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

AMITY BUSINESS SCHOOL

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 MBA General Class of 2012

AMITY UNIVERSITY UTTAR PRADESH

AMITY BUSINESS SCHOOL

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

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 a balance 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.

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-tofamily 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 becomes more intense, workers are displaced, surveillance increases, workers bargaining power
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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 coworkers 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.

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

Mediators
Telecommuting: Distribution of work across time and space Flexi hours, Job distribution Figure 1.1

Technology

Work-Life Balance

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 the organization in managing this tumultuous see saw.

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.

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 homeoffice 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 widely assumed 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 for preferring 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, with work-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 on relationships (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 actually 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 of research 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 are taken.
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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 of study 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. The questionnaires 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 4 DATA 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 Agree I usually take office/ work Yes related calls when at No home Total 49 9 58 Neutral 26 4 30 Disagree 8 7 15 Total 83 20 103

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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 mental stress 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 Cross tabulation of above 2 questions:
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 Agree I sometimes work from home Total Yes No 69 23 92 Neutral 4 2 6 Disagree 1 4 5 Total 74 29 103

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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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3. I sometimes work from home I have a company mobile phone and a laptop/ notebook
Cross tabulation of above 2 questions:

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 Yes I sometimes work from home Yes No Total 63 24 87 No 11 5 16 Total 74 29 103

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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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4. I usually take office/ work related calls when at home I have a company mobile phone and a laptop/ notebook Cross tabulation of above 2 questions:
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 Yes I usually take office/ work related calls when at home Total Yes No 71 16 87 No 12 4 16 Total 83 20 103

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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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5. I feel that technological advancement attributes to physical and mental stress I have a company mobile phone and a laptop/ notebook Cross tabulation of above 2 questions:
I feel that technological advancement attributes to unnecessary physical and mental stress * I have a company mobile phone and a laptop/ notebook Crosstabulation Count I have a company mobile phone and a laptop/ notebook Yes I feel that technological advancement attributes to unnecessary physical and mental stress Total Agree Neutral Disagree 51 23 13 87 No 7 7 2 16 Total 58 30 15 103

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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 Cross tabulation of above 2 questions:
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 Yes I believe that using workAgree related technology outside Neutral work helps in maintaining necessary flexibility to have a Disagree positive work life balance Total 55 22 10 87 No 11 4 1 16 Total 66 26 11 103

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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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7. I sometimes work from home My work life is balanced Cross tabulation of above 2 questions:

I sometimes work from home * My work life is balanced Crosstabulation Count My work life is balanced Agree I sometimes work from home Yes No Total 48 15 63 Neutral 16 11 27 Disagree 10 3 13 Total 74 29 103

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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 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 Crosstabulation Count My work life is balanced Agree I feel that cellphones, laptops Agree etc. help in balancing work Neutral life in a better way in the new Disagree highly demanding work environment Total 59 4 0 63 Neutral 21 2 4 27 Disagree 10 2 1 13 Total 90 8 5 103

Correlations I feel that cellphones, laptops etc. help in balancing work life in a better way My work life is balanced My work life is balanced Pearson Correlation Sig. (2-tailed) N I feel that cellphones, laptops etc. help in balancing work life in a better way in the new highly demanding work environment *. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed). N 103 103 Pearson Correlation Sig. (2-tailed) 103 .244* .013 1 in the new highly demanding work environment .244* .013 103 1

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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 balancing my work life My work life is balance Cross tabulation of above 2 questions:

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 My work life is balanced Agree I feel that flexible work time, Agree holidays, job sharing, career Neutral break etc help me in Disagree balancing my work life Total 60 3 0 63 Neutral 22 1 4 27 Disagree 10 2 1 13 Total 92 6 5 103

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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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10. My work life is balanced I believe that use of technology has enabled location independent working

Cross tabulation of above 2 questions:

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 Agree My work life is balanced Agree Neutral Disagree Total 58 18 10 86 Neutral 4 7 2 13 Disagree 1 2 1 4 Total 63 27 13 103

Correlations

My work life is balanced My work life is balanced Pearson Correlation Sig. (2-tailed) N I believe that use of technology Pearson Correlation has enabled location independent working Sig. (2-tailed) N *. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed). 103 .229
*

I believe that use of technology has enabled location independent working 1 .229* .020 103 1

.020 103 103

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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.

40

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 I believe that use of technology has enabled location independent working

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 new highly demanding work environment Agree My work life is balanced Agree Neutral Disagree Total Neutral My work life is balanced Agree Neutral Disagree Total Disagree My work life is balanced Total Neutral Disagree I believe that use of technology has enabled location independent working Agree 57 15 8 80 1 1 2 4 2 0 2 Neutral 2 4 2 8 2 1 0 3 2 0 2 Disagree 0 2 0 2 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 Total 59 21 10 90 4 2 2 8 4 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.

42

12. I feel that flexible work time, holidays, job sharing 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

Cross tabulation of above 2 questions:

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 in balancing work life in a better way in the new highly demanding work environment Agree I feel that flexible work Agree time, holidays, job sharing, career break etc Neutral help me in balancing my Disagree work life Total 83 5 2 90 Neutral 7 1 0 8 Disagree 2 0 3 5 Total 92 6 5 103

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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.

44

13. 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

Cross tabulation of above 2 questions:

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 feel that cellphones, laptops etc. help in balancing work life in a better way in the new highly demanding work environment Agree I have a company mobile phone and a laptop/ notebook Total Yes No 75 15 90 Neutral 7 1 8 Disagree 5 0 5 Total 87 16 103

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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.

46

14. 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

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 feel that cellphones, laptops etc. help in balancing work life in a better way in the new highly demanding work environment Agree 52 10 62 17 5 22 6 Neutral 6 0 6 0 1 1 1 2 Disagree 3 0 3 Total 61 10 71 17 6 23 9

I usually take office/ work related calls when at home Agree I have a company mobile Yes phone and a laptop/ No notebook Total Neutral I have a company mobile Yes phone and a laptop/ No notebook Total Disagree I have a company mobile Yes phone and a laptop/ notebook Total

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.

47

15. 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

Cross tabulation of above 2 questions:

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 feel that cellphones, laptops etc. help in balancing work life in a better way in the new highly demanding work environment Agree I have a company mobile phone and a laptop/ notebook Total Yes No 75 15 90 Neutral 7 1 8 Disagree 5 0 5 Total 87 16 103

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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.

49

16. 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

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 feel that cellphones, laptops etc. help in balancing work life in a better way in the new highly demanding work environment Agree 52 10 62 17 5 22 6 Neutral 6 0 6 0 1 1 1 2 Disagree 3 0 3 Total 61 10 71 17 6 23 9

I usually take office/ work related calls when at home Agree I have a company mobile Yes phone and a laptop/ No notebook Total Neutral I have a company mobile Yes phone and a laptop/ No notebook Total Disagree I have a company mobile Yes phone and a laptop/ notebook Total

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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17. 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

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 have a company mobile phone and a laptop/ notebook I believe that use of technology has enabled location independent working Yes No Agree I sometimes work from home Agree Neutral Disagree Total Neutral I sometimes work from home Agree Neutral Disagree Total Disagree I sometimes work from home Total Agree Disagree 41 19 13 73 5 3 4 12 2 0 2 7 4 2 13 0 0 1 1 1 1 2

Total 48 23 15 86 5 3 5 13 3 1 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.

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18. 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 location independent working Cross tabulation of above 2 questions:

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 location independent working Crosstabulation Count I believe that use of technology has enabled location independent working Agree I feel that cellphones, laptops etc. help in balancing work life in a better way in the new highly demanding work environment Total Agree Neutral Disagree 80 4 2 Neutral 8 3 2 Disagree 2 1 1 Total 90 8 5

86

13

103

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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

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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

Cross tabulation of above 2 questions:

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 Crosstabulation Count If employees have a good work life balance, the organization will be more effective and successful Agree Idea of telecommuting, Agree working from, home and Neutral working remotely has transformed travel time Disagree into a productive period Total 73 12 6 91 Neutral 1 5 2 8 Disagree 2 1 1 4 Total 76 18 9 103

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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 organization will be more effective and successful the

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20. I sometimes work from home I believe that use of technology has enabled location independent working

Cross tabulation of above 2 questions:

I sometimes work from home * I believe that use of technology has enabled location independent working Crosstabulation Count

I believe that use of technology has enabled location independent working Agree I sometimes work from home Agree Neutral Disagree Total 48 23 15 86 Neutral 5 3 5 13 Disagree 3 0 1 4 Total 56 26 21 103

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Interpretation:

The above depicts that people 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 I have a company mobile phone and a laptop/ notebook

Cross tabulation of above 2 questions:

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 I have a company mobile phone and a laptop/ notebook Yes The amount of work, Agree regardless of organization, has Neutral increased dramatically, particularly due to the Disagree increased use of technology Total 44 28 15 87 No 8 4 4 16 Total 52 32 19 103

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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

Cross tabulation of above 2 questions:

I feel that use of technology has blurred the lines between work and personal life * Age Crosstabulation Count Age 25-30 I feel that use of Agree technology has blurred the Neutral lines between work and Disagree personal life Total 35 22 7 64 30-40 22 6 1 29 40-50 4 1 1 6 50-60 4 0 0 4 Total 65 29 9 103

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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

Cross tabulation of above 2 questions:

Technology is a significant source of problems, workload and stress within the workplace * Type of Organization Crosstabulation Count Type of Organization IT Technology is a Agree significant source of problems, workload and Neutral stress within the Disagree workplace Total 6 13 4 23 Consultancy Banking Educational 3 7 1 11 1 7 1 9 19 5 7 31 Others 9 11 9 29 Total 38 43 22 103

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

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25. I believe that using work-related technology outside work helps in maintaining necessary flexibility to have a positive work life balance Marital Status

Cross tabulation of above 2 questions:

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 Married I believe that using work- Agree related technology Neutral outside work helps in Disagree maintaining necessary flexibility to have a positive work life balance Total 42 12 4 Unmarried Divorced 24 14 5 0 0 1 Widow 0 0 1 Total 66 26 11

58

43

103

64

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 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. the

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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 WorkLife Balance of Executive Employees, University of Calgary 5. GunaSeelanRethi, Constructs of Quality of Work Life: A Perspective of Information and 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 the Scales 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, India 9. 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 in organizations: Future directions for research and practice, (pp. 61-84). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum

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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 2 3 4 Age Gender Work Experience Educational Qualification Type of the organization Monthly Salary Marital Status Distance between company & residence Mode of conveyance Public Private Below 15,000 Married 15,000-30,000 Unmarried Widow 30,000 & above Divorcee 20-30 Male 0-5 SSLC 5-10 +2 10-20 Degree 30-40 40-50 Female 20-30 P.G 30 & above 50-60

6 7 8

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 3. I sometimes work from home a.) Yes b.) No 4. I usually take office /work related calls when at home a.) Yes b.) No
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Part B

Tick () as appropriate
Statements
I feel that technological advancement attributes to physical and 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 I prefer using company mobile/ laptop/ notebook for personal use How often do you use it away from workplace/ outside working hours I believe that using work-related technology outside work helps in maintaining necessary flexibility to have a positive work life balance My work life is balanced Less than 2 hours 2 to 4 hours More than 4 hours Yes No Not Required

Strongly Agree

Agree

Neutral

Disagree Strongly Disagree

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 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

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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

Thank You for your valuable time

Name: Mobile No:

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