Managing Workplace Stress and Employees' Performance Among the University of Benin Academic Staff (2010 -2024)

ABSTRACT This research examines stress management and its impact on organizational performance, specifically among academic staff at the University of Benin between 2010 and 2024. The primary aims of the study are to identify the underlying causes of workplace stress that affect the performance of academic staff, to analyze the various dimensions of stress in relation to organizational effectiveness, to examine challenges limiting the efficient management of workplace stress, and to recommend practical strategies for addressing these challenges within the university context. The study employed a survey research design. According to the Academic Planning Division of the University of Benin (2023), the total population of academic staff was 1,896 as of 2021. A sample of 120 respondents was selected from four departments: English and Literature, Business Administration, Microbiology, and Computer Science. Data were collected using structured questionnaires administered to the selected respondents. Out of the 120 questionnaires distributed, 114 were correctly completed and returned. The data were analyzed using simple percentage techniques and the chi-square statistical method to test the formulated hypotheses. The findings revealed that insufficient research funding remains one of the major factors contributing to stress and reduced organizational performance among academic staff at the University of Benin. Based on these findings, the study recommended, among other things, that adequate financial resources should be made available to the institution to promote effective research and academic development.