Organizational stress among police personnel a study of Punjab police

Abstract

Policing has been considered as one of the most stressful profession in modern world as witnessed by different studies. Various intra-organisational, inter-organisational and extra-organisational factors have been found to affect the level of stress among police individuals. This study is aimed at finding organizational stress among police personnel in Punjab state. The study has been conducted with an objective to have insight into the prevailing stress conditions among police forces in Punjab, along with its negative effects on their physical and psychological health. Total 300 respondents were selected,150 each from two districts i.e. Gurdaspur and SAS Nagar by using random sampling method of data collection. The data was collected using structured questionnaire and interview method. The data findings revealed that work overload, role conflict, workplace harassment, court proceedings, poor police-public interface, socio-demographic factors, court proceedings and political pressure were affecting them up to large extent. The police personnel were also found to suffer from different types of physical ailments and behavioural changes related to organizational stress. The study findings have called for immediate action to alleviate police stress by employing organizational strategies at managerial level and improving coping strategies at individual level. newline