Identification of Stressors at Work: A Study of University Teachers in India

A sample of 570 teachers working in four universities of Punjab (Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar; Punjabi University, Patiala; Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana; and Punjab University, Chandigarh) were surveyed to assess the status of the health of university teachers and to identify factors causing stress among them. The results revealed that 14 per cent of the respondents were suffering from poor health. The factor analysis of 60 items covering various aspects of the job of a university teacher yielded 14 factors. The regression analysis revealed that ‘Inadequate Competence of Teachers’, ‘Formalities’, ‘Tough and Dull Job’, ‘Unpleasant Work Conditions and Lack of Resources’, ‘Poor Quality of Students’, ‘Lack of Control’ and ‘Demanding Job’ are significant stressors causing stress among the university teachers and affecting their health adversely. Whereas, ‘Work–Life Imbalance’, ‘Workplace Politics and No Freedom of Expression’, ‘Discriminatory Behaviour of Head of the Department’, ‘Slow and Limited Promotion and Inequitable Salary’, ‘Excessive Workload’, ‘Poor Interpersonal Relations’, and ‘Sexual Harassment’ have not been found to be significant job characteristics determining the health of the respondents.