job well done, job rotation and enrichment, challenging yet reasonable tasks, value added sprinklings like recreation facilities, concierge services, etc., go a long way in helping an employee get along with life in a smoother manner and reflect positive energy. These aspects if not factored in, end up creating an acrimonious situation. Emphasis on skills such as time management, effective listening, handling a difficult discussion, putting the customer first and situational leadership equips employees with the confidence to maintain a positive work environment and to reduce anxiety in new and unfamiliar situations. There are people who also believe that some amount of stress is inevitable as well as essential to keep the ball rolling. Employees need to be on their toes at all times, ready to meet the challenges thrown at them, be productive to the best of their capability and keep the creativity quotient running at all times. While at a certain level employees need to learn to handle everyday stress to some extent, there are others points in time when it has to be escalated and a concerned authority has to take charge of the situation and handle the issue. It is important to bear in mind that employee stress is a subjective matter which cannot be overlooked; what might appear as a stressful situation for one might be taken as a normal work routine by another. ii. Implication of Stress: While there is a clear majority on the fact that stress can lead to attrition, there are others who do not wish to pin down stress as the ultimate cause, and say it cannot be proven. But there is unanimity on the view that no particular job function or role or set of people

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undergo stress more than others as every task comes with its own baggage of benefits that can be leveraged and hindrances that need to be encountered. An organization cannot grow without the growth of its people. Similarly, employee stress shows a direct impact on an organizations business. While from the business angle it can affect productivity, client service, profits and team work, from the individuals perspective it can lead to deteriorating morale and self-esteem, low confidence levels, health hassles and a troubled personal life. iii. Combating Strategies: Combating stress is a two-way process. While employees have to come out of the cocoon and shed their initial fears or inhibitions about working their way out of the stressful situation, the company has to be accommodative and the environment conducive to foster employee welfare. Benny Augustine, Director, HR, Unisys Global Services India, mentioned, Strategies that management would want to consider include improved personnel selection and job placement, training, use of realistic goal-setting, redesigning of jobs, increasing employee involvement, improved organizational communication, offering employee sabbaticals, and establishment of corporate wellness programmes. Redesigning jobs to give employees more responsibility, more meaningful work, additional autonomy, and increased feedback can reduce stress because these factors give the employee greater control over work activities and lessens dependence on others. Given the importance that perceptions play in moderating the stress response relationship, the management can also use effective communication as a means to shape employee perceptions. Unmanaged stress can be infectious in large-sized organizations with workforces that are inhabited together. In addition, a company can easily suffer external image damage from being perceived as one that has a stressful work environment, limiting its talent acquisition strategies, among other things. Infrasoft Technologies has the good stories of the organization told and retold through dash boards and storyboards, during induction. They get the employees to be a part of all events where the most powerful speaker of the organization speaks or replays videos of such events during lunch time in cafeterias. iv. End of Stress: Just like everything else in life, stress should be viewed as a temporary phenomenon in a permanently tough external environment, and working a way around it as a means to a good end. Kalpana Jaishankar, Vice-president, HR Operations and People Development, Patni, summarized, Dearth of staff, shortage of skills, bleak role clarity or growth visibility, no alignment between organizational objectives and individual goals, complex work and demanding customers, culminate to employees getting stressed-out, but the decision to quit is not taken overnight, and attrition due to stress is not the solitary reason. There are techniques to de-stress, and both the issues and the possible solutions concerning employees differ according to the hierarchical ladder. Open channels of communication, show empathy and understanding as tolerating the phases of imperfection and taking a flexible approach will help iron out the differences and liberate employees of stress.

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One needs to create a corporate ambience that does not perpetrate any other internal strain in the organization. Complete freedom from stress can never be a reality, whether in personal or professional life. In any organization, as a manager pushes a team to better the standards of performance, incorporate new technology and bring up innovative ideas, this process will inevitably cause stress. The goal is to find ways to manage this stress in a positive and constructive manner. CSR and Stress management: In the last twenty years, there has been a sea change in the nature of the triangular relationship between companies, the state and the society. No longer can firms continue to act as independent entities regardless of the interest of the general public. The evolution of the relationship between companies and society has been one of slow transformation from a philanthropic coexistence to one where the mutual interest of all the stakeholders is gaining paramount importance. Companies are beginning to realise the fact that in order to gain strategic initiative and to ensure continued existence, business practises may have to be moulded from the normal practise of solely focussing on profits to factor in public goodwill and responsible business etiquettes(Reynard and Forstater, 2002). An examination of some of the factors which have led to the development of the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) would be ideal starting ground for the conceptual development of suitable corporate business practises for emerging markets. The business environment has undergone vast changes in the recent years in terms of both the nature of competition and the wave of globalization that has been sweeping across markets. Companies are expanding their boundaries from the country of their origin to the evolving markets in the developing countries which have been sometimes referred to as emerging markets. The current trend of globalization has brought a realisation among the firms that in order to compete effectively in a competitive environment; they need clearly defined business practises with a sound focus on the public interest in the markets (Gray, 2001). The increase in competition among the multinational companies to gain first mover advantage in various developing countries by establishing goodwill relationships with both the state and the civil society is ample testimony to this transformation. Secondly, in most of the emerging markets, the state still holds the key to business success because of the existence of trade and business regulations restricting the freedom of multinational companies to incorporate their previously successful business doctrines which have been tried and tested in the developed nations. The state with its duty of protecting the interests of the general public would naturally be inclined to give preference to companies which take care of the interests of all the stakeholders. Thirdly, emerging markets have been identified as a source of immense talent with the rising levels of education. For example, the expertise of India in churning out software professionals and China in manufacturing has now become internationally renowned. In order to draw from this vast talent pool coming up in developing countries, companies need to gain a foothold in these

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markets by establishing sound business practices addressing social and cultural concerns of the people. It has been observed that consumers consider switching to another company's products and services, speak out against the company to family/friends, refuse to invest in that company's stock, refuse to work at the company and boycott the company's products and services in case of negative corporate citizenship behaviours (Edenkamp, 2002). Last but not the least, firms all over the world are beginning to grasp the importance of intangible assets, be it brand name or employee morale. Only firms that have gained the goodwill of the general public and are ideal corporate citizens will be to develop these intangible assets into strategic advantages. The cumulative contribution of all the above mentioned factors can be summarized by Figure 1.

Globalization and rise in competition

Retrenching of the state and its roles

Corporate Social Responsibility

War for talent; tapping the vast talent pool

Strategic importance of Intangible Assets

Figure 1 Defining Corporate Social Responsibility: World Business Council for Sustainable Development defines Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as The continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large.

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The European Commission advocates CSR as Being socially responsible means not only fulfilling legal expectations, but also going beyond compliance and investing more into human capital, the environment and relations with stakeholders. Thus CSR exhorts firms to diverge from their sole aim of maximising profits and to lay more importance on improving the economic and social standards of the community in their countries of operation. CSR can be thus be simply defined as the additional commitment by businesses to improve the social and economic status of various stakeholders involved while complying with all legal and economic requirements. As Warhust (2001) points out, the three major elements of CSR are product use which focuses on contribution of industrial products which help in well being and quality of life of the society, business practice which focuses on good corporate governance and gives high impetus for the environmental well being and equity which tries for distribution of profits equitably across different societies especially the host community. Emerging markets The term emerging market was originally coined by IFC to describe a fairly narrow list of middle-tohigher income economies among the developing countries, with stock markets in which foreigners could buy securities. The terms meaning has since been expanded to include more or less all developing countries. World Bank (2002) says that developing countries are those with a Gross National Income (GNI) per capita of $9,265 or less. The World Bank also classifies economies as low-income (GNI $755 or less), middle-income (GNI $7569,265) and high-income (GNI $9,266 or more). Low-income and middle-income economies are sometimes referred to as developing countries. The evolution of CSR in these developing economies shows widely varying results. Chambers, Chapple, Moon and Sullivan (2003) evaluate the extent of CSR penetration in seven Asian countries (India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand). Many researchers have hypothesised that CSR in emerging economies is still in a very nascent stage and suitable mechanisms do not exist to ensure that companies practise CSR with anything other than a charitable outlook. Kemp(2001) states There are numerous obstacles to achieving corporate responsibility, particularly in many developing countries where the institutions, standards and appeals system, which give life to CSR in North America and Europe, are relatively weak. Chambers, Chapple, Moon and Sullivan (2003) measure the extent of CSR penetration in the seven Asian companies and show that the mean value for the seven countries(even including industrially advanced Japan) is just 41% compared to say a score of 98% for a developed nation like the United Kingdom. However, there are exceptions to the mean scores. India for example had an average CSR penetration of 72% compared to Indonesias 24%. The concept of CSR as visualized in the emerging markets and the developed countries have very different understanding. Methods of CSR reporting Moon (2002) distinguishes three types of CSR reporting community involvement, socially responsible production processes and socially responsible employee relations. During the initial stages of development of CSR in emerging economies, the community involvement is more along the lines of a philanthropic involvement with company involvement limited to developing minimal or rather the

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absolutely necessary amount of communal goodwill necessary to operate in the business environment. As compared with the developed countries like US, CSR in developing countries is seen as part of corporate philanthropy where corporations augment the social development to support the initiatives of the government. However in the US it is seen as a strategic tool which helps the organizations to have a legitimate existence in the society. CSR is considered inbuilt in the business existence of the traditional firms in the emerging markets like India (Mohan, 2001). However, trends in this regard are heartening with companies trying to establish strategic alliances with the state and the civil society thus establishing the presence of CSR as an institution in these markets. The remaining parameters are internal to the firm involving the moulding of their business activities while incorporating CSR practices. As companies start to embrace CSR practices to a greater extent, it leads to changes in production processes so that all environmental and societal norms are also satisfied even thought they may not contribute to the profit maximising objective of the firm. This will mean that human rights agreements are also upheld taking into account the rights of the local communities. CSR also leads to evolution of employee relations in the company in such a way that employees become major stakeholders with definite decision making powers especially in the area of formulation of CSR policy. The results of the comparative study of these parameters by Chambers, Chapple, Moon and Sullivan (2003) show that currently Asian nations are still faring strongly only in the first parameter of community involvement thus corroborating the similar findings of Moon (2002). Dimensions of CSR and relevance for emerging markets The Green Paper (2001) by the Commission of the European Communities identifies two main dimensions of CSR, an internal dimension relating to practices internal to the company and an external dimension involving the external stakeholders. Internal Dimension This relates to practices internal to the company which need to be modified to incorporate CSR practices. The various components of the internal dimension of CSR are shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2

Internal Dimension Human Resource Management Work safety and Health measures Management of Environmental Impacts

Adaptation to change

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a. Human Resources Management CSR can be successfully implemented in an organization through precise management of its own work force. The internal dimension of CSR includes elements like providing an environment for life long learning for employees, employee empowerment, better information flow, improving the balance between work, family, and leisure, diversified work force, profit sharing and share ownership schemes, concern for employability as well as job security among others. Active follow up and management of employees who are off work due to disabilities or injuries have also been shown to result in cost savings for the companies. Moulding of recruitment policies to include people from ethnic minorities, older workers, women and the long-term unemployed would be a significant step forward to incorporating CSR practices in Human Resources Management. In the context of emerging markets, the availability of cheap labour is an encouraging factor for companies. Dawar and Chattopadhyay (2000) infer from their research that many times, emerging markets are able to provide cheap skilled and unskilled labour at wages which would be substantially cheaper than the normal cost of automation of the job positions. Developed markets have clearly moved towards heavily capital-intensive distribution with the introduction of electronic data interchanges, mechanized movement and monitoring of goods, and vending machines that replace salespeople. By contrast labour-intensive distribution remains economical in emerging markets. For example, in emerging markets, Coca-Cola has not invested in vending machines. These are too expensive relative to salespeople. Benjamin, Brandt and Glewwe (2000) report that in China, instead of vending machines, the company has experimented with a pushcart program in which salespeople dispense the companys drinks by the single-serve bottle. Similarly, in India, almost 10% of Coca- Cola sales take place through fountains, where a salesperson dispenses drinks by the paper cup. Daily sales of as little as 100 cups justify the cost of the fountain and the person employed to dispense the drinks. b. Work Safety and Health Measures Worker safety and labour health have been documented to be having a direct impact on productivity of the labour force. Although legal measures exist in most nations on maintaining standards for ensuring worker safety and providing health benefits, recent trends have made it imperative for companies to adopt a proactive approach to this issue. In emerging markets having significant cost advantages in labour, outsourcing of labour and processes have led to the situation where companies not only need to maintain high safety levels in their own premises but also ensure that their suppliers and other connected parties comply with these principles. The increased focus on safety standards and employee welfare has led to the development of standards across industries. Mechanisms are being designed especially in emerging markets for measuring, documenting and communicating these qualities thereby saving time, work and costs in the purchasing process. c. Adaptation to change A recent trend in the global business scenario has been the wide spread use of mergers and acquisitions for business expansion. Also downsizing has been used, often ineffectively, as a cost cutting measure by firms in their relentless push for profits.

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According to the Green Paper (2001) by the Commission of the European Communities Restructuring in a socially responsible manner means to balance and take into consideration the interests and concerns of all those who are affected by the changes and decisions. In practice the process is often as important as the substance to the success of restructuring. In particular this involves seeking the participation and involvement of those affected through open information and consultation. Furthermore, restructuring needs to be well prepared by identifying major risks, calculating all the costs, direct and indirect, associated with alternative strategies and policies, and evaluating all of the alternatives which would reduce the need for redundancies. However, Bhattacharyya and Rahman (2003) point out that although most emerging economies have labour laws preventing labour retrenchment even in the event of declining sales, in practise lobbying with the bureaucracy and government is an aspect which firms cannot chose to ignore. d. Management of Environmental impacts The importance of this aspect of CSR cannot be overemphasised. Optimization of resource utilization and reducing environmentally damaging effluents can reduce the environmental impact. This will also enable the firms to affect significant cost savings in energy bills and pollution costs. Many firms in emerging markets have had to face serious repercussions from the state and society for over exploitation of natural resources and disregard for environmental safety measures. Studies by Consultancy and Research for Environmental Management on practises of Dutch multinational companies in India (2004) highlight the importance attached by the companies to maintenance of environmental standards. Many multinational companies are realising to their cost that early compliance with accepted standards will provide strategic advantages in the long run even though cost inefficient in the near future. External Dimension This dimension relates to practices concerning external stakeholders. The significance of this dimension of CSR has come to the forefront with the advent of globalization leading to the development of international standards for business practices.

External Dimension Local Communities

Figure 3

Business Partners

Human Rights

a. Local Communities The development of positive relations with the local community and thereby the accumulation of social capital is particularly relevant for non-local companies. These relations are being increasingly used by multinational companies to support the integration of their subsidiaries into various markets in which they

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are present. Deep understanding of the local community and social customs is an asset which can be utilized by the companies to gain strategic advantage. In emerging markets, this is more relevant than ever because of the availability of cheaper labour from the local communities. Companies would find it in their interest to substitute capital substitution with labour and reap the cost benefits. For example, Dawar and Chattopadhyay (2000) point out the instance of Whirlpool. Whirlpool discovered that it was unable to sell its high priced, fully automatic machines in the emerging markets. It was only after it introduced twin-tub machines that were cheaper and utilized the consumers labour rather than electronics to complete the entire washing cycle that sales took off. Interestingly, due to the fact that these machines had long disappeared in the developed markets, Whirlpool had to acquire the obsolete technology from Korea. b. Business Partners Building long term relationships of sound ethical foundation with suppliers, customers (and even competitors in rare occasions) will enable companies to meet customer expectations better while reducing complexity and costs. Companies should realise their CSR practices will be judged taking into account the practices of their partners and suppliers throughout the supply chain. The effect of corporate social responsibility activities will not remain limited to the company itself, but will also touch upon their economic partners. Companies in emerging markets actually take on additional CSR responsibilities because of the existence of outsourcing opportunities in the form of suppliers and outsourcing agents. Also as part of their social responsibility companies are expected to provide high quality products and services, which meet customer expectations in a manner reflecting the companys concern for the environment and the local conditions. Thus in emerging markets, consumer based business strategies would enable companies to build long lasting relationships with consumers based on trust. c. Human Rights According to Robbins (2000), Companies operating in countries where human rights are regularly violated may experience a climate of civil instability and corruption that makes for uneasy relations with government officials, employees, local communities and shareholders. Amnesty International states: Companies have a direct responsibility to ensure the protection of human rights in their own operations. They also have a responsibility to use their influence to mitigate the violation of human rights by governments, the forces of law and order or opposition groups in the countries in which they operate. The Caux Round Table Principles state that companies have a responsibility to respect human rights and democratic institutions; and promote them wherever practical. In the context of emerging markets, operations of companies should not impinge on the land rights of the local community. In particular, the company needs to make sure that people are not forcibly removed from their homes and their livelihoods are not endangered. There is the growing need to develop proper consultative processes with local groups protesting against projects or operations in which they are involved. Firms also need to build confidence in the local community that people (including union members) participating in peaceful protests against company operations are not intimidated, arrested or in any other way threatened. Also, companies can take steps to ensure forced labour is not used in their own,

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or their suppliers operations. According to Robbins (2000), there are reports of Gulags or prison labour camps in China producing products that are then sold locally or exported. An example of foreign companies benefiting from the ruling regimes abuse of its people is the building of the gas pipeline in Burma. Numerous reports tell of the use of forced labour on a grand scale. Companies need to ensure that human rights principles are withheld in all their operations and related activities in emerging markets. Redesigning marketing paradigms for emerging markets The last decade has seen a mad rush amongst multinational companies to gain first mover advantages in emerging markets by establishing operations and subsidiaries. However most of the firms have found out to their cost that local competition was not as easy to overcome as they had thought with matters made being worse by cutthroat competition amongst the multinationals themselves. Most multinationals are beginning to realize that loss making operations cannot be continued year after year under the pretext of investment for future expectation of profits. It is high time that the local subsidiaries start to deliver profits of their rather than continuing to act as sinks of the firms global resources. According to Dawar and Chattopadhyay (2000) Local operations now realize that the three to five percent of consumers in emerging markets who have global preferences and purchasing power no longer suffice as the only target market. Instead, they must delve deeper into the local consumer base in order to deliver on the promise of tapping into billion-consumer markets. Batra (1999) argues that the usual business strategy of using products that have been historically successful in developed nations will not work in emerging markets. Prahlad and Lieberthal (1998) point out that companies must make the transition in their business strategy of thinking globally to thinking locally as each of the merging markets represents an intriguing challenge for marketing with its vast diversities existing across nations and even within nations in culture and socio economic conditions. It is in marketing across such diverse cultures and varying conditions that the concept of corporate social responsibility becomes critical to success. In this paper, we will focus on two main paradigms of marketing in which CSR plays an important part. a. Customer Segmentation and Consumer behavior There is an urgent need for modifying currently existing customer segmentation techniques. While segmentation based on finer product features may have been successful in the industrially advanced nations, such fine distinctions may not strike a cord with consumers in the emerging markets. This is amply demonstrated in the case of consumer products like toilet soaps where market segmentation techniques in the developed nations are based on value provided by products, like fragrance, anti-aging etc. However the mass market in emerging economies with lesser sophisticated consumers may not be compliant to such fine segmentation. Segmentation techniques will need more careful analysis of consumer behavior with significant input from demographic data. For example, Dawar and Chattopadhyay (2000) point out that Here, consumers dislike products that evolve too rapidly, making their recent purchases obsolete. Instead, the need is for basic, functional, long lasting products. The Volkswagen Beetle remained the largest selling car in Brazil long after it had been phased out of the affluent markets and despite competitive assaults by other manufacturers with newer models. The largest selling car in China is still the Volkswagen Santana, a model that was phased out of developed markets 15 years ago. Thus clearly, in depth analysis of consumer behavior is necessary in emerging markets although the level of customer sophistication may be less. Here CSR has an important role to play

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especially in building up trust in the minds of the consumers. In an emerging market where consumers are looking for functional products which last longer and accelerated obsolescence is not a problem like in developed markets, the consumer perception about the company brand assumes significance. A company which builds the image of producing quality products that last longer though they may not be on the cutting edge of technology will actually be able to gain strategic advantage in emerging economies.

b. Distribution Emerging markets, especially those in Asia have posed significant distribution challenges to multinational companies. Often companies have had to abandon distribution systems tried and tested in developed nations and start developing a customized distribution mechanism specific to the country of operation. Dawar and Chattopadhyay (2000) estimate that that there are 9 million small independently owned grocery shops in China that have limited working capital and, typically, occupy fewer than 300 square feet. Multi layered distribution systems have to be used although this increases the distance between the manufacturers and consumers. Yet in order to achieve volume levels necessary to overcome the thin margins prevalent in emerging markets, this is sometimes absolutely necessary. CSR is instrumental in relationship building with retailers. Building relationships in a fragmented retail environment requires an understanding of retailers interests. Successful manufacturers creatively develop new revenue activities for the retailer. Batra (1999) illustrates the example of United Phosphorous Limited (UPL), an Indian crop protection company, which realized its lost opportunity due to the fact that that in its rural markets small farmers were not applying pesticide at all, or applying it inappropriately due to the lack of application equipment. Most farmers were unable to afford the huge capital cost of the equipment. UPL turned this into their advantage by designing a programme to arrange bank loans for the purchase of application equipment and educated the farmers on additional revenue possibilities from renting the equipment resulting in an added revenue stream for rural retailers and additional sales of pesticides.

Key CSR Guidelines for Psychosocial Risk Management: Make sure the strategic importance of the management of psychosocial issues is recognized: To develop top management support the strategic relevance of the management of psychosocial issues needs to be clarified. A first step is to develop a business case which clarifies the health and business benefits, both in terms of potential cost reductions and added value. Strategic value can be added when the management of psychosocial risks contributes to the realization of the companys strategic aims, e.g. to become an employer of choice and for creating an innovative company culture. Integrate psychosocial issues in strategies, plans and processes for organizational development:

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When an organizations development goals are clear, it is possible to assess what requirements in terms of work organization, work processes, staffing, new competencies (that need to be developed), working environment, etc. will be essential for their realization. As organizational development goals require a timeframe of some years, and are associated with changes in work organization, work processes, etc. changes can be anticipated. Psychosocial issues can be included from the start in the design of work processes and in decision-making thereof. In this way lessons learned from dealing with psychosocial risks can be taken into account in organizational development. This is likely to lead to much more effective prevention, while saving costs and delivering strategic added value to the enterprise. Organize a good balance between implementation of systems, internalization of values, and organizational learning processes : The management of psychosocial issues and risks requires systematically planned activities. These activities can and should be integrated in the management systems the company has to manage risks in general, e.g. via integrating it in health and safety management systems, or in the planning and control cycle or other existing procedures. The management of psychosocial issues and risks is also about ethics and values, about doing the right thing, i.e. creating awareness, promoting responsible behavior and walking the talk. As part of their CSR policy companies can raise awareness or provide training to their employees about corporate values and how to deal with ethical dilemmas. Values and ethical dilemmas related to psychosocial issues can easily be integrated into such CSR approaches. This cannot be achieved without individual and collective learning processes. Be aware of the business impact of psychosocial risks: Health in itself is rarely seen as a primary business interest. However, the health of employees does often strongly influence business. While the primary concern of workers is the management of the impact of business activities on psychosocial risks and their health, the primary concern for management is often the impact of psychosocial risks and ill-health of employees on the business. A comprehensive consideration of both aspects is important. Engage with stakeholders, traditional as well as non-traditional: The greater the involvement of key stakeholders, the more likely it is that the management of psychosocial risks will be and remain of strategic importance to the enterprise. Traditional stakeholders include trade unions, employer organizations, government agencies, occupational health services, researchers and academics. Non-

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traditional stakeholders include social security agencies, health insurers, families/partners, NGOs, health care institutions, customers/clients, shareholders, communities, employment agencies, media, actors of the judiciary system and business consultants. As several of this non-traditional stakeholders have a clear (financial) interest in the prevention of psychosocial problems this offers a range of opportunities that is hardly explored today. Stress could easily become our next public health crisis. It seems obvious that corporate social responsibility has to involve responsibility for personal and business stress levels. Here are just some of the reasons why: Chronic stress exacerbates health, communication and performance problems. Employees with high stress have 46% higher health costs. The workforce is impacted by chronic stress, resulting in billions of lost productivity.

CSR activity helps employees Increase their EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE. According to Goleman, A persons Success is determined more accurately by EQ rather than by IQ. It helps in Collaboration and Co-operation. It Helps in Conflict resolution emotionally intelligent people can easily understand others and resolve disputes by negotiating and resolving disagreements.

CSR indicators for psychosocial risk management at enterprise level: Integration into systems and structures of business operations:
1. The enterprise has management information on psychosocial risk management (as part of normal business control or a management system in place). 2. The enterprise has a policy to address (prevent, reduce, control) psychosocial risks (and comply with legal obligations). 3. The system for managing psychosocial risks is also relevant and used in cases of reorganization and restructuring. 4. The enterprise has a code of conduct for violence, harassment and bullying. 5. The enterprise has systems for raising harassment, bullying or other psychosocial issues confidentially. 6. The enterprise has systems in place that address diversity issues and work-life balance issues. 7. Guidance on the prevention of psychosocial risks and the promotion of mental health is available to workers.

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Integration into company culture: 1. Managers are trained and developed to prioritize psychosocial issues and address them openly as a preventive measure. 2. Training on psychosocial risks is provided to all employees as a preventive measure. 3. Workers representatives are actively involved in preventive efforts on psychosocial risks. 4. Workers representatives are trained in psychosocial risks as a preventive measure. 5. Notification of incidents (e.g. violence and harassment) is encouraged (rewarded, not leading to blame). 6. Open discussion of psychosocial issues is encouraged with attention also to diversity issues and work-life balance. 7. In addition to precautions taken, workers are alert to deal with unexpected stressful or violent situations. 8. There is active, open internal and external communication on psychosocial problems and preventive actions (transparency).

Integration into learning and development of the organization: 1. All incidents on violence and harassment are recorded, analyzed and the lessons learned are communicated. 2. Individual workers get feedback on problems notified and solutions proposed or implemented. 3. Psychosocial risk management interventions are evaluated. 4. Information from psychosocial risk management and evaluation of psychosocial risk management interventions is used as a vehicle to promote individual and organizational learning and development.

Integration into dialogue with stakeholders and training: 1. The enterprise has a reporting system in place on psychosocial problems, that is linked to internal planning and control cycle and to external reporting (e.g. in the CSR report). 2. Psychosocial risks are regularly addressed in discussions between management and workers representatives.

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3. The enterprise has identified their main stakeholders on psychosocial issues (both internal and external) and has regular dialogue with them. Explicitly addressing ethical aspects and dilemmas: 1. Workers are trained to use conflicts at work in a positive way (to overcome problems and turn them into productive experiences). Emerging markets like India have drawn the attention of large MNCs for the potential of market growth. These markets are untapped and give entirely new domain for operations. However many MNCs also take the markets for granted and exploit the laxity in the norms of operations to their advantage. The lack of concern for the local community, the consumers and the environment by these corporations has created large scale public debate and action. It is important in this context to understand that the sustainable business growth is associated with care for the community and markets the corporations operate in. The negative publicity caused by the actions of MNCs has led to suspicion about their operations in the general public in these markets. The case of Coca Cola also proves without doubt that irresponsible corporate behavior can have repercussion throughout their global markets.

The Upside of Stress:

In the past several years, a lot of us have convinced ourselves that stress is unequivocally negative for everyone, all the time. We've blamed stress for a wide variety of problems, from slight memory lapses to full-on dementiaand that's just in the brain. We've even come up with a derisive nickname for people who voluntarily plunge into stressful situations: they're "adrenaline junkies." Sure, stress can be bad for you, especially if you react to it with anger or depression or by downing five glasses of Scotch. But what's often overlooked is a common-sense counterpoint: in some circumstances, it can be good for you, too. It's right there in basic-psychology textbooks. As Spencer Rathus puts it in "Psychology: Concepts and Connections," "some stress is healthy and necessary to keep us alert and occupied." Yet that's not the theme that's been coming out of science for the past few years. "The public has gotten such a uniform message that stress is always harmful," says Janet DiPietro, a developmental psychologist at Johns Hopkins University. "And that's too bad, because most people do their best under mild to moderate the stress responsethe body's hormonal reaction to danger, uncertainty or changeevolved to help us survive, and if we learn how to keep it from overrunning our lives, it still can. In the short term, it can energize us, "revving up our systems to handle what we have to handle," says Judith Orloff, a psychiatrist at UCLA. In the long term, stress can motivate us to do better at jobs we care about. A little of it can prepare us for a lot later on, making us more resilient. Even when it's extreme, stress may have some positive effectswhich are why, in addition to posttraumatic stress disorder, some psychologists are starting to define a phenomenon called posttraumatic growth. "There's really a biochemical and scientific bias that stress is bad, but anecdotally and clinically, it's quite evident that it can work for some people. We need stress to a certain degree, just try not to let it take control. We may talk about cutting the stress from our lives, but we need those

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precious, powerful fight-or-flight hormones our bodies produce when we're about to be hit by a car or when confronted with an unexpected, needed-it-yesterday deadline at work. When the brain perceives physical or psychological stress, it starts pumping the chemicals cortisol, epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine into the body. Instantly, the heart beats faster, blood pressure increases, senses sharpen, a rise in blood glucose invigorates us and we're ready to rock. Or leap away from the car. Matter of perception: indeed, stress is a doubled-edged sword that affects everyone differently. It's mostly a matter of perception. A speeding ride on a roller coaster is torture for some, while others race for the next ride. Multi-tasking or living in a hectic urban environment is a thrill for some, a confusing sensory overload for others. The goal isn't an absence of stress. It's an unavoidable reality. Besides, without it, life would be a pretty dull existence. The key is channeling stress energy into productive action instead of feeling overwhelmed. "Focus the energy like a laser beam on what you need to do," says Tan. "Very successful people, rather than feeling disempowered, take the extra stress energy ... and make it into a high-energy, positive situation."

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Stress has become a part of day-to-day living of every individual in the present modern era. The reasons for stress may differ from person to person. The study has found that the main causes of stress among the employees in the IT Sector (service sector) are psychologically demanding work, stressful relationships and excessive working hours. Further, it has also hound that the extent of stress was exhibited by the symptoms like lack of energy or enthusiasm, health related problems, repetitive thoughts on the mind, unable to speak ones mind, feeling that no adequate reward or value for abilities & commitment is given. The most frequent strategy used by employees IT sector to overcome the problem of stress is listening to music. Further, the null hypothesis set for the study has been partially rejected with respect to factors such as attending of club/social activities, balanced diet and exercise and going for walk which differentiates significantly between relatively high and relatively low level of stress experienced employees. These are the most agreed strategies used by employees to overcome their level of stress. The forgoing analysis leads to the conclusion that in an age of highly dynamic and competitive world, man is exposed to all kinds of stressors that can be affect him on all realms of life. Thus, the growing importance of interventional strategies is needed at both the levels, i.e. Organizational and individual. So, efforts are needed at both fronts. At the organizational level, they should formulate preventive and remedial strategies to keep their employees away from the exposure of all types of stress. In this connection, provision should be made for planned breaks in between the normal working schedule hours to re-energize their employees and to get rid off monotonous routine work. Furthermore, such type of work environment should be created where employees can maintain the balance between the professional and personal life with the principle that no

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home work at office and no office work at home. This will help in maintaining scheduling compatibilities. In addition, at the individual level three pronged approach to manage stress should be adopted. It includes behavioral/practical techniques, relaxation techniques and cognitive/thinking technique. The behavioral approaches to stress management include exercise and eating a healthy and balance diet which includes selections from the basic food groups. It should include scheduling time for leisure and pleasure, which provides for a more balanced, and fulfilling life. Anticipating and preparing for recurrent stressor by managing time, setting priorities and limits, delegating responsibility and not procrastinating are helpful stress reducing strategies. These are effective stress management tools because their utilization is within our control. The relaxation approaches to stress, another approach of stress management, includes techniques used to relax mind with meditation and visual imagery. The third approach to stress management, which is effective, focuses on many stress management programme like identification and controlling of negative feeling with realistic approach of perceiving life, and replacing if negative and rigid thoughts with positive, flexible, and realistic thoughts for behaving rationally and productively. To recapitulate, it can be said that the cost of stress is not only direct but also it leads to much indirect cost. Therefore, the management of stress in the fast pace of life is very essential. The most powerful method of dealing with stress is learning how to manage the skills work best when they are used regularly, not just relatively calm can help one get through challenging circumstances that may arise. But at the same time management of stress in only possible when one is able to know factors which lead to stress.

References: Caplan, Robert D. (1985), psychosocial stress in Work, Management and Labour Studies, Vol. 10(2), PP 63-76. Chirayath, Susan (2006), A Study of the relationship between personality and Stress resistance/Management Ability in Employees, The ICFAI Journal of Management Research, Vol. 5(5) pp. 7-22. LEKA, S., COX, T. (Eds.). The European Framework for Psychosocial Risk Management: PRIMA-EF. I-WHO Publications, Nottingham, 2008. ISBN 978-0-9554365-2-9. Edenkamp, P (2002). Insights into how consumers are thinking, how they are acting and why, Brandweek, Vol. 43, Issue 36, pp 16 -20. Warhust, A. (2001). Corporate Citizenship and Corporate Social Investment: Drivers of Tri-Sector Partnerships, Journal of Corporate Citizenship, Spring, pp 57-73. Moon, J. (2002). Corporate Social Responsibility: An Overview in International Directory of Corporate Philanthropy, London, Europa Publications.

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Mohan, A. (2001). Corporate Citizenship: Perspectives from India , Journal of Corporate Citizenship, Spring, pp 107-117. Bhattacharyya, S.K., & Rahman, Z. (2003). Why large local conglomerates may not work in emerging markets, European Business Review, Vol 15, No 2 , pp. 105-115. Global Economic Prospects and the Developing Countries, World Bank, 2002.) No. 09-2003 ICCSR Research Paper Series - ISSN 1479-5124 Batra, R. (1999). Marketing Issues and Challenges in Transitional Economies, in Marketing Issues in Transitional Economies, Rajeev Batra, ed, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston: MA, 335. Prahalad, C. K. & Kenneth, L. (1998), The End of Corporate Imperialism, Harvard Business Review, July-Aug, pp. 68-79.

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Semester: 4 Batch: June 2009-July 2011 TEAM MEMBERS Name Debmalya Ghoshal Anupam Singha Paresh roy Subhamoy Chatterjee Joydeep Pal Pritam Saha Roll LMS-077 Lms-075 Lms-079 LMS-087 LMS-078 LMS-080 Registration B-018 B-007 G-021 D-082 C-029 D-053

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