“stress management” in icici bank

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“STRESS MANAGEMENT”

A Project ReportOn


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PARTICULARS PAGENUMBERS

1. Executive Summary 01-02

2. Introduction 03-14

3. Need for Insurance 15-22

4. Company Profile 23-32

5. Vision-Mission 33-36

6. Products 37-43

7. Stress Management 44-61

8. Stress Management at work place 62-82

9. Findings & Analysis 83-95

10. Suggestions 96-98

11. Limitations of the study 99-100

12. Conclusion 101-102

13. Annexure 103-106

14. Bibliography 107-108

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Insurance is the pooling of fortuitous losses by transfer of such risk toinsurers, who agreed to provide the pecuniary benefit on their occurance, or torender service connected with risk. It is the transfer of financial responsibilityfor the risk at the point of occurance and conventionally involves the insurer ina commitment to pay. The insurance service lead to efficient and productiveallocation of capital resources, facilitate growth of trade and commerce.Globalization will certainly increase insurance penetration and all professionalsshall equip themselves to exploit opportunities offered by this sector.

ICICI PRUDENTIAL has maintained its lead amongst the private playersof life insurance with a market share of about 39%. The biggest achievement isin pension segment, where company introduced a slew of products andcaptured around 23% of the total pension market. ICICI Prudential have acustomer centric growth strategy and has taken a number ofstrategies against this.

The consumers are the largest economic group in any country and thepresent day business activities are because of consumers only. Thus,consumers are the pillars of the economy. The consumers are not only theheart of marketing system, but also the controller of marketing functions. But ifthe modern marketing system consumers sovereignty has become a myth onaccount of the variety of problems in the process of merchandising. The studyof consumer behavior enables marketers to understand and predict consumerbehavior in the market place; It also promotes understanding of the role thatconsumption plays in the lives of the individual.

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This gives me an opportunity to work on with this endeavor focusing onthe study of 'consumer behavior towards the insurance products' with specialreference to ICICI PRUDENTIAL. The primary objective of the study is tounderstand the attitude and perception of the respondents towards insuranceproducts.

The study gives an insight to the insurance industry. It briefly explainsabout the history of life insurance sector. It also contains the organizationalprofile of ICICI PRUDENTIAL, stating about its mile stones, vision, products,protection, solutions, advertising effectiveness and finally about its marketingstrategies and challenges. The study ends up with the suggestions in order tomodify the current system for a higher growth and progress.

INTRODUCTION

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INTRODUCTION

LIFE INSURANCELife insurance is a contract providing for a payment of a sum of

money to the person assured or failing him to the person entitled to

receive the same on the happening of certain event. Uncertainty of deathis inherent in human life. Ii is this risk, which gives rise to the necessity

for some form of protection against the financial loss arising from death.Insurance substitutes this uncertainty by certainty. The objective ofinsurance is normally to provide:

A Family Protection.B Provision for old age.

INSURANCE INDUSTRY

ORIGIN OF INSURANCE

The origin of insurance dates back to the 12th century, the origin ofinsurance appeared first in marine and land fields. The ideas ofinsurance were made in Babylonia and India at quite an early period; the

courts of Hammurabi and Mano recognized the provision for sharing thefuture losses. However there is no evidence that insurance in its presentform was practiced prior to 12th century. Tracing the history of insurance

to the present day, one can easily gauge the performance of industryboth collectively as an industry as well as individually by the companies.

In earlier times, travelers by sea and land were very much exposedto risk of losing their vessels and merchandise because piracy on theopen seas and highway robbery of caravan were common. References to

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similar practices are also found in 'Manab Dharma Shastra' whichcontained rules for sea from contracts which was observed by traders.Insurance conceived as method of sharing of the losses embodying the

principal of co-operation existed in the early civilization.Many may not be aware that the life insurance industry of India is

as old as it is in any other part of the world. The first Indian life insurance

company was the Oriental Life Insurance Company, which was started inIndia in 1818 at Kolkata1. A number of players (over 250 in life and about

100 in non-life) mainly with regional focus flourished all across thecountry. However, the Government of India, concerned by the unethicalstandards adopted by some players against the consumers, nationalized

the industry in two phases in 1956 (life) and in 1972 (non-life). Theinsurance business of the country was then brought under two publicsector companies, Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) and General

Insurance Corporation of India (GIC).Reforms were initiated with the passage of Insurance Regulatory

and Development Authority (IRDA) Bill in 1999. IRDA was set up as anindependent regulatory authority, which has put in place regulations inline with global norms. So far in the private sector, 12 life insurance

companies and 9 general insurance companies have been registered.

INSURANCE REGULATORY AND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ACT - 1999.

(I.R.D.A)The object of this act is to provide for the establishment of an

authority to protect the interest of holders of insurance policies, to

regulate, to promote and ensure orderly growth of insurance industries.Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) has sought thecomments of industry participants to finalize the guidelines for online

agents' training institutes.

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These proposed guidelines are in addition to its standardinstructions and guidelines applicable for approval/renewal of agents'training institutes. The guidelines would be applicable to all the online

training institutes including in-house training institutes of the insurers.As per the draft guidelines, the applicant should undergo at least

120 hours practical training in life or general insurance business. The

composite training should be for at least 180 hours, where the applicantis seeking license for the first time to act as an insurance agent.

The duration should be minimum of 24 days for 120 hours trainingand 36 days for 180 hours training with a maximum five hours per day.Stating that no product training/market survey should be included into

this 120/180 hours training, the regulator said revision examinationcould form part of the training.

DUTIES, POWERS AND FUNCTIONS OF AUTHORITY:

The powers and functions of the authority include registration ofinsurers, intermediaries and agents regulations of terms and

conditions of contract of insurance, promoting and regulatingprofessional organizations connected with the insurance, monitoringinvestment of funds and solvency margin of insurance companies.

The authority is to be advised by a committee to be known as theinsurance advisory committee, which shall consists of not more than

25 members including ex-officio members in the insurance sector.The insurance advisory committee is expected to advice the authorityon matters relating to making of the regulations

An Indian insurance company has been defined as a companyincorporated under the Companies Act - 1956 and the paid capital of

General Insurance business will have to be not less than Rs 100/-

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Crores and in case of companies wanting to transact reinsurancebusiness the paid capital will have to not less than Rs 200/- Crores.

It has also been notified that every insurance company will have to

appoint an Actuary to be approved by I.R.D.A. The duty of the Actuaryis to insure that

The assets are valued in appropriate manner

The liabilities are evaluated as requiredThe prescribed margin for maintaining solvency is complied

with.

The I.R.D.A also issued regulations with regards to advertisement

so as to include almost any public communication for a sale of

insurance policy.

THE FUNDAMENTAL / PRINCIPALS OF LAW OF INSURANCE.

UTMOST GOOD FAITH:The parties to the commercial contract, according to the law are

required to observe good faith. The seller cannot mislead the buyer inrespect of transactions, but he has no subject of the contract, it is thebuyer’s duty to be careful while entering into a contract. 'LET THE

BUYER BE AWARE' is a legal rule.INSURABLE INTEREST:

The owner of the property has a right under law to effect insurance

on the property if he is likely to suffer financially when property is lostor damaged. This legal right to insure is called insurable interest,

without insurable interest the contract of insurance will be void.Because of this legal requirement of insurable interest the insurancecontracts are not gambling transactions.

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INDEMNITY:The principal of indemnity arises under common law and requiresthat an insurance control should be a contract of indemnity only

and nothing more. The object of principals to place the insuredafter a loss in the same financial position as far as possible, as heis occupied immediately before the loss. The effect of this principal

is to prevent the insured from making the profit out of his loss orgaining any advantage or benefit. The object of a contract of

insurance is to protect the financial interest of the insured in thesubject matter of insurance.

SUBROGATION:

The principal of subrogation arises from the principal of indemnity.

Subrogation may be defined as transfer of rights and remedies ofthe insured to the insurer who has indemnified the insured in

respect of the loss. If the insured has any rights of action to berecovered the loss from any third party, who is primaryresponsible for the loss, the insurer having paid the loss is entitled

to avail himself of these rights to recover the loss from the thirdparty. The effect is that the insured does not receive more thanactual amount of his loss and any recovery affected from the third

party goes to the benefit of the insurer to reduce the amount ofhis loss

INSURANCE MARKET IN INDIABy any yardstick, India, with about 200 million middle class

households, presents a huge untapped potential for players in theinsurance industry. Saturation of markets in many developed economies

has made the Indian market even more attractive for global insurancemajors. Life insurance is mainly considered as a saving instrument rather

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than an investment avenue as it promotes compulsory savings besidesreducing tax burden on the policyholder and protect the family of thepolicyholder in the event of unforeseen happening. It is the only saving

instrument, which covers the life risk besides giving tax concession bothat entry (premium paid) and at exit

HISTORY AND PRESENT STATUS OF INSURANCE MARKET ININDIA

The insurance sector in India has come a full circle frombeing an open competitive market to nationalization and back to aliberalized market again. Tracing the developments in the Indian

insurance sector reviles the 360-degree turn witnessed over a period ofalmost two centuries.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE INSURANCE SECTORThe business of life insurance in India in its existing form

started in India in the 1818 with the establishment of Oriental Life

Insurance Company in Calcutta. Some of the important milestones in theLife Insurance business in India are:

1912: The Indian Life Assurance Companies Act enacted asthe first statue to regulate the life insurance business.

1928: The Insurance Companies Act enacted to enable thegovernment to collect statistical information about both life and

non-insurance business.

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1938: Earlier legislation consolidated and amended to by theInsurance Act with the objective of protecting the interest of the insuringpublic.

1956: 245 Indian and foreign insurers and provident societiesare taken over by the central government and nationalized. LIC found by

an Act of Parliament, viz. LIC Act 1956, with a capital contribution ofrupees Five Crores from the Government of India.

INSURANCE SECTOR REFORMSIn 1993, Malhotra Committee, headed by former Finance

Secretary and RBI Governor R.N. Malhotra, was formed to evaluate theIndian insurance industry and recommend its future direction. TheMalhotra committee setup with the objective of complimenting the

reforms initiated in the financial sector. The reforms where aimed at"creating a more efficient and competitive financial system suitable for

the requirements of the economy keeping in mind the structural changescurrently underway and recognizing that insurance is an important partof the overall financial system where it was necessary to address the

need for similar reforms.."

In 1994, the Committee submitted the report and some of the key

recommendations included:Structure

a. Government stake in the insurance companies to be brought

down to 50%.b. Government should take over the holdings of GIC and itssubsidiaries so that these subsidiaries can act as independent

corporations.

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c. All the insurance company should be given greater freedom tooperate.

CompetitionA Private companies with a minimum paid up capital of Rs. 1bnshould be allowed to enter the industry.

b. No company should deal both the life insurance and generalinsurance through a single entity.

c. Foreign companies may be allowed to enter the industry incollaboration with the domestic companies.c. Postal Life Insurance should be allowed to operate in the

rural market.d. Only one state level Life Insurance Company should beallowed to operated in each state.

Regulatory bodya. The Insurance Act should be changed.

b. An Insurance regulatory body should be setup.

Reforms in the insurance sector were initiated with the passage

of the IRDA Bill in the Parliament in December 1999. The IRDA since itsincorporation as statutory body in April 2000 has fastidiously stuck to itsschedule of framing regulations and registering the private sector

insurance companies.The other decisions taken simultaneously to provide the supporting

systems to the insurance sector and in particular the life insurance

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companies was the launch of the IRDA's online service for issue andrenewal of license to agents.

The approval of institutions for imparting training to agents has

also ensured that the insurance companies would have trained work forceof insurance agents in place to sell their products, which are expected tobe introduced by early next year.

Since being set up as an independent statutory body the IRDA hasput in a framework of globally compatible regulations. In the private

sector 12 life insurance and 6 general insurance companies have beenregistered.

Insurance is an Rs 400 billion business in India, and together with

banking services adds about 7% to India's GDP. Gross premium collectionis about 2% of GDP and has been growing by 15 to 20% per annum. India

also has the highest number of life insurance policies in force in theworld, and total investable funds with the LIC are almost 8% of GDP. Yetmore than three fourth of India's insurable population has no life

insurance or pension cover. Health insurance of any kind is negligibleand other forms of non life insurance are much below internationalstandards.

To tap the vast insurance potential and to mobilize long termsavings we need reforms which include revitalizing and restructuring of

the public sector companies, and opening up the sector to privateplayers. A statutory body needs to be made to regulate the market andto promote a Healthy market structure. Insurance Regulatory Authority

(IRA) is one such body, which checks on these tendencies. IRA rolecomprises of following three functions:

a. Protection of consumer's interest

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b. To ensure financial soundness and solvency of the insuranceindustry,

c. To ensure healthy growth of insurance market.

An insurance policy protects the buyer at some cost against thefinancial loss arising from a specified risk. Different situations anddifferent people require a different mix of risk-cost combinations.

Insurance companies provide these by offering schemes of differentkinds.

Unfortunately, the concept of insurance is not possible in ourcountry. As per the latest estimates, the total premium income generatedby life and general insurance in India is estimated at around 1.95% of GDP.

How ever India's share of world insurance market has shown an increaseof 10% from 0.31% in 1996-97 to 0.34% in 1997-98. India's market sharein the life insurance business showed a real growth of 11% there by

outperforming global average of 7.7%. Non life insurance business grewby 3.1% against global average of 0.20%. In India insurance pending per

capita was among the last in the world at $7.6 compared to $7 in theprevious year . Amongst the emerging economies, India is one of theleast insured countries but the potential for growth is phenomenal, as a

significant portion of its population is in services and the life expectancyalso increased over the years.

The nationalized insurance industry has not offered consumers a

variety of products. Opening of the sector to private firms will fostercompetition, innovation and variety of products. It would also generate

greater awareness on the need for buying insurance as a service and notmerely for tax exemption, which is currently done on the demand side, astrong correlation between demand for insurance and per capita income

level suggests that high economic growth can spur growth in demand forinsurance. Also there exists a strong correlation between insurance

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density and social indicators such as literacy. With social development,insurance demand will grow.

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LIFE INSURANCE MARKET IN INDIA

Life Insurance Statistics

Indian Population I bn

GDP as on 2000 ( Rs bn) 50000 bn

Gross Domestic Saving as a % of GDP 32%

NCAER estimate is Insurance

Population240 mn

Estimated market 2010 950 mn

India has an enormous middle class that can afford to buy life,health, and disability and pension plan products. The low level of

penetration of life insurance in India compared to other developednations can be judged by a comparison of per capita life premium.

Country Life Premium per capita US $ in

1994

Japan 3817

UK 1280

USA 964

India 4

Clearly, there is considerable scope to raise per capita life premiumin the market is effectively tapped. India has traditionally been a high

savings oriented country often described as being on par with thriftyJapan. Insurance sector in the US is a big in the size as the banking

industry there. This gives us an idea of how important is the sector is.Insurance sector canalizes the saving of the people to long-term

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investments. In India where infrastructure is said to be critical importance,this sector will bring the nations own money for the nation.

In the three years time we would expect 10% of the population to

be under some sort of an insurance cover. Thus assuming a premium ofRs 5000 on an average, 100 million Rs 5000 = Rs 500 billion.

This has made the sector the hottest one in India after IT. With

social security and security to public at large being the agenda foropening the sector, the role of the regulator becomes all the more

serious and one would be carefully watched at every step.The Insurance Regulator and Development bill is now an Act. With

this India is now the cynosure of all the global insurance players.

Numerous player, both Indian and foreign have announced their intentionto start their insurance shops in India. IRDA, under chairman ship of Mr.RANGACHARI, opened the window for applying license in India.

One of the main difference between the developed economies andthe emerging economies is that insurance products are bought in the

former while these are sold in later. Focus if insurance industry ischanging towards providing a mix of both protection/risk cover andlong-term investment opportunities.

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WHY LIFE INSURANCE?

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WHY LIFE INSURANCE?Life insurance cover is essential for it provides the following

benefits:

a. A lump sum payment to the nominees at the time of the death of thepolicyholder;

b. A regular payment to the nominees in the event of the death of the

policyholder;c. Tax benefits, as premium paid to reduce the liability of tax;

d. Relieves economic hardships in the family on the uneventful death ofthe sole income holder;

e. Inculcates the habit of saving.

NEED FOR INSURANCEThe need for life insurance comes from the need to safeguard our

family. If you care for your family's needs you will definitely considerinsurance.

Today insurance has become even more important due to the

disintegration of the prevalent joint family system, a system in which anumber of generations co-existed in harmony, a system in which a senseof financial security was always there as there were more earning

members.Times have changed and the nuclear family has emerged. Apart

from the other pitfalls of a nuclear family, a high sense of insecurity is

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observed in it today besides, the family has shrunk. Needs are increasingwith time and fulfillment of these need is a big question mark.

How will you be able to satisfy all those needs? Better lifestyle,

good education, and your long desired house. But again you just cannotfritter away all your earnings. You need to save a part of it for the futuretoo a wise decision. This is where insurance helps you.

Factors such as fewer numbers of earnings members, stress,pollution increased competition, higher ambitions etc are some of the

reasons why insurance has gained importance and where insurance playsa successful role.

An OverviewInsurance business is divided into four classes:

1) Life Insurance business2) Fire3) Marine

4) Miscellaneous Insurance.

Life Insurers transact life insurance business; the rest is transactedby General Insurers. No composites are permitted as per law. Thebusiness of Insurance essentially means defraying risks attached to any

activity over time (including life) and sharing the risks between variousentities, both persons and organizations. Insurance companies (ICs) areimportant players in financial

Markets as they collect and invest large amounts of premium.Insurance products are multi purpose and offer the following benefits:

1. Protection to the investors

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2. Accumulate savings3. Canalize savings into sectors needing huge long term

investments.

ICs receive, without much default, a steady cash stream ofpremium or contributions to pension plans. Various actuary studies andmodels enable them to predict, relatively accurately, their expected cash

outflows. Liabilities of ICs being long-term or contingent in nature,liquidity is excellent and their investments are also long-term in nature.

Since they offer more than the return on savings in the shape oflife-cover to the investors, the rate of return guaranteed in theirinsurance policies is relatively low. Consequently, the need to seek high

rates of returns on their investments is also low. The risk-return trade offis heavily tilted in favour of risk. As a combined result of all this,investments of insurance companies have been largely in bonds floated

by GOI, PSUs, state governments, local bodies, corporate bodies andmortgages of long term nature. The last place where Insurance

companies are expected to be over-active is bourses.

Lately ICs have ventured into pension schemes and mutual fundsalso. However, life insurance, constitutes the major share of insurancebusiness. Life Insurance depends upon the laws of mortality and there

lies the difference between life and general insurance businesses. Life hasto extinguish sooner or later and the claim in respect of life is certain. In

case of general insurance, however, there may never be a claim and theamount can never be ascertained in advance. Hence, Life Insuranceincludes, besides covering the risk of early happening of an event, an

element of savings also for the beneficiaries. Pension business alsoderives from life insurance in as much as the pension outgo again

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depends upon the laws of mortality. The forays made by insurancecompanies in this area are, therefore, natural corollary of their business.

TYPES OF INSURANCE POLICIES

Broadly there are 3 types of life insurance policies:

a. Term Insurance Plansb. Whole Life Insurancec. Endowment Insurance Plans

Term Insurance Plans:

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Pure life covers where you pay for risk cover and do not expectto receive anything else in return is now available in India. Opting forsuch policy will improve the efficiency of policy premium and enable you

for a bigger risk cover for the same cost. These are term insurance planswith maturity benefits; some term plans give your premium amountsback with interest. This is a marketing policy to suit the general

psychology and should normally involve higher premium cost.

Whole life insurance plans:

Whole life policies require you to pay premium through out yourlife and cover risk for whole life. The policies without profit are cheaper.

Endowment Insurance plans (with or without money back):Endowment policies are costliest and among this group, money

back policies involve paying highest premium. They give you maturity

benefits (normally sum assured) and additional profit by way of bonus,guaranteed additions; loyalty bonus etc. money policies also providepartial payment back to you at pre-set time periods.

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DEFINITION OF SOME TYPES OF POLICIES

1. ANNUITYAn annuity is a steady stream of equal payments that one receives

every year, or every month either for life or a fixed number of years, as

return after making an investment either as a lump sum or throughinstallments paid over a certain number of years, a specific sum. Uponthe death of the annuitant, or at the expiry of the period fixed for annuity

payments, the invested annuity fund is refunded usually along with asmall bonus. Annuities differ from all other forms of life insurance in one

fundamental way-they do not provide any insurance cover but offer aguaranteed income for a certain period or for life.

Typically annuities are bought to generate income during one's

retired life, which is why they are also called pension plans. An annuityprovides a solution to the biggest financial insecurity of old age retiresand the income from salary ceases.

2. ENDOWMENTEndowment policies cover the risk for a specified period at the end

of which the sum assured is paid back to the policyholder along with theentire bonus accumulated during the term of the policy. It is this featurethe payment of the endowment to the policyholder upon the completion

of the policy's term, which rightly accounts for the popularity ofendowment policies.

Typically, one's responsibility for the financial protection of thefamily reduces significantly once the children are grown up andindependently settled. The focus then shifts to managing a smaller family

perhaps only oneself and one's spouse after retirement/ this is where theendowment the original sum assured and the accumulated bonus

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received back comes handy. You can either use the endowment amountfor buying an annuity policy to generate a monthly pension for the wholelife, or put it in any other suitable investment of your choice. This is the

major benefit of an endowment policy over a whole life.

3. MONEY BACK

Unlike endowment plans, in money back policies the policyholdergets periodic "survivance payments" during the term of the policy and a

lump sum amount on surviving its term. In the event of the death duringthe term of the policy, the beneficiary gets full sum assured without anydeductions for the amount paid till date, and no further premiums are

required to be paid. These types of policies are very popular, since theycan be tailored to get large amount at a specific periods as per the needsof the policyholder.

FUTURE OF LIFE INSURANCE MARKETEven at modest estimates the size of life insurance market in India

could be around Rs. 40000 billion covering just 250 mn people…

LIC had enjoyed the monopoly of the big life insurance marketsince 1956. LIC was in for a surprise now an then when it found that,among air crash casualties or rail accident victims, only very few had life

insurance cover. In fact LIC did attempt to evaluate the size of the marketand look at broad homogeneous segments of the market based on thedata provided by Decennial Census Report relating to worker population

categorized into groups based on occupations. However LIC's majorsegmentations were the urban, rural, male, female, medical and

non-medical segments. The census of occupation data was used more asa framework for formulating the business plans. But, now with the entryof new player, very conscious of their market shares, the evaluation of the

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size of the market for life insurance assumes importance. The marketsize with its viable segments is to be identified and suitable products tomeet the needs of these segments developed.

Life insurance market covers the entire age range of the

population of 1000 mn in India. However taking into account their

economic conditions and their ability to pay the premium for some

sort life insurance cover or an annuity, the number of eligible

prospects for life insurance may be put around 30% of the total

population viz, 300 mn. LIC has on its books as on date 125 mn

policies. Research had shown, that each of these holders of the

policies have on an average, 1.6 (as many policy holders have more

than one policy). Thus the no of persons holding life insurance

policies with LIC good work out to 75 mn. This means only 25% of

the potential market has so far covered, leaving the remaining 75%- avast market of 225 mn persons- to be covered.

Market size ever expanding…

This market size is dynamic and ever expanding. The growth is dictatedby several factors such as:

1. An addition of around 20 mn of new population each year.2. More and more persons due to improvements in economicconditions move continuously into the zone of people with ability

to pay premium for a life insurance policy.3. Many among the existing policyholders are grossly under insured.They need and can afford additional insurance. These can be

made to join the market as potential prospects for additional

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insurance. These form the creamy layers market capable of beingvery good source of high volume of business.Taking all these factors into account it can be seen that the size of

the market for life insurance in India is enormous. Assuming the numberof persons who can be sold an insurance policy to be 250 mn, in terms ofnumber of policies, this works out to 400 mn policies. In financial terms,

taking the average size of the policy as Rs 1 lakh, the sum assured worksout to Rs 40000 bn or $ 800 bn. The first year's premium income can be

assume as Rs 6250 per annum per policy. The figures would keepincreasing year by year due to the improvement in the economicconditions leading to increase in the number of potential prospects .

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COMPANY PROFILE

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COMPANY PROFILE

ICICI GROUP

OVERVIEW OF ICICI BANKICICI Bank is India's second-largest bank with total assets of about

Rs.146,214 crore at December 31, 2004 and profit after tax of Rs. 1,391crore in the nine months ended December 31, 2004 (Rs. 1,637 crore in

fiscal 2004). ICICI Bank has a network of about 530 branches andextension counters and over 1,880 ATMs. ICICI Bank offers a wide rangeof banking products and financial services to corporate and retail

customers through a variety of delivery channels and through itsspecialized subsidiaries and affiliates in the areas of investment banking,life and non-life insurance, venture capital and asset management. ICICI

Bank set up its international banking group in fiscal 2002 to cater to thecross-border needs of clients and leverage on its domestic banking

strengths to offer products internationally. ICICI Bank currently hassubsidiaries in the United Kingdom and Canada, branches in Singaporeand Bahrain and representative offices in the United States, China, United

Arab Emirates, Bangladesh and South Africa

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ICICI Bank's equity shares are listed in India on the Stock Exchange,Mumbai and the National Stock Exchange of India Limited and itsAmerican Depositary Receipts (ADRs) are listed on the New York Stock

Exchange (NYSE).As required by the stock exchanges, ICICI Bank has formulated a

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics for its directors and employees.

At April 4, 2005, ICICI Bank, with free float market capitalization*of about Rs. 308.00 billion (US$ 7.00 billion) ranked third amongst all the

companies listed on the Indian stock exchanges.ICICI Bank was originally promoted in 1994 by ICICI Limited, an

Indian financial institution, and was its wholly-owned subsidiary. ICICI's

shareholding in ICICI Bank was reduced to 46% through a public offeringof shares in India in fiscal 1998, an equity offering in the form of ADRslisted on the NYSE in fiscal 2000, ICICI Bank's acquisition of Bank of

Madura Limited in an all-stock amalgamation in fiscal 2001, andsecondary market sales by ICICI to institutional investors in fiscal 2001

and fiscal 2002. ICICI was formed in 1955 at the initiative of the WorldBank, the Government of India and representatives of Indian industry. Theprincipal objective was to create a development financial institution for

providing medium-term and long-term project financing to Indianbusinesses. In the 1990s, ICICI transformed its business from adevelopment financial institution offering only project finance to a

diversified financial services group offering a wide variety of productsand services, both directly and through a number of subsidiaries and

affiliates like ICICI Bank. In 1999, ICICI become the first Indian companyand the first bank or financial institution from non-Japan Asia to be listedon the NY After consideration of various corporate structuring

alternatives in the context of the emerging competitive scenario in theIndian banking industry, and the move towards universal banking, the

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managements of ICICI and ICICI Bank formed the view that the merger ofICICI with ICICI Bank would be the optimal strategic alternative for bothentities, and would create the optimal legal structure for the ICICI group's

universal banking strategy. The merger would enhance value for ICICIshareholders through the merged entity's access to low-cost deposits,greater opportunities for earning fee-based income and the ability to

participate in the payments system and provide transaction-bankingservices. The merger would enhance value for ICICI Bank shareholders

through a large capital base and scale of operations, seamless access toICICI's strong corporate relationships built up over five decades, entryinto new business segments, higher market share in various business

segments, particularly fee-based services, and access to the vast talentpool of ICICI and its subsidiaries. In October 2001, the Boards ofDirectors of ICICI and ICICI Bank approved the merger of ICICI and two of

its wholly-owned retail finance subsidiaries, ICICI Personal FinancialServices Limited and ICICI Capital Services Limited, with ICICI Bank. The

merger was approved by shareholders of ICICI and ICICI Bank in January2002, by the High Court of Gujarat at Ahmedabad in March 2002, and bythe High Court of Judicature at Mumbai and the Reserve Bank of India in

April 2002.ICICI Bank is India's second largest bank wit an asset base of Rs.

106812 crores. ICICI bank provides a broad spectrum of financial services

to individuals and companies. This includes mortgages, car and personalloans, credit and debit cards and corporate and agricultural finance. The

bank services a growing customer base of more than 7 mn customeraccounts and five mn bondholders accounts through a multi channelaccess network. The includes about 450 branches and extension counters,

1675 ATMs, call centers and Internet banking. ICICI bank posted a netprofit of Rs 1206 Crore for the year ended March 31, 2003. ICICI bank is

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the only Indian company to be rated above the country rating by theinternational rating agency Moody's and only the Indian company to beawarded an investment grade international credit rating. The enjoys the

highest rating from all Indian leading rating agencies.

OVERVIEW OF ICICI VENTURE WING

ICICI Venture, incorporated in 1988, is the most experienced and largestprivate equity and venture fund management company in India with funds

currently under management in excess of Rs.20 billion (USD 400 million).

Over the last 15 years, ICICI Venture has been successful inidentifying trends well ahead of the curve; be it retail, media andentertainment, information technology, real estate or pharmaceuticals

and biotechnology. During this period ICICI Venture launched andmanaged 8 funds with a corpus exceeding Rs. 20billion (USD 400 million).

Each fund had a distinct investment theme and ICICI Venture today hassome of the best known and managed companies in India in its portfolio.

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Herein ICICI Venture has followed the philosophy of being a multi-sectorplayer ensuring an optimum balance of risk and return to its investors.

ICICI Venture has the distinction of managing a large number of

exits in the country. With over 100 liquidity events, the organization hasreaped rich experience and is well positioned to handle IPOs, strategicsale and/or mergers.

ICICI Venture has a wide network of third party investors, which

include domestic investors such as public sector banks, financialinstitutions and insurance companies. A significant portion of the fund's

corpus is also from international development financial institutions andinternational funds.

The company has over 25 qualified professionals with experience

across sectors and functions. The capabilities of the team, structure ofthe organization, emphasis on value creation and performance evaluationmatrices enable ICICI Venture to extract superior returns from its

investments.

ICICI Venture has now launched the India Advantage Fund, with acorpus of Rs.10 Billion (USD 225 million). The Fund will invest in

mid-sized growth companies for funding through expansions,acquisitions and restructuring. The Fund will also focus on mezzaninefunding and buyouts.ICICI PRUDENTIAL

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ICICI PRUDENTIAL Life Insurance was established in 2000 with acommitment to expand and reshape the life insurance industry in India.The company was amongst the first private sector insurance company to

begin operations after receiving approval from Insurance RegulatoryDevelopment Authority (IRDA), and in the same time since, has takenseveral steps towards realizing its goal.

THE COMPANYICICI PRUDENTIAL Life Insurance Company is a joint venture

between ICIC, a premier financial powerhouse and prudential plc; aleading international financial services group headquarters in the UnitedKingdom. ICICI Prudential was amongst the first private sector insurance

company to begin operations in December 2000 after receiving approvalfrom Insurance Regulatory Development Authority (IRDA).

ICICI and PRUDENTIAL came together in 1993 to form prudentialICICI Asset Management Company, which has today emerged as one ofthe leading mutual funds in India. The two companies bring together two

of the strongest financial service brands in Asia, known for theirprofessionalism, excellent quality of service and long term commitmentto customers. Riding on the success of this relationship, the two

companies joined hands once more in 2000, to form ICICI PRUDENTIALLIFE INSURANCE, with a commitment to provide leading -edge life

insurance solutions. ICICI Bank has 74% stake in the company, andPrudential plc has 26%.

To make ICICI Prudential the dominant Life and Pensions player

built on trust by world-class people and service.

This we hope to achieve by:

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Understanding the needs of customers and offering them superiorproducts and service

Leveraging technology to service customers quickly, efficiently and

conveniently

Developing and implementing superior risk management andinvestment strategies to offer sustainable and stable returns to ourpolicyholders

Providing an enabling environment to foster growth and learningfor our employees

And above all, building transparency in all our dealings.

The success of the company will be founded in its unflinching

commitment to 5 core values -- Integrity, Customer First, Boundaryless,Ownership and Passion. Each of the values describe what the company

stands for, the qualities of our people and the way we work

We do believe that we are on the threshold of an exciting newopportunity, where we can play a significant role in redefining and

reshaping the sector. Given the quality of our parentage and thecommitment of our team, there are no limits to our growth.

PRUDENTIAL PLCEstablished in 1848, Prudential Plc is a leading international

financial services company in UK with around US $ 250 bn funds undermanagement, and more than 16 million customers worldwide. Prudential

has brought to market an integrated range of financial services productsthat now includes:

life assurance

pensions

mutual funds

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banking

investment management

general insurance

In Asia Prudential is UK's largest life insurance company with a vastnetwork of 22 life and mutual fund operations in 12 countries: China,

Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malayasia, Philippines,Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam. Since 1923, prudential haschampioned customer centric products and services, supported by over

60000 staff and agents across the region.

DISTRIBUTION

ICICI PRUDENTIAL has one of the largest distribution networksamongst private life insurance in India, having commenced operations in

28 cities and towns in India. These are: Ahmedabad, Bangalore,Chandigarh, Chennai, Coimbatore, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur,Jalandhar, Kanpur, Cochin, Kolkotta, Kottaym, Lucknow, Ludhiana,

Madurai, Mangalore, Meerut, Nagpore, Nasik, Nodia, New Delhi, Pune,Thane, Vododara, Vashi.

The company has a largest number of banc assurance tie-ups,

having agreement with ICICI Bank, Citi Bank, Allahabad bank, Federalbank, South Indian Bank, Bank of India, Lord Krishna Bank, Punjab and

Maharashtra co-operative Bank, as well as some corporate agents. It hasalso tied-up with organizations like Dahn for distribution of SalaamZindagi, a policy for the socially and economically under privilege

sections of society.

SERVICE

ICICI PRUDENTIAL has recruited and trained over 18000 insuranceagents to interface with and advice customers, and has the highest

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number amongst private life insurers on the renowned Million DollarRound table (MDRT). Further, it leverages its state-of-the-art ITinfrastructure to provide superior quality of service to customers.

MILESTONESICICI PRUDENTIAL life insurance has crossed Rs 500 crore premium

income mark on March 31, 2003 having issued nearly 350000 policies for

a sum assured of Rs 8700 crore since its inception.The last fiscal had been significant growth for ICICI PRUDENTIAL

across all segments, with 246827 policies issued in the period April2002-March 2003, and Rs 348 Crore premium from new business in thesame period, a 200 per cent growth over the previous fiscal (April

2001-March 2002).The company had also met all its rural and social sector obligations,

said a press release. The growth been driven by pensions and unit linked

products. It has garnered 23% of pensions premium amongst all playersfor the period April 2002-February 2003 and 34% in Feb alone. Today the

company has established itself the number one private life insurer in thecountry.

HISTORY:

Incorporated on July 20, 2000 it is a 74:26, joint venture betweenICICI and Prudential plc of U.K. in November 2000, ICICI Prudential Life

Insurance was granted Certification of Registration for carrying out LifeInsurance business by the insurance Regulatory & Development Authorityof India. The company issued its first policy on December 12, 2000.

Year of review 2002-2003:ICICI Prudential has consolidated its position as the leading private

life insurer in India. ICICI Prudential's annualized premium grew more

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than three fold over the previous year. Continuing with its 'CustomerFirst' philosophy, ICICI Prudential has significantly expanded its presenceto 29 operational Branches (2001-2002: 16), with the Advisor Force

growing to over 18000. It has also strengthened its Alternate Distributionchannels, i.e. Bancassurance, Corporate Agents and Direct Marketing,making purchase of insurance more accessible. Bancassurance and Direct

Marketing channels have contributed to over 18% of the AnnualizedPremium.

ICICI Prudential was amongst the first to identify the emergingopportunity in the Pension segment and launched two linked pensionproducts Life time Pension and Life Link Pension, which have been well

received in the market.

MANAGEMENT

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company Limited Board comprises

reputed people from the finance industry both from India and abroad.

Mr. K.V. Kamath, ChaimanMr. Mark NorbonMrs. Lalita D. Gupte

Mrs. Kalpana MorpariaMrs. Chanda KochharMr. Kevin Holmgren

Mr. M.P.ModiMr. R Naryanan

Ms Shikha Sharma

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MANAGEMENT TEAM

Ms Shikha Sharma, Managing DirectorMr. Sandeep Batra, Chief Financial Officer & Company Secretary

Mr. Shubhro J. Mitra, Chief - Human ResourcesMr. Puneet Nanda, Head - Investments

Ms. Anita Pai, Chief - Operations & UnderwritingMr. V. Rajagopalan, Appointed ActuaryMr. Shridhar Sethuram, Chief - Sales & Marketing

Mr. Anil Tikoo, Head - Information Technology.

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VISION-MISSION

VISION

To make ICICI Prudential the dominant Life and Pensions playerbuilt on trust by world class people and service.

This we hope to achieve by:

Understanding the needs of customers and offering them superior

products and service

Leveraging technology to service customers quickly, efficiently andconveniently.

Developing and implementing superior risk management and

investment strategies to offer sustainable and stable returns to our

policyholders.

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Providing an enabling environment to foster growth and learning for

our employees.

And above all, building transparency in all our dealings.

The success of the company will be founded in its unflinchingcommitment to 5 core values:

Integrity

Customer First

Boundaryless

Ownership

Passion

Each of the values describe what the company stands for, thequalities of our people and the way we work. We do believe that we are

on the threshold of an existing new opportunity, where we can play asignificant role in redefining and reshaping the sector. Given the qualityof our parentage and the commitment of our team, there are no limits to

our growth.

VISION-MISSION

To be dominant life and pension players built on trust by

world class people and service.

INTEGRITY

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Stand up honestly and fearlessly for what they truly care

about.

Always act in a consistent and equitable manner.

Don’t compromise the future to pay for the present.

CUSTOMER FIRST

Own the customer: Deliver the promise.

Listen actively, stretch continually to add value to customers

and channel partners

BOUNDARYLESS

Never say "its not my job" go beyond the call of duty.

Experiment- believe anything is possible

Seek new ideas regardless of source

Share ideas and thoughts freely across levels and functions

OWNERSHIP

If it is to be, it is up to me

Bias for action

Own mistakes. Learn from failures

Confront hard facts, pursue goals relentlessly

Accountable for team performance

PASSION

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Winning instinct- transmit boundless energy and enthusiasm

to drive results

Stand up and make a difference - challenge status quo and

drive change

Demonstrate speed for competitive advantage

Passionately nurture and reward excellence

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PRODUCTS

PRODUCTS

Insurance Solutions For Individuals:

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ICICI PRUDENTIAL Life Insurance offers a range of innovative, customercentric products that meet the needs of customer at every life stage. Its 13products can be enhanced with up to four riders, to create a customizedsolution for each policyholder.

Saving SolutionsICICI PRUDENTIAL Save and Protect is a traditional endowment

savings plan that offers life protection along with adequate returns.ICICI PRUDENTIAl CashBank is an anticipated endowment policy

ideal for meeting milestone expenses like a child's marriage, expensesfor child's education or purchase of an asset.

Protection Solutions

ICICI PRUDENTIAL Life Guard is a protection plan, which offers lifecovers at very low cost. It is available in three options - level term

assurance, level assurance with return of premium and single premium.

Child SolutionsICICI PRUDENTIAL Smart Kid provides guaranteed educational

benefits to a child along with life insurance cover for the parent whopurchases the policy. The policy is designed to provide money at

important milestones in child's life.

Market Linked Solutions

ICICI PRUDENTIAL LifeLink is a single premium Market LinkedInsurance Plan, which combines life insurance cover with the opportunityto stay, invested in the stock market.

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ICICI PRUDENTIAL LifeTime offers customers the flexibility andcontrol to customize the policy to meet the changing needs at differentlife stages. It offers three investment options

Growth Plan

Income Plan

Balanced Plan

Retirement Solutions

ICICI PRUDENTIAL Forever Life is retirement product targeted at

individuals in their 30's

ICICI PRUDENTIAL LifeTime Pension is a regular premium market

linked pension plan.

ICICI PRUDENTIAL LifeLink Pension is a single premium market linked

pension plan.

Single Premium Solutions

ICICI PRUDENTIAL Assure Invest is a single premium savings product

with life cover for terms of 5, 7 or 10 years.

ICICI PRUDENTIAL Reassure is a retirement product for senior citizens

who are on the verge of retirement or have just retired.

ICICI PRUDENTIAL also launched "salaam zindagi", a social sectorgroup insurance policy targeted at the economically under privileged

sections of the society.

Group Insurance Solutions

ICICI PRUDENTIAL also offers Group Insurance Solutions forcompanies seeking to enhance benefits to their employees.

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ICICI PRUDENTIAL Group Gratuity Plan: ICICI Pru's Group GratuityPlan helps employers fund their statutory gratuity obligation in ascientific manner. The plan can also be customized to structure schemes

that can provide benefits beyond the statutory obligations.

ICICI PRUDENTIAL GROUP SUPERANNUATION PLAN:

ICICI Pru offers a flexible defined contribution superannuationscheme to provide a retirement kitty for each member of the group.Employees have the option of choosing from various annuity options or

opting for a partial commutation of the annuity at the time of retirement.

ICICI PRUDENTIAL GROUP TERM PLAN:

ICICI Pru's flexible group term solution helps to provide affordablecover to members of a group. The cover could be uniform or baseddesignation or rank or a multiple of salary. The benefit the policy is paid

to the beneficiary nominated by the member on his/her death.

FLEXIBLE RIDER OPTIONS;ICICI PRUDENTIAL life offers for flexible riders, which can be added

to the basic policy at a marginal cost, depending on the specific needs ofthe customer.

Accident and disability benefit: if the death occurs as the result of an

accident during the term of the policy the beneficiary receives anadditional amount equal to the sum assured under the policy. If the

death occurs while

Level Term Cover: This rider provides the option to increase the risk

cover. It may be increased for an additional amount upto a maximumof the existing basics sum assured on your policy

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Critical Illness Benefit: protects the insured against the financial loss in

the event of 9 specified critical illnesses. Benefits are payable to theinsured for medical expenses prior to death.

Major Surgical Assistance Benefit: provides financial support in the

event of medical emergencies, ensuring that benefits are payable to

the life assured for medical expenses incurred for surgical procedures.Cover is offered against 43 different surgical procedures.

AWARENESS…According to Saugata Gupta Chief - Marketing of ICICI Pru life's

communication strategies have been very successful in building the

brand and driving awareness of the company and the category.ORG-Marg's Brand track survey undertaken last year indicate that though

awareness of LIC stands at 100%, ICICI Pru life stands not far behind inthe second place at 70%. Further the awareness scores for ICICI Pru lifedouble between February 2001 and September 2001.

ORG Marg research also showed that the communication not onlycreated saliency and awareness, but also succeeded in influencing thebuying decision. ICICI Pru life emerged far ahead of other private players

as far as share of wallet went, with 52% of the respondents saying thatthey intended to buy policy from ICICI Pru life.

ADVERTISING EFFECTIVENESS…ICICI Pru is a case study in the role of marketing in reshaping an

industry. It highlights how an industry where "sell" and "push" were often

used words and consumer was nothing more than a file number, haschanged to one where "consumer preference" and "consumer pull" rule

the roost. Here's a look at how ICICI Pru changed the rules of the gamesand emerged a leader in the process.

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BACKGROUNDWhen the insurance sector was liberalized in 2000, the private

players contend with a few issues. Ratio of premium to GDP was low:

1.3% of GDP was invested in insurance. Insurance penetration was at anabysmal 22% of insurable population. Besides the above the private

players were faced with attitudinal barriers, perception of insurance has atax saving tool and lack of a consumer centric approach in service andproduct offerings.

THE MARKETING CHALLENGES FACING ICICI Pru:The challenge therefore was to change established category drivers

(death payment and Tax saving) and to get the consumer to evaluatedinsurance on a more emotional plat form rather than a mere rationaldecision. (tax savings).

THE CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVES:

Reposition the category in the consumer's mind. Influence the

consumer to view it as a protection instrument and not a tax savingproduct alone.

In the process, create differentiation for the ICICI Pru brand as a

provider of social security and family protection.

Achieve leadership status in saliency, image and product parameters.

Build credibility and trust.

CREATIVE STRATEGY:The essence of the creative strategy is to get the consumer to re

look at insurance as a means to lead a worry free life and not as anecessary evil. To this effect the core brand insight highlighted was "As

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head of the family, it is my responsibility to take care of my loved onesand protect them from the uncertainties of life", summed up in theadvertising idea: 'we cover you at every step in life'

MARKET STRATEGY:In a market likely to be cluttered, we used multiple touch points to

reach the consumer. The role for each medium was envisaged. The TVmedium was used to enhance the emotional link with the brand. Strategicuse of 15 sec. Edits facilitated high frequency levels. In print, the cost per

response rather than the cost per thousand as responses were measuredin form of call-ins. Radio FM, Cinema, Internet were used to create amedia multiplier effect.

THE RESULTS OF COMMUNICATION EFFORTS:Being number one in awareness and saliency. Awareness: ICICI Pru

showed a significant jump in awareness between Feb and Sept 2001.Image: highest score among all insurance players including LIC, on image

parameters like safety, modernity, service, good returnsEtc. intention to invest: next only to LIC as per research

SUM UP

In just over a year ICICI PRUDENTIAL has emerged as India's # 1private life insurance company with almost 50% of the private players has

sold highest number of policies both in volume and value.

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FINDINGS &ANALYSIS

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ANALYSIS OF THE QUESTIONNARIE OF THE EMPLOYEES

1. Do you have various other interests (social, religious), which remainneglected because you do not get time to attend to these

Never 8%

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Occasionally 4%

Sometimes 52%

Frequently 36%

Very 0%

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2. Do you feel stagnant in your role

Never 4%

Occasionally 12%

Sometimes 32%

Frequently 52%

Very 0%

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3. Are you able to satisfy the conflicting demands of the various peerlevel people

Never 12%

Occasionally 24%

Sometimes 24%

Frequently 36%

Very 4%

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4. Would you like to take more responsibility than at present

Never 8%

Occasionally 24%

Sometimes 16%

Frequently 36%

Very 16%

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5. The amount of work you have to do interferes with the quality youwant to maintain

Never 4%

Occasionally 4%

Sometimes 48%

Frequently 40%

Very 4%

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6. Is there not enough interaction between your role and other roles

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Never 8%

Occasionally 8%

Sometimes 32%

Frequently 52%

Very 0%

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7. Do you wish to acquire more skills to handle the responsibilities ofyour role

Never 4%

Occasionally 8%

Sometimes 20%

Frequently 32%

Very 36%

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8. If you had full freedom to define your role you would be doingsome things different from what you do now

Never 0%

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Occasionally 16%

Sometimes 44%

Frequently 20%

Very 20%

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9. Several aspects of your role are vague and unclear

Never 40%

Occasionally 16%

Sometimes 12%

Frequently 32%

Very 0%

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10. Do you wish to have more financial resources for the workassigned to you

Never 4%

Occasionally 4%

Sometimes 4%

Frequently 28%

Very 60%

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ANALYSIS

SUMMARY OF ANALYSIS

The analysis of the project:

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Most of the employees feel that their other social aspectsremain neglected due to workload, which is incompatiblewith organizational role.

Most of the employees feel that their roles are stagnant

Some of the employees are not able to satisfy the conflictingdemands of the various peer level people.

Most of the employees would like to take more responsibility thanthe present

Most of the employees feel that their work interferes with thequality they want to maintain in their job

Most of the employees feel that there is not enough interactionbetween their role and other roles because each one of them isworking independently.

Most of the employees wish to acquire more skills to handle theresponsibilities of their role

Some of the employees feel that if they are given full freedom todefine their role they will do some things different from what theydo now.

Most of the employees feel that they should be provided with morefinancial resources for the work assigned.

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SUGGESTIONS

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SUMMARY OF SUGGESTIONS

When an individual occupies more than 1 role there arebound to be conflicts between the different roles that heoccupies. Such inter-role conflicts are quite frequent in amodern society, where an individual is increasinglyoccupying multiple roles in various organizations andgroups. So the organization should throw a light on theiremployees social aspects. The organization shouldimprove the facilities for leisure and recreation; fact ofpeople doing things for enjoyment, when they are notworking. The organization should arrange programs forentertainment. Also a place for relaxation. Create a placefor indoor games like carom, table tennis etc

As the individual grows older, he also grows in the rolethat he occupies in an organization of the individual thatthe role changes, and with this change in role, the needfor taking up a new role becomes crucial. In order to be

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promoted the nit managers have to reach certain targetsset to them. Reaching these targets sometimes becomesvery difficult. This is bound to produce stress. Thus theorganization should have a systematic strategy ofmanpower development.

When there are conflicting expectations or demands bydifferent role senders, the role occupant may experiencethis stress. But most of the employees are able to satisfythe demands of the various peer level people.But some employees are not able to satisfy theexpectations from the boss, subordinates, peers orclients. The organization should provide the employeeswith full information about the products so that they areable to satisfy the peers or clients.

A role occupant may feel that the functions, which hewould like to perform, are being performed by someother role. The stress felt may be called role erosion.Some important role expectations of the employee areshared by other roles within the role set. So theorganization should give a chance to employees who arewilling to take more responsibilities to enhance their

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performance. And thus provide training, guidance andassistance to the employees

When the role occupant feels that there are too manyexpectations from the significant others in his role set,he experiences role overload. Some employees feel thatthey cannot possibly finish the work within the time limit.The employees should be given sufficient time tocomplete the work since it is an insurance industry,getting the policies is quite difficult

When a role occupant feels that he is not prepared toundertake the role effectively, he may experience thisstress. Almost all the employees wish to acquire moreskills because the organization is launching newproducts in the market for the clients and so the

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employees should posses enough knowledge, skills,training about the product because without enoughpreparation or orientation they are likely to experiencethis type of stressSo the organization should prepare the employees for theassigned new role.

This stress arises out of the conflict between theself-concept and the expectations from the role, asperceived by the role occupant. Such conflicts arecommon, although they may not be so severe. Someemployees are willing to do things different from whatthey do now. So the organization should support suchemployees so that they can generate good business,which in turn will benefit the employees and also theorganization.

Resource Inadequacy stress is experienced when theresources required by the role occupant for performingthe role effectively are not available, such as information,people, materials, finance or other facilities. The unitmanagers have to recruit 25 advisors to generatebusiness from them. For this purpose they have to go for

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fieldwork and hunt for them. So in this process they haveto spend the money in looking out for the efficientpeople. So the company so provides financial resourcesand transportation facilities to the employees. This willreduce the stress of the employees and thus they will beable to perform they role effectively with the availabilityof adequate resources.

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LIMITATIONS

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

Since private life insurance is the new theory in the Indian market,an in depth study was not possible.

Some of the Unit Managers were engaged in their work and werenot able to give their opinion about their working process.

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Time Constraint

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CONCLUSION

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CONCLUSION

To conclude, I would like to say that working with ICICIPrudential for 2 months was a great experience. And I feel proud be anadvisor of an esteemed company, as ICICI Prudential is known for itsleadership in the private life insurance sector.

The company should plan ahead and practice good timemanagement. It should also help the employees to develop a soundphilosophy of life and maintain a positive attitude.

Stress Management by organization should be designed to reduce theharmful effects of stress in a way

Help employees modify their perception and understanding of workstressHelp employees cope more effectively with the consequences ofstress.Help the employees to identify and then modify or eliminate workstressors

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ANNEXURE

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“A study on Stress Management at ICICI PRUDENTIAL”

The information given by you will be used only for the academic purpose,will be of immense value and would assist me in this endeavor. Thuskindly co-operate

Name of employee :

Age :

Gender : Male Female

Marital Status : Married Unmarried

Occupation :

1.Do you have various other interests (social, religious), which remainneglected because you do not get time to attend to these

Never(0)

Occasionally(1)

Sometimes(2)

Frequently(3)

VeryFrequently(4)

2. Do you feel stagnant in your role

Never(0)

Occasionally(1)

Sometimes(2)

Frequently(3)

VeryFrequently(4)

3. Are you able to satisfy the conflicting demands of the various peer level people

Never(0)

Occasionally(1)

Sometimes(2)

Frequently(3)

VeryFrequently

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(4)

4. Would you like to take more responsibility than at present

Never(0)

Occasionally(1)

Sometimes(2)

Frequently(3)

VeryFrequently(4)

5. The amount of work you have to do interferes with the quality youwant to maintain

Never(0)

Occasionally(1)

Sometimes(2)

Frequently(3)

VeryFrequently(4)

6. Is there not enough interaction between your role and other roles

Never(0)

Occasionally(1)

Sometimes(2)

Frequently(3)

VeryFrequently(4)

7. Do you wish to acquire more skills to handle the responsibilities of your role

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Never(0)

Occasionally(1)

Sometimes(2)

Frequently(3)

VeryFrequently(4)

8. If you had full freedom to define your role you would be doing somethings different from what you do now

Never(0)

Occasionally(1)

Sometimes(2)

Frequently(3)

VeryFrequently(4)

9. Several aspects of your role are vague and unclear

Never(0)

Occasionally(1)

Sometimes(2)

Frequently(3)

VeryFrequently(4)

10. Do you wish to have more financial resources for the work assigned to you

Never(0)

Occasionally(1)

Sometimes(2)

Frequently(3)

VeryFrequently(4)

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

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1. Organizational behavior : John W. NewstromKeith Davis

2. Managing Human Resources : Wayne. F. Cascio

3. Making Organizational Roles Effective : Udai Pareek

4. Web-Site : iciciprulife.com , google.com

5. Journals : Company Journals & Magazine

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STRESSMANAGEMENT

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What is Stress

Stress is the general term applied to the pressures people feel inlife. The presence of stress at work is almost inevitable in many jobs.However, individual differences account for a wide range of reactions to

stress, a task viewed as challenging by one person may produce highlevels of anxiety in another. When pressure begins to build up, it cancause adverse strain on person’s emotions, thought processes, and

physical condition. When stress becomes excessive, employees developvarious symptoms of stress that can harm their job performance and

health, and even threaten their ability to cope with the environment.Stress also leads to physical disorders, because the internal body systemchanges to try to cope with stress. It is important that stress, both on and

off the job, be kept at a level low enough for most people to toleratewithout developing either emotional or physical disorders.

Stress can be either temporary or long-term, either mild or severe.

The effects on an employee depend mostly on how long its causes

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continue, how powerful they are, and how strong the employee’s recoverypowers are. If stress is temporary and mild, most people can handle it orat least recover from its effects rather quickly.

Stress is simply the body's non-specific response to any demandmade on it. Stress is not by definition synonymous with nervous tensionor anxiety. Stress provides the means to express talents and energies and

pursue happiness; it can also cause exhaustion and illness, eitherphysical or psychological; heart attacks and accidents. The important

thing to remember about stress is that certain forms are normal andessential.

As the body responds to various forms of physical or psychological

stress, certain predictable changes occur. These include increased heartrate, blood pressure (systolic and diastolic), and secretions of stimulatoryhormones. These responses to stress will occur whether the stress is

positive or negative in nature. In lay terms, it is known as the "fight orflight" mechanism. Continual exposure lowers the body's ability to cope

with additional forms of psychological or physiological stress. The resultsof continuing stress may cause disruption in one or more of the followingareas of health: physical, emotional, spiritual and/or social.

Stress is a process that builds. It's more effective to intervene earlyin the process rather than later. Try to become aware of the signs thatsuggest the process has begun

Stress is the way your body responds to the demands placed on it.Positive or "good" stress can help you concentrate and focus. In some

instances, it actually increases your ability to survive. Your body'sresponse to stress can be hormonal, such as an adrenaline rush. It canalso be a rise in blood pressure, blood sugar, or body temperature. These

physical reactions can often make you more alert; give you more acuteeyesight or greater strength. That's how your body gives you what you

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need to act. Ideally, your body automatically relaxes after you havehandled the situation. Your physical responses normalize and you areable to return to a state of rest. This process allows you to gather

physical and emotional energy which helps you deal with changes andchallenges in your daily life.

Your physical reaction to stress is the same for positive and

negative stress; the difference is that with negative stress your bodynever returns to the "pre-stress" relaxed state. You remain tense or

anxious, which drains you of emotional and physical energy.The common expression for stress is ‘tension’ One is said to be tense,when there is some anxiety, some fear of whether the desirable things

may happen, whether something may go wrong, etc. It is a state ofdiscomfort felt in the mind and experienced by the body. When there istension, the body may become weak.

In management literature, ‘Stress’ is defined as a response of thehuman body to a felt need. When one is hungry and there is an urge to

eat food, the body is in a state of stress, which disappears when the needis fulfilled. This definition suggests that stress is a desirable condition,making one move towards fulfillment of needs. This is partly true. Stress

occurs also when the need arises out of fear and the urge is to run andescape. This may sometimes, be not possible. In that case, there is nomovement, the need remains unfulfilled and the stress condition does

not disappear.Stress is identified as of two kinds. One is called EuStress, which is

the condition in which there is drive and effort to fulfill the needs.Motivation is high. Achievement is seen as possible. The situation ischallenging. Stress disappears when the need is fulfilled

There is success. The other is DiStress, which is the condition when thereis a sense of helplessness in being able to achieve. The feeling is of

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frustration. There is no success. May be, there is no attempt even,because success is seen as impossible. The stress condition remains.

If one were to chart the level of stress and the level of effort put in

to work, it would be an inverted parabola. Eustress would be in theascending left side of the parabola. The challenge would be maximum atthe hump. The latter half on the right side represents Distress. The

problems of stress are caused by Distress, not by Eustress.Eustress is necessary for the person to be fully alert, for all his

faculties to come into play to face the situation. For example, agoalkeeper in football or hockey, will be totally relaxed when the ball is atthe other end of the ground, but becomes extremely alert as the ball

moved towards him. His body stiffens, the eyes begin to bulge, focussingon the ball and the movement of the players, picking up the slightest ofmovements and every nerve and muscle ready to respond to those

movements. That is Eustress, without which the goalkeeper cannot be athis best. So also, Eustress is experienced by the batsman in cricket when

the bowler is on the run, and by the tennis player when the ball is aboutto be served at the other end.

Stress is a part of living. Too little stress and we become apathetic

and ineffective. Too much stress and we live with anxiety, fatigue, andover time, increase our risk for accidental injury and serious illness.Maintaining an optimal level of stress is an ongoing challenge of everyday

life.The stress response of the body is meant to protect and support us.

To maintain stability or homeostasis, the body is constantly adjusting toits surroundings. When a physical or mental event threatens thisequilibrium, we react to it. This process is often referred to as the "fight

or flight response." We prepare for physical action in order to confront orflee a threat. Our ancestors responded to stressful ordeals in this fashion.

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Millions of years later, when you face a situation that you perceive aschallenging, your body automatically goes into overdrive, engaging thestress response. Immediately, you release the same hormones that

enabled cave people to move and think faster, hit harder, see better, hearmore acutely, and jump higher than they could only seconds earlier. Liketheirs, your heartbeat speeds up; your blood pressure increases; your

breathing quickens. Most modern stresses, however, do not call for eitherfight or flight. Our experience of stress is generally related to how we

respond to an event, not to the event itself.

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Stress has existed throughout the evolution. About 4 billion years

ago, violent collision of rock and ice along with dust and gas, led to theformation of a new planet. The planet survive more than 100 millionyears of meltdown to give birth to microscopic life . These first organisms

endured the harshest of conditions—lack of oxygen, exposure to sun'sUV rays and other inhospitable elements, to hang on to their dear life.

Roughly 300,000 years ago, the Neanderthals learnt to use fire in acontrolled way, to survive the Glacial Age. And around 30,000 years,Homo sapiens with their dominant gene constitutions and better coping

skills, won the game of survival. Each step of evolution a test of survival,and survival, a matter of coping with the stress of changing conditions.

Millions of trials and errors in the life process have brought men to

this stage. Coping with events to survive has led men to inventextraordinary technologies, beginning with a piece of sharpened stone.

From the viewpoint of microevolution, stress induction oftranspositions is a powerful factor, generating new genetic variations inpopulations under stressful environmental conditions. Passing through a

'bottleneck', a population can rapidly and significantly alters itspopulation norm and become the founder of new, evolved forms.

Gene transposition through Transposable Elements (TE)—'jumping

genes', is a major source of genetic change, including the creation ofnovel genes, the alteration of gene expression in development, and the

genesis of major genomic rearrangements. In a research on 'thesignificance of responses of the genome to challenges,' the Nobel Prizewinning scientist Barbara McClintock, characterized these genetic

phenomena as 'genomic shock’. This occurs due to recombination eventsbetween TE insertions (high and low insertion polymorphism) and host

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genome. But, as a rule TEs remain immobilized until some stress factor(temperature, irradiation, DNA damage, the introduction of foreignchromatin, viruses, etc.) activates their elements.

The moral remains that we can work a stress condition to ouradvantage or protect ourselves from its untoward follow-throughssubject to how we handle a stress situation. The choice is between

becoming a slave to the stressful situations of life or using them to ouradvantage

"Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to

remain always cool and unruffled under all circumstances”In a challenging situation the brain prepares the body for defensive

action—the fight or flight response by releasing stress hormones, namely,cortisone and adrenaline. These hormones raise the blood pressure and thebody prepares to react to the situation. With a concrete defensive action (fightresponse) the stress hormones in the blood get used up, entailing reducedstress effects and symptoms of anxiety.

When we fail to counter a stress situation (flight response) the

hormones and chemicals remain unreleased in the blood stream for along period of time. It results in stress related physical symptoms such as

tense muscles, unfocused anxiety, dizziness and rapid heartbeats. We allencounter various stressors (causes of stress) in everyday life, which canaccumulate, if not released. Subsequently, it compels the mind and body to bein an almost constant alarm-state in preparation to fight or flee. This state ofaccumulated stress can increase the risk of both acute and chronicpsychosomatic illnesses and weaken the immune system of the human body.

Stress can cause headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, eating

disorder, allergies, insomnia, backaches, frequent cold and fatigue todiseases such as hypertension, asthma, diabetes, heart ailments and even

cancer. In fact, Sanjay Chugh, a leading Indian psychologist, says that 70

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per cent to 90 per cent of adults visit primary care physicians forstress-related problems. Scary enough.

Just about everybody—men, women, children and even fetuses—sufferfrom stress. Relationship demands, chronic health problems, pressure atworkplaces, traffic snarls, meeting deadlines, growing-up tensions or a suddenbearish trend in the bourse can trigger stress conditions. People react to it intheir own ways. In some people, stress-induced adverse feelings and anxietiestend to persist and intensify. Learning to understand and manage stress can

prevent the counter effects of stress.Methods of coping with stress are aplenty. The most significant or

sensible way out is a change in lifestyle. Relaxation techniques such asmeditation, physical exercises, listening to soothing music, deepbreathing, various natural and alternative methods, personal growth

techniques, visualization and massage are some of the most effective ofthe known non-invasive stress busters

The words 'positive' and 'stress' may not often go together. But,there are innumerable instances of athletes rising to the challenge of

stress and achieving the unachievable, scientists stressing themselves outover a point to bring into light the most unthinkable secrets of thephenomenal world, and likewise a painter, a composer or a writer

producing the best paintings, the most lilting of tunes or the mostappealing piece of writing by pushing themselves to the limit.

Psychologists second the opinion that some 'stress' situations canactually boost our inner potential and can be creatively helpful. SudhaChandran, an Indian danseus, lost both of her legs in an accident. But,

the physical and social inadequacies gave her more impetus to carry onwith her dance performances with the help of prosthetic legs rather thandeter her spirits.

http://www.lifepositive.com/Spirit/meditation/meditation.html

http://www.lifepositive.com/Body/new-age-therapies/music-therapy/music-therapy.html

http://www.lifepositive.com/Body/naturopathy/naturopathy/naturopathy.html

http://www.lifepositive.com/Mind/personal-growth/creative-visualization/creative-visualization.html

http://www.lifepositive.com/Body/body-holistic/bodywork/bodywork.html

http://www.lifepositive.com/Mind/personal-growth/personal-growth/personal-growth.html

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Experts tell us that stress, in moderate doses, are necessary in ourlife. Stress responses are one of our body's best defense systems againstouter and inner dangers. In a risky situation (in case of accidents or a

sudden attack on life et al), body releases stress hormones that instantlymake us more alert and our senses become more focused. The body isalso prepared to act with increased strength and speed in a pressure

situation. It is supposed to keep us sharp and ready for action.Research suggests that stress can actually increase our

performance. Instead of wilting under stress, one can use it as animpetus to achieve success. Stress can stimulate one's faculties to delvedeep into and discover one's true potential. Under stress the brain is

emotionally and biochemically stimulated to sharpen its performanceStress is, perhaps, necessary to occasionally clear cobwebs from

our thinking. If approached positively, stress can help us evolve as a

person by letting go of unwanted thoughts and principle in our life. Veryoften, at various crossroads of life, stress may remind you of the

transitory nature of your experiences, and may prod you to look for thetrue happiness of life.

Organizational and individual programs to help managers andemployees cope up with stress have become increasingly popular, as the

toll taken by stress has become more widely known. Methods areavailable to individuals and organizations for managing stress andreducing its harmful effects. Stress management refers to any program

that reduces stress be helping people understand the stress response,

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recognize stressors, and use coping techniques to minimize the negativeimpact of stress.

INDIVIDUAL METHODSStress management by individuals includes activities and behaviors

designed to eliminate or control the sources of stress and make the

individual more resistant to or better able to cope with stress. The firststep in individual stress management involves recognizing the stressors

that are affecting the person’s life. Next, the individual needs to decidewhat to do about them.Practical suggestions for individual stress management include the

following

Plan ahead and practice good time management

Get plenty of exercise

Develop a sound philosophy of life and maintain a positive attitude

Concentrate on balancing your work and personal life.

Learn a relaxation technique.

ORGANIZATIONAL METHODSStress management by organizations is designed to reduce the

harmful effects of stress in three ways

Identify and then modify or eliminate work stressors

Help employees modify their perception and understanding of work

stress

Help employees cope more effectively with the consequences ofstress.

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APPROACHES TO STRESS MANAGEMENTBoth organization and individuals are highly concerned about

stress and its effects. In attempting to manage stress, they have threebroad options

Prevent or control it,

Escape from it,

Learn to adapt it.

Organizations can seek to improve managerial communicationskills, empower employees through participation, redesign jobs to bemore fulfilling, or implement organization development programs. These

steps are aimed at reducing or eliminating stressors for employees. Someemployees can escape stress by requesting job transfers, finding

alternative employment, taking early retirement or acquiringassertiveness skills allow them to confront the stressor.

Some people experience stress because they are detached from the

world around them, they lack warm interpersonal relationships.Individuals with a driving ambition and a strong need for independencemay fail to develop close attachments to friends and colleagues. To

achieve their success, they often sacrifice fulfillment to their social needs.Their lack of social attachments may result in anger, anxiety, and

loneliness- all producing stress in their lives.

STRESS AND JOB PERFORMANCEStress can be either helpful or harmful to job performance,

depending on its level. When there is no stress, job challenges are absent

and performance tends to be low. As stress increases, performance tends toincrease, because stress helps a person call up resources to meet job requirements.

Constructive stress is a healthy stimulus that encourages employees to respond to

challenges. Eventually, stress reaches a plateau that corresponds approximately with a

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person’s top day to day performance capability. At this point additional stress tends to

produce no more improvement.

Finally, if stress becomes too great, it turns into a destructive force.

Performance begins to decline at some point because excess stressinterferes with performance. An employee loses the ability to cope: she orhe becomes unable to make decisions and exhibits erratic behavior. If

stress increases to a breaking point, performance becomes zero: theemployee has a breakdown, becomes too ill to work, is fired, quits, orrefuses to come to work to face the stress.

STRESS MANAGEMENTIs the need of the hour. However hard we try to go beyond a stress

situation, life seems to find new ways of stressing us out and plaguing uswith anxiety attacks. Moreover, be it our anxiety, mind-body exhaustionor our erring attitudes, we tend to overlook causes of stress and the

conditions triggered by those. In such unsettling moments we oftenforget that stressors, if not escapable, are fairly manageable andtreatable.

Stress, either quick or constant, can induce risky body-minddisorders. Immediate disorders such as dizzy spells, anxiety attacks,

tension, sleeplessness, nervousness and muscle cramps can all result inchronic health problems. They may also affect our immune,cardiovascular and nervous systems and lead individuals to habitual

addictions, which are inter-linked with stress.Like "stress reactions", "relaxation responses" and stress

management techniques are some of the body's important built-in

response systems. As a relaxation response the body tries to get backbalance in its homeostasis. Some hormones released during the 'fight or

flight' situation prompt the body to replace the lost carbohydrates andfats, and restore the energy level. The knotted nerves, tightened musclesand an exhausted mind crave for looseners. Unfortunately, today, we

http://www.lifepositive.com/Mind/psychology/phobia/anxiety.asp

http://www.lifepositive.com/Mind/psychology/stress/causes-of-stress.asp

http://www.lifepositive.com/Mind/psychology/stress/stress-and-health.asp

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don't get relaxing and soothing situations without asking. To be relaxedwe have to strive to create such situations

Stress is physicalWhen the goalkeeper or the batsman or the tennis player

experiences Eustress, there are changes in the physical system. The

muscles become tense. The eyes become sharper. When one is undersevere distress, as in the case of Arjuna in Kurukshetra, the person

sweats, the body becomes weak and loses strength.Study of stress shows that the response is the same whether it is

Eustress or Distress, except that the degree varies. The response is called

the Fight or Flight response. When one senses danger, one is tempted toeither stand and fight to ward off the danger or run away – Flight. Thebody conditions itself for either event, automatically, causing changes in

the normal secretions of hormones and other chemicals, withdrawingfrom activities that are less important and diverting to activities that

should have higher priority in that situation.. Food is less important. Themuscles need more energy and therefore the blood carries substances tothe muscles, diverting them from the stomach. More oxygen than normal

is required. Therefore, the breathing becomes faster, the heart-beat rateincreases, the blood vessels dilate to carry more oxygen. The liverreleases more stored energy. The eyes and ears become more acutely

sensitive to the sensations from outside.The body is programmed to reverse these changes, and revert to

normal, when the threat disappears. If however, one remains in acontinuous state of stress, without becoming normal, the changedconditions tend to remain permanent, like a rubber band loses its

elasticity when held extended for a long time. These abnormal conditionsmanifest as diseases and one suffers from high blood pressure, cardiac

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disorders, peptic ulcers, insomnia, constipation, fatigue, colitis, kidneyproblems, etc. Behaviourally, they lead to absenteeism, alcoholism, use ofdrugs, marital disharmony and so on, which are both organisationally and

socially, undesirableStress is psychological

Stress is experienced when one perceives a threat and the fight or

flight response is called for. This perception is an interpretation that onemakes within oneself, of the external factors. When one sees a dog on the

street baring its teeth, one may either get frightened or remain calm.Both fright and calmness are psychological reactions. The choice is one’sown and is not dictated by the dog. This choice is made, largely

unconsciously, on the basis of one’s beliefs about dogs in general, whatone has heard about rabies being caused by dog bites, what one seesabout the characteristics of the dog in question at that time, one’s

predilections towards animals, and so on.When one becomes anxious in a situation, the situation does not

create any anxiety. What one thinks about the situation creates theanxiety. If one is confident of tackling the situation, there is no anxiety.Therefore, the level of stress is caused by one’s own perception of one’s

capability to cope with the situation. Thus, stress is a psychologicalresponse, depending upon one’s level of fear, confidence, anxiety, anger,hurt, etc. The physical response is an automatic sequel to one’s

psychological condition. The physical changes depend on the extent offear or confidence etc. Therefore, the management of stress essentially is

in the control one has on one’s emotions.Stressors

Stress is not caused by any external factor. It is created by oneself,

by the way one thinks about the external factors. Yet there are situations,in which most people tend to get stressed. These are called stressors. In

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personal life, death of a close relative is a stressor. An important test inlife, like a final examination; a transfer of residence; separation due tomarriage, divorce or change of job; difficult financial demands; serious

illness; likelihood of unpleasant secrets becoming revealed; are commonstressors. Having to welcome and entertain important visitors or havingto deliver a speech for the first time, also cause considerable stress. At

work, the following may be stressors.,

Needs not met. These could be needs for power, for fulfillment, for

use of knowledge

Not being included by others as part of a group you want to belongto

Not being recognized or valued for one’s competence

Feeling that one is not adequate for the task, particularly when

compared to some one else

Being denied what is due (rewards, work)

Monotony or boredom

Not having enough freedom at work, being closely supervised

Inequity in rewards, assignments

Very little opportunity for growth

Too much of work, overload

Too little work, boredom

Inadequate resources to do the assigned work, creatingpossibilities of failures

Conflict in values at work, being required to do what one does notlike to do

Too many and conflicting demands at work from the role set

Responsibilities not clear, ambiguity on what is expected

Un understanding, unpredictable, temperamental boss

New unfamiliar work

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Being blamed

On close analysis, it will be found that all of the above situationsare, in some way or other, causing perceptions of possible failure

at work or non-recognition and consequent loss of self-esteem.

It is important to recognize whether you are under stress or out of

it. Many times, even if we are under the influence of a stressful conditionand our body reacts to it internally as well as externally, we fail to realizethat we are reacting under stress. This also happens when the causes of

stress are there long enough for us to get habituated to them. The bodyconstantly tries to tell us through symptoms such as rapid palpitation,

dizzy spells, tight muscles or various body aches that something is wrong.It is important to remain attentive to such symptoms and to learn to copewith the situations.

We cope better with stressful situation, when we encounter themvoluntarily. In cases of a relocation, promotion or layoff, adventuroussports or having a baby, we tend to respond positively under stress. But,

when we are compelled into such situations against our will or knowledge,more often than not, we wilt at the face of unknown and imagined threats.

For instance, stress may mount when one is coerced into undertakingsome work against one's will.

Levels of Stress: There are four basic levels of stress symptoms.1. The first is the normal initial response and is characterized byincreased heart beat rates, increased blood pressure, dilation of

pupils, sweat in palms and reduced activity in the stomach.2. At the second level, there is more irritability, stuttering and

stammering, difficulty in concentrating, restlessness, lack of

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appetite and tendency to increased smoking or drinking for thoseso habituated.

3. At the third level, there would be more headaches, stomachaches,

diarrhea, sweating, insomnia, depression etc.4. The fourth level would be characterized by ulcers, stroke,alcoholism, drug addiction, psychosis etc.

CAUSES OF STRESS

An important first step in prevention is to examine the causes ofstress. Conditions that tend to cause stress are called stressors. Althougheven a single stress may cause major stress, usually stressors combine to

pressure an employee in a variety of ways until stress develops. Almostany job condition can cause stress, depending on an employee’s reactionto it. For example, one employee will accept a new work procedure and

feel little or no stress, while another experiences overwhelming pressurefrom the same task.

Part of the difference lies in each employee’s experiences, generaloutlooks, and expectations, frequently cause stress for employees.

Work overload and time deadlines put employees under pressure

can lead to stress. Often these pressures arise from management, and apoor quality of management can cause stress. Examples of stressproducing factors related to management are an autocratic supervisor, an

insecure job climate, lack of control over one’s own job, and inadequateauthority to match one’s responsibilities. Many things can trigger the

stress reaction, including danger, threat, news, illness, as well assignificant changes in one's self-identification as a Type A or as a Type Bpersonality

TYPICAL CAUSES OF STRESS ON THE JOB

http://www.bambooweb.com/articles/p/e/Personality.html

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Work Overload

Time pressures

Poor quality of supervision

Insecure job climate

Lack of personal control

Inadequate authority to match responsibilities

Role conflict and ambiguity

Differences between company and employee values

Change of any type, especially when it is major or unusual

Frustration

Technology with training or supportSigns of Stress

Although perception is a part of stress, stress is real. There aremore than a few ways a person can react to stress. The reactions fall intothree categories: thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Stressful thoughts

involve what’s going on in your head when you are stressed out. Some ofthe thoughts a person might have include the following:

Low self-esteem

Fear of failure

Inability to concentrate

Embarrassing easily

Worrying about the future

Preoccupation with thoughts/tasks

Forgetfulness

Emotional stress can cause a person to have feelings of anxiousness, fear,anger or even the “blues.”

Stress sometimes brings out unwanted behaviors too. Thefollowing is a list of stressful behaviors:

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/students.cfm

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Acting on a whim

Being accident prone

Crying for no apparent reason

Grinding your teeth

Laughing in a high pitch and nervous tone of voice

Increasing smoking

Increasing use of drugs and alcohol

Stuttering and other speech difficulties

In addition to stressful feelings, behaviors and thoughts,physiology, which refers to the way that the human body reacts

chemically and physically to stress, can also cause problems. Stress canmanifest itself mentally and physically. Following are some of theindicators of a stressed-out person:

Perspiration /sweaty hand.

Increased heart beat

Trembling

Dryness of throat and mouth

Tiring easily

Urinating frequently

Sleeping problems

Diarrhea / indigestion / vomiting

Butterflies in stomach

Headaches

Premenstrual tension

Pain in the neck and or lower back.

Loss of appetite or overeating

Susceptibility to illness

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WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF STRESS?

Physical symptomsPhysical symptoms can be caused by other illnesses, so it is

important to have a medical doctor treat conditions such as ulcers,

compressed disks, or other physical disorders. Remember, however, thatthe body and mind are not separate entities. The physical problems

outlined below may result from or be exacerbated by stress:

sleep disturbances

back, shoulder or neck pain

tension or migraine headaches

irregular heartbeat, palpitations

asthma or shortness of breath

chest pain

Emotional symptomsLike physical signs, emotional symptoms such as anxiety or

depression can mask conditions other than stress. It is important to find

out whether they are stress-related or not. In either case, the followingemotional symptoms are uncomfortable and can affect your performance

at work or play, your physical health, or your relationships with others:

nervousness, anxiety

depression, moodiness

“butterflies”

irritability, frustration

memory problems

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lack of concentration

Relational symptoms

The antisocial behavior displayed in stressful situations can causethe rapid deterioration of relationships with family, friends, co-workers,or even strangers. A person under stress may manifest signs such as:

increased arguments

isolation from social activities

conflict with co-workers or employers

frequent job changes

road rage

domestic or workplace violence

overreactions

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STRESS AT WORKPLACE

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STRESS AT WORKPLACE

It is not possible to remove the pressures at work but one can

definitely reduce pressure, which in turn takes form of stress and furthershapes itself as ailments by enabling people

Stress in the workplace is becoming a major concern for employers,

managers and government agencies, owing to the Occupational Healthand Safety legislations requiring employers to practice ‘duty of care’ byproviding employees with safe working environments which also cover

the psychological wellbeing of their staff.One of the costs, for employers, of work place stress is

absenteeism, with the A.C.T.U. reporting that owing to stress, nearly fiftyper cent of employees surveyed had taken time off work. Other negativeeffects were reductions in productivity, reduced profits, accidents, high

rates of sickness, increased workers’ compensation claims and high staffturnover, requiring recruiting and training of replacement staff.

While a certain amount of stress is needed to motivate individuals

into action, prolonged stress can have a huge impact on overall health.More than two-thirds of visits to doctors’ surgeries are for stress-related

illnesses. Stress has been linked to headaches, backaches, insomnia,anger, cramps, elevated blood pressure, chronic fatigue syndrome,fibromyalgia and lowered resistance to infection. For women, stress is a

key factor in hormonal imbalances resulting in menstrual irregularities,

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PMS, fibroids, endometriosis and fertility problems. Stress can also be afactor in the development of almost all disease states including cancerand heart disease.

Each profession has its own unique factors that may cause stress;below are some causes of stress that cross many professions:· Increased workload

· Organizational changes· Lack of recognition

· High demands· Lack of support· Personal and family issues.

· Poor work organization· Lack of training· Long or difficult hours

· inadequate staff numbers and resources· Poor management communication

· Lack of control or inputWorkplace stress is on the rise and its costing corporate America a

fortune. Some estimate that 80% of health care costs are stress related,

and these expenses go right to the bottom line.According to CNN-Money.com, Americans spent more than $17

billion for anti-depressants and anti- anxiety drugs in 2002, up 10% from

the year before and nearly 30% over a two-year period.The Institute for Management Excellence reports that American

industry spends more than $26 billion each year for medical bills anddisability payments with another $10 billion for executive's lost workdays,hospitalization, and early death.

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In addition to these staggering figures, stress takes its toll through theadded costs of quality control, legal challenges, lost opportunities, poorperformance, bad attitudes, and training.

We cannot do much about the skyrocketing costs of medical careand prescription drugs, but we can take immediate action to control thetop ten causes of stress as identified by The Global Business and

Economic Roundtable on Addiction and Mental Health.

The Countdown is:10. "Workload" – Employees report that they are often stressed when theyhave too little or too much to do. Managers need to divide responsibilities

and help employees prioritize work that must be done. Make sure youunderstand the impact before shifting responsibilities. Take into account

the cost of stress before you increase anyone’s workload or hire morepeople.9. "Random interruptions" - Telephones, pagers, walk-in visits, and

spontaneous demands from supervisors all contribute to increased stress.Time management, delegation of responsibilities, and clarification ofexpectations can reduce these stressors.

8. "Pervasive uncertainty" – Stress levels increase rapidly when people areconfronted by new requirements and procedures. Keeping people

informed controls stress and increases productivity. Put details in amemo so they can review the facts following your explanations.7. "Mistrust and unfairness" - These situations keep everyone on edge,

create bad attitudes, and lower productivity. It is important to keep anopen line of communication to avoid misunderstanding and know what

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people are thinking about your decisions. Managers must consistentlybuild trust and give equal treatment - just do the right thing.6. "Unclear policies and no sense of direction" - Lack of focus causes

uncertainty and undermines confidence in management. You need morethan a well-written policy manual. Enforcement of policies and clearcommunications are essential.

To make sure everyone gets the message, you can repeat yourexplanation in a variety of ways – repetition and feedback are important.

Reinforce policies through memos, articles, bulletin board postings,personal meetings, and small group discussions.5. "Career and job ambiguity" - If people are uncertain about their jobs

and careers, there is a feeling of helplessness and of being out of control.In addition to the trusted job descriptions and annual personnel reviews,people need to understand a broad range of issues that affect the

company.News of mergers, consolidations, plant closings, and restructuring

contribute to a feeling of helplessness. Management must keep peopleinformed about situations that will affect their jobs, or the rumor mill willadd to an already stressful situation.

4. "No feedback - good or bad” – People want to know whether they aremeeting expectations. Consistent, written and verbal, personalizedfeedback is required. Some people need more attention than others, but

everyone’s performance is enhanced if leaders frequently affirmindividual efforts.

3. "No appreciation” - Failure to show appreciation generates stress thatendangers productivity throughout the company. There are many ways todemonstrate appreciation, but the most effective is a sincere comment

about how much the person means to you and the company.

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2. "Lack of communications" - Poor communication leads to decreasedperformance and increased stress. Management memos andannouncements work well for distributing information, but two-way

conversation improves communication and solicits ideas and suggestionswhile reducing stress and complaints.1. “Lack of control” – Workplace stress is at its greatest when employees

have no say regarding things that affect them. You can decreasesensitivity to all the other stressors and give a sense of being in control

by involving employees in operating and administrative decisions areacting on their input. Frontline employees know what they are talkingabout. Listening to what they have to say reduces stress and increases

productivity.

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MANAGING STRESS

Stress cannot be avoided. It should not be avoided. Without stress,

there will be no attempt to try the difficult. One will give up much tooeasily. One will not succeed in doing even what one is easily capable of,because even the normal faculties will not come into play - like the

goalkeeper, if he remained relaxed even at the last minute.There are two aspects to take care of in managing stress. One is

that one should not develop stress to the point that one becomes

non-functional like Arjuna laying down his arms. The second is to try toget back to normal as quickly as one can and not continue to be in a state

of stress for too long.The former is achieved essentially by an attitude that is developed

by rational thoughts. The first is to realize that one’s perceptions often

distort the reality. The situation may not be as bad as it may seem to be.The second is to understand that a failure is not an unmitigated disaster.It is not possible to succeed all the time. It is not even necessary to

succeed all the time. One failed effort does not mean that the person isno good. Nobody has succeeded without many losses. Even World

champions sometimes lose a first round match to an unseeded player.Marconi and Thomas Alva Edison succeeded in their inventions aftermany attempts that failed. They saw failures as opportunities to learn.

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The third is to recognize that worry and anxiety will not modify thesituation, but will only disturb one’s peace of mind and health. If onewatches passengers at airports and railway stations, one will find how

some of them remain quite relaxed and even sleeping while others arecontinuously making enquiries from officials about extent and causes ofdelays. Such constant enquiries only irritate, but do not expedite

solutions. They add to stress of self and of others.Another very valid concept is what is postulate in the Gita. You can

only do. The results are not in your hands. The results, called failures orsuccesses are in the future. One does not have control on the future. Onecan acquire some control on the present and that is what one does. Also

the success or failure does not depend only on what one does. Manyother factors impinge. Therefore, the Gita proposes, do your duty and donot worry about what the consequences or fruits may be. Only thoughts

about the possible desirability of the fruits cause anxieties. MotherTeresa had expressed the same thought, when she is reported to have

said to the industrialist Mr J.R.D.Tata, " Why are you worrying aboutpoverty? Your work is to open more industries, give more employment topeople and leave the rest to God.".

A situation that causes stress is a problem situation. The solutionneeds generating managerial options. People lose tempers and abuseofficials as a result of stress. None of these solve the problems that may

exist. Problem solving needs calm, clear, analytical thinking. Clarity ofthought and analysis improves with Eustress and deteriorates with

DiStress. Managerial alternatives and options will be seen when one ‘isconcerned’ with the matter, not when one is ‘anxious’.

An awareness that nothing will be perfect and that anything that

can go wrong will go wrong, helps to cope with the stress situations.People who demand of themselves Excellence always, are likely to

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develop high stress. Perfection is not necessary. It may also not bepossible. Satisfying is often the only available option.

At work one must learn to delegate. Many people believe that they

alone can do certain tasks. The golden rule is to make this statementinvalid as quickly as possible. Stress is only one reason for doing so. Thepositive outcomes are many. As one rises in the hierarchy, it would be

impossible to do all the jobs that have to be done. One needs to pass onto others. Time spent in making this happen, is good investment for the

future.Getting back to normal is relatively easy. One only has to get one’s

mind into a condition in which there is no stress. Any pleasant activity

will make this possible. Hobbies help. The practice of Yoga is excellent torelax one’s body and mind. Stress is relieved when one can share one’sthoughts and feelings with someone else. Good tunes and ragas, like in

bhajans and ghazals, have the capacity to soothe one’s nerves, even ifone is not listening.

Outlines the individual and organizational impacts of stress Identifiesvarious interventions designed to reduce stress Covers employeerehabilitation following long-term absence Explains employers' legal

duties and obligations Features six detailed company case studies settingout a variety of approaches to stress management Stress is the largestsingle cause of long-term absence among white-collar workers in the UK.

It is not surprising, therefore, that considerable efforts are now beingmade to reduce its impact in the workplace. Employers also have a legal

duty to conduct risk assessments and take action whenever employeesare known to be experiencing stress.

In many organizations, however, stress still remains a difficult issue

to address. It can be hard to define and there continues to be scepticismin certain quarters over the authenticity of some employees' claims of

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feeling 'stressed' at work. Securing top management commitment bypresenting a sound business case is therefore vital to delivering thenecessary organizational infrastructure for a successful stress

management strategy.Identifying the main sources of stress remains the most effective

first step in stress management. This provides a foundation for targeting

interventions at both an individual and organizational level, such asoffering training and support for managers and employees or giving

access to sources of help such as employee assistance programmes. It isinevitable, however, that some employees will develop stress-relatedillnesses resulting in long-term absence from work. At this stage, having

a well-structured rehabilitation process in place is essential.A company practice section details how six organizations are

tackling the issue of stress management. The Study also reports on the

Health and Safety Executive's work to develop a set of 'good practice'stress management standards, while a separate four-page 'Stress and the

law' section summarizes employers' legal obligations and duties.As the Manager: As the boss, one can ensure that subordinates are

not put to undue stress and also that they are helped to get out of stress

situations as quickly as possible. The steps are

Recognize the stress levels

Show concern

Encourage talking

Listen

Empathise

Explain and show how it can be done

Reassure

Provide support

Discuss and involve them in decisions

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Show respect to the individuals

Avoid insult, denunciation, abuse, reprimand, particularly in public

Avoid manipulation, coercion, blaming

Avoid pressurizing too much

Provide social support

All the above, render support and help to reduce anxieties. It is notsuggested that the demands on people should be lowered. People likechallenges. They must be given challenging assignments. That is the only

way to growth. But if there is a sensing of extreme stress, it should bemanaged through reassurance, not by withdrawing the assignment.

Personality TypesStudies on Stress have identified that Type A personalities tend to

get stressed much faster than Type B personalities. The characteristics ofa Type A personality are an intense urge to achieve, impatience andrestlessness, always on the move, hurrying, doing more than one task at

a time. He keeps a heavy and tight schedule and dislikes waiting andrelaxing. The Type B is exactly the opposite, takes things easy, finds time

to relax, is not impatient and is not obsessed with winning all the time.Instruments have been developed to identify the Type of any

person. But no one is fully Type A or fully Type B. It is possible to move

from one type to another. It is not as if Type B is the more desirablepersonality, because stress is not the only factor relevant foreffectiveness. Achievement is equally important for effectiveness and

there the Type A has a better chance to win.

Time ManagementInadequacy of resource is a common stressor. One needs resources

to do a job and if the resource is not available, there could be stress. One

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important resource is Time. Many people find that they do not haveenough time to do a job. Deadlines seem to be difficult to meet. This istrue of individuals as well as of collectives. We read of committees asking

for extension of time to do their jobs; of projects not being completed ontime. Unfortunately, time is such a resource that nobody can give more ortake away. Everybody has a definite amount of time available. Studies

show that people are poor planners in terms of usage of time as aresource. Time is wasted in a number of ways. Therefore, if one learns

ways to manage one’s time better, there could be a better control onstress.Time is wasted because of

Non-productive work like searching for files, papers and references.

Available information being inadequate or incomplete

Meetings and lengthy reports

Indecisiveness, unable to make up one’s mind

Correcting errors in instructions, assignments

Clarifying goals and roles

Too much routine, paperwork

Lack of prioritization

nce the cause is known, the remedy should be obvious. The bestway to know the cause is to keep a detailed log of how one is using his

time over a period of a week or so. Some of the remedies will be in thenature of readjustments of personal habits, like planning on priorities,

avoiding drift in meetings, not insisting on perfectionism etc. Someremedies will be in the nature of reorganizing work systems in the officeso that search and corrections are made minimal. Some will be in the

nature of training others for better work practices, so that supervisioncan be less.

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Indecisiveness has been mentioned as a time waster. This mayhappen because of lack of clarity on objectives or because of fatigue andthe mind not being able to concentrate. Both are avoidable.

Indecisiveness can also happen because of lack of knowledge on thesubject. The time one takes to study a matter depends on one’s skill.Experienced people run through a 100 page file, without reading every

page, but picking up the important and relevant matter, while anothermay have to spend double the time reading every paper to determine its

relevance. Thus, one way to manage time better is to improve one’s skillsat workRecognizing Stress: The following are indicators that you may be

experiencing

General irritability

Elevated heart rate

Increased blood pressure

Increased accident proneness

Floating anxiety-anxious feeling for no specific reason

Trembling

Insomnia

Headaches

Indigestion

Pain in neck and/or lower back

Changes in appetite or sleep pattern

Finally, if stress has become too much to handle, seek help. Don'tlet the fear of what others might say or think stop you from doing what's

best for you. If you think you might be depressed, discuss your concernwith your family doctor, minister, or a mental health professional, whocan listen and help you. If you’re afraid to go alone, take a trusted friend

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with you. You are not alone. Parents and friends may understand morethan you think they might, and they certainly want you to feel better

Treatment and medications are available that can provide relief

sometimes in a few weeks. The most common forms of treatment fordepression are psychotherapy, antidepressants or a combination of both.Your health provider will help determine the best treatment for you.

When is stress a warning signal?When it is part of a natural reaction to challenge or danger, the

body’s response is called positive stress. However, when you feel out ofcontrol or under intense pressure, you may experience the physical,emotional, or relational symptoms brought on by negative stress. These

are the signs of stress that you need to recognize and control.It is important to remain attentive to negative stress symptoms and

to learn to identify the situations that evoke them. When these symptomspersist, you are at risk for serious health problems because stress canexhaust your immune system. Recent research demonstrates that 90% of

illness is stress-related.It is not possible to live without any stress. We can, however, learn

ways to handle the stress of daily life efficiently, and to manage our

reactions to stress and minimize its negative impact.Why should you learn to cope with stress?

In the best of all possible worlds, when a stressful situation ends,hormonal signals switch off the stress response, and the body returns tonormal. Unfortunately, stress doesn't always let up. If you tend to harbor

anxiety, and you worry about daily events and relationships, your stressresponse never shuts down. Studies show that long-term activation of

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stress symptoms can have a hazardous, even lethal effect on your body.When the signs of stress persist, you are at risk for many health problemsthat people often do not realize are, in large part, attributable to stress,

such as:

Obesity

Heart disease

Cancer

Depression

Anorexia nervosa or malnutrition

Obsessive-compulsive or anxiety disorder

Substance abuse

How To Manage Stress Better?Identifying unrelieved stress and being aware of its effect on our

lives is not sufficient for reducing its harmful effects. Just as there are

many sources of stress, there are many possibilities for its management.However, all require work toward change: changing the source of stressand/or changing your reaction to it. How do you proceed?

Become aware of your stressors and your emotional and physicalreactions.

Notice your distress. Don't ignore it. Don't gloss over yourproblems.

Determine what events distress you. What are you telling yourselfabout meaning of these events?

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Determine how your body responds to the stress. Do you become

nervous or physically upset? If so, in what specific ways?

Recognize what you can change.

Can you change your stressors by avoiding or eliminating them

completely?

Can you reduce their intensity (manage them over a period of timeinstead of on a daily or weekly basis)?

Can you shorten your exposure to stress (take a break, leave the

physical premises)?

Can you devote the time and energy necessary to making a change(goal setting, time management techniques, and delayedgratification strategies may be helpful here)?

Reduce the intensity of your emotional reactions to stress.

The stress reaction is triggered by your perception of

danger...physical danger and/or emotional danger. Are you viewingyour stressors in exaggerated terms and/or taking a difficult

situation and making it a disaster?

Are you expecting to please everyone?

Are you overreacting and viewing things as absolutely critical and

urgent? Do you feel you must always prevail in every situation?

Work at adopting more moderate views; try to see the stress as

something you can cope with rather than something thatoverpowers you.

Try to temper your excess emotions. Put the situation in

perspective. Do not labor on the negative aspects and the "whatif's."

Learn to moderate your physical reactions to stress.

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Slow, deep breathing will bring your heart rate and respiration back

to normal.

Relaxation techniques can reduce muscle tension. Electronic

biofeedback can help you gain voluntary control over such thingsas muscle tension, heart reate, and blood pressure.

Medications, when prescribed by a physician, can help in the short

term in moderating your physical reactions. However, they aloneare not the answer. Learning to moderate these reactions on your

own is a preferable long-term solution.

Build your physical reserves.

Exercise for cardiovascular fitness three to four times a week(moderate, prolonged rhythmic exercise is best, such as walking,

swimming, cycling, or jogging).Eat well-balanced, nutritious meals.

Maintain your ideal weight.

Avoid nicotine, excessive caffeine, and other stimulants.

Mix leisure with work. Take breaks and get away when you can.

Get enough sleep. Be as consistent with your sleep schedule as

possible.

Maintain your emotional reserves.

Develop some mutually supportive friendships/relationships.

Pursue realistic goals, which are meaningful to you, rather than

goals others have for you hat you do not share.

Expect some frustrations, failures, and sorrows. Always be kind and

gentle with yourself -- be a friend to yourself.

SEVEN TIPS TO REDUCE STRESS AT WORK

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Here are some tips that will help you achieve success over stress.You can reduce stress on the job.1. When making phone calls, as you pick up the phone and dial, take

three slow deep breaths. Concentrate on pushing tension out of yourlungs as you exhale.2. Sit down to eat. (Do not eat while standing or driving in your car)

Focus on relaxing and enjoyable talk at lunchtime. If co-workers onlyinsist on rehashing all of the negative stuff at work, insist on eating

alone.3. When you drive your car to your business or your job, listen tosomething enjoyable or motivating.

4. On the way home from your business or your job, listen toenjoyable or relaxing music.5. Take a few minutes each day to thank God, in whatever form is

consistent with your belief system, for the glorious sunrise. At sunset,do the same. If you are at work while the sun is setting, take a quick

break to watch the sun set and again, thank your concept of "God"for the glorious sunset.6. Take a few minutes at work to think of people who may have

harmed you in any way. Breathe deeply, relax, and push out all ofthe tension surrounding those thoughts. Fill your hear and yourlungs with forgiveness for the person or persons who have harmed you.

Wish for them the same success and happiness you wish for yourself.7. Live today as if it where your last day. Make your last day, your best

day

Stress Management Strategies

The following are tips on how to maintain a healthier lifestyle and toprepare you to cope with the stress of everyday living.

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Structure each day to include a minimum of 20 minutes of aerobic

exercise.

Eat well-balanced meals, more whole grains, nuts, fruits and

vegetables. Substitute fruits for desserts.

Avoid caffeine. The substance may aggravate anxiety, insomnia,

nervousness and trembling.

Reduce refined sugars. Excess sugars cause frequent fluctuation inblood glucose levels, adding stress to the body's physiological

functioning.

Reduce alcohol and drugs. These substances may add to headaches

and swelling, decrease coping mechanisms and add to depression.

Get a least 7 hours of sleep nightly.

Spend time each day with at least one relaxation technique -

imagery, daydreaming, prayer, yoga or meditation.

Take a warm bath or shower.

Go for a walk.

Seven Successful Stress Management TechniquesManage your stress and be a healthier, happier and more pleasant

person to be around. Let’s cut to the chase…

1. Make stress your friendAcknowledge that stress is good and make stress your friend!

Based on the body’s natural “fight or flight” response, that burst ofenergy will enhance your performance at the right moment. I’ve yetto see a top sportsman totally relaxed before a big competition. Use

stress wisely to push yourself that little bit harder when it countsmost.2. Stress is contagious

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Stressed people sneeze stress germs indiscriminately and beforeyou know it, you are infected with stress germs too!

Protect yourself from stress germs by recognizing stress in others

and limiting your contact with them. Or if you’ve got the inclination,play stress doctor and teach them how to better manage their stress.3. Copy good stress managers

When people around are losing their head, which keeps calm? Whatare they doing differently? What is their attitude? What language do

they use? Are they trained and experienced? Figure it out from afaror sit them down for a chat. Learn from the best stress managers andcopy what they do.

4. Use heavy breathing.You can trick your body into relaxing by using heavy breathing.

Breathe in slowly for a count of 7 then breathe out for a count of 11.

Repeat the 7-11 breathing until your heart rate slows down, yoursweaty palms dry off and things start to feel more normal.

5. Stop stress thought trainsIt is possible to tangle yourself up in a stress knot all by yourself.

“If this happens, then that might happen and then we’re all up the

creek!” Most of these things never happen, so why waste all that energyworrying needlessly. Give stress thought-trains the red light andstop them in their tracks. Okay so it might go wrong – how likely is

that, and what can you do to prevent it?6. Know your stress hot spots and trigger points

Presentations, interviews, meetings, giving difficult feedback, tightdeadlines… My heart rate is cranking up just writing these down!

Make your own list of stress trigger points or hot spots. Be specific.

Is it only presentations to a certain audience that get you worked up?

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Does one project cause more stress than another? Did you drink toomuch coffee?

Knowing what causes you stress is powerful information, as you

can take action to make it less stressful. Do you need to learn somenew skills? Do you need extra resources? Do you need to switch tode-caffeinated coffee?

7. Eat, drink, sleep and be merry!Lack of sleep, poor diet and no exercise wreaks havoc on our body

and mind. Kind of obvious, but worth mentioning as it’s often ignoredas a stress management technique. Listen to your mother and don’tburn the candle at both ends!

Modern life is full of stress. As organizations become morecomplex the potential for, and the amount of stress increases.

Urbanization, industrialization and the increase in scale of operations inthe society are some of the reasons for rising stress. Stress is aninevitable consequence of socio-economic complexity, and to some

extent, its stimulant as well. People experience stress, as they can nolonger have a complete control over what happens in their lives.

They’re being no escape from stress in modern life; we need to findways of using stress productively, and reducing dysfunctional stress.Even as stress is inevitable in today’s complex life, so is it necessary for

human progress. Stress is produced by several happenings in life. Ingeneral, every transition or change produces stress. People in newer

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states experience a higher stress of transition. Young people between 20and 30 years of age have been found to report twice as much stress when,compared to older people. Stress disorders have been found more

frequently amongst the urban population than the rural, and are greaterin the higher educational categories.

Modern jobs are fraught with danger of stress. The motivational

strategies like job enrichment, incentives, rewards, awards, promotionsmay obtain superior performance from employee in short term but these

are also potential sources of job stress, if not managed timely andappropriately. Sometimes they may have fatal consequences that makethese motivational strategies not only irrelevant but also counter

productive. Therefore, HR managers must conduct and coordinate thestudies intended to understand the sources, factors and implications ofstress in organization. Broadly there are two kinds of stress:

1. Environment induced stress like economic recession, uncertainty in

business environment, competition, changing technology, andchanging products.

2. Organization induced stress like complexity of management, which

demands high level of consistent performance, increasingpressure/targets, unstructured job profiles, enhancedresponsibilities, employment insecurity, sharp reward and

punishment measures.

Studies prove that stress is becoming a major area of concern tomanagements particularly to HR managers. Unfortunately, avoiding orremoving stress altogether from workplace is an impossible task.

However, HR managers must make efforts to identify sources of stress,particularly organization induced in order to minimize them. If left

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unassessed or unattained, it may become a formidable block in realizingthe potential of employees apart from resulting in dysfunctional effects tothe organization.

METHODLOGYDefining the problem and Objective: The objective of the study is

to use indicators to reduce stress among the employees for the purposeslike understand the avoidable and unavoidable stress on the jobs faced

by the employees and to draw plans to weed out the avoidable stress andto minimize the organization induced stresses.

Developing the research plan: Once the problem is identified, the

next step is to prepare a plan for getting the information needed for theresearch. The present study will adopt the exploratory approach whereinthere is a need to gather large amount of information before making a

conclusion. If required, the descriptive and casual approaches may alsobe used.

Collection and Sources of data: Market research requires two kindsof data, i.e., Primary data and secondary data. Being a firm in the Bankingindustry, data gathering will involve usage of both primary and secondary

data though there will be an extensive usage of primary data.Well-structured questionnaires will be prepared for both existing as wellas non-existing clients. There will be personal interview, surveys. The

questionnaires will contain close-ended questions. Secondary data will becollected from various journals, books and web sites

Analyze the collected information: This involves converting rawdata into useful information. It involves tabulation of data, usingstatistical measures on them for developing frequency distributions and

calculating the averages and dispersions.

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Report research findings: This phase will mark the culmination ofthe marketing research effort. The report with the research findings is aformal written document. The research findings and personal experience

will be used to propose recommendations

Sampling Size: 100 employees

Sampling Units: The respondents, i.e., the Unit Mangers of ICICIPrudential.

Random sampling is carried outThis particular project has been developed by using

Organizational Role Stress Scale (ORS Scale):

It can be used to measure the role stresses. The ORS scalecontains five items for each role stress; it uses a 5-point scale (0 to 4)

ROLE SPACE CONFLICTSSelf-Role Distance: this stress arises out of the conflict between the

self-concept and the expectations from the role, as perceived by the roleoccupant. Such conflicts are common, although they may not be sosevere.

Role Stagnation: As the individual grows older, he also grows in the rolethat he occupies in an organization of the individual that the role changes,and with this change in role, the need for taking up a new role becomes

crucial. This is bound to produce some stress.Inter-Role Distance: When an individual occupies more than 1 role

there are bound to be conflicts between the different roles that heoccupies. Such inter-role conflicts are quite frequent in a modern society,where an individual is increasingly occupying multiple roles in various

organizations and groups

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ROLE SET CONFLICTSRole Ambiguity: When the individual is not clear about the variousexpectations that people have from his role, the conflict that he faces is

called role ambiguity. This may be due to lack of information available torole occupant, or lack of understanding of the cues available to himRole Expectation Conflict: When there are conflicting expectations or

demands by different role senders, the role occupant may experience thisstress. There may be conflicting expectations from the boss,

subordinates, peers or clients.Role Overload: When the role occupant feels that there are too manyexpectations from the significant others in his role set, he experiences

role overload. It is measured by asking questions about people’s feelingson whether they could possibly finish work given to them during amodified workday.

Role Erosion: A role occupant may feel that the functions, which hewould like to perform, are being performed by some other role. The

stress felt may be called role erosion. Role erosion is likely to beexperienced in an organization, which is redefining its role and creatingnew roles.

Role Isolation: In a role set, the role occupant may feel that certain rolesare psychologically closer to him, while others are at a much greaterdistance. The main criterion of distance is the frequency and ease of

interaction. The gap between the desired and the existing linkages willindicate the amount the role isolation.

Personal Inadequacy: When a role occupant feels that he is not preparedto undertake the role effectively, he may experience this stress. The roleoccupant may feel that he does not have enough knowledge, skills, or

training, or has not had time to prepare for the assigned role. Persons

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who are assigned new roles without enough preparation or orientationare likely to experience this type of stressResource Inadequacy: Resource Inadequacy stress is experienced when

the resources required by the role occupant for performing the roleeffectively are not available, such as information, people, materials,finance or other facilities

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