Chapter 1

Stress is emerging as a major problem for many successful people.

Stress has become a m a j o r c o n c e r n o f t h e m o d e r n t i me s a s i t c a n
cause harm to e m p l oy e e s h e a l t h a n d performance. Stress can
deteriorate social and family relationships and eventually burn a person out;
ultimately it can take toll on the health. Organizations need to recognize stress
as a problem and decide whether or not to act upon it.

In today's economic upheavals, downsizing, layoff, merger and bankruptcies

have cost hundreds of thousands of workers their jobs. Millions more have been
shifted to unfamiliar tasks within their companies and wonder how much longer
they will be employed. Adding to the pressures that workers face are new
bosses, computer surveillance of production, fewer health and retirement
benefits, and the feeling they have to work longer and harder just to maintain
their current economic status. Workers at every level are experiencing increased
tension and uncertainty, and are updating their resumes.

Pressure at the workplace is unavoidable due to the demands of the

contemporary work environment. Pressure perceived as acceptable by an
individual, may even keep workers alert, motivated, able to work and learn,
depending on the available resources and personal characteristics. However,
when that pressure becomes excessive or otherwise unmanageable it leads to
stress. Stress can damage an employees' health and the business performance.
Work related stress can be caused by poor work organisation (the way we
design jobs and work systems, and the way we manage them), by poor work
design (for example, lack of control over work processes), poor management,
unsatisfactory working conditions, and lack of support from colleagues and
supervisors.
Research findings show that the most stressful type of work is that which values
excessive demands and pressures that are not matched to workers knowledge
and abilities, where there is little opportunity to exercise any choice or control,
and where there is little support from others. Employees are less likely to
experience work-related stress when demands and pressures of work are
matched to their knowledge and abilities control can be exercised over their
work and the way they do it support is received from supervisors and colleagues
- participation in decisions that concern their jobs is provided.

Being respected and appreciated by significant others is one of the most

fundamental human needs. Consequently, people go to great pain to gain
acceptance and approval. Recent research in the domain of occupational health
psychology shows that many stressful experiences are linked to being offended
for instance, by being offended or ridiculed, by social exclusion, by social
conflict, by illegitimate tasks. Such experiences of being treated in an unfair
manner constitute an Offence to Self, and this may have quite far reaching
consequences in terms of health and well-being. Conversely, being appreciated
is one of the most important factors that increase motivation and satisfaction as
well as health and well-being. The presentation below covers examples from
recent research and draws conclusions concerning the many ways in which
appreciation and respect can be communicated and how this knowledge can be
useful for prevention in the field of health and well-being.
About the Report:

1. Title of the Project:

This project is titled as Stress Management At Work Place - A Case
Study On Wipro

2. Objective of the Study:

Following are the objectives of the study:
To study the various reasons that leads to stress in employees.
To determine the overall consequences of stress on their work.
To study the measures taken to manage stress
To understand the measures taken by Wipro for Stress
Management.

3. Data and Methodology:

This study is conducted on both primary and secondary datas. The
secondary data was collected from internet.
The primary data was collected through a personal interview with
the companys employee.

4. Limitations:
An in depth study was avoided due to time limitations.

5. Chapter Layout:

The study is arranged as follows:

Chapter 1 gives an introduction to stress management and the whole
project.
Chapter 2 gives the profile of Wipro.
Chapter 3 gives a theoretical view about stress and stress management.
 Chapter 4 explains the techniques and measures adopted by Wipro for
managing stress.
Chapter 5 gives the conclusion of the project.

Chapter 2

The company was incorporated on 29 December 1945, in Amalner a small town

in Jalgaon district by Mohamed Premji as 'Western India Palm Refined Oil
Limited', later abbreviated to 'Wipro'. It was initially set up as a manufacturer of
vegetable and refined oils in Amalner, Maharashtra, India under the trade names
of Kisan, Sunflower and Camel. The company logo still contains a sunflower to
reflect products of the original business.

In 1966, after Mohamed Premjis death, his son Azim Premji returned home
from Stanford University and took over Wipro as its chairman at the age of 21.

During the 1970s and 1980s, the company shifted its focus to new business
opportunities in the IT and computing industry, which was at a nascent stage in
India at the time. On 7 June 1977, the name of the company changed from
Western India Vegetable Products Limited, to Wipro Products Limited.

The year 1980 marked the arrival of Wipro in the IT domain. In 1982, the name
was changed from Wipro Products Limited to Wipro Limited. Meanwhile,
Wipro continued to expand in the consumer products domain with the launch of
"Ralak" a tulsi-based family soap and "Wipro Jasmine", a toilet soap.

In 1988, Wipro diversified its product line into heavy-duty industrial cylinders
and mobile hydraulic cylinders, sales, and service of diagnostic and imaging
products. Later, in 1991, tipping systems and Eaton hydraulic products were
launched. The Wipro Fluid Power division, in 1992, developed expertise to offer
standard hydraulic cylinders for construction equipment and truck tipping
systems. The market saw the launch of the "Santoor" talcum powder and
"Wipro Baby Soft" range of baby toiletries in 1990.
In 1995, Wipro set up an overseas design centre, Odyssey 21, for undertaking
projects and product developments in advanced technologies for overseas
clients. Wipro Infotech and Wipro Systems were amalgamated with Wipro in
April that year. Five of Wipro's manufacturing and development facilities
secured the ISO 9001 certification during 199495. In 1999, Wipro acquired
Wipro Acer. Wipro became a more profitable, diversified corporation with new
products such as the Wipro SuperGenius personal computers (PCs). In 1999, the
product was the one Indian PC range to obtain US-based National Software
Testing Laboratory (NSTL) certification for the Year 2000 (Y2K) compliance in
hardware for all models.

Wipro Limited joined hands with a global telecom major KPN (Royal Dutch
telecom) to form a joint venture company "Wipro Net Limited" to provide
internet services in India. The year 2000 was the year Wipro launched solutions
for convergent networks targeted at Internet and telecom solution providers in
the names of Wipro OSS Smart and Wipro WAP Smart.In the same year, Wipro
got listed on New York Stock Exchange. In early 2000 Wipro Vice Chairman
Vivek Paul and Azim Premji approached KPMG Consulting Vice Chairman
Keyur Patel and CEO Rand Blazer to form an mega-outsourcing joint venture
between the two organizations..

In February 2002, Wipro became the first software technology and services
company in India to be certified for ISO 14001 certification.Wipro also
achieved ISO 9000 certification to become the first software company to get
SEI CMM Level 5 in 2002. Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting Group entered
the market of compact fluorescent lamps, with the launch of a range of CFL,
under the brand name of Wipro Smartlite. As the company grew, a study
revealed that Wipro was the fastest wealth creator for 5 years (19972002). The
same year witnessed the launch of Wipros own laptops with Intel's Centrino
mobile processor.

Wipro also entered into an exclusive agreement with the owners of Chandrika
for marketing of their soap in select states in India. It set up a wholly owned
subsidiary company viz. Wipro Consumer Care Limited to manufacture
consumer care and lighting products. In 2004 Wipro joined the billion dollar
club. It also partnered with Intel for i-shiksha.The year 2006 saw Wipro acquire
cMango Inc., a US-based technology infrastructure Consulting firm Enabler,
and a Europe-based retail solutions provider. In 2007, Wipro signed a large deal
with Lockheed Martin. It also entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Oki
Techno Centre Singapore Pte Ltd (OTCS)and signed an R&D partnership
contract with Nokia Siemens Networks in Germany.

In 2008 Wipros entered the clean energy business with Wipro Eco Energy.In
April 2011, Wipro signed an agreement with Science Applications International
Corporation (SAIC) for the acquisition of their global oil and gas information
technology practice of the commercial business services business unit.In 2012
Wipro acquired Australian Trade Promotions Management firm Promax
Applications Group (PAG) for $35 million. In 2012 Wipro employed more than
70,000 H-1B visa professional temporary workers in the United States.
In 2012 Wipro Ltd. announced the demerger of its consumer care, lighting,
furniture, infrastructure Engineering (hydraulicsand water and medical
diagnostic business into a separate company to be named Wipro Enterprises
Ltd.The merger became effective from 31 March 2013.The demerged
companies together contributed about 10% of the revenues of Wipro Limited in
previous financial year.

In 2014, Wipro signed a 10-year $1.2 billion contract with ATCO, a Canadian
Energy & Utilities corporation based out of Calgary, Alberta. This was the
largest deal in Wipro's history.

In October 2016, Wipro announced that it was buying Appirio, an Indianapolis-

based cloud services company for $500 million.

Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting

Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting (WCCLG), a business unit of Wipro

Limited operates in the FMCG segment dealing in consumable commodities.
Established in 1945, its first product was vegetable oil, later sold under the
brand name "Sunflower Vanaspati". It sells personal care products, such as
Wipro Baby Soft and Wipro Safewash, toilet soaps Santoor and Chandrika as
well as Yardley. It sells lighting products, including Smartlite CFL,LED, and
emergency lights.

Through product sales and acquisitions, Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting has
grown steadily in the FMCG segment.
Wipro Infrastructure Engineering

Wipro Infrastructure Engineering is the hydraulics business

division of Wipro Limited and has been in the business of
manufacturing hydraulic cylinders, truck cylinders, and their
components and solutions since 1976. This division delivers
hydraulic cylinders to international OEMs and represents the
Kawasaki, Sun Hydraulics and Teijin Seiki range of hydraulic
products in India. It has entered into partnerships Kawasaki and
aerospace giant EADS. In 2010 Wipro Infrastructure Engineering
was the second largest independent manufacturer of hydraulic
cylinders in the world.

Wipro has been ranked 1st in the 2010 Asian Sustainability Rating (ASRTM) of
Indian companies and is a member of the NASDAQ Global Sustainability
Index as well as the Dow Jones Sustainability Index.

In November 2012 Guide to Greener Electronics, Greenpeace ranked Wipro

first with a score of 7.1/10.

Awards and recognitions

 In March 2017, Wipro was recognized as one of the worlds most ethical
companies by US-based Ethisphere Institute for the sixth consecutive year.

In May 2016, it was ranked 755th on the Forbes Global 2000 list.

Wipro won Gold Award for Integrated Security Assurance Service

(iSAS) under the Vulnerability Assessment, Remediation and
Management category of the 11th Annual 2015 Info Security PGs Global
Excellence Awards.

Wipro won 7 awards, including Best Managed IT Services and Best

System Integrator in the CIO Choice Awards 2015, India

In 2014, Wipro was ranked 52nd among India's most trusted brands
according to the Brand Trust Report, a study conducted by Trust Research
Advisory.

Wipro was ranked 2nd in the Newsweek 2012 Global 500 Green
companies.

Wipro received the 'NASSCOM Corporate Award for Excellence

in Diversity and Inclusion, 2012', in the category 'Most Effective
Implementation of Practices & Technology for Persons with Disabilities'.

In 2012, it was awarded the highest rating of Stakeholder Value and

Corporate Rating 1 (SVG 1) by ICRA Limited.

It received National award for excellence in Corporate Governance from

the Institute of Company Secretaries of India during the year 2004.
Chapter 3

Stress:

A physical, chemical or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension

and may be a factor in disease causation. Stress and stress management is a very
personal, or subjective thing. It is based on personality, experience, and what
has worked in the past. Much stress comes from a feeling of powerlessness over
a situation, or through conflict with others. Stress is a psychological and
physiological response to events that upset our personal balance in some way.
These events or demands are known as stressors.

Work stress:
Work-related stress is the response people may have when presented with work
demands and pressures that are not matched to their knowledge and abilities and
which challenge their ability to cope. Stress occurs in a wide range of work
circumstances but is often made worse when employees feel they have little
support from supervisors and colleagues and where they have little control over
work or how they can cope with its demands and pressures. There is often
confusion between pressure or challenge and stress and sometimes it is used to
excuse bad management practice. Pressure at the workplace is unavoidable due
to the demands of the contemporary work environment. Pressure perceived as
acceptable by an individual, may even keep workers alert, motivated, able to
work and learn, depending on the available resources and personal
characteristics. However, when that pressure becomes excessive or otherwise
unmanageable it leads to stress. Stress can damage workers health and the
business performance. Stress results from a mismatch between the demands and
pressures on the person, on the one hand, and their knowledge and abilities, on
the other. It challenges their ability to cope with work. This includes not only
situations where the pressures of work exceed the workers ability to cope but
also where the workers knowledge and abilities are not sufficiently utilized and
that is a problem for them. A healthy job is likely to be one where the pressures
on employees are appropriate in relation to their abilities and resources, to the
amount of control they have over their work, and to the support they receive
from people who matter to them. As health is not merely the absence of disease
or infirmity but a positive state of complete physical, mental and social well-
being (WHO, 1986), a healthy working environment is one in which there is not
only an absence of harmful conditions but an abundance of health promoting
ones. These may include continuous assessment of risks to health, the provision
of appropriate information and training on health issues and the availability of
health promoting organizational support practices and structures. A healthy
work environment is one in which staff have made health and health promotion
a priority and part of their working lives.

Stress management refers to the wide spectrum of techniques and

psychotherapies aimed at controlling a person's levels of stress, especially
chronic stress, usually for the purpose of improving everyday functioning.
Stress affects millions of people. One of the most common forms of stress is
that related to career and the workplace. In today's economic difficulty, work
related stress is even more pronounced than ever before. Worries about whether
or not people will be able to keep their job, their health insurance, and even
keep their homes, plays a large role in stress, and the possibility of losing a job
can be scary. Another word for stress is tension or anxiety. When someone
experiences stress, there are many different symptoms and repercussions.
Depending on the level and frequency of stress, some of these symptoms can
become serious and cause a myriad of problems. Stress affects people both
mentally and physically. The heart rate increases, headaches can develop, and
often people become irritated much more easily. Individuals who work in high
stress or dangerous jobs as well as those who are employed at a place where
there is a high pressure environment are often prone to experiencing stress.
Work environment, coworker relations, and customer pressures can all
contribute to stress at work. Understanding how to manage, minimize, and deal
with stress can help people feel more relaxed and react when stressful situations
as they arise.

While some workplace stress is normal, excessive stress can interfere with the
productivity and impact physical and emotional health. And the ability to deal
with it can mean the difference between success and failure. In many countries,
employers have a legal responsibility to recognize and deal with stress in the
workplace so that employees do not become physically or mentally ill.
It is important to tackle the causes of stress in the workplace as stress at work
can lead to problems for the individual, working relationships and the overall
working environment. These issues may include lowered self-esteem and poor
concentration skills for the employee. The employer may suffer from increasing
customer complaints, staff turnover and days lost to sickness.

It's normal to have some stress. Stress releases hormones that speed up the
heart, make you breathe faster, and give you a burst of energy. Stress can be
useful when you need to focus on or finish a big project. But too much stress or
being under stress for too long isn't good. Constant stress can make you more
likely to get sick more often. It can make chronic pain worse and can also lead
to long-term health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, back
problems, and depression.

Stress has become a major concern of the modern times as it can cause harm to
employees health and performance. Work related stress costs organization high
each year through sickness, turnover and absenteeism.

Look for these signs of job stress:

Headaches

Trouble sleeping

Problems concentrating

Short temper

Upset stomach

Job dissatisfaction and low morale

What causes job stress?

Most of the time, it's the major sources of stress that lead to job burnout and
health problems. Job stress can affect home life too. Here are some common
sources of major job stress, with examples of each:

Lack of control: Feeling as if the person has no control over his work or job
duties is the biggest cause of job stress. People who feel like they have no
control at work are most likely to get stress-related illnesses. Here's an example:

Shelly is responsible for putting together a report that her boss must deliver at a
4 p.m. meeting. She's been waiting all day for the notes and numbers she needs.
Shelly finally gets the notes from her boss at 3:15 and rushes to prepare the
report and charts and to make copies in time. She gets it done, but she feels mad
and resentful. This is the third time this week that this has happened.

Increased responsibility: Taking on extra duties in the job is stressful. You can
get more stressed if the employee has too much work to do and he can't say no
to new tasks. John volunteers for every new project, because he heard that's the
best way to get promoted. But the tasks are starting to pile up, and he's feeling
overwhelmed. He knows he can't really manage one more thing. But this
morning, John's boss asked him to take on another project, and John agreed.
Now he's more worried than ever about getting everything done.

Job satisfaction and performance: Feeling insecure about job performance is

a major source of stress for many people. Raoul has worked in his new job for 8
months. He thinks he is doing well. But his boss doesn't say much, so Raoul
isn't sure. He wonders if he's on the right track, but he's afraid to ask.

Uncertainty about work roles: Being unsure about duties, how job might be
changing, or the goals of department or company can lead to stress. If the
employee has to report to more than one boss, juggling the demands of different
managers can also be stressful. Rosa's old manager was promoted. Now Rosa is
working for someone new. She's heard that the new boss plans to "shake things
up" in her department. The new boss just hired Emily, whose job seems to be
the same as Rosa's. Rosa worries about what this means for her.

Poor communication: Tension on the job often comes from poor

communication. Being unable to talk about employees needs, concerns, and
frustrations can create stress. A new job with more responsibility and better pay
just opened up in Jill's department. Jill knows she can do this job. And she's
been with the company longer than anyone else on her team. She waits for her
manager to ask if she is interested. But after several weeks, a coworker is
promoted to the new job. Jill feels hurt and angry, but she doesn't say anything.

Lack of support: Lack of support from boss or coworkers makes it harder to

solve other problems at work that are causing stress. Jeff works in a busy office
answering customer complaint calls all day. It would be easier to handle all the
calls if he could at least trade tips with his coworkers. But everyone else is busy
too. His coworkers never make it out of their cubicles during the day, even to let
off a little steam.

Poor working conditions: Unpleasant or dangerous physical conditions, such

as crowding, noise, or ergonomic problems, can cause stress. Sonya is exposed
to constant noise at work. She wears earplugs, but at the end of her shift her ears
are ringing. She often comes home with a headache.

Coping with work stress in todays environment seems uncertain. For workers
everywhere, the troubled economy may feel like an emotional roller coaster.
"Layoffs" and "budget cuts" have become bywords in the workplace, and the
result is increased fear, uncertainty, and higher levels of stress. Since job and
workplace stress increase in times of economic crisis, its important to learn
new and better ways of coping with the pressure.
There are a variety of steps an employee can take to reduce both his overall
stress levels and the stress he finds on the job and in the workplace. These
include:

Taking responsibility for improving their physical and emotional well-being.

Avoiding pitfalls by identifying knee jerk habits and negative attitudes that add
to the stress they experience at work.

Learning better communication skills to ease and improve their relationships

with management and coworkers.

Tip 1: Recognize warning signs of excessive stress at work

When an employee feels overwhelmed at work, he can lose confidence and may
become irritable or withdrawn. This can make him less productive and less
effective in his job, and make the work seem less rewarding. If he ignores the
warning signs of work stress, they can lead to bigger problems. Beyond
interfering with job performance and satisfaction, chronic or intense stress can
also lead to physical and emotional health problems.

Tip 2: Reduce job stress by taking care of yourself

When stress at work interferes with ability to perform in job, manage personal
life, or adversely impacts health, its time to take action. Start by paying
attention to physical and emotional health. When a persons own needs are taken
care of, he is stronger and more resilient to stress. The better they feel, the better
equipped theyll be to manage work stress without becoming overwhelmed.
Taking care of them self doesnt require a total lifestyle overhaul. Even small
things can lift the mood, increase energy, and make them feel like they are back
in the drivers seat. Take things one step at a time, and as they make more
positive lifestyle choices, theyll soon notice a reduction in their stress levels,
both at home and at work.
Get moving:

Regular exercise is a powerful stress reliever even though it may be the last
thing they feel like doing. Aerobic exercise activity that raises heart rate and
makes them sweat is a hugely effective way to lift mood, increase energy,
sharpen focus, and relax both the mind and body. For maximum stress relief, try
to get at least 30 minutes of heart-pounding activity on most days. If its easier
to fit into schedule, break up the activity into two or three shorter segments.

Make food choices that keep you going:

Low blood sugar can make you feel anxious and irritable, while eating too much
can make you lethargic. Healthy eating can help you get through stressful work
days. By eating small but frequent meals, you can help your body maintain an
even level of blood sugar, keep your energy up, stay focused, and avoid mood
swings.

Drink alcohol in moderation and avoid nicotine:

Alcohol temporarily reduces anxiety and worry, but too much can cause anxiety
as it wears off. Drinking to relieve job stress may also eventually lead to alcohol
abuse and dependence. Similarly, smoking when you're feeling stressed and
overwhelmed may seem calming, but nicotine is a powerful stimulant leading to
higher, not lower, levels of anxiety.

Get enough sleep:

Not only can stress and worry can cause insomnia, but a lack of sleep can leave
you vulnerable to even more stress. When you're well-rested, it's much easier to
keep your emotional balance, a key factor in coping with job and workplace
stress. Try to improve the quality of your sleep by keeping a sleep schedule and
aiming for 8 hours a night.

Get support:

Close relationships are vital to helping you through times of stress so reach out
to family and friends. Simply sharing your feelings face to face with another
person can help relieve some of the stress. The other person doesnt have to ret
to fix your problems; he or she just has to be a good listener. Accepting
support is not a sign of weakness and it wont mean youre a burden to others.
In fact, most friends will be flattered that you trust them enough to confide in
them, and it will only strengthen your bond.

Tip 3: Reduce job stress by prioritizing and organizing

When job and workplace stress threatens to overwhelm you, there are simple
steps you can take to regain control over yourself and the situation. Your
newfound ability to maintain a sense of self-control in stressful situations will
often be well-received by coworkers, managers, and subordinates alike, which
can lead to better relationships at work. Here are some suggestions for reducing
job stress by prioritizing and organizing your responsibilities.

Time management tips for reducing job stress:

Create a balanced schedule: Analyze your schedule, responsibilities, and daily

tasks. All work and no play is a recipe for burnout. Try to find a balance
between work and family life, social activities and solitary pursuits, daily
responsibilities and downtime.

Dont over-commit yourself: Avoid scheduling things back-to-back or trying

to fit too much into one day. All too often, we underestimate how long things
will take. If you've got too much on your plate, distinguish between the
"shoulds" and the "musts." Drop tasks that aren't truly necessary to the bottom
of the list or eliminate them entirely.

Try to leave earlier in the morning: Even 10-15 minutes can make the
difference between frantically rushing to your desk and having time to ease into
your day. Dont add to your stress levels by running late.

Plan regular breaks: Make sure to take short breaks throughout the day to take
a walk or sit back and clear your mind. Also try to get away from your desk or
work station for lunch. Stepping away from work to briefly relax and recharge
will help you be more, not less, productive.

Task management tips for reducing job stress:

Prioritize tasks: Make a list of tasks you have to do, and tackle them in order
of importance. Do the high-priority items first. If you have something
particularly unpleasant to do, get it over with early. The rest of your day will be
more pleasant as a result.

Break projects into small steps: If a large project seems overwhelming, make
a step-by-step plan. Focus on one manageable step at a time, rather than taking
on everything at once.

Delegate responsibility: You dont have to do it all yourself. If other people

can take care of the task, why not let them? Let go of the desire to control or
oversee every little step. Youll be letting go of unnecessary stress in the
process.

Be willing to compromise: When you ask someone to contribute differently to

a task, revise a deadline, or change their behavior at work, be willing to do the
same. Sometimes, if you can both bend a little, youll be able to find a happy
middle ground that reduces the stress levels for everyone.
Tip 4: Reduce job stress by improving emotional intelligence

Even if youre in a job where the environment has grown increasingly stressful,
you can retain a large measure of self-control and self-confidence by
understanding and practicing emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is
the ability to manage and use your emotions in positive and constructive ways.
When it comes to satisfaction and success at work, emotional intelligence
matters just as much as intellectual ability. Emotional intelligence is about
communicating with others in ways that draw people to you, overcome
differences, repair wounded feelings, and defuse tension and stress.

Emotional intelligence in the workplace:

Emotional intelligence in the workplace has four major components:

Self-awareness The ability to recognize your emotions and their impact

while using gut feelings to guide your decisions.

Self-management The ability to control your emotions and behavior and

adapt to changing circumstances.

Social awareness The ability to sense, understand, and react to other's

emotions and feel comfortable socially.

Relationship management The ability to inspire, influence, and connect to

others and manage conflict.

The five key skills of emotional intelligence

There are five key skills that you need to master in order to raise your emotional
intelligence and manage stress at work.
 Realize when youre stressed, recognize your particular stress response, and
become familiar with sensual cues that can rapidly calm and energize you. The
best way to reduce stress quickly is through the senses: through sight, sound,
smell, taste, and touch. But each person responds differently to sensory input, so
you need to find things that are soothing to you.

Stay connected to your internal emotional experience so you can appropriately

manage your own emotions. Your moment-to-moment emotions influence your
thoughts and actions, so pay attention to your feelings and factor them into your
decision making at work. If you ignore your emotions you wont be able to fully
understand your own motivations and needs, or to communicate effectively with
others.

Recognize and effectively use nonverbal cues and body language: In many
cases, what we say is less important than how we say it or the other nonverbal
signals we send out, such as eye contact, facial expression, tone of voice,
posture, gesture and touch. Your nonverbal messages can either produce a sense
of interest, trust, and desire for connectionor they can generate confusion,
distrust, and stress. You also need to be able to accurately read and respond to
the nonverbal cues that other people send you at work.

Develop the capacity to meet challenges with humor: There is no better stress
buster than a hearty laugh and nothing reduces stress quicker in the workplace
than mutually shared humor. But, if the laugh is at someone elses expense, you
may end up with more rather than less stress.

Resolve conflict positively: Resolving conflict in healthy, constructive ways

can strengthen trust between people and relieve workplace stress and tension.
When handling emotionally-charged situations, stay focused in the present by
disregarding old hurts and resentments, connect with your emotions, and hear
both the words and the nonverbal cues being used. If a conflict cant be
resolved, choose to end the argument, even if you still disagree.

Tip 5: Reduce job stress by breaking bad habits

Many of us make job stress worse with negative thoughts and behavior. If you
can turn around these self-defeating habits, youll find employer-imposed stress
easier to handle.

Resist perfectionism: No project, situation, or decision is ever perfect, so

trying to attain perfection on everything will simply add unnecessary stress to
your day. When you set unrealistic goals for yourself or try to do too much,
youre setting yourself up to fall short. Aim to do your best, no one can ask for
more than that.

Clean up your act: If youre always running late, set your clocks and watches
fast and give yourself extra time. If your desk is a mess, file and throw away the
clutter; just knowing where everything is saves time and cuts stress. Make to-do
lists and cross off items as you accomplish them. Plan your day and stick to the
scheduleyoull feel less overwhelmed.

Flip your negative thinking: If you see the downside of every situation and
interaction, youll find yourself drained of energy and motivation. Try to think
positively about your work, avoid negative-thinking co-workers, and pat
yourself on the back about small accomplishments, even if no one else does.

Dont try to control the uncontrollable: Many things at work are beyond our
controlparticularly the behavior of other people. Rather than stressing out
over them, focus on the things you can control such as the way you choose to
react to problems.
Tip 6: Learn how managers or employers can reduce job stress:

It's in a manager's best interest to keep stress levels in the workplace to a

minimum. Managers can act as positive role models, especially in times of high
stress, by following the tips outlined in this article. If a respected manager can
remain calm in stressful work situations, it is much easier for his or her
employees to also remain calm. Additionally, there are a number of
organizational changes that managers and employers can make to reduce
workplace stress. These include:

Improve communication:

Share information with employees to reduce uncertainty about their jobs and
futures.

Clearly define employees roles and responsibilities.

Make communication friendly and efficient, not mean-spirited or petty.

Consult your employees:

Give workers opportunities to participate in decisions that affect their jobs.

Consult employees about scheduling and work rules.

Be sure the workload is suitable to employees abilities and resources; avoid

unrealistic deadlines.

Show that individual workers are valued.

Offer rewards and incentives.

Praise good work performance, both verbally and officially, through schemes
such as Employee of the Month.

Provide opportunities for career development.

Promote an entrepreneurial work climate that gives employees more control
over their work.

Cultivate a friendly social climate:

Provide opportunities for social interaction among employees.

Establish a zero-tolerance policy for harassment.

Make management actions consistent with organizational values.

Stress management techniques applied in some organization

Dell Inc:

Dell was founded in 1984 with $1,000 and an idea by Michael Dell. The idea
was to build relationships directly with customers. Michael Dell, born in
February 1965, is presently the chairman of the Board of Directors and chief
executive officer of Dell. Mr. Dell became the youngest CEO ever to earn a
ranking on the Fortune 500. Dell Inc. (Dell) is a technology company, which
offers a range of product categories, including desktop computer systems,
storage, servers and networking products, mobility products, software and
peripherals, and enhanced services. Dell entered Asia-Pacific/Japan in select
markets and began investing in regional facilities, management, service and
technical personnel in 1993, with its first operations in Japan and Australia.

Dell direct sales operations are currently in 13 markets in the region: Australia,
Brunei, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Macau, Malaysia, New
Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. In addition, 38 distributors serve
another 31 markets. Dell was the No. 3 vendor in the industry in the region in
2007. Dell had a market value of $4 billion (20 Oct, 2007).

Industry Type: BPO/Call Center (Dell)

Average age of employee: 21+

Work profile: Attending customer calls.

Some stress management techniques adopted at Dell are as follows-

1. Lighting-Bright light with carefully chosen wall colours

2. In-house cafeteria and Gym

3. Food festivals-on special days/festivals at cafeteria

4. TV's placed in corridors, adequate number of bunks for taking rest

5. Food exchange-employees are encouraged to bring home made food. These

foods are exchanged-this technique help bridge cultural differences as
employees get to taste may be Bengali, Marathi, Andhra or Punjabi food. Small
rewards are offered to the best recipe.

6. Quarterly tours are organized. If the place is far or exceeds budget, Dell pays
part expense.

7. Gaming stations, cricket pitch (net practice) and table tennis playing
provisions are also maintained.

8. Dell also undertakes social services like sponsoring education to some poor
children. These children are brought to Dell office and the employee interacts
with them along with a in-house cafeteria party.

9. For newly joined employees mentoring (buddy) is done relieving the new
appointees stress and helping him/her settle down.

10. Quarterly good performers are rewarded along with a party (recently held in
Taj Deccan) with theme based programme like Hollywood night. Best dressed
individuals are also rewarded.
Sipera Systems Inc:

Founded in 2003, Sipera is headquartered in Richardson, Texas US, with a

development center in Hyderabad, India. Sipera is backed by three well-
established venture capital firms and is led by a seasoned, experienced
management team.

Industry Type: IT/Software

Average age of employee: 27+

Work profile: Software development

Some stress management techniques adopted at Sipera Systems are as follows-

1. Weekend Salsa class.

2. Gym, Meditation sessions.

3. Saturday morning cricket, TV, Cafeteria.

4. Well lit interiors/ambience/carefully chosen wall colours

5. Share-the Director of India operations encourage individuals to invest in

shares, he himself is also an avid investor-he claims it to be his de-stressing
workout. Recently the Sipera also invited Networth Stock Broking Ltd an
investment firm to give presentation on "How to invest in shares" to its
software developers.

TATA Group:

The Tata Group comprises 98 operating companies in seven business sectors:

information systems and communications; engineering; materials; services;
energy; consumer products; and chemicals. The Group was founded by Jamsetji
Tata in the mid 19th century, a period when India had just set out on the road to
gaining independence from British rule.
The Tata Group is one of India's largest and most respected business
conglomerates, with revenues in 2006-07 of $28.8 billion (Rs129,994 crore), the
equivalent of about 3.2 per cent of the country's GDP, and a market
capitalization of $59.64 billion as on January 24, 2008.

Industry Type: Steel

Average age of employee: 46+

Work profile: Production of steel from natural ores.

Recent Stress management programs organized by TATA

1. A spate of cultural activities, including a "Hasya Kavi Sammelan" (stand-up

comedy) and an art exhibition, was organised by the Jharia Division during the
last few months.

2. Held on March 29, 2007 the focus on the Domestic Management Programme
was to encourage spouses of employees to take better charge of managing their
homes and create a stress free and happy home environment. Mrs Divaker, wife
of General Manager, Jharia, Mr Ch Divaker, took a lead role in successfully
conducting the programme, sharing her own experiences with the ladies. Over
75 participants benefitted from the inputs and experiences shared.
Chapter 4

Companies are always struggling to retain the best talent at work and striving
for ways to create an emotional bond to the organization in the employees
mind. However for the employees every day excitement might be getting
diminished. For them there is no time to be wasted and are rolling along with
the chain of busy life in office by attending the conferences, meeting the targets,
convincing the clients etc. Normal office routines during the day might slump
under tremendous work pressure. But companies who have a consistent
employee engagement activity keep their workforce incredibly active all the
time. Its been well accepted that an engaged employee is a productive
employee. There is a direct relationship between employee engagement and
employee motivation, productivity, satisfaction and retention.

Stress in the workplace can make people dread walking in to the office every
morning, and then make them worry about their jobs at night. When staff is
unhappy, they are less efficient, less effective and more likely to squander work
hours or quit. Stress affects not just morale, but a company's bottom line.

The HR department is often charged with creating and promoting corporate

culture. Yet in the day-to-day scramble of running a business, it is employees
and management themselves who create the climate of stress or calm, discontent
or satisfaction. Even so, Human Resources can step in and play a critical role in
managing workplace attitudes and behaviors. By maintaining open lines of
communication between the HR division and other departments, policies can be
enforced and early action can be taken to prevent critical issues from arising.

HR should regularly assess the attitudes and practices of an organization's

managers and identify areas of concern. HR should be the friendly, helpful, go-
to division that can provide diplomacy and guidance to help managers
effectively guide and support their staff. HR can also implement programs that
encourage positive attitudes, relationship building and a generally healthy
lifestyle. Here are a few tips for reducing stress in the work place.

Having fun is an important part of stress management. Because studies show

such wonderful health and stress relief benefits to laughter and even the
anticipation of laughter, all should work on getting more giggles into each day.
And because of the many wellness benefits of leisure time, having fun should be
a priority in the life of anyone who wants better health, greater happiness and
less stress.

Parties and activities are a common way for staffs to bond outside of their
comfortable roles and given duties, and such events allow time for some fun.
But controlling fun from the top down doesn't always work. HR can get
employees involved at the ground level by organizing a Spirit or Activities
Committee and inviting representatives from various departments to serve.
Spirited staff will help bring suggestions to the table, such as organizing social
events, sports or talent competitions, or community-service fund-raisers, and
these individuals are more likely to get everyone involved in the fun.

At Wipro employees are reviled of their daily stressful work by involving in

various activities that the firm conducts. For stress management Wipro conducts
fun activities on every Fridays. Hence Friday is known as Fun day. Fun
activities are conducted at every process. From each process five people are
nominated for conducting these activities. These five people make the Fun
Committee. The Fun Committee members conduct games or activity every
Friday. Employees are told to log out from their systems for a specific period of
time. Winners of the activity are awarded with certain gifts.

To manage stress apart from fun Friday organization conducts quarterly parties
or distribute quarterly Wipro goodies like Wipro cups, t-shirts, umbrellas etc.
Another activity is taking the team form an outing. Such outings helps the
employees to relax and also create a friendly environment in the organization.

Wipro also conducts adhoc RNR. RNR means Rewards and Recognition. If the
organization thinks there were lots of work load and employees are supporting
the firm well then the people who do well are given RNR or Wipro goodies.

Team building can also be encouraged among staff members by developing a

rewards system. For example, the company might develop certificates that
colleagues can award each other for a job well done or for displaying qualities
that the company values in its policy. At the end of the month or quarter, staff
can exchange the certificates for gift certificates or prizes.
The HR department can also set an example for a positive environment by
incorporating company culture into training sessions, meetings and activities.
Humorous activities, anecdotes or even fun training materials can lighten up the
job environment and add an incentive for employees to participate and learn.

Similarly, every Team Leader gets some cp points monthly and that is
distributed to the team mates. The person who deserves the most might be on
the top of performance or attendance or extended shift chart and gets more cp
points from the Team Leader. The Team Leader gives at least 50 cp points to
one employee. One cp point costs 13 rupees. From that cp points employees can
shop from Wipro shopping site. If the employees have 35 cp points he can shop
from a voucher of rupees 500 of Big Bazzar, Dominos, etc.

Since stress starts with individuals or within departments, the HR staff can't turn
around a stress-ridden culture overnight. The ultimate goal is for the firm to
remain available to resolve issues and to proactively step in and give employees
the impetus and opportunity to work together in an effective way. By targeting
each aspect of culture from an individual's personal lifestyle to relationships at
work to the work environment to the way work is delegated and performed HR
can encourage individuals to form healthy departments and optimize their work
performance and satisfaction on the job.

Apart from that certain trainings are conducted to manage stress. The employees
were explained how stress leads to different ill effects on ones health. The
expert explained how stress increases the risk of conditions like obesity, heart
disease, diabetes, depression, gastrointestinal problems, and asthma. The expert
also gave demonstrations on relaxation techniques such as deep breathing
exercise, meditation, etc. A group of 120 employees attended the talk and
practiced the relaxation techniques. The programme was highly appreciated.
Wipro also has its own game zone where employees can play carom, chess, and
table tennis. On the free time employees can go there and play these games.
They also play songs on the background that can relax an employees mind and
create a joyful environment.

An organization that can keep his employees happy and stress free can retain
them for a long time. The company can expect these employees to stay faithful
and loyal towards their work and firm. By targeting each aspect of culture from
an individual's personal lifestyle to relationships at work to the work
environment to the way work is delegated and performed an organization can
encourage individuals to form healthy departments and optimize their work
performance and satisfaction on the job.

Chapter 5

Indian employers are ahead of their Asia Pacific counterparts in developing

strategies to manage work-related stress as one in every three employers
instituted stress management programmes last year and an almost equal number
plan to do so this year, says a survey. A growing recognition among employers
is that the workplace experience can both contribute to and reduce employee
stress and an increasing number of employers are planning lifestyle change
programmes that were not as prevalent as of now. Almost 1 in every 3 Indian
employers has instituted stress or resilience management programmes in 2013
and an almost equal number plan to follow suit in 2014. With stress being
ranked as 1 lifestyle risk factor in India, this number is likely to grow.
Integrating various initiatives into a comprehensive and robust health and
productivity strategy is a gradual process, but the fact that Indian companies
have begun taking positive strides in this direction augurs well.

According to Indian employees the top three reasons for stress at workplace
include unclear or conflicting job expectations, inadequate staffing (lack of
support, uneven workload in group) and lack of work/life balance. One of the
most common solutions adopted by employers to manage employees stress is
offering flexible working hours as 50 per cent of employers resort to this
solution. Other top solutions adopted by employers include organise stress
management interventions like workshops, yoga, games and undertake
education and awareness campaigns to help their employees manage stress.

In a challenging economic scenario, where companies are stretched to balance

costs and maximise productivity, employers need to identify specific triggers
that impact employee wellness, engagement and in turn productivity. The
employees can be given full support from their superiors by appraising
their work and efforts. The employees should be given all the information
relevant to their job and things going on in the company. The employees
should be encouraged and work in their innovative manner with the
admin support. The superiors can encourage informal way of interaction and
communication with the peers. The employees should be well in advance
informed about the change they are bringing in the organization. The
stress of the employees can be reduced if there is reduction in their
average number of working hours per week. There should be Self esteem
Enhancement program. The management may use the technique of Goal setting
approach in coordination with the employees.

An organization that can keep his employees happy and stress free can retain
them for a long time. The company can expect these employees to stay faithful
and loyal towards their work and firm. By targeting each aspect of culture from
an individual's personal lifestyle to relationships at work to the work
environment to the way work is delegated and performed an organization can
encourage individuals to form healthy departments and optimize their work
performance and satisfaction on the job.

WEBLIOGRAPHY

www.Wipro.com/

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stress_management

www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/stress-at-work.htm

www.businessballs.com self/personal development

www.stress.org.uk/Stress-at-work.aspx

http://www.communitycareers.com.au/-401340/managing-employee-stress-in-
the-workplace
www.indianmba.com/Faculty_Column/FC938/fc938.html