INTRODUCTION:

In the last hundred years, the human society has drastically changed. The participation of women in formal paid work has been rapidly increasing, brining a new gender dimension in the workplace. The workplace has also shifted from hared manual labour to offices requiring brain power. All of these have given a women’s new opportunity to enter into the work.

Today’s modern women have displayed unprecedented passion, grit and determination both in life and work situations. They have to play with work, family, health, friends and spirit. This increase in the number of working women has forced the organization to ensure a friendly work environment. Indian organizations are setting up policies for maintaining a worklife balance they are going in for innovative methods to keep employees happy and satisfied, as it makes office at better place to work and also positively impact productivity.

This growing presence of professional women at workplace in India, as in other countries, the women try to manage work and non-work domains simultaneously. The challenge in the work domain for professional women is pursuit and enhancement of dual careers, each with its demand on the commitment, time, and energy of individual members.

The non-work domain includes multiple-role commitments from family making demand on emotional, cognitive and financial resources for personally meaningful pursuits. All these challenges are effecting mentally and health wise to the women’s. But still are they happy with their life?

"Life satisfaction is an overall assessment of feelings and attitudes about one’s life at a particular point in time ranging from negative to positive. It is one of three major indicators of well-being: life satisfaction, positive effect, and negative affect (Diener, 1984). Although satisfaction with current life circumstances is often assessed in research studies, Diener, Suh, Lucas, and Smith (1999) also include the following under life satisfaction: desire to change one’s life; satisfaction with past; satisfaction with future; and significant other’s views of one’s life." (Beutell).

About the Study:

The present study is an effort to evaluate the general life satisfaction of working women. Quality of work life refers to the quality of life of individuals in their working organizations- commercial, educational, cultural, religious, and philanthropic or whatever they are. Question is now that is working females happy in their life. Are they satisfied with the policies of their organizations? Are they happy with their children’s study? Are they satisfied with their leisure time activities? These are the questions which will help to know the life satisfaction of female professionals.

This paper highlights on the perception of professional women’s and their general satisfaction in life. It involves everyday activities, such as work satisfaction, job security, work culture, taking care of home, children’s and older relatives, as well as spending time on leisure activities. Along with it the are the organization’s giving equal importance to maintain a good quality of life for working women’s.

The research is an attempt to the study the general life satisfaction of female professionals in both private and public sector. Major issues discussed here are the work, child caring, job security, alternative work schedules, stress, participation and status of life. The study is conducted with 65 female employees. The perception of women professional towards their life is taken.

Attitude of Female Professionals towards their Life:

Sheppard and Herrick, (1972), while his studies have consistently found positive associations between job and life satisfaction, they provide little information on the relative importance of various life dimensions in explaining overall satisfaction with life. As we have already indicated, it has been conventional to regard attitudes about one’s work as major determinants of attitudes in other areas of life. Typifying this view is the following excerpt from a U.S.President’s 1971 Labour Day speech: “In our quest for better environment, we must always remember that the most important part of the quality of life is the quality of work”.

Greenhaus and Beutell, 1985; Sekaran, 1986 researched that employed women who are married and/ or those who have children tend to experience high levels of career family conflict because of the conflicting pressures arising from family and work.

Davidson and copper , (1986), researched that Women managers report greater stress than men managers due to child bearing, conflicts with their parents and other family related problem

Joshi (1990), researched that family environment and work environment are the two factors that contribute to the enhancement of complications or problems for employed women, and between the two, the non job factors or family-related factors weigh more importantly for women.

Kossek and Ozeki, (1998), surveyed that Life satisfaction, like job satisfaction, has been one of the most frequently studied outcomes of work-family conflict. Findings indicate that, the higher the level of work-family conflict, the lower the level of life satisfaction.

Bharat (2003), studied that although conflict between career and family roles can be a potential source of stress for both women and men managers, it affects women in India more than men because of many reasons. While social, legal and economic reforms have helped women to join the workforce in India, the continuing influence of normative attitudes and values have prevented them from altering the perception of the society as well as their own regarding sex-roles. Equal distribution of domestic responsibilities is thus a distant possibility now.

Beutell, (2006), the literature suggests that personality play a significant role in whether a woman will judge her life to be satisfying. However, proximal environmental factors (e.g., recent life events) can influence life satisfaction judgments in the short term. Both nature and nurture (i.e., personality and environment) appear to be influential in determining life satisfaction, and to discount one explanation in favour of the other would not be empirically or theoretically productive.

This review of literature presents the problems of work-life imbalance and the general life satisfaction of women professionals around the world. It shows that women professionals in India are more vulnerable to this problem because of societal and cultural reasons. The following study is an attempt to understand and analyze these issues through an empirical research.

Research Methodology:

The preceding chapters have been devoted to the objectives, hypothesis, sampling size, statistical tools and limitation of the study. Our topic envisages a wider spectrum through research involving the systematic collection, compilation, analysis and interpretation of relevant data for making sound management decisions.

Objective of the Study:

The present study has been conducted keeping the following objectives in mind:

® To find out the comparative analysis of general life satisfaction of working women in private and public sector organizations.

® To study the general life satisfaction of married vs unmarried female professionals.

® To ascertain the linkage between life-satisfaction and socio-demographic factors like age, educational attainments etc.

Sample size

This study was conducted with a total sample of 65 women professional through random sample method. The respondents were 35 from private and 30 public sectors organizations. The respondents were from State Bank of India, Chhattisgarh State Electricity Board and ICICI Bank

Data collection method:

The primary data is collected for the study. The primary data is collected through survey method. Survey refers to the method of securing information concerning a phenomena under study from all or selected number of respondents of the concerned universe.

A structured questionnaire was developed for this research work. It consists of sixteen items of structured questions how you feel about the general satisfaction in your life. Respondents were asked to judge the factors/statements through four-point scale ranging from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree”. For data calculation, “strongly agree” was given 4 points, “agree” was given 3 points, “disagree” was given 2 points and “strongly disagree” was given 1 point. Apart from this, data was collected through interviews to have a greater understanding of the issues.

Statistical Tools:

Percentage, average and standard deviation were used for data analysis.

Respondents profile:

Out of 65 female respondents 30 respondents are from private and 35 respondents are from public sector organizations. Among them 26% are below 25 years of age, 42% are 25- 35 yrs of age, 18 % are 35-45 yrs of age and 14% are 45- 55 yrs of age. About 58% of women professionals are married and 42% are unmarried. In terms of education 48% are Graduate and 52% are Post-Graduate. Majority of the female respondents have their own house (60%) and only 40% are living in rented house. Among married women’s 21% are without children, 24% have one child, 37% have two children’s, 16% have three children’s and 3% have four children’s.

Study Limitations:

Some limitations of the present research should be noted. Although the data collection was done through simple random method. But then also the data from the private sector was insufficient due to which comparison between the government and private sector was bit difficult. All the data was collected from the executive level employees. The study is done in Chhattisgarh state only, so the other regions are not taken. Usually the data was collected from executive level employees so it was bit difficult to get the quick response from them as they were very busy.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS:

Job Satisfaction of Female Employees in Private and Public Sector Organizations:

It has been developed by indexing the four variables to identify the satisfaction level of female at private sector and public sector organizations. The present study showed that the female at public sector organizations are more satisfied in their life rather than the females working at private sector organizations. As they get enough time for their children and for other leisure activities. Working women’s at public sector get accommodation facility which also one of the reason for their mental piece.

Satisfaction of female professionals in different organizations.

Satisfaction of Female Professionals Working at Different Organizations:

Women working at Chhattisgarh State Electricity Board are more satisfied in their life than the women’s working at State Bank of India and ICICI Bank. The research shows that the women are overburden with the work in the banks. It was found that female workings at private banks are least happy with their life as the job is very hectic over there. As maximum number of the female agreed that they are provided with flexible work hours at public sector organizations.

Life Satisfaction among Married Vs Unmarried Women Professionals:

The diagram represents the general life-satisfaction of married and unmarried women professionals. The proportion of unmarried respondents scoring low on life satisfaction as they are more career conscious and aggressive due to which their satisfaction from job is very less. On the other hand the married women professionals are satisfied in their life. As they are satisfied with the house accommodation, with their children’s studies and above all they satisfied with their overall status in the society. But still the married women’s with the multiple roles are more satisfied in their life.

Satisfaction of Life with respect to their salary:

The females earning above Rs.30000/- pm are more satisfied in their life (mean= 47.5) than the other female respondents earning below Rs.30000/ pm. As it provides economic security to the females. Thus it shows a strong relationship between life-satisfaction and a sense of security among the employees. The females earning below Rs.10000/-pm are less satisfied (mean=35.9) in their life. About 90% of the female professional earning above Rs.30000/- pm agreed with the statement that “How much are you satisfied in terms leading a stoic state of mind in the present form of living”.

Satisfaction towards Life differs with different Age Group:

It was found from the empirical study that the female professional with the age between 35-45 yrs are more satisfied in their life than the other age grouped employees. As they have less burden of their family responsibilities. The females between the ages of 25-35 yrs are less satisfied with their life as they have to take care of their household tasks and along with it they have to make their career also, which is very painful for them. Even the unmarried females below the age of 25yrs are not satisfied much with their life because of their struggling career. Almost 75% of the female professionals agreed on the statement that they are happy with the current status of their life.

Satisfaction of Female Professionals with their Family:

The finding shows that family support the female professional is very important. Though the family responsibilities hinder their career but on the other hand family support helps them to move in their career ahead. As their children’s are taken care by their family members. Whereas in nuclear family it is a real challenge for them.

Satisfaction of Female Employees having their own house:

Female professionals having their own house are much more satisfied in their life than the female not having their own accommodation. As it provide a future security to them and they are less stress free. It affects their health and work. The employees with less stress are more productive and are good at health.

Implications of the Findings:

The female professionals working in public sector organizations are more satisfied with their job rather than the female working in private sector organizations. The policies at public sector organizations are more family friendly which help them to cope up with the work-life challenges. Job security is more at public sector organizations.

The research indicated that the female working at banks are least satisfied with their life as they are over burden with the work. Whereas in the CBSE a public sector organization they enjoy more family-friendly environment. The organizations have to be supportive for providing help in maintaining work-life balance.

It is interesting to find that the unmarried female professionals are less satisfied with their life than the married female professionals. Though the married employees have to play multiple role but still they are more happy in their life. The unmarried females are more aggressive and career conscious due to which there satisfaction level from the job decreases.

The females earning above Rs. 30000/- per month are more satisfied in their life. As they are having a good status of life. Their living standard is good and even their spouse is in good position which gives them a mental satisfaction. Apart from that the females having their own house are satisfied with their life than the females not having their own house. This provided them a future security.

The research showed that the female between the age of 35-45yrs are much more satisfied as their childrens have grown up and they are free from other family responsibilities. In the statement maximum of the females agreed that they are satisfied with the studies of their children’s. Whereas the female below the age of 25yrs are least satisfied as some are unmarried and they are more aggressive for their career, which creates dissatisfaction among them.

The female professionals agreed that they need the support of their family as the female living in joint family is happy with their life. They get full support in household activities from their family. But the female livings in nuclear family have to struggle a lot to maintain the balance in work-life issues. So the females living in joint family are in mental piece than the females in nuclear family.

It is a reality that though Indian organizations are a lot more open to the ideas of having more women in their organization. But the societal expectations and family responsibilities do come in the way of the professional women’s. It hinders their career, health and work. The fact that supportive family-friendly practices exist on the paper in some cases, is not enough for the female employees to automatically attain work-life balance. Maintaining the work-life balance has become a vital importance for the organization’s. This can act as a competitive advantage for the organizations and also help them in establishing strong employer branding.

It is suggested that the organization must go for work-life balance friendly provisions like work from home, flexi hours, part-time jobs etc. It will increase the satisfaction level of the female professionals and it will improve their health but will also increase the productivity of the organization even.

REFERENCES:

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Received on 23.09.2011 Accepted on 28.10.2011

Asian J. Management 2(4): Oct.-Dec., 2011 page 197-201