UNIVERSITY OF GHANA 

 

 

 

 

STRESS MANAGEMENT IN TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY 

LIBRARIES: A STUDY OF TAKORADI AND CAPE COAST 

TECHNICAL UNIVERSITIES 

 

 

 

 

AMINU YAHAYA-JAAFAR 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



UNIVERSITY OF GHANA 

 

 

 

STRESS MANAGEMENT IN TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY 

LIBRARIES: A STUDY OF TAKORADI AND CAPE COAST 

TECHNICAL UNIVERSITIES 

 

BY 

AMINU YAHAYA-JAAFAR 

(10226151) 

 

THIS THESIS IS SUBMITTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF GHANA, 

LEGON IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR 

THE AWARD OF MPHIL IN INFORMATION STUDIES DEGREE 

 

 

 

OCTOBER, 2020 



ii 
 

DECLARATION 

Candidate's Declaration 

I hereby declare that except for the reference to other people’s works which 

have been duly acknowledged this thesis is the result of my own original work 

produced under the supervision of Prof. Harry Akussah and Dr Musah Adams 

and that no part of it has been presented for another degree in this University or 

elsewhere. 

 

 

 

 

 



iii 
 

DEDICATION 

I dedicate this work to my entire family for their moral support including my 

wife, children and parents. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 



iv 
 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

Most importantly, I give my utmost gratitude and special thanks to God, who 

has been faithful to me through this stage of life. 

I wish to express my deepest appreciation to my supervisors and lecturers, 

Professor Harry Akussah and Doctor Musah Adams, for their tutorship and time 

spent reading through my scripts and also for the necessary commitments and 

suggestions they offered me. Their constructive criticisms and understanding 

are very much appreciated. I shall forever remain grateful to them for that. 

My gratitude also goes to the staff of the Department of Information Studies 

University of Ghana, especially, those who in one way or the other made effort 

in imparting knowledge in me. 

My deepest thanks goes to my parents and my brothers Abdul Razak Abdul 

Rashid and Inuusah Mahama and also to my colleagues Kwame Kodua-Ntim, 

Imoro Osman and Isaac Nyarku Adu whose support motivates me and kept me 

going in writing up this thesis. I acknowledge the invaluable assistance offered 

by my wife Mrs. Mariam Bashiru Jaafar, for her encouragement, motivation and 

advice whilst putting this piece together. I wish to express my sincere gratitude 

to my friends and academic colleagues for their encouragement and support. 

 

  

 

 



v 
 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Contents                   Page 

DECLARATION ii 

DEDICATION iii 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv 

TABLE OF CONTENTS v 

LIST OF TABLES x 

LIST OF FIGURES xi 

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS xii 

ABSTRACT xiii 

CHAPTER ONE 1 

INTRODUCTION 1 

1.1 Background to the Study 1 

1.2 Statement of the Problem 7 

1.3 Purpose of the Study 9 

1.4 Objectives of the Study 9 

1.5 Scope of the Study 9 

1.6 Theoretical Framework 10 

1.6.1 Person-Environment Fit Theory 10 

1.6.2 Components of the Theory 14 

1.6.2.1 Person–Organization fit 14 

1.6.2.2 Person–Job fit 15 

1.6.2.3 Person–Group fit 15 

1.6.2.4 Person–Person fit 16 

1.7 Limitations of the Study 16 



vi 
 

1.8 Significance of the Study 16 

1.9 Organization of Chapters 17 

CHAPTER TWO 18 

LITERATURE REVIEW 18 

2.1 Introduction 18 

2.2 Concept of Stress 18 

2.2.1 Types of Stress 21 

2.3 Sources of Stress Confronting Library Staff 22 

2.4 Effects of Stress on Library Staff 31 

2.5 Managing Stress in Academic Libraries 35 

2.6 Challenges Faced by Librarians in Managing Stress 41 

2.7 Suggestions on Stress Management Strategies for Library Staff 45 

CHAPTER THREE 50 

METHODOLOGY 50 

3.1 Introduction 50 

3.2 Research Design 50 

3.3 Research Approach 52 

3.4 Research Settings 52 

3.4.1 Selection of Case 52 

3.4.2 Research Environment 53 

3.5 Population 55 

3.6 Sample Size and Sampling Technique 56 

3.7 Instrumentation 57 

3.8 Data Collection Procedures 58 

3.9 Presentation of Data and Analysis 58 



vii 
 

3.10 Ethical Considerations 59 

CHAPTER FOUR 60 

ANALYSES OF DATA AND FINDINGS 60 

4.1 Introduction 60 

4.2 Response rate 61 

4.3 Demographic data of respondents 62 

4.4 Sources of Stress 66 

4.4.1 Ways staff commute to work 66 

4.4.2 The number of hours staff work per week 69 

4.4.3 Work environment 73 

4.4.3.1 Humidity levels in the library 78 

4.4.3.2 Noise in the work environment 79 

4.4.3.3 Dust 80 

4.4.3.4 Lack of office curtains 81 

4.4.4 Moving away from employment 82 

4.4.5 Condition of Service 82 

4.4.5.1 Remuneration 83 

4.4.5.2 Promotions 84 

4.4.5.3 Career development 86 

4.4.5.4 Medical bills 88 

4.4.6 Main Sources of Stress 90 

4.4.7 Other sources of stress in the library 93 

4.4.8 Work-home interface 99 

4.4.9 Number of clients served 101 

4.4.10 Staff relationship with others 104 



viii 
 

4.4.10.1 Staff relationship with management 104 

4.4.10.2 The relationship among the staff of the library 105 

4.4.10.3 Staff client relationship 107 

4.5 Effect of Stress 111 

4.5.1 Effect of Stress on Productivity At The Workplace 111 

4.5.2 Effect of stress on personal life 113 

4.6 Management of Stress 116 

4.6.1 Library Staff Management of Stress 116 

4.6.2 Stress management programs in the library 119 

4.6.3 Suggestions on stress management 121 

CHAPTER FIVE 125 

DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS OF THE STUDY 125 

5.1 Introduction 125 

5.2 Sources of Stress among library staff of Technical Universities 125 

5.3 Effect of Stress on Library Staff 127 

5.4 Library Staff Management of Stress 128 

5.5 Challenges faced by library staff in managing their stress 130 

5.6 Suggestions on stress management 131 

CHAPTER SIX 132 

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND  

RECOMMENDATIONS 132 

6.1 Introduction 132 

6.2 Summary 132 

6.3 Findings 132 

6.4 Conclusion 134 



ix 
 

6.5 Recommendations 134 

6.5.1 Provision of Logistics 135 

6.5.2 Orientation for clients 135 

6.5.3 Training of staff on human relation 135 

6.5.4 Funding 136 

6.5.5 Counseling 136 

6.5.6 Stress Management Intervention 136 

6.5.7 Favorable work environment 136 

6.5.8 Good career development policies 136 

6.5.9 Creation of welfare associations 137 

6.5.10 Provision of staff lounge 137 

6.6 Suggestions for Studies 137 

REFERENCES 139 

APPENDIX A 164 

Interview Questions for Stress 164 

APPENDIX B 166 

INTRODUCTORY LETTER 166 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



x 
 

LIST OF TABLES  

Table                   Page 

Table 3.1: Study population 56 

Table 4.1: Distribution of Respondents 61 

Table 4.2: Respondents Demographic Information Based on Gender (n=15) 62 

Table 4.3: Respondents Demographic Information Based on Age (n=15) 62 

Table 4.4: Respondents Demographic Information Based on Qualification 

 (n=15) 63 

Table 4.5: Respondents Demographic Information Based on Job (n=15) 64 

Table 4.6: Respondents Demographic Information Based on Experience 

 (n=15) 65 

Table 4.7: Respondents Demographic Information Based on Sections  

 (n=15) 65 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



xi 
 

LIST OF FIGURES 

Figure                    Page 

Figure 1.1: Theoretical Framework is based on diagram by Lewin’s Theory 12 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



xii 
 

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 

CCTU  - Cape Coast Technical University  

TTU  - Takoradi Technical University  

PARA             -  Paraprofessional Librarian 

PROF              - Professional Librarian 

UL                   -  University Librarian 

SAL                 - Senior Assistant Librarian 

AL                  - Assistant Librarian 

PLA                 - Principal Library Assistant 

SLA                 - Senior Library Assistant 

LA                   -  Library Assistant 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

  



xiii 
 

ABSTRACT 

The purpose of this study was to examine stress management activities among 

professional and para professional staff of Cape Coast and Takoradi Technical 

University Libraries. The aim was to identify the sources, effects and the coping 

strategies of stress adopted by staff. The study adopted the descriptive survey 

design with a qualitative approach. Samples of fifteen (15) participants were 

used for the study. Interview was the main data collection method and the 

qualitative data gathered was analysed thematically. The study revealed that 

inadequate resources, unruly user behavior, and attitude of colleagues and lack 

of funding among others were the main sources of stress. The study further 

revealed that stress had effects on the staff’s personal lives and performance. 

Again, the study revealed that staff used various personal methods such as 

taking a walk, sharing their problem with others, sporting activities, relaxation 

and prayers in coping with stress. It was recommended that authorities provide 

these resources needed to enable them work effectively and efficiently to satisfy 

the information needs of their client and also reduce their stress levels. The 

establishment of counselling centers that will guide staff in managing their 

problems that caused stress, was also recommended. 

 



1 
 

CHAPTER ONE 

INTRODUCTION 

1.1 Background to the Study 

The rapid and hectic pace of contemporary lifestyles and the evolving nature of 

the world of work with its associated performance demands the need for a 

critical evaluation of work-related stress in organizations and institutions. 

Educational managers, particularly those of higher learning institutions, have 

made attempts to address work related stress and its’ associated psychological 

and emotional challenges. Greenberg (2002) holds that in achieving 

organizational and institutional objectives, excellent mental health and 

emotional stability are essential. According to Nekoranec and Kmosena (2015), 

21st century employees are constantly situated within time and demands of 

work. In a particular situation, employees may need to stay out of work because 

of time and they may in some other times try to meet job demands proposed by 

employers. This brings about stress among employees. Stress can have an 

important impact on employees’ performance, functioning and efficiency. No 

person is free from stress and no profession is stress-free in today’s fast-

changing globe (Sharma & Bagga, 2016). 

The American Psychological Association (2014) defined stress as a pattern of 

specific and nonspecific responses an organism makes to stimulus events that 

disturb its equilibrium and tax or exceed its ability to cope.  Therefore, stress is 

a situation which occurs when there is a stimulus (stressor) that generates a 

physiological, mental and/or cognitive (stress response) reaction that requires 

an effort from people by spending resources (coping). 

 



2 
 

Akinade (2007) equally defined stress as a pattern of cognitive appraisal, 

physiological responses and behavioural tendencies that occur in response to a 

perceived imbalance between situational demands and the resources needed to 

cope with the situational demands. Stress is something that occurs when people 

are faced with events they perceive as endangering their physical or 

psychological wellbeing. Petek (2018) state that stress is a person’s 

psychological and physiological response to the perception of a demand or 

challenge. The nature and intensity of this response depends on the meaning one 

gives to the demand or challenge and on one’s assessment of the resources that 

are available for meeting the demand. The requests perceived as damaging and 

awkward are reacted to in order to prevent or decrease them. 

Factors that cause stress are usually termed as stressors and may be in the form 

of workload, job speed, hazardous or toxic working circumstances, badly 

constructed environment, interpersonal disagreement with managers, peers, and 

discrimination based on age, gender, and workplace frustration (Aldwin, 2007). 

According to Adjei (2009), stress is usual and can be good for a person 

(therapeutic). Ivancevich and Matteson (1980) note that stress is normal only 

when it allows people to finish a report on time or produces a good, quick 

problem-solving procedure. To Rollinson (2005), most often, people may need 

a slight stimulating pressure, which appears to make them to become alert, 

concentrating and thinking clearly so that they can function better.  

Responding to such stressors is about managing it. Stress management is a wide 

range of procedures and psychotherapies intended to control an individual's 

level of stress, particularly chronic stress, usually for the purpose of and for the 

motive of improving everyday functioning (Somaz & Tulgan, 2003). To be able 



3 
 

to cope with stress and manage it, it is important to know how stress impacts 

one’s performance, being self-aware and recognize the symptoms of stress as it 

helps people to use it constructively and avoid its unhelpful characteristic 

(Nahavandi, Denhardt, Denhardt, & Aristigueta, 2013). According to Miedziun 

and Jan (2015), several investigations have been intended to classify and 

consequently make a universally used taxonomy of the approaches for stress 

management. Despite the various classifications, none of them is assumed to be 

the best fit for managing stress, hence no single strategy works best for all 

stresses (Miedziun & Jan, 2015).  

Academic institutions are educational institutions that are dedicated to teaching 

and research, and they grant academic degrees. The ‘ideal’ academic 

environment may be defined as one that best prepares students for their future 

professional life and contributes towards their personal development and social 

well-being. Advanced educational institutions, also known as tertiary 

institutions, are the educational level following the completion of a school 

providing a secondary education, such as a high school, secondary school.  

Higher education is defined to include undergraduate and postgraduate 

education, vocational education and training beyond secondary education.  A 

number of diverse factors significantly influence the way members of tertiary 

institutions perceive and experience stress. These range from ‘class size’, 

‘leisure time’ and ‘assessment procedures’ to ‘relations with peers and faculty’, 

‘ethical climate’, ‘extra-curricular opportunities’ and availability and 

accessibility to library resources. Research has revealed that stress symptoms, 

including psychological and psychosomatic manifestations, are prevalent 

among members within the academic environment (Morgan, 2003). 



4 
 

Libraries form part of academic environment and serve an important fulcrum 

for every educational institution because the information they hold are essential 

tools with which to foster the learning process. As a core function of tertiary 

education libraries, they offer patrons congenial atmospheres for the transfer of 

knowledge. They equally provide atmospheres that help patrons to keep very 

good concentration on their studies. Libraries are the only places where patrons 

are supposed to be free from all conventions or interruptions because reading is 

absolutely a matter of personal choice. 

Alemna (2001) described a library as a building or a series of rooms containing 

collections of records of human culture in diverse formats and languages, 

preserved, organized and interpreted to meet broad and varying needs of 

individuals for information, knowledge, recreation and aesthetic enjoyment. 

However, modern libraries have been redefined as places to get wider access to 

information in many formats and from many sources. The technological 

development in libraries has affected both information space and information 

practice. Today we talk about libraries without walls being logical extensions 

to libraries (Fox & Urs, 2002). Wallis (2007) also states that   the idea of the 

library room changed when much of the visibility of the library environment 

was on the screen. The basic task of libraries, however, is to promote and 

provide access to information and knowledge, but the procedures, instruments, 

and methods have undergone considerable growth. With the numerous library 

types available, this study would focus on academic libraries. 

Academic libraries are noted to be the backbone of institutions of higher 

learning. This is because their core mandate is to support the school’s 

curriculum and to support the research of the university faculty and students 



5 
 

(Curson & Quinonez-Skinner, 2009). Olurotimi (2014) defines academic 

libraries as libraries attached to tertiary institutions such as universities, 

polytechnics, colleges of education, college of agriculture, college of 

technology and research institutes.  Academic libraries play a pivotal role in 

ensuring effective teaching, learning and research. In order to fulfil this 

mandate, academic libraries acquire a variety of resources that include not only 

printed materials such as books, periodicals, newspapers, and magazines, but 

also art reproductions, films, sound and video recordings, maps, photographs, 

microfiches, microfilms, CD-ROMs, computer software, online databases, and 

other media. According to Akakandelwa and Jain (2013), there has been 

increase in higher education in terms of technological advancement, large 

number of students and expansion of academic programmes at both 

undergraduate and postgraduate levels. According to Jayanath (2008), academic 

libraries play a very important role in promoting the progress of knowledge and 

the preservation of institutional heritage. To achieve this, librarians go through 

a lot of occupational stresses. 

Library staff are stressed for the fact that the incessant call for information and 

communication technologies in libraries has a toll on them. The situation has 

made the work of the 21st century librarians more challenging than past 

librarians. These fascinating occurrences in the tertiary institutions are endlessly 

reforming library strategies, restructuring the hierarchy, re-engineering library 

processes, and changing managerial practices, thereby forcing libraries to adopt 

advanced approaches with their exclusive balance of know-hows (Akakandelwa 

& Jain, 2013). 

 



6 
 

Stress in academic libraries might be caused by insufficient motivation, sickness 

and performance at work (Shaughnessy, 2006; Naess, 2007). Several researches 

have established that stress could be damaging to the health and wellbeing of 

employees, and could bring about low productivity and services and products. 

According to Broady-Preston (2010), it is perceived that stress may influence 

the individual, the library service, and the broader institution. According to 

Pantry (2007), library staffs continuously deal with fluctuating technology, 

reduction in budgets, subcontracting, disproportionate workload and 

exhaustion, which can cause inner stress and conflict. The stresses from libraries 

are not only internal but could come from the outside world due to the free 

exposure. Farler and Broady-Preston (2012) in their study revealed that the 

librarians’ interacting with students, lecturers and other patrons can be stressful 

or appreciable, based on the context. 

In the lives of academic librarians, stress cannot be eliminated. Ilo (2016) 

indicates that librarians can surmount stress only if they know that handling it 

is more important than feeling its consequences. Roy (2005) maintains that 

awareness of all the stress aspects, knowledge of the stress situation are all 

important steps in the stress management process. When librarians recognise 

the importance of human lives and effects of stress on them, they will either 

treat their source positively or alter their opinion about it as librarians (Routray 

& Satpathy, 2007). 

Technical Universities are tertiary institutions established to train people in 

technical and professional areas, usually specializing in science, engineering, 

technology and other technical subjects. Technical universities in Ghana were 

previously Polytechnic institutions that were converted into Technical 



7 
 

universities by an act of parliament in 2016. The upgrading of these institutions 

means increase in workload and expectations for library facilities and services. 

This invariably will contribute to the level of stress among staff within these 

new university libraries.  

Stress affects people including Technical Universities and is known to be a 

cause for physical and mental wellbeing (Ortqvist & Wincent, 2008). Stress 

affects people in various ways in terms of unusual and disfunctional working 

behaviour, and poor physical and mental health. This can lead in the short term 

to a variety of disorders and conditions ranging from chronic fatigue to 

depression (Kivimäki, Leino-Arjas, Luukksen, & Riihimaki, 2002). Extremely 

long-term stress or depression may contribute to psychological issues, lead to a 

lack of work in order to keep the worker from re-employment (McFarlane, 

2010) or psychiatrical disorders. Stressed individuals may participate in 

unhealthy behavior, such as smoking, drinking excessively, poor diet and little 

exercise (Ortqvist & Wincent, 2008). They may get distressed, irritated, feel less 

involved in their job, have trouble thinking and making decisions logically 

(Kivimäki, Leino-Arjas, Luukksen, & Riihimaki, 2002; Marine & Serra 2006). 

Librarians in technical universities are likely to be impacted negatively by these 

stressors as result of their status if their stress levels are not well managed. 

1.2 Statement of the Problem 

The problem of stress and stress management is one of the main elements of 

organizational functioning that can be enhanced by focusing on a 

psychologically healthy workplace. Tytherleigh, Webb, Cooper and Rickets 

(2005) reported that stress at work in tertiary educational organisations have 



8 
 

multiplied in the past decade making it difficult for workers such as lecturers 

and librarians to cooperate. 

According to Topper (2007), there are many complaints from librarians 

concerning their difficulty to exert control over the work and inability to put 

their skills to use. These problems bring stress onto them as they feel no 

satisfaction for the work they do, thereby becoming frustrated.  

Many studies have been conducted on stress among librarians all over the world. 

For instance, Ajala (2011), Ikonne (2015), Chinyere and Ezinwanyi (2016) did 

extensive work on library-related stress in different countries across Sub-

Saharan Africa. With respect to Ghana, Agyei, Aryeetey, and Obuezie (2019) 

and Akussah, Dzandu and Osei-Adu (2012) in their studies established the 

pervasiveness of work-related psychosocial stress among librarians and other 

information workers. All these studies dwelled on causal and effectual factors of 

stress among library staff. However, the researcher has not come across any research 

on stress management among Librarians in Technical Universities in Ghana. 

Preliminary investigation conducted by the researcher at Takoradi and Cape 

Coast Technical University libraries revealed that there is the issue of stress 

among library staff. However, the researcher has not come across studies 

indicating how library staff could manage the stress they experience every now 

and then, hence a gap in literature. The current study seeks to explore the 

management strategies employed by library staff in managing the eminent stress 

using Takoradi and Cape Coast Technical Universities. 

 

 



9 
 

1.3 Purpose of the Study 

The purpose of the study was to examine stress management activities among 

library staff of Cape Coast and Takoradi Technical Universities. 

1.4 Objectives of the Study 

The main research objectives were to: 

1. Find out the sources of stress confronting library staff in the Cape Coast 

Technical University and Takoradi Technical University. 

2. Find out the effect of stress on library staff of Cape Coast Technical 

University and Takoradi Technical University. 

3. Find out how library staff manage their stress with the available 

resources in the Cape Coast Technical University and Takoradi 

Technical University. 

4. Find out challenges faced by library staff in managing their stress in the 

Cape Coast Technical University and Takoradi Technical University. 

5. Solicit suggestions on how stress among library staff can be effectively 

managed 

1.5 Scope of the Study 

The study was conducted at Takoradi and Cape Coast Technical University 

libraries. The study was limited to only professional and paraprofessional staff. 

This is because they play both managerial and supervisory roles in the libraries.  

  



10 
 

1.6 Theoretical Framework 

Theories are developed to explain and predict phenomena and to challenge and 

extend existing knowledge within the limitations of critical assumptions 

(Abend, 2008). According to Abend (2008), the structure which supports and 

supports a research theory is a theoretical framework. The theoretical 

background introduces and outlines the theory that explains why the study 

question exists. The theoretical framework consists of existing theories that are 

used for a particular study along with their definitions and the references to the 

relevant academic literature. A theoretical framework needs to show an 

understanding of theories and concepts that are pertinent to a research topic and 

relate to broader fields of knowledge. Sometimes, in the literature, a theoretical 

structure is not readily identified. One must review the notes and relevant 

research studies on theories and analytical models relevant to one’s research 

problem (Abend, 2008). 

Many theories are proposed to explain stress and stress management. The likes 

of Transactional theories of work-related stress by Lazarus (1986) and Lazarus 

and Folkman (1987), Interactional theories of stress by Lazarus and Launier 

(1978), The Person-Environment Fit theory by Kurt Lewin, Allostatic Load 

Model of the Stress Process by Seyle (1983), Cooper and Marshall’s model of 

work-related stress by Cooper and Marshall (1976) and The Conservation of 

Resources (COR) Model (Hobfoll 1989) existed. However, the current study 

used The Person-Environment Fit Theory at the expense of the others. 

1.6.1 Person-Environment Fit Theory 

One of the late twentieth century research interests in stress was Person-

environment fit theory (PE). Which became widely accepted as a research 



11 
 

model (Brewer & Macmahan, 2004). This theory explores the relationship 

between the environment and an individual's characteristics. Here, there is a 

counter action between individual and the environment where the individual 

does not only have an influence on the environment but the environment equally 

has an influence on the individual.  A person’s motivation, behavior as well as 

the general health, both physical and mental can be affected by the adequacy of 

this fit.  

The concept of Person-Environment fit is based on the maxillary of Kurt Lewin, 

the way people and the world behave. Person-fitness (hereafter fit) is usually 

defined as the conformance of people and their environment. Fit theory suggests 

that people have an inherent desire to suit their environments and search for 

environments that conform to their own features. According to Yu (2013), 

people strive for fitness as they generally prefer coherence, need to control life, 

reduce uncertainty, have to be part of it and want happiness and satisfaction with 

life. Fit allows people to better understand others' behaviors and facilitates 

interpersonal interactions (Edwards & Cable, 2009). Finally, there is a basic 

need of belonging (Deci & Ryan, 2000), and they are competing with those in 

the social world because of this need. A feeling of belonging is most likely when 

people perform with other people (Hogg & Terry, 2000). 

In the assertions of Edward and Cooper (1990), there are two dimensions to the 

person-environment fit approach to stress.  The first relates to the resources 

supplied by the environment and the person’s motives, goals and values, while 

the second focuses on the ‘fit’ between the demands of the workplace and the 

personal skills and knowledge of the person.  Where the fit is optimal, the 

functioning abilities of the individual may be enhanced.  Where the fit is deemed 



12 
 

unsuitable, there is an expectation that the individual may likely experience 

maladaptation.  The central theme of this theory is the idea that stress is most 

likely to occur when there is mismatch between the two dimensions of the 

theory as seen by the individual (Edwards &Cooper, 1990).  To simplify this 

construct, Kristof-Brown and Jansen (2007) stated that the person-environment 

fit theory is a multidimensional construct which composes an individual’s fit 

within the various relationships in the workplace. 

                                       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 1.1: Theoretical Framework is based on diagram by Lewin’s Theory 

PERSONAL 

Motives 

Goals 

Knowledge  

 

 

OCCUPATION 

Tasks, Functions, 

 Roles 

 

 

ENVIRONMENT 

Structures & Systems, 

Culture & Climate 

BEST-FIT (EFFICIENT) 

PERFORMANCE 



13 
 

The concept assumes that every human being lives not in isolation but 

intertwined with the environment. Within the environment, people could be 

engaged in occupations (roles/functions/tasks) that require them to adjust to 

situations. With the individual (person), he/she possess some motives, goals, 

and knowledge that are used to make amends in their environment. Ideally, 

these three things (person, environment and occupation) need to exist in 

harmony with the individual yearning for stability. However, when an 

individual’s (person) motives, goals and knowledge become threatened by the 

environment, he/she become overwhelmed with the situation, hence stress sets 

in, leaving the person to his own fate if immediate solutions are not provided. 

Person-Environment Fit Theory Diagram 

The degree of individual and environmental fitness is characterized by personal-

environment fitness (Dawis, 1992; French, Caplan, & Harrison, 1982; Kristof-

Brown, Zimmerman, & Johnson, 2005; Muchinsky & Monahan, 1987). 

Personal characteristics may include the biological or psychological needs, 

interest and intentions, ability or temperament of individuals, while the 

environmental characteristics of other individuals and collectives in the social 

environment of the person may include intrinsic, extrinsic incentives, work 

requirements and responsibilities, cultural values and/or characteristics (French 

et al., 1982). As a result of its important workplace implications, personal-

environment fitness has maintained a prominent place in Industrial and 

Organizational Psychology and related areas of activity (Edwards, 2008). The 

fitness of a person to the environment can be understood as a particular 

relationship between the individual and the environment in question (Ostroff & 

Schulte, 2007). 



14 
 

Although interactions between person and environment fitness have been 

discussed in the science literature for decades, consensus remains to be reached 

on how person – environment fit can be conceptualised and operationalised. It 

is because the person-environment fit includes a variety of subsets, including 

occupational health and personal health, which are conceptually distinct from 

each other (Edwards & Shipp, 2007). The relative importance of the individual 

to human actions has been the topic of a lengthy debate. 

One group of researchers concluded that it is mainly the condition of the actions 

(Mischel, 1968; Davis-Blake & Pfeffer, 1989), while another group claimed that 

actions was predominantly due to personal features (House, Shane, & Hernold, 

1996). Nonetheless, the general consensus is, person-fitness contributes to 

positive outcomes such as happiness, success and well-being as a whole (Ostroff 

& Schulte, 2007). 

1.6.2 Components of the Theory 

1.6.2.1 Person–Organization fit 

The most widely studied field of person-environment fit is personal-

organizational fitness (P-O fit), as defined by Kristof in 1996, compatibility 

between individuals and organisations, if (a) at least one entity provides what 

other needs have, (b) they have a similar fundamental characteristic, or (c) both" 

(Kristof, 1996). A significant element of personal health is high-value 

congruence, which means an outstanding community and values shared by 

colleagues. This can lead to increased trust and a shared sense of company 

culture (Boon & Hartog, 2011). 



15 
 

This congruence in value would in effect favor the company itself, which would 

include lower turnover, improved participation and organizational engagement 

(Andrews et al., 2011). The theory of attraction – selection – attrition suggests 

that people are drawn to organisations where they are considered to be highly 

personally suited and tend to work (Gregory. Albritton & Osmonbekov, 2010). 

Fitness for a strong individual and organization can also lead to decreased 

turnover and increased citizenry (Andrews, Baker & Hunt, 2011). 

1.6.2.2 Person–Job fit 

The consistency between the characteristic of an individual and the 

characteristics of a particular work is referred to as personal-job match (Kristof-

Brown & Guay, 2011). The complementary view became the basis for personal 

health. It includes the conventional selection viewpoint, which stresses the 

association of employee KSAs and other characteristics with work criteria 

(Ployhart, 2006). Specific models of satisfaction at the job and priority that are 

based on the needs and desires of workers through their resources (Locke, 

1976). 

1.6.2.3 Person–Group fit 

Person-group fitness or P – G fitness, in relation to person-environment health, 

is a relatively new topic. Since fitness of the individual is so new, limited 

research has been carried out to show how psychological compatibility among 

colleagues influences the outcomes of individual groups in situations of group. 

A research by Boone and Hartog (2011) showed, however, that health for people 

is most closely linked to group-led outcomes such as happiness of the workplace 

and unity feelings. 



16 
 

1.6.2.4 Person–Person fit 

Person fitness is defined as the fitness between the interests of a person and that 

of others. It is in line with the theory of attraction to the resemblance of others, 

according to their beliefs, behaviors and views (Van Vianen, 2000). Mentors 

and mentees, bosses or other workers, or even recruiters are the most studied 

types. Research has found that the aptitude of the supervisor person is most 

closely associated with supervisory results such as satisfaction of the supervisor 

(Boone & Hartog, 2011). 

This theory is suitable to the current study because all workers in academic 

libraries interact and engage with both staff and students. Again, there are 

demands of the job required by library staff. Furthermore, these workers come 

from diverse backgrounds to meet diverse individuals in line of their duties day-

in-day-out. With this, they are exposed varied behaviours and situations that 

may compel them to react emotionally or physically. With this, when situations 

become over burdening to them, they feel pressured and at the end of the day, 

they may feel stressed. 

1.7 Limitations of the Study 

Like any other study, the researcher anticipated methodological errors such as 

respondents’ unwillingness to present factual information in as much as the use 

of interviews are concerned. However, efforts were made to control such errors 

in order to increase the study generalizability. 

1.8 Significance of the Study 

It is hoped that the study brings to the fore information about what is available 

to the university and library management in terms of managing stress among 



17 
 

librarians in the various universities. It is hoped the findings of the study will 

help inform policy as to how to handle stress related problems among library 

staff so that they can equally benefit like other institutions and units. Moreover, 

this work would be of help not only to the libraries but also influence 

management policy and decision making. The findings will serve as a valuable 

reference to educationists and stakeholders in the academic and research 

institutions and also help address some of the challenges faced in managing 

stress in the country. The result of the study would also be beneficiaries to 

researcher, regulatory agencies, and the ministry of education. 

1.9 Organization of Chapters 

The study was organized into six chapters as follows. Chapter one was about 

introduction dealing with the background of the study, statement of the problem, 

purpose of the study, objectives of the study, theoretical framework, and 

significance of the study, limitation, and organization of the study.  

Chapter two focused on the review of relevant literature. Chapter three focused 

on the methodology and covered research design, selection of cases, target 

population, sampling technique, sampling size, instrument for data collection, 

procedures for data collection and ethical consideration.  

Chapter four dealt with the analyses of data and findings. Chapter five discussed 

the findings of the study. Chapter six was on the summary of major findings, 

conclusion and recommendations. 

 

 



18 
 

CHAPTER TWO 

LITERATURE REVIEW 

2.1 Introduction 

This chapter focuses on review of relevant literature. A literature review is a 

revision of a particular subject by academic sources (for instance books, journal 

articles, and theses). It provides an overview of the key findings, concepts and 

developments regarding a research issue (McCombe, 2019). A strong literature 

review not only summarizes sources, but also analyzes, interprets and 

objectively analyses sources, synthesizing literature to illustrate trends, themes, 

disagreements and gaps. Literature review is important in order to avoid the 

tendency of plagiarism. The literature review for this study was organized under 

the following sub headings:  

 Concept of stress,   

 Sources of stress confronting library staff, 

 Effects of stress on library staff,  

 Managing stress in academic libraries,  

 Challenges faced by librarians in stress managing stress   

 Effective stress management strategies for academic library staff 

2.2 Concept of Stress 

Every human being encounter problems and obstacles in life. Sometimes, these 

problems and obstacles become so intense that the affected find it difficult to 

handle. In this sense, those affected become stressed. Stress is a mental and 

bodily reactions to situations that overwhelm homeostasis of people. An 

unwelcome reaction is tension. People face extreme pressure or other kinds of 

demands. In assessing the stressful nature of work and its impact on the physical 



19 
 

and mental health of workers, broad and multi-field literature highlights several 

main factors, such as the work climate, managerial support, workload, etc. 

(Logan, & Ganster, 2005). Family conflict is also a forerunner, according to 

Anderson (2003), which causes tension among the organization's employees.ur 

Rehman, Irum, Tahir, Ijaz, Noor and Salma (2012) state that job stress is one of 

the most significant health risks to workers in the workplace in developed and 

developing countries. Due to its possible risks to family functioning and 

individual results, job-related stress can mostly be immobilizing. According to 

Bhargava and Trivedi (2018), stress is a state of psychological burden for an 

individual facing difficulties in terms of environmental and social well-being 

that could lead to numerous sicknesses. Stress is a situation that is experienced, 

as people observe that expectations of life far outweigh the abilities and 

mobilisation powers of the affected. Selye (1956) defined stress as an exterior 

episode or interior energy that intimidate the equilibrium process of an 

organism.  

Over the years, stress has been interpreted in many ways. It was initially 

considered to be an environmental strain, and then later as a tension within the 

individual. Akinade (2005) identified stress as a cognitive evaluation pattern, 

physiological responses, and behavioral patterns that occur in response to a 

perceived disparity between situational requirements and the resources required 

to address situational requirements. The usually description of stress is the 

interaction between a condition and a person and the misfit that comes out of 

the interaction. It is the psychosomatic state that emerges when an individual's 

resources are inadequate to cope with a condition's demands and pressures. 

Therefore, in some cases, stress is more likely than others and in some 



20 
 

individuals than others. The achievement of targets, both for individuals and for 

organisations, can be compromised by stress (Michie, 2002). Bamuhair, Al-

Farhan, Agha, Ur-Rahman, and Ibrahim (2015) note that stress has become part 

of people’s lives and the situation is alarming. 

Job-related stress may create a disparity between family demands and families' 

willingness to provide them with material support (Figley, 1983). While there 

is a significant body of work and family research, there is relatively little 

research that directly discusses perceived job insecurity (job loss issues or fears) 

and marital and family life (Buss &. Redburn, 1983). Stress occurs in every 

organisation, either large or small. Worked place stress has significant impact 

on workers job performance.  

In terms of time, employees are vulnerable to a high degree of stress, according 

to Rose (2003). Working more hours leads to tension, which in consequence 

raises the pressure on workers to perform better. Occupational stress is a severe 

and costly concern and the aim for enterprises is to mitigate it in order to reduce 

the cost of health care and maximize efficiency (Lawrence, 1995). This can 

contribute to increased health issues, higher absenteeism and turnover rates, 

more accidents and poor work outcomes (Ratnatwat & Jha, 2014). 

Employees in developed nations are becoming more familiar with what work-

related stress is and how to cope with it (WHO, 2004), but in developing 

countries this may not yet be the case.  As it results in low productivity, 

increased absenteeism and the accumulation of other workplace issues such as 

obesity, substance addiction, hypertension and a host of cardiovascular 

problems, occupational stress has become a concern for organizations (Meneze, 



21 
 

2005). Seibt et al. (2008) concluded that tension among employees is still 

present, but can be reduced by improving working conditions and the quality of 

benefits in businesses. 

2.2.1 Types of Stress 

Many laypersons see stress as something negative but that might not be the case. 

In some situations, it can be positive. As systematic, physiological reactions to 

challenges in life, stress can be grouped into four main types namely baseline 

stress, acute stress, cumulative stress and critical incidence stress as indicated 

by the Staff Counsellor’s Office (OHRM/MSD) (2017). 

Baseline Stress: Baseline stress is about everyday stressful situations people 

experience. Dealing with repetitive matters at home and on the job bring about 

continuing, but usually controllable level of “baseline” or fundamental stress. 

At intimate, expressive, family or social levels, baseline stress occurs. 

Variations in the everyday situation may be compounded, such as being absent 

from the family without acceptable contact, interacting with new people from 

various backgrounds, job confusion, and incorporating new knowledge. 

Acute Stress: This type of stress is about how the human biological system 

responds to threats to successful living in the environment whether mental or 

physical. Acute stress organizes the body to defend itself, and characterizes a 

survival function. 

 Cumulative Stress: This stress is about piled up events that provoke 

psychological and physiological reaction from a person. Cumulative stress can 

build up unnoticed over a period of time and can become unbearable physically 

and mentally. It is necessary to remember that for one person, what is stressful 



22 
 

might not necessarily be stressful for another. The degree of danger one feels 

and the amount of influence that the individual may have over the circumstances 

may affect the degree of discomfort experienced by the individual. 

 Critical Incidence Stress: This stress is about sudden occurrence of situations 

that make the affected unable to control immediately. Typical of this type of 

stress is as a result of natural disasters, accidents, sexual assault, death, 

kidnapping, suicide, and war-related deaths of citizens. 

2.3 Sources of Stress Confronting Library Staff 

Mitchie (2002) states that two significant processes, such as alarm reaction and 

adaptation, are the cause of stress. With the alarm reaction, it occurs once an 

individual is faced with a threat to his or her health. The first reaction is 

physiological excitement where muscles become more rigid, breathing and 

heart rate beat faster. This process serves the individual well when the threat is 

the unprovoked attack on the individual (Mitchie 2002). As if a superior at work 

has a motiveless verbal assault on subordinates, existing attacks appear to be 

more psychological. In general, battle or flight activity is not socially tolerated, 

and a different means of transmitting the resulting emotional and physical 

energy, which falls within the field of assertive communication, is required. 

Adaptive mechanism permits us to end responding whilst the individual analyze 

that stimuli within the surroundings are now not a danger to his or her safety 

(Mitchie, 2002). 

Stress has long been recorded among staff in tertiary institutions, and some 

researchers have described stressors as too many tasks, rivalry with various 

individuals, failures and lack of financial resources (Fairbrother & Warn, 2003). 



23 
 

Stressors at the university level are overcrowded lecture halls, (Ongori, 2007; 

Awino & Agolla, 2008), a semester structure, and insufficient resources to 

perform the tasks needed. For instance, Erkutlu and Chafra (2006) believe that 

a person becomes unsystematic, disoriented and therefore less able to cope once 

these events occur, leading to stress-related health problems. The pressure to 

perform well within the timeframe or to look at the allotted time makes the job 

climate extremely troubling (Erkutlu & Chafra, 2006; Polychronopoulou & 

Divaris, 2005; Misra & McKean, 2000). 

Studies such as Malach Pines and Keinan (2007), Ongori (2007), Ongori and 

Agolla (2008) and Agolla (2009) have long recognized symptoms of stress such 

as loss of energy, counter drug usage, high pressure level, depression, 

restlessness, stress and anxiety among others. An individual experiencing one 

of these variables is probably going to be a stress victim. Though this might be 

accurate, however, the individual judgment of the situation, and the way he or 

she withstand the situation is the most critical issue to contend with. Jaramillo 

et al. (2005) propose that the individual's interpretation dictates whether the 

agent involves a prejudicial effect; that is, whether it induces physical or 

psychological stress symptoms within the person. Study conducted at the 

college of distance learning, university of cape coast established that   work 

demands, work overload and work-life conflicts were the factors that emerged 

to greatly contribute to job stress at the College. While other factors such as 

unsafe working conditions, verbal abuse by clients, long hours of work and role 

ambiguity have also been identified to contribute to job stress at college, their 

contributions have not been very strong (Ofosuhene, 2018). According to 

Dapaah (2014), the most common cause of stress among Ghanaian health 



24 
 

workers is their long hours of work, their financial difficulties and the death of 

patient. Also, Ruggiero (2003), observe that the shift work system among nurses 

could be related to the stressful nature of the profession, which he described as 

mentally and physically demanding. 

Many factors in libraries have been found to be the causes of work stress. Any 

of them arise because of library career growth, intrinsic quality of library work, 

organizational culture and environment, one's library position, workplace 

relationship, personality characteristics of staff, interface of home-work, and 

new technology. 

One of the factors that serve as a source of stress in the library is the desire for 

library staff to develop their career. One also comes across staff in libraries 

whose reasons for working are not taken care of. They are thwarted and dulled 

by their urge to get a job in the library. In such a scenario, without appropriate 

explanations, their career growth has been stunted and stagnated for so many 

years. A lack of job protection and in-service preparation, over and under 

promotions, etc. are other stressors here. Employees begin to mete out conduct 

disorder where these occur. Ivanceivich and Matterson (1980) therefore found 

that high work dissatisfaction, burnout, etc. was expressed by people suffering 

from career development stress.  

The very nature of the library environment, library staff are predisposed to 

stress. On a regular work day, library workers go through an ongoing round of 

interruptions. For example, when requests for their services, such as reference 

questions and advisory position for readers, they re-focus themselves to find the 

answers and set aside whatever they do. Such frequent breaks disturb the flow 



25 
 

of focus and make it difficult to complete their duties. Inadequate materials to 

serve library users, inequity in the allocation of rewards, unruly patrons, and 

repetitive operations generate boredom that Tim and Baird (2005) described as 

very stressful for library staff. There are some elements of the organization of 

libraries that can be particularly challenging for staff. These include low job 

control, autocratic leadership, lack of decision-making involvement, etc. Their 

presence in libraries makes employees very vulnerable to stress (Shane, 2010). 

The degree of interaction and relationship that occurs within the library, 

especially among the manager, colleagues, and subordinates, is one of the 

causes of stress, according to Misra and McKean, (2000). Bad interpersonal 

relationships are reflected in such ways as low confidence, low support and low 

interest in personal and organizational matters. While they spark tension and 

build bad relationships, they improve the ill-health of individuals and 

organizations (Woods, 2004). 

The personality traits of employees are another significant cause of work stress. 

For example, in all types of environments, a more nervous worker may be more 

tensed, which may lead to psychological and/or physical problems. Therefore, 

personality has a significant contributing effect on how people view and react 

to stressors (Arnold, et al. 2005; Griffin, et. al. 2010). Outside the work world, 

people have lives. A married worker has two roles to play. As well as office 

positions, he / she has family roles. At times, these dual functions interfere with 

each other and produce stress. This is because it can be difficult to give adequate 

time to roles in the other domain because of the amount of time needed by roles 

in one domain (office or home). Work-home interferences cause stress, 

particularly when the amount of energy needed to perform the roles in one 



26 
 

domain can mean that there is insufficient energy left for the other domain's 

roles. Overload and discomfort can be induced by efforts to be stringent on both 

(Griffin, et. al. 2010). 

In another vein, the stress of the library workforce is triggered, according to 

Bopp and Smith, (2001), by four stressors: technology, customer, workplace 

and workers. New technology, such as many electronic instruments and 

services, digitised materials etc. that may lead to stress called techno-stress, 

must be understood by library personnel. Technology is regarded by Placzek 

(2001) as the biggest shift affecting reference work. Although technological 

progress allows for new ways of recovering information, it also places more 

demands on   reference staff. 

Griffin et al. (2010) postulated that staff working with users of a library, often 

find it difficult, because they have questions of all sorts and can quickly ask for 

information and library content. Sadly, it is difficult to predict all the questions 

and circumstances. Users often may not know what kind of details they need, 

may be irritated or strange or may not behave appropriately, but workers must 

always be polite and professional. For a reference worker to work with 

troublesome customers, it is one of the most challenging circumstances. A 

communication problem could be frustrating and annoying for both the librarian 

and the user (Placzek, 2001). 

There are certain limitations to library collections since no library is capable of 

obtaining all the needs of users. There may be adverse effects on reference 

transactions due to the confounding variety of reference sets, poorly built desks 

for using special sources and malfunctioning equipment. In addition, stressors 



27 
 

associated with employment include tasks, such as position uncertainty, role 

excesses and disputes in the roles (Nawe, 1995; Shupe & Pung, 2011). 

Ambiguous functions happen when the roles of librarians are not specified 

clearly. Task overload can occur when librarians have to work very hard, long 

hours, quickly or because of their overwhelming work. 

Stress can be caused by poor scheduling, resulting either in the reference 

workers' frustration during slow periods or in anxiety during busy hours. There 

can also be issues with the lack of technical assistance at nights and weekends. 

The fear and lack of technological know-how among staff is also a stressor in 

the library profession. Technostress is the direct or indirect negative effect on 

human actions, perception, attitude and psychology of using technology 

(Mahalakshmi & Sornam, 2011). Often, reference resources are expanded 

without the use of new library staff. Bunge (1989) talks about workloads, 

underworks and interpersonal relationships in library workplace stressors. 

Clauson (2013) and Nawe (1995) discusses dual positions and conflicts between 

the professional and paraprofessional library staff. Many library staff are more 

vulnerable to fatigue and burnout than others. Their easy access to unpredictable 

applications and their popularity in most libraries presents a particular threat to 

burnouts (Caputo, 1991). 

Stressors can be linked to the social organization of the workplace in the form 

of workload, the speed of work, unhealthy or hazardous working conditions, a 

poorly built atmosphere, interpersonal discord with supervisors, co-workers, 

and age discrimination, sex and dissatisfaction, according to Aldwin (2007). 

Librarians are not excluded from tensions in academic libraries. They are 

responsible for the accessibility of staff, students and scholars to procure, 



28 
 

process and conserve library materials. Citing Ogunsola (2004), the 

International Labour Organization (2009) established university libraries as the 

center of institutions supposed to preserve standard books, journals and audio-

visual collections. Therefore, librarians must ensure that resources and effective 

programs are available that, in essence, provide customer satisfaction. To date, 

the introduction of ICT in university libraries has led to a transition in the 

manual practices of librarians. The librarian also performs other professional 

duties, such as indexing and abstracting, selective dissemination of information, 

current knowledge resources, and user education, in addition to the use of 

various ICT facilities for the collection and processing of materials. There is no 

denying that these activities place high demands on librarians, contributing to 

stress. Bamber (2011) points out that excessive criteria for jobs will result in 

excessive stress. 

In Scheneider (1991) on stress and job efficiency, a comparison was made of 

the workforce of public librarians with technical services staff in the large public 

library system. The study revealed that job fatigue, inadequate resource 

availability and poor working climate were the major sources of stress for the 

workers surveyed. Interference from the home front and the requirements of the 

workplace sometimes puts librarians under stress, especially when the staff 

concerned cannot effectively handle them both. Stress in the library leads to 

poor health, low work efficiency, heart rate, anxiety, and poor services that 

create dissatisfaction for users. Aldwin (2001) warned that stress leads to 

responses such as accelerated heart rates, heightened alertness, and efficiency 

of energy depletion. Librarians can only conquer stress when they know that 

handling it is better than having its consequences. Roy (2005) believes that all 



29 
 

essential steps in stress management are the recognition of all stress factors and 

the knowledge of stress-generating situations. We should be able to handle it or 

change our view of it as librarians if the life and effects of stress are understood 

(Routray & Satpathy, 2007). There is a need for steps to be placed in place to 

manage the negative effects of stress on librarians, consumers and related 

organizations. 

A survey on university teaching and non-teaching personnel was performed in 

Australia by Sharpley, Reynolds, Acosta and Dua (1996). They found that "time 

and working stress for the specialists created the most stress for the specialists". 

3.1% of library workers were included in the survey, but no distinction was 

made between bibliographers and para-professionals. The research also 

established that the frequency of self-perceived fear and everyday trouble seems 

to be decreased by age (in terms of old age/experience in the job). 

In South Carolina, Merwin (2003) carried out a study of 35 college librarians. 

Librarians and stress was the title of the survey. Seventy-seven percent (77.0%) 

of them answered yes, when asked if they ever had stress at work. Four forms 

of 'non-human causes of job-related stress' were measured; too much job, not 

enough time (57%); constant knowledge of emerging technology (29%); 

constant learning of new processes (20%) and; work assigned below authority 

(9%).. Studies in the field of technology have shown that training decreases 

machine anxiety by Mikkelsen, Ogaard, Lindoe and Olsen (2002), Beckers and 

Schmidt (2001). Bunge carried out seminars and reflected on tension among 

librarians. Support workers reported that 9.2% of the workload was inadequate 

training, 5.3% of the workplace were frustrated (including the fear of error) 

(3.8%). In 1988 and 1998, Jones investigated the library workers of three 



30 
 

university libraries for workplace innovations. Just 7.1 percent of employees 

mention job challenges as a source of stress in terms of whether technology has 

made work more challenging, but 12.7 percent suggest insufficient planning is 

a source of stress. 

In their studies at the Public Records and Archives Administration Department 

(PRAAD) headquarters in Ghana, Akussah, Dzandu and Osei-Adu (2012) 

revealed that sources of stress among employees are lack of a performance-

based reward system and prevailing working conditions such as budgeting 

constraints affecting the analysis of work functions and activities to enhance 

successful record delivery, heavy workload due to insufficient personnel, lack 

of equipment and logistics, breakdown of repository air conditioners affecting 

humidity and temperature levels and poor infrastructure. The respondents to the 

study were 59, using a scale range between 1-5, the entire workforce ranked 

above the average of 3 were stressed. Those with a lower background in 

education experience high stress than those with a higher background in 

education. 

  



31 
 

2.4 Effects of Stress on Library Staff 

The effect of stress seems to span over multiple components of the human 

system. Researchers have for a long time urged that hormones actually have 

receptors in the peripheral tissues and do not obtain access to the central nervous 

system (CNS) (Lupien & Lepage, 2001). However, observations have 

incontestable the result of medicinal components (which are thought-about 

artificial hormones) on activity and psychological feature disorders and 

therefore, the development referred to as steroid psychosis (Clark et al., 1952).  

Some studies have shown that stress has many effects on the human system and 

that many components of the brain can cause structural changes (Lupien et al., 

2009). Chronic stress can contribute to brain mass atrophy and weight loss 

(Sarahian et al., 2014). These structural changes achieve variations within the 

response to worry, psychological feature and memory (Lupien et al., 2009). Of 

course, according to the strain degree and thus the time of stress, the quantity 

and severity of the changes are entirely different (Lupien et al., 2009). It is 

currently evident, however, that stress can induce structural changes with long-

run effects on the system inside the brain (Reznikov et al., 2007). Thus, the 

impact of stress on entirely different facets of the system are particularly 

important to analyze. 

Cognition is another vital feature that the brain operates. Cognition means the 

reception and perception of perceived stimuli and its interpretation, which has 

learning, decision creating, attention, and judgment (Sandi, 2011). Stress has 

several effects on noesis that depend upon its intensity, duration, origin, and 

magnitude (Sandi, 2013). The least result of stress on cognition may be a 

reduction in cognition and so, it is aforesaid that any activity steps undertaken 



32 
 

to scale back stress results increase in intelligence (Scholey et al., 2014). In fact, 

stress activates affect some physiological systems (Sandi, 2013). Activation of 

stress results within the production and release of glucocorticosteroids. It seems 

that being exposed to worry will cause pathophysiologic changes within the 

brain, and these changes are often manifested as behavioral, cognitive, and 

mood disorders (Li et al., 2008). Cognitive disorders following exposure to 

worry are rumored in past studies (Lupien & McEwen, 2009).  

In chronic stress, these steroids will destroy neurons with different stimulatory 

neurotransmitters (Sandi, 2013). Exposure to worry also can cause disorders in 

hippocampus-related cognition; specifically, abstraction memory (Borcel et al., 

2008). Additionally, stress will halt or decrease the genesis of neurons within 

the rough body structure space of the hippocampus (Kohler et al., 2010). 

Different studies have shown that stress (or the injection of adrenal steroids) 

ends up in varied effects on cognition. For example, injection of corticosteroid 

at the time of its most plasma concentration results in a decrease in time interval 

and improves cognition and memory (Lupien et al., 2002).  

In summary, the adverse effects of stress on cognition are numerous and depend 

upon the kind, timing, intensity, and length (Sandi, 2013). Generally, it is 

believed that gentle stress facilitates an improvement in psychological 

functions, particularly within the case of virtual or verbal memory. However, if 

the intensity of stress passes on the far side a preset threshold, it causes 

psychological function disorders, particularly in memory and judgment. The 

disruption to memory and judgment is because of the consequences of stress on 

the hippocampus and anterior cortex (Sandi, 2013). Of course, it should be 

realized that factors like age and gender can also play a factor in some 



33 
 

psychological function disorders (Sandi, 2013). Significantly, it ought to be 

emphasized that totally different individuals might exhibit varied responses in 

cognition once exposed to the exact same disagreeable stimulation (Hatef et al., 

2015). 

Most organizations with the aim of attaining higher productivity end up saddling 

employees with overload of work in order to meet deadline, and this might have 

psychological and physical effects on the employees. In fact, the American 

Institute of Stress estimates that workplace stress costs companies $300 billion 

annually. This cost is a result of increased absenteeism, employee turnover, and 

higher medical and insurance costs due to stress related illness and worker 

productivity. This may result in something contrary to what these organizations 

want to achieve (Mark, 2012). Performance of a worker at the place of work 

may be a point of concern for all organizations, regardless of all the factors and 

conditions. Consequently, workers are thought-about to be important assets for 

organizations (Marwa, Qureshi & Ramay, 2006).  

Griffin and Clarke (2011) suggested that stress has direct consequences for 

companies, although it is individuals that experience stress. Stress may turn into 

poor work quality and lower productivity for him. An honest performance of 

the staff of an organisation leads to a good structure performance, therefore, 

ultimately creating an organization with a lot of progress and effectiveness in 

work activites (Armstrong & Baron, 1998). Stress is an inescapable 

consequence of contemporary living. It is a condition of strain that incorporates 

a direct touching on emotions, thought method, and physical conditions of an 

individual (Jayashree, 2010).  



34 
 

Stress is also thought-about as an uncomfortable emotional scenario that people 

tend to experience once needs cannot be counter-balanced with their ability to 

resolve them. As a reaction to the current threat, this leads to emotional changes. 

It results from the interaction between an individual and their environment, and 

it tends to be subjective as a result of equal stress and may have an impact on 

one person, but it may not be the same for another person. Once the stresses of 

the job are handled by a worker and so the risk of completing a task becomes 

important, stress can act as a noteworthy problem (Halkos & Dimitrios, 2008). 

 Stress are often positive (Eustress) or negative (Distress). Results from Eustress 

are also relaxing, thereby improving job efficiency and fully motivating workers 

to make efforts. Distress contributes to detrimental impacts on the health and 

efficiency of staff. With occupational stress, job output is adversely affected. 

This successively decreases the productivity of the workforce and business 

(Jimmieson et al., 2004). Such job tension typically leads to injuries in the 

workplace (Hawe et al, 2000). 

Empirically, the connection between stress and worker productivity have not 

been resolved. Alam, Gouhar and Shafiqur (2015) and Usman and 

Muhammad’s (2010) studies revealed that there is vital negative relationship 

between job stress and worker performance within the banking sector. Sun and 

Chiou (2011), Ayodele (2014), Naqvi, Khan, Kant and Khan (2013), Indhu and 

Thirumakkal (2015), Menze (2005) and Laiba, Anum, Muhammad and Kashif 

(2011) found that stress affects worker productivity negatively. A study 

conducted by Bewell, Yakubu, Owotunse and Ojih (2014) found that the 

thought of work-induced stress and workers’ effectiveness and productivity are 

indivisible, whereas Aasia, Hadia and Sabita (2014) findings revealed that job 



35 
 

stress does not influence worker job performance. Additionally, Musyoka, 

Ogutu and Awino (2012) empirical results found that stress had positive 

influence on company performance. Qadoos, Ayesha, Tayyab, Toqeer and 

Hafiz’s (2015) study found that there is positive moderate relationship between 

job stress and worker performance. 

In a study examining the effect of stress on employee productivity at the Ghana 

Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), Takoradi, Dwamena (2012) found that 

the adverse factors affecting employees had a negative impact on productivity. 

The stress factors identified and analyzed include the ages of respondents’ 

cross-tabulated with gender, the measurement of the stress levels of 

respondents, and the influence of stress on productivity. Similarly, Yeboah-

Kordee, Amponsah-Tawiah, Adu, and Ashie in their study titled. The impact of 

job stress on the quality of bank workers was negative, (2018) said High levels 

of job stress lead to decreased output by bank staff. For employees to perform 

to the best of their ability, the banking industry needs to maintain optimum 

levels of workplace stress. People are facing different forms of stress from the 

working environment as well as the circumstances under which they work 

(Yeboah-Kordee, Amponsah-Tawiah, Adu, & Ashie, 2018).  

2.5 Managing Stress in Academic Libraries 

Managers may recognize stress in the workplace by finding work-related stress 

problems, often monitoring employee health and job performance. Managers 

will also alleviate stress by ensuring that when faced with such issues, 

employees know where to turn and by overseeing their recovery if health 

problems arise. Job stress affects organisations, according to the study carried 

out by Leka et al. (2004), by having trouble retaining employees who are unable 



36 
 

to manage stress consciously, reducing morale and productivity. Employee 

recruitment would be adversely affected, according to Nekzada and Tekeste 

(2013), and greater responsibility would emerge for the duty to react to the legal 

rights and charges of the workers under stress. 

The management of many businesses carries out various activities and programs 

as a motivational and encouraging element of their institutions. This will help 

workers reduce their tension to a degree (2003, Fairbrother & Warn). Human 

resources management may also restructure the work provided to employees by 

focusing on employees' interests, know-how, processes, and skills, and by 

making arrangements and good control structures. This could be done by 

improving the working environment and properly allocating the role to all 

employees. In order to be able to carry out their work properly and to monitor 

their progress, management should ensure that staff are up-to - date and have 

the necessary training. It should also ensure that flexible working hours are 

placed in place that allow workers to work and allow employees to get the 

correct feedback where and when necessary; this will be helpful in reducing 

stress. In addition to this, teamwork and collaboration between employees could 

be used as a stress-reduction mechanism (Tekeste & Nekzada, 2013).  

Another organizational approach to stress management may be to have a 

horizontal line of authority rather than a vertical one, which would help 

employees to feel comfortable and convenient in interacting with management. 

It is also important to establish a friendly and respectful relationship between 

managers and employees. When all stress preventive measures have proven 

ineffective and stress has actually occurred and caused health damage to the 

employee, this action should be taken to provide both organizational and 



37 
 

individual intervention, such as medical advice and work restructuring, etc. 

Such operations will be carried out through such acts (Leka et al., 2004). 

Nevertheless, relationship between both the employee and the employer 

(management) should be discussed and agreed upon. At the tertiary 

management level, management should be able to recognize and provide 

support to employees who have problems and find it difficult to solve their 

problems on their own. Management may understand that workers have job 

problems when they make mistakes than normal, when they have a low level of 

achievement, when they increase their alcohol consumption or have a higher 

level of customer criticism. These may be taken into account when attempting 

to consider work-related stress among employees (Leka et al., 2004). 

Decreasing intrusions to workers at the workplace could be one of the 

approaches to be offered by human resource managers. Consequently, 

eliminating the distractions at work as much as possible will make it possible 

for workers to have more time to focus on work and not to have to spend more 

job hours on weekends. It is not unusual to find disruptions at work that make 

people stay at work after work or work on weekends due to failure to do the 

work due to intrusions. Intrusions at work are a sudden brief pause at work, 

triggered by another job request. Forms of intrusions include unrecognized 

office visits, e-mails, phone calls, and so on.  

Human resource management can reduce, if not eliminate, the stress caused by 

intrusions at work by laying down strict rules that allow workers to focus on the 

task at hand (Lin et al., 2013). People make several attempts to reduce stress-

related discomfort. Frend (as cited in Aldwin, 2007) indicated that a tool to deal 

with the self and regulate impulsive behaviour, disagreements and instincts. In 



38 
 

view of the impact of pressure, both on workers and on the employer, its 

reduction to the lowest possible level is important. Onwushi and Meggison 

(2001) found that healthy social relationships allow people to promote open 

contact and interaction between librarians and other allies. Ajalla (2011) 

proposed that shifting our view of the job and its stress region is the best 

approach to handling stress at work in the library. Library workers can also 

spend time relaxing while experiencing stressful situations. It is helpful to 

engage workers in meetings and to clarify changes to staff's roles and to 

communicate strategies to cope with changes (Bamber 2011). The tradition of 

working as a group and collaborating with one another also needs to grow 

instead of participating in competitive competitions. 

Akakandelwa and Jain (2013) have investigated the stress levels of library 

employees in Botswana and Zambia University academic libraries. The results 

showed that the library staff had less stress than others did. The major stressors 

are low wages and job fatigue. Spencer (2013) has proposed research on 

minimizing community college libraries ' job-related stress. The writer 

suggested that they go out for fresh air, chat with their neighbours, call a friend, 

visit interesting sites, stretch legs, or eat fruits, candy, etc. Coffee should be 

removed and instead water should be drunk. It should not be done to eat in a 

hurry at the worktable. The librarians can walk with friends and/or animals in 

their spare times, eat at restaurants, go on vacation, go shopping, enjoy massage, 

etc. It is also recommended that workers meditate yoga and swim.  

 



39 
 

International Labour Organization (2016) has researched tension through 

questionnaires and interviews at Nigerian university libraries. She pointed out 

that bibliographers were stressed at federal, state and private universities but 

that bibliographers were stressed at the highest levels at private universities. 

According to this study, human, economic, organizational, and cultural and 

management factors induced stress. In this study, 75.6% of respondents were 

married; there was more strain on younger women with younger children than 

on women without children and those over 40 years of age. Positive work 

attitude, Ergonomics, self-development, formation and sustaining a stress-free 

environment is suggested as effective techniques for coping with stress.  

Dina (2016) examined economic instability, technological changes, knowledge 

overloads and changing roles of librarians, and tension in the Nigerian 

university libraries. One of the biggest problems among skilled library staff was 

job stress. Results revealed that stress impaired the work performance of 

librarians and that quality of service and satisfaction at work. However, 64 

percent felt that they are more prone to stress than others, since in addition to 

their primary tasks they have been engaged in additional tasks; 86 percent of the 

respondents were exhausted when they came home. Often dual duties, including 

working in the library and caring for children or parents, make women more 

often suffering from stress than men. Besides poor performance at work, stress 

may affect the health and wellbeing of librarians. The author proposed that the 

work environment and the health of librarians be promoted.  

Placzek (2001) pointed out that their responsibilities have changed due to 

progress in technology, changes in law, company and publication and 

demanding user expectations and increased workloads to deal with stress among 



40 
 

the members of the reference library staff in the legal library. The author defined 

non-reference roles of three reference librarians; they attended meetings of 

librarians, lectured in legal research, conducted lectures, etc., all without a job 

description specification, and yet all of them did have duties. Checking time and 

scheduling as strategies for tackling stress is suggested. Goals should be set 

every day and goals identified so as to carry out the most important tasks first; 

setting office hours will encourage staff to work constantly on non-reference 

tasks. One way to reduce tension was to create a database that addresses a few 

reference questions. The office was coordinated by the association. Besides, the 

author indicated that entertainment behaviors should be retained to guarantee 

personal and professional satisfaction (Placzek, 2001). 

The results of a study case that examined stress in college bibliographers in 

Britain were presented by Farler and Broady-Preston (2012). It has been found 

that experiences with students can be both stressful and entertaining through 

semi-structured interviews. The key stressors were regulating the library noise 

level as well as adjusting the actions of students and meeting the needs of 

individual user groups. The authors indicated that they displayed humor and 

self-awareness in their work, and employed several techniques to deal with 

stress. The library workers could be inspired by the constructive motivation and 

improve job satisfaction (Farler & Broady-Preston, 2012). 

 A study conducted by Kodua-Ntim (2017) among public university libraries in 

Ghana revealed that library staff experienced a lot of stressful tasks and 

situations. Among the issues revealed were the lack of recognition for good 

efforts, students being difficult to handle in library, insufficient time to prepare 

for work, financial difficulties, among others, that need the university 



41 
 

authorities ' attention. The following guidelines were suggested; counseling, 

social assistance, taking advantage of technology, engaging in activities that 

will make one ‘self-happy, fair remuneration, appreciation of work done and 

personal development.  

2.6 Challenges Faced by Librarians in Managing Stress 

The role and responsibilities of librarians have changed completely in new 

information technology tools Trushina (2004). There have been several studies 

to investigate the problems confronting librarians. This section discusses studies 

done in general and in developing countries at the international level to discuss 

the problems faced by the librarians. A research by Ademodi and Adepoju 

(2009) on academic libraries in Ondo and Ekiti State, Nigeria (2009) revealed 

that library staff lacked adequate computers and skills to operate the little in 

their possession. They recommend the organization and delivery of computer 

programs for librarians and the provision of adequate computers. Trushina 

(2004) addressed internet-related issues as well as the association and 

application of technical codes in library practice. He said that more than any 

other organisation, libraries rely on ethical principles because they are 

fundamentally human-orientated. He stressed that librarians must uphold the 

value of freedom of intellect and have a moral responsibility towards employers. 

The role of the professional librarian in digital information systems 

management was discussed by Sreenivasulu (2000). He emphasis that the 

technical complexity of the next century's digital libraries means that digital 

librarians (DL) would ultimately be a group of librarians specializing in mass 

digitalization, storage, entry, digital information mining, digital tools, online 

services and search coordination, who manage and coordinate the digital library. 



42 
 

The scripting, cataloging, metadata, digital indexing & database systems, user 

interface development, application and network technologies should be well 

understood by librarians. 

Johnson (2007) published a paper on library education and the science of 

information in developing countries. He argued that government support for LIS 

initiatives is still inadequate in developed countries. It was noticed by Wallis 

(2005) that literacy of information is an essential skill for information society 

citizens. The researcher suggested that the librarian would encourage all stages 

of learning. It is required to provide people at all levels of society with the 

opportunity to educate themselves in a variety of technical and media literatures. 

The educational library in Bangladesh was studied by Rahman, Khatun and 

Islam (2008). The study showed that in many Bangladeshi universities, 

computer laboratories and enough computers have not been well-equipped for 

students. There have not been ample resources for the classification and 

cataloging. Most institutions neither have a library nor an insufficient selection 

of textbooks, which bring about stress among academic librarians.  

 Wijayaratne (2006) in Sri Lanka, the difficulties faced by librarians from the 

developed world in providing library services to facilitate open and distance 

learning were evaluated. It was noted that the role of Sri Lanka in bookstores 

has changed in recent years and that the government has taken different 

approaches to the development of bookstores, particularly university libraries. 

It was considered very necessary that the OUSL strengthen its development 

process, in order to improve efficiency and sustain distance learning standards 

in Sri Lanka (Wijayaratne, 2006). 



43 
 

Siwakoti (2008) found no government agency in Nepal to track, monitor and 

assess the activities of school libraries. Lacks of worship services, budget 

restrictions, limited capacity, and lack of library resources, lack of skilled 

workforce and adequate government policy and inadequate computer literacy 

were observed to be impeding the management of stress. Lee, Brown, Mekis 

and Singh (2003) in Malaysia investigated the absence of a full-time teacher-

librarian and demanded that chosen teachers fulfill one of their administrative 

duties as a school resource center. The instruction of teacher librarians was not 

included in the current curriculum. The major problems found were that 

professional isolation is experienced by teacher librarians in Malaysia (Shane, 

2010).  

Shokraneh and Shiramin (2011) found in Iran that librarians lack standard skills 

and knowledge to tackle their customers ' changing needs, hence the experience 

of stress and difficulty in managing it. Before empowering your employers, you 

have to have new skills and information. There must, therefore, be no difference 

between professional/technological knowledge of the librarian and the 

information culture to which librarians have to react. There was also a need to 

change the curricula of the medical library and education in information science 

in Iran. 

The challenges facing library practitioners in the new millennium were 

discussed in India by Jestin and Parameswari (2002). They found that qualified 

librarians are facing different challenges in India. Computers and new 

technology have been implemented as an obstacle for all librarians. The result 

was that librarians should be prepared to engage in the process of creating and 



44 
 

offering quality of life and data to everyone. To resist revolutions which take 

place in the fields of information and communication librarians must unite. 

Similarly, Dasgupta (2009) has indicated that standards for librarian education 

in India do not exist. Indian library staff have discovered that new LIS schools 

have been established; inadequate faculty power, insufficient accreditation 

bodies; insufficient physical facilities for librarians, insufficient treatment for 

selection requirements and inadequate services for apprenticeships. The study 

suggested that India's government should play a leading role in promoting LIS 

education in India by providing more job opportunities for LIS practitioners and 

reducing wage disparities among LIS professionals. 

Okai (2015) conducted a study at the Universities of Professional Studies (UPS) 

and Wisconsin international University college-Ghana, with the title Stress in 

University libraries. The study identified key stressors as the absence of 

uninterrupted power systems that rendered book processing stressful, the 

absence of trolleys to carry books that cause pain in their necks, poor internet 

connectivity and insufficient computers that made it difficult for them to provide 

good services to employers, insufficient staff that made the employees work 

extra and the unpleasant actions of clients who did not obey library rules and 

regulations. It was found that the majority of their stress-inducing factors were 

the cause of the inability of their management to provide the required equipment 

and resources and to hire additional staff. 

It was thought that stress was a difficult problem to handle because it relies not 

on objective calculation, but on subjective individual experiences. Woods 

(2004) thinks that it really depends on their position in the job and their personal 



45 
 

circumstances, as well as their level of tolerance. What is stressful to one 

individual is not stressful to another individual and that's why stress is such a 

difficult subject, what's stressful to me may not be stressful to you at all. In a 

wide range of cases, the subjective essence of stress has generated difficulties. 

These included changes in the way a person traveled to work that caused them 

distress, a person with a mild stutter who found it very hard to interact with 

clients, and a person who had reading problems that made it difficult to deal 

with changes to routine work patterns. There was empathy with people who had 

experienced suffering as a result of stress along with some concerns that it was 

being used as an excuse rather than a reason for absence in the belief that it 

would lead to favourable work adjustments (Nawe 1995). As clear causes for 

concern, regular single-day absences, absence during the long school summer 

holidays and an increased willingness to return to work around the transition 

from full to half sick pay were reported. This level of concern about stress 

violence is perhaps best seen as healthy skepticism based on several years of 

practice, rather than a cynical attitude of human resources professionals towards 

stress and related health concerns (Shane, 2010). 

2.7 Suggestions on Stress Management Strategies for Library Staff 

Patil (2014) outlined these series of activities that could be used to prevent 

stress, styles in managing stress and coping strategies for library professionals. 

Focusing on our emotions, feelings, actions and body posture helps workers to 

relax physically, emotionally and mentally. A poor diet can lead to mental and 

physical drainage. It can tear our emotional level and thus make our lives 

difficult. However, if library staff eat well and get adequate nutrition, our 

energetic body can handle many additional stressors and we are more alert to 



46 
 

deal with them. Stimulants such as caffeine, tobacco and alcohol can intensify 

stress response, so it is certainly possible, though we may be tempted to resort 

to these substances in order to deal with tension. 

Stress is often accompanied by pessimistic feelings and emotions. Stress also 

fuels these emotions when we have feelings of fear, depression, anxiety, or 

anger. Training will assist us in promoting this and giving us the ability to 

handle our daily tasks. I propose making one for myself, even if it is just a few 

times each day when we do not have a daily exercise regime. Workers of the 

library can do simple things like a couple of yoga positions, sit-ups or even 

push-ups to raise endorphins by exercise that can allow us to feel happy and 

refreshed (Nawe, 1995; Shupe & Pung, 2011). 

When staff of library know that in their lives there is a stressful event, plan and 

brace for it. If a coworker and family member or a friend are experiencing a 

stressful situation, take a deep breath, relax and begin anew. Relaxation, 

breathing and a soft and relaxing tone, rather than a scream or a lifting voice. 

Effective planning for stressful events will allow you to cope better over the 

long term (Nawe, 1995; Shupe & Pung, 2011). 

Stressful things in our life often feel like catastrophes. Instead of considering 

these things as challenges and learning experiences, see them as obstacles and 

not allow them to bring you down. Take a deep breath, relax, concentrate your 

mind and be optimistic. You return to what you are giving to the world. Send 

out positive energy vibration when stressful situations take place in your life, 

and the same will come back to you. Learn to accept stress the situation, instead 



47 
 

of worrying. Facing the difficult situation, we will find the answers that we are 

looking for in an easy manner (Lee, Brown, Mekis & Singh, 2003). 

Taking part in sports calms our minds and allows us to ignore our problems. It 

might be a fun 20-minute game to play with our family, watch a movie, walk, 

cycle or even take a relaxing bath. Finding balance in our life makes yourself 

stress-free. Stress is often compounded if workers don't have a way to discuss 

our issues. Take the time to talk to your family and friends and stay in touch. 

Speak to someone you can trust should you feel overwhelmed. Simply talking 

about your emotions can sometimes give you the strength to achieve your 

objectives. 

Hiring a housekeeper / cooking is a good home front work option. Schedule 

some free time every day for yourself, even just a couple of minutes. This will 

give library workers more time to finish what is needed by concentrating and 

relaxing in between the works. Occasionally cook is not welcomed by the family 

at home, but it can be a better solution to at least employ a cooking assistant. 

One other way of coping with stress in the library environment is physical stress 

management which involves a good lifestyle and proper sleep. As a technique 

for stress management, we must go to bed at the beginning of time, and when 

we are awake, we feel fresh if we fully relaxed. A safe, balanced diet and 

supplementation with vitamins if available. Workers can also incorporate rest, 

sleep, a warm bath, sweet aromas, or acupuncture to deal with our physical 

stress techniques.  

Emotionally, building of self-esteem, trust and self-love is going to affect 

workers own emotional well-being, and we are more relaxed and easier to go 



48 
 

with others if we are positive about ourselves. The maintenance of positive 

relationships requires coping skills. If we develop good, healthy relationships 

with friends, family, neighbors and colleagues, the support we get from them 

will help us relax easily during our stressful events. It covers rest, renovation, 

and newspaper work found that journaling is a very good technique. After 

marriage, the writer used to write a journal. She found that her immune system 

was improved. She also believes that when we think right, her issues could have 

solutions and optimistic consequences. Therefore, we think it is a great habitude 

to manage stress while we are journalistic (Shane, 2010). 

Spirituality is also a very good coping strategy for stress. That is to say, “Have 

total faith in the force we would call “GOD “and being entirely positive about 

the fact this” I manage my life situations and everything else that happens in my 

life, can only better myself, and all challenges are learning experiences and 

nothing bad can happen in my life because my loving GOD has strong support. 

Spirituality, reflection, meditation, thus, contribute a lot to the undesired tension 

of workers everyday lives (Beheshtifar & Nazarian, 2013). The bottom of our 

heart is supposed to give thanks, while the whole cell of our bodies is supposed 

to pray to God. This is a very powerful technique. The author's observations are 

different. For the average person, entering into the spiritual transition is not 

straightforward (Nawe, 1995; Shupe & Pung, 2011).  

Most librarians make numerous attempts to minimize stress-related uneasiness. 

Coping was described as how the ego wards off anxiety and exercises control 

over impulsive actions, conflicts and instincts by Aldwin (2007). Given the 

impact of stress on both the worker and the employer, there is a need to 

minimize it to the cheapest minimum. Onwushi and Meggison (2001) noted that 



49 
 

healthy social relationships allow people to encourage open contact between 

librarians and other allied workers and participatory management. Ajalla (2011) 

concluded that improving one’s view of the profession and its area of stress is 

the best approach to handling work-place stress in the library. Librarians, when 

they notice stressful situations, can also take time to relax. The time set aside 

for leisure is not a wasted time, Nawe (1995) observed Involving workers in the 

consultation process and discussing changes in the jobs of workers and 

communicating methods placed in place to handle change are beneficial 

(Bamber, 2011). The practice of working together as a collective and 

cooperating with each other instead of participating in unhealthy contests must 

also be cultivated. (Beheshtifar & Nazarian, 2013). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



50 
 

CHAPTER THREE 

METHODOLOGY 

3.1 Introduction 

This chapter gives a detail description of the steps and procedures that were used 

by the researcher to collect and analyze data obtained from the study. These 

steps and procedures included the target population, sampling and sampling 

procedure, instrumentation, data collection procedure, data analysis. It focused 

on the research design and the philosophical underpinnings that will be adopted 

for the study. 

3.2 Research Design 

Research designs are types of inquiry within a research approach that provide 

specific direction for procedures in a research study (Creswell, 2014). 

According to him, it gives directions and systematizes research. The design 

chosen for a specific research can affect the study outcome and conclusion. The 

aim of each study is to obtain accurate observations that can help the researcher 

understand the phenomenon stress among librarians in Technical Universities. 

 Different research design styles have different advantages and disadvantages.  

According to Creswell (2014), a study design is a collection of procedures and 

processes used to calculate and analyze the variables collection out in problem 

investigation. The design of a research study defines the type and subtype such 

as descriptive, correlational, descriptive-longitudinal case study, semi-

experimental, experimental, review, and meta-analytic (Creswell, 2014). A 

research design is a process created to find answers to questions relevant to 

science. The design of a study defines the study type and sub-type.  Despite 



51 
 

these numerous designs, the current chosen design is descriptive survey because 

the researcher described events as they occurred naturally without manipulating 

any variable. Importantly, Descriptive survey analyzes presents concerns by 

means of data collection processes that allow them to explain the situation as 

thoroughly as possible without using this technique (Fox & Bayat, 2007). 

Descriptive survey is essentially employed to describe different aspects of a 

phenomenon. Descriptive work in its popular format is used to define features 

and/or behaviour.  

However, the primary drawback of descriptive survey is confidentiality. 

Themes are also not accurate because they feel the need to tell the researcher 

what the researcher may like to learn. In personal interviews, this can be 

particularly difficult. Participants can often refuse to answer questions which 

they find too personal. Moreover, the belief that someone is watching may 

transform an observation into an occurrence in which people behave as they see 

or speak (Murphy, 2018). 

The researcher chose this design at the expense of other designs because the 

objective was to closely inquire from respondents how they manage stress in 

their work settings. With the choice of this design, respondents were free to opt 

out of the study and could say what they thought suited their opinions. As a 

descriptive survey, it sought to assess the extent to which library staff of 

technical universities managed stress. Bowling (2014) defines descriptive 

survey as the analysis of existing conditions, dominant views, behaviors, 

ongoing processes and patterns to obtain information that can be evaluated and 

interpreted in order to produce a report on the current status of the topic or 

phenomenon being studied. Descriptive survey aims to accurately and 



52 
 

systematically describe a population, situation or phenomenon (McCombes, 

2019).    

3.3 Research Approach 

Research approaches are plans and the procedures for research that span the 

decisions from broad assumptions to detailed methods of data collection and 

analysis. It involves the intersection of philosophical assumptions, designs, and 

specific methods.  According to Cresewell (2014), there are three research 

approaches and these are; qualitative, quanti