AN ASSESSMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL STANDARDS, STRESS, AND PERFORMANCE OF EMPLOYEES IN SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISE IN ZIMBABWE: A CASE OF HARARE (CBD) METROPOLITAN PROVINCE 2022.
This research project is entitled “An assessment of occupational standards, stress and performance of employees in Small and Medium Enterprise in Zimbabwe. A case of Harare Metropolitan Province. The study sought to assess the working standards, conditions and the levels of stress that are experienced by SMEs workers in Harare. The study made use of both qualitative and quantitative research methods thus reaching to twenty-eight respondents. The target population comprised all the employees in the Small and Medium Enterprise of Zimbabwe and a sample of 28 employees were used, the data was presented using frequency tables, graphs and pie charts. Analysis of the data was done with the help of the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) software using descriptive statistics and cross-tabulation. The study unearthed that the working conditions of people in the SMEs are dire which expose them to unhealthy conditions and diseases. The respondents alluded that there are poor salaries and exposure to diseases is one the issues that increase their stress levels in their working areas. The SMEs workers highlighted there stress levels are increased within the workers through the ways they are treated harshly by their employers and the law officers. In this way, a number of recommendations were pointed out, which include reducing taxes and duties for the importation of equipment and machinery, ensure the protection of SMEs workers from both law enforcers and their employers.
Keywords: Occupational Stress, Performance, Small and Medium Business,
