Effect of Road Traffic Congestion on Stress at Work: Evidence from the Employees Working in Metropolitan Areas of Colombo, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Though the conventional concept of ‘work stress’, its causes and consequences have been adequately discussed in the extant literature, a very little attention has been given to study the ‘stress at work’; especially, the employees’ stress at work which arise due to the experience in traffic congestion. Hence, bridging that lacuna in the literature, and re-constructing the two variables, the current study was initiated to assess the effect of experience in traffic congestion on employees’ stress at work. Predominantly adopting the hypothetico-deductive approach, this study was conducted among a sample of 420 individual employees prone to traffic congestion in metropolitan areas in Colombo. Purposive convenience sampling was used to select the sample whereas the Hair method was used to determine the sample size. Primary data were collected by adopting standard measurement scales via an online questionnaire survey. Data analysis was done with the aid of SPSS and Excel by employing Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and the multivariate techniques of hypotheses testing. Building on the findings of this study, it is concluded to be considered that the experience in traffic congestion as a significant predictor of employees’ stress at work. Therefore, it is recommended for individual employees who are risked at the frequent road traffic congestion to mindfully develop the awareness of, and the readiness for traffic congestion and appropriate coping skills. Further, it is recommended for employers to provide an adequate amount of opportunities for such employees to relax at work.