The Relationship Between Organizational Culture and Occupational Stress. A Study of Co-operative Bank Staff of Kenya in Nairobi

Abstract

Organizational culture according to Sheins theory (1991) has three levels of culture which is artifacts, values, assumptions and beliefs. The Job Demand-Control (Support) model by Karaskey was used to explain occupational stress. Job Demand-Control (Support) theory puts forward that the relationship between job control and psychological demands in the work environment results to job strain. The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between organizational culture and occupational stress among Cooperative bank staff of Kenya in Nairobi. The current organizational culture at the bank is a customer centric financial institution that is based on the assessment of individual and their resources. The study’s objectives were to investigate the relationship between organizational culture and behavioral stress, to examine the relationship between organizational culture and physical stress and to assess the relationship between organizational culture and psychological stress. The research design adopted was mixed method design which included both quantitative and qualitative approach. The target population was 1020 employees at Co-operative Bank of Kenya. The primary data was collected from a sample of 204 participants. Purposive sampling and stratified random sampling were used to select the respondents. The data was collected through questionnaires and focus group discussions. The data was analyzed with help of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Both descriptive and inferential statistics that is Pearson’s correlation and simple linear regression were used to infer the sample results to data. The data was coded, analyzed and presented through narrations. The study revealed that there is a strong and positive relationship between the organizational culture and behavioral stress among Cooperative Bank staff of Kenya in Nairobi (r=0.768; p=0.000<0.05). The study revealed that there is a strong and positive relationship between the organizational culture and physical stress among Cooperative Bank staff of Kenya in Nairobi (r=0.794; p=0.000<0.05). The study found a significant and favorable correlation between organizational culture and psychological stress among Kenyan Co-operative Bank employees in Nairobi (r=0.833; p=0.000<0.05). The study’s conclusion indicated that organizational culture had a substantial impact on the behavioral stress, physical stress and psychological stress experienced by Co-operative Bank of Kenya employees in Nairobi. According to the study recommendations management at the Co-operative Bank of Kenya and other commercial banks in Kenya should work to adopt an organizational culture that has the highest levels of employee engagement and the lowest levels of stress. The study revealed that there is a strong and favorable correlation amid the organizational culture and psychological stress among Cooperative Bank staff of Kenya in Nairobi (r=0.833; p=0.000<0.05). The conclusion of the study was that corporate culture have a major impact on behavioral stress, physical stress and psychological stress among Cooperative Bank staff of Kenya in Nairobi. The study recommends that management at cooperative bank of Kenya and other commercial banks in Kenya should make efforts to shift towards organizational culture which has the highest engagement levels and lowest stress levels of employees.