Linking employee motivation and job stress: An organizational study on EXIM Bank Limited

Abstract

This report is an analytical report on the interrelationship between job stress and employee motivation at the EXIM bank limited as part of the internship program of the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree at BRAC University. The objective of the study is to unravel how intrinsic and extrinsic motivation factors contribute to the effectiveness of employees to handle occupational stress and how the relationships manifest in the general performance and satisfaction of employees in the banking industry. The report integrates both qualitative data collected by interviewing various employees within different departments with the theoretical knowledge of Maslow's hierarchical needs, Herzberg's theory of motivation which is divided into two factors and McClelland's theory of needs to comprehend motivation and Karasek job demand control model and Lazarus and Folkson's transactional model of stress in analyzing stress at work. The results have shown that EXIM Bank has a culture of responsibility, teamwork and ethics service orientation which are important intrinsic motivation among the employees. The morale and resilience are further boosted by recognition, supportive supervision, as well as strong peer relationships. Nevertheless, the research also determines that there are chronic work stressors, especially workloads when there are peak transaction times, minimal chances of promotions, and monotonous work at the branch level. Although the staff does like the management style of being empathetic and allowing transfers that are flexible to female employees in particular, the lack of formal training and slow advancement in their careers leads to dissatisfaction and burnout in the long term. The report concludes that motivation and job stress in EXIM Bank are intertwined. Intrinsic motivation is helpful in overcoming high work pressure in the employees, yet lack of career development and recognition increase stress in the long-term. To maintain the fitness of staff members and organizational productivity, the report suggests the establishment of recognition programs, regular skill development programs, stress management courses, and reinforcement of gender-balanced HR policies. This report not only helps to understand the interaction of motivation and stress in a Bangladeshi banking setting better but also helps to understand how human resource practices can be redesigned to achieve not only productivity but also employee satisfaction in the ever changing financial business.