AN EXAMINATION OF THE SOURCES OF OCCUPATIONAL STRESS AMONG HUMANITARIAN AID WORKERS IN CHOMA, SOUTHERN PROVINCE - ZAMBIA.

Abstract

Humanitarian Aid Workers often times operate within a context of Organizational Development practices that daily expose them to occupational stress and in the process leave them vulnerable to job burnout. Humanitarian Aid Workers (N=108) from three different organizations completed a qualitative instrument, with 31 participating in Focus Group Discussions identifying sources of occupational stress, comparing the severity of stress based on several variables, and examining coping strategies. The Transactional Model and Person- Environment (PE) Fit theory were used as humanitarian aid work was not only confined to closed office environments, but also extended to the field where actual aid was directly administered, in pursuit of achieving organizational goals and objectives. Three distinct categories of occupational stress spanning the nature of humanitarian aid work itself, conditions of service and the working environment erupted. 58.3% of respondents were stressed with 41.7% unsure. While 95% of respondents felt they worked under severe deadline pressure 92% felt they had low salaries with no job security among many other attributes.