Analysis of stress factors and their impact on working university students in a selected company

The part-time employment of university students has become, over the recent years, an increasing global trend. Despite the fact work experience during studies can provide a number of positive social and educational benefits, students are ultimately exposed to higher stress levels, which can have a negative impact on their mental health and overall approach to studying. Since the human potential can be a key competitive advantage, employers should be more interested in working students and how the stress can affect them. This master thesis focuses on the analysis of various stress factors and their influence on working students in a selected company. The aim of this master thesis is to identify specific factors causing stress, which includes the symptoms and effects of stress. Additionaly, it provides an analysis of the impacts of stress on work performance together with an identification of preferred forms of employer´s support. The methodology used for a detailed examination of this issue includes in-depth semi-structured interviews, whose respondents were six working students from the selected company. In order to achieve higher reliability and validity, the research was supported by an online questionnaire survey. The obtained data was further interpreted using a combination of open coding and thematic analysis. The practical benefits of this master thesis include the formulation of specific recommendations for the employer of the selected company. The benefits are based on the results of the conducted research and following analysis. Subsequent implementation of the proposed recommendations should help to form a better understanding of the needs of working students in connection with stress management, and thus positively affect their job satisfaction.