Workplace ergonomics and job stress among academicians of higher education: an Indian perspective

Academic work has traditionally been regarded as non-stressful but this is no longer the case worldwide. Academicians accommodate a professional group who possibly experience stress and musculoskeletal problems due to a variety of causes such as thirst to gain knowledge, research work, student's evaluation, preparing lectures, extended sitting and standing in the same posture, extensive use of the computer, administrative work, placement responsibilities, huge pressure to excel in a career, etc. Although a variety of reasons affect musculoskeletal conditions and job stress of academicians, ergonomics plays a pivotal role in increasing/decreasing it. Hence, the current study intends to inspect the above relationship and issues statistically. Data were assembled from academicians working in higher education institutions (HEIs) of Uttarakhand, India. Results reveal a significant direct negative association between workplace ergonomics and job stress. Even in the presence of mediating variable (WMSD), the direct effect between WE and JS was found significant.