Influence of Work Stress on the Productivity of Faculties in Nigeria Federal University: A Descriptive Approach

Abstract

This research examined the impact of occupational stress on productivity of lecturers and medical practitioners in Nigerian federal universities and teaching hospitals. This study investigated the main reasons, signs, and ways these professionals deal with stress. The study used a descriptive survey to elicit information from 375 participants. Of these, 266 were Lecturers and 109 were doctors. selected using proportional sampling from a population of 5,917 across four universities and their affiliated teaching hospitals in Abuja, Ibadan, Enugu, and Zaria. a structured questionnaire called the Influence of Work-Stress on the Productivity of Lecturers and Medical Doctors (IWSPLMDQ) was used. validated by experts and yielding a reliability coefficient of 0.82, was employed for data collection. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency counts, percentages, and means. The results showed that most significant sources of stress were excessive workload, long working hours, inadequate time for research or patient care, and difficulty balancing professional and family responsibilities, with an overall sectional mean of 2.81. The most common signs of stress were being tired, feeling weak, being cranky, and having mood swings and sadness (sectional mean = 2.60). The most common ways to deal with stress were to sleep or rest in a quiet place, listen to music, work out often, and live a healthy life (sectional mean = 2.61). The study found that university professors and medical doctors often have a lot of stress at work, which makes them less healthy and less productive. The study recommends that to reduce stress, get healthier, and do better at work by taking part in structured wellness programs, institutional counselling programme, and reduce workload.