Stress, traffic congestion, and productivity: An empirical analysis among university workers in Lagos, Nigeria

The study investigated the impact of stress and traffic congestion on employee productivity among University of Lagos staff who regularly commute to work. A total of 250 employees, including both academic and non-academic staff, participated in the study. Drawing on Lazarus’s Stress Theory (1988) and French, Captan, and Harrison’s Person-Environment Fit model (1982), the research explored the relationship between employee stress levels, productivity, and the environment (specifically, traffic congestion). The study employed three standardized scales: The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) by Cohen and Williamson (1988), the Employee Productivity Scale (EPS), and the Traffic Congestion Scale (TCS) adapted by Mohammed and Zannatul (2019). Hypotheses were formulated, including the expectation of a significant association between traffic congestion and stress. Additionally, the study examined whether stress levels differed significantly between academic and non-academic staff and whether stress and traffic congestion could predict employee productivity. The study revealed significant results after analyzing the data using independent t-tests, Pearson correlation coefficients, and regression analysis. Specifically, it found that increased stress levels and traffic congestion were associated with lower employee productivity. Surprisingly, no significant difference was observed in academic and non-academic staff stress levels. The study recommends comprehensive employee welfare and housing policy reforms, including providing on-campus or near-off-campus accommodation for long-distance staff members.