Relationship Between Occupational Stress and Job Satisfaction at Kenya Customs Administration

Abstract

Management of stress at the workplace is a moral as well as the legal responsibility of employers. Close and continuous attention to the issues of stress at the workplace is important because ill-health inflicted by the system of work or working conditions can cause untold suffering and loss to individual employees and their dependents. In addition, absences, through ill-health can result in losses and damage for the organization. The objectives of the study were to determine the level of occupational stress within Kenya Customs Administration and the impact it has on job satisfaction. The study used descriptive research design method as opposed to using quantitative methods. However the attributes of the study variables were converted into numerical data through a structured questionnaire for the purpose of effective data analysis. The target population for the study was one thousand employees of Kenya Customs Administration. The researcher sampled 100 employees based in Mombasa and Nairobi stations of the organization. Questionnaires were distributed and gathered after three weeks. Pearson correlation technique was used to find out the level of correlations between variables. The study findings were that employees of Kenya Customs Administration are stressed as a result of working past official working hours and having to do too many jobs at once. The employees are also stressed as they have to meet very high work deadlines. The study also showed that there was a low but positive correlation between occupational stress (independent variable) and job satisfaction( dependent variable). Correlation between occupational stress and job satisfaction was found to be significant among employees of Kenya Customs Administration. This therefore means that, occupational stress significantly affects job satisfaction.The conclusion was that the high level of occupational stress at Kenya Customs Administration as occasioned by employees having to work for long hours and doing too many jobs at once is negatively affecting the employees’ job satisfaction. Management at Kenya Customs Administration should therefore employ stress management programs that will effectively address the challenge as well as improve the employees’ job morale and satisfaction.