carolyn jousna-study on qwl at theme exports

7/29/2019 Carolyn Jousna-Study on QWL at Theme Exports

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QUALITY OF WORK LIFE LEVERAGED TO

PERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS OF EMPLOYEES(Impact of Work Environment at Theme Exports Private Limited)

A Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement

for the award ofMBA Degree of Bangalore University

Submitted By

Carolyn Joshua

Register Number:

02XQCM6017

Under the guidance ofDr. V. Prakash

M.P. BIRLA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT

Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

# 43, Race Course Road

Bangalore 560 001

2002-2004


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DECLARATION

I hereby declare that the research work embodied in the dissertation

entitled Quality of work life leveraged to personal effectiveness of

employees at Theme Exports Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore, has been carried

out by me under the guidance and supervision of Dr. V. Prakash,

Adjunct Professor, M.P. Birla Institute of Management, Bangalore.

I also declare that this dissertation has not been submitted to anyuniversity/ institution for the award of any Degree/ Diploma.

Place: Bangalore (CAROLYN JOSHUA)

Date: 7th Sept. 2004 Reg No: 02XQCM6017


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TO WHOMSOEVER IT MAY CONCERN

This is to certify that Ms. Carolyn Joshua of M.P. Birla Institute of Management (Associate

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan), Bangalore University, has done a project in our company for two

months. The topic of the project is Quality of Work Life leveraged to personal effectiveness

of employees.

During her study, her conduct was very good. We wish her all the very best in future.

ForTheme Exports

Place: Bangalore Reuben Jacob

Date: 31st August 2004 Manager HR


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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am happy to express my deep sense of gratitude to Mr. Nagesh

Malavalli, (Principal, M. P. Birla Institute of Management), and Mr.

Reuben Jacob (HR Manager, Theme Exports Pvt. Ltd.) for their

encouragement, guidance and many valuable ideas imparted to me

for my project.

I extend my sincere thanks to my guide Dr. V Prakash, Adjunct

Professor, M.P. Birla Institute of Management, for providing me all

the information required and the guidance throughout the project

without which this project would not have been possible.

I have gained a lot of knowledge, both theoretical and practical,

throughout the course of carrying out this project, I also learnt a

lot about the intricacies of the actual business world.

With special regards I would also like to sincerely thank all my

lecturers and friends for their help in completing my project

successfully.

(CAROLYN JOSHUA)

Reg No: 02XQCM6017


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CHAPTER CONTENTS PAGE NO.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1

PART A (THEORITICAL SETTING)

1 INTRODUCTION1:1 Background of the Study 51:2 Statement of the Problem 121:3 Need and Significance of the Study 121:4 Objective of the Study 14

2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE2:1 Purpose of Review 152:2 Methodology 152:3 Conclusion 262.4 Benefits of the Literature Review 26

3 COMPANY PROFILE

4 METHODOLOGY4:1 Type of Research 354:2 Sampling Technique 354:3 Sample Size 354:4 Sample Description 364:5 Instrumentation Techniques 364:6 Actual Collection of Data 36

4:7 Tools used for testing hypothesis 374.8 Limitations of the Study 38

PART B (SURVEY FINDINGS)

5 PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS &INTERPRETATION

5:1 Hypothesis 395:2 Tables & Charts with Interpretation 49

PART C (CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS)

6 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS6:1 Conclusions from the study 866:2 Implications of the Study 886:3 Directions for further research 90

ANNEXUREQuestionnaire 91Select Bibliography 96


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LIST OF TABLES

Table No. Table Depicting Page No.

H1.1 Impact of work environment on the productivity

of employees in the work place 39H1.2 Analysis using Chi-Square test 40

H2.1 Relationship between satisfaction of employeesand the quality of work life 41

H2.2 Analysis using Chi-Square test 42

H3.1 Satisfaction of employees with the welfare measuresprovided 43

H3.2 Analysis using Chi-Square test 44

1 Ratings of the welfare measures 49

2 Involvement in welfare policy 50

3 Management participation in employee welfare 51

4 Motive behind the provision of welfare measures 52

5 Impact of welfare measures on employer-employeerelationships 53

6 Usefulness of induction / training programmes 55

7.1 Encouragement given to suggestion schemes 56

7.2 Frequency of suggestions offered 57

8 Response to suggestions 59

9 Frequency of satisfaction surveys 60

10 Impact of work environment on performance 61

11 Employer-employee relationship 63

12 Time spent at the work place 64

13 Extent of problems caused by colleagues 65

14 Extent of Job security provided 66

15.1 Stress involved in work 67

15.2 Causes of stress 68

16 Stress relieving measures 69

17 Impact of work environment on productivity 71

18 Work environment and work behaviour 72

19 Chances of growth / promotion 73


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20 Impact of machinery / technology on QWL 75

21 Essence human resource for good work environment 77

22 Impact on physical conditions of work on behaviourand morale 78

23 Impact of favoritism / influence on the work environment 79

24 Importance given to employees 80

25 Importance given to openness and initiation at work 82

26.1 Satisfaction with the current work environment 83

26.2 Satisfaction level 84


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LIST OF CHARTS

Chart No. Chart Depicting Page No.

H1 Sanitation & cleanliness 45

H2 Workers safety measures 45

H3 Transport facility 46

H4 Provision for adequate rest hours, lunch break etc. 46

H5 Insurance schemes 47

H6 Provident fund, gratuity and pension 47

H7 Health & medical benefits 48

1 Ratings of the welfare measures 49

2 Involvement of employees in welfare policydecision making 50

3 Participation of management in the employeewelfare measures 51

4 If the welfare measures are provided only asa statutory compliance 52

5.1 Impact of welfare measures on employer-employee

relationship according to the male employeesin the company 53

5.2 Impact of welfare measures according to thefemale employees in the company 54

6 Usefulness of Induction and training programmesin the company 55

7.1 Encouragement given to suggestion schemes 56

7.2 Frequency of suggestions offered by male employeesin the company 57

7.3 Frequency of suggestions offered by female employeesin the company 58

8 Response of the Management to the suggestionsmade by the Employees 59

9 Frequency of employee satisfaction surveys conducted 60

10.1 Impact of work environment on performanceaccording to the male employees 61

10.2 Impact of work environment on performance

according to the female employees 6211 Relationship between the boss and the employee 63


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12 Time spent by employees at the work place 64

13 Problems faced with colleagues 65

14 Job security of employees 66

15.1 Stress involved in work 67

15.2 Various causes of stress 68

16.1 Stress-relievers for male employees 69

16.2 Stress-relievers for female employees 70

17 Relationship between work environment and productivity 71

18 Relationship between work environment and workbehaviour 72

19.1 Opportunities of promotion / growth for male employees

in the company 7319.2 Opportunities of promotion / growth for female employees

in the company 74

20.1 Necessity of machinery / technology for creation of goodQWL according to the male employees 75

20.2 Necessity of machinery / technology for creation of goodQWL according to the female employees 76

21 Essence of human resource for good work environment 77

22 Impact of physical conditions of work on behaviour andmorale of employees 78

23 Impact of favoritism / Influence on the work environment 79

24.1 Worth of male employees in the company 80

24.2 Worth of female employees in the company 81

25 Encouragement given to openness and innovation at work 82

26.1 Contentment of employees with the present workenvironment in the company 83

26.2 Satisfaction level of employees 84


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Theme Exports Pvt. Ltd.

M.P. Birla Institute of Management, Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

1

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY:

QWL is a comprehensive, department-wide program designed to enhance the work

environment by improving employee satisfaction, strengthening work place learning

and helping employees better manage change and transition.

Quality of Work life programs have become important in the work place for the

following reasons:

Increased women in the workforce

Social integration in the company

Increased responsibility for elders

Increased demands at work

Loss of long term employment guarantees

The need for enhanced work place skills

Greater competition for talent

The central idea of QWL is that balancing work and personal life is not merely

a matter of personal choice but a corporate responsibility in terms of:

Improving employee satisfaction

Strengthening work place learning

Better management of on-going change and transition

The concept ofQWL in India manifests itself in a variety of operational systems.

There is a need to probe deeply these operational systems. The available data on

these aspects is scanty and superficial which has prompted us to undertake this

research.


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PROBLEM STATEMENT:

Study of the impact of work environment on the quality of work life of employees in a

garment exporting company.

OBJECTIVES:

To understand the present work environment in the company.

To study the impact of work environment on the personal effectiveness of

employees in the work place

To examine the employee satisfaction level.

To find out if the satisfaction of employees in independent or dependent on

the quality of work life.

To find out areas of weakness and provide constructive suggestions.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The nature of research was exploratory as well as diagnostic because the study

was aimed at exploring the impact of work environment on the quality of work life of

employees. This research is also aimed at recognizing the areas of improvement forTheme Exports.

Sample size: A total number of 100 employees were selected to elicit the data

required for the study.

Sampling technique:

The respondents were chosen on the basis of simple random sampling.

Simple Random Sampling is also known as probability sampling or chance

sampling.

Under this sampling design every item of the universe has an equal and fair

chance of inclusion in the sample. All choices being independent of one

another, it gives each possible sample combination an equal probability of

being chosen.


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Data collection and analysis:

Data used in this research is primary as well as secondary.

Instrumentation techniques:

Questionnaire: The primary data has been collected through questionnaires

which were administered to employees and personally filled by them.

Personal interview: This was required for classification of any ambiguous

answers from the employees.

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY:

This study pertains only to employees of Theme Exports.

The study is limited to the work environment and facilities provided by Theme

Exports.

Some questionnaires that I received were incomplete as a result could not be

included in the tabulation.

It is assumed that there is no influence of any person, for e.g. a colleague/

peer while filling the questionnaire.

As the perception level of the respondents has not been tested, it is assumed

that all of them have perceived the questions in the correct way.

EXPECTATIONS FROM THE STUDY:

To gain insight on the present level of quality of work life at Theme Exports.

To familiarize myself with all the domains that contribute to the over-all

assessment of quality of work life.


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FINDINGS FROM THE STUDY:

The male employees are found to be more prone to stress compared to their

female counterparts. The reason can be attributed to the fact that most men

suffer from peer pressure from their female counterparts, as the work involved

is usually considered to be of womens domain.

Both the male and female employees feel that work environment has an

impact on their performance.

The employees are found to be content with the present work environment in

the company.

The satisfaction of employees is dependent on the quality of work life.


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5

1.1BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Origin of the concept:

With the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the nineteenth century, the

industrial worker had to adopt himself to machines that had become increasingly

independent of both human energy and human ingenuity for their operation.

Technology having not yet reached a high degree of refinement, the worker still

served as complement to the machine.

Towards the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century, the

role of the worker continued to evolve. This evolution was heading towards the strict

assimilation of the workers into the very operations of a machine. Although Taylor,

the father of Scientific Management (SM) had furnished the impetus, there were

number of individuals who were bringing the movement to its maturity along with a

number of dimensions.

In reaction to the obvious problems caused by simple repetitive jobs, the Human

Relations School, centered in U.S., attempted to draw upon the knowledge acquired

through disciplines of sociology and psychology and apply it to the day-to-day

industrial life.

The contributions of Maslow, Mcgregor, Herzberg and Trist were undoubtedly of

critical importance to the development of new concepts and new experimentalprocesses that would lower the antagonism of workers towards their work.

Maslows concept of need hierarchy has been given considerable importance in the

world of management. This theory provides significant clues to answer why well

remunerated employee is not motivated to carry out his responsibility? Once the

physiological needs are gratified, the higher order needs emerge and dominate the

behaviours.


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Building upon the work of Maslow, it became clear to Herzberg (1966), who was

greatly interested in the problems of work motivation, that the traditional methods for

division of labour used only a small portion of human potential. Since each workerhas many more skills to offer than those he is asked to perform, Herzberg wondered

to what extent a worker could derive his motivation to work from the task itself.

According to him when lower order needs are not satisfied the worker is likely to

feel unhappy, but the satisfaction of these needs does not necessarily make him

happy. A workers satisfaction can be increased only by motivators that satisfy higher

order. Herzberg isolated five motivators:

1. The need for achievement

2. Recognition by others

3. The work itself

4. Responsibility

5. The opportunity for advancement.

According to Herzberg, work organization should, therefore, seek to introduce these

motivators into the work situation. This laid the foundation for now well known

concepts of job enlargement and job enrichment During the same period another

group of researchers in Tavistock Institute of London focused on the integration of

technical as well as human and social dimensions of industry (The Socio- Technical

System). The concept her emphasizes that the optimization of the technical

production system may be undertaken currently with the optimization of the social

system, by mans of job constructed to satisfy human needs adequately. The socio-

technical approach fostered the idea that there appears to be a possible and

desirable alternative to the modes of work organization inherited from SM for a given

technology. There is not only one but several possible and effective ways of

organization work. Some of these offer better socio-technical combinations than

others and allow for improvement in the Quality of Work Life (QWL) without

sacrificing any of the organizational effectiveness of the enterprise.


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QWL is a comprehensive, department-wide program designed to enhance HHS'

service to the public by improving employee satisfaction, strengthening work place

learning and helping employees better manage change and transition.

Quality of Work Life consists of a whole parcel of terms & notions:

Industrial effectiveness

Human resource development

Organizational effectiveness

Work restructureJob enrichment

Socio-technical systems

Working humanization

Group work concept

Labour management co-operation

Working together, workers involvement; workers participation

Co-operative work structures

Walton (1974) one of the major interpreters of the Quality of Work Life movement

has proposed eight major conceptual areas for understanding. What this is all about:

Adequate and fair compensation

Safe and healthy environment

Development of human capacities

Growth and security

Social relevance


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QUALITY OF LIFE: A SYSTEMS MODEL

INPUT PERCEPTIONS / OPTIONS OUTPUT

Feedback

Shelter

Culture

Work

Family &Friends

Neighbohood/

Quality of Life/ Source ofWell-Being

Socio-EconomicConditions

Community

Health

Education

Spiritual

DemographicCharacteristics

- The University of Oklahoma School of Social Work


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9

Linkage between Quality of Work Life

& Quality of Life

When we use the concept of work life, we do not exclude life. When we show our

preference for quality of work life, we include quality. By implication then we accept

that there is teleological justification for quality of life. It is by no means surprising

that social scientists, who are not directly immediately concerned with work redesign,

socio-technical systems or the quality of work life devoted to an organizational

setting only, describe their concern for the future of work on a more comprehensive

framework that do the applied behavioral scientists.

1. Within the organization itself, there is scope for extending critical

consciousness of the members from work place to their immediate

environmental context.

2. Employees of productive organization can become leading parts in influencing

the quality of decision-making planning process and implementation

machinery by their productive intervention.

3. The likely positive impact of the experiences of productive workers on the

style and the ethos of functioning of burgeoning government agencies can

bring about transformation in their organizational goals and priorities.

4. Quality of work life in micro-organizations can derive its substance and

broaden its horizon by drawing upon the insights of the quality of life

movements.

5. Need to perceive the life-sized burning problems which cast deepening

shadow of threats upon quality of life and work. Though slated in the end, we

emphatically maintain that this proposition is of utmost urgency to the

contemporary world. The contexts of the globalization of economic, political

and cultural malaise can no longer remain unquestioned and unexamined.]


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The global economic crises are sought to be overcome by taking recourse to such

technological marvels as chips, robots and artificial investment are indeed massive.

But, at the end of it all, human labour is compelled to yield grounds for organizationalsurvival. This is harsh reality even if it tramples the right to work and human dignity.

Misery of labour at work is giving way to elimination of employees.

Proliferation of sophisticated and lethal arms and armaments customized in

clean bombs is yet another reality of the brutalization of human sensibilities and the

story can go on in this vein.

Whatever be our approach in specific situations, the survival of life and work

demands a fresh look and reformulation of our concepts and tools.


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Relevance of Quality of Work Life (QWL) in India

Within the Indian context De (1976) has rightly pointed out that, quality of work life is

an indicator of how free the society is from exploitation, injustice, inequality,

oppression and restrictions on the continuity of growth of man, leading to his

development to the fullest. A decade later describing redesign efforts in India, he

points out that all workers were willing and able to move beyond their ascribed

roles and take on additional responsibility (1984). De, finally points out that, the

basic concept of the quality of work life will have to emanate from idea of liberation

from the entrapment of technology because it is the sovereign role of technology that

has so far determined the form of organization resulting in not only a segmented

work system but much more than that, a jaundiced view of the objective reality of

work and life (1984).

Although In India high unemployment makes any work attractive, however, three

critical elements do apply for organization to become more responsive.

1. Technological changes in work.

2. Educated entrance.

3. Market uncertainties

In the Indian context, we need to recognize employees economic, social and self-

actualization needs accordingly so that they could develop their potential qualities

and experience better Quality of Work Life (QWL).


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1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Employee welfare measures are provided in almost all organizations today. However

quality of work life goes beyond just welfare measures. Many studies have been

made on the quality of work life in software or high-tech companies, but very few

studies are conducted on the garment industry, especially one that mostly deals with

exports.

Therefore, this study intends to establish the impact of work environment on the

quality of work life of employees in a garment exporting company.

1.3 NEED & SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Quality of Work life programs have become important in the work place for the

following reasons:

Increased women in the workforce

Social integration in the company

Increased responsibility for elders

Increased demands at work

Loss of long term employment guaranteesThe need for enhanced work place skills

Greater competition for talent


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QWL plans are designed at a minimum, to accomplish the following:

Improve communication with employees;

Strengthen family friendly programs;

Increase investment in work place learning;

Improve the effectiveness of supervisors and team leaders;

Evaluate the effectiveness of diversity management practices; and

Improve ability to manage change and transition.

The central idea of QWL is that balancing work and personal life is not merely a

matter of personal choice but a corporate responsibility in terms of:

Improving employee satisfaction

Strengthening work place learning

Better management of on-going change and transition

QOWL programs have been found to:

Improve work place morale

Encourage employee commitment

Support recruitment

Encourage retention

Enhance productivity

Reduce absenteeism; and

Maximize staff resources

The programs, policies and services offered through QOWL Programs:

a. Support faculty and staff efforts to manage the competing demands of work

and personal life,

b. Support health promotion and wellness, and

c. Express appreciation for faculty and staff contribution to the University,

highlight outstanding individual contributions, and recognize long term

commitment.


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The concept of QWL in India manifests itself in a variety of operational systems.

There is a need to probe deeply these operational systems. The available data on

these aspects is scanty and superficial which has prompted us to undertake this

research.

1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main objectives are:

To understand the present work environment in the company.

To study the impact of work environment on the personal effectiveness of

employees in the work place

To examine the employee satisfaction level.

To find out if the satisfaction of employees in independent or dependent on

the quality of work life.

To find out areas of weakness and provide constructive suggestions.


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2.1 PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Identify the problem statement; understand the secondary data that has been

gathered in this field of study. Attempt to make new findings on the problem

statement without reinventing what has already been done in this field of study.

2.2 METHODOLOGY

Review of the literature and different forms of information sources with secondary

data are:

Brochures

Company magazines and booklets

The internet

Articles

Publications

Type of research :

The research conducted is a combination of exploratory and descriptive. The

research was designed to find out the impact of work environment on the quality of

work life of employees at Theme Exports. This was done by collecting primary

data from supervisors/ department heads and descriptive study forms part of the

logical continuation of the exploratory research. Survey research was done throughquestionnaires.

Secondary data was provided by the organization (theme apparels) i.e.,

Information about the organization

List of department heads/supervisors

List of employees to whom the questionnaires could be administered.


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CASE 1: THE QUALITY OF WORK LIFE IN THE JAPANESE

SHIP-BULIDING INDUSTRY.

The study committee began by attempting to determine what the workers of the

Japanese ship-building industry have been truly looking for over the last ten years.

The workers under consideration were members of the labour unions of the ship-

building enterprises. Among the company and union committee members, it was not

long before consensus was reached as to the improvements which workers are truly

seeking. It was agreed and confirmed that improvements in the quality of work life in

the ship-building industry have taken place in the following areas:

Traditional working conditions

Employee benefits and services

Safety and health

Work restructuring schemes

Small-group activities

During the last decade, along with many other Japanese industries, ship-buildingexperienced high growth. This was accompanied by increased employment, with

many young workers added to the workforce. There was notable improvement in

wages and other working conditions as well as in employee benefits and service

programmes. The workforce benefited from widespread progress in basic safety

and hygiene conditions, and improvements took place in work organization.

Some of these developments were an outcome of union initiatives; others are

products of action taken by management.

These experiences of labour and management in the Japanese ship-building

industry can be summarized as:

a) First of all, it should be pointed out that the majority of the improvements of

the last ten years of high economic growth occurred in parallel. In other

words, improvements did not in any way take place in a vacuum. They

grew out of demands for better quality in all aspects of working life.


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b) In the area of established working conditions, there were not only

improvements in terms of quantity during this period but attention should

also be drawn to the qualitative changes. It was during the same period

that a unification of blue and white collar wage systems, and issue of long

standing, was resolved.

c) At the same time, job integration, small group participative activities,

autonomous management, and other developments in work organization

definitely represent new progress set against the background of the

qualitative changes in the lives of workers during the past ten years or so.

The ship-building industry has to resign itself to continued stagnation. Both labour

and management of the ship-building industry will have to adopt measures for

diversifying operations into alternative types of equipment and products. Such efforts

and shifts in industrial structure and reorganization are already taking place at an

accelerating pace.


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CASE 2: THE HARDWARE CASE OF BHARAT HEAVY

ELECTRICALS LIMITED

The Heavy Electrical Equipment Plant located at Hardwar in northern India is one of

the production units of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited. This is large public sector

unit employing over 9000 employees set up over 11 years ago with technical

collaboration from a similar plant located at Leningrad. The Executive Director of this

plant attended a quality of work life workshop in late 1974. A.K. Khosla, the person

concerned, was impressed and he invited a group of action researchers to try out

new forms of work organization in this unit. His concern was to improve the

employee motivation and morale along with technological innovations that he already

initiated with the objective of fulfilling the ever-increasing demands for electric power

in the country.

The external change agents organized a series of Workshops for

a) The trade union leaders with five distinct trade unions operating in the

plantb) Key managerial groups

c) Shop floor production managers and industrial engineers, with a view to

identifying internal change agents.

There was a series of intensive meetings with no holds barred and gradually the idea

of developing experimental sites got accepted. About six internal change agents

were also identified and they were exposed to socio-technical system literature andrequisite analytical skills. After some exploration in a number of shops it was found

desirable to start two simultaneous experiments in two shops- one fabricating the

upper part of the condenser unit and another the lower part. The key factors in

coming to this conclusion were the following:


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1. The product was crucial for the plant and, at the same time, it was a distinct

product with which an integrated work group could identify itself;

2. The two shop supervisors and their common superior, the manager, showed

active interest in the project;

3. The shop floor trade union leaders were generally of a positive organization

and they were also keen to try out the experiments.

A beginning was made in May, 1975. After a number of meetings with the concerned

workforce- around 30 in number in each group- it was decided to set up two task

teams from the two groups with rotating membership, except for two members who

because of their leadership abilities, continued as members. The concerned

supervisors were also members of the task force.

The workflow analysis was undertaken by the task force actively supported by the

internal resource persons and the external social scientists. The analysis identified

the various delay points and bottle necks in the work system. Having identified these

restraining forces, some steps were suggested:

1. Introduction of module system

2. Theoretical knowledge to take place

3. The members were free to rotate themselves and internal norms for

maintaining discipline.

4. The supervisor was released from routine supervised job so that he could

handle grievances problems of the members of the work team.

5. The members of the experimental groups were invited to different seminars to

share their experience.


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QUALITY OF WORK LIFE SURVEY LONG-FORM SURVEY RESULTS

Source: George Mason University, April 2000

In April 2000, the Quality of Work Life Task Force conducted a survey of George

Mason University employees to assess the quality of their work lives. This survey

included 73 structured questions, and was sent to a random sample of 600

employees across all job categories: adjunct, restricted, administrative, and tenure-

line faculty, classified staff, and wage employees. The survey achieved a high rate of

response (66%), indicating that the opportunity to speak out regarding the quality of

work life at GMU is important to many employees. A summary of the overall surveyfindings follows.

INSIGHTS FROM THE SURVEY

Overall job satisfaction at George Mason is reasonably high, with nearly two-

thirds (63%) saying they are either "satisfied" or "very satisfied." A similar

percentage agree or strongly agree that the quality of their work life is good.

Employee perceptions of organizational support and organizational

commitment at GMU are similar to what is found in other large organizations.

George Mason employees value their relationships with their coworkers and

rate them highly.

The work and family items on the survey suggest that GMU is doing a

reasonably good job of helping employees juggle work and family. Still, 34%

agree that the demands of work interfere with family life. The availability of on-

campus child care garners the most frequent "not satisfied" rating from

employees across the board.

Most employees express general satisfaction with their supervisors and do

not report this as a significant source of stress. At the same time, however,

responses to certain items imply that supervisors could have an important role

to play in addressing issues of great concern to staff and faculty (e.g.,

promoting recognition for special achievements).


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Employees at all levels value the autonomy of their jobs. This shows up in

several items, including satisfaction with flexible hours, the use of a variety of

skills, the opportunity to develop new ideas, and the chance to work

independently.

Work load is a significant source of stress for the entire sample, especially for

all faculty groups and classified employees. Overall, 62% cite work load as a

source of extreme or moderate stress.

A majority of classified staff and tenure-line, restricted, and administrative

faculty identify "institutional procedures and red tape" as sources of stress.

Lack of promotion opportunities or the review/promotion processes are

sources of stress to many employees.

A lack of "special recognition for achievements and milestones" was a source

of great dissatisfaction among classified and faculty employees (except

adjunct faculty). While there are university programs that reward outstanding

and exemplary performance, there is clearly a feeling that hard work is not

sufficiently recognized by the university.

Lack of home Internet access was cited by many employees, both faculty and

classified. In addition, classified employees were unsatisfied with

opportunities to work from home.

There are fairly large and statistically significant differences in the perceptions

of minority and non-minority employees at GMU, with minorities expressing

less satisfaction and greater levels of stress on many items. These

differences are not just a function of differences in job type or compensation

plan.Transportation and parking are commonly heard complaints on campus. In

this survey, they were mentioned as sources of "extreme" or "moderate"

stress by a large minority of respondents.


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ALL WORK, NO PLAYNO MORE: CHAINS OFFER QUALITY-OF-LIFE

GUARANTEES TO KEEP MANAGERS HAPPY - NRN SPECIAL REPORT

Source: Nations Restaurant News, Nov 24, 2003 by Milford Prewitt

For years, management recruiters from WalMart, the Gap, Banana Republic,

Staples, CVS, Circuit City and other huge retailers have targeted foodservice

managers to fill their open positions.

Aware that many restaurant general managers are accustomed to grueling 70-hour

workweeks, the retailers offered some big quality-of-life inducements, including

workweeks of 50 hours or less, many weekends and holidays off, no late hours and

flexible scheduling to lure them away from the restaurant industry. But the industry's

vulnerability to such offers is diminishing. Recognizing a growing desire by many

Americans to shed their workaholic tendencies in favor of more vacation and family

time, several restaurant chains are stopping the defection of unit managers to other

fields by instituting quality-of-life guarantees that were unheard of in foodservice just

a few years ago.

More important, many human-resources directors and chief executives report that

unit-manager retention is improving, because their companies are investing in

policies, perks and activities that acknowledge there is far more to life than managing

restaurants.

At Corpus Christi, Texas-based Whataburger, there are no salaries in the classic

sense. Instead, general managers set the goals to be achieved by their units and

then draw amounts from a pool of money based on unit-level profitability, good

customer service scores, hourly retention rates and other factors during the quarter.

For many managers that means pocketing annually $140,000 or more.

Phil Greifeld, president and chief executive of Huddle House, agreed that if

employers hire people with the right attitude to begin with, retention and quality of life

are much easier to achieve. While his approach may not be as exacting as

Applebee's, Greifeld says he has a sure-fire method to tell if he is on the right track in

hiring managers.
http://www.findarticles.com/p/search?tb=art&qt=%22Milford+Prewitt%22http://www.findarticles.com/p/search?tb=art&qt=%22Milford+Prewitt%22


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The behavior traits and competencies Greifeld and Prutsman look for in hiring the

right general manager can be measured by behavioral experts in various kinds of

tests, even though the attributes--like people skills, energy and initiative--are difficult

to quantify in most circumstances.

Batrus Hollweg International, a behavior-assessment firm that specializes in

determining if job applicants are mentally, emotionally and socially suited to become

restaurant managers, area managers and regional managers, uses tests and

screening methods to predict the likelihood of success for job candidates seeking

such jobs.

Among the traits, or key competencies, that Batrus Hollweg assesses are leadership,

initiative, stress tolerance, energy level and other usually immeasurable qualities for

dealing with the daily unpredictability of running a restaurant. But even if the

applicant for a general-manager position scores well in the evaluation, employers

have to be honest and not stray from the promises they offer the manager once

they've agreed to hire him or her, observers remind.

Rich Waring, director of team and organizational assessments for Batrus Hollweg,

says one of the leading reasons unit managers are most likely to resign is that the

employer fails to deliver the quality-of-life perks promised at the time of hire.

"We found in our research that what drives a person to stay with a company is the

degree to which the company is successful in delivering on the commitments it made

during the job preview," he says.'"

Safe work environments that are free of sexual harassment or discrimination and

boast diversity also play a powerful role in helping to retain managers.


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LIFE BEYOND WORK

By Radhika Bhalla

SOURCE: HUMAN CAPITAL

Balancing work and personal life is a matter of personal choices.

Times have really changed. In the good old days, you used to get up to the noise of

children. Now you get up to find post-it. That's the only way left to communicate with

the family. Everything that was to help us create work life balance is actually creating

more time to work. Who says the balance does not exist? Its just that the scales are

tilted more in favour of work!

Give it a thought. Today we have offices that could pass off as five star hotels where

all you need to do is dream and the chances are that it would come true. You can

order food from your favorite restaurant when you are working late, take a dip in the

pool to freshen after a days work, stroll across the corridor to the office gym to

stretch those muscles that seem to have become immobile being in that office chair!

Work becomes home... Would it not make more sense to provide employees with

memberships of clubs near their houses? At least they would go home, pick up their

families and play in the evenings! The responsibility of the organization does not end

at providing a day care center and a 'spouse day out' scheme. The aim should be to

help employees manage their time so that work forgotten at 5:30 pm and people

rush home to their families. Technology has, in all possible ways, invaded the realms

of privacy. Today you can be reached on your mobile, email and fax beyond office

hours and the convenient laptop makes carrying work home a fad. The trick is to

beat technology by employing age-old techniques of time management.

Since we have diluted the fine lines between work and personal life, I would suggest

that organizations enter personal life completely. Earlier we had career fairs, now

let's have dating services where organizations can create conditions for unmarried

employees to socialize and interact. Who has the time to meet people outside

working hours anyway!


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There was a time when offices spoke of organizing summer camps for children.

Today this may become a reality, because we don't have time to take long breaks or

because there are sudden deadlines to meet. The techno-concept of virtual offices

makes the dream of peaceful, uninterrupted vacations a virtual unreality because my

fax, computer and mobile accompany me everywhere.

The flexible work practices are truly flexible. I now have the flexibility to work even at

10:00 pm. I have the office keys! And don't forgot that we work just 5 days officially,

the 6th and 7th come because my work is not over. Not many people would try and

ask themselves why work is not getting over. We would automatically put it aside asa procedural error - 'I still have mails to reply', 'My colleague could not submit his part

of the work so I am stuck', or the most common 'I begin work only in the afternoon'.

We need to manage our time. More importantly, organizations need to manage their

procedures. The number of employees working late is an indicator of organizational

inefficiency, not employee efficiency.

But are organizations really to blame if employees cannot manage time, if they want

to sit in office till late and carry work home? We are talking about adults who make

their own choices. There are all kinds of people, some who love working and would

rather do that all day, others like to forget about work after office hours. The best the

organization can do is provide alternatives and the rest is really a matter of personal

choice. How often have we heard the argument that quality time is better than

quantity time? How often do we hear people use it to explain their absence from

home and family? It is valid in its own right and unquestionable.

Balancing work and personal life expands to include a subjective meaning. Its how I

want to define the balance, how I want to run my life, how many hours I want to work

and how much work I want to carry home. Its an egocentric concept, the satisfaction

and realization of which is a matter of individual inference and experience.


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2.3 CONCLUSION

The literature review has been very useful and informative as it has thrown light on

the research and articles that have been written on various welfare measures that

are being provided to the employees of Theme Apparels.

Moreover it has helped in identifying the degree of research that has been already

done on the subject. It helps to identify areas for further exploratory research.

2.4 BENEFITS FROM THE LITERATURE REVIEW

The literature review has helped me in a number of ways. It has made my topic more

interesting and has thrown light on various aspects of quality of work life. The

literature review helped in identifying various employee welfare measures and their

significance on the quality of work life of employees. It gives insight on the best

practices of other companies. It enables us to understand what Quality of Work Life

means and how it affects the employees in an organization. Literature review gives

us insight on how work environment influences the productivity of an employee. It

throws light on the areas where the organization is lacking with regard to providing

employee satisfaction. Literature review creates a trigger point for dramatic and

drastic changes in the organization.


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INTRODUCTION

Theme Exports was established in 1988 at Bombay and subsequently moved to

Bangalore in 1993. It mainly manufactures and exports ready to wear apparel. It is

one of the few companies which have its own production units in both Wovens &

Knits set up in Bangalore and also have a network of offices in Tirupur and Mumbai.

The company has an experience of 12 years in this field and has established itself in

Australia, U.S, and E.E.C. markets. The company specializes in Mens, Ladies and

Childrens casual & fashion wear.

The approximate annual sales volume is US $5 Million and the approximate annual

in house production capacity is: Wovens 1,000,000 units. Knits 750,000 units.

The office and factories are fully equipped with modern technology and

communication systems to suit the current competitive scenario to the complete

satisfaction of our customers. Theme Exports, has a qualified team of

Merchandisers & Quality Controllers and hence assure our customers of clear &

timely communication and quality products.


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DIVISIONS

The organization comprises of three manufacturing units - two of Wovens and one of

Knits. The approximate annual sales volume is US $5 Million and the approximate

annual in house production capacity is:

Wovens - 10,00,000 units.

Knits - 7,50,000 units.

The layout of the three factories is:

Unit 1.M/s.Theme Exports (Wovens)

Area : 20,000 sq. ft.

Machines : 248 nos.

9 colour 20 head Tajima embroidery machine

Workers : 362 nos.

Unit 2 M/s Garments (India) (Wovens)

Area : 12,000 sq. ft.

Machines : 157 nos.

Workers : 260 nos.

Unit 3 M/sTexknit Exports Pvt. Ltd.(Knits)

Area : 8,000 sq.ft.

Machines : 69 nos.

Workers : 120 nos.


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Hence the total no. of machines are 500 and the total work strength is of 900

workers. Further, the management, production & office team comprises of 60 staffmembers.

The product range includes Men's Shirts/ Casual Trousers & Shorts, Ladies'

Blouses/ Shorts/ Dresses/ Rompers/ Skirts/ Vests and all Children's wear in wovens.

In knits, it includes T-shirts, Polo's, Dresses, Shirts and a range of Ladies' Nightwear.

The production lead-time is 90 - 120 days.

We have a specialized network of fabric sources which includes in the wovens,100% Cotton & Cotton Blended Yarn Dyed fabrics from the Power loom sector in

South India - Salem, Erode & Coimbatore where it has fabrics Q.C's locally stationed

for follow-ups & inspections. Mill made Yarn Dyes, Prints & Jacquards in 100%

Cotton & Blends are sourced from Ahmedabad & Surat for which the follow-up &

inspections is taken care of by the office in Mumbai. In knits the fabric strengths are

in Fancy Jacquards & Velours from Ludhiana & Delhi and Jersey, Ribs, Interlock,

Piques, Yarn Dyes in Cotton & Blends which is sourced from Tirupur & Mumbai. TheQuality Control teams in Tirupur, Bangalore & Mumbai, control this.


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CLIENTS

Theme Exportsclientele includes reputed buyers like

U.S.A. :-

J C Penny

Gloria Vanderbuilt

VF Corporation

Maggie & Max

Insomnia etc.

Canada, E.C - Arrow,

France - Marcel Bauer / Zannier,

Netherlands - Bijenkorf ,

Finland - L .Trading.

AIMS AND OBJECTS

To cater to the best labels with professionalism and be able to offer Q.P.D (Quality,

Price & Delivery)


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WORK CULTURE

We follow four simple rules.

Human regulations:

Government Laws for labour minimum wages,

Overtime, ESI, PF, Bonus & Incentives and clean

environment for working.

Human Safety:

Preventive maintenance on equipment to ensure the equipment doesn't injure the

operators, excess lightning to reduce strain and fatigue in the eyes, minimum two

exits in every building with broad passages in between batches for easy

movement regularly and in times of emergency, fire extinguishers for all types of

fires, evacuation plans, first aid kits, fire alarms, all factory wiring with circuit

breakers, MCB's, ELCB's etc.


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FABRICS:

The fabric team consists of 4 technical people and down the line people with

Communication:

The company believes in responding to all

communication on the same day. The office rule is no

paper to be left for tomorrow. If they don't have an

answer there is an acknowledgment and mention of

reverting the next day.

Product Quality:

This rule is no longer a rule it is a way of life now,

surprisingly no one organization now talks about quality,

it just has to be good. There are no two ways or any

quality. Hence the rule goes if the goods have a problem

it is not shipped which, till date has never happened.

experience. From Madurai to Salem and from Ahmedabad, China & Taiwan, not

forgetting from Bombay to Calcutta, have been dealing with fabrics of all kinds.


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LABORATORY:

The in house testing facility for shrinkage, dimensional

stability, crocking etc ensures the quality confidence for

every lot of fabric that comes in-house

EMBROIDERY:

In-house 9 color 20 head Tajima computerized

embroidery machine. The company specializes in

complicate computerized as well as hand embroidered

garments.

EQUIPMENTS:

State of Art direct drive machines, lock stitch, button

machines, Bartac, Double Needles, Fusing, Form

Finishers, Snap Button Attaching, Feed of the Arm, 5

thread over locks and a lot more.

SAMPLING:

Consists of 4 masters with 15 machines with assistants for a quick turn around of

perfect samples.


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PRODUCTION:

A humble capacity of 14 batches each headed by a batch

supervisor, Asst. supervisor and 2 quality controllers in

between to ensure perfect parts attaching, then there is a

final batch quality controllers at the end, goods move to

the finishing section which again is headed by the

finishing in-charge who has assistance in all areas like

Button hole, Button Attaching, Trimming, Pre Ironing

inspection, Ironing, Post Ironing IE Final Inspections, Folding, Sorting, Bundling &

Carton making.

OFFICE SYSTEM:

The company is decentralized into the following departments, Merchandising,Accounts, Documentation, Personal, Purchase & EDPC (Electronic Data Processing

& Communication).

Each department has a head of the department and a group in each department

which compliments each other in times of absence. The atmosphere is more like one

family with a feeling of no matter who hoots the goal as long as our team achieves it.


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4.1 TYPE OF RESEARCH

The nature of research was exploratory as well as diagnostic because the study was

aimed at exploring the impact of work environment on the quality of work life of

employees. This research is also aimed at recognizing the areas of improvement for

Theme Exports.

4.2 SAMPLING TECHNIQUE

The respondents were chosen on the basis of simple random sampling. Simple

Random Sampling is also known as probability sampling or chance sampling.

Under this sampling design every item of the universe has an equal and fair chance

of inclusion in the sample. All choices being independent of one another, it gives

each possible sample combination an equal probability of being chosen.

4.3 SAMPLE SIZE

In a HR research, where the number of employees in an organization are more, it is

difficult to cover the entire population and cannot be enumerated. Keeping in mind

that a large population would involve a great deal of time and considerable amount

of resources to be expensed, to facilitate analysis a sample survey is preferred. In a

sample survey only a unit of the entire population is selected for analysis and sample

interpretations are generalized into population characteristics.

A total number of 100 employees were selected to elicit the data required for the

study.


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4.4 SAMPLE DESCRIPTION

The sample of 100 employees are selected for the purpose of survey and analysis,

of which 28 are male employees and the remaining 72 are female employees. The

type of sampling used is simple random sampling or chance sampling.

4.5 INSTRUMENTATION TECHNIQUES

Questionnaire: The primary data has been collected through questionnaires which

were administered to employees and personally filled by them.

Personal interview: This was required for classification of any ambiguous answers

from the employees.

4.6 ACTUAL COLLECTION OF DATA

Data collection and analysis

The task of data analysis begins after the research problem has been defined and

the design chalked out. It is the process of collecting appropriate data that yields the

desired results.

Data used in this research is primary as well as secondary.

Primary data is that data that is been collected for the very first time. In this study,

the primary data was collected by administering a detailed questionnaire to the

sample employee population .


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Secondary data is the data that has already been collected by someone else for

some earlier research. In this study, the secondary data is collected from the internet

and literature published by the organization.

4.7 TOOLS USED FOR TESTING OF HYPOTHESIS

The project used non-parametric test (Chi-square Test). Chi-square test is a

measure based on cross-tabulation that gives us a standard to evaluate the

significance of bivariate relationships. It has a test based on the notion of statistical

inference (from sample to population).

The choice of Chi-Square test was found necessary because the response data is

not normally distributed. It is also ideal to use Chi-Square because the sample

populations responses are independent i.e. the occurrence of one response does

not have any bearing on the next response.

Chi-Square testing allows us to work out whether there is a significant difference

between the expected distribution of a set of values and its actual distribution.


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4.8 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

This study pertains only to employees of Theme Exports.

The study is limited to the work environment and facilities provided by Theme

Exports.

Some questionnaires that I received were incomplete as a result could not be

included in the tabulation.

It is assumed that there is no influence of any person, for e.g. a colleague/

peer while filling the questionnaire.

As the perception level of the respondents has not been tested, it is assumed

that all of them have perceived the questions in the correct way.


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5.1 HYPOTHESIS

HYPOTHESIS 1

Null Hypothesis ( Ho )

Work Environment has an impact on the productivity of employees in the work

place.

Alternate Hypothesis ( H1 )

Work Environment does not have an impact on the productivity of employees

in the work place.

TABLE H1.1

TABLE SHOWING THE IMPACT OF WORK ENVIRONMENT ON THE

PRODUCTIVITY OF EMPLOYEES IN THE WORK PLACE.

CATEGORY MALE FEMALE TOTAL

Yes 26 69 95

No 2 3 5

TOTAL 28 72 100

Source: Field Investigation


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TABLE H1.2

ANALYSIS USING CHI-SQUARE TEST

Observed(O) Expected(E) O - E (O - E)^2 (O - E)^2/E

26 26.6 -0.6 0.36 0.014

69 68.4 0.6 0.36 0.005

2 1.4 0.6 0.36 0.257

3 3.6 -0.6 0.36 0.1

0.376

Degree of Freedom = (Row 1)* (Column 1) = 1

Here the calculated chi-square = 0.376

At 5% level of significance the Chi-square Table value is 3.841 @ 1 degree of

freedom. Hence, since the calculated value < table value, the null hypothesis is

accepted.

Therefore, we can say that the work environment has a significant impact on

the productivity of employees (irrespective of male and female) in the work

place.


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HYPOTHESIS 2

Null Hypothesis:

Satisfaction of employees is independent of the quality of work life.

Alternate Hypothesis:

Satisfaction of employees is dependent on the quality of work life.

TABLE H2.1

TABLE SHOWING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SATISFACTION OF

EMPLOYEES AND THE QUALITY OF WORK LIFE


Yes 108 312 420

No 32 48 80

TOTAL 140 360 500



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TABLE H2.2


Observed(O) Expected(E) O - E (O -E)^2 (O - E)^2/E

108 117.6 -9.6 92.16 0.78

312 302.4 9.6 92.16 0.3

32 22.4 9.6 92.16 4.11

48 57.6 -9.6 92.16 1.6

6.79

Degree of Freedom = (Row 1) * (Column 1) = 1


At 5% level of significance the Chi-Square Table value is 3.841 at 1 degree of

freedom. Hence the Alternate Hypothesis is accepted and the Null Hypothesis is

rejected.

Therefore, from the chi-square test we can say that the satisfaction of both

male and female employees of Theme Exports is dependent on the quality of

work life. There is high rate of dependency between quality of work life and

satisfaction of employees.


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HYPOTHESIS 3

Null Hypothesis:

The employees are satisfied with the welfare measures provided by Theme

Exports.

Alternate Hypothesis:

The employees are not satisfied with the welfare measures provided by

Theme Exports.

TABLE H3.1

TABLE SHOWING THE SATISFACTION OF EMPLOYEES WITH THE WELFARE

MEASURES PROVIDED.


Yes 22 63 85

No 6 9 15

TOTAL 28 72 100



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TABLE H3.2


Observed(O) Expected(E) O - E (O - E)^2 (O - E)^2/E

22 23.8 -1.8 3.24 0.14

63 61.2 1.8 3.24 0.05

6 4.2 1.8 3.24 0.77

9 10.8 -1.8 3.24 0.3

1.26

Degree of Freedom = (Row 1) * (Column 1) = 1


At 5% level of significance the Chi-Square Table value is 3.841 at 1 degree of

freedom. Since the calculated value< table value, the alternate hypothesis is rejected

and the null hypothesis is accepted.

Therefore, based on the chi-square test conducted above, we can say that most of

the employees are satisfied with the welfare measures provided by Theme Exports.

Both male and female employees express the same opinion.

The employees response has been collected on the following seven welfare

measures and a consolidated table has been prepared to test for Chi-Square. The

employees response as to whether or not they are satisfied with the different welfare

measures provided by the company is reflected in the following charts.


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CHART H1

SANITATION & CLEANLINESS

Yes

83%

No

17%

CHART H2

WORKERS' SAFETY MEASURES

Yes

82%

No

18%


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CHART H3

TRANSPORT FACILITY

Yes

73%

No

27%

CHART H4

PROVISION FOR ADEQUATE REST

HOURS, LUNCH BREAK Etc.

Yes

86%

No

14%


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CHART H5

INSURANCE SCHEMES

Yes

92%

No

8%

CHART H6

PROVIDENT FUND, GRATUITY &

PENSION

Yes

90%

No

10%


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CHART H7

H E A L T H & M E D IC A L B E N E F IT S

Yes

87%

N o

13%


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5.2 TABLES AND CHARTS WITH INTERPRETATION

TABLE 1

CLASSIFYING THE RATINGS OF THE WELFARE MEASURES

CATEGORY MALE FEMALE TOTAL PERCENTAGE

Excellent 4 4 8 8%

Satisfied 8 8 16 16%

Good 16 60 76 76%

Poor 0 0 0 0%TOTAL 28 72 100 100%


CHART 1

SHOWING THE RATING OF THE WELFARE MEASURES

T he ratings of w elfare m easures provided by the com pany.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

E xcellent S atisfied G ood P oor

C ategory

R

espon

den

t

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

P

ercen

tag

M A L E F E M A L E P E R C E N T A G E

INTERPRETATION:

Most of the employees at Theme Exports are happy with the welfare measures

being provided to them, with 76% of the responses adhering to the response Good.

8% of the employees feel that the company provides excellent welfare measures and

16% of the respondents are satisfied. However, none of the employees (both male

and female) are dissatisfied with the number of responses for Poor being null.


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TABLE 2

SHOWING THE INVOLVEMENT IN WELFARE POLICY


Yes 8 12 20 20%

No 20 56 76 76%

Can't say 0 4 4 4%

TOTAL 28 72 100 100%


CHART 2

CHART DEPICTING THE INVOLVEMENT OF EMPLOYEES IN WELFARE

POLICY DECISION MAKING

8

20

0

12

56

4

20

76

4

0

20

40

60

80

Respondents

MALE FEMALE TOTAL

Involvement of employees in welfare policy decision making.

Yes No Can't say

L

INTERPRETATION:

Majority of the employees i.e.76%, at Theme Exports are not involved in the

process of welfare policy decision making. 20% of the employees state that they are

part of the decision making process. Only a few employees i.e. 4% , are not sure if

they are actively/ passively or not involved at all in the decision making process.


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TABLE 3

TABLE SHOWING THE MANAGEMENT PARICIPATION

IN EMPLOYEE WELFARE


Yes 20 60 80 80%

No 8 12 20 20%

TOTAL 28 72 100 100%


CHART 3

CHART DEPICTING THE PARTICIPATION OF MANAGEMENT IN THE

EMPLOYEE WELFARE MEASURES

0

10

20

30

40

5060

No.ofrespondents

MALE FEMALE

Top management participation in the employee welfare measures

Yes No

INTERPRETATION:

Management participation in employee welfare measures is very important in todays

day and age. Most of the employees i.e. 80%, at Theme Exports feel that their top

management actively participates in improving their welfare. However, 20% of the

employees feel that their top management is isolated from their welfare facilities and

measures.


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TABLE 4

TABLE CLASSIFYING THE MOTIVE BEHIND THE PROVISION

OF WELFARE MEASURES


Yes 7 15 22 22%

No 17 45 62 62%

Not Sure 4 12 16 16%

TOTAL 28 72 100 100%


CHART 4

CHART ASSESSING IF THE WELFARE MEASURES ARE PROVIDED ONLY AS

A STATUTORY COMPLIANCE

INTERPRETATION:

elfare measures are provided by all companies, but some companies provide it

nly to meet the legal guidelines of the government. At Theme Exports, 62% of the

mployees feel that the company provides welfare measures not just as a statutory

ompliance, but also because they care about their employees. However, 22% feel

at the provision of welfare facilities is only to meet legal constraints and the

maining 16% are not sure.

A R E W E LFA R E M E A S U R E S PR O V ID E D O N LY A S A S T A T U T O R Y

C O M PLIA N C E?

7

17

4

15

4 5

12

Y es

N o

N ot S ure

N o. of responde nts

M A LE FE M A LE

W

o

e

c

th

re


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TABLE 5

TABLE SHOWING THE IMPACT OF WELFARE MEASURES

ON EMPLOYER-EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIP

MALE FEMALE TOTAL %AGECATEGORY

Very Essential 8 24 32 32%

Essential 16 40 56 56%

Not Essential 4 4 8 8%

Not Sure 0 4 4 4%

TOTAL 28 72 100 100%


CHART 5.1

CHART DEPICTING THE IMPACT OF WELFARE MEASURES

INTERPRETATION:

Provision for welfare measures helps to build a strong bond between employer and

employees. 57% of the male employees at Theme Exports, strongly agree with this

statement and 29% feel it is essential. 14% of the male employees do not agree that

welfare measures are needed for harmonious employer-employee relationship.

ON EMPLOYER- EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIP ACCORDING

TO THE MALE EMPLOYEES

MA

%

57%

% 0%

LE

2914

Very Essential Essential Not Essential Not Sure


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CHART- 5.2

CHART DEPICTING THE IMPACT OF WELFARE MEASURES ACCORDING TO

THE FEMALE EMPLOYEES IN THE COMPANY

FEMALE

33%6% 6%

55%

Very Essential Essential Not Essential Not Sure

INTERPRETATION:

Most of the female employees i.e. elfare measures as a force that ise

essential and 6% the ties between

e employ er think that there is

o correlat ee

lationshi

55%, consider wssential to build employer-employee relationship. 33% of the women think it is very

are not sure of the impact of welfare measures on

th er and employee. 6% of the female employees howev

ion between welfare measures and harmonious employer-employ

p.

n

re


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TABLE 6

TABLE SHOWING THE USEFULNESSOF

INDUCTION / TRAINING PROGRAMMES


YES 20 60 80 80%

NO 8 12 20 20%

TOTAL 28 72 100 100%


CHART - 6

CHART DEPICTING THE USEFULNESS OF INDUCTION AND TRAINING

PROGRAMMES IN THE COMPANY

INTERPRETATION:

Induction and Training programmes enable employees to develop the skill sets

required for superior performance. At Theme Exports, 80% of the employees find

the induction and training programmes useful. 20% of the employees do not find the

induction and training programmes conducted in their company useful. The training

programmes may not be meeting the requirements of the employees.

Y ES

N OMALE FEMALE

MALE

FEMALE

0

100

U S E FU LN E S S O F IN D U C T IO N A N D T R A IN IN G

PRO G RA M M ES

Y ES N O


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56

T

TABLE SHOWING T STION SCHEMES

CATEGORY

ABLE 7.1

HE ENCOURAGEMENT GIVEN TO SUGGE

MALE FEMALE TOTAL PERCENTAGE

Yes 20 64 84 84%

No 8 8 16 16%

28 72 10 100%

Source: Fie vestiga

CHART 7.1CHART DEPICTING THE ENCOURAGEMENT

TER

are innovative instruments to gather feedback from the

ld In tion

TOTAL 0

GIVEN TO SUGGESTION SCHEMES

PRETATION:

208 64

8

0

50

100

Respondents

MALE FEMALE

ENCOURAGEMENT OF SUGGESTION SCHEMES

Yes No

IN

Suggestion schemes

employees. 84% of the employees at Theme Exports, feel that the suggestion

schemes are encouraged by their company but the remaining 16% of the employees

think otherwise.


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57

TABLE 7.2

TABLE CLASSIFYING THE FREQUENCY OFSUGGESTIONS OFFERED

CATEGORY ALE LE LM FEMA TOTA %AGE

56%

3 36%

8 8%

Once a month 16 40 56

Once in 2/3 months 8 28 6

Once in 6 months 4 4

Others, specify 0 0%0 0

TOTAL 28 72 100 100%


INTERPRETATION:

According to 57% of the male employees at Theme Exports, suggestions are

usually offered once a month. 29% offer suggestions once in 2 or 3 months and the

remaining 14% share their valuable suggestions once in 6 months.

CHART 7.2

CHART DEPICTING THE FREQUENCY OF SUGGESTIONS OFFERED BY MALE

EMPLOYEES IN THE COMPANY

MALE

168

4 0

Once a month Once in 2/3 months

Once in 6 months Others, specify


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58

CHART DEPICTING THE FREQUENCY OF SUGGESTIONS OFFERED BY

ALE E EE CO

TERPR

imilarly,

uggestio

nce in ed at

heme E

eas, w

ompetito

CHART 7.3

FEM MPLOY S IN THE MPANY

Once a month Once in 2/3 months

Once in 6 months Others, speci fy

FEMALE

4028

4 0

IN ETATION:

as with the male employees, most of the female employees i.e. 56%, offer

ns once in 2 or 3 months and the remaining 5 % share their suggestions

every 6 months. The frequency of suggestions should be increas

xports, which will help the company to get some new and innovative

hich in turn can help it to create a competitive advantage against

rs.

S

s

o

T

id

c


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59

EGORY MALE FEMALE TOTAL PERCENTAGE

TABLE 8

TABLE SHOWING THE RESPONSE TO SUGGESTIONS

CAT

60

16 60 76 76%

4 4 8 8%

Not sure 8 8 16 16%

28 72 100 100%


CHART 8

CHART SHOWING THE RESPONSE OF THE MANAGEMENT TO

THE SUGGESTIONS MADE BY THE EMPLOYEES

RES PO N S E T O S U G G E ST IO N S

Yes

No

TOTAL

TERPRETATION:

he management should exhibit a positive attitude towards the suggestions offered

y the employees. Most of the employees i.e. 76%, at Theme Exports, feel that the

anagement takes an interest in their suggestions. 16% of the employees are not

ents response and the remaining 8% feel the management

Y es N o N ot

sure

M A LE

4 816

4 80

20

40

60

R

espon

d

en

ts

M A LE FEM A LE

IN

T

b

m

sure of the managem

turns a deaf ear to their opinions.


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60

TABLE 9

TABLE CLASSIFYING THE FREQUENCY OF SATISFACTION SURVEYS

CATEGORY MALE FEMALE TOTAL %AGE

Quarterly 24 60 84 84%

Half yearly 4 12 16 16%

Annually 0 0 0 0

Others, specify 0 0 0 0

TOTAL 28 72 100 100%


CHART 9

CHART DEPICTING THE FREQUENCY OF EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION

SURVEYS CONDUCTED

INTERPRETATION:

According to 84% of the employees at Theme Exports, the employee satisfaction

surveys are conducted on a quarterly basis. Few of the employees i.e. 16%, feel that

the surveys are conducted twice a year. Employee satisfaction surveys enable the

management to decipher the morale and contentment of the employees with their

job, which is directly related to their work productivity.

24

60

412

0 0 0 0

0

20

40

60

Respondents

Quarterly Half

yearly

Annually Others,

specify

FREQUENCY OF EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION SURVEYS

MALE FEMALE


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61

TABLE 10

TABLE SHO ORMANCE

M FEMALE TO

WING THE IMPACT OF WORK ENVIRONMENT ON PERF

CATEGORY ALE TAL PERCENTAGE

24 64 88 88%

4 8 12%

TOTAL 28 72 100 100%

Source: Fie vestiga

CHART 10.1CHART SHOWING THE I RK ENVIRONMENT ON

:

ld In tion

Yes

No 12

MPACT OF WO

PERFORMANCE ACCORDING TO THE MALE EMPLOYEES

Yes

86%

No14%

MALE

INTERPRETATION

In the chart above, 86% of the male employees find the work environment at Theme

Exports, conducive to better performance. However, the remaining 14% of the male

employees feel that there is no correlation between work environment and enhanced

performance.


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62

carolyn jousna-study on qwl at theme exports

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