Effect of Stress Management Techniques on Employees’ Performance: A Case Study of Microfinance Institutions in Buea, South-west Region of Cameroon

Abstract

Work stress is on the rise in Buea microfinance institutions due to a variety of factors, such as poor working conditions, political uncertainty, unfavorable environmental conditions, and high levels of poverty. The crisis in Cameroon's South-West and North-West regions has aggravated the situation. These institutions' management has implemented stress management techniques to address this issue and improve employee performance. The primary goal of this research was to investigate the effect of these techniques on employee performance in a sample of microfinance institutions in Buea, Cameroon. Stress management training, flextime arrangements, psychological support, relaxation, and counseling were all considered stress management techniques. The descriptive survey research design was used, and data were collected through questionnaires from 220 employees of 30 microfinance institutions in Buea. Purposive sampling was used in this study. The data were analyzed with the Ordinary Least Squares regression model. The study's findings revealed that stress management training, flextime arrangements, and counseling had a positive and significant effect on employee performance. Psychological support and relaxation, on the other hand, had little or no impact. Based on these findings, it is suggested that management in these institutions prioritize stress management training, flextime arrangements, and counseling as effective stress-reduction and performance-improvement strategies. Other techniques can be enhanced and developed further.