Work-Life Balance Among Women Employees

7/25/2019 Work-Life Balance Among Women Employees

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A STUDY ON WORK-LIFE BALANCE AMONG WOMEN EMPLOYEES IN

SERVICE SECTOR OF CHENNAI CITY.

BY

C.JASMINE SHEELA

Roll No: 1415MBA0316

Reg.No: 68514100092

A PROJECT REPORT

Submitted to the

FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES

in partial fulfillment for the award of the degree

of

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

CENTRE FOR DISTANCE EDUCATION

ANNA UNIVERSITY

CHENNAI 600 025

March -2016


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ANNEXURE II

BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE

Certified that the Project report titled A STUDY ON WORK-LIFE BALANCE

AMONG WOMEN EMPLOYEES IN SERVICE SECTOR OF CHENNAI

CITY is the bonafide work of MS. C.JASMINE SHEELA who carried out the

work under my supervision. Certified further that to the best of my knowledge the

work reported herein does not form part of any other project report or dissertation on

the basis of which a degree or award was conferred on an earlier occasion on this or

any other candidate.

Signature of the Student Signature of the Guide

Name: C Jasmine Sheela Prof. M Ramani

M.A., M.A, M.Sc., M.B.A., M.Phil., Ph.D.,

Roll No: 1415MBA0316 Visiting Faculty

Dept Of Management

Studies, Anna University,

Reg.No: 68514100092 College of Engineering, Guindy,

Chennai -32


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ANNEXURE III

Certificate of Viva-voce-Examination

This is to certify that Ms. C. JASMINE SHEELA

(Roll No.1415MBA0316 ; Register No.68514100092) has been subjected to

Viva-voce-Examination on ........................(Date) at .................(Time) at the Study

centre................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................(Name and Address of the Study

centre).

Internal Examiner External Examiner

Name : Name :

Designation: Designation :

Address : Address :

Coordinator Study centre

Name :

Designation :

Address :

Date :


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ABSTRACT

Work-life balance of women in Service sectors is gaining the domain place in

highly discussed topics. Familywork conflict and workfamily conflict are more

likely to exert negative influences in the family domain, resulting in lower life

satisfaction and greater internal conflict within the family. Variables such as the size

of family, the age of children, the work hours and the level of social support impact

the experience of Work family conflict and Family work conflict. It is also significant

to note the success level gained by women in career and family inspite of all the stress

they undergo at work place. It is also important to consider the consequences these

variables have on psychological distress and wellbeing of the working women.

This study is based on descriptive research and the primary data has

been collected from 152 women employee as respondents working in Service sector

in Chennai. The main objective of this research is to identify the perception of women

employees towards work-life balance and to find out their benefits and challenges in

work life. The findings of this project gives us an idea about the changes in current

trends in family type, salary and motivational factors and their influences on work-

life balance among women employees in service sector.

C. Jasmine Sheela


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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I thank ALMIGHTY GOD for his guidance, support and constant presence

throughout the study.

My sincere thanks to my guide Prof. M.Ramani M.A.,M.A.,M.B.A.,M.Phil.,Ph.D.

Visiting Faculty, Department of Management Studies, Anna University, College of

Engineering, Guindy, Chennai-25 for his valuable guidance and wish counsel and

constant encouragement throughout the project.

My thanks are extended to all the participant respondents of this study for extending

their kind cooperation and for making this study possible. Their interest in the topic

and their generosity and openness in providing insights into their work/life balance

strategies made the data collection phase a pleasure.

I thank my family membersand all my friends who have extended their support and

helped in many ways throughout this study.

C.JASMINE SHEELA


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CONTENTS

SL. NO. TOPIC PAGE NO.

CHAPTER 1: INTODUCTION OF CONCEPT (Work life Balance) 1

1.1 Origin of Work- Life balance

1.2 Statement of the problem

1.3 Need for the study

1.4 Objectives of the study

1.5 Scope of the study

1.6 Deliverables of the study

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE SURVEY

2.1 Review of Literature 4

2.2 Research Gap

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLGY

3.1 Research Methodology 7

3.2 Research Design

3.3 Data collection Method

3.4 Sample Method

3.5 Sample Size

3.6 Questionnaire Design

3.7 Statistical Tools Applied

3.8 Method of analysis

CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

4.1 Data Analysis

Descriptive Statistics and Inference Analysis 10


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SL. NO. TOPIC PAGE NO.

4.2 Hypothesis Testig

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSIONS

5.1 Summary 26

5.2 Findings

5.3 Determinants which impact the issue of work life balance.

5.4 Practices followed by women Employees to Manage WLB

5.5 Organizational practices addressing work life issues

5.6 Impact of work-life imbalance

5.7 Benefits of work life balance

5.8 Barriers or Challenges to work Life Balance

5.9 Suggestions & Recommendations

5.10 Limitations & Future Scope

5.11 Conclusions

APPENDICES 43

Appendix 1 - QUESTIONNAIRE USED FOR THE STUDY

BIBLIOGRAPHY 48

REFERENCES 49


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LIST OF TABLES

TABLE NO TABLE TITLE PAGE NO

4.1 Age of Respondents 10

4.2 Educational Qualification of Respondents 12

4.3 Marital Status of Respondents 13

4.4 Industries of respondents working 14

4.5 Working experience of Respondents 15

4.6 Income level of working women 16

4.7 Family type of working women 17

4.8 Reasons for picking up a job by respondents 18

4.9 Balance of work and life by working women 19

4.10 Factors motivating women employees to work 20

4.11 Balance of Work and Life factor for hypothesis test I 21

4.12 Marital status factor for hypothesis test I 21

4.13 Observed frequency table for hypothesis test I 21

4.14 Expected frequency for hypothesis test I 22

4.15 Table for calculation of hypothesis test I 22

4.16 Balance of Work and Life factor for hypothesis test II 23

4.17 Marital status factor for hypothesis test II 23

4.18 Observed frequency table for hypothesis test II 24

4.19 Expected frequency for hypothesis test II 24

4.20 Table for calculation of hypothesis test II 24

5.1 Table for classification of determinants of WLB:

organizational and individual factors

28


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LIST OF CHARTS

TABLE NO CHART TITLE PAGE NO

4.1 Age of Respondents 11

4.2 Educational Qualification of Respondents 12

4.3 Marital Status of Respondents 13

4.4 Industries of respondents working 14

4.5 Working experience of Respondents 15

4.6 Income level of working women 16

4.7 Family type of working women 17

4.8 Reasons for picking up a job by respondents 18

4.9 Balance of work and life by working women 19

4.10 Factors motivating women employees to work 20


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CHAPTER 1- INTRODUCTION

1.1ORIGIN OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE :

Work- li fe balance has emerged as a hot topic in recent yearsfuelled in part by

changing trends in womens social roles. Whilst labor market participation has

increased for women of all ages, women continue to shoulder the main responsibility

for organizing and undertaking unpaid caring work. In India, it is taken for granted that

economic activities are exclusively the prerogative of males while domestic work, child

bearing and child rearing are the sole occupations of women. Historically, women in

India have not enjoyed a good status in workplace settings whether in managerial or

operative roles. Since times immemorial, women have been burdened with work of all

sorts all through their lives. From reproduction to all household chores and outside,

their role as worker is significant, unique and burdensome. But they are discriminated

and exploited all over.

In the traditional era, the women were confined to household work like cooking,

washing, cleaning, taking care of children, etc. They were considered as home makers

and were deprived of the right or opportunity to go outside home. But now the story is

different. Apart from home maker role, they also have a significant role to engage even

outside the home. With the increase in cost of living on one hand and the improved

education and employment opportunities on the other Changes in the social, politicaland economic fabric of societies have influenced and continue to influence both the

nature of employment and its relationship to life outside work .

The Services Sector constitutes a large part of the Indian economy both in terms of

employment potential and its contribution to national income. The Sector covers a wide

range of activities from the most sophisticated in the field of Information and

Communication Technology to simple services pursued by the informal sector workers,


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for example, vegetable sellers, hawkers, rickshaw pullers, etc. Among fast growing

developing countries, India is distinctive for the role of the service sector.

The changing economic conditions and social demands have changed the nature of

work throughout the world . The concept of Work life balance is becoming more and

more relevant in an ever dynamic working environment.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM:

There is presence of work life imbalance among female employees working

in service sector in Chennai city.

1.3

NEED FOR THE STUDY:

Work-life balance has always been a concern in the quality of working life and its

relation to broader quality of life. In the present scenario, due to many changes

happening in the work place and family systems, a vast majority of women are finding

it difficult to achieve a desired Work-Life Balance even this has lead to many

unexpected turns like Divorce in married life, suicides, psychological issues, etc. In

comparison with men, women have more responsibilities at home. Though there are

studies on Work- Life Balance, relatively there are fewer studies on work-life balanceof women employees. Therefore there is a need to study how women are balancing their

work and family life in Services sectors.

1.4OBJECTIVES :

1.4.1 Primary objective:

To find the perception of women employees towards work life balance policies

provided by the organization.

To identify the challenges of women employees in work-life balance.

1.4.2 Secondary objective:

To identify the benefits of work -life balance of Women Employees.

To learn the current practices followed by women employees for work-life

balance.

To suggest some recommendations to women employees and organizations tobalance work-life


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CHAPTER 2LITERATURE SURVEY

2.1 REVIEW OF LITERATURE :

Number of studies has addressed this issue in different perspectives. Some of

the papers related to this subject are reviewed.

J.Sudha (2014) research has identified the various aspects such as career advancement,

Work Stress, Career aspiration, Work Family Conflict and Family Work Conflict, Child

care in context with Work Life Balance (WLB) and its practices and has revealed the

overview of the various challenges and issues faced by Women employees to achieve

WLB.

Sahana Maiya and Dr.M.M.Bagali (April 2014) have revealed the picture of difficulties

faced in balancing the work demand and the life (family) responsibility as there was

high correlation between the difficulties faced and the balancing act to be performed.

The study also defined certain specific HRM interventions for better work-life balance.

Prof.K.Thriveni Kumari & Dr.V.Rama Devi (2013) addressed the Work life balance as

one of the most challenging issues being faced by the women employees in the 21st

century because of the type of roles they play at home and the spill over of personal life

over work life.

Prof. K.Santhana Lakshmi (March 2013) have examined that the Educational

institutions should address the Work Life Balance related issues among their staff,

specifically women and take a holistic approach to design and implement the policies to

support the teaching staff to manage their WLB.


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Professor S.Padma and M.Sudhir Reddy (May 2013) article was to find the impact of

family Support on Work life Balance and revealed that Women with the responsibility

of elder parents health need to be given a helping hand to balance their personal and

professional works.

A.Jerina Bee, K.Baskar & V.Vimala (2013) has reported in their Indian Streams

Research Journal about Familywork conflict (FWC) and workfamily conflict (WFC)

are more likely to exert negative influences in the family domain, resulting in lower life

satisfaction and greater internal conflict within the family. Studies have identified

several variables that influence the level of WFC and FWC.

Satinder Singh (2013) literature identifies its effect on various quality life conditions i.e

Job Satisfaction, Work Stress, Career Growth, Turnover, Absenteeism, Appreciation

and competitive environment in context with Work-life Balance and its

practices/policies. In this paper, an endeavor has been made to provide an overview of

various aspects of Work-Life Balance through the review of existing literature.

T.S.Shanthi & Dr.K.Sundar (January 2012) research measures the level of satisfaction

as perceived by the women-respondent employees on the varied determinants of work

life balance, to identify the major factors that influence the work life balance among

various categories of women employees in I.T. Industry and to measure the overall

work life balance of women employees irrespective of cadres.

Prof. Sobia Shujat,Prof.Farooq-E-Azam Cheema & Prof.Faryal (2011)Bhutto study has

analyzed the impact of work life balance on employee job satisfaction in private

banking sector of Karachi. Factors involved are job satisfaction and work life balancewith respect to flexible working conditions, work life balance programs, employee

intention to change/leave job, work pressure/stress and long working hours.

N.Krishna Reddy et al, (2010) concluded that the married women employees indeed

experience Work Family Conflict (WFC) while attempting to balance their work and

family lives. Thus, Organization needs to formulate guidelines for the management of

WFCs since they are related to job satisfaction and performance of the employees.


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Niharika and Supriya (2010) have studied the work based factors and family related

factors that are considered to contribute to work life balance. Work based factors are

flexi time, option to work part time and freedom to work from home and the family

related factors are child care facility and flexibility to take care of emergencies at home.

Rincy V.Mathew and N. Panchanatham (July 2009) identified the significant

differences in the level of WLB issues faced by the various categories of women

entrepreneurs. The study also provides recommendations for human resource

professionals, management consultants, academicians and women entrepreneurs

themselves to deal with the major WLB issues faced by Indian women entrepreneurs.

Carol Emslie and Kate Hunt (January 2009) did a qualitative study of gender and work

life balance among men and women and the ways in which both men and women in

mid-life negotiate the intersections between paid work and other areas of life.

Ms.Lakshmipriya and Ms. Neena.S (April 2008) highlights the various values, attitudes

& beliefs of women regarding job anxiety in their formal work organizations &

particularly balancing their work & personal life.

Gregg Schoenfeld (April 2005) examines the work-life balance achieved by recent

MBA graduates and discusses underlying factors associated with personal perceptions

of balance and imbalance. Work-life balance issues are brought to the forefront as a part

of the annual MBA Alumni Perspective Survey conducted by the Graduate

Management Admission Council (GMAC) in April 2005.

2.2 RESEARCH GAP :

As seen in review of literature, there are so many studies conducted on Work-life

imbalance in common and among women in general. This study purely focused on

women employees in service sector of Chennai only. And the previous studied have

concentrated in other field like IT but have not given the importance in Service Sector,

so this study has focused on service sector women employees.


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CHAPTER 3METHODOLOGY

3.1 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY:

Research methodology is a way to systematically solve the research problem. It

may be understood as a science of studying how research is done scientifically as

research methodology has many dimensions and research method to constitute a part of

it.

3.2 RESEARCH DESIGN:

A research design is a plan of the proposed research works, it is the arrangement

of conditions for collections and analysis of data relevant to the research purpose. This

descriptive study proceeds with formulation of objectives and to give direction to what

type of data would be necessary to reveal the characteristic.

3.3 DATA COLLECTION METHOD :

The data collection method used for the analysis of this study are :

PrimaryData in this study are collected through Questionnaire method, by

filling questionnaire from women employees.

SecondaryData collected from journals, magazines, books, newspapers, online

resources etc.,

3.4 SAMPLE METHOD :The method adopted for the sample size of this research is convenient random

sampling technique.

3.5 SAMPLE SIZE:

Sample size taken for the study is 152 women employees from 6 Segments of

Service Sector viz Advertising, Banking and Financial Services, IT & ITES , Hospitals,

Education and Others.


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3.6 QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN:

The study was conducted using structured questionnaire, questions belong to

closed ended patterns, these closed ended questions are framed using the following type

such as

Multiple choice

Rating scale

3.7 STATISTICAL TOOLS APPLIED :

The statistical tools applied for the analysis of data are

Tabulation

Bar diagram

Pie-diagram

Chi-square test

3.8 CHI-SQUARE TEST :

The Chi-Square test is one of the simplest and a widely used non-parametric test

in statistical work. It is used to make comparison between theoretical population and

actual date when categories are used.

Formula :

Chi-Square = (OE) 2 / E

O - Observed frequency

E - Expected frequency

Steps for computing Chi Square test

First the expected frequencies E are computed the expected frequency for any data can

be calculated.

E = RT * CT

N

RT = Row total

CT = Coloumn total

N = Number of frequency


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Then find out the difference between observed (o) and expected(E) frequencies .

Difference between (O) and(E) are squared that is the interval estimate (O-E) 2 is

calculated.

Square difference between frequencies (O-E) 2 are divided by respective expected

frequencies.

(O-E) 2/E

The degree of freedom is calculated from the frequencies table by using formula.

Degree of F reedom(D.F) = (C-1)* (R-1).

C = Number of cell fr equencies in Columns

R = Number of cell fr equencies in Rows.

In case of anyone Chi-Square,

The degree of freedom (D.F) = (N-1)

N = Number of frequencies

Then the calculated value is then compared to the tabulated value of


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CHAPTER 4DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

Two Hundred and ten questionnaire were distributed to different types of

organizations falling under service sector viz Advertising, Banking and Financial

services , Hospitals , IT & ITES and Education and other . After eliminating the invalid

questionnaires , 152 valid questionnaires were used for further analysis.

4.1 DATA ANALYSISDESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS AND INFERENCE

ANALYSIS :

Table- 4.1

AGE OF RESPONDENTS

S. No Age in Years No. of Respondents Percentage

1 Below 25 years 40 27

2 From 25 to 35 years 52 34

3 35 to 45 years 31 20

4 Above 45 years 29 19

Total 152 100


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Chart- 4.1 - AGE OF RESPONDENTS

Inference:

From the above table, it has been interpreted that 27% of respondents belong under the

age of 25, 34 % belong between 25 to 35 years, 20% belong between 35 to 45 years,

19% belong above 45 years of age.

40

52

3129

27

34

20 19

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Below 25

years

From 25 to

35 years

35 to 45

years

above 45

years

No.of Respondents

Percentage


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Table- 4.2

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION OF RESPONDENTS

S.No Educational qualification No.of Respondents Percentage

1 Diploma 17 11

2 UG 62 41

3 PG 63 42

4 Others 10 6

Total 152 100

Chart - 4.2

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION OF RESPONDENTS

Inference:

From the above table, it has been interpreted that 11% of Respondents have

done diploma, 41% have done under graduation, 42% have done Post graduation and

6% of the respondents belong to others.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Diploma UG PG Others

11

41 42

6

No.of Respondents

Percentage


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Table-4.3

MARITAL STATUS

S.No Marital status No.of Respondents Percentage1 Married 76 50

2 Unmarried 68 44

3 Divorced 8 6

Total 152 100

Chart- 4.3- MARITAL STATUS

Inference:

From the above table, it has been interpreted that

50% of respondents were married

44% of respondents were unmarried

6% of respondent were divorced

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Married Unmarried Divorced

76

68

8

No.of Respondents

Percentage


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Table-4.4

Industry in which women employees are working

S. No Industry No.of Respondents Percentage1 Advertising 25 16

2 Banking or Finance 32 21

3 Education 27 18

4 Travel & Tourism 23 16

5 Hospitality 12 8

6 IT & ITES 17 11

7 Others 16 10

Total 152 100

Chart - 4.4

Industry in which women respondents are working

Inference:From the above table, it has been interpreted that

16% of respondents work in Advertising field.

21% of respondents work in Banking or Finance field.

18% of respondent work in Education field.

16% of respondents work in Travel & tourism field.

8% of respondents work in Hospitality

11% of respondents work in IT & ITES

10% of respondents work in other fields.

16%

21%

18%

15%

8%

11%

11%

Industry of Respondents

Advertising Banking or Finance Education

Travel & Tourism Hospitality IT & ITES

Others


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Table- 4. 5

Working Experience of women employees

S.No Years of Work experience No. of Respondents Percentage

1 Less than a year 26 17

2 1 year to 5 years 52 34

3 5 years to 10years 43 28

4 More than 10years 31 21

Total 152 100

Chart- 4.5Working Experience of women employees

Inference:

From the above table, it has been interpreted that 17 % of Respondents work

experience is less than a year, 34% is between 1year to 5 years, 28% is between 5years

to 10 years and 21% is more than 10 years.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Less than a year 1 year to 5

years

5 years to

10years

More than

10years

26

52

43

31

17

34

28

21

No.of Respondents Percentage


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Table- 4.6

Income level of working women respondents

S. No Income Level No. of Respondents Percentage

1 Rs.10,000 - Rs.15,000 52 34

2 Rs.15,000- Rs.20,000 35 23

3 Rs.20,000- Rs.25,000 32 21

4 > Rs.25,000 33 22

Total 152 100

Chart4.6Income level of working women respondents

Inference:

From the above table, it has been interpreted that 34 % of Respondents income

level is between Rs.10,000 to Rs.15000, 23% of respondents income is between

Rs.15000 to Rs.20,000, 21% of respondents income is between Rs.20,000 to Rs.25,000

and 22% of respondents income is above Rs.25000

52

3532 33

34

2321 22

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Rs.10,000 -

Rs.15,000

Rs.15,000-

Rs.20,000

Rs.20,000-

Rs.25,000

> Rs.25,000

Income level of respondents

No.of Respondents

Percentage


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Table- 4.7

Family type of women employees

S.No Family Type No. of Respondents Percentage1 Joint family 42 27

2 Nuclear Family 110 73

Total 152 100

Chart -4. 7

Family type of women employees

Inference:

From the above table, it has been interpreted that 27% of Respondents belong to

Joint family type and 73% belong to Nuclear family .

42

27

110

73

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

No.of Respondents Percentage

Joint family

Nuclear Family


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Table- 4. 8

Reasons for picking up a job by working women

S. No Reasons for working No. of Respondents Percentage

1 Independent 36 23

2 Career 23 15

3 Use of education 26 17

4 Overcome boredom 11 8

5 For Dependents 24 16

6 Financial requirement 32 21

Total 152 100

Chart -4.8

Reasons for picking up a job by working women

Inference:

From the above table, it has been interpreted that 23% of Respondents go to

work to be independent, 15% for career growth, 17% for use of education, 8% to

overcome boredom, 16 % to take care of dependents and 21% to meet their financial

requirements.

24%

15%

17%7%

16%

21%

Reasons for working of respondents

Independent CareerUse of education Overcome boredromFor Dependants Financial requirement


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Table- 4.9

Balance of work and life by working women

S. No Balance of work and Life No. of Respondents Percentage1 Strongly agree

25 16

2 Agree34 22

3 Neutral16 11

4 Disagree36 24

5 Strongly Disagree41 27

Total152 100

Chart - 4.9Balance of work and life by working women

Inference:

From the above table, it has been interpreted that 16% of Respondents strongly

agree that they balance their work and life, 22% agree, 11% say neutral, 24% Disagree

and 27% Strongly disagree.

0 2040

60

Strongly agree

Agree

Neutral

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

16

22

11

24

27

Percentage

No.of Respondents


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Table- 4.10

Factors motivating women employee to work

S.No Factors Motivating employee to work No. ofRespondents Percentage

1 Personal satisfaction 38 25

2 Financial Independence 44 29

3 Support from family 59 39

4 Constructive Utilization of time 11 7

Total 152 100

Chart4.10Factors motivating women employee to work

Inference:

From the above table, it has been interpreted that personal satisfaction, 29 % by

financial independence, 39 % by support from family, and 7% by constructive

utilization of time motivates 25% of Respondents.

25%

29%

39%

7%

Factors motivating employee to work

Personal satisfaction

Financial Independence

Support from family

Constructive Utilization of

time


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4.2. HYPOTHESIS TESTING :

4.2.1. HYPOTHESIS TEST NO: 1

CHI-SQUARE TEST

Aim :

To test the significant relationship between work-life balance and marital status of the

respondents.

Hypothesis of the study :

Null Hypotheses (H0) : There is no significant relationship between work-life balance

and marital status of the women employees in service sector.

Alternative Hypotheses (H1) : There is a significant relationship between work-life

balance and marital status of the women employees in service sector

Table 4.11: Balance of work and life by working women

S. No Balance of work and Life No. of Respondents Percentage

1 Strongly Agree 97 64%

2 Strongly Disagree 55 36%

Total 152 100%

Table 4.12: MARITAL STATUS

S. No Marital status No. of Respondents Percentage

1 Married 89 58%

2 Unmarried 63 42%

Total 152 100%

Table 4.13: OBSERVED FREQUENCY

Work-life balance Marital status

Married Unmarried Total

Strongly Agree 54 43 99

Strongly Disagree 35 20 55

Total 89 63 152


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Table 4.14 : EXPECTED FREQUENCY

Work-life balance Marital statusMarried Unmarried Total



Total 100 52 152

Table 4.15 : Calculation of the value

Observedfrequency (O)

ExpectedFrequency (E)

(OE) (OE)2 (OE)2/ E

54 60 -6 36 0.6

35 40 -5 25 0.625

43 40 3 9 0.225

20 12 8 64 5.33

TOTAL 152 6.78

FORMULA:

Chi -square (x^ 2) = (O-E) ^ 2

E

WHERE,

O = Observed frequency.

E = Expected frequency.

E = Row total X Colum total

Grand total

DEGREE OF FREEDOM

= (R-1) X (C-1)= (2-1) X (2-1)

= 1x1

DF = 1

Tabulated value at degree of freedom at 5% of significant level = 3. 5

Calculated value of chi- square = 6.78

Here, Calculated value > tabulated value (i.e.) calculated value is higher than tabulated

value.


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So, H1 is accepted and HO is rejected.

Hence, there is a significant relationship between work-life balance and maritalstatus of the working women .

4.2.2 HYPOTHESIS TEST NO: 2

Aim :

To test the significant relationship between work life balance and marital status of the

respondents.

Hypothesis of the study

Null Hypotheses (H0) : The work-life balance is not influenced by family type

Alternative Hypotheses (H1) : The work life balance is influenced by family type

Table 4.16: Balance of work and life by working women

S.No Balance of work and Life No.of Respondents Percentage

1 Strongly Agree 97 64%

2 Strongly Disagree 55 36%

Total 152 100%

Table 4.17: Family type of working women employees

S.No Family Type No.of Respondents Percentage

1 Joint family 42 27%

2 Nuclear Family 110 73%

Total 152 100%


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Table 4.18 : OBSERVED FREQUENCY

Work-life balance Family typeJoint family Nuclear family Total



Total 59 93 152

Table 4.19 : EXPECTED FREQUENCY

Work-life balance Family type

Joint family Nuclear family Total



Total 53 99 152

Table 4.20 :

Observed

frequency

(O)

Expected

Frequency

(E)

(OE) (OE)2 (OE)2/ E

34 30 4 16 0.533

25 23 2 2 0.086

62 60 2 2 0.033

31 39 -8 64 1.641

TOTAL 152 2.293


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FORMULA:

Chi -square (x^ 2) = (O-E) ^ 2

E

WHERE,

O = Observed frequency.

E = Expected frequency.

E = Row total X Colum total

Grand total

DEGREE OF FREEDOM

= (R-1) X (C-1)

= (2-1) X (2-1)

= 1x1

DF = 1

Tabulated value at degree of freedom at 5% of significant level = 3. 5

Calculated value of chi- square = 2.293

Here,

Calculated value < tabulated value (i.e.) calculated value is higher than

tabulated value.

So, H0 is accepted and H1 is rejected.

Hence, there is no significant relationship between work-life balance and family

type of the working women in current trend.


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Chapter 5 CONCLUSIONS

5.1 SUMMARY :

The findings of this survey reinforce the perceived importance of balance

between both work and personal aspects of ones life to enable greater success to be

achieved in every area of lifeincluding professional matters. With increasing working

population and changes in perceived company commitment and loyalty, Work and

Personal Life balance is a real issue for employers and employees alike. Employers can

benefit from these policies too as they can help to develop a more committed and

productive workforce. The findings are based on analysis of primary data as well as

review of literature. The primary data is collected through structured questioner

addressed to women employees. These findings based on a survey of females

employees in service sector of Chennai City reveals some interesting facts about work-

life balance of the respondents .

The finding of the undertaken research adheres to the following 8 questions :

1. What are the Reasons / Need for female employees to take up the jobs ?

2. Is there imbalance between personal and work life ?

3. What are the determinants of Work Life Balance ?

4. What are the practices followed by women employees to manage professional and

personal life ?

5. What are the organizational practices addressing work life issues of employees ?

6. What is the impact of Work Life Imbalance ?

7. What are the benefits of Work Life Balance ?

8. What are the barriers or challenges to Work Life Balance ?


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5.2 FINDINGS :

Most of the employees do agree in balancing their work and life in service sector,

in Chennai city.

Marital status of employees highly influence their work-life balance as 50% of

respondents were married mostly and 44% of respondents were unmarried and rest

6% of respondents were divorced.

Past financial experiences ,Present financial requirements ,future financial

requirements ,use of educational qualification ,overcome boredom at home ,career

orientation ,taking care of dependents, independence are the reasons being

identified for taking up the job.

Practices followed by majority of female employees to manage professional and

personal life are Time Management ,Use of personal vehicle for commuting ,Proper

planning well in advance , participating in social networking .

The current trend of working in Banking or Finance field has slightly increased as

compared to IT, advertising, Education and other fields of service sector due to the

increase in pay and other facilities. Major percentage of respondents are working in

Banking or Finance field.

It is also found that, in recent years family type ei ther joint or nuclear doesnt affect

the work life balance of women employees, 73% of respondents belong to Nuclear

family and 27% belong to Joint family.


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5.3 FOLLOWING DETERMINANTS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED WHICH

IMPACT THE ISSUE OF WORK LIFE BALANCE.

Table 5.1Classification of Determinants of Work Life Balance

Organizational factors Individual Factors

1. Present annual income of employee

2. Tenure in the present organization

3. Department in which an employee is

working

4.

Type of organization

5. Nature of Job

6. No of years of previous experience

7.

Level of hierarchy in the

organization

8. Term Of Contract

9.

Situational factors

10. Support from employer and

management

11.

Support from colleagues

12. Policies of organization

13. Technology and its use

14.

Long Working Hours

1. Age of an employee / Life Stage Of

Employee

2. Marital Status

3. No Of Members of family

4. Type of Family

5.

No Of Dependents

6. Educational Qualification

7. Mobility from native place.

8. Attitude and values of employee

9. Psychological factors

10. Support from family members

11. Energy Levels of employee

12. Self High Expectations


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5.4 PRACTICES FOLLOWED BY WOMEN EMPLOYEES TO MANAGE

PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL LIFE :

1. Time Management: Majority of female employees agree with the statement that

they do all the basic preparation of next day on previous night .

2. Use of personal vehicle for commuting: Majority of the female employees prefer

to use their personal vehicle for commuting from their residence to their work places as

against organization transport .This helps them to do small domestic work like

purchasing grocery , vegetables or any other on their way home. This saves their time .

3. Proper planning well in advance : All the female employees agree with the

statement that try to start 10 to 15 minutes before the stipulated time so that I reach on

time comfortably.

4. Seeking support of parents and in-laws in case of emergency at workplace.

5.Using Crche facility for KIDS : Majority of married female employees prefer to

keep my kids in crches rather than keeping with my in-laws

6.Seeking support from seniors: Majority of female employees agree that they

seek support of their seniors when the their personnel attention to family is required .

7. Networking with the community members :All the female employees agree that

they network with the members of the community who can help me in alternative

arrangements.


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5.5 ORGANIZATIONAL PRACTICES ADDRESSING WORK LIFE ISSUES

OF EMPLOYEES :

The range of Work Life Balance initiatives by the organizations available can be

grouped into 4 main areas:

1. Leave provisions (such as parental and family leave) : Facilities like Carriers

Leaves , Opportunity for leave if Care arrangements for children or other dependents

breakdown, Study / training leave, Career Breaks, Cultural / religious leave,

Bereavement leave, Pooling of leave entitlements are offered by many organizations to

the female employees to manage the work life issues . Maternity and Parenting policies

like Unpaid maternity / paternity and adoption leave, Paid maternity leave, Paid

paternity leave, Paid adoption leave, Opportunity to return to the same job after

maternity / paternity and adoption leave, Safety at work during pregnancy (e.g.

changing the work of pregnant women to avoid long periods of standing or lifting

heavy objects ), Pre-natal leave ( e.g. time for pregnant women or their partners to

attend medical appointments during working hours , either using additional leave or

sick leave ), Staggered return to work after pregnancy ( employees being able to

negotiate a temporary reduction in hours of work when they return to work ) etc. are

adopted by many organizations to address the issues of work life balance .

2. Flexible hours provisions : Flexible work arrangements like job sharing, flexible

start and finish times , Telecommuting, Cap on overtime, Opportunity to negotiate part-

time work for full time employees, Time Off in lieu and roistered days off are offered

by many organizations .

3. Additional work provisions: Telephone for personal use , Counseling services for

employees, Referral services for employees personal needs, Health programs, Parenting

or family support programs, Exercise facilities, Relocation or placement assistance,

Equal access to promotion , training and development are some of the other provisions

by the organizations to support the work life issues of female employees in service

sector .


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5.6 IMPACT OF WORK LIFE IMBALANCE :

It can be tempting to rack up hours at work, especially if you're trying to earn a

promotion or manage an ever-increasing workload. Sometimes overtime may even be

required. If you're spending most of your time working , though, your home life will

take a hit. Consider the consequences of poor work-life balance :

1. Fatigue or Low Energy Levels : When you're tired, your ability to work

productively and think clearly may suffer which could take a toll on your

professional reputation or lead to dangerous or costly mistakes. At the same time when

employees feel fatigue due to tiresome work at professional front , when they return

home they are left with no energy to interact with family members .

2. More pressure on household work : Due to excessive pressure at home front

female employees complaint getting late very frequently to job .

3. Unable to spend quality time with friends and loved ones. - If you're working too

much, you may miss important family events or milestones. This can leave you feeling

left out and may harm relationships with your loved ones. It's also difficult to nurture

friendships if you're always working.

4. Increased expectations.If you regularly work extra hours, you may be given more

responsibility. This may lead to only more concerns and challenges.

The various roles we occupy as parents, partners and employees or employers

bring with them different obligations which need to be reconciled. Balancing work,

family and lifestyle commitments is often difficult and sometimes the different

demands can be overwhelming and incompatible. The consequences include increases

in juvenile crime, more drug abuse, a reduction in care of the community and in

community participation and less willingness to take responsibility for care of elderly

relatives and for the disadvantaged. While steps to redress these concerns transcend


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work and employment, it is nevertheless argued that the demands of work contribute to

a reduced participation in non-work activities resulting in an imbalance.

The result of work life imbalance at the workplace can be that employees:

are less productive

are absent more often, or for longer

disguise the real reasons for their absence

have lower levels of morale

are more stressed

are more likely to leave a workplace unsupportive of work-life balance issues

5.7 BENEFITS OF WORK LIFE BALANCE :

Work-life balance is an essential part of Corporate Social Responsibility.

Corporations are increasingly recognizing that an inadequate work-life balance can

have detrimental impacts on staff performance, satisfaction and retention. When

employers target good work-life balance, they can see that reducing stress and

frustration resulting from poor work-life balance can be beneficial to both parties.

Furthermore the adoption of work-life balance policies and practices can improve an

organizations ability to respond to customers demands for increased access to services

and deal with changes in a way that can be satisfactory to both employers and

employees.

Helping individuals and families achieve a balance between their work, family and

lifestyle commitments by introducing work-life balance policies (i.e. policies that help

people meet the needs of their work life and personal life) can provide benefits for both

employees and employers.


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5.7.1 BENEFITS TO THE INDIVIDUAL :

Recognized benefits of work-life balance policies for employees include:

1. Improved work-life balancea reduction in the impact of work on home and family

life .

2. Reduced stress levels .

3. Control over time management in meeting work-life commitments .

4. Autonomy to make decisions regarding work-life balance.

5. Increased focus, motivation and job satisfaction knowing that family and work

commitments are being met.

6.Increased job security from the knowledge that an organization understands and

supports workers with family responsibilities.

7.Decreased Health Care Costs and Stress-RelatedIllnesses : With increasing company

focus on the high cost of health care, work/life programs are becoming an intelligent

choice to help lower the number of health care claims.

5.7.2 BENEFITS TO THE ORGANIZATION

The benefits of work-life balance policies are not restricted to the employees

using the policies, but also to the employer providing them.

Recognized benefits for introducing work-life balance policies for employers include:

1. Reduced Staff Turnover Rates & increased Employee Retention :The cost of

employee turnover and accompanying loss of valuable company knowledge can be

significant. Work/life programs offer a solution to retention woes. The highest

performers are the most likely to consider their ability to balance work and personal

responsibilities in a decision to stay with the company.

2. Lower recruitment and training costs, associated with reduced turnover :

Getting and keeping the right staff can be achieved through good work life balance

policies. Finding and keeping good staff can be difficult especially in a tight labor


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market. Employers who can offer work-life balance and flexible work options are likely

to have the competitive edge, gain access to a wider recruitment pool, and are more

likely to hold onto existing staff. As a result of the flexible working arrangements and

other work-life initiatives, many companies have increased retention of graduates and

women returning from parental leave.

3. Becoming a good employer or an employer of choice :

Being an employerof choice can give you the competitive edge for attracting talent.

Employees who are positive about their workplace help to foster a positive attitude in

the wider community. Increasingly businesses are adopting practices that make a

positive difference for the environment and society. Staff are a vital business resource,

so it makes sound business sense to develop and protect this resource. Work/life

initiatives create positive employer branding, promote being an employer of choice,

foster organizational citizenship, and support diversity initiatives.

4. Increased return on investment in training as employees stay longer : Good

WLB initiatives by organization improves the retention rate .5. Reduced absenteeism :

Research has documented that work/life programs can reduce absenteeism .

6. Reduced use of sick leave : Good WLB initiatives from the organization promotes

the health of the employees in turn reduced use of sick leave .

7. Reductions in workers stress levels :WLB policies and its use reduces the level of

stress among the employees of the organization.

8. Improved morale or satisfaction : Poor work-life balance can lead to stress and

absenteeism, and low output. Helping employees achieve work-life balance is integral

to their general health and wellbeing, increasing their work satisfaction and motivation.

They are likely to be more committed, more flexible and more responsive to the

business and customers needs. Research indicates that company commitment to

work/life initiatives is closely aligned with employee motivation and productivity .


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9. Greater staff loyalty and commitment : Good work life balance policies in the

organizations wins the loyalty and commitment from the employees .

10. Improved productivity :Getting and keeping the right staff and getting the best

from them will help to increase productivity. Costs associated with recruitment,

training and absenteeism will reduce and employees will be more engaged motivated

and committed.

11. Better teamwork and communication :Good work life balance policies

encourages teamwork and good communication

5.8 BARRIERS OR CHALLENGES TO WORK LIFE BALANCE :

1. Time Consuming : Implementing a WLB strategy takes time . Timescales for

a. implementation need to be realistic.

2. Lack of Team Work :Introducing, operating and implementing work-life balance

requires collaborative working and is very much an holistic process .

3. Lack of communication :Communication about work/life programs is essential.

Although an organization may offer a rich menu of work/life benefits, the desired

effectyielding positive business resultsis unlikely to occur if employees do not

know about the programs or understand them.

4.

Only paper work no implementation :Many organizations have the policies only

on paper .There is very less concern for the implementation of the policies .

5. Support of management :Work-place initiatives of any sort are likely to fail if

they do not have the full support of all levels of management. Supporting and

training managers in the application of WLB is imperative. Early engagements with

Senior Managers results in a higher level of commitment


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6.

Early Awareness : Early awareness raising sessions for managers on the work-life

concept could have helped alleviate initial concern.

7.

Delays in decision making:Over dependence on working groups delaying decision

making .

8.

Difference in interpretations :Informal flexible working practices can lead to

different interpretations leading to inconsistency of approach . Performance

Management has to be dealt with in the appropriate way and not through WLB.

9. Isolated Vs. bundled WLB practices :There is something of a puzzle about why

family-friendly policies and practices do not appear to improve work-life balance to

the extent we might expect. Isolated family-friendly practices will have little impact

but that a comprehensive bundle of practices are associated with superior ratings of

corporate performance . While their focus is on corporate performance, there may

be similar implications for their impact on employees. One interpretation of the

presence of a bundle of practices is that they have become embedded in the

organizational culture whereas isolated practices operate on the margin. This would

reinforce the importance of considering organizational culture/climate as a key unit

of analysis as much as the specific practices.

5.9 SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.

Work-life balance has always been a concern of those interested in the quality of

working life and its relation to broader quality of life. People achieve success when they

have the flexibility to meet the demands of their professional lives and accomplish

personal goals outside their offices . Whenever you focus too much on one at the

expense of the other then you risk putting your entire system in distress for an employee

, balancing a challenging career with life outside work is a complex task . Work life and

personal life are the two sides of the same coin. Maintaining a reasonable balance

between both is very important .


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The suggestions made in this chapter pertaining it WLB issues are divided in three parts :

1. Suggestions to the women employees

2. Suggestions to the organizations

5.9.1 SUGGESTIONS TO THE WOMEN EMPLOYEES :

As long as you're working, juggling the demands of career and personal life will

probably be an ongoing challenge. Use following strategies to help you find the work-

life balance that's best suits for you .

1.Time Management : Rather than thinking of the number of hours of work, think of

the effective time spend at work. Many people spend a long time at work yet don't seem

to accomplish their high impact activities. Track your activities and the amount of time

you spend on them. Watch out for some common traps. Some of these include the

constant use of email or blackberries.

2. Drop activities that sap your time or energy : Many people waste their time on

activities or people that add no value -- for example, spending too much time at work

with a colleague who is constantly venting and gossiping. Take stock of activities that

aren't really enhancing your career or personal life and minimizing the time you spend

on them.

3. A little relaxation goes a long way :Don't get overwhelmed by assuming that you

need to make big changes to bring more balance to your life. Setting realistic goals, like

trying to leave the office earlier one night per week. Slowly build more activities into

your schedule that are important to you . Maybe you can start by spending an hour a

week on your hobby or planning a weekend getaway with your family once a year .

Even during a hectic day, you can take 10 or 15 minutes to do something that will

recharge your batteries. Take a bath, read a trashy novel, go for a walk, or listen to

music. You have to make a little time for the things that ignite your joy. As happiness

has direct relation to productivity one must need to think of the things which make them

happy.


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4. Set your priorities :Work life balance cant be achieved without effective priority

setting . Many people spend long hours at work without knowing the effective time they

spend actually working . Set you priorities and arrange your time at the office according

to that .

5. Social Networking :It is recommended that women should integrate themselves into

various social network and high levels of social support, as this will greatly improve

their mental health outcomes.

6. Learn to say no :Whether it's a co-worker asking you to spearhead an extra project

or your child's teacher asking you to manage the class play, remember that it's OK to

respectfully say no. When you quit doing the things you do only out of guilt or a false

sense of obligation, you'll make more room in your life for the activities that are

meaningful to you and bring you joy.

7. Leave work at work :With the technology to connect to anyone at any time from

virtually anywhere, there may be no boundary between work and home - unless you

create it. Make a conscious decision to separate work time from personal time. When

you're with your family, for instance, turn off your cell phone and put away your laptop

computer .

8. Manage your time :Organize household tasks efficiently, such as running errands in

batches or doing a load of laundry every day, rather than saving it all for your day off.

Put family events on a weekly family calendar and keep a daily to-do list. Do what

needs to be done and let the rest go. Limit time-consuming misunderstandings by

communicating clearly and listening carefully. Take notes if necessary.

9. Bolster your support system :At work, join forces with co-workers who can cover

for youand vice versawhen family conflicts arise. At home, enlist trusted friends

and loved ones to pitch in with child care or household responsibilities when you need

to work overtime or travel.


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10. Nurture yourself :Eat healthy foods, include physical activity in your daily routine

and get enough sleep. Set aside time each day for an activity that you enjoy, such as

practicing yoga or reading. Better yet, discover activities you can do with your partner,

family or friendssuch as hiking, dancing or taking cooking classes

11. Seek help of Counselors :Everyone needs help from time to time. If your life feels

too chaotic to manage and you're spinning your wheels worrying about it, talk with a

professional such as a counselor or other mental health professional. If your

employer offers an employee assistance program (EAP), take advantage of available

services.

12.. Don't over book:This may seem unusual to people who try to crowbar as much as

possible into every workday. The problem is: Things rarely go according to a

prearranged agenda. That means a lot of time falling through the cracks chasing down

appointments, unreturned phone calls and other items that simply aren't going to

happen. Don't try to plan on doing too many things.. Assume that only 50% of the

things you plan on doing today will actually get done. If you don't, you'll just waste

valuable time trying to find out why things didn't happen.

13. Use of technology : Although personal habits and practices can do wonders for

time management, don't overlook technology as yet another weapon to make the most

effective use of your workday Sticky notes are one of the worst things in the world.

You should live by your database. That way, nothing is ever forgotten .

14. Organize : Bringing your time into line isn't just a matter of scheduling. The

mechanics of how you operate can be every bit as important. That means organizing

most every element to allow as smooth a workflow as possible. Everything in your

business should be set up using logical systems so anyone needing anything can find it

when they need it. Eliminating clutter and the chaos it causes will give you a gift time

of many hours every year.


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15. Use the facilities available for WLB in organizations : WLB initiatives give

employees flexibility and help ensure that dependents are cared for whilst employees

are at work. Both work-to-family conflict and family-to-work conflict can be reduced

when employees use WLB initiatives but not all employees make use of the initiatives

that are available to them even when those initiatives would be helpful. Remember,

striking a healthy work-life balance isn't a one-shot deal. Creating work-life balance is a

continuous process as your family, interests and work life change. Periodically examine

your priorities and make changes, if necessary to make sure you're keeping on

track.

5.9.2 SUGGESTIONS TO THE ORGANIZATION :

1. Integration : Integrating work life balance issues into the organizations

management development program is advisable if not essential One size does not fit

all, the process of introducing, operating and implementing work life balance has to suit

the organization. Collaborative approach between management and Trade Unions

assists with the process of introducing new initiatives. Embed the WLB agenda into the

HR strategy.

2. Offer Flexibility : Work Life Balance initiatives can assist employers and

employees to be productive and healthy in their work and community lives.

Organizations can give employees greater flexibility in how they work .

3. Childcare Centers at workplaces : A further recommendation is to establish

nurseries and child activity centers at workplaces, which would offer timetables adapted

to workers needs, along with high-quality services and competitive prices. it is

envisaged that such services would offer an important source of assistance to working

parents.

4. Women-friendly workplace :Organizations need to develop policies that create a

women-friendly workplace environment. Removing core hours and implementing self-

roistering demonstrating trust. Assisting managers to manage remote workers by

agreeing targets and deadlines . Promoting core team meetings where time off is

negotiated and agreed between all staff .


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5. Parental Leave :As regards parental leave, it is proposed to increase the duration of

leave from the 13 weeks to which working mothers or fathers are currently entitled to

13 months each. Another suggestion is to pay beneficiaries parental leave benefits equal

to unemployment benefits, since at present parental leave is granted without pay and

this acts as a disincentive to those entitled to such arrangements.

6. Training Programs :Employers need to establish training programs for women,

such as mentorships, career guidance and leadership development. Train Managers

and staff in the use of WLB policies

7. Promote awareness : Promote awareness initiatives that highlight the value offemale employees . Early buy in by senior management to the strategic benefits of

work-life balance is essential, as is a willingness to take risks by senior members of the

organization .

8. Women participation in strategy making :Elicit input from women employees

regarding policies, promotion and performance review processes. Involve staff at all

levels of discussions and encourage ownership. Organizations need to ensure that

policies are sustainable. The involvement of staff is the key to the success of any policy.

A good place to start is to find out what problems staff have with their current working

arrangements and ask what options would help staff balance work and home lives.

9. Commitment during hiring :Organizations should have a true commitment to hire

and promote women and include women in the annual business strategy. Avoid as far

possible the long hours of work for employees : Long hours are not just potentially

damaging to the individual employee but also to the company itself. Companies need tounderstand that long hours may lead to lower motivation, morale, turnover and

productivity of employees and reputation in the labor market. There has long been a

recognition that happy employees are more productive and less likely to leave.

However, the reality is that there is often an assumption amongst some employers that

simply getting staff to work longer hours will increase their work output


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5.10 LIMITATIONS & FUTURE SCOPE :

The undertaken research is only related to work life balance issues of women

employees employed in service sector only . It excludes the women who are employees

in other sectors viz Manufacturing or agricultural sector . It excludes the male

employed population .The survey excludes the unemployed and the self-employed, so

the level of imbalance in the population as a whole may vary . The study is with

reference to Women employees in Chennai City only .There is future scope for doing a

research on wider basis viz for whole state of Tamilnadu or India or on international

basis .

Future research must focus on a wider sample in order to get more generalized results.

Moreover, it must be directed at understanding individual differences so that employee

specific initiatives to improve work life balance could be initiated by organizations. The

size of the sample used to determine the dimensions of the scale was small. As a result,

the stability of the results is uncertain.

5.11 CONCLUSIONS :

The results of this research indicate that a large proportion of people lack

awareness of worklife balance issues and the laws governing them. The respondents

answers show that both the state and employers are in a position to enhance worklife

balance by providing benefits and proper information in this regard. The researcher

recommend that the proposals to be put forth for debate and intervention by organized

groups, especially by the social partners, for the creation of a targeted policy aiming to

strengthen worklife balance.

There was a time when the boundaries between work and home were fairly clear.

Today, however, work is likely to invade personal life and maintaining work-life

balance is no simple task. Still, work-life balance isn't out of reach. Start by evaluating

your relationship to work. Then apply specific strategies as mentioned above to help

you strike a healthier balance.


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APPENDICES

Appendix 1 - QUESTIONNAIRE USED FOR THE STUDY

Work-Life balance among Working Women

Dear employees,

I am Jasmine Sheela C; doing MBA (HRM) final year in Anna

University, Centre for Distance education. As a part of curriculum we have to submit

a project. A study on Work -life balance among Women employees in Service

Sector of Chennai city is my project title and to enhance the value of my project I

would kindly request you fill this questionnaire given to you.

QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Name of the employee: ________________

2. Age:

a) Below 25 years [ ] b) from 25 to 35 years [ ]

c) 35-45 years [ ] d) above 45 years [ ]

3. Sex:

a) Male [ ] b) Female [ ]

4. Educational Qualification:

a) Diploma [ ] b) Undergraduate [ ] c) Postgraduate [ ] d) others [ ]

5. Marital Status:

a) Married [ ] b) Unmarried [ ] c) Divorced [ ]

6. What industry does your company belong to:

a) Advertising [ ] d) Travel & tourism [ ]

b) Banking or Finance service [ ] e) Hospitality industry [ ]

c) Education [ ] f) IT & ITES(BPO) [ ]

g) Others [ ]

7. Your work experience:

a) < 1 year [ ] b) 1year-5years [ ]

c) 5 years -10 years [ ] d) >10 years [ ]

8. Your income level:

a) 10,000 -15,000 [ ] b) 15,000-20,000 [ ]

c) 20,000-25,000 [ ] d) > 25,000 [ ]


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9. Family Type :

a) Joint family [ ] b) Nuclear family [ ]

10. For which of the following reason you have picked up the job:Reasons Tick any one

To be independent.

Career orientation

Use of educational qualification

To overcome boredom at home.

To take care of dependents.

To meet your past, present and

future financial requirements.

11. I work for long hours or overtime and even on holidays.

Always Most of the time About half the time Once in a while Never

12. I do balance my work and personal life ?

Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree

13. Does your organization take any of the following initiatives to manage work-

life balance of its employees?

Initiatives taken by

Organization

Strongly

agreeAgree Neutral Disagree

Strongly

Disagree

.Provide flexible Work

timings

.

Provide leaves to manage

work life

.Provide job share option

.

Allow work from home

.Provide child care

provision or assistance

.Provide health care

benefits and social policyfor its employees


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14. Does the following factors at work place cause any challenges to your work-life

balance?

Factors Stronglyagree Agree Neutral Disagree StronglyDisagree

i.

Long working

hours

ii. Lack of team work

iii.

Lack of

communication

iv.

Time consuming

formalities in work

v. Work on holidays

vi. Travelling distance

from home to workvii. Negative attitude of

supervisors

iii. Relationship with

peers

ix.

Disapproval of

leaves for urgent

personal work.

15. Do you feel any of the following problems due to work pressure ?

Problems To a great

extent

To some

extentNot at all

i. Physical health

ii. Emotional

iii. Psychological or

Depression

iv. Negative impact on

marital relation

v.

Lack of parental

responsibility

vi. Unable to spend quality

time with family and

friends.

vii.

Unable to do household

work.


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16. Rank the following from1- 6 ( 1 being the highest priority and 6 being the

least) according to your importance in balancing work life:

Factors Rank

More Flexible hours

Work from home

Time off during school holidays

Time off during emergencies & events

Support from family members

Support from supervisor/colleagues

17. Do you agree with the following benefits of work life balance policies for

employees provided by your organization:

Benefits Strongly

AgreeAgree Neutral Disagree

Strongly

Disagree

Reduced stress levels

Control over time

management

Increased focus

Increased job security

Reduction in the impact of

work on home and family life

Decreased health care cost.

18.Tick the factor that motivate you to work:

Personal Satisfaction [ ]

Financial Independence [ ]

Support from Family [ ]

Constructive Utilization of Time [ ]

Any other : Specify : ------------------------


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19. Do you follow any of the following practices to manage professional and

personal life.

Practices To greatextent To some extent Not at all

i.

Time Management

ii.

Use of personal vehicle for

commuting

iii. Advance and proper

planning

iv. Participating in social

networking

20. List out other practices apart from above, that you follow to balance work and

family.

.

21. Your suggestion on what could Organizations do to help you balance yourwork and family life?

.

22. FEEDBACK:

.

Thank you for completing the survey!!!


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BIBLIOGRAPHY

I.BOOKS :

a) A.N.Agarwal ,"Indian Economy -Problems Of Development & Planning" ,34th

Edition , New Age International Publishers .

b)

Aditya Khanna (2005) ,Why Indian Firms are struggling with gender Diversity,

HRM Review , ICFAI Universtiy , September 2005.

c)

C.R.Kothari ,"Research Methodology-Methods and Techniques",2nd Edition ,

New Age International Publishers

d) Jennifer Smith , Dianne Gardner (2007) , Factors Affecting Employee Use Of

Work Life Balance Initiatives , New Zealand Journal Of Psychology , March

2007 .

e) Naresh Malhotra, "Marketing Research-An Applied Orientation" , 4th Edition ,

PHI Publication

II. JOURNAL :

a)

Hema Subramaniam (2008) , Work Life Balance ,The Hindu , Sunday, Jan 20,2008IANS (2007 ) , Wednesday, 07 March 2007 .

b) TNN ( 2009) , Julia's work life balance , Times Of India , Sep 21, 2009Ujvala ,

Swati Smita (2004 ) , Tracing a Timeline for Work and Family Research in

India , Economic and Political Weekly , April 24 , 2004

c) V.P.Michael , "Research Methodology in Management" , 5th Edition , Himalaya

Publication .

d)

Vikas Shrotiya ( 2009) , Balancing See Saw of Work and Life , ICFAI journal

of HRM Review , June 2009 ,Page:42-45

III. WEBSITE LINKS :

a)

http://www.indianmba.com/Occasional_Papers/OP183/op183.html

b)

www.citehr.com

c) www.wikipedia.com

d) http://humanresources.about.com/od/ glossary/g/balance.html

e) http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Indian_women_overtake_men_in_emplo

yment-nid-35225-cid-TNI.htm
http://www.indianmba.com/Occasional_Papers/OP183/op183.htmlwww.citehr.comwww.wikipedia.comhttp://www.indianmba.com/Occasional_Papers/OP183/op183.htmlwww.citehr.comwww.wikipedia.comhttp://www.indianmba.com/Occasional_Papers/OP183/op183.htmlwww.citehr.comwww.wikipedia.comhttp://www.indianmba.com/Occasional_Papers/OP183/op183.htmlwww.citehr.comwww.wikipedia.comhttp://www.indianmba.com/Occasional_Papers/OP183/op183.htmlwww.citehr.comwww.wikipedia.comhttp://www.indianmba.com/Occasional_Papers/OP183/op183.htmlwww.citehr.comwww.wikipedia.comhttp://www.indianmba.com/Occasional_Papers/OP183/op183.htmlwww.citehr.comwww.wikipedia.comhttp://www.indianmba.com/Occasional_Papers/OP183/op183.htmlwww.citehr.comwww.wikipedia.comhttp://www.indianmba.com/Occasional_Papers/OP183/op183.htmlwww.citehr.comwww.wikipedia.comhttp://www.indianmba.com/Occasional_Papers/OP183/op183.htmlwww.citehr.comwww.wikipedia.comhttp://www.indianmba.com/Occasional_Papers/OP183/op183.htmlwww.citehr.comwww.wikipedia.comhttp://www.indianmba.com/Occasional_Papers/OP183/op183.htmlwww.citehr.comwww.wikipedia.comhttp://humanresources.about.com/od/%20%20%20glossary/g/balance.htmlhttp://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Indian_women_overtake_men_in_employment-nid-35225-cid-TNI.htmhttp://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Indian_women_overtake_men_in_employment-nid-35225-cid-TNI.htmhttp://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Indian_women_overtake_men_in_employment-nid-35225-cid-TNI.htmhttp://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Indian_women_overtake_men_in_employment-nid-35225-cid-TNI.htmhttp://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Indian_women_overtake_men_in_employment-nid-35225-cid-TNI.htmhttp://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Indian_women_overtake_men_in_employment-nid-35225-cid-TNI.htmhttp://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Indian_women_overtake_men_in_employment-nid-35225-cid-TNI.htmhttp://humanresources.about.com/od/%20%20%20glossary/g/balance.htmlhttp://www.indianmba.com/Occasional_Papers/OP183/op183.htmlwww.citehr.comwww.wikipedia.comhttp://www.indianmba.com/Occasional_Papers/OP183/op183.htmlwww.citehr.comwww.wikipedia.comhttp://www.indianmba.com/Occasional_Papers/OP183/op183.htmlwww.citehr.comwww.wikipedia.comhttp://www.indianmba.com/Occasional_Papers/OP183/op183.htmlwww.citehr.comwww.wikipedia.com


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REFERENCES :

1. Carol Emslie and Kate Hunt (2009) article on Live to work or work to live? A

qualitative study of gender and Work-life balance among Men and Women in Mid

life in Gender, Work and Organisation Vol.16 No.1 January.

2. Gregg Schoenfeld (2005) in Work life balance Among MBA graduates - MBA

alumni report by in GMAC Research reports .RR-05-09 October

3. Jerina Bee, K.Baskar & V.Vimala (2013) inOrganisational Culture on Work-Lifebalance among married women employees and productivity By an Indian Streams

Research Journal

4.

Sudha .J (2014) has done a study on Work Life Balance of Women Employee by

identifying the various characteristics of married women in facing the challenges

and achieving WLB in International Journal of Management Research & Review

August 2014/ Volume 4/Issue 8/Article No-3/797-804

5. Sahana Maiya & Dr. M.M. Bagali (2014) - An Empirical investigation on Work-

life balance among working mothers: Emerging HRM Interventions in International

Journal of Business and Administration Research Review, Vol.1, Isue.5, April-June,

2014

6. Professor K.Thriveni Kumari & Dr.V.Rama Devi (2013) Work life balance of

women employeesa challenge for the employee and the employer in 21stcentury

in Pacific Business Review InternationalVolume 6, Issue 6, December 2013

7.

Santhana Lakshmi K, Sujatha Gopinath S (2013). Work Life Balance of Women

Employees with reference to Teaching faculties. International Monthly Refereed

Journal of Research in Management and Technology 2013; II.

8. T.S.Shanthi & Dr.K.Sundar (2012) has done research to measure the level of

satisfaction of women employees with reference to Work life balance of women

Employees in IT industry in ZENITH International Journal of Business Economics

& Management Research Vol.2 Issue 1, January 2012, ISSN 2249 8826.

9.

S.Padma and MSudhir (2013) Reddy in Role of Family support in balancingPersonal and work life of women Employees with reference to Bank sector

employees In Andhra Pradesh By IJCEM International Journal of Computational

Engineering & Management, Vol. 16 Issue 3, May 2013

10.

Satinder Singh (2013) Work life balance in Global Journal of commerce and

Management perspective published by Global institute for Research and Education

in Vol2(3) 2013.


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11.

Prof. Sobia Shujat, Prof. Farooq-E-Azam Cheema & Prof.Faryal (2011) Impact of

Work Life Balance on Employee Job Satisfaction in Private Banking Sector of

Karachi by Bhutto in Journal of Management and Social Sciences Vol. 7, No. 2,

(Fall 2011)

12.

Krishna Reddy N, Vranda MN (2010). Et. Al. Work Life balance among married

women employees. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine 2010; 32(2): 112-

118.

13.N, Supriya MV. (2010) Gender differences in perception of work life balance.

Management 2010; 4(5): 331-342.

14.

Mathew RV, Panchanatham N.(2009) Work life balance issues among the women

entrepreneurs in South India. In K.J.Cheiran & S.P.A.Mathew(Eds.), Emerging

entrepreneurial strategies for self development and skill development, India LKuriakose Gregorios College (KGC), 2009; 46-57.

15.

Ms.Lakshmipriya and Ms. Neena.S (April 2008) in Work life balance of women

employees posted under occasional papers in indianmba.com website

http://www.indianmba.com/Occasional_Papers/OP183/op183.html.
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Documents

Work-Life Balance Among Women Employees