An Analysis of the Effect of Emotional Intelligence and Gender on Stress Levels of Management Students

Industry estimates suggest that there are more than 1,300 business schools in India and these business schools produce an estimated 120,000 graduates every year (Shahaida, January 2009: 58). Thus in this competitive scenario the students had to strive very hard to be 'market ready' which led to an increase in the perceived stress levels of management students. It is in this context that the study of stress becomes imperative among the students of Management. Academic stress among college students has been a topic of interest for many years. Students' experience of anxiety and stress during their college years may be imperative for their overall functioning as well as their academic performance. Many variables like academic pressure, financial concerns, social obligations, peer pressure etc. may be related to the academic-related stress experienced by college students. It is generally believed that females are able to manage their stress levels better. Emotional Intelligence (EI) too is believed to have a significant influence on stress. The objective of the study is to probe whether Emotional Intelligence and Gender play any role in influencing the Stress levels of Management Students. Data was collected from B Schools across India. Sample size was 1013. Two stage stratification sampling was done. The scale used to measure Stress levels of students is Organizational Role Stress (ORS) (Pareek 1983). The scale used to measure Emotional Intelligence of students is EIS Inventory developed by Upinder Dhar (2002). Results revealed that EI or Gender do not have a significant influence on the stress levels of students. However there is an inverse negative correlation between EI and stress. Both males and females experience stress through the levels may vary on various dimensions.