Work Place Stress and Employee Performance in Government Hospitals in Kampala-Uganda; A Case of Mulago National Referral Hospital

ABSTRACT 

The general objective of the study was to establish the effect of workplace stress on employee performance in government hospitals of Uganda, with the main focus on Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala as the case study. The Specific objectives were to examine the effect of work overload on employee performance, to establish the effect of work life balance on employee perfonnance and to fmd out the effect of work relationships on employee performance in Mulago National Referral Hospital. From these specific objectives, research questions and hypotheses were formulated. The study adopted a cross sectional case study research design which involved triangulation (use of multiple data collection techniques simultaneously) i.e. utilizing both quantitative and qualitative approaches at the same time. The study population constituted 290 employees at both management and operations level. Respondents were selected from the 9 departments of Mulago National Referral Hospital. A sample size of 165 respondents was determined based on Krejcie & Morgan table of 1970, to determine sample size from a given population. The finding revealed that, Work life balance had a positive and significant correlation with employee performance (r = 0.441** P< 0.01), there was a positive and significant relationship between Work overload on employee performance (p0.01, r = 0.139). The study concluded that the negative implications of work stress are recognized as a challenge to both employers and workers being more likely to have high-strain jobs. Those with such jobs perceived their work to be physically demanding and less satisfying. Low personal incomes and low levels of education were also associated with higher stress. The study recommended that the organization must conduct needs assessment for an Employee Assistance Program, to reduce Workplace Stress of medical practitioners, the selected Government hospital in Kampala, Uganda should emphasize more on employees’ motivation by paying Employee salaries on time and giving them what is equivalent to their input (Equity and not equality). The government should enhance medical practitioners’ training through workshops to promote development careers of medical practitioners and improve on their salaries, and indeed according to the study, there was a poor performance on employees due to too much work stress, and yet the patient ratio is high.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION

APPROVAL SHEET

DEDICATION m

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT iV

TABLE OF CONTENTS V

LIST OF TABLES ix

LIST OF FIGURES X

ABSTRACT xi

CHAPTER ONE I

INTRODUCTION 1

1.0: Introduction 1

1.1 Background to the Study 1

1.1.1 Historical background 1

1.1.2 Theoretical background 4

1.1.3 Conceptual Perspective 5

1.1.4 Contextual background 6

1.2 Statement of the Problem 9

1.3 Research objectives 10

1.3.1 General objective 10

1.3.2 Specific objectives 10

1.4 Research Questions 10

1.5 Research Hypotheses 11

1.6 Scope of the Study 11

1.6.1 Geographical scope 11

1.6.2 Content scope 11

1.6.3 Time scope 11

1.7.Significance of the study 12

1.8 Operational Definitions of Key Terms 12

CHAPTER TWO 14

LITERATURE REVIEW 14

2.0 Introduction 14

2.1 Theoretical Review 14

2.3 Conceptual Framework 16

2.4.1 The effect of work overload on employee performance 18

2.4.1.1 Fatigue 19

2.4.1.2 Thermal Stress 20

2.4.1.3 Time pressure 22

2.4.2 The effects of work life balance on employee performance 24

2.4.2.1 Work - family balance 24

2.4.2.2 Flexible Work Arrangement 25

2.4.3 The effect of work relationships on employee performance 29

2.5 Summary of reviewed literature 30

CHAPTER THREE 32

METHODOLOGY 32

3.0 Introduction 32

3.1 Research Design 32

3.2 Study Population 32

3.3 Sample Size and selection 33

3.4 Sampling Techniques and Procedure 33

3.5 Data Collection Methods 34

3.6 Data collection instruments 35

3.6.1 Structured Questionnaires for the medical workers 35

3.6.2 Interview guide 35

3.6.3 Documentary checklist 35

3.6.4 Data Quality Control 36

3.6.5 Validity 36

3.6.6. Reliability of the Instrument 37

3.7 Procedure of Data Collection 38

3.8: Measurement of Variables 38

3.9: Data Analysis 38

3.9.1: Quantitative data analysis 39

3.9,2. Qualitative data analysis 39

CHAPTER FOUR .40

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND LNTERPRETATION OF RESIJLTS 40

4.0 Introduction 40

4.1 Response rate 40

4.2 Demographical Characteristics 41

4.2.1 Gender of the Respondents 41

4.2.2 Age of the Respondents 42

4.2.3 Level of Education of Respondents 43

4.2.4 Duration of Service at Mulago National Referral Hospital 44

4.3The effect of work overload on employee performance in Mulago National Referral Hospital

4.3.1 Correlations 48

4.3.2 Regression Analysis 49

4.4 The effect of Work life balance on employee performance in Mulago National Referral Hospital 50

4.4.1 Correlations 56

-4.4.2 Regression Analysis 57

4.5 The effect of Work relationships on employee performance in Mulago National Referral Hospital 58

4.5.1 Con-elation 61

4.5.2Regression Analysis 61

4.6 Dependent Variable (employee performance) 63

4.7 The effect of workplace stress on employee performance in Mulago National Referral Hospital 65

CHAPTER FIVE 68

SUMMARY, DISCUSSIONS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 68

5.1 Introduction 68

5.2 Summary of findings 68

5.2.1 The relationship between Work life balance and employee performance in Mulago National Referral Hospital 68

5.2.2 The effect of Work overload on Employee performance in Mulago National Referral Hospital 69

5.2.3 The effect of interpersonal relationships on employee performance in Mulago National Referral Hospital 69

5.3 Discussion .70

5.3.1 The relationship between Work life balance and Employee performance in Mulago National Referral Hospital 70

5.3.3 The relationship between Work relationships and employee performance in Mulago National Referral Hospital 71

5.4 Conclusions

5.4.1 The relationship between Work life balance and employee performance in Mulago National Referral Hospital 73

5.4.2 The effect of Work overload on employee perfonnance in Mulago National Referral Hospital

5.4.3 The relationship between work relationships and employee performance in Mulago National Referral Hospital 74

5.5 Recommendations 74

5.4 Areas for further studies 75

REFERENCES 76

APPENDICIES 80

APPENDIX I: TRANSMITTAL LETTER FOR THE RESPONDENTS 80

APPENDIX II: CLEARANCE FROM ETifiCS COMMITTEE 81

APPENDIX III: INFORMED CONSENT 82

APPENDIX IV: FACE SHEET: DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE

RESPONDENTS 83

APPENDIX V: PROPOSED BUDGET 86

APPENDIX VI: TIME FRAME 87