impact of information technology on work-life balance

7/30/2019 Impact of Information Technology on Work-Life Balance

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DISSERTATION

On

Impact Of Information Technology On Work-Life Balance

By

Ankita Chitkara

A0101910291

MBA Class of 2012

Under the Supervision of

Mr. Gaurav Chandhiok

Department of Information Technology

In Partial Fulfilment of Requirements for the Degree of

Master of Business Administration

AMITY BUSINESS SCHOOL

AMITY UNIVERSITY UTTAR PRADESH


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DECLARATION

Title of Project Report: - Impact of Information Technology on Work-Life Balance

I declare that the work presented for assessment in this Dissertation Report is my own, that it

has not previously been presented for another assessment and that my debts (for words, data,

arguments and ideas) have been appropriately acknowledged. That the work conforms to the

guidelines for presentation and style set out in the relevant documentation.

Date: Ankita Chitkara

A0101910291

MBAGeneral Class of 2012


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AMITY UNIVERSITY UTTAR PRADESH


CERTIFICATE

I, Mr. Gaurav Chandhiok hereby certify that Ankita Chitkara student of Masters of

Business Administration at Amity Business School, Amity University Uttar Pradesh has

completed her dissertation on Impact Of Information Technology on Work-Life Balance,

under my guidance.

Mr. Gaurav Chandhiok

Department of Information Technology

Table of Contents


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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 4

1.1 INTRODUCTION TO PROJECT ........................................................................................................ 5

1.2 OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................................................... 9

1.3 RATIONALE OF PROPOSED STUDY ................................................................................................ 9

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY ....................................................................................................... 9

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ......................................................................................................... 10

CHAPTER 3- RESEARCH METHOD AND PROCEDURES ........................................................................... 16

3.1 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM .......................................................................................................... 16

3.2 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................... 16

3.3 RESEARCH DESIGN ...................................................................................................................... 16

3.4 RESEARCH METHODS .................................................................................................................. 17

3.5 SAMPLING PLAN .......................................................................................................................... 18

3.6 DATA COLLECTION METHODS ..................................................................................................... 19

CHAPTER 4 DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION .......................................................................... 21

CHAPTER 5 - CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................... 66

LIMITATIONS ......................................................................................................................................... 67

REFERENCES CITED ................................................................................................................................ 68

ANNEXURES .......................................................................................................................................... 69

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION


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1.1 INTRODUCTION TO PROJECT

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

work throughout the world. Originally, work was a matter of necessity and survival.

Throughout the years, the role of "work" has evolved and the composition of the

workforce has changed. Today, work is widely viewed as a source of personal

satisfaction. A good balance in work and life can play a phenomenal role in the

attainment of personal and professional goals. Today the deadlines are getting tighter

and an individual's job is not only to match that deadline but also to give quality output.

Due to this work pressure it becomes exceedingly difficult to maintain a family life.

Advancements in information technology have provided many opportunities for people

to stay connected both at work and in their personal lives. The Internet, email and

mobile communication devices are indispensable today. Over the years, technology has

facilitated work life balance also by rapidly transforming workplaces. Technology has

created a more conducive work environment, bridging the gap between different

locations and time zones and making information flow seamless within an organization.

With broadband connectivity and remote access, colleagues can work from any of the

offices and branches.

To witness a profound increase in productivity, the organisational climate should foster

employees to lead a stress free life, encourage them to take initiatives, bringing in

diversity and improving the morale at the work place. It will enhance the working

relationship and at the same time, help them live an enriched family life. The

organisation will then automatically be placed in the path of success.

Therefore, Work life balance from an employee perspective is the maintenance of abalance between responsibilities at work and at home employees are sceptic about the

benefits that organizations provide to help employees balance work and family.

Work life balance is said to have been achieved when an individual is fulfilled both

psychologically and professionally, contributing to the home, office and society.

Productivity rise is what many organizations are working towards.


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Technological innovations have resulted in a wide range of options for working from

home, from satellite homes or from remote locations, all collectively known as

telework.

Telecommuting involves doing regular work from home. This arrangement may be

temporary or permanent, part time or full time or a set of portion of work week.

Telecommunications usually relies on communication technology like a telephone, fax

machine etc.

Striking an equitable balance of time among family, career and our own well-being has

become increasingly complex. Unfortunately, the average daily commute is

lengthening as both urban congestion and suburban sprawl continue to grow, further

jeopardizing our valuable time. Telecommuting provides relief from these issues. On

the other hand, social media provides an important benefit for the telecommuter. At the

office, gathering at communal areas fosters workplace relationships, encourages

informal brainstorming, and helps clear and refresh the mind. While working at home

in a more solitary manner, social media tools like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and

especially internal communities connect and empower telecommuters to trade

information and questions with company and industry colleaguesregardless of their

location.

Communication technologies are an essential life ingredient to the dwellers of todays

fast moving global society. The Internet, emails and portable communication devices

such as mobile phones, BlackBerries, and personal digital assistant form a technology

group that has blended itself well into everyday lives of the global community. Enabled

by such technologies, the generic slogan of anytime, anywhere, and availability at the

press of a button captures the current work culture trend. Providing 24/7 seamless

accessibility and ability to attend to work related matters off-worksite and off-working

hours, the ICT cluster is adding onto work hours of these employees. By blurring the

work-family boundary these technologies create spillover in both directions, work-to-

family and vice versa.

When information and communication technologies (ICTs) are adopted by employers,

they may have a variety of impacts on work and workers. Most documented and

suspected impacts on work life balance which are negative may include: Work becomesmore intense, workers are displaced, surveillance increases, workers bargaining power
http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/congestion_report/chapter3.htmhttp://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/congestion_report/chapter3.htmhttp://www.facebook.com/http://www.twitter.com/http://www.linkedin.com/http://www.jivesoftware.com/http://www.jivesoftware.com/http://www.linkedin.com/http://www.twitter.com/http://www.facebook.com/http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/congestion_report/chapter3.htmhttp://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/congestion_report/chapter3.htm


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declines, and workers skills (in many cases) become obsolete, devalued, or constrained

by ICT-imposed structures. However, ICTs may also have positive effects on work life

balance, at least for some, by creating more interesting, high skill, complex, and higher

paying jobs or when they are used to create high involvement work practices that

increase meaningful participation for workers.Finally, by regularly using video and web

conferencing tools, regular telecommuters can stay in touch with their office co-

workers without feeling alienated from corporate culture or friendly faces. These tools

integrate personal relationships with technology and ensure that efficiency, productivity

and communication remain key essentials in business meetings.

Technology is rapidly evolving as a constant in our lives; however, by skipping the

commute a few days a week, employees can improve their chances of achieving a

healthier work-life balance, including technology in that balance however they choose.

Benefits include gaining an hour or two each work day that you can spend with your

children, catching up on sleep, starting a regular exercise routine, and being refreshed

in all aspects of your life so you can bring more to each.

Benefits of work life balance

Work life balance initiatives have been an integral part of the HR policies for a long

time. There are certainly obvious benefits to the employer as well as the employee.

Benefits for employer include:

reduced staff turnover rates

lower recruitment and training costs, associated with reduced turnover

becoming a good employer or an employer of choice

increased return on investment in training as employees stay longer

reduced absenteeism

reduced use of sick leave

reductions in workers stress levels

improved morale or satisfaction

greater staff loyalty and commitment

improved productivity.
http://www.imeet.com/http://www.globalmeet.com/http://www.globalmeet.com/http://mashable.com/2011/05/12/smartphone-apps-bed/http://mashable.com/2011/05/12/smartphone-apps-bed/http://www.globalmeet.com/http://www.globalmeet.com/http://www.imeet.com/


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Benefits for employees include:

Ability to manage work and individual commitment

Improved personal and family relationships

Flexible working arrangements resulting in reduced work load and stress Increased focus, motivation and job satisfaction

Improved health and well being

Increased ability to remain competitive in career

Figure 1.1

The concept of Work life balance is becoming more and more relevant in a never-dynamic

working environment. The role played by the individual is as important as that of theorganization in managing this tumultuous see saw.

Technology

Work-Life

Balance

Mediators

Telecommuting:

Distribution of work

across time and space

Flexi hours, Job

distribution


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1.2 OBJECTIVES

To study the positive impact of information technology on Work-Life Balance. To study the negative impact of information technology on Work-Life Balance.

1.3 RATIONALE OF PROPOSED STUDY

In the present working environment advancements in information technology have

provided many opportunities for people to stay connected both at work and in their

personal lives. Employees who are always on the road often report more stress, less

productivity and reduced job satisfaction however, with the concept of being internet

ready and tele-presence employees are able to reach out and connect across the globe.

Hence, keeping this in mind an attempt has been made to gain an insight into the

potential impact of technology on work-life balance of people.

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this research is to examine the effect of information technologies on an

individuals ability to work when and where they want(flexibility), what they work on

(autonomy) and whether the employer requires the use of such technologies to improve

the employees work-life balance.The study revealed that how people perceived and

achieved their work-like balance and whether the impact of information technology on

employees work-life balance is positive or negative.


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CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

According to Kensington Technology Group Survey (August 1999), Technology is a

double-edged sword that enhances workplace productivity at the cost of increasing

stress on workers across-category leader in the design and manufacture of computer

accessories. The survey which queried 501 adult U.S. full-time, traditional and home-

office workers, uncovers new statistics on technology's relationship to stress, steps

employers are taking to reduce stress, and how stress affects personal lives. The survey

found that 55 percent of workers feel more productive at work compared to last year.

Nearly half of the workers surveyed, however, say technology increases stress, and 51

percent of them report that the possibility of losing documents due to computer crashes

causes them "a lot" or "some" stress. The demands of e-mail and voicemail have also

contributed to an overall increase in stress in the last year, according to the survey.

"Adjusting to new technologies -- like the web, networks, personal communications --

that have saturated today's workplace is creating new demands on workers, and that's

causing more stress," "The question is, how to make technology work in our favour

without compromising our health and well-being. "As workplace stress increases,

employers are taking steps to combat its effects on workers. Nearly half of people

surveyed say their employers support a work-life balance. 46 percent report they have

access to benefits like flexible work schedules, telecommuting options or compensation

time.

According to Alfred P. Sloan Foundation (March 2004), many employee surveys and

employer evaluations, most workers choose to telework in order to strike a balance

between the competing pressures of work and family life. Working from home allows

many employees to take care of their children and elderly relatives, or to tend to other

family-related issues. Many of these surveys also found teleworkers to capitalize on the

additional time they saved from eliminating, or reducing, their commute to work.

Control over ones own work schedule allows teleworkers to perform domestic

responsibilities when it is convenient to do so. Because workers are working from

home, many of them are free to work a more flexible schedule.


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According to S. Shortland (2004), technological advance is occurring at an exponential

rate. It is hard to think back to the early days when faxes were seen as revolutionary to

the speed of business communications. In the early 1980s, technological change was

viewed as being both exciting and frightening. Technology was seen as both friend and

foe. It was considered positively in helping us to work more quickly and efficiently and

thus facilitating the take-up of more leisure time. By contrast, the negative connotations

were that machines would replace people and that unemployment would result as

computers took over our jobs. Trades unions in the UK, for example, were heavily

involved in negotiating new technology agreements with employers as the fears of job

losses began to grow.

According to P.M Valcour and L.W Hunter ( 2005), access to and usage of IT helps to

promote and enable empowerment and autonomy which then increases well-being. The

impact of access to technology has a bigger effect on a sense of freedom than on

general satisfaction. Being able to control what you do and how you do it does make for

a better work/life balance.

According to U.S Tennakoon (2007), Providing 24/7 seamless accessibility and ability

to attend to work related matter soff-worksite and off-working hours, the ICT cluster is

adding onto work hours of these employees. By blurring the work-family boundary

these technologies create spillover in both directions, work-to-family and vice versa.In

an era where communication technologies are blurring the boundaries between work

and home life, this paper provides evidence of the use of these technologies and their

impact on work-life balance of employees.

According to Guna Seelan Rethi ( November 2008), the IT work environment is widelyassumed to be a high-commitment workplace that forces the IT professionals to

sacrifice their personal leisure hours to meet their work demand. With IT revolution

and intensified virtual communications, workload and working hours among the

workforce have increased. The extended function of IT as a communication tool

necessitates employees to distinguish between significant and insignificant information.

According to Kelly Services Inc. ( June 2009), many employees now have the capacity

to work from home or away from the office, at any hour of the day, and this is proving


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positive for productivity and work- life balance. Even though some are working longer

hours, this is largely offset by the greater freedom and flexibility of the virtual

workplace. The research basically concludes that there has been a blurring of line

between work and personal life as employees are encouraged to integrate information

technology into their lives at many levels.

According to Regolo Belen, Jr( 2009) Due to advances in wireless and internet

technologies, todays work is becoming more mobile. Mobile handheld devices, once

distributed to high level executives only, are now becoming important communication

tools for all types of workers in the organization. They enable virtual access to critical

data, anywhere at any-time. This is radically changing the way we work and live,

redefining when and where business is done. Real-time access to information systems

is helping to boost productivity levels, enhance collaboration, and increase flexibility.

However, it also leads to higher expectations in availability and responsiveness. This

presents a unique challenge for mobile device users. It is changing the way business is

conducted. Gradually, the boundary between work and personal life disappears.

Ideally, an individual is able to take more control over their lives and maintain a better

work-life balance. However, as research shows, individuals may tend to feel that work

penetrates into their personal life beyond their own acceptable levels. It has now

become a major challenge to achieve a satisfactory work-life balance. This study will

be an attempt to better understand the relationship between mobile devices and an

individuals work-life balance.

According to T. S. SathyanarayanaRao and Vishal Indla (Oct- Dec 2010),Parallel to the

changes in the workforce, work itself has undergone major changes over the last

decades. Technology has created a sense that life is moving faster and that more and

more activities are squeezed into shorter amounts of time. New technologies have made

it possible to perform job tasks from everywhere at any time and have increased the

number of interruptions during work as well as expectations of speedy replies,

fragmenting time and indirectly, affecting productivity and also diminishing personal

space and time. Many of us feel increasingly pressured to not only work faster but also

work longer hours. While there is a tendency to think that the new array of gadgets that

we are surrounded by in our daily life is a boon, the contrary may be true. The world


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would be more efficient, more educated, if we control technology and the technology

does not control us.

According to S.Cox (2011), mobile technologies, such as wireless Internet access,

laptop computers, mobile telephones, PDAs (personal data assistants), and other

handheld devices, increasingly enable ease of access to data, applications, and people

that was previously restricted to the workplace. This provides the opportunity for

employees to work away from a regular workplace and changes the significance of the

location factor in the work-life dyad. The impact of technology can be seen both as

positive and negative. Technology facilitates working arrangements such as

teleworking and mobile working which can benefit both employers and employees.

Technology can make communication easier but it can also be an intrusion.

According to Park et al (2011), Take-home technology appears to be just one

contributor to the increasing lack of work-life balance. Other contributing factors like

work-home segmentation preference and workplace segmentation culture may actually

have a bigger impact on work-life balance. Work-home segmentation is the degree to

which people prefer their work and home lives to operate separately. Some people have

a strong need/motivation for this, while others may be comfortable blurring the

boundaries between work and home life. Workplace segmentation culture is the

expectation (implicit or explicit) set in place by the organisation around acceptable

work-life balance. These norms convey how expected or appropriate it is to work from

home, attend evening functions or to call colleagues at home or work weekends.

According to S. Tennakoon & K.L Uthpala (2011), Information and Communication

Technology (ICT) has become essential in the global society. The Internet, e-mail, and

portable communication devices, such as cellular phones and BlackBerry?, form a

technology group (referred to as the "ICT cluster") that has blended into everyday lives

of individuals. Enabled by such technologies, the generic slogan of "anytime,

anywhere, and availability at the press of a button" captures the current work culture

trend. The boundless connectivity and access to information at all times are expected to

empower individuals by enabling them to carry out daily tasks more efficiently.

However, there is also a dark side to ICT use, involving increased hours of work, stress,and loss of private time. While some employees enjoy compensation for the extended


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work hours and their 24/7 accessibility, for most managers and professionals who are

not covered by overtime employment standards these extra hours simply increase their

daily work demands. Thus, they could feel that there is an e-leash to work, enslaving

them and adversely affect their work-life balance.

According to P. Lynne Johnstone (June 2011), more than half of the employed

respondents believe that the mobile helps them to balance their family and working

lives. Very few report that the mobile phone has a negative impact on their work-life

balance. The lowest mobile phone use is found among those aged 60 years or more, but

the mobile phone is so universally diffused that use is unaffected by income levels and

occupation. The majority of users are subscribers and prepaid use is concentrated

among those under 25 years. Around a quarter of managers and associate professionals

have their bills paid by their employer, whereas in other occupations around 10% or

less benefit from employer support. Cost is by far the major reason given for choice of

handset, while there is no single factor which explains the choice of service provider.

Convenience of the mobile phone is the reason most frequently given for choosing to

talk on a mobile rather than a landline. Cost is a major reason forpreferring to talk

using a landline rather than a mobile. Logs of actual calls made and SMS texts sent

show that the predominant use of the mobile is for contacting family and friends, withwork-related reasons far less important. Men make more calls for business purposes,

while women use the mobile for social connectivity. Calls cluster by time of day,

according to purpose. Most work-related calls are made in standard working hours. The

rate of calls to family and friends are low in working hours but high at the end of school

hours and in the evening. Women are more reluctant than men to take their mobile

phone on holiday to talk to work colleagues.

According to Stefana Broadbent ( September 2011),how smart phones and wifi and

technology in general enable us to be "on" all the time - so there's never any down time

if we are always able to check that mail as soon as it comes in, even if we're at home.

Technology blurs the lines between work and non-work time for many

jobs. Technology can also divide our focus, which is undoubtedly why some

workplaces block access to sites like Facebook - they don't want you spending your

time tagging your friends in photos when you should be working. But with the ubiquity

of smart phones and people's ability to use Facebook, Twitter and other social media

sites via their own phone, this will be increasingly difficult for companies to control.


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Other companies have embraced the medium, using tools like Facebook themselves to

communicate with their employees. When this happens, it blurs the lines between

private and professional even further. On a personal level, in the heady, early days of

Facebook, I was "friends" with colleagues from work. This has slowly shifted and I

keep the professional social networking to Linked-In and keep Facebook for private

friends and interests outside of work. There are just times where you don't want to

learn of your boss's impending move across the country via his wife's status updates.

We think that the impact of connectivity and social networking on jobs where there is

traditionally a sharp line between work and at home - like soldiering and seafaring must

be enormous. We also wonder if day-to-day involvement in family life and family

issues, via Skype or Facebook, when one is far away and cannot help or offer support,

is all positive.

According to Intrinsic and Reasons Survey, the issue of work life balance is salient to

people right across the world. In fact almost half (49%) of all those interviewed in this

study claimed the issue of work life balance was an issue for them. Almost one in five

of those interviewed (16%) reported that their work life was either not at all balanced

or rather unbalanced. The current balance between work and life was also seen to -

Interfere too much with their private life (34% agree), Have a negative impact onrelationships (28% agree)Technology such as mobile phones (88% currently use), desk

top computers (76%), digital cameras (51%), instant messages (35%) were widely used

and many more intended to continue to buy more technology like this. However there

was a substantial cynicism about technologys ability to actual ly make an improvement

to work life balance. When asked what technology can help achieve a better work life

balance it was a draw between none of the technologies suggested and mobile

phones with 34% of all those interviewed. Other technologies seen to be able to help

improve work life balance wereLaptop computers (26% agree), Desktop computers

(26% agree), Digital camera (12% agree).


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CHAPTER 3- RESEARCH METHOD AND PROCEDURES

3.1 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

In the present working environment advancements in information technology have provided

many opportunities for people to stay connected both at work and in their personal lives.

Employees who are always on the road often report more stress, less productivity and

reduced job satisfaction however, with the concept of being internet ready and tele-presence

employees are able to reach out and connect across the globe. Hence, keeping this in mind an

attempt has been made to gain an insight into the potential impact of technology on work-life

balance of people.

The purpose of this research is to examine the effect of information technologies on an

individuals ability to work when and where they want (flexibility), what they work on

(autonomy) and whether the employer requires the use of such technologies to improve the

employees work-life balance. The study revealed that how people perceived and achieved

their work-like balance and whether the impact of information technology on employees

work-life balance is positive or negative.

3.2 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

For any research to be complete with effective results, it is very important that the objectives

for the same be defined. The objectives of the study are:-

To study the positive impact of information technology on Work-Life Balance.

To study the negative impact of information technology on Work-Life Balance.

3.3 RESEARCH DESIGN

Research methodology is considered as a nerve of the project. Without a proper well planned

and organized research plan, it is impossible to complete the project and reach to any

conclusion. The project is based on a survey plan. The main objective of the survey is to

collect appropriate data, which will be used as a base for drawing out inferences and

conclusions and getting results. Essentially, the procedures by which researchers go about their

work of describing, explaining and predicting phenomena is called research methodology. Thus, it

is important to design a research methodology for the problem chosen. It is intended to


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initially conduct an intensive secondary research in order to understand the impact of

information and communications technology on employees Work- Life balance. Based on

this research the questions that remain unanswered would be further taken up in the next

stage of exploratory and descriptive research where interviews and questionnaires will be

administered amongst target population. This shall help to restrict and select the crucial and

central issues.

Types of research used

On the basis of fundamental objectives of marketing research, exploratory research has been

used extensively.

Exploratory research: it is used with the objective of discovering ideas and insights into the

problem. It is a flexible, versatile and often the front end of total research design. The

research was aimed at identifying whether the advancements in information technology that

have provided opportunities for people to stay connected both at work and in their personal

lives would improve work-life balance or not and what are the likely effects of this blurring

of boundaries between work and personal life on the employees work-life balance.

3.4 RESEARCH METHODS

Research methods may be understood as those methods or techniques that are used for

conducting any research. A wide range ofresearch methods are used. These methods vary by

the sources of information that are drawn on, how that information is sampled, and the types

of instruments that are used in data collection. Methods also vary by the fact, whether the

data collected is quantitative, qualitative or both.

Qualitative research is where the research findings are not arrived at by statistical or other

quantitative procedures whereas Quantitative research is where the research findings result

from mathematical modeling and statistical estimation or statistical inference.

For this study, both primary and secondary research will be done.

Primary research is the first hand research or the research done from the original findings.

Secondary Research is the research in which collection and synthesis of existing research aretaken.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research_methodshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qualitative_psychological_researchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantitative_psychological_researchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantitative_psychological_researchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qualitative_psychological_researchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research_methods


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3.5 SAMPLING PLAN

Sampling:

A sample is a sub group of elements of the population which is selected in the process ofstudy for gathering data. Whereas, sampling is a technique for collecting information about

the characteristics of a population by selecting a sample and generalizing the findings to the

whole population.

Target population:

It is the population or universe that possesses the information being sought by the researcher

and about which the inferences are to be made.

The target population in the study would typically include working professionals from

various industries.

Sampling unit:

It is the elements contained within a population. It shall consist of working professionals in

the age group of 25 to 60 years.

Sample size:

A sample of 100 professionals shall be included for study purposes.

Sampling techniques:

Convenience sampling: this is a sampling technique which involves selecting of sample

randomly on the basis of convenience on the part of the researcher. Due to time constraints

and geographical boundations this technique was used.


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3.6 DATA COLLECTION METHODS

Questionnaire

The questionnaire method is the most extensively used and economical means of data

collection. It can be used to collect data quickly and all the respondents are given the

opportunity to provide feedback ensuring anonymity. It is a structured technique of collecting

data consisting of a series/ set of questions in written or oral form. The objective of

questionnaire is to translate the information required into a set of questions that the

respondents answer to.

It is also very important to respect the samples time and energy hence the questionnaire is

designed in such a manner that administering it will not take more than 4- 5 minutes. Thequestionnaires will be personally administered. The questionnaire is a close ended

questionnaire with 20 choice questions along-with 9 questions related to demographics. All

of the questions are mostly ordinal in nature with some nominal questions as well and

questions in the questionnaire are based on rating scale and likert scale. A descriptive

analysis will be further done with the help of primary data collected.

Data collection technique

Primary data

Data observed or collected directly from first-hand experience.

Questionnaires

Secondary data

Data collected in the past or by other parties i.e already existing data.

Internet

Magazines

Newspapers


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Journals

Data interpretation tools

Cross tabulations

Correlation

Following software has been used during analysis and compiling data.

SPSS


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CHAPTER 4DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

1. I usually take office/ work related calls when at home

I feel that technological advancement attributes to physical and mental stress

Cross tabulation of above 2 questions:

I usually take office/ work related calls when at home * I feel that technological

advancement attributes to unnecessary physical and mental stress Crosstabulation

Count

I feel that technological advancement attributes

to unnecessary physical and mental stress

TotalAgree Neutral Disagree

I usually take office/ work

related calls when at

home

Yes 49 26 8 83

No 9 4 7 20

Total 58 30 15 103


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Interpretation:

From the above cross tabulation and the graph we can see that out of the total

sample size 83 respondents take calls at home however, they agree to the fact

that technological advancement attributes to unnecessary physical and mentalstress i.e they dislike taking work related calls at home. Whrereas, at 8 people

believe that technology does not attribute to physical and mental stress.


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2. I sometimes work from home

I feel that flexible work time, holidays, job sharing, etc help me in

balancing my work life


I sometimes work from home * I feel that flexible work time, holidays, job sharing, career

break etc help me in balancing my work life Crosstabulation

Count

I feel that flexible work time, holidays, job

sharing, career break etc help me in balancing my

work life


I sometimes work from

home

Yes 69 4 1 74

No 23 2 4 29

Total 92 6 5 103


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Interpretation:

Out of the total sample 74 people say that they work from home and out of

these 69 agree that they feel that flexible work time, holidays, job sharing,

etc helps them in balancing their work life.


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I have a company mobile phone and a laptop/ notebook


I sometimes work from home * I have a company mobile phone and a laptop/ notebook Crosstabulation

Count

I have a company mobile phone and a laptop/

notebook

TotalYes No

I sometimes work from home Yes 63 11 74

No 24 5 29

Total 87 16 103


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Interpretation:

74 out of the total sample sometimes work from home and 63 of these

respondents have been provided with a company mobile phone and a

laptop/notebook.


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27

4. I usually take office/ work related calls when at home



I usually take office/ work related calls when at home * I have a company mobile phone

and a laptop/ notebook Crosstabulation

Count

I have a company mobile phone and a

laptop/ notebook

TotalYes No

I usually take office/ work

related calls when at home

Yes 71 12 83

No 16 4 20

Total 87 16 103


28/71

28

Interpretation:

83 out of the total sample of 103 take office/ work related related calls when at

home and 71 do have a company provided cell phone or a laptop.


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29

5. I feel that technological advancement attributes to physical and mental

stress



I feel that technological advancement attributes to unnecessary physical and mental stress *

I have a company mobile phone and a laptop/ notebook Crosstabulation

Count


laptop/ notebookTotalYes No

I feel that technological

advancement attributes to

unnecessary physical and

mental stress

Agree 51 7 58

Neutral 23 7 30

Disagree 13 2 15

Total 87 16 103


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30

Interpretation:

87 respondents do have a company laptop or a cell phone and they are more

likely to agree that technological advancement attributes to physical and mental

stress as 51 people are agreeing with the fact.


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6. I have a company mobile phone and a laptop/ notebook

I believe that using work-related technology outside work helps in

maintaining necessary flexibility to have a positive work life balance


I believe that using work-related technology outside work helps in maintaining necessary

flexibility to have a positive work life balance * I have a company mobile phone and a

laptop/ notebook Crosstabulation

Count

I have a company mobile phone and

a laptop/ notebook

TotalYes No

I believe that using work-

related technology outside

work helps in maintaining

necessary flexibility to have a

positive work life balance

Agree 55 11 66

Neutral 22 4 26

Disagree 10 1 11

Total 87 16 103


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32

Interpretation:

It is evident from the above graph and cross tabulation that 87 people have a

company laptop or cell phone and out of those 55 agree that using technology at

work place has helped them in maintaining necessary flexibility to have a

positive work life balance.


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My work life is balanced


I sometimes work from home * My work life is balanced Crosstabulation

Count



I sometimes work from home Yes 48 16 10 74

No 15 11 3 29

Total 63 27 13 103


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34

Interpretation:

74 respondents out of 103 say that they work from home and 48 agree that their

work life is balanced i.e they feel because of technology and concept of working

from home has helped them in some or the other way.


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8. Cross tabulation and Correlation - I feel that cell phones, laptops etc.

help in balancing work life in a better way in the new highly demanding

work environment * My worklife is balanced

I feel that cellphones, laptops etc. help in balancing work life in a better way in the new

highly demanding work environment * My work life is balanced Crosstabulation

Count



I feel that cellphones, laptops

etc. help in balancing worklife in a better way in the new

highly demanding work

environment

Agree 59 21 10 90

Neutral 4 2 2 8

Disagree 0 4 1 5

Total 63 27 13 103

Correlations

My work life is

balanced

I feel that cellphones, laptops etc. help

in balancing work life in a better way

in the new highly demanding work

environment

My work life is balanced Pearson Correlation 1 .244*

Sig. (2-tailed) .013

N 103 103

I feel that cellphones, laptops

etc. help in balancing work life

in a better way in the new


environment

Pearson Correlation .244* 1


N 103 103

*. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).


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Interpretation:

According to the above graph and correlations tests it is evident that there is a

statistically significant correlations between the two variables. That means,

increases or decreases in one variable do significantly relate to increases or

decreases in the second variable i.e with increased use of technology in the

highly demanding work environment leads to a better work life balance.


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9. I feel that flexible work time, holidays, job sharing, etc help me in


My worklife is balance


I feel that flexible work time, holidays, job sharing, career break etc help me in balancing

my work life * My work life is balanced Crosstabulation

Count



I feel that flexible work time,holidays, job sharing, career

break etc help me in


Agree 60 22 10 92

Neutral 3 1 2 6

Disagree 0 4 1 5

Total 63 27 13 103


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Interpretation:

The above graph and cross tabulation depicts that 92 people agree that flexible

work time, holidays, job sharing etc help in balancing their work life and 60 out

of these do agree that they have a good work life balance.


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39

10. My work life is balanced

I believe that use of technology has enabled location independent working


Correlations

My work life is

balanced

I believe that use

of technology has

enabled location

independent

working

My work life is balanced Pearson Correlation 1 .229*


N 103 103

I believe that use of technology

has enabled location

independent working

Pearson Correlation .229* 1


N 103 103

*. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).

My work life is balanced * I believe that use of technology has enabled location independent

working Crosstabulation

Count

I believe that use of technology has enabled

location independent working


My work life is balanced Agree 58 4 1 63

Neutral 18 7 2 27

Disagree 10 2 1 13

Total 86 13 4 103


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Interpretation:

According to the above graph and correlations tests it is evident that there is a

statistically significant correlations between the two variables. That means,increases or decreases in one variable do significantly relate to increases or

decreases in the second variable i.e with more dependence on technology and

location independent working the work life balance of people also improves.


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11. My work life is balanced

I feel that cellphones, laptops etc. help in balancing work life in a better way in the

new highly demanding work environment


My work life is balanced * I believe that use of technology has enabled location independent

working * I feel that cellphones, laptops etc. help in balancing work life in a better way in the

new highly demanding work environment Crosstabulation

Count

I feel that cellphones, laptops etc. help in

balancing work life in a better way in the





Agree My work life is

balanced

Agree 57 2 0 59

Neutral 15 4 2 21

Disagree 8 2 0 10

Total 80 8 2 90

Neutral My work life is

balanced

Agree 1 2 1 4

Neutral 1 1 0 2

Disagree 2 0 0 2

Total 4 3 1 8

Disagree My work life is

balanced

Neutral 2 2 0 4

Disagree 0 0 1 1

Total 2 2 1 5


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Interpretation:

Out of the above graph and analysis we can infer that 90 respondents feel that

cellphones, laptops etc. help in balancing work life in a better way in the new highly

demanding work environment, 80 believe that use of technology has enabled location

independent working and because of all this 57 agree that their work life is balanced.


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12.I feel that flexible work time, holidays, job sharing etc help me in balancing my work

life




I feel that flexible work time, holidays, job sharing, career break etc help me in balancing

my work life * I feel that cellphones, laptops etc. help in balancing work life in a better way

in the new highly demanding work environment Crosstabulation

Count

I feel that cellphones, laptops etc. help inbalancing work life in a better way in the new

highly demanding work environment


I feel that flexible work

time, holidays, job

sharing, career break etc

help me in balancing my

work life

Agree 83 7 2 92

Neutral 5 1 0 6

Disagree 2 0 3 5

Total 90 8 5 103


44/71

44

Interpretation:

The above graph shows that 83 respondents agree that cellphones, laptops,

flexible work time, job sharing etc helps them in balancing their work life.


45/71

45





I have a company mobile phone and a laptop/ notebook * I feel that cellphones, laptops etc.

help in balancing work life in a better way in the new highly demanding work environment

Crosstabulation

Count




I have a company mobile

phone and a laptop/

notebook

Yes 75 7 5 87

No 15 1 0 16

Total 90 8 5 103


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46

Interpretation:

75 out of the total 103 respondents have a company laptop, cellphone which

helps them in balancing work life balance in the new highly demanding work

environment.


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I usually take office/ work related calls when at home

I have a company mobile phone and a laptop/ notebook * I feel that cellphones, laptops etc. help

in balancing work life in a better way in the new highly demanding work environment * I

usually take office/ work related calls when at home Crosstabulation

Count

I usually take office/ work related calls

when at home


balancing work life in a better way in the newhighly demanding work environment


Agree I have a company mobile

phone and a laptop/

notebook

Yes 52 6 3 61

No 10 0 0 10

Total 62 6 3 71

Neutral I have a company mobile

phone and a laptop/notebook

Yes 17 0 17

No 5 1 6

Total 22 1 23

Disagree I have a company mobile

phone and a laptop/

notebook

Yes 6 1 2 9

Total 6 1 2 9

Interpretation:

71 people take office/ work related calls at home out of which 52 have a

company mobile phone and a laptop/ notebook and 62 believe that cellphones,

laptops etc do help them in balancing work life in the new highly demanding

work environment.


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48

15.I have a company mobile phone and a laptop/ notebook




I have a company mobile phone and a laptop/ notebook * I feel that cellphones, laptops etc.

help in balancing work life in a better way in the new highly demanding work environment

Crosstabulation

Count




I have a company mobile

phone and a laptop/

notebook

Yes 75 7 5 87

No 15 1 0 16

Total 90 8 5 103


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49

Interpretation:

The above table states that people who have company mobile phones and laptops/notebook

feel that cellphones, laptops etc help in balancing work life in a better way in the new highly

demanding work environment.


50/71

50

16.I have a company mobile phone and a laptop/ notebook



I usually take office/ work related calls when at home

I have a company mobile phone and a laptop/ notebook * I feel that cellphones, laptops etc. help

in balancing work life in a better way in the new highly demanding work environment * I

usually take office/ work related calls when at home Crosstabulation

Count

I usually take office/ work related calls

when at home


balancing work life in a better way in the new



Agree I have a company mobile

phone and a laptop/

notebook

Yes 52 6 3 61

No 10 0 0 10

Total 62 6 3 71

Neutral I have a company mobile

phone and a laptop/

notebook

Yes 17 0 17

No 5 1 6

Total 22 1 23

Disagree I have a company mobile

phone and a laptop/

notebook

Yes 6 1 2 9

Total 6 1 2 9

Interpretation :

People who have company mobile phones, notebook or laptops and believe that the

mentioned facilities help in balancing work life in a better way in the new highly demanding

work environment also agree that they usually take office/ work related calls when at home.


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51

17.I sometimes work from home



I sometimes work from home * I have a company mobile phone and a laptop/ notebook * I

believe that use of technology has enabled location independent working Crosstabulation

Count

I believe that use of technology has enabled locationindependent working

I have a company mobile phone

and a laptop/ notebook

TotalYes No

Agree I sometimes work from

home

Agree 41 7 48

Neutral 19 4 23

Disagree 13 2 15

Total 73 13 86

Neutral I sometimes work from

home

Agree 5 0 5

Neutral 3 0 3

Disagree 4 1 5

Total 12 1 13

Disagree I sometimes work from

home

Agree 2 1 3

Disagree 0 1 1

Total 2 2 4

Interpretation :

People who sometimes work from home and have company mobile phones, laptops and

notebooks also believe that use of technology has enabled location independent working.


52/71

52

18.I feel that cellphones, laptops etc. help in balancing work life in a better way in the




I feel that cellphones, laptops etc. help in balancing work life in a better way in the new

highly demanding work environment * I believe that use of technology has enabled locationindependent working Crosstabulation

Count




I feel that cellphones,

laptops etc. help in

balancing work life in abetter way in the new


environment

Agree 80 8 2 90

Neutral 4 3 1 8

Disagree 2 2 1 5

Total 86 13 4 103


53/71

53

Interpretation:

The above table states that people who feel that cellphones, laptops etc. help in balancing

work life in a better way in the new highly demanding work environment also think that use

of technology has enabled location independent working


54/71

54

19.Idea of telecommuting, working from, home and working remotely has transformed

travel time into a productive period

If employees have a good work life balance, the organization will be more effective

and successful


Idea of telecommuting, working from, home and working remotely has transformed traveltime into a productive period * If employees have a good work life balance, the organization

will be more effective and successful Crosstabulation

Count

If employees have a good work life balance, the

organization will be more effective and

successful


Idea of telecommuting,

working from, home and

working remotely has

transformed travel time

into a productive period

Agree 73 1 2 76

Neutral 12 5 1 18

Disagree 6 2 1 9

Total 91 8 4 103


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55

Interpretation:

It can be interpreted that people believe in the fact that idea of telecommuting, working from,

home and working remotely has transformed travel time into a productive period and has

resulted in the good work life balance of the people which in turn means that the

organization will be more effective and successful


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56

20.I sometimes work from home



I sometimes work from home * I believe that use of technology has enabled location

independent working Crosstabulation

Count




I sometimes work from

home

Agree 48 5 3 56

Neutral 23 3 0 26

Disagree 15 5 1 21

Total 86 13 4 103


57/71

57

Interpretation:

The above depicts thatpeople who sometimes work from home strongly agree that use of

technology has enabled location independent working.


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21.The amount of work, regardless of organization, has increased dramatically,

particularly due to the increased use of technology



The amount of work, regardless of organization, has increased dramatically, particularly

due to the increased use of technology * I have a company mobile phone and a laptop/

notebook Crosstabulation

Count


laptop/ notebook

TotalYes No

The amount of work,

regardless of organization, has

increased dramatically,

particularly due to the

increased use of technology

Agree 44 8 52

Neutral 28 4 32

Disagree 15 4 19

Total 87 16 103


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Interpretation:

It states that people who have a company mobile phone and a laptop/ notebook strongly

agree to the fact that The amount of work, regardless of organization, has increased

dramatically, particularly due to the increased use of technology.


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22. I feel that use of technology has blurred the lines between work and personal life

Age


I feel that use of technology has blurred the lines between work and personal life * Age

Crosstabulation

Count

Age

Total25-30 30-40 40-50 50-60

I feel that use of

technology has blurred the

lines between work and

personal life

Agree 35 22 4 4 65

Neutral 22 6 1 0 29

Disagree 7 1 1 0 9

Total 64 29 6 4 103


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Interpretation:

It is evident from the graph that the people belonging to age group 25-30 agree to the fact that

use of technology has blurred the lines between work and personal life. The people belonging

to age group 30-40 years also believe to the same fact majorly.


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24.Technology is a significant source of problems, workload and stress within the

workplace

Type of Organization


Technology is a significant source of problems, workload and stress within the workplace * Type

of Organization Crosstabulation

Count

Type of Organization

TotalIT Consultancy Banking Educational Others

Technology is a

significant source of

problems, workload and

stress within the

workplace

Agree 6 3 1 19 9 38

Neutral 13 7 7 5 11 43

Disagree 4 1 1 7 9 22

Total 23 11 9 31 29 103


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Interpretation:

It is stated from the graph that people belonging to educational institute believe thattechnology is a significant source of problems, workload and stress within the workplace.


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64

25.I believe that using work-related technology outside work helps in maintaining

necessary flexibility to have a positive work life balance

Marital Status


I believe that using work-related technology outside work helps in maintaining necessary

flexibility to have a positive work life balance * Marital Status Crosstabulation

Count

Marital Status

TotalMarried Unmarried Divorced WidowI believe that using work-

related technology

outside work helps in

maintaining necessary

flexibility to have a

positive work life balance

Agree 42 24 0 0 66

Neutral 12 14 0 0 26

Disagree 4 5 1 1 11

Total 58 43 1 1 103


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Interpretation:

It is stated that majorly married people believe that using work-related technology outside

work helps in maintaining necessary flexibility to have a positive work life balance


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CHAPTER 5 - CONCLUSIONS

It can be concluded from the above analysis that people who have company mobile phones,

laptops and notebooks believe that the facilities provided have helped in maintaining work

life balance

However even if people who have company mobile phones, laptops and notebooks believe

that it has attributed to physical and mental stress.

It is concluded that majorly married people believe that using work-related technology

outside work helps in maintaining necessary flexibility to have a positive work life balance.

It can be interpreted that people believe in the fact that idea of telecommuting, working from,

home and working remotely has transformed travel time into a productive period and has

resulted in the good work life balance of the people which in turn means that the

organization will be more effective and successful.

It is also evident from the analysis that though people think that technology relates to

physical and mental stress but they still majorly believe that the technology has lead to work

life balance.


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LIMITATIONS

1. Lack of proper response from the respondents.

2. Lack of willingness to respond to the questions related to the organisation.

3. Delayed responses were received from the respondents.

4. Lack of time available with the respondents as they are working professionals.


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REFERENCES CITED

1. Australian Research Council (June 2007), The Impact of the Mobile Phone on

Work/Life Balance, Research School of Social Sciences,Australian national

University

2. Broadbent, Stefana, (September 6, 2011), Technology's Impact on Work-Life Balance

3. Cox, S., (2011), Assessing the Impact of Mobile Technologies on Work-Life Balance,Birmingham City University, UK

4. Dr. NW, Calgary, Impact of the Use of Communication Technologies on the Work-Life Balance of Executive Employees, University of Calgary

5. GunaSeelanRethi, Constructs of Quality of Work Life: A Perspective of Informationand Technology Professionals,Ebrahim Khalil Kanoo Group of Companies, Bahrain

6. Instinct and reason, work - life balance,Australia

7. Mateo, San (Aug. 11, 1999), Technology Increases Workplace Stress, Tipping theScales of Work-Life Balance,Kensington Technology Group, Calif. (BUSINESS

WIRE)

8. SathyanarayanaRao, T. S. and Indla, Vishal, (2010), Work, family or personal life:

Why not all three? , Department of Psychiatry, JSS University, JSS Medical College

Hospital, Mysore - 570 004, India9. Shortland, S., (2004), Work-Life Balance: The Impact of Policy and Practice on the

Human Resource Function,London Metropolitan University

10. Tennakoon, Senarathne & Uthpala, K. L. (2011), Empowerment or enslavement:ICT use and work-life balance of managers and professionals, Ph.D., University of

Calgary

11.Toronto (Jun,2009), New technology boosts productivity and flexibility for Canadian

employees,Kelly Services, Inc.

12.Valcour, P. M., & Hunter, L. W. (2005), Managing work-life integration inorganizations: Future directions for research and practice, (pp. 61-84). Mahwah, NJ:

Erlbaum
http://www.allbusiness.com/labor-employment/working-hours-patterns-telecommuting/6699278-1.htmlhttp://www.allbusiness.com/labor-employment/working-hours-patterns-telecommuting/6699278-1.htmlhttp://www.allbusiness.com/labor-employment/working-hours-patterns-telecommuting/6699278-1.htmlhttp://www.allbusiness.com/labor-employment/working-hours-patterns-telecommuting/6699278-1.html


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ANNEXURES

QUESTIONNAIRE

I am a student of Amity Business School pursuing a degree in Masters of

Business Administration. I am doing a research work on the topic - Impact of

IT on Work-Life balance. So kindly share few minutes to fill this

questionnaire, it would be of great use for my research work.

Part A

1 Age 20-30 30-40 40-50 50-60

2 Gender Male Female

3 Work Experience 0-5 5-10 10-20 20-30 30 & above

4 Educational

Qualification

SSLC +2 Degree P.G

5 Type of the

organization

6 Monthly Salary Below 15,000 15,000-30,000 30,000 & above

7 Marital Status Married Unmarried Widow Divorcee

8 Distance between

company & residence

9 Mode of conveyance Public Private

1. How many hours in a day do you normally work?

a.)Less than 4 hours b.) 4 to 8 hours c.) more than 8 hours

2. How many hours in a day do you spend traveling to work?

a.)Less than an half an hour b.) Nearly 1 hour c.) 2 hours and above


a.)Yes b.) No

4. I usually take office /work related calls when at home

a.)Yes b.) No


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Statements StronglyAgree

Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

DisagreeI feel that technological

advancement attributes to physicaland mental stress

I believe that technological

advancement acts as a constraint

to personal growth

I feel that flexible work time,

holidays, job sharing, career break

etc help me in balancing my work

life

I have a company mobile phone

and a laptop/ notebook

Yes No Not

Required

I prefer using company mobile/

laptop/ notebook for personal use

How often do you use it away

from workplace/ outside working

hours

Less than 2

hours

2 to 4 hours More than

4 hours

I believe that using work-relatedtechnology outside work helps in

maintaining necessary flexibility

to have a positive work life

balance

My worklife is balanced

I feel that cellphones, laptops etc.

help in balancing work life in a

better way in the new highlydemanding work environment

I believe that use of technology

has enabled location independent

working

Technology is a significant source

of problems, workload and stress

within the workplace

The amount of work, regardless of

organization, has increased

Part B

Tick () as appropriate


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Thank You for your valuable time

Name:

Mobile No:

dramatically, particularly due to

the increased use of technology

I feel that use of technology has

blurred the lines between work

and personal life

I have had problems in my family

life because of pressure from

work

Idea of telecommuting, working

from, home and working remotely

has transformed travel time into a

productive period

If employees have a good work

life balance, the organization will

be more effective and successful

impact of information technology on work-life balance

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