An Empirical Study on Why Men and Women Deal with Stress Differently

Abstract

In today’s competitive and changing environment every company expects its employees to act for achieving goals so that it attains success in its venture. Such higher commitments may lead to stress. Stress can be defined as a person-environment relationship (Folkman, 1984; Lazarus, 1966). It is a process, a sequence of events that will lead to a particular end. Stress is the result of imbalance between the physical and psychological demands encountered and the response capability of the individuals, in case failure to meet he demands has important implications for the individuals (McGrath 1970). Stress is s strong predictor of various personal and work related outcomes. It is evident from history that Women are considered to be the caretakers of others. In the recent study Doctors observed a irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in human beings out of which 80% of them are women (July 13 2011, Times of India). This is due to the fact that they often spend less time nurturing their own emotional and physical needs. Conflict between the demands and behaviors expected from the women in different roles is expressed in the form of role stress that negatively influences the well being of women and their performances in different working areas.