The effect of the socializing activities on the stress and loneliness, and thus on the business climate and productivity in the company

Abstract

The present research paper aims to analyze the effect of stress and loneliness on the business climate and productivity in companies from Bulgaria. The dissertation focuses on the importance of the socialization activities in the form of informal relationships between employees. The paper examines the role and effect of such activities as diminishing the feelings of stress and loneliness and creating a better working environment with higher productivity, and analyzes whether such informal meetings between employees in the form of small groups and teams can produce teamwork/collaboration and leadership skills in individual employees and the whole group.

The methodology, which I have used, includes secondary and primary research, and the particular methods – sampling, etc., are discussed in the Methodology section.

The Literary Review is the core part of the project as it includes previous research made on the topic in the form of ideas, concepts, debates, and results from surveys and experiments, published in articles and textbooks in the field of social psychology, organizational behavior, leadership, anthropology and small group psychology.

The dissertation includes a primary research made on the topic with a sample of 100 respondents. The primary research findings are reported and examined in the Data and Analysis section where the survey results and trends are linked to the secondary research information. All the data is presented together with appropriate graphics. Such findings are the relatively large percent of respondents who are not well informed about the negative influence of stress (58% regarding work-related stress as normal), with respect to the fact that 90% of them reported to experience some sort of stress. Informal socialization as a tool proved to work well in Bulgarian conditions with 84% of the employees ready to participate in a specifically arranged event for the purpose.

The conclusions refer back to the aims and objectives of the project, stating the most valuable trends and analysis and their importance for the research theme. Recommendations are made on possible implications of the data and for possibilities for future research.