Abstract:
Occupational stress is a critical concern in high-risk professions, particularly law
enforcement. In Sri Lanka, female police constables serving in the Narcotics Bureau
encounter multiple stressors arising from the dangerous nature of narcotics work,
gender-specific challenges, and inadequate organisational support. These stressors
influence both their task and overall job performance. While stress management in
policing has been studied globally, limited research has examined the relationship
between occupational stress and performance among women officers in South Asia,
leaving a significant gap in knowledge. This study aims to investigate the effects of
operational stress, workload stress, emotional stress, and job insecurity on job
performance, while also assessing the moderating role of organisational support. A
quantitative, cross-sectional research design was applied, and data were gathered
through structured questionnaires from a stratified random sample of 56 female
constables. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS, applying Pearson
correlation and multiple regressions to test the proposed relationships. The findings
indicate that operational stress (β = -0.027, p = 0.798), workload stress (β = 0.189, p
= 0.071), and emotional stress (β = -0.015, p = 0.875) show insignificant negative
influence on job performance, whereas job insecurity (β = 0.742, p = 0.000)
demonstrates a significant positive influence on job performance. Importantly,
organisational support mitigates these negative effects and improves performance.
The findings carry significant implications for policymakers, HR professionals, and
law enforcement leaders. As one of the first studies in Sri Lanka to explore gender,
occupational stress, and job performance in high-risk policing, it underscores the
urgent need for gender-sensitive stress management initiatives, professional
development, and supportive systems tailored for women officers in Sri Lanka.
