Stress Coping Strategies among Agricultural Extension Service Providers in Oyo State Civil Service

Abstract

Stress coping strategies is an off shoot of study conducted in the organisation that established that the employees of the organisation were suffering from work stress and the need to profile solutions to work stress in the organisation prompted this research. A total of seventy 70 extension workers were randomly selected from the four zones (Saki, Oyo, Ogbomosho, and Ibadan) in Oyo state Agricultural Development programme (OYSADEP). Questionnaire was used for data collection while the data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics Out of 11 job stressors, the   predominant job stressors  carried out  by the extension service providers  are ; farmers field visitation with  score of (4.80)  followed  by  training of farmers  with  score of 4.76  and  establishment of  SPAT (Small Plot Adoption Techniques)  with   score of (4.59) Reading news paper, magazine or book with  higher  score (1.77) and discussing work  situation with spouse or close friends  with   scores of 1.5 were the major coping strategies used in overcoming job stress while negative coping strategies such as becoming aggressive  recorded lower   score  of 0.34. There was strong relationship between some job stressors and coping strategies employed by workers.  In conclusion employee should have control over work flow to reduce work stress and increase work efficiency.