Abstract

The purpose of the study is to provide empirical evidence on the sources of stress among entrepreneurs in Malaysia and to examine the associated coping mechanisms. An anonymous, self administered, mail survey was distributed to a sample of 118 entrepreneurs in various business industries. The results show that ‘business skills required’, ‘work pressure’, high expectation of others’ and ‘responsibilities’ are among the main elements that generate stress. Various coping strategies were employed to deal with the problem of stress.

Results reveal that ‘effective communication’, ‘disregarding’, ‘diverts thinking’ (by doing something else) and ‘networking’ assist Malaysian entrepreneurs in handling their stress level. The conclusion reached is that, to manage stress, the work assigned must be properly organized; emotions must be kept under control by disregarding unnecessary factors that create stress and spending time with friends are all crucial. The study concludes with recommendations for future studies.

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