Stress, Personality Traits and Consequent Gender Differences of Foreign Nationals in Mumbai

Foreign nationals who migrate across countries and continents face issues of blending their micro culture within this macro culture of the majority of local people. There are differences on all levels including physiological, psychological, emotional as well as environmental when compared to their place of origin and India. This paper aims to recognize how various changes that they encounter lead to changes in their personality traits. The basis of this research paper are the numerous studies conducted which have proven that, Stress and migration have a positive correlation as well as that stress and performance have a negative correlation amongst them. Stress levels and coping mechanisms that they’ve adapted to cope with new demands of their environment are studied. There are also involved, gender differences pertaining to the experience of stress as well as adapted personality traits by foreign nationals when they migrate to Mumbai, India. The personality traits are measured with the help of Paul costa and Robert McRae’s Big five factor of personality test (2003). The amount of re-adjustment which will directly lead to stress, this phenomenon was administered by Holmes & Rahe’s Social Readjustment Rating scale (1967). All the participants of the study were administered with both of these tests to get a clear understanding of the co-relation between the factors. 4 hypotheses are tested with the help of quantitative analysis of the responses given to the survey conducted in person of the foreign nationals residing in Mumbai. The questions that this study seeks to answer are-: Do such people have certain personality traits that predispose them to explore new places, people and culture? Once they settle and work in different cities of India, do they employ any typical stress coping mechanisms to cope and sustain in Indian culture? The study investigates 20-25 foreign nationals who are settled and working in Mumbai City India with the help of convenient sampling. Finally, the study proves that there are considerable differences pertaining to re-adjustment required between males and females. There are also marked gender differences related to the adapted personality traits. However, no specific difference in these factors like rise or fall on particular traits or characteristics is observed. Nonetheless, the study limits its scope to the migrants settled in just Mumbai which is a cosmopolitan city, as a result it has a relatively more acceptable and multi-cultural environment, hence, the differences marked are low. Other parts of the country could be taken into consideration to understand the effects of stress in a rigid environment, which will increase the probability of having this need to re-adjust.