کوئی ملتا ہی نہیں سوختہ پا میری طرح
جس کو معلوم ہو وحشت کا پتا میری طرح
میرے جیون کو اُداسی سے ملانے والا!
دشت میں پھِرتا رہے آبلہ پا میری طرح
میں نے احباب کو آواز لگا کر پوچھا
کوئی رہتا ہے شبِ غم میں سدا، میری طرح؟
اے کئی دن سے مرے ذہن پہ چھائے ہوئے شخص
تو مجھے وصل کے سپنے نہ دکھا میری طرح
رات بھر چاند کو احوال سنانے کے لیے
کیا ٹھہرتی ہے دریچوں میں ہوا، میری طرح؟
زندگی! میری طرف دیکھ کے ایماں سے بتا
ایک بھی شخص کوئی تجھ کو مِلا، میری طرح
تند اور تیز ہواؤں کے علاقے میں سعید
زیست کرتا ہے فقط دل کا دِیا میری طرح
The wasaṭiyyah (Islamic moderation) concept is deep-rooted in Islam. It is a straight path, a good between two evils; it maintains balance between the two extremes of excess and deficiency, and between fanaticism and negligence. Moderation was widely practiced with the advent of Islam. It was a noteworthy aspect of people’s day to day life and conducts. The term wasaṭiyyah (moderation) emerged in the early eighties. It was initially introduced by Shiekh Yūsuf Al-Qaraḍāwī. He used it in his books and discourses, and gradually it become very prevalent. Few factors resulted in widespread use of the term, the main factor is the western systematic campaign against Islam and Muslims to distort their image and label them with terrorism and extremism. Therefore, they frequently used the term wasaṭiyyah to prove themselves against these accusations. Another factor is the current situation in most Muslim countries and their struggle with social and political injustice which turns Muslim youth to extremism and terrorism that is why Muslim scholars and reformers, through their moderate discourse, stood up and condemned fanaticism and radical ideology. All that made the term wasaṭiyyah widely used by different people from all walks of life, and each has its aims and intentions behind embracing the moderate discourse and raising the flag of wasaṭiyyah (moderation).
KEY WORDS: (STRESSORS, JOB STRESS & STRAIN, DEMANDS-CONTROL- SUPPORT MODEL) Most of the stress theories were developed to describe reactions to “inevitable” acute stress in a work environment threatening the individual organic survival. However, the demand-control-support model (DCSM) was constructed for work environments where “stressors” are persistent, not initially life threatening, and are the products of complicated human organizational decision making process. Here, the controllability of these stressors is very important, and becomes more important as we develop ever more complex and integrated organizational system, with ever more complex personality traits of individual behavior. The DCSM (Karasek 1976 & 1979; Karasek and Theorell 1990) is based on psychosocial and physical characteristics of work environment: the psychological and physical demands of work and a combined measure of task control through personal skills (decision latitude) and social support. Job control includes the worker’s abilities and skills for coping with demands and the latitude to decide how a specific task should be accomplished. Job stress depends on the level of demands, on the worker’s decision- making latitude, and on the quality of social support available from management and co-workers. The models predict, first, stress-related strain indices, and, secondly, active/passive behavioral correlates of jobs. These models propose that worker strain and active learning are determined by particular combinations of job demands, job control and social support at workplace. Specifically, incumbents of jobs that are high in demands, low in control, and low in support are expected to show high levels of strain, whilst incumbents of jobs that are high in all three job factors are expected to display high levels of activity, learning and participation, both on and off the job. The models also propose that prolonged exposure to combinations of these job conditions influence workers'' immediate indices (job anxiety, job dissatisfaction and somatic symptoms) and remote indices (mastery, neuroticism, and employee’s turnover intention and activity participation) of job strain. This thesis reports an attempt to clarify, critically evaluate, extend and test Karasek & Theorell’s models. Self-report data, as well as information obtained from Distribution Companies (DISCOs) of power wing of Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) are used to assess the independent linear, quadratic, additive and interactive effects of job factors. Study 1 is being conducted a cross-sectional design, and self-report measures of job demands, job control and job stressors to predict several indices of worker strain and performance. Study 2 was designed to ensure the authenticity of study 1 and thus to provide a more valid and logical proof of test of Karasek’s hypothesis and models. Personality variables of employees (neuroticism, mastery) were also determined to predict the relationship with job factors and indices of job strain. In general, the results from this research confirm past findings regarding the effects of job demands, control and social support on strain. The research makes several important contributions to practical implications to job development and jobs re-design. More practically, the research reinforces the importance of providing "control-enhancing" opportunities for employees who are facing problems to highly demanding jobs. Because the cost of stress and strain is very high for individuals (poor health, accidents, job dissatisfaction, health care expenditures), for companies or organizations (poor performance, lack of productivity, effects the quality of work, spoilage and defective work, absenteeism, medical costs, turnover, even labor conflicts and strikes), and for society (health care costs, loss of intellectual capital, low-level performance and economic competitiveness). Recommendations for future research include the need to test an expanded model using multi-wave cross-sectional designs and magnitude of multi-stressors of work environment.
