The mental health crisis tea garden executives have long faced, now a study explores it

Guwahati: The North eastern Tea Association (NETA) has welcomed a significant doctoral study that sheds light on the largely neglected issue of workplace stress and mental health among tea garden executives.

The research, titled "Workplace Stress and its Management: A Comparative Study of Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL) and Select Companies under the North Eastern Tea Association (NETA)," was undertaken by Dr. Pransu Raj Kaushik and has been awarded the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Business Administration by Dibrugarh University.

Tea garden executives occupy a pivotal position in the management of tea estates, balancing demanding operational, administrative, and human resource responsibilities. Despite the critical nature of their role, workplace stress and mental health among tea garden executives have remained relatively unexplored areas of academic research. By undertaking a comparative assessment of workplace stress and stress management practices among executives of select NETA member tea companies and BCPL, the study addresses an important research gap and provides valuable insights that may help organisations strengthen employee well-being, enhance productivity, and improve human resource practices.


The research was conducted under the supervision of Prof. Pratim Barua, Chairperson of the Centre for Management Studies, Dibrugarh University. It is also believed to be the first doctoral study by a Dibrugarh University scholar involving NETA member companies as respondent organisations.

The study also reflects the growing industry-academia collaboration between NETA and Dibrugarh University under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two institutions to promote collaborative research, knowledge exchange, and capacity building for the tea industry.

Overall, the study is expected to contribute meaningfully to a better understanding of workplace stress in the tea sector and encourage greater attention to the mental well-being of tea garden executives, thereby supporting the long-term sustainability and effectiveness of the industry.