UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS HO CHI MINH CITY International School of Business ------------------------------ DUONG QUI SUU FACTORS IMPACT ON JOB STRESS OF MIDDLE MANAGERS IN VIETNAM MASTER OF BUSINESS (Honours) Ho Chi Minh City – Year 2015 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS HO CHI MINH CITY International School of Business ------------------------------ DUONG QUI SUU FACTORS IMPACT ON JOB STRESS OF MIDDLE MANAGERS IN VIETNAM ID: 22120108 MASTER OF BUSINESS SUPERVISOR: CAO HAO THI Ho Chi Minh City – Year 2015 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com I ABSTRACT Purpose - This study aims to determine the factors impact on job stress of middle manager in Vietnam and examine how effect of job stress on job performance of people who get stress at work. A quantitative research design with a sample of 151 valid respondents was employed. To test reliability and validity of variables, Cronbach’s Alpha and EFA were applied. Multiple linear regression method was conducted to test the hypotheses that were described on research model.
One-Way ANOVA was used to test the impact of demographic variables on job stress of middle managers in Vietnam. Findings - the results have showed that four independent factors which are work overload, conflict at work, lack of support and unfavorable work environment have positively impact on job stress. The factor of work overload has strongest effect on job stress; the second is conflict at work; the third are lack of support and unfavorable work environment factors have nearly the same impact on job stress. The results also indicated that job stress has negatively effect on job performance.
Finally, the ANOVA testing results have pointed out that gender and marital status have no difference effect on job stress. Whereas management experience and age have different level of influence on job stress of middle managers in Vietnam. Key words: Middle managers, Job stress, Job performance, Work overload, Conflict at Work, Lack of support, Work environment TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com II ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am sincerely thank you to the lecturers at International School of Business (ISB) of University of Economics Ho Chi Minh city (UEH) have given me valuable knowledges during the past years. Cao Hao Thi, my supervisor, patiently offered valuable advice and enthusiastic guides at each step to support me implementation this research.
I would like to extend “thank you” to all my colleagues at Schindler Vietnam Co., Ltd, Nissey Vietnam Co., Ltd, Metkraft Vietnam Co., Ltd, Hiep Phuoc Power Co., Ltd, PLUS Vietnam Industrial Co., Ltd, Crown Dong Nai Co., Ltd, Ba Huan Co., Ltd, and thank to all my classmates at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, have actively supported me to completed this study. TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com III TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT. II TABLE OF CONTENTS. III LIST OF TABLES.
V LIST OF FIGURES. VI CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .1 Background and Problem Statement. 5 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW .3 Relationship between Job Stress and Job Performance .4 Factors That Impact on Job Stress .1 Hypotheses between organizational factors and job stress .2 Hypotheses between demographic factors and job stress .3 Hypothesis between job stress on job performance. 16 CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY .1 Measurement scales for independent factors .2 Measurement scales for dependent factors .3 Measurement scales for demographic factor.
22 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.4 Data Collection Method .5 Data Analysis Method.1 Reliability testing assumptions.2 Validity testing assumptions.3 Hypotheses testing assumptions .4 ANOVA testing assumptions. 29 CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS.6 Data Analysis Results and Findings.1 Overview of Research .2 Discussion of the Findings .4 Limitations and Further Research. 56 APPENDIX A1: English version of primary questionnaire. 56 APPENDIX A2: Vietnamese version of primary questionnaire.
59 APPENDIX A3: English version of final questionnaire. 62 APPENDIX A4: Vietnamese version of final questionnaire. 65 APPENDIX A5: Sources of questionnaire items. 68 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com V LIST OF TABLES Table 2.1: Summary of the factors leading to job stress based on previous research .1: Measurement variables for independent factors based on previous research .2: Measurement variables for dependent factors based on previous research .3: Pilot test results of Cronbach’s Alpha .1: Sample profile of respondents .2: Cronbach’s Alpha reliability test results .3: Final results of Cronbach’s Alpha after deleted unsupported variable .4: First EFA test for independent factors results .5: Final EFA test for independent factors results .6: EFA testing results of job stress factor.7: EFA testing results of job performance factor .8: The first model testing results .9: The second hypotheses testing result .10: The results of testing hypotheses .11: ANOVA testing for Demographic Variables.
43 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com VI LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2. 19 Figure 3: Regression histogram……….69 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com 1 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Nowadays, many challenges of business environment that requires management team of each company have to working hard to maintain and develop company business. There are a lot of duties that management team of companies have to do daily such as develop a good team, update new technologies, motivate employees to deliver higher performance, complete paper works, plan and control business results (Brotheridge & Long, 2007). Besides that management team is also deal with unexpected issues may happen daily such as conflict at work, poor work environmental conditions, lack of support from supervisors, colleagues and subordinates, wasting time for unnecessary things.
From these reasons, middle management in companies normally gets high stress at work (Fayza, 2013). Today, job stress has become a major problem that management team has to deal with daily. In order to understand more clearly the about job stress and how it impact on job performance of managers who get stress at work, this research had focused on studying stress factors and examined the effect of job stress on job performance of middle manager in Vietnam.1 Background and Problem Statement Vietnam is a developing country. There are many big companies including foreigner and Vietnamese’s companies have opened business in Vietnam.
They need a good quality labor force to develop business. Middle managers have become a target of all companies for hunting. Besides advantages, the job requirements of middle manger have higher and higher over time. They are considered an important link between the top management and employees.
Managers have to set up plan, manage and communicate among employees to implement company’s strategy. Therefore, management team normally get high pressure from work, especially middle managers they get a lot of pressures from their supervisors, colleagues and requirements of managing their subordinates to achieve the company's goals (Aizzat et al, 2005). For that reason middle managers have always been in a state of TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com 2 high stress at work. This study focus on investigating the factors leading to job stress and examine the relationship between job stress and job performance of middle managers who are working at companies in Vietnam.
There are many studies talk about the stress at work on the world (Perrewe & Ganster 1989., Fayza, 2013, Aizzat et al., 2005, Hassan, Hamid, & Saeid, 2014), these research had presented that the factors leading to job stress came from various reasons including role conflict, role ambiguity, work overload, lack of support from organization, less reward and recognition, career block, less opportunity to promotion, pressure of time. The level of stress was also difference based on demographic variables such as gender, marital status, age, experience or personalities of each person. Aizzat et al., (2005) had stated that people had high ambition, expectation or high neuroticism would get higher stress at work. Another research of Yu-Chi Wu (2011) had indicated that there is a relationship between job stress and job performance, people who get higher stress at work may deliver lower job performance than people who get less job stress.
In Vietnam, there are some research had studied the influence of job stress on quality of life, health. Le Quoc Nam (2008) had presented that the causes of stress may be work overload, work long hours, unstable job, poor work environmental conditions such as hot, noise, lack of space, unsafe, air pollution. This author had also presented the consequences of job stress that people be in highly stress usually feel exhausted whenever, headache, sleep problem, less concentrate, easy angry, even feel hopeless and suicide. However, most articles in Vietnam had presented the causes of stress and given the general impact of stress on the health, quality of life of people who are facing with job stress.
Very few studies have deeply researched the influence level of each stressor factors impact on job stress as well as examine the effect of job stress on job performance of middle managers in Vietnam. Therefore, this study will focus on identifying the factors that lead to stress at work, and evaluated the strength each factor affecting on job TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail. This study is also examining how impact of job stress on job performance of middle managers who are working at companies in Vietnam.2 Research Objectives The objectives for this research are to investigate factors leading to job stress and examine the influence of job stress on job performance of middle managers who are working at companies in Vietnam. The three specific objectives have addressed in this research.
Firstly, to identify the factors that impact on job stress of middle managers who are working in Vietnam. Secondly, to examine the strength of each factor affect on job stress and testing how the demographic variables impact on job stress of middle managers. Thirdly, to examine the impact of job stress on job performance of middle managers who are working at companies in Vietnam. The middle managers were understood as communicators and translators of the top management strategic intentions (Ahmad.
Ahmad (2013) had stated that middle managers play a key role in organizational strategic activities and outcomes. They are the important link between the top management and employees. Middle managers communicate, plan, manage and turn the ideas of top management into reality. The role of middle management team is extremely important to the success or failure of an organization.
Middle managers include department heads, brand managers, functional managers, supervisors, section chiefs, team leaders who are working in companies in Vietnam. Middle managers will be the target respondents for this research.3 Research Questions Based on research background and research objectives, research questions were developed to investigate job stress as well as verified how job stress impact on job performance of middle managers in Vietnam. The three specific research questions in this research are: RQ1: What factors impact on job stress of middle managers who are working at companies in Vietnam? TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com 4 RQ2: Whether each factor impact on job stress of middle managers and strength of its influence? How do demographic variables impact on job stress? RQ3: How does job stress impact on job performance of middle managers in Vietnam? 1.4 Research Contribution Job stress is a big affect on the quality of work of employees in Vietnam. Ability to deal with stress will help employee improve their performance, so this research will investigate the factors leading to job stress.
The findings through data analysis results will help managers in Vietnam understand the factors that impacted on their stress at work. From that, the managers can find the properly way to control their stress better to enhance productivity.5 Research Scope The scope of this research is focusing on investigating the factors that impact on job stress of middle managers who are working at companies in Vietnam. Middle managers include group leaders, supervisors, section chiefs, managers or directors, who are working with their bosses, co-workers and their subordinates daily. Quantity of respondent from each company fluctuated from 1 to 30 depend on the size of company.