work life balance
DESCRIPTION
work life balance research methods and types an introductionTRANSCRIPT
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1.1 INTRODUCTION
Meaning
Maintaining a balance between work life and personal life is called Work Life
Balance. The meaning of work/life balance has chameleon characteristics. It means
different things to different groups, and the meaning often depends on the context of the
conversation and the speaker's viewpoint. The following are working definitions of terms
used regarding work/life balance; some definitions overlap and some are continuing to
evolve.
Work/family
It is a term more frequently used in the past than today. The current trend is to use
titles that include the phrase work/life, giving a broader work/life connotation or labeling
referring to specific areas of support (e.g., quality of life, flexible work options, life
balance, etc.)
Work/family conflict
Work/family conflict is a push and pulls between work and family responsibilities.
Work/life balance from the employee viewpoint
It is a dilemma of managing work obligations and personal/family responsibilities.
Work/life balance from the employer viewpoint
Work/life is the challenge of creating a supportive company culture where
employees can focus on their jobs while at work.
Family-friendly benefits
The benefits that offer employees the latitude to address their personal and family
commitments, while at the same time not compromising their work responsibilities.
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Work/life programs
This programs (often financial or time-related) established by an employer that
offer employees options to address work and personal responsibilities.
Work/life initiatives
This policies and procedures established by an organization with the goal to enable
employees to get their jobs done and at the same time provide flexibility to handle
personal/family concerns.
Work/family culture
It is the extent to which an organization's culture acknowledges and respects the
family responsibilities and obligations of its employees and encourages management and
employees to work together to meet their personal and work needs.
Indicators
When you have balance you are
Satisfied with your work and home lives.
Able to fulfill your responsibilities without guilt or regret.
Healthy physically and emotionally.
In control of your life
Loss of balance may cause you to
Miss work more often and not be as productive at work.
Your involvement in the community may go down.
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Changing & Increasing work pressures
A decade back, employees used to have fixed working hours or rather a 9 to 5 job
from Monday to Friday. The boundary between the work and home has disappeared with
time. But with globalization and people working across countries, the concept of fixed
working hours is fading away. Instead of just 7 or 8 a day, people are spending as much as
12-16 hours every day in office.
The technological blessings like e-mail, text messaging and cell phones which were
thought of as tools to connect them to their work being away from their workplace, have
actually integrated their personal and professional lives. Now professionals find
themselves working even when they are on vacations.
The ever-increasing working hours leave the individuals with less time for
themselves and to pursue his hobbies or leisure activities. This hinders the growth of the
person as an individual in terms of his personal and spiritual growth. Professionals working
in the BPO industry, doctors and nurses and especially IT professionals are the few
examples who are facing the brunt of the hazard constantly.
Reasons of imbalance:
There are various reasons for this imbalance and conflicts in the life of an
employee. From individual career ambitions to pressure to cope up with family or work,
the reasons can be situation and individual specific. The speed of advancement of
information technology, the increasing competition in the talent supply market has led to a
"performance-driven" culture creating pressures and expectations to performance more and
better every time. Also, many a times, many people find it difficult to say "NO" to others
especially their superiors. They usually end up over burdening themselves with work. The
increasing responsibilities on the personal front with age can also create stress on personal
and professional fronts.
There was a time when employees showed up for work Monday through Friday
and worked eight- to nine-hour days. The boundaries between work and home were fairly
clear then. But the world has changed and, unfortunately, the boundaries have blurred for
many workers. The main reasons are:
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Global economy
As more skilled workers enter the global labor market and companies outsource
or move more jobs to reduce labor costs, people feel pressured to work longer and
produce more just to protect their jobs.
International business
Work continues around the world 24 hours a day for some people. If you work in
an international organization, you might be on call around the clock for troubleshooting
or consulting.
Advanced communication technology
Many people now have the ability to work anywhere — from their home, from
their car and even on vacation. And some managers expect this.
Longer hours
Employers commonly ask employees to work longer hours than they're scheduled.
Often, overtime is mandatory. If you hope to move up the career ladder, you may find
yourself regularly working more than 40 hours a week to achieve and exceed
expectations.
Changes in family roles
Today’s married worker is typically part of a dual-career couple, which makes it
difficult to find time to meet commitments to family, friends and community.
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Effects
Constant struggle and effort to maintain a balance between the work and personal
life can have serious implications on the life of an individual. According to a survey, 81
per cent of the respondents have admitted that their jobs are affecting and creating stress
in their personal lives. The pressures of the work or personal life can lead to stress.
According to studies, it has been found to that such situation can take a toll on the
person's health both physiologically and psychologically. Heart ailments, cardiovascular
problems, sleep disorders, depression, irritability, jumpiness, insecurity, poor
concentration and even nervous breakdowns are becoming common among the victims of
such imbalance. Pressure, stress or tension in work life can lead to bad social life and vice
versa.
Solutions
Many experts have given different solutions to this problem.
1. Time management is one of the best solutions which can help to reduce the
0imbalance between the personal and the work life of the employees. Prioritizing
the tasks and planning the activities can help to take out some free time which can
be utilized for other purposes.
2. Taking some time out for hobbies and leisure activities, spending time with loved
ones can help to beat the stress.
3. Learn to say "no" if required.
4. Sharing the responsibilities will help and don't commit for something which is
practically impossible.
5. Utilizing the flexible working hours option of the organizations to get some free
time.
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Conclusion
Juggling between the obligations towards the families and expectations of the
organization and constant struggle to maintain a balance can work and have serious
implications on the life of an individual. Therefore, it is important for employees to
maintain a healthy balance between work and their private lives. This will help them
achieve their personal and professional goals as well the organization they are working for.
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1.2 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
Primary objectives
To analyse how far the employees of Virtusa India Pvt.Ltd are able to maintain
balance between their work life and personal life.
Secondary Objectives
To analyse factors contributing to work life balance of employees.
To study the factors which hinders work life balance and creates imbalances.
To suggest measures that should be concentrated to improve work life balance.
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1.3 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
People would like to have a neat balance of Work & Life. The scope of
balancing both work and life by a person would be leading to good quality of
life and an enjoyable work life and career progression.
Work and Life Balance will make a person to maintain the good health and
affordable childcare and eldercare.
One can concentrate on their personal interests and voluntary work.
The balancing of work and life keep the persons away from pressurized
mentality which in turn reflect in happier life and good productivity at work.
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1.4 NEED OF THE STUDY
The present study concentrates deeply in “Employee Work Life Balance” which
refers to how the employees are balancing the work as well as life. The concept of
“Employee Work Life Balance” is flexible and elastic and differs widely with time,
industry, social values, degree of industrialization, it is also moulded according to
age-group, gender, social-culture, marital, economic status, and educational level of
employees.
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1.5 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
Even though the concept of Organizational Commitment may be an universally
applicable concept, by nature of present study, it has got only a limited scope
with reference to the organization studied.
Further the researcher has limited the scope of the study only up to the
conforming the association between personal variables and organizational
commitment, even though the scope for higher level analysis is possible.
The busy work schedule of the employees was a constraint for the study.
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1.6 INDUSTRY PROFILE
About IT Industry
Information technology (IT), as defined by the Information Technology
Association of America (ITAA), is "the study, design, development, implementation,
support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software
applications and computer hardware.".IT deals with the use of electronic computers and
computer software to convert, store, protect process, transmit, and securely retrieve
information.
Today, the term information technology has ballooned to encompass many aspects
of computing and technology, and the term has become very recognizable. The information
technology umbrella can be quite large, covering many fields. IT professionals perform a
variety of duties that range from installing applications to designing complex computer
networks and information databases. A few of the duties that IT professionals perform may
include data management, networking, engineering computer hardware, database and
software design, as well as the management and administration of entire systems.
When computer and communications technologies are combined, the result is
information technology, or "InfoTech". Information technology is a general term that
describes any technology that helps to produce, manipulate, store, communicate, and/or
disseminate information. Presumably, when speaking of Information Technology (IT) as a
whole, it is noted that the use of computers and information are associated.
Features of the IT Industry at a Glance:
Economies of scale for the information technology industry are high. The marginal
cost of each unit of additional software or hardware is insignificant compared to the
value addition that results from it
Efficient utilization of skilled labor forces in the IT sector can help an economy
achieve a rapid pace of economic growth.
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The IT industry helps many other sectors in the growth process of the economy
including the services and manufacturing sectors.
Domain of IT industry:
A wide variety of services come under the domain of the information technology industry.
Some of these services are as follows:
Systems architecture
Database design and development
Networking
Testing
Documentation
Maintenance and hosting
Operational support
Security services
KEY ATTRIBUTES ENABLING IT SECTOR IN A COUNTRY:
A stable and open business environment that encourages competition
It goes without saying that for the IT industry to thrive; private property must be
sacrosanct, competition and investment from all quarters welcomed, and regulation
transparent and well-balanced. The best performers are also striving to inject more
flexibility into their labor markets, making it easier for firms to hire or fire workers.
Advanced IT and communications infrastructure
IT producers themselves need good technology to excel. A country’s firms must be
well endowed with computer hardware and have reliable high-speed Internet access. US
software firms, for example, make enormous use of the country’s fast and secure network
infrastructure to develop new applications with partners. IT firms are also pacesetters in the
use of wireless and mobile technologies to improve productivity.
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IT talent and skills development geared to the future
The supply of talent for the IT industry is growing increasingly tight. Even firms in
the US—which remains a magnet for talented science and engineering students from
overseas—are feeling the pinch. This is because skill requirements for IT specialists are
changing. Universities in only a few countries have begun to orient technology training to
the new demands.
Robust protection of intellectual property rights
Protection of IPR, and recognition of its importance to innovation, is entrenched in
the legal regimes of the US, Western Europe and other OECD countries. Their
governments and courts also enforce IPR laws vigorously. Progress is more mixed in
developing a legal framework for online business; as ardent users of the Web to conduct
business, IT firms have much to lose if the right balance between protection and openness
is not found.
Strong support for innovation
East Asian economies are prolific generators of patents, and along with the US they
are noteworthy for high levels of private-sector investment in R&D, which is integral to
product and service innovation in the IT sector. Strong university-industry ties in research,
along with a culture of risk taking, are also important elements of a supportive innovation
environment for IT.
Carefully calibrated government support
Most governments desire a strong IT sector. Many provide direct and indirect
forms of support, but few have found the right formula to encourage sector growth without
picking winners or introducing market distortions.
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IT INDUSTRY IN INDIA:
Indian IT industry has built up valuable brand equity for itself in the global
markets. IT industry in India comprises of software industry and information technology
enabled services (ITES), which also includes business process outsourcing (BPO) industry.
India is considered as a pioneer in software development and a favorite destination for IT-
enabled services.
The origin of IT industry in India can be traced to 1974, when the mainframe
manufacturer, Burroughs, asked its India sales agent, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), to
export programmers for installing system software for a U.S. client. The IT industry
originated under unfavorable conditions. Local markets were absent and government
policy toward private enterprise was hostile. The industry was begun by Bombay-based
conglomerates, which entered the business by supplying programmers to global IT firms
located overseas.
During that time Indian economy was state-controlled and the state remained hostile
to the software industry through the 1970s. Import tariffs were high (135% on hardware
and 100% on software) and software was not considered an "industry", so that exporters
were ineligible for bank finance. Government policy towards IT sector changed when
Rajiv Gandhi became Prime Minister in 1984. His New Computer Policy (NCP-1984)
consisted of a package of reduced import tariffs on hardware and software (reduced to
60%), recognition of software exports as a "delicensed industry", i.e., henceforth eligible
for bank finance and freed from license-permit raj, permission for foreign firms to set up
wholly-owned, export-dedicated units and a project to set up a chain of software parks that
would offer infrastructure at below-market costs. These policies laid the foundation for the
development of a world-class IT industry in India. Today, Indian IT companies such as
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Wipro, Infosys, and HCL etc. all are renowned in the
global market for their IT prowess.
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Major factors played for India's emergence as key global IT player are
Indian Education System
The Indian education system places strong emphasis on mathematics and science,
resulting in a large number of science and engineering graduates. Mastery over quantitative
concepts coupled with English proficiency has resulted in a skill set that has enabled India
to reap the benefits of the current international demand for IT.
High Quality Human Resource
Indian programmers are known for their strong technical and analytical skills and
their willingness to accommodate clients. India also has one of the largest pools of
English-speaking professionals.
Competitive Costs
The cost of software development and other services in India is very competitive as
compared to the West.
Infrastructure Scenario
Indian IT industry has also gained immensely from the availability of a robust
infrastructure (telecom, power and roads) in the country.
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1.7 COMPANY PROFILE
Introduction
Virtusa Corporation (NASDAQ: VRTU) is an information technology
services company headquartered at Massachusetts, USA. The company provides IT
Consulting, Systems Implementation and Application Outsourcing services to Global 2000
enterprises and software vendors. The company, founded in 1996, has offices and delivery
centers in U.S., U.K., India, Sri Lanka and Netherlands.
Purpose, vision and mission
Purpose
The purpose is to make a qualitative difference to the lives of millions of people
and organizations by harnessing the power of India and of the Internet. We will do this by
empowering them with the potential of the Internet and by leveraging the capabilities of
Indian Knowledge Resources.
Vision
The vision is to be the dominant and profitable India centric Internet Company by:
– Building on India's unique advantages.
– Being the leader in terms of market share, quality, revenue, growth and
gross margins.
– Adding value to our stakeholders: namely investors, customers, peers and
associates.
– Being enablers and catalysts of the Internet for positive change.
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Mission:
– To be the partner of choice for corporation in creating competitive
advantage through technology excellence
– To create the best conditions for professional success and quality of life for
all Virtusans
– To be a socially conscious and responsible corporate citizen in all countries
of operations.
Virtusa Value Definition:
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Corporate history
Virtusa was founded as ‘Software Solutions’ in 1996 by as a software development
company. The company started in one of the back rooms of founder, Kris Canekeratne’s
residence in Colombo, Sri Lanka with just three engineers Prasad Reddy, AdityaVardhan,
Vinod Kumar.
In 1997, Software Solutions was renamed as ‘Technology Providers
International’ and was involved in outsourced object-oriented software design
and development services.
In 1998 the company opened their head office in Westborough, Massachusetts
and the company was incorporated as Technology Providers Inc. in the United
States.
In 2000, during e-commerce trend, Technology Providers International was
renamed ‘eRUNWAY Inc.’ and offered eBusiness, Internet software
development and systems integration services.
eRUNWAY was re-launched as ‘Virtusa Corporation’ on April 22, 2002. The
name Virtusa is derived from the Latin "virtus" meaning excellence. Virtusa
went public on August 3, 2007 by listing on the NASDAQ exchange.
On November 5, 2009, Virtusa announced the acquisition of InSource,a
technology consulting company with specialization in the Insurance and
Healthcare industries. InSource is based in Hartford, Connecticut, USA and has
approximately 50 employees.
In February 2010, the company acquired ConVista Consulting, LLC, a U.S.-
based, privately-held, market leader in finance transformation, specifically
focusing on high volume collection, disbursement, claims and billing systems in
BFSI.
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Milestone
1995: Founded as 'Software Solutions' in Colombo, Sri Lanka
1997: Renamed as Technology Providers International
1998: Opened office in Massachusetts, USA
2000: Technology Providers International was renamed as eRUNWAY, Inc.
2002: eRUNWAY was re-launched as 'Virtusa Corporation'
2004: Spearheaded the design and development of an open source system for
disaster relief, Sahana in the wake of the 2004 Asian Tsunami. Sahana received
the biggest award so far, the Free Software Foundation's award for the social
benefit on the 24th of March 2007. The awards ceremony at the annual FSF
meeting, held at MIT in U.S.A, where they received the award from the
founder of the FSF, Richard Stallman. The award, which is only one of two
awards given by the FSF each year, was inspired by Sahana a year ago. The
recipient of last year's award was Wikipedia, and Sahana follows in its
footsteps this year.
2007: Listed on NASDAQ under the symbol 'VRTU'
2008: Finalists 2008 U.S. Secretary of State’s Award for Corporate Excellence
(ACE)
2009: Announces the acquisition of InSource, a specialist technology
consulting company.
2010: Announces the acquisition of ConVista Consulting, LLC,a U.S.-based,
privately-held, market leader in finance transformation in BFSI
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Operations
Virtusa provides technology solutions and services to Banking & Financial
Services, Insurance, Communications and Technology and Media and Information. In
addition to developing custom solutions for customers, the company offers services across
Business Process Management (BPM), Enterprise Content Management (ECM) and Data
Warehousing and Business Intelligence among others.
The company uses a global delivery framework, through its delivery centers in
India and Sri Lanka, to deliver solutions and services to its customers. Virtusa has
partnerships with global software vendors including IBM, Microsoft, Pegasystems , Open
Text and Oracle Corporation among others, to provide custom solutions and services in
Business Process Management (BPM), Enterprise Content Management (ECM) and Data
Warehousing and Business Intelligence.
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2.1 REVIEW OF LITERATURE
The Work-Life Balance Concept
The importance of managing an employee’s WLB has increased markedly over the
past 20 years (De Bruin & Dupuis, 2004). There have been changes in several areas that
directly impact on this issue. Firstly, jobs have become more complex and employees have
been put under pressure to produce quality results in shorter timeframes and with fewer
resources (Hosie, Forster &Servatos, 2004) that has resulted in a redefinition of ‘normal
working hours’. Secondly, the demographic make-up of the labour force (i.e. gender,
ethnicity, dual career couples, religion, multi-generational workplaces etc), and thirdly the
very nature of the employment contract has necessitated that organisations effectively
manage their employee’s wellbeing, stress and job satisfaction (Greenhaus& Powell,
2006).
Organisational interest in the management of the WLB derives from evidence that
“there is little doubt any more that there is a clear connection between the way people are
managed and organisational performance” (Purcell, 2002:1), and that with the onset of
predicted skill-shortages, the ability to offer effective WLB employment opportunities may
become a source of competitive advantage.
Ideally, the WLB concept requires organisations to effectively integrate employees’
work and non-work roles such that levels of multiple-role conflict, and the associated stress
and job-dissatisfaction, are minimised or avoided (De Bruin & Dupuis, 2004; Greenblatt,
2002). In attempts to achieve a WLB, however, western organisations have tended to adopt
a limited set of policies such as on-site child-care facilities, on-site gymnasiums,
telecommuting opportunities, and even on-site sleeping quarters for the employee and their
family (Hacker &Doolen, 2003; Hyman & Summers, 2004). Each has attempted to
increase the flexibility by which employees can enact their work-roles whilst
simultaneously enabling them to enact their family-based roles to the minimum extent
necessary.
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Issues in Work-Life Imbalance
Despite their best intentions, there remains considerable contention about the
effectiveness of organisational WLB policies in delivering flexibility and reducing stress
and job-dissatisfaction in the modern workplace (Eates, 2004; Kirrane& Buckley, 2004).
Researchers have identified two empirical shortcomings within the WLB literature that
have served to undermine its theoretical and practical usefulness. The first relates to the
WLB literature’s almost exclusive focus on the work-family interface at the expense of
other important life-balance issues. Buzzanell et al, (2005) notes that the WLB literature
typically portrays role conflicts for white, married, professional and managerial women,
with little reference to the many other demographics represented in the modern
organisation. Shorthose (2004) and Wise and Bond (2003) go so far as to state that the
WLB discipline is essentially flawed, as it is ‘one-dimensional’, assumes a unitary HR
perspective, and that its underlying management has been one of maintaining the status-
quo rather than the adoption of competitive and future-oriented HR policy.
The second relates to the literature’s inability to clearly define the interaction of
work and non-work roles that impact employees’ working-life (i.e. stress, job satisfaction
etc.). Elloy and Smith (2004) and Spinks (2004), for example, state that because an
individual’s non-work roles are inherently ambiguous and idiosyncratic, organisations are
incapable of understanding how their enactment (or otherwise) impacts each individual.
Spinks (2004), in particular, suggests that organisations are either incapable (or unwilling)
to understand their workforce in sufficient detail, and have instead defaulted to a ‘one-size-
fits-all’ policy regime that has simply enabled employees to ‘stay at work longer’ rather
than enable them to enact their important non-work roles. The inadequacy of current WLB
policy regimes is highlighted by Kiger’s (2005) study that revealed that less than two
percent of employees actually participate in available WLB programs.
Dex and Smith (2002) cite two main causes for this low figure. The first relates to
equity, with many employees reporting that they did not wish to appear a ‘special case’ or
to require ‘special treatment’ to their colleagues. This is supported from the results of
Waters &Bardoel’s (2006) study that found a range of workplace cultural factors that
reduced the willingness of Australian university staff to access WLB policy options.
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The second is that the wide range of policies adopted by organisations has been
based on an ill-informed conceptualisation of contemporary WLB, and that this has led to
its ineffective formalisation in HRM practices. The consequence for organisations not
taking a more holistic approach to WLB is increased issues in attraction and retention of
employees in the context of skills shortages in significant occupational groups. The work
expectations of Generation X (born 1965 to 1979) and generation Y (born 1980 onwards)
(Mackay, 1997) place higher importance on WLB than previous generations and these
employees will be attracted to and remain longer with organisations that provide flexibility
in accordance with individual employee expectations (Henry, 2005). There is evidence of
an increase in women managers holding values and goals with greater emphasis on WLB
who are opting to leave organisations and undertaking consulting or contracting work
which can permit greater control of WLB conflict (Beck & Davis, 2005).
The contribution of the WLB literature, therefore, appears limited in its ability to
provide a useful framework for both academics and practitioners alike (Hyman
&Summers, 2004). Despite its name, the WLB literature has remained largely focused on
the work-family interface and fails to accurately identify and define the array of work and
non-roles that impact inter alia on an individual’s stress levels and job satisfaction (Hacker
&Doolen, 2003; Mellor, Mathieu, Barnes-Farrell &Rogelberg, 2001; Noor, 2004; Pocock,
2005). In order to overcome these issues, Elloy and Smith (2003: 63) suggest that an
effective conceptualisation of the WLB requires:
…an holistic approach to human resource management, which implies a
greater awareness of the total context of worker’s daily lives, not just those
hours they spend at work.
Guest (1987, 1997 & 2002) suggests for the WLB literature to incorporate a holistic
approach to HR management and better inform organisational HR policy development, its
design and implementation should adopt the following four criteria:
That the WLB literature maintains a focus on the integration of HR policies
with the organisations vision, goals and strategy. Central to this point is the
consistency between the organisations espoused culture and the context of its
WLB approach;
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That the implementation of WLB policies create a set of internally consistent
employment polices intended to produce employee commitment, flexibility
and quality – mutual flexibility and commitment being a cornerstone of the
concept of a WLB programme;
That there is recognition of the importance of human resources and of the
need to engage in practices which reflect this understanding. Therefore,
managers internalising (and demonstrating by their behaviour) the
importance of human resources is fundamental to the link between WLB
goals and their achievement; and
That there is a response by employees to the WLB policies (i.e. an ‘up-take’
of WLB opportunities by employees) and to the behaviour of the line
managers (i.e. a recognition by employees that their superiors are committed
to the achievement of a meaningful WLB).
Therefore, the degree to which employers can support the achievement (and benefits
associated with) effective WLB/HR policy depends on two main considerations: the
manner in which the WLB is defined and formalised within HR policy, and/or how
managers respond to employee requests for WLB relief. In terms of its formalisation,
organisations need to be aware of the extent to which WLB is operationalised– that is,
whether it is to be regarded as a ‘right’, a ‘right to request’, or as a matter of managerial
discretion. In terms of managerial responses, organisations need to decide whether to
apply an authoritarian approach (i.e. ‘hard HR’), a paternal approach (i.e. ‘benevolent’), or
a commitment (i.e. ‘Soft HR’) approach to employee requests for WLB relief. It is this
intersection between corporate culture, as enacted, in rituals and practices modelled by
organisational leaders that set the tone for employees’ responses to WLB initiatives. Where
leaders work very long hours, tend to take little annual leave and then in small amounts,
demand travel at short notice (Sinclair, 2005) and require employee availability at the
leader’s whim and wears these sacrifices as ‘badges on honour’, it follows that employees
are, at best, cautious in utilising WLB.
The achievement of an effective WLB-HR policy interface has largely failed in
Australia given the issues discussed above, and an exploration of possible remedies
represents the research opportunity for this paper.
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QUALITY OF WORK LIFE IN FOURRTS, CHENNAI: AN OUTLOOK FROM
JEROME M.ROSOW’S PERCEPTION (2008)
-by Prema Manoharan, 2010
The QWL is one of the aspects useful to retain resources. This approach considers
people as ‘assets’ to the organization rather than as ‘costs’ and motivates people by
satisfying not only their economic needs but also their social and psychological ones.
Quality of work life focuses on all aspects of workers’ life and the satisfaction of
the workforce in an organization. The definition of Jerome M Rosow, President of
the Work in American Institute, about QWL is considered for the study. The
identified seven critical factors which will affect the quality of work life-pay,
employee benefits, job security, alternative work schedules, Occupational stress,
participation and democracy in the workplace are studied.
Good health is the primary goal of the society and this study was done by
researcher to find out whether a company in health care industry takes care of its
employees too.
The researcher opted a descriptive study done among employees of FOURTTS, a
firm in Pharmaceutical industry.
Questionnaires were used to collect the primary data and the statistical tools used
are percentage analysis, chi-square test.
The sample size and the time limitation were the main constraints.
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EMPLOYEES MIRRORING ON QUALITY OF WORK LIFE- AN EMPIRICAL
EVALUATION (2010)
- by J.ARTHI & DR.KIRUPA, PRIYADARSHINI.M
In this paper researcher through light on Quality of work life (QWL) that has
increasingly gained recognition, as employees want to feel respected at work for what they
do and who they are. Today's business climate is increasingly characterized by rapid
change and Fierce competition. Organizations must adapt to this environment if they are to
survive and prosper.
• Proactive managers and human resource departments respond to this challenge by finding
new ways to improve productivity. As a goal, QWL aims to improve organizational
effectiveness through the creation of more challenging, satisfying and effective jobs and
work environments.
• Here researcher projects the ideas from the research conducted in a selected organization
and the consolidation of results reveal the major influential factors of QWL.
• They also give a suggestive model to achieve favorable QWL environment in any
organisation.
A WAY OF LIFE: JOB STRESS AND TURNOVER INTENTION (2008)
- by R.T.NIRMAL KUMAR, S.DEEPA and M.KEERTHIGA
In this paper the researcher focuses on the job stress. According to him, man's life
today faces all sorts of challenges, obstacles that hamper normal functioning and most of
the time it is too hard to handle. In a nut shell, stress is ubiquitous these days, becoming an
increasingly global phenomenon affecting all countries, all professions and all categories
of workers, families and society in general. It is a physical and mental response to
everyday demands, particularly those associated with change.
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Stress is the change that drives the worker from normal psychological and physical
condition (Behr and Newman, 1978).Stress takes heavy toll of the person’s health and his
capacity to adjust with others. They state about the few years’ evidence has accumulated
from around the world to show that the most Common cause of destructive ill health is
stress at work.
As a result of which, an individual faces many psychological as well as
psychosomatic disorders. A stressful workplace is rarely a productive one. Therefore the
researcher says that employers must develop stress management key to retain the existing
employees in the workplace. As it, become very important for organizations to retain their
employees, in today's competitive environment.
This research helps to understand the relationship between job stress, Personality
Characteristics and intent to leave employment, which aid administrators seeking to attract
and retain employees.
QUALITY OF WORK LIFE IN TODAY’S ERA
- by DR. A. ARUMUGAM & K. SIVAGAMA SHUNMUGA SUNDARI(2009)
Here the researcher discusses about Quality of work life (QWL) denotes all the
organizational inputs which aims at the employee's satisfaction and enhancing
organizational effectiveness. It is referred to as favorable or unfavorable of the job
environment for people. Many early QWL efforts focus on job enrichment.
Researcher states that today QWL gives much concern about decent wages,
convenient working hours, conducive working conditions etc. In a deeper sense, QWL
refers to the quality life of individuals in their working organizations. QWL provides for
the balanced relationship among work and non-work and family aspects of life.
In this paper the researcher discusses several notable factors that influence QWL
are adequate & fair compensation, safety and healthy working conditions, opportunity to
use & develop human capabilities, opportunities for career growth etc. This study was
carried out to find out the evolution of QWL and some ameliorative criteria for measuring
QWL. It is concluded that there is vast change in QWL and to find out the latest changes in
QWL.
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2.2 Research Methodology
Research methodology is a way to systematically solve the research problem. It is
the scientific method of conducting a research. It consists of defining the research
objectives, preparing the research design, determining the sample design, collecting the
required data – its analysis, interpretation and finally drawing conclusions out of it and
giving suggestions.
Research Design
The research design used for this study is Descriptive research.
Universe
The sample for this study is taken from Virtusa India Pvt.Ltd.
Sampling Method
The sampling method adopted by researcher is Non probability convenience
sampling method.
No. of Samples
Among the total population of 1700, 125 samples has been taken for the research.
Data Collection Method
Primary and Secondary data were collected for carrying out research.
(a) Primary Data
Primary Data was collected by way of Questionnaire, using relevant
variables related to this study.
(b) Secondary Data
Secondary data was collected from journals, company website, and relating
to the company profile, industry profile and review of literature.
Data Analysis Tools
The tools used for analyzing data are frequency tables, Chi-square, Rank correlation, Friedman test, and one way Anova.
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3.1 DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
TABLE No. 3.1.1
MARITAL STATUS OF THE RESPONDANCE
Opinion Respondents PercentageSingle 82 65.6Married 43 34.4Total 125 100
CHART: 3.1.1
Single
Married
0102030405060708090
82
43
SHOWING MARITAL STATUS OF THE RESPONDANCE
Interpretation:
The above table shows that 65.6% are single and 34.4% are married in the organization.
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TABLE No. 3.1.2
SHOWING THE NEGATIVE ATTITUDES OF PEERS AND COLLEAGUES AT WORK PLACE
Opinion Respondents PercentageStrongly Agree 4 3.2Agree 40 32Neutral 17 13.6Disagree 38 30.4Strongly Disagree 26 20.8Total 125 100
CHART: 3.1.2
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
4
40
17
38
26
SHOWING THE NEGATIVE ATTITUDES OF PEERS AND COLLEAGUES AT WORK PLACE
Interpretation:
The above table shows that 3.2% strongly agrees, 32% of them are agree, 13.6% have the neutral opinion, 30.4% disagrees with this and 20.8% strongly disagree with the negative attitudes of peers and colleagues at work place.
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TABLE No. 3.1.3
SHOWING THE RESPONSES FOR TRAINING/MEETING AFTER OFFICE HOURS
Opinion Respondents PercentageStrongly Agree 0 0Agree 3 2.4Neutral 25 20Disagree 84 67.2Strongly Disagree 13 10.4Total 125 100
CHART: 3.1.3
Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree0
102030405060708090
0 3
25
84
13
SHOWING THE RESPONSES FOR TRAINING/MEETING AFTER OFFICE HOURS
Interpretation:
The table infers that 2.4% of them agree, 20% have a neutral opinion, 67.2 disagrees and10.4% strongly disagrees with the Training/Meeting after office hours.
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TABLE No. 3.1.4
SHOWING THE RESPONSES FOR RIGHT REMUNERATION FOR THEIR WORK
Opinion Respondents PercentageStrongly Agree 12 9.6Agree 11 8.8Neutral 91 72.8Disagree 11 8.8Strongly Disagree 0 0Total 125 100
CHART: 3.1.4
Strongly AgreeAgree
NeutralDisagree
Strongly Disagree
0102030405060708090
2
20
84
16
3
SHOWING THE RESPONSES FOR RIGHT REMUNER-ATION FOR THEIR WORK
Interpretation:
The above table infers that 9.6% strongly agree, 8.8% agree, 72.8% are neutral, 8.8% disagrees with the remuneration that they are getting for their work.
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TABLE No. 3.1.5
SHOWING THE RESPONSES TO WORK IN NIGHT SHFITS TO EARN MORE
Opinion Respondents PercentageStrongly Agree 22 17.6Agree 74 59.2Neutral 15 12Disagree 3 2.4Strongly Disagree 11 8.8Total 125 100
CHART: 3.1.5
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
2
20
84
16
3
SHOWING THE RESPONSES TO WORK IN NIGHT SHFITS TO EARN MORE
Interpretation:
The table shows that 17.6% strongly agree, 59.2% agree, 12% are neutral, 2.4% disagrees and 8.8% strongly disagrees to work in Night Shifts to earn more.
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TABLE No. 3.1.6
SHOWING THE RESPONSES TO WORK INDIVIDUALLY IN THEIR WORK ASSIGNED TO THEM
Opinion Respondents PercentageStrongly Agree 2 1.6Agree 20 16Neutral 84 67.2Disagree 16 12.8Strongly Disagree 3 2.4Total 125 100
CHART: 3.1.6
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
2
2084
16
3
SHOWING THE RESPONSES TO WORK INDIVIDUALLY IN THEIR WORK ASSIGNED TO THEM
Interpretation:
The table shows that1.6% strongly agrees, 16% agrees, 67.2% are neutral, 12.8% disagrees and 2.4% strongly disagrees to work individually in their work assigned to them.
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Statistical Tools
Chi Square for Age and Flexible Work hours
Null Hypothesis:
There is no association between Age and flexible work hours.
Alternate Hypothesis:
There is association between Age and flexible work hours.
Case Processing Summary
Cases
Valid Missing Total
N Percent N Percent N Percent
Age * Flexible Work Hours
125 85.6% 21 14.4% 146 100.0%
Age * Flexible Work Hours Cross tabulationCount
Flexible Work Hours
TotalProvidedNot provided
Age 20-25 57 24 81
26-30 18 5 23
31-35 4 5 9
36-40 7 5 12Total 86 39 125
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Chi-Square Tests
Value
Degree of freedom
Assumption. Significance. (2-sided)
Pearson Chi-Square 4.152a 3 .246Likelihood Ratio 3.976 3 .264Linear-by-Linear Association
1.380 1 .240
N of Valid Cases 125a. 2 cells (25.0%) have expected count less than 5. The
minimum expected count is 2.81.
Symmetric Measures
Value Approx. Sig.
Nominal by Nominal Contingency Coefficient .179 .246
N of Valid Cases 125
Inference
In examining the observed cell frequencies it can be concluded that the Pearson
chi-square value 4.152 in a significance of .246 is well above the alpha level of .05.so there
is no significant association between age and flexible work hours.
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Friedman Test for Monetary and Non-Monetary Benefits
The variables that is chosen for the Friedman test is PAY
Null Hypothesis
There is no significant difference in relationship between monetary and Non-
monetary benefits and right pay.
Alternate Hypothesis
There is significant difference in relationship between monetary and Non-monetary
benefits and right pay.
Ranks
Mean RankAre you getting paid rightly for your work 1.75Monetary benefits offered by the firm is equivalent to other firms in the same industry
2.58
Non-monetary benefits offered by the firm is equivalent to other firms in the same industry
1.67
Test Statistics
Numbers 125Chi-Square 79.654Degree of Freedom 2Assumption Significance .000
Inference
The result of Friedman test indicates there is significant difference between
monetary and non-monetary benefits in reaction to getting paid rightly for both, p<.05 and
that non-monetary benefit has close association with getting paid rightly for work.
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Correlation for Stress related Disease and Long Working Hours
To know the correlation between stress related disease and long working hours
Null Hypothesis
There is no relationship between long working hours and stress related disease.
Alternate Hypothesis
There is relationship between long working hours and stress related disease.
Correlations
Stress Related Disease Long Working HoursStress Related Disease Pearson Correlation
1 .102
Sig. (2-tailed)
.259
Number 125 125
Long working hours Pearson Correlation
.102 1
Sig. (2-tailed) .259
Number 125 125
Inference
There is perfect relationship between long working hours and stress related disease
as Pearson correlation is .102 and alternate hypothesis is accepted.
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One Way ANOVA for Gender and Stress Related Diseases
To analyse the stress related diseases by gender wise.
Null Hypothesis
There is no significant difference between gender and stress related disease.
Alternate Hypothesis
There is significant difference between gender and stress related disease.
ANOVA
GenderSum of Squares
Degree of Freedom
Mean Square Frequency Significance
Between Groups
.383 4 .096 .377 .825
Within Groups
30.529 120 .254
Total 30.912 124
Inference
There is no significant difference between gender and stress related disease as the
level of significance is more than 0.05
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Chi Square for Age and Stress related Disease
The Variables that is chosen are Age and Stress related disease
Case Processing Summary
Cases
Valid Missing Total
N Percent N Percent N Percent
Age * Stress Related Disease
125 85.6% 21 14.4% 146 100.0%
Age * Stress Related Disease Cross tabulationCount
Stress Related Disease
TotalHypertension Obesity DiabetesFrequent Headaches None
Age 20-25 16 8 3 47 7 81
26-30 4 2 0 15 2 23
31-35 0 1 4 3 1 9
36-40 0 2 5 3 2 12Total 20 13 12 68 12 125
Chi-Square Tests
Value
Degree of Freedom
Assumption Significance. (2-sided)
Pearson Chi-Square 38.095a 12 .000Likelihood Ratio 33.643 12 .001Linear-by-Linear Association
.335 1 .563
N of Valid Cases 125
a. 13 cells (65.0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is .86.
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Symmetric Measures
Value Approx. Sig.
Nominal by Nominal Contingency Coefficient .483 .000
N of Valid Cases 125
Inference
In examining the observed cell frequencies it can be concluded that the Pearson
chi-square value 38.095 in a significance of .000 is well above the alpha level of .05.so
there is no significant relationship between age and stress related disease.
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3.2 FINDINGS OF THE STUDY
As per the analysis there is no relationship between the age of the employees and flexible working hours.
The employees are getting paid rightly for their work both monetarily and non -monetarily.
The employees due to their long working hours are being affected by stress related diseases.
There is no relation between the gender and the stress related diseases.
According to the study, the stress related diseases are no way related to the age of the employees.
73% of the respondents are neutral in saying that they receive right remuneration for their work.
67% of the respondents disagree that they have to stay after office hours to attend training/meeting 20% are neutral and 10% disagree with that.
67.2% of the respondents agree that they work individually to complete the work assigned to them.
77% of the respondents agree that they work in night shifts to earn more.
51.2% of the respondents disagree that they have negative attitude towards peers and colleagues at work place whereas 35.2% of the respondents agrees the same.
44.8% of the respondents are male and 55.2% of them are female.
13.7% of the respondents are finished their Bachelor degree, 50.7% of the respondents are post graduate, and 21.2% of the respondents are professionals.
34.4% of the respondents are single and 65.6 % of them are married.
55.2% of the respondents are in nuclear family were as 44.8% are in joint family.
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3.3 SUGGESTION OF THE STUDY
The organization can give flexible working hours to their employees in the
organization and hence they can get relaxed for their next day.
Fun at work can be encouraged to keep the employees relaxed at work.
The gender has no way relation with the stress but still facilities and other
compensation can be provided to the female workers.
Organization should conduct stress relieving programs like yoga and meditation for
the employees regularly in order to reduce the stress level.
Sessions on time management, work planning can be provided to employees by
their managers.
By creating a friendly circumstance within the organization, the employees would
enjoy working with their colleagues not considering the age or gender.
Work can be shared among team mates in order to complete the tasks on or before
time. This will not be a burden for an individual employee.
Employees should be satisfied by providing their appraisal/bonus/incentives on
time which will make them happy at work in turn they will lead their life happily.
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3.4 CONCLUSION
The study was conducted in Virtusa India private limited, Chennai, on the topic
Work Life Balance. Based on the study conducted the following conclusions were drawn.
It was found that, even though most of the employees are of the age below 25, they
suffered from stress related diseases. Most of the employees have problems concerning
fixed working hours. The employees at Virtusa get two days off in a week still they are not
able to spend quality time with their family because of work pressure.
Work life balance of employees can be enhanced by considering the above
suggestions.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Mamoria C B & Gankar S V (2004), “Personnel Management”, Himalaya Publishing House.
P Nick Blanchard and James W Thacker (2008), “Work life balance, Strategies, and Practices”, Prentice Hall.
Micheal Armstrong (1996), “A Hand Book of Personnel Management Practice”, Kogan Page Ltd.
DR.S. Shajahan (2004), “A Hand Book of Research Methods for Management”, Jaico Pub House.
P.R. Vittal& V. Malini (2004), “A Hand Book of Statistical & Numerical Methods”, Margham Publications.
Robert L. Mathis Jhon H. Jacjson (2006), “A Hand Book of Human Resource Management”, Kogan Page Business Books.
ARTICLES:
Rameesha Kalra & Monika Bhatia, Lecturers School of Management - Ansal Institute of
Technology, Gurgaon
WEBSITES:
www.google.co.in/human resources/work and life
www.citehr.com/balancing work and life
www.hrfolks.com/studyonworkandlife
www.virtusa.com/aboutus/company-overview.asp
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Questionnaire
Demographic
1) Name(Optional) :
2) Age :
3) Gender : Male Female
4) Education Qualification : Degree Post graduate Professionals Others
5) Marital Status : Single Married
6) If married employment details of Spouse: Private Government Business Professional
7) Family Type: Nuclear Joint
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8) If yours is a joint family, please answer the following:
i) Details of dependent adults
Gender Relationship Age
ii) Who takes care of your children when you come to work?
Baby sitter
Child care center
In-laws/Parents
iii) Time spent on family chores in a day
Less than 2 hours
2 to 4 hours
More than 4 hours
iv) Time spent with children in a day
Less than 2 hours
2 to 4 hours
More than 4 hours
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v) Who has primary responsibility in taking care of the following cases
Responsibility Self Parents/In-laws House help
Child care
Elder care
Caring for sick child
Caring for disabled child
Caring for disabled adult
Caring for sick adult
9) If yours is a Nuclear family answer the following questions:
i) Who takes care of your children?
Child care Centre
In-laws/Parents
ii) Time spent on family chores in a day
Less than 2 hours
2 to 4 hours
More than 4 hours
iii) Time spent with children in a day
Less than 2 hours
2 to 4 hours
More than 4 hours
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Managing Work Life
Give your response how you manage to have balance between work and life.
10) Please tick the relevant option that you look for to manage stress?
Yoga
Meditation
Entertainment
Dance
Music
11) Which of the following work –Life- Balance Initiatives are provided by your organization?
12) Do you suffer from any stress-related disease?
Work –life Balances InitiativesProvided
Not Provided
Flexible working hoursWorking from homeTechnology like cell phones/laptopsCareer breakTime off for family engagements/eventsOn-site child careFamily leave policiesElder care initiativesTime off for over timeChild care consultation and counseling
HypertensionObesityDiabetesFrequent headachesNone
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Give your response about how do you balance your work life in a scale of Strongly Agree to Strongly Dis-agree.
5. Please state your level of agreement for the following statements
Strongly Agree (SA), 4. Agree (A), 3. Neutral (N), 2.Dis-agree (D), 1. Strongly disagree (SD)
SA A N D SD13 Long working hours
14 Compulsory overtime
15 Shift work
16 Frequently travelling away from home
17 Negative attitudes of peers and colleagues at work place
18 Meetings/training after office hours
19 Are you getting paid rightly for your work
20 To earn more do you work in night shifts
21 To avail the shift allowance do you change your work shift
22 Monetary benefits offered by the firm is equivalent to other firms in the same industry
23 Non-monetary benefits offered by the firm is equivalent to other firms in the same industry
24 Performance appraisal done by your superior provides you any added advantage(e.g. hike in salary, promotion)
25 Can you perform the job assigned to you individually
26 The expectation of your higher-ups leads to more stress in work
27 when you are loaded with more work how do you manage with that
28 Satisfactory performance of any job depends on physical fitness
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29 Job assigned is interesting that gives joy/fun at work
30 when discussions made by superior you have chance to give your opinion
31 The training offered during probation period makes you feel secure in your job
32 The job that you have chosen is right choice for your future
33 The employer makes you feel secured in your job
34 Among your tight schedule are you able to look after the welfare of your family members
35 The time that is spent with your family members is adequate
36 Look more for holiday trips to spend with your family
Thank You for your time.