Alcohol and Substance Abuse

ABSTRACT

This research would emphasis on the effects of substance abuse on employees of an organization and towards their performance. The company taken into consideration for this research is TESCO. The research involved survey design where 150 respondents were purposively selected for responding to the semi structured questionnaire. For this research the researcher has built 2 hypotheses which were tested and the final results from the analysis framed that workers who abuse substances are expected to perform less effective than those who have non substance abuse in companies. The second result stated that the abuse substances in companies tend to report more sick than companies with non- substances abusers. Also the findings from this research also reveal that employees abuse substances with a belief that it helps in reducing stress, alter their interest and mood and also helps in enhancing performance of individuals due to the social and peer pressure. One of the other reasons which were found for abuse substances by employees in a company is to with the purpose of socialization and fun. The findings from the questionnaire filling by TESCO employee revealed that alcohol is the most commonly used Substance for abuse. One of the findings revealed that substance abuse reduces the productivity of employees and also the performance of the organization. So to minimize the substance abuse on employees performance, company should organize awareness programs on regular interval for employees as well as regular drug test programs should be held by companies for employees.

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1. INTRODUCTION

A company or the management of the company is usually interested in hiring and selecting the best suited talent with all the necessary skill, Knowledge and ability for the task under consideration. But many a times all these hiring and selection methods are not efficient enough for determining the qualities of the candidate by the employer. Also more often it is the employers who do not want to make a decision of adopting to the drug testing policies as they feel confident in identifying substance abuse in their employees by themselves. This substance abuse many a times are not noticeable and evident until it does into a further downward spiral of addition. The new users many not show typical signs of a user but still their ability to perform may be impaired at employee level (Merrick, 2007).

According to a study by Ohene (2008) stated that on an average 10-12% of the employees strength in any company is affected with drug abuse. As per Ohene (2008) the substance abuse usually comprises of Nocitine, morphine, cocaine, cracks, heroin, Kahts and inhalants which includes material like glue, petrol and thinners. It was also found in the research done in the upper western