CHAPTER – I

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

advancement1. 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 resource2 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

development3. 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

1Mehta,M.M., “Human Resource Development and Planning with special references to Asia and the Far East”,MacMillian Company, New Delhi,1976,p.1 2Jucius, M.J,“Personnel Management”, Home Wood, Illinois, Richard D. Irwin, June 1973, pp.37- 38 3Ginzerberg,“Man and his Work”, edited by Dale S Beach, “Managing People at Work”, Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc, New York, 1980, pp,3-4.

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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.

Megginson4defines human resource from the viewpoint of a nation as well

as an individual organization. From the national standpoint, he can be defined

HR as the total knowledge, skills, creative abilities, talents, and aptitudes

obtained in the population whereas from the view point of individual enterprise it

represents the sum total of the inherent abilities, acquired knowledge and skills

as exemplified in the talents and aptitude of its employees. Jucius5 has called

these resources as human factors which refer to a whole consisting of

interrelated, interdependent and interacting physiological, sociological and ethical

components”.

According to Werther and Davis6, human resource is the people who are

readily willing and are able to contribute to organizational goals. Money,

Material, Men, Markets and Machines are regarded as the most important

resources of organizations7 but men or human resources are treated as the only

crucial and dynamic factor of production. Though other factors of productions

are also important they are considered to be worthless without the involvement of

4Megginson, LC, “Personnel- A behavioural Approach to Administration”, Richard D. Irwin, Inc. Homewood, Illinois, 1967,pp.97-92. 5 Michael J Jucius, “Personnel management”, Home wood, III:Richard D.Irwin,1980,p.40 6Werther W.B., and Keith Davis, “Personnel Management and Human Resources”, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, 1986, p.601. 7George R. Terry & Stephen Franklin“Principles of Management”, All India Trawler Book Seller, New Delhi, 1984,p.41.

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human factor. Koontz and O Donnel8 rightly observed that an organization is

creation of an environment in which people contribute the best of their ability to

attain the goals of the organization. At the enterprise level human resource

policy needs to ensure effective utilization of this resource to attain organizational

goals, which can be accomplished by rightly understandingthe nature,

potentialities and limitation of these resource and developing the people to

actuate their full potentials, utilizing them to the optimal ability of their enterprise,

maintaining their quality and amalgamating them with other resources9.People

are considered the most important and valuable resource and every organization

have this in the form of its employees.

Dynamic people can build dynamic organizations. Effective employees

can contribute to the effectiveness of their organization. Competent and

motivated people can make things happen and enable an organization to achieve

its goals. Hence, organizations should continuously ensure that the dynamism,

competency, motivation and effectiveness of the employees remain at high

levels10.

It has been suggested by Megginson11 that human resource should be

viewed as a form of capital and as the product of investment (return on

investment) whereby production is acquired. Thus, human resource is the most

8Koontz and O Donnel, “Management - A system and contingency Analysis of Management Functions”, McGraw-Hill, Koghakusha, Ltd.Tokyo, 1976, p.72. 9Dwiwedi, R.S, “Managing Human Resources - Personnel Management in Indian enterprises”, Galgotia Publishing Co., 1997 p.4. 10Rao,T.V., “The HRD Missionar”y,Oxford& IBH Publishing Co.,Private Ltd., New Delhi,1992,p.8. 11Megginson, L.C., Op. cit., pp. 83-99.

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important asset in an organization because all other natural resources can be

better utilized with the help of this resource only. Realizing the importance of

human resource, many of the organizations are focusing their attention on

developing this resource so that the organization could achieve higher level of

productivity and efficiency.

Human resource is even the most critical factor for determining the

efficiency and effectiveness of an organization because it is precisely the people

who will decide when and how to acquire and utilize various resources, including

human resources, in the best interest of the organization. The ultimate success

and survival of an organization will invariably be determined by the quality and

competence of its human resources. Of all the tasks of management, says Likert

"Managing the human component is the central and most important task,

because all else depends upon how well it is done”12.

Human Development is about much more than the rise or fall of national

income. It is about creating an environment in which people can develop their

full potential and lead productive, creative professional and personal lives in

accordance with their needs and interests. Hence, people are the real wealth of

a nation and the development is about expanding the choices people have, to

lead lives that they value13.

From non-economic stand point the role and contribution of Human

resource needs critical understanding. In the contemporary economic scenario,

12RenisLikert, Op.cit., p. 2. 13“Human Development Report 2001”, Oxford University Press, New York, 2001, p.9.

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service sector is gaining importance and the quality of services is inextricably

linked with the quality of human resources. The human factor requires a

particular psychological environment to fully develop and use their potentialities.

Organizations need to create the suitable environment to motivate and provide

the dynamism to human resource.

Though the HR is the most potential and versatile resource, its effective

utilization is a sine qua non of the rate of growth of any economy regardless of

the structure and system of economy and the governance. No society and no

nation can be proud of its human resources unless there is a systematic and

sustainable development of capacities of its people and convert them into human

capital14.

Human resource is responsible for productive use of national resources

and for the transformation of traditional economies into the modern and industrial

economies. The shift from manufacturing to service and the increasing pace of

technological change are making human resources the crucial ingredient to the

national well-being and growth. Human resource is therefore, the nerve system

of an organization as well as the society and the nation. As nothing is static in

this society, change and development has taken place everywhere. The concept

of values, beliefs are changing too. Productivity and prosperity go hand in hand.

Therefore, the prosperity of a nation is not only measured in terms of how much it

produces but also how efficiently it produces. In other word an efficient utilization

14Daleela,V.N,”Human Resource Management for Indian economy”,The Indian Journal of commerce vol,XXV,Feb 1971,pp.9-10

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of resources is the key to improvement in productivity. People constitute the

wealth of a nation and the multifaceted development of the people will inevitably

lead to national growth and prosperity15

Human resources are the most valuable and unique assets of an

organization. In the changing economic environment, Human Resource

Management is assuming much greater importance than ever before. It is

conceived to be different from the traditional and conventional notion of

Personnel Management16. Subsequently Human Resource Management (HRM)

has become the central concern of any organization either in public, private

sector or co-operative sector.

The successful management of an organization's human resources is an

exciting, dynamic and challenging task, especially at a time when the world has

become a global village and economies are in a state of flux. The scarcity of

talented resources and the growing expectations of the modern day worker have

further increased the complexity of the human resource function. Even though

specific human resource functions/activities are the responsibility of the human

resource department, the actual management of human resources is the

responsibility of all the managers in an organization.

It is therefore necessary for all managers to understand and give due

importance to the different human resource policies and practices in the

15JayagopalR.,”Human Resource Development conceptual Analysis and strategies”, sterling publishers,New Delhi,1992,p.25. 16Leon C.Megginson, “Personnel and Human Resources Administration”,Homewood,III:Richard DIrwin,1982,p.6.

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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.

Organizations as social system-Organizations are identified as social

system in which different individuals constantly interact to pursue the

organizational goals prescribed by the management.Thus the social role of the

organizational goals has enhanced the significance of the HRM policies and

practices in all types of organizations.

Organizational effectiveness depends upon the effective use of human

and material resources. Plant Equipment and financial assets are the material

resources required by the organizations. Nevertheless, they are left unutilized

without employees. Therefore human resources are unique and significant. This

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is so for at least two reasons17. Primarily, human resources influence the

efficiency and effectiveness of organizations. People design and produce the

goods and services, control quality, market the products, allocate financial

resources, and set overall strategies and objectives for the organization. Without

effective people, it is simply impossible for an organization to achieve its

objectives. Secondly Human Resources are also a major expense or cost of

doing business. However, the profound effect that human resources have or

productivity is often unrecognized.

Further, a sense of inequity among employees affectstheir 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 stock18.

Human resources are not only vital but they also deserve fairness and

justice. Civil rights and labor laws as well as minimum wage and pension

regulations reflect Governmental attempts to ensure fair treatment of employees

Job retraining, employment security provisions, dispute resolutions, and job

posting practices all illustrate some employer’s effort to ensure fair treatment of

employees19.

17 George T.Milkonich and john W. Boudreau,“Personnel/Human Resource Management- A Diagnostic Approach”, Richard D.Irwin Inc., Home Wood,ILLnois.,1990,p.2. 18 Ibid., P3 19 Ibid.

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1.1 THE CONCERNS AND FUNCTIONS OF HRM

Managing human resource is central concern of every manager in any

organization. Organizations exist for people as they are made up of peoples and

by the people. Their effectiveness depends on the performance of the

management in achieving their objectives. Management is the process of getting

things done with and through the people to fulfill the organizing, motivating and

controlling activities to accomplish the pre-determined objectives of the

organization.

Accordingly, human resource management concerned with the dimension

of individuals in management process. Since every organization is made up of

people, it is essential to acquire their services, develop their skills, motivate to

high levels of performance and ensure their maintenance with commitment to

achieve their objectives regardless of the type of organization. Getting and

keeping good people is critical to the success of every organization. Whether

profit or non-profit, public or private organization that are able to acquire,

develop, stimulate and keep outstanding workers will be both effective and

efficient. Those organizations that are ineffective or in efficient risk the hazards

of stagnating or going out of business. Survival of an organization requires

competent managers and workers coordinating their efforts towards an ultimate

goal. While successful co-ordination cannot guarantee success, organizations

that are unsuccessful in getting such co-ordination from the managers and

workers will ultimately fail.

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Human resource management is “a process of consisting four function

acquisition development, motivation, and maintenance of Human Resources”20.

The acquisition function begins with planning relating to human resource

requirements. It includes estimating of demand and supply of people, besides

the recruitment and selection of employees. The development function is related

to employer training and development, to impart knowledge and skills to the

existing employees to meet long term individual and organizational needs.

Motivation function recognizes that individuals are unique and hence motivation

techniques reflect the needs of each individual, employee. Therefore, motivation

takes in to account factors relating to job satisfaction, performance appraisal,

behavioral and structural techniques for stimulating the performance. The

maintenance function on the other hand is concerned with providing congenial

working conditions for the employees and workers in order to maintain their

commitment to the organization.

Acquisition of human resource is one of the most crucial functions of the

management. The greatest advantage of an organization lies in the quality of its

human resources and its effectiveness with which they are utilized. The quality

of human resource in an organization significantly depends upon its recruitment

policies and selection procedures. This function is assuming greater significance

in the Indian context as the business enterprises are growing in the size and

becoming technologically more sophisticated. In fact, acquisition function

consists of recruitment, selection, induction and promotions. Training and 20 David A Decenzo and Stephen P Robbins, “Personnel/HRM”, Prentice hall of India Ltd,NewDelhi, 1995-pp.4-5

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development function aims at enhancing skills and abilities of human resource is

assuming significance in the context of rapid socio economic development, and

industrialization in India. Besides enterprise are dependent on the regular

supply of human talent. This can be achieved through the process of training and

development practices.

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.

1.2 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

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scarcity or zero-sum perspective, time devoted to work is construed as time

taken away from one’s family life21.

Work/life programs existedin the 1930s. The policies and procedures

established by an organization with the goal to enable employees to efficiently do

their jobs and at the sametime provide flexibility to handle personal concerns or

problems at their family People entering the workforce today are morelikely to

turn down to promotions if it is new job means,the employee is having to bring

more work to home.

In most developing countries, at least until recently, only men worked

outside of the home. The old, established joint Hindu family system facilitated a

clear division of responsibilities between the old and the young in terms of

decision making, the oldest male member in a patriarchal society is the head of

household and would make all the important decisions; male and femalethe men

would work outside the household, whereas the women are responsible for

raising children and taking charge of a myriad household responsibilities,

including in some low-income families in certain parts of India, walking many

miles each day to fetch water and fire wood.

More recently, the scarcity perspective has given way to the expansion-

enhancement approach that views that work can facilitate participation at home

and vice-versa. This has given rise to the concepts of “work-family facilitation”

(WFF) and “family-work facilitation” (FWF) where experiences acquired at work

21Greenhaus,J.HandBeutell,N.J., “Sources of Conflict between work and Family Roles”, Academy of Management Journal,10(1),1985,pp.76-88.

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can facilitate participation at home and vice-versa. These two notions have

contributed to the construct of work life balance where a balanced life consists of

work and family that are mutually reinforcing-the family experiences of workers

can enrich their contribution to work and organizations, and vice-versa22..

Work is central to our lives. It provides us with a sense of achievement,

recognition and above all it is a means of income to fulfill our basic and material

needs. Globalization and rapid technological changes demand more of workers.

Because the world of work is changing in terms of development of new

technology, more and more women entering the workforce, resulting in part, in

two-earner families and above all there is a clash of work and personal life.

These are some of the challenges faced by today’s workers. Balancing work and

home life is a growing concern for both employers and workers. Long working

hours and the intensity of work have consistently emerged as two top most

concerns of workers.

Work-life conflict (or imbalance)occurs when cumulative demands of work

and non-work roles are incompatible in some respects, such as participation in

one role is made more difficult by participation in the other roles23.

1.3 DEFINITIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

The word Work-Life Balance is sometimes considered as interwoven with

Work-family conflict. However, it can be argued that the latter is more limited in 22 Aryee,S.,Srinivas,E.S. and Tan H.H., “Rythms of life- Antecedents and outcomes of work-family balance in employed parents”,Journal of Applied Psychology,90(1),2005,132-46. 23Duxbury,L.&Higgins.C, ”work-life conflict in Canada in the New Millenium- A status Report”, Ottawa: Health Canada.2003.

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scope than the former because the focus in work-family conflict is more on the

relationsbetweenwork&family.It is also referred to as family friendlywork

arrangements, (FFWA), and in international literature, as alternative work

arrangements (AWA).

Work-Life Balance is defined differently by different scholars. In order to

broaden our perspectives some definitions are prescribed.

Work-Life Balance is the absence of unacceptable level of conflict

between work and non-work demands24. It is the satisfaction and good

functioning of work and at home with a minimum of role conflict25.

Work-Life Balance is a matter of degree, a continuum anchored at one

end by extensive imbalance in favor of the other role (e.g work) as the other

anchor point26.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 markets27. 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 apply28.

24Greenbaltt.E,“Work/Life Balance- wisdom or whining organizational Dynamics”,31,2002, pp.177-193. 25Clark.S.C,“work/family border theory- A new theory of work/family balance”,Human Relations 53,2000, pp.747-770. 26Greenhaus.J.H, Collins, K.M. and show,J.D., “The relation between work-family balance & quality of life”, Journal of Vocational Behaviour,2003,63,pp.220-241. 27Felstead.A,N.Jewson,AphizackleaandWalter,S., “opportunities to work at home in the context of Work-Life Balance”, HRM Jounnal 12,2002,pp.54-66. 28Cutterbuck, David, “Managing Work-Life Balance-a guide for HR in achievingorganizational and individual change”,London.CIPD,2003.

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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

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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.

1.4 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 butmaking work–life integration a

way of corporate life is much more difficult.The change in workforce composition

has been gradual, but steady. More women are working and, thus, more

mothers are in the workforce. In 1996, women comprised46 per cent of the total

workforce, compared to 1986 when 44 per cent of the workforcewas women.

Women are less likely to drop-out of the labor force for significant periods of their

lives, and more and more women are responsible, alone or with a spouse, for the

economic security of their families. The Family and Medical Leave Act, signed

by President Clinton in 1993, allowed all US workers to take unpaid leave for up

to twelve weeks to care for a seriously ill or new member of the family without

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putting their jobs at risk. This Act has made the employment picture even more

desirables for working mothers, single parents, future parents and two career

families. Those demanding balance, however, include not only parents with

children, but the rest of the employee population, as well. Older employees need

flexibility when dealing with ageing parents.

A number of researchers have spent time with recent college graduates to

understand what motivates them and drives them toward job satisfaction. They

expect not only appropriate and competitive pay for the work they perform, but

also hope to achieve a balance between work and the rest of their lives. The four

drivers deemed to impact most significantly on workforce commitment included

understandingthe direction of the organization, having opportunities for personal

growth, gaining satisfaction from everyday work, and the extent to which the

organization encourages individuals to challenge the way things are done.

1.4.1 Employee benefits from work-life balance

Easier ability to participate more fully in paid work as well as other

activities that are important, e.g. spending time with family, leisure,

personal development and community activities.

Improved self esteem, health, concentration, confidence, loyalty and

commitment.

Not bringing problems at home to work and vice versa.

Greater control of their working lives.

Happier at home as well as:

Greater responsibility and a sense of ownership.

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Better relations with management.

Ability for women in paid work to take time off rather than resign from their

jobs to stay at home, or to return to work too early after childbirth.

1.4.2 Work-life balance benefit to employers

Business will attract and retain the best people.

Increased employee retention.

Reduced absenteeism.

Employer loyalty.

Increased productivity and profit.

Maximised available labour.

Making employees feel valued.

The reputation of being an employer of choice.

1.5 DETERMINANTS OF WORK LIFE BALANCE

In every individuals life there exists the determinants of Work-Life

Balance. The subject in the present contexts that are related the most with

Work-Life Balance are as follows.

1.5.1 Individual

An individual is the most important determinant of work life balance. Two

American cardiologists Roseenman and Friedman determined two different types

of personality depending on heart disorders and individual behavior: type A & B

Type A is someone who is more active, more work oriented, more passionate

and competitive, while type B is calm, patient, balance and right minded. It can

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be argued that since type A is more oriented to work there will be Negative

reflection of it to Work-Life Balance.

Yet work-holism, considered to be an obsessive behavior is another thing

that destroys Work-Life balance. Work -holism, connotes over-addiction to work,

being at work for a very long time over working, and being busy with work at

times, out of work. As workaholic is someone who is not interested in any other

subjects than his job, works excessively and continues working without being

aware that work holism damages health, personal happiness and relations with

others. Since life is not only about work, workaholics suffer from alienation,

family problems. Like alcoholics workaholics neglects their families, friends,

relations and other social responsibilities.

The demands that one experiences in family life and that have effects on

individual, Work-Life Balance of an individual in terms of marriage child-rising,

caring for elderly, shopping, house chores have effect on Work-Life Balance

since they demand more family responsibilities. Traditionally responsibility in the

family becomes more burdens on women while balancing work and life. Those

who have to look after a child or the elderly might sometimes have to risk their

career by shortening their working hours, which becomes a source of stress for

them29 on the other hand, those without children or any elderly people to look

after at home experiences less Work-Life Imbalance.

29Lowe,G.S, “Control overtime and Work-Life Balance”, An empirical analysis, The graham Lowe Group, Canada, 2005.

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1.5.2 Work and Organization

Work environment is more effective in work life Imbalance than the family

environment. The job and the organization, one works in both have demand on

individual time, efforts and mental capacity. Among the efforts, to increase

organizational efficiency one of the subject manager’s should focus on to raise

the organizational loyalty of the staff. In this context employees working hard are

encouraged and given opportunities to advance in career. Organization tries to

get the most of their employees without considering the other aspects to their

private life. Such organizational strategies provide the opportunity of promotion

and other benefits to the employee, so that in long run the employees might

neglect their private life; therefore, the organizations become an important factor

on Work-Life Balance.

1.5.3 Social Environment

Another determinant of Work-Life Balance is social environment.

Especially in countries the cultural collective characteristics of an individual have

responsibilities towards certain social groups to himself and his family. Every

social group such as relation, friends and neighbors and family has demand on

the individual which he/she belongs to. As such of one’s social environment

becomes a factor of Work-Life Balance.

1.6 THE CONSEQUENCES AND CAUSES

Poor Work-Life Balance is often manifested in a range of physical and

psychological strains, such as irritability, depression, anxiety, diminished self-

confidence, inability to relax, lack of sleep and increased susceptibly to a number

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of illnesses, a number of psycho-somatic disorders, burnout, low productivity,

high employee turnover, safety hazards, increase in divorce cases, high blood

pressure, ulcer, migraine and many psychosomatic disorders. Researchers

proved that Work Life Balance and job satisfaction were positively related to each

other and even the work family conflict increased emotional exhaustion and

decrease job satisfaction.

Organizations also suffer owing to poor Work Life Balance of their

employees. There are direct and indirect deleterious consequences. The direct

consequences are poor productivity, high employee turnover, accidents, etc. On

the other hand, the indirect consequences are low involvement, serious

interpersonal conflicts at work, apathetic attitude towards work and so on. Lack

of Work Life Balance indirectly and negatively affects family dynamics. It results

in marital discord, divorce, child abuse and neglect of old parents. All of these

affect societal functioning and harmony. Social pathology and disorganization

also occur when of the most people in the society lead lop-sided lives.

Work-Life imbalance has 3 types of conflict: namely, time-based, stress-

based and behavior-based.

Generally work take up most of the time, thus leaving little time for family

and other social aspects of life. The time-based conflict is about what one’s

limited time is mostly allocated for, when individuals do not allocate the limited

time equally among the demanding group, a negative result occurs.

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The stress-based conflict occurs when the role of the individual is dual

at work or in the family which causes stress on the individual where in the stress

affects the other roles of the individual. An example is someone who had an

argument with colleague at work reflects on the family members back home,

these tension inferences with his roles in the family.

The behavior-base conflict occurs when the behavior of work and out of

work are issuant and conflicting. For instances when a manager who has to be

strict and discipline at work, carries the same behavior to home, might

experience problems with the family members.

Work life balance shall enable individual to fulfill his/her role effectively

and efficiently as an employee, member of any organization, family, and the

society. As an organizations need to attract and retain valued employees in a

highly competitive labor market, Work Life Balance is a strong motivating factor

for increased organization awareness and action with regard to Human

Resources Policies and Practices that address work life Balance. Work Life

Balance is an important area of human resource management which that

receives increased attention from different types of organization including

management, employee representatives and the media.

There is decline of lifetime employment or job security as more and more

people are on short-term contracts. Occupational psychology plays a key role in

assessing the structure and implementation of flexible work models and also with

the study of factors underlying Work-Life Balance. Since work-place flexibility is

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becoming increasingly popular for both employers and employees, flexible work

arrangements are taken as an opportunity for efficient recruitment, decreased

employee turnover, absenteeism and importantly, it also helps in projecting an

improved corporate image.

As work life balance is a critical issue for men and women in the modern

society, an in-depth understanding of the issue is not only desirable but also

necessary. We propose a model of causes and consequences of work life

balance. They are societal, organizational and individual in nature. Societal

drivers play an important role in creating variations in work life balance.

Organizational drivers regulate the behavior of people, thus creating structures

and choices for work life balance. Finally, individual drivers are major factors of

work life balance for people.

1.6.1Societal drivers

As the agrarian society is giving way to the industrial and knowledge

societies, there are major shifts in societal forms and structures. This shift is a

major reason behind conflict between work and life activities. In the past, it was

believed that the optimal family functioning occurs when the husband specializes

in work, while the wife is responsible for domestic chores. Gender roles are

rigidly defined. Work life balance was at family unit level rather than at individual

level. More recently, societal perceptions have changed and it deems appropriate

for both men and women to pursue paid employment outside of the home and

also share responsibilities within the home. However, the role spillover of male

into domestic and nurturing roles is limited. This problem is more acute in a

24

collectivist, male dominated society like, India where the boundaries between

work and family have been well-defined. The Indian family has traditionally

granted a favored status to men as a chief bread winner. Men are responsible for

working outside family whereas women are homemakers. The centuries old

traditional gender roles are changing now. Due to the recognition of women’s

high level of education, the necessity of double income and women’s increased

wish for autonomy and social recognition, the employment rate of women has

increased worldwide. Few decades back, women were restricted to professionals

where achieving work life balance was not a problem, such as teaching. There is

a shift in the perception and choices made by women these days. With the rapid

changes in societal structures and forms, men and women experience greater

role conflict, overload and ambiguity. The situation is more complex for dual

working couple in metros. The shift has also loaded the burden of raring children

all by themselves. Work life balance is not crucial for only married individuals or

nuclear family with or without children. Single parents may have greater difficulty

in balancing work with children. Consequently, work life balance is critically

important for working women to sustain their mental health.

There is migration of large rural population to urban centres. At the same

time, urban life is becoming more taxing and stressful. People today experience

lack of time and balance between professional requirements and personal needs.

Middle class is experiencing unprecedented prosperity. Middle class people are

faced with a heighted degree of value conflict between money and lifestyle.

25

Government can play very important role in determining quality of life for

its people by promulgating various labour laws. For instance, the Western

European governments have promulgated several policies to help their citizens

to strike a balance between work and life. On the other hand, government

regulations are less strict in the United States. Of late, the Government of India

has also promulgated laws to facilitate the different aspects of work life balance.

Equally important is monitoring and surveillance of such laws by the relevant

government agencies. Indian laws do not allow women workers to work in night

in mining and manufacturing organizations. However, some organizations,

especially in the service sector, employ women in night shift.

Occupation can be a major source of work life balance. Different

occupations vary in their stress level. For example, the jobs of police officer,

aeroplane pilot, construction worker, doctor, advertising executive, sales

manager, etc are highly stressful. On the other hand, the jobs of teacher,

government officer, HR manager, Clerk in government, etc are less stressful.

Thus, occupational choice by people entails work life balance for them.

1.6.2 Organizational drivers

Employee-oriented organizations that uphold the philosophy that

organizational effectiveness will be high if employees’ work life balance is well

achieved follow a host of practices to facilitate work life balance. Most of the

MNCs from Scandinavian and western countries follow practices to promote work

life balance. On the other hand, Korean and Indian organizations score lower on

the facilitation of work life balance. HR practices play vital role in promoting work

26

life balance practices in an organization. Some of organizational reasons for

experiencing difficulty in work life balance the work load, working hours, and

stress at work. HR practices can formulate to ensure that employees do not

experience role stress due to overload, role ambiguity, and role conflict by

formulating clear roles and job descriptions.

Effective organizational design and systems and processes further

facilitate work life balance. Progressive organizations develop a variety of work

life balance practices, such as flexi -time, no meeting after core working hours,

forced annual leave, maternity and paternity leave, shopping at work, crèche,

gym and good food facility, no late sitting culture, and so on.

1.6.3 Individual drivers

Life philosophy is a major determiner of work life balance. All of us have

life philosophy that affects work life balance. However, it is generally implicit and

people do not articulate it succinctly. The life philosophy can focus either on

being or becoming or a balance between the two. Being is concerned with

human endeavor for self-actualization, contentedness, harmony, and enjoying

what one is. On the other hand, becoming is related to material achievement,

money, power, and social status, etc. Greater the conflict between being and

becoming within an individual, the lower work life balance.

Personality is a relatively enduring aspect that significantly affects

behavior. Certain personality traits like work centrality, work-holism and Type A

negatively affect work life balance. People who are high on these personality

27

characteristics derive greater satisfaction from their work and are over-family

obligations. Such individuals derive intrinsic reward out of work. They find

balancing work and non-work activities difficult. In contrast, individual with self-

efficacy are more comfortable to integrate work and life.

1.7 HRD-WORK LIFE BALANCE

Managing a home while raising young children when both spouses are

employed outside the home is challenging and stressful .Balancing one’s work

responsibilities and desires with one’s responsibilities and interests outside work

is, at best, challenging. While balancing work commitments with life commitments

involves a myriad of trade-offs for two-income families with children, it also

provides ongoing challenges for adults who remain single or do not have

children30.

Mid-life workers often deal with balance issues from two ends of the

spectrum: young children and ageing parents. This issue, however, includes

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,

30Raines. C, “Beyond Generation X:A Practical Guide forManagers”,MenloPark,CA- Crisp,1997.

28

elder-care assistance, flexible scheduling, job sharing, adoption benefits, on-site

summer camps, pet-care and even lawn care for employees who travel31.

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.

31Cartwright. C, “100 best companies for working mothers”, Working Mother October,1999, pp.62–75.

29

1.8 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.

1.9 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

1.9.1Working hours and Flexibility

One of the greatest enablers in promoting life-balance amongst

employees in flexible working conditions. Many terms have been used in this

context including tele-commuting, work from home, compressed work- week,

flexible hours, part-time working etc. Working time is the period of time that an

individual spends at paid occupational labour. Unpaid labors such as personal

housework or caring for children/pets are not considered part of the working

week. Many countries regulate the work week by law, such as stipulating

30

minimum daily rest periods, annual holidays and a maximum number of working

hours per week. Working time may vary from person to person often depending

on location, culture, life style choice, and the profitability of the individual’s

livelihood. Flexible working arrangements allow both parents and non-parents to

avail of working arrangements that provide a balance between work

responsibilities and personal responsibilities. In practice, it involves adjusting

work partners so that everyone, regardless of age, race or gender can find a

rhythm that enables them more easily to combine work and their other

responsibilities and aspirations. The aim of such working time policies is to strike

a balance between employment and domestic commitments that is equitable and

beneficial to both employer and employees. Work life balance policies are often

referred to in practices as ‘ flexible working’, and include the following different

ways of working that is part-time working, job sharing, flexi-time, term time

working, shift working, annualized hours, compressed hours, tele-working, home

working, career breaks, study leave, zero hours contracts, V-Time.

1.9.2 The Time Bind

The term “time bind” describes a number of situations in which workers

prefer dividing their time between work and family or personal life in a manner

different from the way it is currently divided but are unable or find it difficult to do

so. Persons might desire either more (or less) work time, or more (or less) family

and personal time but they are prevented from doing so by concurrent work and

family/personal commitments and expectations. We suggest that this time bind

can be understood as a perceived imbalance between work and family/personal

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life. This conceptualization allows for the possibility that individuals might prefer

more or less work time and/or more or less family or personal time and all would

perceive work-life imbalance. It also allows for the possibility that alternate work

schedules might affect perceptions of work-life balance because they could be

used to accommodate time preferences to unbind time. The opposite of a time

bind is a sense of work-life balance. And, although work-life imbalance probably

entails more than mere time imbalance and the difficulty of achieving balance,

where the time bind as perceptions of imbalance between work and family or

personal life and the perceived degree of conflict in achieving that balance.

Evaluation of the consequences of alternate schedules and schedule control on

work-life balance has been limited by several factors. Thus, they do not control

for other characteristics of jobs, workers or family conditions that could contribute

to perceptions of work-life imbalance32.

1.9.3 Job satisfaction

Job satisfaction is how content an individual is with his or her job. Scholars

and human resource professionals generally make a distinction between

affective job satisfaction and cognitive job satisfaction. Affective job satisfaction is

the extent of pleasurable emotional feelings individuals have about their jobs

overall, and is different to cognitive job satisfaction which is the extent of

individuals’ satisfaction with particular facets of their jobs, such as pay, pension

arrangements, working hours, and numerous other aspects of their jobs.

32Hochschild A. R., “The time bind- When work becomes home and home becomes work”, New York, Metropolitan Books,1997.

32

A satisfied employee and productivity possesses positive affect and brings

in desirable work values, enhanced efficiency. Job satisfaction is conducive to

lower absenteeism and employee turnover. There is evidence that increased

satisfaction is related to enhanced productivity. The progressive organization,

therefore, regularly measures the satisfaction is facilitated by work-life balance

but hindered by burnout of the employees. A healthy balance between family and

job leads to higher job satisfaction, thereby reducing the cost to organization and

enhancing employee performance. Employee burnout is negatively related to job

satisfaction as it adversely affects employee wellbeing, leading to lower job

involvement, undesirable behavior at work and cynical attitude resulting in poor

employee performance.

1.9.4Job Autonomy

Autonomy is the degree to which a job provides an employee with the

discretion and independence to schedule their work and determine how it is to be

done. Higher levels of autonomy on the job have been shown to increase job

satisfaction, and in some cases, motivation to perform the job. In traditional

organizations, only those employees at higher levels had autonomy. However,

new organizational structures, such as flatter organizations, have resulted in

increased autonomy at lower levels. Additionally, many companies now make

use of autonomous work teams. Autonomy in the workplace can have benefits

for employees, teams, managers, and the company as a whole, but it also may

have drawbacks.

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According to job design theories, increased autonomy should make

employees feel a greater responsibility for the outcomes of their work, and

therefore have increased work motivation. Research indicates that when

employees have greater levels of autonomy, their personality traits (specifically

conscientiousness and extroversion) have a stronger impact on job performance.

Thus, by giving employees more autonomy, they are better able to use their

personal attributes to contribute to job performance. Unfortunately, too much

autonomy can lead to employee dissatisfaction. Each individual has a different

level of need for autonomy in their job. Some workers prefer more direction from

a manager and feel uncomfortable with autonomy; they may not want to exert

effort or take the responsibility of having their name solely associated with a task,

project, or product. Additionally, if employees are not well-equipped either in

training or in personality to exercise autonomy, it may result in workplace tension

and poor performance. Finally, when given autonomy, workers may believe that

they have authority somewhat equal to that of their direct supervisor. This may

cause them to resent the extra responsibility or feel that their pay should be

increased. A related concern is that managers may feel marginalized when

employee autonomy increases, particularly when there is a change to a

traditional work environment. Managers may feel that by giving employees

autonomy, they no longer contribute as much to the organization or that their jobs

may be at stake.

Even though there are a number of job related variables that can impact a

person’s sense of well -being , it was felt that the more a person is in control and

34

has the freedom to perform the work assignment at his/her own pace and

method the greater will be the work life balance. This freedom to decide on the

schedule and method of doing work has been defined as Job autonomy. In fact

the people who have better control over their work environment are less stressed

and perceive their family life as more positive and happy as compared to those

who do not. Independence and the ability to manage ones work roles and

responsibilities thus are significant in contributing to a person’s sense of

wellbeing and subsequently to her work-life balance.

1.9.5 Organizational Commitment

It is an extensively researched topic in the field of organizational behavior,

as a variable related to the behavior and performance of employees. It is an

essential function of an individual behavior and willingness of individuals to give

their energy to the organization through actions and choices overtime.

Organizational commitment as “the tendency to engage in consistent lines of

activity, such as intent to stay in the organization if they willingly continue with the

organization and devote considerable effort to achieving its goals”.

1.10 THE GLOBAL SCENARIO OF WORK LIFE BALANCE

During the 1960s and 1970s, employers considered work-life mainly an

issue for working mothers who struggled with the demands of their jobs and

raising children. During the 1980s, recognizing the value and needs of women

contributions, pioneering organizations (IBM, Deloitee) began to change their

internal workplace policies, procedures and benefits. The changes included

maternity leave, employee assistance programs (EAPs), flexi-time, home-based

35

work, and child-care referral. During the 1980s men also began voicing work-life

concerns. The term ‘work life balance’ was first coined in 1986 in reaction to the

unhealthy choices that many Americans were making in favor of the work place

as they opted to neglect family, friends and leisure activities in the pursuit of

corporate goals. Articles of the time suggested a sharp increase in the working

hours of the Americans. This had started to affect their families and individual

health. Work life balance slowly was gaining grounds in the various

organizations. By the end of the decade, work life balance was seen as more

than just a women’s issue, affecting men, families, organizations and cultures.

In 1990s solidified the recognition of work-life balance as a vital issue for

everyone women, men, parents and non-parents, singles and couples. The

1990s saw a rise in the number of working women and dual-income families. A

second family configuration, the lone parent household also became prevalent in

the 1990s.The labor force experienced considerable challenges in balancing the

work and family responsibilities. This growing awareness of the central

importance of the issue resulted in major growth in attempted work-life solutions

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.

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1.11 WORK LIFE BALANCE AND RETENTION OF HUMAN CAPITAL – THE

INDIAN PERSPECTIVE

The stress and strain of modern day working life is no longer something

that is alien to the Indian setup. With more and more transnational companies

landing on Indian shores, the work culture has undergone a dramatic change.

This change is not limited to foreign companies but has percolated deep into the

Indian working psyche. Indian companies, in order to meet the challenge of

competition, have had to imbibe this culture. Even the much tarnished image of

public sector undertakings has gone a dramatic change. More and more

management bosses are now implementing work schedules, which extend far

beyond the usual 9-6 affair. Although Indian laws and even those in the rest of

the world do not permit work beyond certain number of hours, it is no longer the

statutory requirement to stay at office, but the increased pressure to confirm with

work standards is that what causes problems. The Indian work environment has

a typical set of drivers, which are not prevalent in the west. Although most of the

companies in India have imbibed a working pattern alike to the Western business

model, but the basic psyche of the employee remains different.

The career-minded generation and India’s booming economy once had

people terming work-life balance as a western problem. But these same

youngsters are now struggling with the inevitable effects of all work and no play.

On the other hand, the drive is to keep up with the workload, to climb the

corporate ladder and prove them-selves. For the we want it all’ generation, this

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delicate see-saw to reduce stress and maintain harmony is an ongoing

challenge.

However it is not easy to find many references to work-life Balance

policies and issues in India. This is not to discount their existence in the country,

but it does indicate its relative unimportance as a strategic business issue in the

country. It is indeed hurting to see a majority of Indian companies still wedded to

the old style presenter’s philosophy instead of offering managers opportunities to

strike a healthy work-life balance. Thus, in India IT industry is probably the first

mover in terms of introducing work-life balance policies. Work-life balance

policies seem to be targeted at potential recruits rather than as a tool for the

entry and progress of women into the workplace as elsewhere in the world. In

India there is a starting point in that organizations have recognized the need for

and value of work-life balance policies. But the debate has to now move into

implementation and the government could play a critical role in being a catalyst

of change. An advantage that Indian industry will however have is learning from

experiences of other countries in what has worked and what not.

There is no one size that fits all and Indian companies will have to adapt

policies to fit in with not just the nature of industry, profile of workforce and other

such factors but also with the local. Human resource managers who implement

successful work-life training programs throughout their management ranks

accomplish two major bottom-line goals. First, they increase the retention,

commitment and productivity of the firm’s most valuable people asset. Second,

the managers and supervisors reflect a new tool set and language that produce

38

much more positive view of the organization at all levels. This more positive view

has a cascading impact on the attitude, morale, productivity.

Former President Kalam of India has highlighted five factors i.e.,

agriculture, education, healthcare, and information technology and infrastructure

development which would help in uplifting the 260 million people living below the

poverty line while simultaneously sustaining the 7% growth in GDP. In India 540

million people are below the age of 25 years; no other country has such a big

bank of workable people who can work wonders. India has the greatest

advantage of its talented workable force. Indian companies are giving due

response to their human capital and are exploring ways to keep their employees

happy. “I always focus on growing talent within the company and I think it is

important to share the credit for good work. We may not have too many heroes in

our company but we certainly have people who work very well together. My

mantra is to focus on the people who have the ability to learn”, says Shanghvi.

The Auto-manufacturer Mahindra and Mahindra has introduced two new

schemes which are in pipeline for its top level managers in order to bring balance

in their work and personal life. Company has changed its leave policy wherein it

has introduced a compulsory 15-days leave for its middle and top-level officials.

They wanted their employees to spend value time with their family at home. The

company is also focusing on training and development programme for the career

mapping of the employees and provides them with a meaning professional

career ahead.

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1.12 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.

1.13 WORK LIFE BALANCE TODAY

In the transition from stable slow changing bureaucracies to the modern

flexible firm, the nature of work has also changed, often with fewer people being

required to produce more. This has implications for both the long-term

commitment of employees and the balance of work and personal responsibilities.

Hence, in modern organisations a few administrative assistants have replaced

the large typing pool of the old bureaucracies, while managers word process their

own letters and communications. In academia, the cozy tutorials of old have

given way to the ubiquitous and much larger seminar groups. Within an

environment where more is required from fewer people, the interpersonal

balance between colleagues and clients is redefined creating new pressures

where there is potential for more stress with less time to resolve disputes.

40

Although some of the comforts and securities of the old bureaucracies have

diminished the tendencies to micro management, working practices have

arguably increased. The modern worker has to be aware of and comply with a

burgeoning list of compliance requirements. All institutions face new standards of

recommended accounting practice, more detailed health and safety

requirements, increasingly complex employment and pensions legislation, more

exacting provisions for ensuring non-discrimination and, of course, proliferating

complaint procedures. Therefore in a climate where more is expected from fewer

people, issues of work life balance have taken on greater significance than in

times past. The old style paternalistic bureaucracies, for the most part, were

underpinned by a psychological contract of secure employment. It is therefore

arguable that old style organizations were able to promulgate compliance where

the expectation was for long-term secure employment in return for loyal

compliance to the bureaucracy’s idiosyncrasies.

The management employee relationship is likely to be less stable if the

transaction is perceived as shorter term and more reliant on a materialistic

transaction. Womack argues that modern workers are indeed less committed to

their organizations33. This might be less the case if a more balanced equilibrium

between the workplace and other personal interests could be established. It is

therefore likely to be counterproductive for an employer to ask staff to work to the

letter of their contracts. The ubiquitous catchall clauses requiring staff to work

33 Womack, S., “British Workers Have Low Levels of Commitment to Employers”, The Daily Telegraph,Volume 12 ,No.3,July 2003,p.232.

41

additional hours as and when the employer may require should be

counterbalanced by some compensation to retain goodwill. As the term ‘work

balance’ articulates, people have an aspiration to achieve greater equilibrium in

their lives, and this cannot be achieved in a relationship where the employee is

seen to be more flexible than the employer.

1.14 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 bed one. 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

42

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 a 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.

1.15 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

thrown light in these issues and made some attempts to understand what

motivates the employees and drives them towards job satisfaction.

The results revealed employees generally expect not only appropriate and

competitive pay for the work they perform but also hope to achieve a balance

between work and rest of their lives. After considering various views from the

collected literature reviews research design was formed. It includes the need for

the present study, specific objectives of the study, hypothesis of the study, scope

43

and variables of the study, methodology and sampling, statistical tools adopted in

the study and also the limitations and presentation of the study.

1.16 NEED FOR THE STUDY

Work-Life balance has been considered of crucial importance in many

Public and Private Sector Undertakings for establishing and sustaining a

productive work culture. Several initiatives have been taken up by the

Government, many experts and industrialists and even employees in

organizations towards maintaining work life balance. Multiple roles performed by

individuals call for better integration between work and non-work issues. Even

Jobs are no more cushy/easy going, they are demanding. Similarly, individual

cannot be effective at work if they are not able to manage their personal lives.

Finding time for socialization is no more a social obligation, but also a real stress

buster. There is evidence to show that the activities outside work positively

influence the productivity and creative potential of employees. Hence, it has been

found that work life balance (work life balance) is not only the source of care and

concern, but also that it was the major source of dissatisfaction for many

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

44

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.

45

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”.

1.17 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.

To analyze the effectiveness of work life balance in Bharat Heavy

Electricals Limited and Vijai Electricals Limited.

To asses and evaluate the impact of work life balance of employees and

suggest the specific recommendations for the betterment.

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1.18 HYPOTHESES

1. Demographic groups do not have an influence on Work life Balance of

employees.

2. Impact of family support on Work Life Balance of employees is not

influenced by demographic groups.

3. Impact of family hindrances on Work Life Balance of employees is not

influenced by demographic groups.

4. Job satisfaction of employees has no significant influence on their Work

Life Balance.

5. The influence of Job performance on Work Life Balance is not influenced

with demographic groups.

6. Job Autonomy has no significant influence on Work life Balance of

employees with varying demographic groups.

1.19 SCOPE AND VARIABLES OF THE STUDY

The study is restricted to two organizations in Electrical Sector because of

the constant demand from public and private sectors that are playing a pivotal

role in growing economy. The two organizations one from public sector and the

other from private sector and both are situated in the same geographical region

at Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India were selected for this study. In both

selected organizations, there are three levels of management. Deputy General

Manager, General Manager, Chief Executive, Assistant Vice President, President

and Chairman belong to Top-Management. Whereas Manager, Engineer,

Supervisor, Technician belong to middle and low level management.

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As per the convenience researcher elicit the respondents’ opinions of only

employees of Middle and Lower levels in BHARAT HEAVY ELECTRICALS Ltd

and VIJAI Electricals Ltd. Some of the aspects of Work Life Balance attempted

to be covered by the study were as under:

Present scenario of work life balance

Support from family

Effectiveness of working conditions and job satisfaction

Main focus of Job performance and commitment

The importance of Job autonomy and Task identity in Public and Private

Sector undertakings

The method of organizational commitment followed in selected units

1.20 METHODOLOGY AND SAMPLING

The study is based on both primary and secondary information and data.

The main sources of secondary data are the annual reports and bulletins of the

respective enterprises. The HRD/ personnel departments of the select units have

been used as the potential source of information relating to work life balance

aspects. The seminar papers presented and articles published by executives of

the enterprises have been found useful to get the information and data for the

study.

The libraries of the enterprises were also used to collect some information

relating to genesis, organizational structure, growth and development of the

enterprises during the study period. Dr. V.S. Krishna Library of Andhra

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University, a depository of literature and information on a wide range of

disciplines including HRD, has been visited very frequently to collect the pertinent

literature for the study. Back numbers of journals, periodicals, research

dissertations from few libraries have been consulted to get valuable information

relevant and useful to the study and for preparation of select bibliography.

Libraries of Acharya Nagarjuna University and Andhra University, Central

University, Osmania University, Adminstrative Staff College Institute were also

used as a potential source to search latest literature for preparation of preliminary

chapters including review of earlier studies.

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.

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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.

Table No.1.1

Sample details in BHEL and VE

Category Total no of employees in

BHEL 5,600

Total no of employees in VE 5,400

Managers 30 30

Supervisors 63 27

Technicians 61 99

Workers 126 114

Total sample size

280 270

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1.21 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. For

carrying out the test of significance, the F ratio is calculated. F is defined as

__ S1

2 , (X1 – X1)2

F = where S12 =

S22 n1 – 1

__ (X2 – X2)2

And S22 =

n2 – 1

It should be noted that S12 is always the larger estimate of variance, i.e., S1

2 > S22

F = Larger estimate of variance Smaller estimate of variance

V1 = n1 – 1 and V2 = n2 – 1

V1 = Degrees of freedom for sample having larger variance.

V2 = Degree of freedom for sample having smaller variance.

The calculated value of F is compared with the table value for V1 and V2 at

5% or 1% level of significance. If the calculated value of F is greater than the

table value, then the F ratio is considered significant and the null hypothesis is

rejected. On the other hand, if the calculated value of F is less than the table

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value the null hypothesis is accepted and it is inferred that both the samples have

come from the population having the same variance.

1.22 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.

1.23 PRESENTATION OF THE STUDY

The role and significance of Human Resource Management and the

dynamics of Work-Life Balance in PSU has been discussed in the first chapter.

The Research Design which contains Need, Objectives, presentation of

the study, Methodology and Sample respondents is covered in the same chapter.

The second chapter outlines the Review of Literature. Brief profiles of selected

units have been presented i.e. Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd, and Vijai Electricals

in the third chapter. The fourth chapter contains an over-view of work life

balance in selected Units. The Fifth and sixth chapter contains the respondents

i. e x e

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profile, process, facilities, impact and influence of work life balance based on the

perceptions of the sample respondents on Job satisfaction and working

conditions, Job performance and commitment, Job Autonomy and Task Identity

in Select Private and Public sector undertakings. The final chapter gives an

account of summary and suggestions.

.