Effects of Stress on the Work Attitude of Staff of College of Distance Education, University of Cape Coast

Abstract

The study sought to find out how the staff of the College of Distance Education react to stressful conditions at the work place. The cross-sectional survey design was adopted for the study. Responses of 77 lecturers and administrators of the College of Distance Education to a self-administered questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study found among others that pressure to meet deadlines on students’ related issues and task of bringing lots of feedback from study centres, unpleasant office environment and unavailability of work schedule cause stress on staff of the college. It was again revealed that the stress from the work environment make staff delegate task, report to work late, make mistakes, dislike going to work, get nervous, easily irritated and close before the closing time. Among the recommendations made were the institutionalization of free health screening/ care as well as health and safety seminars particularly on stress management, organisation of recreational activities, re-introduction and increment in number of day-offs and ergonomically arranging offices.