Overview
I decided to do some research about human resource
challenges being faced in other countries of the world. One topic that caught
my attention was the difficulties of balancing work and family for women in
India. Work-life balance issues, in which there is a struggle in having time
outside of work for family or for pursuing hobbies, are faced by individuals
everywhere. However, there are strong cultural and gender-role pressures in the
case of the Indian women. Indian women are expected to primarily be the
caregivers who manage the household and children while men have the primary
responsibility of providing for the family.
Even if a woman works full-time, she is still expected to be
the one who fulfills all household duties. This creates a work-family conflict
in which the demands of work and the demands of family are not compatible.
Therefore, fulfilling the demands of one sphere makes it difficult for the
woman to fulfill the demands of the other sphere. “If the working woman is seen
to be ambitious about her career, she stands the risk of being blamed for
neglecting her primary role responsibility of raising a family” (Kalliath, Kalliath,
& Singh, 2011). There is simply not enough time for the woman to pursue her
career aspirations while managing the family without adequate support. In a
research study conducted on Indian couples in which the wife was also a
provider, it was found that “only 34 percent of husbands extend voluntary
assistance, 22 percent would help occasionally, and a significant percentage
would not step out of their role stereotypes and offer any help to their wives”
(Desai, Majumdar, Chakraborty, & Ghosh, 2011). On the organizational side,
there is not much support either. Every year, 5.5 million women join the
workforce and discover how limited support policies are in the workplace (Anonymous,
2011). This is a serious problem which
needs to be addressed by organizations for long-run profitability and success.
Organizational Impact
There are many reasons why organizations in India need to
become serious about the work-life challenges described above. The
responsibility of managing the household and performing effectively at work are
causing many health issues in employed women. These women face high levels of
stress and psychological strain which lead to lower performance and
productivity in the workplace. Also, in one study, it was discovered that 68%
of working women were affected by lifestyle conditions such as obesity and hypertension brought on by stress.
These problems resulted in higher absenteeism and decreased organizational
commitment in the female workforce (Desai et al., 2011). Furthermore,
work-family conflict has a strong connection with decreased job satisfaction
which leads to higher turnover (Kalliath et al., 2011). Work-life balance
issues, therefore, should not be ignored because they cause decreased
productivity and increased costs for the organization due to stress,
absenteeism, and lack of commitment as well as turnover. I know from class
lectures and discussions that turnover costs can be high and substantial effort
is needed to fill open positions.
However, the most important reason why organizations need to
address the challenges of working women is that these current and potential
employees are not being fully utilized. Qualified females are not able to
perform to their full potential because of a lack of organizational support.
Actions that organizations can take to help attract women to job openings and
allow these employees to reach their full potential include implementing
flexible work hours, instituting job sharing, and allowing employees to work
from home. Having daycare facilities near the workplace would also help ease
the pressure on working mothers. These types of changes as well as fostering an
environment of support for these employees would give an organization a
competitive edge in attracting and retaining skilled workers. “In a nationwide
study of working women, more than 80 percent of women cited inflexible nature
of their jobs as a key reason for leaving the workforce” (Desai et al., 2011).
A lack of accommodation and support from employers is causing reduced
participation in the workforce by women and this is detrimental to the long-run
success of organizations. Human resource efforts have a substantial impact on
organizational performance. If an organization is not able to effectively
manage its employees and utilize all of their skills efficiently, then that
company is not going to be able to achieve productivity and performance goals.
Competitors that are effective and efficient in this arena are going to
outperform organizations that are not. For all of these reasons, corporations
need to implement policies that will support working women.
Impact on Current Students
How does the discussion above about working women in India
relate to students like me, who are living in the US? First of all, work-life
balance is sought by employees across the globe. As students begin to step out
into the workplace, they may seek employers who are more supportive of
work-life balance. This will become particularly important when the careers of
these individuals progress and they have families of their own to support.
Also, it is important for students to understand how culture and gender roles
can affect the work environment, especially when some students may end up
working in other countries. Awareness of the challenges that exist will help
these individuals adapt and face these challenges. Numerous companies have set
up global operations and many more are in the process, so it is imperative for
students to understand international issues.
Conclusion
Work-life balance is needed for job satisfaction and
employee well-being, which lead to higher performance and employee retention. Working
women in India are facing significant work-life balance issues due to culture
and gender roles. These women are expected to manage the household, first, and
perform their duties at work with minimal support. As a result, women are
participating less effectively in the workforce. Organizations need to set up supportive
policies, such as flexible work hours, to properly utilize their skilled
employees, which would lead to higher productivity and long-run success. Students,
also, need to be aware of international issues in order to be successful in a
globalizing workplace.
References
Anonymous. (2011, Dec 12). Where are India’s working women? In
India, the workplace continues to be a male-dominated space. What can be done to
fix this? In pictures. Wall Street Journal (Online). Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/910194118?accountid=12924
Desai, M., Majumdar, B., Chakraborty, T., & Ghosh, K.
(2011). The second shift: Working women in India. Gender in Management, 26(6),
432-450. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/17542411111164920
Kalliath, P., Kalliath, T., & Singh, V. (2011). When
work intersects family: A qualitative exploration of the experiences of dual
earner couples in India. South Asian Journal of Management, 18(1),
37-59. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/866447213?accountid=12924
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