Role Stress and Coping Styles among Women Entrepreneurs of Service Sector

Abstract

In the present phase of transition individual is oscillating between traditional values and modernization of work culture. Entrepreneurship is full of risks, uncertainties, difficulties, challenges and disturbances. Further contradictory role expectations particularly for women in both the major domains of life lead to role stress in one or another sphere. It is better to articulate that entrepreneur is living in the world of stress. In the recent era the stress is very natural and unavoidable. Suitable techniques or strategies are essential for appropriate management of stress along with maintenance of equilibrium & balance. Thus coping behaviour of an individual becomes important. This study attempts to assess and compare the role stress and coping styles of women entrepreneurs from service sector. Total 90 women entrepreneurs, 30 from each sub-sector viz. clinic and diagnostic centres, beauty parlours & slimming centres and training institutes & hobby classes were participated in the study. Entrepreneurial Role Stress (ERS) scale developed by Pareek (1981) and a semi projective instrument Role Pics (E) constructed by Pareek (1983) were used to assess the role stress and coping styles of the subjects respectively. Results revealed that role stress was experienced in all the nine dimensions of stress by overall service sector subjects as well as entrepreneurs from all the three subsectors. Maximum role stress was found in women entrepreneurs running beauty parlours & slimming centres. Challenge stress was highest in women entrepreneurs of all the three sub-sectors. Approach mode of coping was preferred by overall service sector women entrepreneurs as well as subjects who own beauty parlours & slimming canters and training & hobby classes. Extrapersistive style (e) was dominant in approach mode for total sample and women running training & hobby classes. The study is suggestive that approach mode of coping is much acceptable to curb the stresses for service sector enterprises.