Abstract :
Industrial environment is not based on mutual understanding and cooperation but mainly to produce more and to increase profit for the owners. Humans are treated as machines to increase the production with minimum costs that creates multiple psychological, mental and physical issues among industrial workers. Current study is an attempt to understand how industrial workers in Gadoon Amazai factories manage to cope with occupational stress. A qualitative research methodology is used to understand inside stories and systems of coping among the factory workers. Interviews are conducted at three levels including manual laborers, trained workers and managers. As the workers are Pukhtuns in the industrial state, Pukhtunwali plays a major role in coping the stress. The data reveal that employees at Gadoon Amazai Industrial Estate (GAIE) do not rely on individualistic coping strategies (hobbies, therapy). Instead, they rely on and develop culturally embedded coping strategies rooted in the local culture of Pashtunwali. The analysis of the data suggests a dual nature of these coping strategies; some are maladaptive, which provide temporary relief at a high financial or physical cost, and some are adaptive (effectively solving problems and regulating). This dual nature of these coping strategies aligns with the transactional model of stress and coping that distinguishes between emotion-focused and problem-focused coping, but also adds many layers of cultural complexities.