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WORK LIFE BALANCE OF EMPLOYEES
(A Study on Selected Public and Private Sector Undertakings)
Synopsis of the thesis submitted for the Award of the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in the Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies Andhra University, Visakhapatnam By Mrs. G.KANTHISREE, M.B.A., M.Phil., Research Scholar Under the guidance of Dr. M.SARADA DEVI, M.B.A., Ph.D., Associate Professor Department of Commerce and Management Studies Andhra University, Visakhapatnam DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND MANAGEMENT STUDIES ANDHRA UNIVERSITY, VISAKHAPATNAM – 530 003 ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA MARCH 2013
INTRODUCTION A nation may be endowed with abundant natural and physical resources and the necessary capital and technology but unless there are competent people who can mobilize, organize and harness the resources for production of goods and services, it cannot make rapid strides towards economic and social advancement. The strengths and weakness of an organization are determined by the quality of its human resources, which play a vital role in using other organizational resources and the development process of modern economies. Human resource is the most strategic resource as no other resource can be fully utilized to generate income and wealth of a nation without the active involvement of this resource. In fact, the differences in the levels of economic development of the countries are largely a reflection of the differences in the quality of their human resources and their involvement in national building. Ginzerberg points out that the key elements such as values, attitudes, general orientation and the quality of the people of a country determine its economic development. However, he says that human resources are being wasted through unemployment, disguised unemployment, obsolescence of skills, lack of work opportunities, poor personnel practices and the hurdles of adjusting to change. Human resource accounts for a large part of national output and there exists a wide scope for increasing national wealth through their proper development. Human factor provides value to physical resource and necessary dynamism in the economy.
It is therefore necessary for all managers to understand and give due importance to the different human resource policies and practices in the organization. Human Resource Management outlines the importance and different functions in an organization. It examines the various HR processes that are concerned with attracting, managing, motivating and developing and retaining employees for the benefit of the organization. The economic development cannot be accomplished in developing countries unless they have well educated and trained, highly achievement motivated and properly developed human resources. An enterprise cannot make any progress unless it has a well-trained, efficient and adequately motivated work-team. Similarly, individuals cannot derive job satisfaction and lead a high standard of living unless they are well trained and highly developed. It may be noted that management of human resources can assist in the attainment of these national, enterprise and individual goals through effective utilization and proper development of human resources. Though the motivation of employees helps to secure their integration with the organization and attain optimum level of efficiency and in achieving organizational goals, the assigned work load might pose a time-pressure on employees by imposing excessive responsibilities. Furthermore, it causes stress and negative feeling which also damages the individual’s private life. Even the working hours and schedule are the most crucial points of Work-Life Balance in the organization point of view, as they affect the mental health, physical health and well-being of employees. Long working hours and certain kind of shift
schedules might be the cause of elevated risk for a range of mental and physical health problems. Further, a sense of inequity among employees affects their attitudes and behaviors, absenteeism, low motivation, lack of concern for the quality of products or services, with holding suggestions for improvements, lack of commitments, and even sabotage may result. These attitudes and behaviors affect costs, productivity, profits and hence the market value of the firm stock. THE CONCEPT OF WORK LIFE BALANCE The term work life balance (Work Life Balance) was coined in 1986 in response to the growing concerns by individuals and organizations alike that work can impinge upon the quality of family life and vice-versa, thus giving rise to the concepts of “family- work conflict” (FWC) and “work-family conflict” (WFC). The former is also referred to as work interferes with family” (WIF) while the latter is also known as “family interferes with work”(FIW). In other words, from the scarcity or zero-sum perspective, time devoted to work is construed as time taken away from one’s family life. Work/life programs existed in the 1930s. The policies and procedures established by an organization with the goal to enable employees to efficiently do their jobs and at the same time provide flexibility to handle personal concerns or problems at their family People entering the workforce today are more likely to turn down to promotions if it is new job means, the employee is having to bring more work to home.
arrangements, (FFWA), and in international literature, as alternative work arrangements (AWA). Work-Life Balance is the relationship between time and space of work & non-work in societies where income is predominantly generated and distributed through labor markets. Work-Life Balance is being aware of different demands on time and energy saving the ability to make choices in the allocation of time and energy knowing what values to apply. Much confusion and ambiguity surrounds in understanding and defining the term Work – Life Balance. As a term in its own right Work-Life Balance is rarely defined for reasons that will become clearer as the discussion progresses. Many authors attempt to define Work-Life Balance policy or Work-Life Balance arrangements. Nevertheless it is possible to discern a number of distinct strands in the literature in relation to definitional and conceptual issues. The first of these themes concerns the contention area of family friendly versus Work-Life family in order to reflect a broader and more inclusive way of conceptualizing the issue and to enable men and those without children, for example to identify with them. However the perception that Work-Life Balance policies are a family matter and aimed solely at women with children is still held by many employees & employers. Despite the worldwide quest for Work-Life Balance very few have found an acceptable definition of the concept: here are some proven definitions that will positively impact one’s every day value & balance. Best individual Work-Life
Balance will vary overtime, often on a daily basis. The right balance today will probably be different for tomorrow. The right balance when one is single will be different when after marriage and having children; when one is on a start to new career versus when one is nearing to retirement. There is no perfect, one size fits all, as balance is different for each of us because we all have different priorities and different lives. However, at the core of an effective Work-Life Balance definition are two key everyday concepts that are relevant, they are daily achievement and enjoyment, ideas, almost deceptive in their simplicity. Enlarging a fuller meaning of these two concepts takes us to most of the ways a positive Work-Life Balance achievement. Achievement means finish something successfully, especially after trying hard or receiving what one wants. Enjoyment does not mean happiness but it means pride, satisfaction, happiness, celebration, love a sense of wellbeing and all the joys of living. Achievement and enjoyment are the two sides of the coin value in life. One can’t have one without the other. Trying to live a one sided life is why so many “successful” people are not happy or not nearly as happy as they should be. THE SCOPE OF WORK LIFE BALANCE The issue is complex and difficult to tackle from an organization’s perspective because it is different for every individual. The traditional definition of family is a husband who provides financial support, a wife who maintains the household. Cultural differences influence family decisions, and more and more families represent blended racial backgrounds but making work–life integration a way of corporate life is much more difficult. The change in workforce composition
employees beyond those who have children. Many employees are choosing to stay unmarried, but still have critical and valuable commitments outside work. Individuals affected by trying to balance work and their lives outside work represent nearly the entire working population. Organizations are indeed helping their workforce achieve balance between work and the rest of their life. Work–life balance programs are pervasive in organizations today i.e on-site day care, elder-care assistance, flexible scheduling, job sharing, adoption benefits, on-site summer camps, pet-care and even lawn care for employees who travel. It is time to move the issue beyond programs to instill a way of thinking throughout corporations on the need for balancing work and life successfully and equitably. HRD professionals, the developers of people, are in a unique position to facilitate the transformation from providing employees with helpful programs to recognizing and rewarding employees who are able to work hard and effectively but still maintain a satisfying life outside work. Specific actions are articulated that human resource development professionals can demonstrate to drive the change. Human resource developers, who are charged with developing the workforce, must get involved in the transformation campaign. Work–life integration is not strictly a human resource management issue; it is an organizational effectiveness issue and HRD has the opportunity to play a key role. HRD is able to take on this challenge because it has demonstrated a track record of delivering results. For years, HRD has been paramount in developing either programs intended to meet the personal development needs of individuals
or programs that were required by everyone to build a critical capability within the organization Additionally, HRD has been extremely successful in bringing to the workplace life enhancement skills, such as money management, wellness training and career planning These programs are intended to address the personal interests and needs of individuals within organizations. WORKLIFE BALANCE-THE CHALLENGES AHEAD The complex society of ours makes the individuals with conflicting responsibilities and commitments; hence the work-life balance has become a predominant issue at the workplace. The major factors such as the global competition, the renewed interest in personal lives/ family values; and managing the workforce etc. have made it more significant. Studies have revealed that human resource professionals seek innovative ways to attain their organization's competitive advantage in the marketplace and it is found that work-life balance activities offer a win-win solution in this regard. THE INFLUENCING ELEMENTS IN WORK LIFE BALANCE Many companies have responded to the evolving set of issues and with the influencing elements related to work life balance by introducing a wide variety of work-life balance practices. These practices help the employees to balance both work and life equally where it supports the employer to increase the retention of the employee. Some of the influencing factors include working hours and flexibility, time bind, Job satisfaction, Job Autonomy and Organizational Commitment.
during this decade. Numerous studies showed that the generations from baby boomers to new college graduates were making job choices based on their own work-life issues and employer’s cultures. WORK LIFE BALANCE – PROSPECTS FOR INDIAN ORGANISATIONS Comparing with the past, today, one can see a noticeable difference in Indian organisations vision, philosophy, leadership styles and people oriented HR interventions. Consequently, Indian organisations have started getting respect globally. HR practitioners are striving to experiment the existing policies and exploring other innovative policies, schemes and interventions to motivate and involve large number of employees. However, managing employee work life balance has still not become a core strategic facet of people management practices in Indian organisations, which have the competitive advantage in terms of young talents in comparison to the West. This demands attention to tap available talents for superior performance. WORK-LIFE BALANCE-THE TRENDS AND NEW APPROACHES AHEAD The challenge of work-life balance in our society is unlikely to disappear. The concept of work life balance is gaining a great deal of attention in both the academic and corporate worlds. The employees are often preoccupied with work when not working, and when in the company of family and loved ones, experience an inability to be meaningfully engaged in no work spheres. Modern work has become more knowledge based, fluid, and intellectual; overworked people think about work all of the time. For many people, work has become cognitively intrusive. To understand work/life balance a cognitive approach was
been introduced that is "Cognitive Intrusion of Work”. In simple terms, this means that work/life balance is not just about finding "physical time" to do all that needs to be done. Instead, and more importantly, it is about the "cognitive space" necessary to process, organize, and respond to the thinking demands of life within a complex society. Total life planning is the latest and innovative approach to work life benefits that helps employees understand the important aspects of their professional life, personal lives and their relativity. Their goal is to encourage employees to look at their lives as a whole and assess relationships, emotional and physical wellbeing, careers, spirituality, and their personal financial situation. From these programs, employees can assess their available choices to improve balance in their lives and develop an individualized life plan. The most successful programs set a goal oriented environment with a meaningful and transformational component for each individual. The concept of total life has the major benefits such as renewed employee energy, enthusiasm and attachment for work, and enhanced productivity. Total life planning programs may be offered in conjunction with benefits such as health, life, and disability insurance, or on a standalone basis. RESEARCH DESIGN An organization is said to be competitive and economically sustainable in the market if it delivers quality goods and consistency in results. It is not just enough for them for simply employing and paying the people. Working environment will be effective when there is work life imbalance. The researcher
employees. The problem of work life balance is clearly linked with withdrawal behavior, including employee turnover and some sort of indiscipline or absenteeism. In the present global scenario every business organisations trying to maintain specific standards and quality to attain reputation and recognition for their products along with customer satisfaction in terms of quality of services, products, reasonable price and other offers etc. To achieve the targets and to with stand in the global market the organisations were expecting and demanding more work from their employees and also imposing to learn new skills and latest technology. On the other hand employees are also demanding more from their employers to improve their social life. They want more time, resources, and support from their employers to enrich their life particularly other than at their work spot. In the process of attaining preset targets, work schedules creates more burden, stress and strain to the employees to imbalance their work and family life and even creates fear and frustration. Work Life-Balance assumes greatest significance when the demands of one’s work and the life aspects seem equally critical at the same point in time. But in a case, when either of these can be deprioritized (at least for some period) finding the balance is not the real challenge. For example, take the initial years of one’s work life. In most cases this is really in the 20’s when one’s family commitments are not so pressing and one can afford to place work in overdrive if one chooses to. However, many employees find this is a challenge after marriage or more so the birth of a child. Both demands seem to be fair in their
perspective and hence it’s a challenge to balance at any time. A zero-one solution (either work or home) though seemingly the simplest may not be the best and this is where the need for life-balance comes in. Both Public and Private Sector undertakings generally taking care of their employees by providing Work life provisions like promotions, rewards, amenities, creating healthy work environment, monetary and non-monetary benefits at all levels to increase their productivity and performance. Most of the studies have been carried out with a focus on various issues and dimensions of personnel administration, HR policies and practices, HR strategies, HR Innovatives etc. But there are very few studies with regard to Work life Balance. As against this backdrop, zeal to know the facts, which contributed to the success of some organizations located in Hyderabad and insisted their employees for a better work-life apart from their productivity and performance inspired the researcher to take up the study on “Work Life Balance in Selected units”. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY To study the nature and significance of human resources and the policies and procedures of HR in Public and Private Sectors To find out the procedures and Facilities of Work life balance of employees in selected units at Hyderabad district. To examine the perceptions of respondents on specific areas of work life balance in Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited and Vijai Electricals Limited.
the enterprises have been found useful to get the information and data for the study. A structured questionnaire has been used as an important tool to collect the primary data from the sample respondents of the two select organizations namely BHEL and VIJAI ELECTRICALS. The questionnaire covered some broad areas of Work-Life balance perspective. A pilot survey was conducted using the blue print of questionnaire and 10 respondents each of the select Undertakings were chosen to administer the questionnaire before circulating them to the target group. The primary data was collected during March 2011 to July 2011. The questionnaire was administered during the leisure time of the employees during their lunch hours and at the end of their regular shifts. The respondents who are staying in townships were contacted at homes on holidays and at leisure times. This helped to elicit a good deal of information about each and every question and also some more additional information, which the respondents ventilated during the discussions. The interpretations of both primary and secondary data are made with the help of simple and weighted averages. Wherever the sample respondents stated the preferences/ranks of variables, these variables are assigned the weights in descending order. The response of the sample respondents on the dimensions of Work Life Balance were taken with various options like High- Moderate- Low, Always-Often-Sometimes-Never, Excellent-Good-Satisfactory-Poor, etc.
Thus, the present study has covered a total sample of 550 employees randomly, out of which 280 from Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd, 270 from Vijai Electricals, which constitute the 5 percent of the total employees segment. STATISTICAL METHOD ADOPTED IN THE STUDY Primary data were entered using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) software and STATISTICA. Uni-variate and bi-variate tables were generated and F-tests and t-tests were carried out for testing the hypotheses. The object of the F- test is to find out whether the two independent estimates of population variance differ significantly, or whether the two samples may be regarded as drawn from the normal populations having the same variance. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY This study has acknowledged some limitations. The participants in this study are employees of two organizations i.e. BHEL and VIJAI Electricals the findings may not be generalized to other populations. The reason being no data and information has maintained by the respective departments of the organizations to measure the work life balance with the family commitments, the investigator has concluded with the available data. Similarly some employees were not willing to disclose their personal or family matters which could not be assessed for want of recorded data and information. Inconsistency in the responses is another limitation. For cross check purposes certain items are repeated in the questionnaire and the element of inconsistency removed.
