Job Stress Among Staff in Polytechnic Libraries of North-Central Nigeria

Job Stress Among Staff in Polytechnic Libraries of North-Central Nigeria.

ABSTRACT

The study is aimed at assessing job stress among library staff in selected polytechnic  libraries of North-Central Nigeria. Specifically, five purposes and research questions guided the study.

The study adopted descriptive survey design. The populations of the study were made up of five hundred and thirty two (532) library staff of twelve polytechnic libraries in the zone.

The study used purposive sampling technique to select three polytechnic  libraries  with  one hundred and thirty eighty (138) library staff that was used in the study.

The study also used structured questionnaire as the instrument for data collection. One hundred and thirty eighty (138) copies of questionnaire were distributed to the respondent and one hundred and twenty four (124) of them returned. This represented a return rate of ninety percent (90%).

The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics of: frequency  tables  and  mean  scores. And the decision rule in the analysis was based on the value of the criterion mean of 2.5;  where an item mean score above or equal to the criterion mean wee accepted and otherwise rejected.

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In addition, the findings of the study revealed that: psychological, emotional, technological, physiological, situational and accidental stresses were the constituents of job stress among the staff; work overload, environmental hazard, lack of social support.

Poor communication and leadership style, job insecurity, lack of control and  role  ambiguity together with health related factor were the major causes of job stress among them.

Job stress had the following consequences on the polytechnic library staff in the zone: hard work, skill development, high productivity and turnover, increase in work pay and promotion, absenteeism, presenteeism, sleeplessness health deterioration, depression and tardiness, functional inconsistency and job dissatisfaction.

The extent to which  job  stress  had  affected the polytechnic library staff in the zone had resulted in prolonged headache  and  pains.

Constant breakdown of rules and regulations, intermittent impairment of vision,  repetitive strain injuries, loss of attention, musculoskeletal diseases, negative social status, and lowered productivity and strategies as: building of strong human relationship.

Provision of resourceful working environment, seeking for advice aid counseling; engaging in leisure activities, planning of job schedule; delegation of job to subordinate staff, balancing of work and home life; provision of equitable shifting system were appropriate for controlling job stress.

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INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

In the quest for an increased turn-out of middle level manpower that will necessitate the industrial and technological development of the country through learning, teaching, and  research  of the host polytechnic; a library is established.

Consequently, a polytechnic library according to Glossary of Education (2012) is part of an academic library- which is libraries that  forms part of, or associated with, institutions of higher education.

It further emphasized that such  libraries support teaching, learning, research, and public services of their parent institutions.

Specifically,   as a form of academic libraries; they perform the following functions: provision of material for undergraduate instruction, term papers, and project as  well as complementary reading;  provision of material in support for postgraduate research.

Provision of expensive standard  work especially in the specialized discipline; provision of material support for faculty and collaborated research; provision of material for personal self development.

Provision of special information  on  the region within which the institution is located; co-operation with other academic libraries with a view to developing a network of academic libraries resources that is at the  disposal  of  all  scholars (Ifidion and Okoli, 2002: 24).

Subsequently, polytechnic libraries while performing the above functions  expose  their staff to undue stress. Hence, library staff in polytechnic libraries is not left out from those employees that experiences these stress. In this regards, who are library staff?

They include the professional staff who are professional with at least a degree certificate (bachelor) in  library science and / or library and information science from institution of higher learning.

Especially the universities; paraprofessional staff who are staff with diploma certificate in librarianship; and non-professional staff who are those staff without any certificate in librarianship but works in the libraries (Education For Librarianship, 2007).

This is to say that,  they  are  information professional often regarded as the “custodian of knowledge”; who are saddled with the organization, acquisition, storage and dissemination of information in an information centre (eg. libraries). The table below shows the classification of these library staff with their qualifications.

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