Abstract
This study is concerned with the measurement of mental stress of administrative management in hotels. The aims were to assess the degree of correlation between certain specified managerial activities and associated variations in heart rate and to assess the degree of stress which occurred. The final methodology was restricted to arrangements which were acceptable to the hotel managers on site, T.E.M. recording equipment was chosen in view of its compactness, light weight, recording capability, and portability. Questionnaires were used initially to determine the suitability of subjects and to record personal details. A minute by minute log was recorded for the working day so that readings could be matched with activities and analysed. All physical activity was noted and timed. Personal details were noted and these included age, sex, marital status, experience in the job, general health, smoking habits, amount of stress experienced during the study, drinking habits, and other observations. A device was designed and developed to cut recordings when any disturbing physical work occurred thus isolating mental work recordings. The main conclusion was that the degree of mental stress in the working day is comparatively low and within accepted limits based upon heart rate as a dependent variable, and verified by published relevant studies. With the omission of one subject who was of a nervous disposition the group recordings conformed to a symmetrical frequency curve. No correlation was apparent between standard deviation and the independent variables of age, sex, drinking, or smoking. A heart rate cycle is evident which persists regardless of the heart rate level within the range studied. The times are inconsistent between the troughs of the cycles. The range of the cycle reduces from 35 beats at 120 b.min to about 15 beats at 98 b.min therefore within the heart beat range quoted the cycle range decreases as heart beat falls.