Page 1 of 15
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/index.php/JSMaP
e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 11
December 2015
Available online: http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/ P a g e | 177
A Study on Work – Life Imbalance among Women Employees with
Special Reference to Information Technology (IT) Sector in
Trivandrum District
M.Sugin Raj* A.Ancy Mary**
*Asst.professor, Malankara Catholic College-Mariagiri.
** II M.Com, Malankara Catholic College-Mariagiri
Abstract
This research is an attempt to explain
the concept of the work – life imbalance among
women employees. A survey method was used to
collect 100 samples randomly among women
employees who are working at IT companies in
Trivandrum district. Data was collected with a
structured questionnaire and analyzed by using
ANOVA test, chi-square test and percentage
method. The results of the study therefore
reveals that the women employees in IT sectors
are having many problems like job stress, high
level of family and work responsibilities, gender
discrimination , wages discrimination , less
social support and social security in their work
and family. Hence, it therefore recommends that
Government and organizations should provide
healthy and conducive work environment, extra
care, safety and security to women employees.
Women redressal forum and counseling centre
must be formed within the organization to share
women employees’ problems and grievances
Key words: Work-Life imbalance, IT sector,
Women Employees, Trivandrum.
INTRODUCTION
Work –family relationship are
complex and multi-dimensional. It is an
important ongoing academic and social
policy area that requires multi- disciplinary
and multi- level investigation are
collaboration. Women’s participating rate in
employment is increasing, giving rise to the
belief that equal opportunities, for women
are improving. Today, almost 75% of the
women work in the lower paid sectors,
where, full-time working women are earning
an average 19% less per hour than
equivalent men and women in part time
work earning a staggering 41% less per
hour. The adjustment of work and family
balance is always a problem to women since
they have dual work to do.
. Work-life balance has emerged as a
hot topic in recent years– fuelled in part by
changing trends in women's social roles.
Whilst labor market participation has
increased for women of all ages, women
Page 2 of 15
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/index.php/JSMaP
e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 11
December 2015
Available online: http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/ P a g e | 178
continue to shoulder the main responsibility
for organizing and undertaking unpaid caring
work. Work life balance is a state of
equilibrium in which the demand of both
professional and personal life is equal. Each
role having different set of demands and when
such role demands overlap, multiple problems
are faced. In India, it is taken for granted that
economic activities are exclusively the
prerogative of males while domestic work,
child bearing and child rearing are the sole
occupations of women. Historically, women
in India have not enjoyed a good status in
workplace settings whether in managerial or
operative roles. Since times immemorial,
women have been burdened with work of all
sorts all through their lives. From
reproduction to all household chores and
outside, their role as worker is significant,
unique and burdensome. But they are
discriminated and exploited all over.
The changing economic conditions
and social demands have changed the nature
of work throughout the world. The concept of
Work life balance is becoming more and more
relevant in an ever dynamic working
environment. The study was undertaken to
find the work-life imbalance among the
women employees who are working at IT
Companies in Trivandrum district. Work life
and personal life are two sides of the same
coin. Managing the work and personal life is
considered to be a work life balance issue.
Increasing work pressures, globalization and
technological advancement has impact on
balancing professional life and personal life.
In this research the researcher has taken step
to find out the outcome of imbalance of work
and life among women workers like work- family conflict, family – work conflict,
antecedents of work- family conflict. The
employees work – life to be effectively
managed in organization and in family for
organization growth and happy life of
employees.
OBJECTIVES:
To analyze the important antecedents
of work – life imbalance among the
women employees.
To measure the work – life imbalance
(work- family conflict and family –
work conflict) among the women
employees.
To examine & evaluate the impact of
work – life imbalance on the various
outcomes of work.
To give suggestions to improve work- life balance among women employees.
REVIEW OF LITERATURE:
Page 3 of 15
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/index.php/JSMaP
e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 11
December 2015
Available online: http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/ P a g e | 179
Chenu A. & Robinson J P. (2002) -
Here the authors tried to emphasize on
demographic characteristics that influences
the working hours of working couples.
Demography plays an important role, as
people from different demographic
background have different expectations and
preferences towards the working hours.
However, if the married couple are of same
demography the time management can be
possible, if the working couples are of
different demography it is difficult to
manage the same.
Emslie C.& Hunt K. (2009)-This
article indicates that gender affects the work
life balance issues of individuals and also
work life balance efforts are controlled by
available socio-economic resources and
cultural norms about gender, family and
work. Kinnunen U. & Mauno S (2001) This
article highlights that high level of
exhaustion faced by working parents
negatively effects their family life and men
are more critical of themselves as compared
to women in terms of marital status as well
as , as a parent. This ultimately leads to
family dispute in family. So stress and
exhaustion play important role in for
negatively affecting the marital life of
working couples.
Chawla D.& Sondhi N. (2011) -This
article highlights that when women have
greater job autonomy they experience
positive work life balance and also the more
conducive the work environment the more
the commitment towards organization. This
helps to motivate the women staff to involve
in decision making process and leads to
executing the work at the desired level.
Pagnana C E. ,Lerob D S &
Wadsworth S M M. (2011)- This article
highlights that working couples are adopting
off-shifting work where one of the spouse is
working in an unscheduled shift. Off- shifting gives security to the couple that at
least one of the parents is with children
although this results in fatigue, stress and
less family time. This helps the couples to
manage their time properly and at the same
time this helps the parents to take care of
their growing children.
Varatharaj, V et al (2012), studied on
the work life balance of working women in
service sector. Work life balance entails
attaining equilibrium between professional
work and other activities, so that it reduces
friction between official and domestic life.
Work life balance enhances efficiency and
thus, the productivity of an employee
increases. The findings of the study revealed
that the majority of the women employees
feel comfortable in their work place
irrespective of their trivial personal and
work place irritants.
Shalini and Bhawna 2012 reported in
their study, Quality of work life is being
used by the organizations as a strategic tool
to attract and retain the employees and more
importantly to help them to maintain work
life balance with equal attention on
performance and commitment at work.
N.Krishna Reddy et al, (2010) concluded
that the married women employees indeed
experience Work Family Conflict (WFC)
