RFPG College - Dissertation - S. Sahu

Burnout and Coping Patterns among

IT Professionals: A Preliminary Exploration

BY

S. Sahu

DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO

Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Karnataka

Bangalore

IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF

M.Sc. (Psychosocial Rehabilitation & Counselling)

UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF

Dr S. Kalyanasundaram

The Richmond Fellowship Post-Graduate College for Psychosocial Rehabilitation & Counselling

Bangalore

2008-10

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The Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Karnataka

DECLARATION BY THE CANDIDATE

I hereby declare that this dissertation, titled “Burnout and Coping Patterns among IT

Professionals: A Preliminary Exploration,” is a bona fide and genuine work of research

carried out by me under the guidance of Dr S. Kalyanasundaram, Principal, the

Richmond Fellowship Post-Graduate College for Psychosocial Rehabilitation &

Counselling.

Date : Signature of the Candidate

Place : Bangalore Name : S. Sahu

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CERTIFICATE FROM THE GUIDE

This is to certify that the dissertation titled “Burnout and Coping Patterns among IT

Professionals: A Preliminary Exploration” is a bona fide work of research done by S.

Sahu in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of M.Sc. (Psychosocial

Rehabilitation & Counselling).

Date : Signature of the Guide

Place : Bangalore Name : Dr S. Kalyanasundaram

Designation : Principal

Richmond Fellowship Post-Graduate College for Psychosocial Rehabilitation & Counselling

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ENDORSEMENT BY THE HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT/

THE PRINCIPAL/THE HEAD OF THE INSTITUTION

This is to certify that the dissertation titled “Burnout and Coping Patterns among IT

Professionals: A Preliminary Exploration” is a bona fide work of research done by S.

Sahu under the guidance of Dr S. Kalyanasundaram, Principal, the Richmond Fellowship

Post-Graduate College for Psychosocial Rehabilitation & Counselling.

Seal & Signature Seal & Signature of the Principal of the Head of the Department

Name : Dr S. Kalyanasundaram Name : Dr S. Kalyanasundaram

Date : Date :

Place : Bangalore Place : Bangalore

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COPYRIGHT

Declaration by the Candidate

I hereby declare that the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Karnataka shall

have the right to preserve, use and disseminate this dissertation in print or electronic

format for academic/research purposes.


Place : Bangalore Name : S. Sahu

Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Karnataka

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Dr S. Kalyanasundaram, my Guide and the Principal of the Richmond Fellowship Post-

Graduate College for Psychosocial Rehabilitation & Counselling, Bangalore, kept his

eagle eye on the text of this dissertation throughout and gave it focus. Dr Dharitri

Ramaprasad, Professor at the College, finely chiselled the draft protocol, to start with. Dr

N. Suryanarayana Rao, Research Methodology & Statistics professor, saved me from

deadly pitfalls in number-crunching, working with me late into the night. Ms Geetha

Menon, my Co-Guide, constantly steadied and supported me.

Ranjan, Asha, Priyank, Anant, Arun, Prabhat, Prabha, Maya, Ratheesh, Prema and Rajesh

worked hard to get me the sample I needed. Vasantha’s help with data entry was vital and

crucial.

All those mentioned above helped me sacrificially. Any credit for this dissertation should

go to them.


Place : Bangalore Name: S. Sahu

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ABSTRACT

Information Technology (IT) professionals in India and elsewhere have high-stress jobs

that make them vulnerable to psychiatric disorders and psychosocial dysfunction.

However, the research conducted to study stress, coping and burnout in this population

has been inadequate. The current study examined the extent of burnout and the coping

patterns of software engineers in Bangalore with respect to select socio-demographic

variables. The sample comprised 139 software engineers of both genders, aged 23-28

years, employed in medium- to large-sized IT organisations in Bangalore. A

questionnaire-based survey was conducted by selecting a purposive sample. Written,

informed consent was obtained from participants. The data collection tools were a socio-

demographic data form, the Coping Checklist by Rao, Subbakrishna and Prabhu (1989)

and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (General Survey) by Schaufeli, Leiter, Maslach and

Jackson (1996). The results tabulated the correlation of burnout and coping pattern scores

with gender, age, marital status, position of respondent among siblings, length of service

in the current organisation, number of daily working hours and gross annual income.

Most respondents did not have more than 2 siblings. Although there was a high

proportion of females, the women had lower Professional Efficacy scores than the men.

The average workday was longer than 8 hours. Exhaustion scores were highest in the 23-

to 24-year age group, a possible cause being high work pressure. Burnout levels had no

correlation with income. Both males and females had similar stress coping styles.

Respondents in the highest income slab (Rs 6 lac-Rs 9 lac) had the poorest coping scores.

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The IT community, although in transition, is already a distinct socio-demographic class

that deserves tailor-made preventive and therapeutic interventions to be developed for it.

Keywords: Life Change Events, Professional Burnout, Psychological Adaptation,

Psychological Stress, Software

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 Introduction 1

2 Objectives 12

3 Review of Literature 14

4 Methodology 26

5 Results 31

6 Discussion 53

7 Summary 61

8 Bibliographic References 64

9 Annexures A1

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LIST OF TABLES

1 Distribution of Respondents by Organisation Size 32

2 Distribution of Respondents by Gender and Age 33

3 Distribution of Respondents by Marital Status and Age 34

4 Distribution of Respondents by Marital Status and Gender 35

5 Distribution of Respondents by Position among Siblings and Gender 36

6 Distribution of Respondents by No. of Daily Working Hours and Gender 37

7 Burnout Sub-Scale Score Means vs. Gender 38

8 Burnout Sub-Scale Score Means vs. Age 39

9 Burnout Sub-Scale Score Means vs. Marital Status 40

10 Burnout Sub-Scale Score Means vs. Position among Siblings 41

11 Burnout Sub-Scale Score Means vs. Length of Service in Current Organisation 42

12 Burnout Sub-Scale Score Means vs. No. of Daily Working Hours 43

13 Burnout Sub-Scale Score Means vs. Gross Annual Income 44

14 Coping Sub-Scale Score Means vs. Gender 45

15 Coping Sub-Scale Score Means vs. Age 46

16 Coping Sub-Scale Score Means vs. Marital Status 47

17 Coping Sub-Scale Score Means vs. Position among Siblings 48

18 Coping Sub-Scale Score Means vs. Length of Service in Current Organisation 49

19 Coping Sub-Scale Score Means vs. No. of Daily Working Hours 50

20 Coping Sub-Scale Score Means vs. Gross Annual Income 51

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1. INTRODUCTION

Occupational stress is a phenomenon that was first researched by the University of

Michigan in the 1960s and accepted from the late 1970s (Jex, 2002)1 as being coupled

with the onset of significant physical and mental health problems of workers. It causes

deterioration in performance among managers and subordinates alike. As a result, the

organisation as well as the employee suffers.

Stress is “the response to events that are threatening or challenging.” (Feldman, 1996)2

Occupational stress is stress experienced in the context of work, as a result of conflicts

arising between the human personality and the culture and processes of the organisation

in which the individual is employed (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 20093 and Business

Dictionary.com, 20104). It occurs when there is unexpected increase in the demands

made on an employee by his/her work environment. It becomes evident when the

employee lacks the ability or adequate resources to meet those demands. This results in

physical or psychological disorders and is ongoing in nature, sometimes lasting for the

duration of the employee’s period of service in the organisation.

Occupational Burnout

For the purpose of this study, burnout is defined as being a crisis in one’s relationship

with work (Maslach, Jackson and Leiter, 1997)5. It is a state of exhaustion in which one

is cynical about the value of one’s occupation and doubtful of one’s capacity to perform

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professionally. Burnout has three sub-scales, Cynicism, Exhaustion and Professional

Efficacy. Cynicism is an indifferent or distant attitude toward work and is represented by

the feeling “I don’t really care if my work is done well or poorly.” Exhaustion is fatigue

and is represented by “working all day is really a strain for me.” Professional Efficacy

represents one’s expectations, e.g. “At work, I am confident that I am effective at getting

things done” and, although it includes satisfaction with past and present

accomplishments, it explicitly assesses an individual's expectations of continued

effectiveness at work. A high degree of burnout is reflected in high scores on Cynicism

and Exhaustion and low scores on Professional Efficacy.

Occupational burnout is a reaction closely associated with occupational stress. It develops

in people subjected to prolonged work stress and is prevalent in professions marked by

one or more of the following: high stress, high emotional commitment and outcomes

independent of the effort exerted by the working individual. Individuals most vulnerable

to burnout are those who are strongly motivated, dedicated and involved in their work.

Work, for such, is an important means through which they derive meaning in life and

achieve their goals and expectations. They therefore experience burnout when they

experience a sense of failure in finding meaning and growth through their work

(Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 2010)6.

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The Symptoms of Occupational Burnout

Occupational burnout is characterised by at least seven symptoms (About.com, 20107 and

Farlex, Inc., 20108). One is emotional exhaustion: the depletion or draining of emotional

resources, manifested as impatience, moodiness, inexplicable sadness, tendency to get

frustrated easily, etc. Depleted physical energy is a close second: the subject feels

physically drained or tired much of the time and no longer has the energy he/she once

did. Even getting out of bed to face another day becomes more difficult than before.

People experiencing burnout therefore make less investment in interpersonal

relationships, as a result, because they know they have less to give to and less patience

with others. This is linked with cynicism, indifference or distancing in relation to work

(Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 2010)6 and fellow humans, and dehumanised perceptions

and derogatory labelling of the latter. Moreover, one’s experience of burnout translates

into an increasingly pessimistic outlook, making it more difficult for one to feel excited

about life, have fun, expect the best from situations and let go of negative experiences.

This, in turn, results in degradation in work performance, i.e. reduction in professional

efficacy, which is tied to lower overall personal effectiveness. Sometimes, the

professional fallout is a result of increased physical illness caused by lowered immunity.

People suffering from burnout usually have increased susceptibility to minor and not-so-

minor illnesses.

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Behaviours Characterising Occupational Burnout

Behaviours associated with occupational burnout include a tendency on the part of an

individual to blame others in an organisation for one’s own problems, exhibit increased

absenteeism, get more embroiled in interpersonal conflicts and confrontation and isolate

himself/herself from others in the organisation (Maslach and Leiter, 1997)9. Individuals

suffering from job burnout frequently attempt to remove themselves from the situations

they perceive to be the source of their problems. Although they do not actually terminate

their jobs, they stop communicating, often damaging both their organisations and their

own careers.

Professionals in the information technology industry are not spared from such burnout.

“They have to perform in a demanding work environment characterized by strict

deadlines, differing time zones, interdependency in teams, increased interaction with

clients, and extended work hours.” (Rajeswari and Anantharaman, 2005)10

The Causative Factors of Occupational Stress

The causative factors to which one may attribute job stress (FreeEssays.cc, 2003?)11 have

been divided into four groups:

• Stressors common to a wide variety of jobs, e.g. issues regarding customer demands,

time constraints and ineffective training

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• Stressors common to a wide variety of organisations, e.g. issues related to absence of

support from organisational superiors, non-competitive wage structures, poor job

descriptions and ineffective organisational motivational strategies

• Factors related to inter-departmental activities within the organisation, e.g. poor

cooperation and organisational politics

• External changes such as those occurring in the market, which in turn cause the

organisation to adjust reactively and often make radical shifts in organisational

environment, staffing and job tasks. (Changes in this category feed into those in the

foregoing groups.)

Moreover, according to FreeEssays.cc (2003?)11, the primary sources of occupational

stress within organisations lie in four areas: task demands (specific characteristics of the

job itself), physical demands (environmental factors such as temperature variations, noise

vibrations, and lighting), role demands (a result of flawed organisational structures,

ineffective organisational development or one’s inability to successfully pursue

achievement goals within one’s organisation) and interpersonal demands (the demands of

developing working relationships with others).

The Sources of Occupational Stress

The above causative factors may equally be traced to the following 10 “sources” of stress

(Global Business and Economic Roundtable on Addiction and Mental Health, 2001)12:

• Doubt (employees being unsure of what is happening and where things are headed)

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• Mistrust (due to vicious office politics, which disrupt positive behaviour)

• Unclear company direction and policies

• Poor supervisor-subordinate relationships and lack of two-way communication

• Career and job ambiguity (when things happen without the employee knowing why)

• Inconsistent performance management processes (typically, when an employee gets

or loses a raise without appropriate performance reviews or evaluations being

conducted and, sometimes, he/she is laid off afterwards)

• Being unappreciated for one’s contribution to the organisation

• The “treadmill syndrome” (too much to do at once, requiring long workdays)

• Random interruptions

• Work “underload” (which results in the employee feeling a lack of job control).

(It may be noted that eight of the above 10 sources constitute inter-departmental,

organisational or market-driven stressors related to the employee’s organisational role,

while one is a physical stressor and another, a job-level stressor.)

Organisational Stressors

More attention has been given, in the literature of occupational stress research, to

organisational role stressors and “aversive working conditions associated with behaviours

expected of each employee in an organization” than to any other source (Jex, 2002)1.

Specifically, three organisational role-related stressors have been identified: role

ambiguity (when one is unsure of what one is supposed to do), role conflict (lack of

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consistency in the role set-related information provided by one’s colleagues or superiors)

and role overload (when one’s employer or one’s work environment demands more than

one can accomplish in a given time).

Studies in the United States of America, Germany and India (Smith, Conway and Karsh,

199913; Sonnentag, Brodbeck, Heinbokel and Stolte, 199414; and Sharma, Khera and

Khandekar, 200615) have shown that computer-related work contributes no less to

occupational stress and burnout. Moreover, this mode of work introduces new stressors:

technology breakdowns, technology slowdowns, electronic performance monitoring and

employee training to use new technology.

The Impact of Occupational Stress on Health

Physical symptoms that may occur because of occupational stress include fatigue,

headache, stomach problems, muscles aches and pains, chronic mild illness, sleep

disturbances and eating disorders. Psychological problems like anxiety, depression,

irritability, substance abuse, feeling powerless, low morale, social withdrawal in the

organisation, phobias, etc may develop (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 2009)3. The

individual may become unable to perform routine tasks and suffer a loss of enthusiasm

for work and the inability to enjoy life (Tatum, 2010)16. Job stressors have been

associated with psychiatric disorders, including major depression and long working

hours, with a higher risk of myocardial infarction, diabetes mellitus and hypertension, in

a Japanese population (Kawakami and Haratani, 1999)17.

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In human-computer interaction, occupational stress manifests itself as increased

physiological arousal; somatic complaints, especially of the musculoskeletal system;

mood disturbances, particularly anxiety, fear and anger; and diminished quality of

working life, such as reduced job satisfaction (Smith, Conway and Karsh, 1999)13. In

Japan, IT professionals experienced psychological distress and cumulative fatigue caused

by poor organisational processes in the performance appraisal, mentoring and career

planning areas (Tominaga, Asakura and Akiyama, 2007)18. Computer-related work has

been found to lead to a high incidence of health problems and, particularly, to visual and

musculoskeletal problems and increased stress (Sharma, Khera and Khandekar, 2006)15.

Measures Taken to Cope with Occupational Stress

Coping (Feldman, 1997)2 is the effort one makes “to control, reduce, or learn to tolerate

the threats that lead to stress.” It is one’s effort to deal with stress. Lakshminarayanan

(2008)19 cites research conducted by the Washington, D.C.-based National Institute for

Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) whose findings suggest that, at the individual

level, adopting a healthy lifestyle, regularly monitoring one’s physical health,

maintaining a good work/life balance, being involved with meaningful support groups,

practising meditation and relaxation, etc constitute adaptive coping, i.e. the steps taken

help reduce the effects of stressful working conditions in a healthy way. NIOSH has also

identified that, at an organisational level, recognising employees for good work

performance, providing opportunities for their career development, fostering an

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organisational culture that values the individual worker and keeping management action

consistent with organisational values are among the characteristics associated with low-

stress and high-productivity work.

Modes and Stages in Coping

People cope with stress in problem- and emotion-focused ways (Carver, Scheier and

Weintraub, 1989)20. Problem-focused coping attempts to solve the problem, i.e. address

the source of the stress. Emotion-focused coping aims at reducing or managing the

emotional distress caused. Others have added appraisal-focused coping, i.e. coping by

controlling the meaning of the stressful situation (Rao, Subbakrishna and Prabhu,

1989)21. Coping with stress can be a proactive process spanning the stages of detection,

prevention and mitigation of stressors (Aspinwall and Taylor, 1997)22.

The Dimensions of Coping

Coping has several dimensions. The starting point is perceived self-efficacy (the level one

believes one can perform at). People with a strong sense of efficacy approach difficult

tasks as challenges to be mastered rather than as threats to be avoided, while those who

doubt their capabilities fall easy prey to stress and depression (Bandura, 1994)23. (For

gender-based self-efficacy among females, see “Gender Patterns in Coping,” below.)

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The second dimension, social support is useful particularly in the face of mega-

organisational transformations, e.g. mergers (Fugate, Kinicki and Scheck, 2002)24. Social

contact, another dimension, is what people using the Internet (a behaviour typical of

young high-tech workers) to cope with loneliness explore (Seepersad, 2001)25, although

Net usage redoubles either the individual’s social engagement or withdrawal. For a

general adult professional population, social relationships, in general, and marriage, in

particular, also influence coping (Coyne and DeLongis, 1986)26. Undergraduate students

use social networking for coping (Taylor, Sherman, Kim, Jarcho, Takagi et al, 2004)27

and, significantly, to recover from alcohol abuse (Brown, Vik, Patterson and Schuckit,

1994)28.

The attitudes of a person under stress and his/her physical age and psychological

vulnerability have also been shown to be relevant. Optimism improves coping among

undergraduate students (Brissette, Scheier and Carver, 2002)29. In a study done in

Kolkata, people younger than 30 years of age reported greater distress, including somatic

symptoms of mental illness, from organisational role stress, than older persons

(Bhattacharya and Basu, 2007)30. People with better mental health, to begin with, cope

better emotionally with stress than those without it (Aldwin and Revenson, 1987)31.

Positive affect makes people cope better with stress (Khosla, 2006)32.

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Gender Patterns in Coping

Carver, Scheier and Weintraub (1989)20 showed that broad patterns of gender-based

preference may be identified in coping. While many men under-utilised traditional

helping services (Addis and Mahalik, 2003)33, terminally ill women rely on social

networks to cope (Stanton, Danoff-Burg, Cameron, Bishop, Collins et al, 2000)34, while

women under stress generally tended to use the ‘tend and befriend’ and not the ‘fight or

flight’ approach (Taylor, Cousino, Lewis, Gruenewald, Regan et al, 2000)35.

A common stressor for female professionals is sexual harassment. Women react via

avoidance, denial, negotiation, advocacy-seeking and social coping (Wasti and Cortina,

2002)36 and physical mastery, particularly when the threat of physical assault looms

(Ozer and Bandura, 1990)37.

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2. OBJECTIVES

From the 1970s, many countries outside India have studied the impact of job-related

psychosocial factors on the health of employees of information technology (IT)

companies and of organisations in other sectors of industry. This is because such workers

have been found to be increasingly prone to suffering from occupational stress- and

burnout-related dysfunction, disorder, illness or disease.

In India, however, the study among IT professionals of occupational stress, burnout and

associated health hazards has gathered momentum more recently. Relatively few studies

have thus been conducted on the psychosocial condition of IT professionals in India and,

specifically, Bangalore, a global software outsourcing hub.

The current dissertation therefore attempts to study the following among IT professionals

in Bangalore:

1. Extent of burnout

2. Patterns of coping with stress

3. Impact of socio-demographic variables on the extent of burnout

4. Impact of socio-demographic variables on coping patterns

To this end, a field study has been carried out in Bangalore on software engineers in the

23- to 28-year age group who are employed in 10 large and mid-sized IT organisations

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(Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, Accenture, TCS Financial Services, Wipro, Oracle,

Cisco, iGate, MetricStream and McAfee).

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3. REVIEW OF LITERATURE

The scientific literature on stress dates back to 1936, when Hans Selye systematically

explored the phenomenon. The literature on burnout was spawned by Herbert

Freudenberger (Freudenberger, 1980)38, Christina Maslach and Susan Jackson (Maslach,

Jackson and Leiter, 1997)5. The literature is vast; this dissertation attempts to cite only a

fraction of the corpus. The literature reviewed here for occupational stress and

occupational burnout is categorised under three heads: cause, effect and coping strategies.

Causes of Occupational Stress and Occupational Burnout

Occupational stress is moderated by an individual’s coping style, emotionality, level of

control and social support (Gillespie, Walsh, Winefield, Dua and Stough, 2001)39.

A study by Ronen and Pines (2008)40 on women Israeli high-tech engineers revealed that

the sample reported significantly higher levels of burnout than their male colleagues due

to the masculine culture of the organisations they were employed in. The gender

differences in burnout were interpreted as related to other findings: women’s greater

tendency to utilise emotion-focused coping, their more limited peer support and more

intense work-family conflicts.

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Based on a reportedly systematic review of publications on IT professionals and burnout,

Maudgalya, Wallace, Daraiseh and Salem (2006)41 identified the three key exposure

variables for the phenomenon as being role ambiguity, role conflict and job tasks.

Kalyanasundaram and Nautiyal (2008)42 describe the occupational stressors encountered

by young professionals in the IT and ITeS industries due to a highly competitive work

environment that is characteristic of offshore outsourcing.

Li and Shani (1991)43 studied 109 information system professionals from 109

organisations in the US. They explored organisational characteristics, job satisfaction and

work stress and found that work overload is the major source of perceived work stress,

followed by role conflict, then job-induced anxiety and, finally, role ambiguity.

The stressors identified by Smith, Conway and Karsh (1999)13 as characterising

automated jobs, in particular, are high workload, high work pressure, diminished job

control, inadequate employee training to use new technology, monotonous tasks, poor

supervisory relations and job insecurity. Smith et al concluded also that stressors in

human-computer interaction (HCI) also include technology breakdowns, technology

slowdowns and electronic performance monitoring.

Faragher, Cass and Cooper (2005)44 conducted a comprehensive review of 500 studies

including “grey literature” and unpublished reports, to establish that job satisfaction is

strongly related to mental and physical health, specifically burnout, lowered self-esteem,

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anxiety and depression. The authors confirm that dissatisfaction at work can be hazardous

to an employee’s mental health and well-being.

Bhattacharya and Basu (2007)30 documented the findings of a survey conducted among

IT professionals in Kolkata with a mean age of 29.13 years. They confirm that

organisational role stress is distressful and contributes to a poor sense of wellness among

employees.

In Japan, Tominaga, Asakura and Akiyama (2007)18 conducted a survey on over 1,000 IT

employees distributed across 53 companies and showed that the chief stressors were work

overload, career and future ambiguity, inadequate performance appraisal systems and

poor supervisor support. This confirmed the findings of Kawakami and Haratani

(1999)17, who carried out a research review spanning 15 years to determine that

organisational inadequacies in job control, skill use, worksite support and job demands

were significant occupational stressors among Japanese professionals.

In the Information Systems & Technology sector, Sockel, Mak and Bucholz (2004)45

found that lack of innovation also can adversely affect staff and result in burnout.

Jones, Jr. (2008)46, in fact, concluded that burnout can be predicted. He based this thesis

on a questionnaire-based study he conducted on 216 professional para-church workers

who had worked for at least five years in The Navigators, a 72-year-old US-based

organisation. The six predictors he identified are, in descending order of significance:

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loneliness, i.e. isolation; role ambiguity; age (negatively); need to raise one's professional

income; number of work hours; and gender (females are more susceptible than males).

Effects of Occupational Stress and Occupational Burnout

Smith, Conway and Karsh (1999)13 identified the deleterious effects of stress caused by

HCI as being increased physiological arousal, somatic complaints (especially of the

musculo-skeletal system), mood disturbances (particularly anxiety), fear, anger and

diminished quality of working life (e.g. reduced job satisfaction). For stress reduction,

they recommended improving technology implementation approaches, increasing

employee participation in implementation, providing proper ergonomic conditions,

increasing organisational support, improving job content, decreasing work pressure by

optimising workload and enhancing social support opportunities.

In their survey in Japan, Kawakami and Haratani (1999)17 also identified that the effects

of stress among professionals included higher risk of myocardial infarction, diabetes

mellitus and hypertension; higher levels of blood serum lipids; fibrinolytic activity;

higher blood sugar levels; and lower immunity.

De Vente, Olff, Van Amsterdam, Kamphuis and Emmelkamp (2003)47 carried out a

focused study on 22 patients of occupational burnout and 23 healthy full-time workers in

The Netherlands. Resting blood pressure, cardiovascular reactivity and recovery, basal

cortisol levels and cortisol reactivity and recovery were similar for burnout patients and

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healthy controls. Burnout patients showed higher resting heart rates and, during the first

hour after awakening, higher cortisol levels also, indicating possible sustained activation.

A study conducted by Chaturvedi, Kalyanasundaram, Jagadish, Prabhu and Narasimha

(2007)48 on IT/ITeS professionals in Bangalore to detect stress, anxiety and depression

showed that 36% of the sample could be considered as probable psychiatric cases.

Common problems noted were the feeling of being constantly under strain; the inability

to enjoy daily activities; being edgy, bad-tempered and dissatisfied with work tasks

assigned; and not feeling in good health. The authors found that the rate of psychiatric

morbidity in the sample was higher than that reported for the general population in India.

Job stress and less job satisfaction, however, have greater adverse impact on 25- to 35-

year-old managers than their older counterparts, state Chandraiah, Agrawal, Marimuthu

and Manoharan (2003)49, who conducted a study on 105 managers in large-scale

industries in and around Kolkata.

Sharma, Khera and Khandekar (2006)15 studied 200 Information Technology (IT)

professionals in the 21- to 30-year age group from the software development, voice-based

call centre and data entry communities and found that this sample’s computer-related

health problems were visual problems (76%), musculoskeletal (77.5%) and stress (35%).

Overall, males and females were almost equally affected although females experienced

more musculoskeletal problems and stress perception among males was higher.

Comparatively, 96.3% in software development, 92.6% in call centre work and 89.1% in

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data entry and data processing jobs had computer-related problems. Sharma et al

confirmed that computer-related morbidity, at 93%, is very high.

Coping Strategies for Occupational Stress

Coyne and DeLongis (1986)26 found one’s marital status as being an index of social

support which, along with social involvement, is central to human adaptation and well-

being. According to the study, happily married people usually have many psychological

and social advantages over their unmarried counterparts although, equally, the unhappily

married tend to experience stress that even high support in other social relationships do

not offset.

Ozer and Bandura (1990)37 documented the effect on coping by women when they

achieve physical self-defence mastery. The authors’ study was carried out on 43 women

who ranged in age from 18 to 55 years. Thirty-eight percent of this sample had been

physically assaulted at one time or another by strangers, acquaintances, relatives or their

husbands or boyfriends. None had been raped by a stranger, but 27% had had sexual

intercourse forced on them in one or more relationships. The forced intercourse involved

personal acquaintances (14%), relatives (8%) or their husbands or boyfriends (22%).

Achievement of physical self-defence mastery improved their perceived self-efficacy and

their engagement in recreational, social and cultural activities and reduced intrusive

negative thoughts, anxiety arousal, perceived personal vulnerability and general risk

perception.

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Aspinwall and Taylor (1997)22 conceptualise proactive coping as consisting of five

stages: (1) resource accumulation (building a reserve of temporal, financial and social

resources), (2) recognition of potential stressors (screening the environment for danger),

(3) initial appraisal (identifying the stressor and anticipating how it is likely to evolve),

(4) preliminary coping (determining what one can do in the situation) and (5) eliciting

and using feedback concerning one’s initial efforts (whether they have been effective and

what one has thus learnt in the process).

Judge, Thorensen, Pucik and Welbourne (1999)50 conducted a study on over 500

managers in organisations from four continents that had recently experienced large-scale

change. From self-reports from participants as well as in independent assessments of their

ability to cope with change, there emerges a positive correlation between positive self-

concept (comprising locus of control, generalised self-efficacy, self-esteem and positive

affectivity) and risk tolerance (comprising openness to experience, tolerance for

ambiguity and low risk aversion) and coping.

Taylor, Klein, Lewis, Gruenewald, Gurung et al (2000)35 rounded up the literature and

observed that, behaviourally, the response of females to stress is marked by tend-and-

befriend rather than fight-or-flight strategies, i.e. by protective nurturing to promote

safety and reduce distress, and creating and maintaining social networks.

- 21 -

The final mode of coping covers leadership, mentoring and coaching. Transformational

leadership, i.e. leadership that motivates one’s subordinates to perform better than their

own expectations, has been shown by Arnold, Turner, Barling, Kelloway and McKee

(2007)51 to not only improve the psychological well-being of employees but also cause

employees to view their work as being meaningful.

The same research team surveyed 92 women of average age 51.56 years, from six

ethnicities, and concluded that emotion-focused coping helps adjustment and health for

breast cancer patients.

Seepersad (2001)25 explored the use of social networking in coping with loneliness. He

sampled 350 people averaging 28 years in age, 70% of them being in the 14- to 30-year

age group and found that Internet surfing and chatting and playing games online are

associated with higher levels of not only loneliness but also of coping effectiveness.

Mantler, Matheson, Matejicek and Anisman (2002)52 surveyed 355 workers in Canada,

23-61 years in age, whose employment in high-stress jobs in IT organisations had

currency at the time of the study. The authors found that those with lower levels of stress

showed positive coping patterns (more active problem-solving, less emotion-focused

coping), whereas respondents with moderate and high stress levels did the opposite, i.e.

used more emotion-focused strategies and fewer problem-focused strategies. The entire

population sampled indicated high stress levels with job uncertainty.

- 22 -

One’s positive psychological state helps one’s coping, found Brissette, Scheier and

Carver (2002)29, who studied 89 first-year college students (with almost equal numbers of

males and females) in a year-long longitudinal study to assess the role of optimism in

coping and psychological adjustment. They found that an optimistic outlook resulted in

smaller increases in stress and depression and greater increases in perceived social

support in this sample.

Schwarzer and Knoll (2003)53 present coping as falling into one or more of four modes:

reactive, anticipatory, proactive and preventive coping. Reactive coping deals with a past

or present stressful encounter by compensating for or alleviating the harm or loss caused.

In anticipatory coping, the individual tries to mitigate the risk or solve the actual problem

before it takes place by increasing his/her self-efficacy or enlisting social support.

Preventive coping is observed when the subject engages in anticipatory coping against

critical events while they are still far in the future. Those who practise proactive coping,

however, first develop life goals and thus interpret potential or actual losses, harm or

threats as mere challenges en route. The authors also report the negative correlation

between proactive coping and burnout.

Coping strategies have been found to be gender-based as well. Addis and Mahalik

(2003)33 argue that, as a group, men seek professional help for mental health-related

problems less frequently than do women. This is explained as being a result of a gender-

role socialisation that emphasises self-reliance, emotional control and power in males. If

a man perceives help-seeking as requiring him to rely on others, to admit that he needs

- 23 -

help, or to recognise and label an emotional problem, it goes against his perceived

socialisation, viz. the importance of his self-reliance, physical toughness and emotional

control. However, the authors find considerable individual variability within the

stereotype.

Hyman, Scholarios and Baldry (2005)54 conducted a survey among Scottish call centre

and IT employees. The respondents in the survey were mostly women, in the call centres,

and dominantly male, in the software companies. Overall, 40% of the sample had

children to look after. Hyman et al found that the respondents’ coped adaptively by

asking their mothers or mothers-in-law to look after the (respondents’) children; asking

their partners or spouses to stand in for them on chores; or swapping work shifts with

colleagues. Their maladaptive coping strategy was avoidant: absenteeism and quitting

their jobs. Coping among the software employees included taking work home, spending

longer hours at work, working from home part of the time or working longer but fewer

workdays per week.

Khosla (2006)32 studied positive affect (PA) as an ingredient of coping through self-

efficacy. She documented coping research on the effect of PA on coping and found that

PA and coping have a reciprocal relationship. Those with PA prefer problem-focused

coping strategies. PA appears to broaden a person’s momentary thought-action repertoire,

build his/her enduring personal resources, help the person to find meaning in ordinary

events and experience positive outcomes during stress. It makes for quicker recovery

- 24 -

from cardiovascular arousal of those under stress, provides physiological resilience to

them and prevents them from suffering from clinical depression.

The 2007 study by Bhattacharya and Basu30 also quotes other studies that show that (a)

men and women use problem- and emotion-focused strategies across genders but that

men prefer the former and women the latter; and (b) women have more choices in social

support- and professional assistance-based coping than men and use behavioural and

cognitive coping strategies, while men prefer the latter.

Murray and Syed (2007)55 revealed that female executives are faced with stressors

sometimes typical of their gender. Mono-cultural dominance, the use of statistical

averages and institutional and organisational controls were found to have been used to

discriminate against managerial women. The women coped initially by playing by the

men’s rules, then by ignoring their own systemic marginalisation and finally by working

as hard as it took to prove that they were as capable as the men working alongside them.

Women managers use emotion-focused coping, too, according to Kaila (2007)56, who

conducted a descriptive study of 130 women managers. The stressors were task demand-

related (severe time constraints, i.e. the “treadmill syndrome,” and job insecurity and

uncertainty); physically demanding work, including working in shifts; role demand-

related (work overload and unchallenging work lacking achievement goals); and

interpersonal demand-related (gender-based discrimination, conflicts with supervisors

- 25 -

and subordinates, unexpected loss of social support, and damage control for colleagues’

fraudulent activities).

- 26 -

4. METHODOLOGY

Aim of Study

The aim of the study was to assess burnout and coping patterns among IT professionals.

Source of Data

Information technology (IT) professionals employed in medium- to large-sized IT

organisations in Bangalore were the population being studied. The organisations chosen

were Bangalore-based IT companies or Indian or foreign IT companies with

operations/organisations in Bangalore.

Data Collection Method

A questionnaire-based survey was conducted by selecting a purposive sample. Known

professionals within the social networks of both the researcher and the respondents

assisted in identifying the population sub-samples for the survey. The purpose of the

study was explained to the respondents and their informed consent obtained.

- 27 -

Sample for Study

The sample size was 139. This population was used for most of the analysis although,

because 32 respondents declined to provide details of income from salary, the population

used was sometimes reduced to 107.

The researcher verbally explained to the respondents the background and aims of the

study and requested that they peruse the questionnaires before filling them out. Also, to

clarify doubts, if any, the researcher was present while the questionnaires were being

filled out. Each respondent was told that his/her response would be considered as being

representative of him/her as an individual and not of the organisation in which he/she was

employed.

Inclusion Criteria

Organisations involved in computer programming-related work in the computer and

computer-peripheral hardware and software segments were included. At the time of the

study, the individuals included in the population sample should have:

• Been full-time workers

• Had at least 6 months’ work experience in the organisation employing them

• Been between 23 and 28 years in age

• Had at least one parent of Indian nationality and ethnicity

- 28 -

Exclusion Criteria

Employees that were not software engineers were excluded from the sample, i.e.

professionals working in the administration, human resources, learning and development,

finance, legal or other functions/departments of the organisations. Professionals working

in the physical premises of these organisations but employed by a contractor were also

excluded. Professionals in the IT-enabled services segment (e.g. voice- and non-voice-

based BPOs and KPOs) were excluded, as were professionals that were either expatriates

(foreign nationals working in India) or ethnically of non-Indian descent. So also were

employees who pursued other professions, whether paid or otherwise.

Description of Tools Used

The tools circulated for data collection through the questionnaire method were:

• A Socio-Demographic Data Form

• The Coping Checklist by Kiran Rao, D.K. Subbakrishna and G.G. Prabhu (1989):

The list suggests 70 coping patterns, i.e. common behavioural, emotional and

cognitive responses to handle stress and reduce distress. Each item is responded to

with a “Yes” or a “No.” The Checklist has seven sub-scales: one problem-focused

scale; five emotion-focused scales (distraction, both positive and negative; acceptance

and/or re-definition; religion and/or faith; denial; and blame); and one social support-

- 29 -

focused scale, which combines problem- and emotion-focused coping. The sub-scales

were developed on an a priori basis and validated on a normal adult community

sample.

• The Maslach Burnout Inventory (General Survey; MBI GS) by Wilmar Schaufeli,

Michael P. Leiter, Christina Maslach and Susan E. Jackson (1996). This is a 16-item

self-administered tool. The MBI GS measures burnout among workers in non-social

service settings or settings that do not require direct contact in service relationships.

(Corporations are a typical example of setting applicability.) The MBI GS measures

are emotional exhaustion (feelings of being emotionally over-extended and exhausted

by one’s work), de-personalisation (an unfeeling and impersonal response toward the

recipients of one’s service, care, treatment or instruction) and personal

accomplishment (feelings of competence and successful achievement in one’s work).

Data processing & Analysis

The data were coded, tabulated and keyed into a computer. Data analysis was done using

the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 10.0. Statistical tests of

significance were used, as appropriate, i.e. the χ2 Test and the t Test.

- 30 -

Ethical Concerns

Written, informed consent was taken from each participant and the confidentiality of

information collected was ensured. Depending on the date of canvassing of the

questionnaire, respondents were allowed between 2 and 23 clear calendar days to

withdraw their participation in the survey: to this end, they were provided the

researcher’s full contact details, which were printed and handed over to them

individually.

- 31 -

5. RESULTS

The objectives were to study the extent of burnout and the patterns of coping with stress

of IT professionals in Bangalore in relation to certain socio-demographic variables.

Adequate data was provided by respondents on the following:

• Gender

• Age

• Marital status

• Position among siblings

• Length of service in current organisation

• Number of daily working hours

• Gross annual income

In line with the objectives, the analysis of data is presented in three sections:

• Socio-Demographic Description of the Sample

• Impact of Socio-Demographic Variables on the Extent of Burnout

• Impact of Socio-Demographic Variables on the Patterns of Coping with Stress

The results are being presented with reference to the socio-demographic variables listed

above, in that order.

- 32 -

I. SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF THE SAMPLE

Table 1: Distribution of Respondents by Organisation Size

GENDER OF RESPONDENT ORGANISATION SIZE N (= 139)

MALE FEMALE TOTAL

N 27 14 41 Up to 50,000 Employees % 65.9 34.1 100.0

N 50 48 98 Over 50,000 Employees % 51.0 49.0 100.0

N 77 62 139 Both

% 55.4 44.6 100.0

VALUE p χ2

2.574 0.109

The proportion of male employees to female employees in the two categories of

organisation was not statistically significantly different.

- 33 -

Table 2: Distribution of Respondents by Gender and Age

GENDER AGE OF RESPONDENTS

(YEARS) N (= 139)

MALE FEMALE TOTAL

N 26 33 59 23-24

% 44.1 55.9 100.0

N 24 19 43 25-26

% 55.8 44.2 100.0

N 27 10 37 27-28

% 73.0 27.0 100.0

N 77 62 139 All

% 55.4 44.6 100.0

VALUE p χ2

7.694 0.021

The difference in proportion of males to females was statistically significant. The

proportion of females was highest in the youngest age group. It decreased as the age

groups got older. The corresponding changes in the proportion of males took place in the

reverse order, i.e. from highest in the oldest age group to lowest in the youngest age

group.

The mean age for males was 25.47 years (SD 1.80) and, for females, 24.71 years (SD

1.67). This difference, too, was statistically significant (t = 2.549, p = 0.012) and is in line

with the foregoing finding regarding the proportion of each gender relative to age group.

- 34 -

Table 3: Distribution of Respondents by Marital Status and Age

MARITAL STATUS AGE OF RESPONDENTS

(YEARS) N (= 139)

SINGLE MARRIED/LIVING IN TOTAL

N 55 4 59 23-24

% 93.2% 6.8% 100.0%

N 31 12 43 25-26

% 72.1% 27.9% 100.0%

N 21 16 37 27-28

% 56.8% 43.2% 100.0%

N 107 32 139 Total

% 77.0% 23.0% 100.0%

VALUE p χ2

17.899 0.001

77.0% of the respondents were single. The difference in marital status between age

groups was statistically significant. With increase in age, more respondents were married

or had live-in partners. In the 27- to 28-year interval (the oldest age group), 56.8% were

married. The change in marital status was the highest between the 23- to 24-year and the

25- to 26-year age groups.

- 35 -

Table 4: Distribution of Respondents by Marital Status and Gender

MARITAL STATUS N (= 139)

SINGLE MARRIED/LIVING IN TOTAL

N 64 13 77 Male

% 83.1 16.9 100.0

N 43 19 62 Female

% 69.4 30.6 100.0

N 107 32 139

Gender

Both % 77.0 23.0 100.0

VALUE p χ2

3.671 0.055

Among males, 83.1% were single, as compared with females, among whom 69.4% were

single. The difference was statistically significant. This finding means that, in the age

group of 23-28 years, proportionately more males tend to be single, as compared with

females, as is the norm generally seen in our population.

- 36 -

Table 5: Distribution of Respondents by Position among Siblings and Gender

GENDER POSITION FROM TOP N (= 139)

MALE FEMALE TOTAL

N 45 34 79 1a

% 58.4 54.8 56.8

N 22 13 35 2

% 28.6 21.0 25.2

N 9 9 18 3

% 11.7 14.5 12.9

N 1 6 7 4-5b

% 1.3 9.7 5.0

N 77 62 139 Total

% 100.0 100.0 100.0

VALUE p χ2

5.867 0.118

a 1st/Eldest Child. b The results for sibling positions 4 and 5 from the top have been clubbed because of low frequencies in those categories.

The difference between genders was not statistically significant. 56.8% of the

respondents were the eldest/only child. 25.2% of the respondents were the second child

and 12.9% of the respondents were the third child. The above sibling positions covered

95% of the sample. There were comparatively few respondents in the 4th from Top or 5th

from Top sibling position.

- 37 -

Table 6: Distribution of Respondents by No. of Daily Working Hours and Gender

GENDER WORKING HOURS N (= 139)

MALE FEMALE TOTAL

N 46 35 81 5-9

% 59.7 56.5 58.3

N 31 27 58 10-12

% 40.3 43.5 41.7

N 77 62 139 Total

% 100.0 100.0 100.0

VALUE p χ2

0.153 0.696

No statistical significance was seen between gender and actual daily working hours.

Thus, 41.7% of the respondents, whether male or female, worked more than 10 hours

daily.

- 38 -

II. IMPACT OF SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES ON THE EXTENT

OF BURNOUT

Table 7: Burnout Sub-Scale Score Means vs. Gender SUB-SCALE GENDER N (= 139) MEAN SD t p

Male 77 12.62 7.53 Cynicism

Female 62 11.45 12.10

6.97 7.28 0.942 0.348

Male 77 11.83 9.38 Exhaustion

Female 62 12.32 12.05

6.85 8.32 -0.345 0.731

Male 77 27.82 6.27 Professional Efficacy Female 62 25.60

26.83 7.17

6.75 1.947 0.054

Male 77 -3.36 16.77Total Burnout Female 62 -1.82

-2.68 14.89

15.92 -0.566 0.572

A statistically significant difference existed between genders only on the professional

efficacy sub-scale. Males had higher professional efficacy scores than females.

- 39 -

Table 8: Burnout Sub-Scale Score Means vs. Age

SUB-SCALE AGE (YEARS) N (= 139) MEAN SD F p

23-24 59 11.03 7.51

25-26 43 13.56 7.45

27-28 37 12.11 6.58 Cynicism

Total 139 12.10 7.28

1.504 0.226

23-24 59 13.25 6.86

25-26 43 9.35 7.04

27-28 37 13.27 10.91 Exhaustion

Total 139 12.05 8.32

3.397 0.036

23-24 59 27.49 6.33

25-26 43 26.53 6.73

27-28 37 26.11 7.49 Professional Efficacy

Total 139 26.83 6.75

0.532 0.589

23-24 59 -3.20 15.73

25-26 43 -3.63 16.26

27-28 37 -0.73 16.08 Total Burnout

Total 139 -2.68 15.92

0.382 0.683

There was no statistically significant difference with regard to age group in any sub-scale

except Exhaustion. Even within this sub-scale, this was noticed only in the age groups of

23-24 and 25-26 years (p = 0.056). The younger age group had higher Exhaustion levels

than the older age group.

- 40 -

Table 9: Burnout Sub-Scale Score Means vs. Marital Status

SUB-SCALE MARITAL STATUS N (= 139) MEAN SD t p

Single 107 12.17 7.58 Cynicism

Married/Living In 32 11.88 6.30 0.199 0.842

Single 107 12.30 8.72 Exhaustion


Single 107 26.87 6.81 Professional Efficacy Married/Living In 32 26.69 6.68

0.133 0.894

Single 107 -2.40 16.99 Total Burnout Married/Living In 32 -3.59 11.83

0.370 0.712

No significant difference existed between single and married/living-in respondents. The

scores of single and married/living-in respondents had no correlation with their marital

status.

- 41 -

Table 10: Burnout Sub-Scale Score Means vs. Position among Siblings

SUB-SCALE POSITION FROM TOP N (= 139) MEAN SD F p

1a 79 12.30 7.09

2 35 12.37 8.29

3 18 11.28 7.29 Cynicism

4-5 b 7 10.57 4.65

0.212 0.888

1a 79 11.97 7.13

2 35 11.09 6.77

3 18 15.83 13.87 Exhaustion

4-5 b 7 8.00 7.62

1.995 0.118

1a 79 26.86 6.83

2 35 27.43 7.11

3 18 26.33 5.71 Professional Efficacy

4-5 b 7 24.71 7.41

0.349 0.790

1a 79 -2.58 15.53

2 35 -3.97 16.57

3 18 0.78 19.08 Total Burnout

4-5 b 7 -6.14 6.54

0.466 0.707

a 1st/Eldest Child. b The results for sibling positions 4 and 5 from top have been clubbed because of low frequencies in those categories.

None of the mean burnout sub-scale scores was significantly different with regard to

position among siblings.

- 42 -

Table 11: Burnout Sub-Scale Score Means vs. Length of Service in Current Organisation

SUB-SCALE YEARS OF SERVICE N (= 139) MEAN SD F p

1 44 1.32 0.47

2 38 1.39 0.50

3 26 1.65 0.49 Cynicism

4+* 31 1.52 0.51

2.922 0.036

1 44 1.39 0.49

2 38 1.53 0.51

3 26 1.46 0.51 Exhaustion

4+* 31 1.48 0.51

0.559 0.643

1 44 1.61 0.49

2 38 1.53 0.51

3 26 1.38 0.50 Professional Efficacy

4+* 31 1.52 0.51

1.146 0.333

1 44 1.30 0.46

2 38 1.26 0.45

3 26 1.58 0.50 Total Burnout

4+* 31 1.32 0.48

2.697 0.048

* The results for 4-6 years of service have been clubbed because of low frequencies in those categories.

The Cynicism scores were significantly different with regard to length of service. In the

domain of Cynicism, the 3-year group had the highest score, followed by the 4- to 6-year

group.

- 43 -

Table 12: Burnout Sub-Scale Score Means vs. No. of Daily Working Hours

SUB-SCALE WORKING HOURS N (= 139) MEAN SD t p

5-9 81 11.89 6.75 Cynicism

10-12 58 12.40 8.02 -0.404 0.687

5-9 81 11.36 9.00 Exhaustion

10-12 58 13.02 7.23 -1.161 0.248


10-12 58 26.31 6.75 0.763 0.447

5-9 81 -3.95 15.50 Total Burnout

10-12 58 -0.90 16.45 -1.116 0.266

No statistically significant difference existed between scores on any sub-scale with regard

to working hours. Burnout scores did not have correlation with the number of daily

working hours of respondents.

- 44 -

Table 13: Burnout Sub-Scale Score Means vs. Gross Annual Income

SUB-SCALE INCOME (LACS)

N (= 107a) MEAN SD F p

0-4b 59 12.14 7.41

4-6 22 13.50 7.02 Cynicism

6-9c 26 12.58 8.09

0.266 0.767

0-4b 59 13.22 7.37

4-6 22 12.41 7.25 Exhaustion

6-9c 26 10.50 6.61

1.299 0.277

0-4b 59 27.00 6.49


6-9c 26 26.96 6.95

0.009 0.991

0-4b 59 -1.64 15.52

4-6 22 -0.86 16.87 Total Burnout

6-9c 26 -3.88 15.97

0.253 0.777

a 32 respondents did not provide income data. b Rs 1.4 lac per annum was the lowest gross income. c The results for gross annual incomes of Rs 6 lac-Rs 9 lac have been clubbed because of low frequencies in those categories.

No statistically significant difference existed between burnout scores with regard to

income.

- 45 -

III. IMPACT OF SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES ON THE

PATTERNS OF COPING WITH STRESS

Table 14: Coping Sub-Scale Score Means vs. Gender

SUB-SCALE GENDER N (= 139) MEAN SD t p

Male 77 7.23 1.72 Problem-Focused

Female 62 6.74 1.92 1.587 0.115

Male 77 20.52 6.58 Emotion-Focused

Female 62 19.68 7.90 0.686 0.494

Male 77 3.34 1.31 Problem- & Emotion-Focused Female 62 3.32 1.56

0.062 0.951

Statistically, the coping pattern scores were not significantly different with regard to

gender.

- 46 -

Table 15: Coping Sub-Scale Score Means vs. Age

SUB-SCALE AGE (YEARS) N (= 139) MEAN SD F p

23-24 59 7.32 1.32

25-26 43 6.95 2.20

27-28 37 6.59 1.99 Problem-Focused

Total 139 7.01 1.83

1.863 0.159

23-24 59 20.85 5.82

25-26 43 19.98 7.21

27-28 37 19.22 8.99 Emotion-Focused

Total 139 20.14 7.18

0.600 0.550

23-24 59 3.66 1.15

25-26 43 3.00 1.63

27-28 37 3.19 1.47 Problem- & Emotion-Focused

Total 139 3.33 1.42

3.027 0.052

Neither the problem-focused nor the emotion-focused coping scores were significantly

different. Only the problem-and-emotion-focused coping scores were marginally

significant with respect to the age groups of 23-24 years and 25-26 years (p = 0.06). The

younger of these two age groups (23-24 years) had higher problem-and-emotion-focused

scores.

- 47 -

Table 16: Coping Sub-Scale Score Means vs. Marital Status

SUB-SCALE MARITAL STATUS N (= 139) MEAN SD t p

Single 107 7.15 1.78 Problem-Focused


Single 107 20.24 7.07 Emotion-Focused


Single 107 3.47 1.38 Problem- & Emotion-Focused Married/Living In 32 2.88 1.48

2.093 0.038

Only the Problem- & Emotion-Focused scores were significant with respect to marital

status (p = 0.04). Singles had higher scores on this sub-scale than those married or with

live-in partners.

- 48 -

Table 17: Coping Sub-Scale Score Means vs. Position among Siblings

SUB-SCALE POSITION FROM TOP N (= 139) MEAN SD F p

1a 79 7.08 1.77

2 35 7.03 2.16

3 18 6.94 1.66

4-5b 7 6.43 1.13

Problem-Focused Sub-Scale

Total 139 7.01 1.83

0.275 0.843

1a 79 20.41 7.67

2 35 19.80 6.58

3 18 20.83 5.79

4-5b 7 17.14 8.30

Emotion-Focused Sub-Scale

Total 139 20.14 7.18

0.519 0.670

1a 79 3.37 1.40

2 35 3.49 1.54

3 18 3.11 1.02

4-5b 7 2.71 1.98

Problem- & Emotion-Focused Sub-Scale

Total 139 3.33 1.42

0.734 0.534

a 1st/Eldest Child. b The results for sibling positions 4 and 5 from top have been clubbed because of low frequencies in those categories.

Statistically, the coping pattern scores were not significantly different with regard to

position among siblings.

- 49 -

Table 18: Coping Sub-Scale Score Means vs. Length of Service in Current Organisation

SUB-SCALE YEARS OF SERVICE N (= 139) MEAN SD F p

1 44 7.30 1.68

2 38 7.24 1.53

3 26 6.73 1.71

4+* 31 6.58 2.35

Problem-Focused Sub-Scale

Total 139 7.01 1.83

1.338 0.265

1 44 19.84 5.77

2 38 19.63 6.96

3 26 21.77 6.81

4+* 31 19.84 9.40

Emotion-Focused Sub-Scale

Total 139 20.14 7.18

0.548 0.651

1 44 3.61 1.17

2 38 3.32 1.58

3 26 3.27 1.46

4+* 31 3.00 1.51

Problem- & Emotion-Focused Sub-Scale

Total 139 3.33 1.42

1.162 0.327

* The results for 4-6 years of service have been clubbed because of low frequencies in those categories.

The coping scores were not significantly different with regard to length of service in

current organisation.

- 50 -

Table 19: Coping Sub-Scale Score Means vs. No. of Daily Working Hours

SUB-SCALE WORKING HOURS N (= 139) MEAN SD t p

5-9 81 7.00 1.96 Problem-Focused Sub-Scale 10-12 58 7.03 1.63

-0.109 0.913

5-9 81 20.38 7.77 Emotion-Focused Sub-Scale 10-12 58 19.81 6.32

0.462 0.645

5-9 81 3.33 1.45 Problem- & Emotion-Focused Sub-Scale 10-12 58 3.33 1.39

0.023 0.981

The coping scores were not significantly different with regard to number of daily

working hours.

- 51 -

Table 20: Coping Sub-Scale Score Means vs. Gross Annual Income

SUB-SCALE INCOME (RS LACS) N (= 107a) MEAN SD F p

0-4b 59 7.44 1.25

4-6 22 7.50 1.60

6-9c 26 6.08 2.59 Problem-Focused

Total 107 7.12 1.82

6.258 0.003

0-4b 59 21.15 6.02

4-6 22 20.64 5.84

6-9c 26 16.50 8.37 Emotion-Focused

Total 107 19.92 6.85

4.609 0.012

0-4b 59 3.68 1.38

4-6 22 3.64 1.26

6-9c 26 2.62 1.55 Problem- & Emotion-Focused

Total 107 3.41 1.46

5.548 0.005

a 32 respondents did not provide income data. b Rs 1.4 lac per annum was the lowest gross income. c The results for gross annual incomes of Rs 6 lac-Rs 9 lac have been clubbed because of low frequencies in those categories. The problem-focused coping scores were significantly different between the income slabs

of Rs 0 lac-Rs 4 lac and Rs 6 lac-Rs 9 lac (p = 0.003) and between the income slabs of Rs

4 lac-Rs 6 lac and Rs 6 lac-Rs 9 lac (p = 0.016):

• The Rs 0 lac-Rs 4 lac income group had higher (or better) problem-focused coping

scores than the Rs 6 lac-Rs 9 lac income group.

• The Rs 4 lac-Rs 6 lac income group had higher(or better) problem-focused coping

scores than the Rs 6 lac-Rs 9 lac income group.

Thus, the Rs 6 lac-Rs 9 lac income group had the lowest problem-focused coping scores.

- 52 -

Emotion-focused coping scores were significantly different between the income slabs of

Rs 0 lac-Rs 4 lac and Rs 6 lac-Rs 9 lac (p = 0.011). The Rs 0 lac-Rs 4 lac income group

had higher emotion-focused coping scores than the Rs 6 lac-Rs 9 lac group.

Problem-and-emotion-focused coping scores were significantly different between the

income slabs of Rs 0 lac-Rs 4 lac and Rs 6 lac-Rs 9 lac (p = 0.005) and between the

income slabs of Rs 4 lac-Rs 6 lac and Rs 6 lac-Rs 9 lac (p = 0.040):

• The Rs 0 lac-Rs 4 lac income group had higher (or better) coping scores than the Rs 6

lac-Rs 9 lac income group.

• The Rs 4 lac-Rs 6 lac income group had higher (or better) coping scores than the Rs 6

lac-Rs 9 lac income group.

Thus, the Rs 6 lac-Rs 9 lac income group had the lowest problem-and-emotion-focused

coping scores.

- 53 -

6. DISCUSSION

In line with the Objectives and as given in the Results, this discussion will cover the

impact of the 7 socio-demographic variables listed earlier on the extent of burnout and on

coping patterns of the sample.

I. Socio-Demographic Description of the Sample

In the organisations surveyed, the proportions of male and female employees were

uniformly distributed as 55.4% and 44.6%, respectively (Table 1). Moreover, among the

youngest of these employees (Table 2), the corresponding proportions were even higher

for females (44.1% and 55.9%, respectively), indicating that IT companies have perhaps

adopted gender-independent recruitment policies across the board because equal-

opportunity employment is a professional ethic expected by the developed world, to

which most of the Indian IT industry markets its services. It also perhaps indicates that

Indian industry, especially the IT-related sectors, have come of age in that they include

more women in the workforce. It also demonstrates that the new-age Indian woman can

and will compete with men for jobs in an equal-opportunity situation.

Table 3 shows that 77% of the sample was single. Also, in the 5-year age span (23-28

years) covered in this study, the change in marital/sexual partnership status among

respondents was notable: every 2 years, significant numbers of singles were finding

partners. The proportion of singles dropped from 93.2% at age 23-24 years to 56.8% by

- 54 -

the time they were 27-28 years in age. This trend is consistent with the demographics of

marriage among contemporary urban Indian professionals, as is the trend, evinced in

Table 4, that more males (83.1%, in the sample covered) tend to be single, compared with

females (69.4%, in the sample).

The trend toward having up to 2 siblings per respondent is reflected by the data on

frequencies with respect to position among siblings (Table 5): 95% of the sample had 1, 2

or 3 children per family.

Table 6 shows that the length of the actual average workday for IT professionals today

has changed. It is no longer the stipulated, official 8 hours per day, but longer: 41.7% of

the sample actually worked an average of over 10 hours daily. Also, women and men

work the same number of working hours.

II. Impact of Socio-Demographic Variables on the Extent of Burnout

As shown in Table 7, as a gender, women had lower professional efficacy scores than

men, i.e. they were less confident of being effective in getting things done at work.

Murray and Syed (2007)55 and Ronen and Pines (2008)40 suggest that this is due to the

masculine culture and prejudices in organisations against women engineers, which

predict high levels of burnout among them.

- 55 -

The Maslach Burnout Inventory (General Survey) expresses the Exhaustion dimension of

burnout as “working all day is really a strain for me.” On this dimension, 23- to 24-year-

olds had higher scores than their 25- to 26-year-old counterparts (Table 8). This could be

attributed to the high work pressure on junior-level IT employees to write voluminous

computer code to meet stringent deadlines.

Table 9 shows that there was no impact on the respondents’ extent of burnout due to

sexual partnership status: both single and married/living-in respondents had similar

burnout scores. This may be viewed in light of the fact that Coyne and DeLongis (1986)26

found happily married individuals enjoying many psychological and social advantages

over their unmarried counterparts while, equally, the unhappily married tended to

experience stress that even the high support of other social relationships did not offset.

The socio-demographic variable of position among siblings did not have correlation with

burnout (Table 10). This was perhaps because birth order affects sibling dynamics and

family dynamics. For instance, the eldest child frequently faces higher expectations,

tougher rules and harsher discipline from its parents than its younger siblings; and these

stresses are further accentuated in large families. In the current study, since 95% of the

respondents came from relatively small families (of 1-3 children), parental expectations

and birth order-related stress were probably lower than those that would apply to families

with 4 or more children. Thus the burnout score differentials in the sample were not

significant.

- 56 -

Cynicism scores were significantly different for different lengths of service in the current

organisation (Table 11). They were the highest for respondents with 3 years’ experience.

Respondents with 4-6 years’ experience came second, and respondents with 2 years’

experience, third. A plausible explanation for this (and for the total burnout scores, which

showed the same trend) may be tendered as follows. In Indian IT companies, the first

year of employment is often a probationary year for the employee, at the end of which the

individual is confirmed and awarded a token promotion. It is also the year of discovery

for the employee. The second year is usually the year during which the employee

experiences serious engagement with the company. But it is also the year that frequently

closes with additional professional responsibilities being assigned to the individual, but

no promotion. This begins the employee’s third year, a year of disillusionment, at the end

of which, however, the company’s management grants a second promotion to the

employee. Many employees leave the company during their third year of service. Those

who stay on are, by this time, sufficiently motivated by organisational culture-related

factors, not only those based on salary.

The lack of correlation between burnout and number of daily working hours (Table 12),

when taken together with the exhaustion experienced by the 23- to 26-year age group (i.e.

the younger age groups; Table 8), could be interpreted to mean that organisational factors

other than those related to the sheer physical effort of working correlate positively with

burnout. Similar findings have been reported in the studies by Li and Shani (1991)43;

Smith, Conway and Karsh (1999)13; and Kalyanasundaram and Nautiyal (2008)42.

- 57 -

The finding, in Table 13, that burnout was not correlated with income, is in line with the

findings of Li and Shani (1991)43; Kawakami and Haratani (1999)17; Smith, Conway and

Karsh (1999)13; Faragher, Cass and Cooper (2005)44; Maudgalya, Wallace, Daraiseh and

Salem (2006)41; Tominaga, Asakura and Akiyama (2007)18 and Ronen and Pines

(2008)40.

III. Impact of Socio-Demographic Variables on Patterns of Coping with Stress

The data in Table 14 show that coping styles did not correlate with gender. This finding

may be compared with five relevant research works. The first two are the studies of

Murray and Syed (2007)55 and Bhattacharya and Basu (2007)30, who report that women

adopt masculine styles in order to prove their success in competition with their male

colleagues. The third is the research by Taylor, Klein, Lewis, Gruenewald, Gurung et al

(2000)35, which concludes that women use the tend-and-befriend coping style rather than

the (masculine) fight-or-flight response. However, the argument of Taylor et al has

limited efficacy because it is based on the literature of 1985-2000, assumes a hunter-

gatherer society and was conducted at a time when Computer Science was a male

preserve. The fourth comparison may be made with the work of Addis and Mahalik

(2003)33, who argue for gender differences in coping styles but who also, in the same

paper, report the existence of considerable individual variability within stereotypes. The

final comparison (a contrast, to be precise), may be made with the results of Hyman,

Scholarios and Baldry (2005)54, which are based on a much older sample than in our

current study. (40% of their sample had children to look after.)

- 58 -

The Problem- & Emotion-Focused coping scores of 23- to 24-year-olds were marginally

higher than that of the 25- to 26-year-olds (Table 15). The preference of the former age

group for social support could be attributed to the possibility that, with increase in age

and professional commitments, their social networks had narrowed.

The same argument could be applied to the finding of Table 16, in which single

respondents recorded higher scores on the problem-and-emotion-focused coping sub-

scale than those married or with live-in partners. (Typically, partners in young couples

are found to draw more emotional support from each other than from their social

networks.)

The uniformity in coping sub-scale scores with regard to position among siblings (Table

17) could be explained by the relative homogeneity of inter-relationship patterns existing

in the smaller family sizes found to be characteristic of the sample in the current study.

Table 18 and Table 19 showed that coping patterns had correlation neither with length of

service in the current organisation nor with the number of daily working hours. The

literature does not comment on these findings, as studies have yet to be documented on

these inter-relationships.

Respondents in the Rs 6 lac-Rs 9 lac income slab (Table 20) had the lowest problem-

focused coping scores among the three income slabs. The following may constitute a

- 59 -

possible explanation for this. Many young Engineering graduates – who typically fit into

the Rs 0 lac-Rs 4 lac and the Rs 4 lac-Rs 6 lac income slabs – start out with the belief that

the empirical problem-solving methods of the exact sciences can be applied uncritically

to the area of human behaviour. It is only as a result of one’s growth in empathy that the

realisation dawns that solving one’s life problems (i.e. coping with stress) is not to be

treated in cut-and-dried fashion as if they were Engineering problems. One thus learns to

consider not only the source of the stress (i.e. using a problem-focused approach) but also

the perception of that stress (i.e. the value of using emotion- and appraisal-focused

strategies).

The Rs 6 lac-Rs 9 lac income slab also recorded the lowest Problem- & Emotion-Focused

coping scores perhaps because, as suggested earlier (in the discussion of the results of

Table 15), the older age groups (i.e. the higher income slabs) had less opportunity to draw

on their social networks due to the weightier professional responsibilities they were

shouldering. This finding agrees with those reported by Chaturvedi, Kalyanasundaram,

Prabhu and Narasimha (2007)48.

Finally, the Rs 6 lac-Rs 9 lac income slab recorded lower Emotion-Focused coping scores

than the Rs 0 lac-Rs 4 lac slab. This is possibly because those in the lower income slab,

who tend to come from a younger age group, also tend to be more emotion-focused in

their coping while, as one grows older (and tends to draw a higher income), one’s rational

and pragmatic side balances out one’s emotional side.

- 60 -

To summarise, the sample reflected, in several ways, the social transitions in modern

urban India. Most respondents did not have more than 2 siblings. Although the sample

had a high proportion of females, the women had lower professional efficacy scores than

the men, perhaps because of a masculine organisational work culture. The average

workday was longer than 8 hours. Exhaustion scores were highest in the 23- to 24-year-

olds bracket, caused not necessarily by the length of the workday but possibly by the high

work pressure typical in the industry. Burnout levels had no correlation with the income

levels. Both males and females had similar stress coping styles. Also, coping styles

changed neither with the number of years the respondent had served in the current

organisation nor with the length of the workday. Preference for social support-based

coping was seen in the 23- to 24-year age group. Lastly, the highest income slab (Rs 6

lac-Rs 9 lac) had the lowest coping scores.

- 61 -

7. SUMMARY

The present study was a preliminary exploration that looked into burnout and coping

patterns among young professionals in the information technology (IT) industry in

Bangalore. The objectives were therefore to study the impact of select socio-demographic

variables on the extent of burnout and on the patterns of coping with stress of these

professionals.

This study was a questionnaire-based survey. Purposive sampling was used to get a

sample size of 139. (32 respondents did not provide data on one variable.) Written,

informed consent was obtained from each participant, and confidentiality of the

information collected was ensured.

23- to 28-year-old Software Engineering employees of IT companies, with 6 or more

months’ work experience in their current organisation, were included in the sample.

The key findings were that today’s urban Indian professionals are probably a distinct

social class. In the age bracket of 27-28 years, over half were still single.( males?) Family

sizes had shrunk: 95% of the sample had not more than 2 siblings. Regardless of gender,

more than 2 out of 5 respondents had over 10-hour workdays. Although almost 45% of

the sample was female, the organisational culture tended to be masculine. The youngest

respondents (23-24 years) felt exhaustion component of burnout the most; the reason was

not necessarily long work hours but, possibly high work pressure (which is typical in this

- 62 -

‘high expectation’ industry). Income did not have an impact on burnout. Male and female

coping styles were similar. Finally, respondents in the highest income slab surveyed (Rs

6 lac-Rs 9 lac) had the lowest coping scores.

A key limitation of the study of the study was that the literature specific to the Indian IT

industry was difficult to obtain. Owing to limitations in resources, the scope of the

current study could not be extended to study the phenomenon of job stress in the sample.

Intense competition in the software services sector made IT company managements

guarded regarding organisation information related to the topic under study. Also, the

busy working life of the respondents prevented them from responding to a questionnaire

featuring additional socio-demographic items. Finally, keeping in mind the vast

populations engaged in the IT profession in India, the small sample size imposed

strictures on the generalisation of results.

Nonetheless, a gamut of strategic implications exists in the areas of further study and

future psychosocial intervention. In-depth studies based on this preliminary attempt will

throw light on the physical health- and mental health-related vulnerabilities of the IT

professional and stimulate primary and secondary prevention and psycho-education. The

efficacy of conducting large-scale Internet-based studies to map this key human resource

base should be apparent to students in the field.

- 63 -

Neither should the above research be restricted to India alone. Several other countries in

the developing world have socio-cultural contexts similar to ours. They should be invited

to benefit from the knowledge we gain.

- 64 -

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- A1 -

9. ANNEXURES

Annexure A

Consent Form

CONSENT I, ................................................................................................................... (full name),

residing at .........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................... (full address),

hereby give my voluntary consent to participating in this study, provided my identity is

kept strictly confidential. The researcher, Mr S. Sahu, has given me a satisfactory

explanation regarding the nature, purpose and benefits of the study. He has also

answered my questions regarding the questionnaire. I understand that I am free to

withdraw my participation in the study, without furnishing any reason for the same, at

any time before 15 November 2009.

Signature of Researcher Signature of Respondent

Date Date

- A2 -

Annexure B

The Socio-Demographic Data Form

PERSONAL DETAILS (Please tick wherever applicable)

Sex :

Age (in years) :

Religion :

Marital Status Single Married/Living in Separated/Divorced Widowed

If married, whether spouse has independent income : Yes | No

No. of Children (if any) :

Ages of Children (in years)

FAMILY BACKGROUND (Please tick wherever applicable)

No. of Siblings :

1 2 3 4 5 What is your position among your siblings? (1

= Eldest, 2 = Second from top, etc) 6 7 8 9 10

Father Parents’ Education Levels

(As applicable) Mother

Are both your parents alive? : Yes | No

Father Age(s) of Living Parent(s)

(As applicable, in years) Mother

Father Parents’ Occupations

(As applicable) Mother

- A3 -

PROFESSIONAL INFORMATION (Please tick wherever applicable)

Length of Service in Current Organisation (in years) :

Total Professional Experience (in years) :

At work, do you lead a team of IT professionals? : Yes | No

If you lead a team of IT professionals, what is the

strength of your team? (in total number of people) :

No. of Working Hours per Day : Actual Stipulated

Do you work in shifts? : Yes | No

What are the timings of the shift in

which you work most frequently? :

How frequently do you

work in night shifts?

days/w

eeks per

days/

weeks

Gross Annual Income :

- A4 -

Annexure C

The Maslach Burnout Inventory (General Survey)

by

Wilmar Schaufeli, Michael P. Leiter, Christina Maslach and Susan E. Jackson (1996)

Listed below are 16 statements of job-related feelings. Please read each statement

carefully and decide if you have ever felt this way about your job. If you have never had

the feeling, write a “0” before the statement. If you have had the feeling, indicate how

often you have felt it, by writing a number from 1 to 6 that best describes how frequently

you have felt that way. Use the following correlation:

0 = Never

1 = A few times a year or less

2 = Once a month or less

3 = A few times a month

4 = Once a week

5 = A few times a week

6 = Every day

1. ___ I feel emotionally drained from my work.

2. ___ I feel used up at the end of the workday.

3. ___ I feel tired when I get up in the morning and have to face another day on ___

the job.

4. ___ Working all day is really a strain for me.

5. ___ I can effectively solve the problems that arise in my work.

6. ___ I feel burnt out from my work.

7. ___ I feel I am making an effective contribution to what this organisation does.

8. ___ I have become less interested in my work since I started this job.

9. ___ I have become less enthusiastic about my work.

10. ___ In my opinion, I am good at my job.

11. ___ I feel exhilarated when I accomplish something at work.

- A5 -

12. ___ I have accomplished many worthwhile things in this job.

13. ___ I just want to do my job and not be bothered.

14. ___ I have become more cynical about whether my work contributes anything.

15. ___ I doubt the significance of my work.

16. ___ At my work, I feel confident that I am effective at getting things done.

- A6 -

Annexure D

The Coping Checklist

by

Kiran Rao, D.K. Subbakrishna and G.G. Prabhu (1989)

Below is a 70-item checklist. The purpose of the checklist is to find out how people

handle difficult situations. The list indicates, in italics, some commonly used methods.

Please read each item in the list carefully and tick:

• “Yes” if you use the method often or frequently

• “No” if you use the method infrequently or not at all

Please do not omit any item.

1. You go over the problem again and again in your mind, to try and

understand it Yes | No

2. Accept it, since nothing can be done Yes | No

3. Talk to a family member who can do something concrete about the

problem Yes | No

4. Get away from things for a while, get some rest or take a vacation Yes | No

5. Compare yourself with others and feel that you are better off Yes | No

6. Wish that you can change what has happened Yes | No

7. Seek reassurance and emotional support from family members Yes | No

8. Try to make yourself feel better by taking mood-elevating drugs Yes | No

9. Visit places of worship or go on a pilgrimage Yes | No

10. Go on a shopping spree Yes | No

11. Engage in vigorous physical exercise Yes | No

12. Anticipate probable outcomes and mentally rehearse them Yes | No

- A7 -

13. Console yourself that things are not all that bad and could be worse Yes | No

14. Try your luck at games of chance, e.g. horse racing, the lottery or cards Yes | No

15. Seek reassurance and support from friends Yes | No

16. Retreat to a quiet, favourite spot to think things over Yes | No

17. Try to make yourself feel better by having a drink or two of alcohol Yes | No

18. Accept the next best thing to what you wanted Yes | No

19. Think about fantastic or unreal things to make yourself feel better Yes | No

20. Try to look on the bright side of things Yes | No

21. Attend bhajan groups Yes | No

22. Go for long walks Yes | No

23. Blame your fate and tell yourself that sometimes one just has bad luck Yes | No

24. Make yourself feel better by smoking Yes | No

25. Wear a lucky charm or amulet Yes | No

26. Talk to a friend who can do something about the problem Yes | No

27. Pray to God Yes | No

28. Make light of the situation or refused to get too serious about it Yes | No

29. Listen to music for comfort Yes | No

30. Come up with a couple of different solutions to the problem Yes | No

31. Try to forget about the whole thing Yes | No

32. Avoid being with people and seek complete isolation Yes | No

33. Consult a faith healer Yes | No

34. Self-medicate by swallowing analgesics or minor tranquilisers Yes | No

35. Refuse to believe that it happened Yes | No

36. Attend religious/philosophical discourses and talks Yes | No

37. Start or practise yoga/meditation Yes | No

- A8 -

38. Hope a miracle will happen Yes | No

39. Consult an astrologer Yes | No

40. Help others in trouble or distress Yes | No

41. Feel that time will remedy things and that the only thing to do is wait Yes | No

42. Write letters to significant others Yes | No

43. Prepare yourself for the worst to come Yes | No

44. Pace up and down, thinking about the problem Yes | No

45. Turn to work/studies to take your mind off things Yes | No

46. Seek sexual comfort Yes | No

47. Find a purpose or meaning in your suffering Yes | No

48. Spend time in the company of children Yes | No

49. View the future as bleak and hopeless Yes | No

50. Write short stories, poetry, etc Yes | No

51. Blame yourself Yes | No

52. You know what has to be done, so you double your efforts and try

harder to make things work Yes | No

53. Analyse the problem and solve it bit by bit Yes | No

54. Make a plan of action and follow it Yes | No

55. Read popular guidebooks for answers to your problems Yes | No

56. Draw on your past experience of similar situations Yes | No

57. Take up or indulge in a hobby (music, art, etc) Yes | No

58. Sleep more than usual to avoid the problem Yes | No

59. Read novels, magazines, etc much more than usual Yes | No

60. Try to feel better by eating/nibbling on food Yes | No

61. Keep your feelings to yourself Yes | No

- A9 -

62. Make special offerings or perform special pujas Yes | No

63. Become a member of a group, club or organisation or, if already a

member, attend group activities Yes | No

64. See more movies than usual Yes | No

65. Seek professional help and do as they recommend Yes | No

66. Read books on philosophy or religion Yes | No

67. Compare yourself with others and feel that you are worse off Yes | No

68. Feel that other people are responsible for what has happened Yes | No

69. Take a big chance and do something very risky Yes | No

70. Write to ‘question-answer’ columns in various magazines Yes | No

RFPG College - Dissertation - S. Sahu

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