Asians top stress chart

NST: Businessmen in Malaysia are a stressed lot, a worldwide survey showed. However, the more stressed ones were from Taiwan, followed by China, the Philippines, Botswana, Hong Kong and Singapore. Malaysia tied with South Africa for the seventh spot.
Research carried out among more than 7,000 business owners in 30 countries showed that 57 per cent of businessmen reported higher stress levels this year compared with 39 per cent in 2004, according to a global business stress index released today by the 2006 Grant Thornton International Business Owners Survey.
Businessmen in Sweden were found to be the least stressed.
The other least stressed businessmen this year were from Europe and the United States, although stress levels there had also increased dramatically.
The research showed a direct correlation between stress and the number of holidays taken by executives around the world (excluding public holidays).
East Asia continues to be the most stressed region in the world, with the majority of businessmen showing an increase in stress levels last year, probably as a result of poor holiday allowance or not fully utilising their annual holidays.
At the bottom of the league were Thailand with just four days of holidays on average, Taiwan (eight days), and Malaysia as well as Turkey (10 days each).
European countries took by far the highest number of holidays on average (22 days) compared with just 12 days in East Asia.
Topping the worldwide holiday league table was France with an average of 27 days.
The direct link between stress and holidays was fascinating, the survey observed.
Do the results indicate that executives who took more holidays felt less stressed?? Or, do they indicate that the less stressed executives were able to take more holidays?
Either way, the differences in holiday patterns around the world were huge, with Europeans clearly getting the most out of their personal time.
"However, it is important to note that we have more public holidays than our European counterparts," said Datuk N.K. Jasani, managing partner of Shamsir Jasani Grant Thornton.
Jasani said the survey reflected the need for Malaysia’s top executives to fully utilise their annual leave.
He said the high stress level could be due to the Malaysian or Asian tendency of "worrying about work while on vacation".
Malaysians, in general, he said need to emulate the European style of separating work from leisure.
The survey also found that business travels and fears over job security also contributed to stress.