Demanding
work environment combined with rapid technological changes
has resulted in project management becoming an essential part
of management strategies of many businesses of late. The Information
Technology (IT) industry is leading on this front employing
an increasing number of project managers in recent years.
In general management, stress occupies a high position, but
the level of stress experienced by project managers may be
higher due to the conflicting demands of completing a project
on time, within the budget, ensuring quality and keeping many
stakeholders, especially the client, happy. Managing projects
in a dynamic, complex environment, project managers have to
face enormity of the challenge to ensure successful project
completion. They are under extreme pressure to meet targets,
often face burnout which, if ignored, can be harmful for their
health and, in turn, can affect their performance.
No
wonder that projects provide a stressful environment to work.
And, this stress is becoming greater and greater. The increasing
globalization and technological advancements are leading to
levels of stress never before experienced. With the help of
technology, new knowledge is being generated faster than people's
capacity for learning, which leads to a greater stress. Against
this environment, to maintain their growth tempo, organizations
need to address workforce stress concerns to ensure that productivity
doesn't decrease because of work-related stress. Some of the
reasons behind the increasing levels of stress in project
management include organizational problems, insufficient back-up,
long or unsociable hours, poor status, unclear roles, poor
leadership, etc. |
