Abstract

This study investigates the impact of job stress on employee job performance in public sector banks in Sri Lanka, with specific reference to the Panadura Divisional Secretariat. Drawing on the transactional theory of stress and the person environment fit model, the study examines four dimensions of job stress, namely tension in job roles, work overload, time pressure, and difficulty in balancing work and family responsibilities. A quantitative research design was employed, and data were collected from 120 bank employees using a structured questionnaire adapted from validated scales in previous studies. The reliability and validity of the instruments were confirmed, and multiple linear regression analysis was conducted using SPSS. The findings reveal that job stress has a significant effect on employee job performance, with the selected stress dimensions explaining 66.2 percent of the variation in performance. Tension in job roles, work overload, and time pressure demonstrate statistically significant positive effects on job performance, while difficulty in balancing work and family responsibilities does not show a significant impact. These results suggest that certain job stressors may enhance employee performance when they are effectively managed within structured organizational environments. This study contributes empirical evidence to the limited literature on job stress and employee performance in the Sri Lankan public banking sector and provides practical implications for human resource managers in designing effective stress management strategies.