CHAPTER-1 1.

1 INTRODUCTION
Absence is the failure of worker to report for work when he is scheduled to the work. A work is to be treated as absent for the purpose of this absenteeism statistics even when he does not turn up for a week after obtaining prior permissio n. K.G. Desai classified absenteeism in to two types viz, authorized absenteeism and unauthorized absenteeism. Authorized absenteeism is permitted absenteeism i.e, taking leave prior permissio n of an employer. Unauthorized absenteeism means taking leave without prior permissio n of an employer. Absence of worker on account of strike or lock out or layoff i.e, involuntary absent is not considered as absence for the purpose of absenteeism study. Absenteeism rate is the percentage of man days lo st due to voluntary absent (both authorized and unauthorized) to the corresponding total man days schedule to work. It can be expressed as under: Man days lost (both authorized and unauthorized) -----------------------------------------------------------X 100 Man days scheduled to work According to K.N vaid absenteeism can be measured with the help of the following formula Persons not working due to Authorized leave Absence Rate = + unauthorized leave -------------------------------------------------------------------- X 100 Man shifts actually worked

EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM

According to the view of K. Aswathappa, Absenteeism costs money to the organization besides reflecting employee dissatisfaction with the co mpany. Absenteeism is unavoidable when the employee himself or herself falls sick, His or her dependents at ho me suddenly become unwell or there is an accident inside the plant. Unavoidable absenteeism is accepted by managers and is even sanctioned by labor laws. Avoidable absenteeism arises due to night shifts, opportunities for moon lighting and earning extra inco me, indebt ness, lack of job security, unfriendly supervisio n and jo b dissatisfaction. This absenteeism needs intervention by the management. Absent ee ism is of two types 1. Innocent absenteeism - Is o ne in which the emp loyee is absent fro m work due to genuine cause or reason. It may be due to his illness or perso nal fa mily pro blem or any other real reaso n 2. Culpable Absenteeism - is o ne in whic h a perso n is absent fro m work without any genuine reaso n or cause. He may be pret ending to be ill or just want ed a holiday and stay at ho me. Ma n y emp loyees will, o n o cc a s io ns , need a fe w d ays off work bec au se of illness , how eve r, when a bsences beco me mor e fr eq u ent or lo ng t er m a nd r e a c h a n u na ccepta ble leve l, a ctio n by ma na gement is necess ary. Absence fro m work c a n be expens ive in both mo ne tary a nd hu ma n t er ms . The co st s inc urr ed when a n emp loyee is a bsent fro m work may inc lu de : (i) Rep lac ing the emp loyee or requiring other staff to co ver the absence; (ii) Ina bility to pro vide services, or achieve sectio n and depart mental o bjectives; (iii) Low morale and general dissatis factio n fro m other staff, particularly if the absence is perce ived as unwarrant ed.

EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM

Effects of absenteeism on Industry

Absenteeism

Affects production targets

Increases the work load of inexperienced & less experienced Leads to rejection of finished products

Increases the cost of production

Lowers the Profit margin

Affects Industrial growth

EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM

Effects of absenteeism on the employees

Absenteeism

Reduces his earnings

Adds his indebtedness

Decreases the Purchasing power Leads to family problems

Increases mental stress Leads to inefficiency in his job

Loss of employment

EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM

PECULIAR FEATURES OF ABSENTEEISM: On the basis of micro studies undertaken in different parts of the country, certain observations may be made. a. The rate of absenteeism is the lowest on pay day; it increases considerably on the days following the payments of wages and bonus. b. Absenteeism is generally high amo ng workers below 15 years of age and those above 40. The younger employees are not regular and punctual, presumably because of the employment of a large number of newco mers amo ng the younger age groups. While the older people are not able to withstand the strenuous nature of the work. c. The rate of absenteeism varies fro m department to department within a unit. As the size of the group increases, the rate of absenteeism goes up. This difference in the rate of absenteeism is believed to be due to the peculiar style and practices of management, the composition of the laborer force and the culture of the organization. d. The percentage of absenteeism is generally higher in the day shifts. e. The percentage of absenteeism is much higher in coal and mining industries than in organized industries f. Absenteeism in India is seasonal in character. g. It is the highest during March-April-may, when a land has to be prepared for mo nsoon saving, and also in the harvest season, when the rate goes as high as 40 percent.

EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Int egra is a co mpany with 1,500 emp loyees and it is a develo p ing co mpa ny getting a new reputatio n in the fie ld of e-publis hing. So it is very essential for the co mpany to co ncentrat e in the emp loyees co mmit ment towards the work assessed for him. It is also easier to find the emp loyees satis factio n towards his jo b by co nducting a study o n emp loyee a bsent eeism whic h thereby he lps the co mpany to retain it s emp loyee, s ince it is found that there is a low rat e of labor turno ver in this co mpa ny. So, this study will he lp the co mpa ny to ado pt measures to reduce absent ee ism a nd to increase the emp loyees co mmit ment towards his jo b by knowing the factors whic h remains a s a hindrance for the emp loyee to be punctual towards his jo b.

EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM

1.3 NEED FOR STUDY

One of the major problems affecting the precious resource of any organization is absenteeism. Absenteeism is not only an individual problem but also a social as well as economic problem of our country. When absenteeism becomes a habit there is not only general lowering of morale, but also results in loss and deterioration of skill and efficiency. This may lead an organization to attain reduced productivity. Decrease in production will affect the profits of the company. To control the rate of absenteeism we should know what absenteeism is and study the factors such as personal factors, social factors and environmental factors responsible for absenteeism. Reducing the rate of absenteeism is not a simple task. So, there is a great need for the research and analys is of absenteeism in the organization.

EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM

1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

To study the general causes for emp loyee absent ee ism To analyse the workplace factors whic h leads to emp loyee absent ee ism in the organizatio n To find out the mo st pro minent general and worklife factors that leads to absent eeism in the organizatio n

EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM

1.5 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

y y y

The information provided by them may be subjected to personal bias. Some of the respondents were not interested to express their views. It is possible that some of the respondents feel that the management has backed the study and hence the reliability of the response. Due to time constraints and busy schedules it was difficult to interact with the employees completely.

EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM

CHAPTER-2 PROFILE OF THE COMPANY 2.1Introduction

Integra is one of the leading pre publishing services co mpanies, in the world providing end-to-end content management and content transformation services including high quality digital typewriter-publishing services (SGML, XML) data conversio n and related services for books and journals, for various publishers, press and corporate, around the world. For over a decade, Integra has been offering a full range of high end publishing services for professionals and educational books/journals, reference books, elementary high school and college text books, custom made course material, user manuals and catalogues, financial and legal publications.

2.2 History
Integra has emerged fro m a team of 5 in 1994 in over 1000 professio nals today. Integra specializes in providing full service project management-publishing for books and journals, data conversio n services archival solutions and a host of value added services. Having its headquarters in Pondicherry, India, Integra has its global service delivery centers at Pondicherry and Chennai, and wholly owned subsidiaries in UK (Cambrideshire) and USA ( Chicago & New York).

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10

2.3 Leadership team

Sriram Subramanian founder, MD and CEO, Integras core management group consists of professio nals with several years experience in the IT industry. This group is backed up by a team of around 800 highly qualified professio nals, working together effectively with a willingness to explore new ideas and learn endlessly, setting exceptional standards of performance and productivity, creating and enhancing value for our clients. Sriram Subramanian has B.S. Engineering with around 15 years experience in various senior positions. He is a proven leader and entrepreneur. In 1994, he co-founded Integra along with Anuradha Sriram.

2.4 Vision
By 2013 it plans to emerge as the worlds leading provider of end-to-end prepress and epublishing services, delivering superior returns to shareholders and profitable solutions to customers through empowered and professio nally skilled employees.

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2.5 Five Driving Forces of Integra

ZEAL TO SUCCEED

FLEXIBILITY

PASSION

ADAPTABILITY

COMMITMENT

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12

2.6 Clients

Integra has built its clients base in the past 16 years out of it s sheer focus in customer satisfaction. Integra which is a leading e-publishing co mpany in India quotes that this client list was acco mplished only by maintaining schedule integrity, providing high quality deliverables, being flexible and adaptable and forging bonds of lo ng lasting nature. Its clients are,  Elsevier  Pearson Education  Chicago University Press  Oxford University Press  Taylor & Francis  Wiley Publications  Cambridge University Press  Palgrave Macmillan  Springer  Cengage Learning

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2.7 STRUCTURE OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT

General Manager

Recruitment

Employee relations

L&D

Admin

HR E HRma nager ManHR ager

ER ERma nager Manager

L&D Manager

Administr ator

Senior executive

Senior executive

Senior executive

Senior executive

Junior exec utive v

Junior executive

Junior executive

Junior executive

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2.8 Services
Integra Software Services is one of the largest providers of prepress and electronic publishing services to almost all leading glo bal publishers and typesetters across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Today they are equipped to deliver a whole gamut of value-added services that include end-to-end project management, editorial services, image management and digital archiving besides traditional multilingual typesetting and data conversio n services. Integras capability extends across lines of business such as books, journals, magazines, major research works, financial content management, translation and localization and new media publishing. As a full-service house, Integra provides advanced e-publishing services using the latest technologies like SGML/ XML and HTML, including SGML entry of scientific text comprising math and tables as per the DTD supplied by the client. They offer a full range of high-end publishing services for
y y y y

STM & HSS books and journals Major reference works/ encyclopedias College & school textbooks Trade books

Editorial services y y y y y y y Project Management Copy-editing Proofreading Indexing Language polishing Accuracy checking Permissio ns research y y y y y

Production Image processing Cover page Data conversio n Artwork Creation Multi-language typesetting

Other Services y Media y DTD development y Application Development y Digital Asset management

EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM

15

Project management services

y y y y y y y

Managing and coordinating the entire project starting fro m receipt of handover notes from the Publisher to dispatch of final files Sharing the planned schedule with the publisher to meet the deadlines as per the needs Liaising with everyo ne involved in the project including Authors, Editors, Publishers and Production personnel Quicker resolution of queries of the clients Resolving any issues if they arise Keeping track of manuscripts and page proofs through the entire phase of production Following-up and scheduling with Integras Global Delivery Unit to meet the Publishers deadline

Production Integra's core expertise lies in the digital typesetting of books and journals. They typeset works of a range of co mplexities from 1-color to 4-color, for which they have a large pool of experienced and skilled co mpositors well versed in using the latest versio ns of pagination software (with or without XML) like
y y y y y

QuarkXpress LaTeX 3B2 InDesign FrameMaker

They have XML-first workflow developed in all of the above mentioned typesetting software which helps to deliver XML files at the end of process seamlessly. They also have the capability to integrate other deliverables within the workflow by using Single Source Publishing methodology. Today, Integra produces more than 1 millio n typeset pages annually. Some of the other services include
y y y y

Image enhancement and management Creative art Design services for book and cover Data conversio n fro m any format to any format

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Data Conversion They convert any co mplex matter, including equations and tables from any paginatio n software or hard copy, to SGML, XML, HTML, Word, e-Books and PDF (both searchable and non-searchable). Their workflow for Web Publishing allows them to create print PDF and hyperlinked PDF simultaneously for print as well as for the internet; they also convert data from SGML to XML, as well as any proprietary markup languages. Conversions are made fro m,
y Hard copy to any digital for mat y Any digital for mat to any other format y E-books

They also specialize in conversio n of books into different formats like e-pub, Mobipocket, Kindle, Palm PDB, DML, Sony and LIT. Digital Asset Management Integra provides a unique value added service of archiving, re-archiving, retrieval & reprint of their customers files, using its iArchive tool. A dedicated team forms the Digital Asset Management group and extends this service to global publishers. Archiving /Re-archiving services
y Validation of data before archiving/re-archiving to ensure quality of archives y Technology migration strategies y Online and Offline archiving

Retrieval
y Retrieving and packaging assets based on end user's requirement saving time for

the customer y Delivery through various medium Reprint

y Perfor ming reprint reduces coordination at customer's end y Re-archiving done after reprint ensures latest version is available in Archives

EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM

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2.9 Company Working Hours

General shift- 9 a.m to 6 p.m First shift- 10 a.m to 2 p.m Second shift- 2 p.m to 10 p.m Third shift- 10 p.m to 6 a.m

2.10 Milestones
 15+ years experience in content processing for publishers worldwide.  Servicing 9 out of top 10 STM and educational publishers.  Has handled over one millio n typeset pages in 2008.  Has multilingual typesetting capabilities(English, Dutch, German, Spanish & French)  ISO9001:2008 certified co mpany with adoption of six sigma processes.  1500 employees, biggest employment provider in Pondicherry, India.  Winner of NASSCOM gender inclusivity award for 2009  Rated no 2 in Customer Satisfaction as per Black Book of Outsourcing 2009  Leading Full Service provider to publishing industry world-wide with Glo bal delivery Models  Onshore     Full Service Delivery Centre for Hi-Ed in Hinsdale, Illinois Full Service Delivery Centre for K-12 in New York City Full Service House in UK E-to-E service provided out of India - Pondicherry & Chennai.

 Offshore

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CHAPTER-3 REVIEW OF LITERATURE

THEORIES OF ABSENTEEISM: Absence behaviour is discussed in terms of theories on absences such as the notion of the informal contract, perceived inequity, and withdrawal fro m stressful work situations, dynamic conflict, social exchange, withdrawal, non-attendance, organizationally excused vs. organizationally unexcused, involuntary vs. voluntary and lastly a four-category taxonomy.

3.1 INFORMAL CONTRACT: Gibsson (1966) attempted to explain so me of the main features of absence behaviour by means of the notion of an informal contract. The contract is viewed as being made between the individual and the organisation. Gibsson (1966) was especially int erested in absences that were not long enough to activate formal legitimising (certification) procedures. He used the concept of valence, referring to a persons positive or negative relationships to a work situation and pointed out that if the co mbined valences of a work situation are weak, it will be easier for people to legitimise their absences to themselves. Gibsson (1966) remarks that a plausible idea relating to the size of the organisation influences absence rates; in larger organisations, since there is greater divisio n of labour, there is also more concealment of the contributions of individuals, thus permitting latitude for absence fro m work. He also mentions the importance of the employees identification with the organisation, as in the case of longer-service employees, and argues for the importance of the authenticity of the work contract (Gibsson, 1966). In other words, the organisation should be seen to offer a fair deal to the individual, whose feelings of obligation would thus be strengthened.

EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM

19

In this research Gibssons (1966) concept of valence, referring to an individuals positive and negative relationship toward a work situation has relevance, as the aim of this research is to determine whether work-related attitudes (Job Involvement and Organisational Co mmit ment) predict employee absenteeism. It is hypothesised that employees with low job involvement and organizational co mmit ment (negative relationship to the work situations) will have higher levels of absenteeism. 3.2 RESOLVING PERCIEVED INEQUITY: Adams (1965), Hill and Trist (1953) and Patchen (1960) have made notable theoretical contributions towards the study of absenteeism. No recent literature has been identified which has built on this perspective. Adams (1965) suggested that absences may be a means of resolving perceived inequity; the probability of absence behaviour will increase with the magnitude of inequity and if other means of reducing inequity are not available. Patchen (1960) had tested this kind of hypothesis; producing evidence of a relationship between absences and perceived fairness of pay, that is, employees feelings about how fairly they had been treated in regard to their pay levels and promotions. 3.3 WITHDRAWAL FROM THE STRESS OF WORK SITUATIONS: In their study on absence, Hill and Trist (1953; 1962) contributed a theory of absence as being the withdrawal fro m the stress of work situations. Withdrawal is the central explanatory concept; thus, individuals experiencing conflicts of satisfaction and obligations tend to express them through labor turnover, accidents, and unsanctioned absences (this is, absences without formal permission). In additio n to the views of Hill and Trist (1962), Hanisch and Hulin (1991) theorized that absenteeism and other withdrawal behaviors reflect invisible attitudes such as jo b dissatisfaction, low level of

EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM

20

organisational commit ment, or an intention to quit. According to this view, an employee who is absent from work is consciously or unconsciously expressing negative attachment to the organization. 3.4 DYNAMIC CONFLICT: The withdrawal explanation offered by Hill and Trist (1962) had some subsequent influence on theoretical discussio ns by s (1962) and Knox (1961). Gadourek (1965) described the latter as dynamic conflict theories. The conflict is located within the individual, and whether a person stays or withdraws is the result of a complex in incentives and stresses. 3.5 SOCIAL EXCHANGE: Chadwick-Jones(1982) presented a case for the theory of absenteeism that is social, not individual in emphasis. As a first step Chadwick-Jones (1982) assumed the interdependency of members of work organisations. It seems obvious that individuals do have some mutual obligations to peers, subordinates, and superiors (as well as other relationships outside the work situation). In this context the rights and duties of individuals are both subject to, and representative of, a set of rules about activities in the work situation. What individuals do is therefore likely to be in answer to, on behalf of, in defence of, as well as achieving a compromise with the rules of the group. The second assumption made by Chadwick-Jones (1982), is that under the employment contract, some form of social exchange is taking place between employers and employees. Whatever they exchange in this situation whether it be their time, effort, or skill or money, security, congenial friends, or anything else- it will be only what is possible for employees in the organisation. Exchanges may be conceived as between individuals and work groups, or between work groups and management, but it would not be realistic to conceive of the exchange between the individual and the organisation while disregarding the social conditions and rules.

EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM

21

Chadwick-Jones think of social exchange between employees and employers as developing in, or as revealed by, a pattern of behaviour in the work situation that includes absences with all the other factors that constitute the contract, formal and informal, between employers and employees. Formal factors include pay, hours, disciplinary rules, jo b duties, and promotion lines. Informal ones include supervisory styles, peer group relations, and salient to their analys is absence from work. Chadwick-Jones (1982) however, do point out that absences may not enter into the exchange at all, insofar as some employees or employee groups, especially those with higher status supervisors in factories, managers in banks are absent very little or hardly at all. It is quite possible, however, that managers possess greater control over the allocation of their working time and may take periods of time out that are not recorded. 3.6 WITHDRAWAL: According to Chadwick-Jones (1982), absence from work, where work is defined by the employees presence at a particular location (office or workshop) for a fixed period each day, can be interpreted as an individual act of choice between alternative activities; as withdrawal or escape from surveillance; as individual or group resistance to an inflexible system. Thus, absence may also be viewed as a stratagem in inter-group relations, as a defensive or aggressive act in inter-group conflict (Chadwic k-Jones et al., 1982). For the purpose of this research this theory has relevance, as the reasons for absence behaviour could be related to a choice of alternative activities instead of attending work. 3.7 NON-ATTENDANCE: Another definition of absenteeism refers to the non-attendance of employees for scheduled work (Gibons, 1966; Johns, 1978; Jones, 1971). The definition distinguishes absenteeism fro m other forms of non-attendance that are arranged in advanced (e.g. vacations) and specifically avoids judgments of legitimacy associated with absent events that are implied by as sick leave. This definitio nal emphasis seeks to focus on the ke y organisational consequences of unscheduled non-attendance instability in the supply of

EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM

22

labor to the organisation resulting in the disruption of scheduled work processes and the loss of under utilisation of productive capacity (Allen, 1981; Jones, 1971, Nicholson, 1977). For this research this definition will be applicable, as the researcher will not take into account absences due to vacation leave and sick leave taken over more than three days. 3.8 ORGANISATIOALY EXCUSED VS UNEXCUSED: In terms of distinguishing amo ng types of absence, one simple distinction that previous studies (Blau, 1985; Cheloha & Farr, 1980; Firzgibbons & Moch, 1980) made is between organisationally excused versus organisationally unexcused absences. Based on these studies, it seems that organisations operationalise excused absence to include (within defined limits) categories such as personal sickness, jury duty, religious holidays, funeral leave, and transportation problems. However, as Johns and Nicholson (1982) noted, absence behaviour can have a variety of meanings for individuals. This research will focus on the organizationally unexcused type of absenteeism. 3.9 INVOLUNTARY VS VOLUNTARY: March and Simo n (1958) on the other hand, distinguished between two basic types of absences: involuntary (e.g. certified sickness, funeral attendance) and voluntary (e.g. vocation, uncertified sickness). Voluntary absences are under the direct control of the employee and are frequently utilised for personal aims. Conversely, involuntary absences are beyo nd the employees immediate control. Hence, voluntary rather than involuntary absences fro m work may reflect job dissatisfaction and lack of co mmit ment to the organization. 3.10 A FOUR-CATEGORY TAXONOMY: Blau and Boal (1987) presented a four-category taxonomy describing the meanings of absence. These categories are medical, career enhancing, normative and calculative.In the medical category , absence is viewed as a response to various infrequent and uncontrollable events (illness, injury, fatigue, and family demands). If such an absence (medical) occurred, it probably would be operationalised as a sporadically occurring

EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM

23

excused absence (Blau & Boal, 1987). In the career enhancing category, absence is depicted as a mechanism that gives the employee a further choice to pursue task- and career-related goals. For the normative category, absence is viewed less as a motivated behaviour and more as a habitual response to the norms of the work group (organisation) regarding absence (Blau & Boal, 1987). As such, this type of absence probably would operationalise as a consistently occurring excused absence. Thus, for this group, it would be expected not only to predict frequency, but also when absenteeism will happen. Finally the calculative absence is viewed as a coin of exchange (Blau and Boal, 1987; Johns & Nicholson, 1982) in either fulfilling or modifying the implicit social contract between the employee and employer, and as a time allocation strategy for enhancing nonwork outcomes. This type of absence would be operationalised in terms of the employee using a certain number of excused and unexcused absences permitted by the organization, depending on how much the employee felt he or she should modify the implicit social contract. It could be predicted that an extremely apathetic employee (low jo b involvement and organizational co mmit ment) would take full advantage by using both kinds of absence. Thus, the absolute frequency and total number of days absent should be greatest for workers who are the most apathetic. 3.11 ACTIONS TO REDUCE ABSENTEESISM: The industrial society survey found that the top ban most effective ways of managing attendance adopted by the 486 respondents were. 1. Accurate Monitoring 2. Return to work policy 3. Written absence policy 4. Training of line managers 57% 50% 50% 37%

EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM

24

5. Motivation 6. Discipline 7. Communicating absence rates 8. Senior Management commit ment 9. Performance appraisal 10. Team working

37% 36% 33% 27% 26% 21%

Jackson (1994) in study based upon a sample of 550 employees found that the causes of excessive absenteeism were as follows A. Poor work habit s B. Personal adjustments C. Dissatisfaction D. Irresponsibility E. Outside difficulties F. Sickness or fatigue 6% 9% 16% 17% 17% 35%

1. Mann and Baumgartner (1952) report a study typical of the University of Michigan Group. They co mpared the attitudes of high and low absentee rate employees. The investigators found that a more favorable attitude toward supervisor and a more favorable feeling about work associates acco mpanied lower absentee rates for both blue and white-collar workers. According to their study absenteeism rises as supervis ing quality decreases 2. In a study of absenteeism of 4 major textile mills in Delhi covering a period of 4 years-1960 to 1963 Made by The Shri Ram Centre for industrial relations, the following facts were revealed.

EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM

25

About 40% of total yearly absences occurred with the permissio n of management About 25% were due to sickness and accidents and were granted by ESI. The remaining 35% were caused by workers unauthorized absenteeism.

y y

EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM

26

CHAPTER-4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 4.1 Research Design

A research design is the arrangement of conditions for collection and analys is data in a manner to combine relevance to the researcher purpose with econo my in procedure It constitutes the blueprint for the collection, measurement and analysis of data. As such design includes an outline of what the researcher will do form writing the hypothesis and its operational implications to the final analysis of data. As such the design includes an outline of what the researcher will do fro m writing the hypothesis and its operational implications to the final analysis of data. More explicit, the decisio ns happen to be in respect of: What is the study about? Why is the study being made? Where will the study be carried out? What type of data is required? Where can the data found? What periods of time will the study include? What will be the sample design? How will the data be analyzed? In what style will the report be prepared? What techniques of data collection will be used? The Research Design undertaken for the study is Descriptive one. A study, which wants to portray the characteristics of a group or individuals or situation, is known as Descriptive study. It is mo stly qualitative in nature. The main objective of Descriptive study is to acquire knowledge.

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27

4.2 Source of Data

Data are the raw materials in which marketing research works. The task of data collection begins after research problem has been identified and research design is chalked out. Data collected are classified into primary and secondary data.

 Primary data
In this study, the primary data is collected to understand the main reasons behind the absenteeism of the employee. This is collected using a questionnaire specifically designed for the employees of all levels.

 Secondary data
Secondary data were collected fro m the companys annual publications, memorandums of settlements, newspapers, journals, websites, and fro m library books

4.3 Sampling Methodology

Research work was conducted by taking a sample of 100 employees of 1300 (excluding apprentice trainees and contract labors). To study the problem clearly numbers of employees fro m each department were selected on the basis of the size of the depart ment as well as nature of the work. Questionnaires were distributed to the employees individually and lot of efforts had to be taken to collect the required data from the selected sample of employees representing the population. The questions in the questionnaire are framed on the basis of the factors responsible for absenteeism

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4.4 Description of statistical tools used

 Percentage method

Percentage Analysis
In this project Percentage method test was used. The percentage method is used to know the accurate percentages of the data we took, it is easy to graph out through the percentages. The following are the formula No of Respondent Total no. of Respondents

Percentage of Respondent =

x 100

Weighted average method:

 Weighted average can be defined as an average whose component items are multiplied by certain values (weights) and the aggregate of the products are divided by the total of weights.  One of the limitations of simple arithmetic mean is that it gives equal importance to all the items of the distribution.  In certain cases relative importance of all the items in the distribution is not the same. Where the importance of the items varies.  It is essential to allocate weight applied but may vary in different cases. Thus weight age is a number standing for the relative importance of the items.

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CHAPTER-5 ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

Analysis using simple random sampling Demographic details:

AGE OF THE RESPONDENTS Age 20-30 31-40 41-50 Total No of Respondents 79 19 2 100 Chart 5.1 Percentage 79 19 2 100

20-30

31-40

41-50

INFERENCE
It is inferred that 79% of the employees who participated are in the age group of 2030, 18% come under the category of 30-40 and only 2% belongs to the category of 40-50.

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SEX OF THE RESPONDENTS Sex Male Female Total No of respondents 38 62 100 Percentage 38 62 100

Chart 5.2 SEX OF THE RESPONDENTS

male 38% female 62%

INFERENCE
It has been inferred that 62% of the employees who participated in the survey are female and the remaining 38% come under male category

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31

MARITAL STATUS OF THE RESPONDENTS Marital status Single Married Divorced Widow(er) Total No of respondents 64 33 0 3 100 Percentage 64 33 0 3 100

Chart 5.3 MARITAL STATUS OF THE RESPONDENTS

single

married

Widow

INFERENCE
It has been inferred that 64% of the employees who participated in the survey are single and 33% of the respondents are married. Rest of them are categorized under the category of widows.

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General causes for employee absenteeism: Table 5.1

No 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Causes Other source of income Higher studies Time for personal activities Health problems Employees commit ment Transportation problems Family responsibilities Lack of interest Strongly agree 15 40 41 12 4 8 31 Agree 14 39 20 6 19 7 1 23 Neutral 44 17 22 48 35 31 11 11 Disagree 10 2 14 26 23 34 41 15 Strongly disagree 16 16 6 18 32 12

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Chart 5.4

Other source of income

50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Strongly agree Agree Nuetral Disagree Strongly disagree

INFERENCE
It has been inferred that 15% and 16% of the employees absent themselves because of other businesses, since their income is not enough for their family expenses. Whereas among the remaining some are neutral and some strongly disagree to this statement. This clearly shows that very minimum number of people are engaged in some other business.

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Chart 5.5

Higher studies
45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Strrongly agree Agree Nuetral Disagree Strongly disagree

INFERENCE
40% of the respondents strongly agree that they had to concentrate in their higher studies which make them to take leave, since most of the employees working in the organisation are freshers, coming under the age group of 20-30 and they just work here to gain some experience.

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Chart 5.6

Time for personal activities

45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Strongly Agree Agree Nuetral Disagree Strongly disagree

INFERENCE

41% of the respondents strongly agree that they dont get time for their personal activities because of their tight schedule and heavy work which becomes a major factor to make them absent.

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Chart 5.7

Health problems leading to absenteeism

60

50

40

30

20

10

0 Strongly agree Agree Nuetral Disagree Strongly disagree

INFERENCE
Most of the employees disagree to the fact that health problems make them absent from their work and only 6% of them agree that their health gets affected often.

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Chart 5.8

Employees commit ment towards the work

Strongly agree

Agree

Neutral

Disagree

Strongly disagree

INFERENCE
This pie chart shows that 23% and 6% percent of the employees disagree and strongly disagree to the fact that their absence doesnt affect the companys output. Anyway this ratio is less because only employees at high level are really feeling committed towards their work.

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Chart 5.9

Transportation problem

Strongly agree

Agree

Neutral

Disagree

Strongly disagree

INFERENCE
Only 4% and 7% of the employees strongly agree and agree to this statement whereas the remaining are comfortable reaching their workplace since most of the employees recruited were residing close to their workplace and most of them were found to have two wheelers and four wheelers.

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Chart 5.10

Work Vs Family responsibilities

Strongly agree

Agree

Neutral

Disagree

Strongly disagree

INFERENCE
41% and 32% of the employees disagree and strongly disagree that their worklife is affected by their family responsibilities this shows that they were able to able their work and family because the company doesnt give any home assignments and projects to the employees.

EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM

Chart 5.11 40

Lack of interest

Strongly agree

Agree

Neutral

Disagree

Strongly disagree

INFERENCE
31% and 23% of the employees strongly agree and agree to the statement that they are not into the right job since most of them were engineering and science graduates who were doing the job of diploma holders and typewriters.

EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM

Factors responsible for employees absenteeism at the workplace:

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Table 5.2 No 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Causes Employees satisfaction Stress level of the employees Pay scale Loneliness at the workplace Routine work causes boredom Working conditions Welfare measures Shift basis- Drawback Lack of motivation Colleagues cooperation Strongly agree 20 58 50 8 12 2 40 28 11 Agree 26 22 27 3 41 20 11 5 Neutral 28 10 15 40 11 34 29 12 10 Disagree 11 5 2 30 21 4 6 8 32 60 Strongly disagree 14 3 3 15 10 56 56 12 10 14

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Chart 5.12

Employees Satisfaction towards the job

30

25

20

15

10

0 Strongly agree Agree Nuetral Disagree Strongly disagree

INFERENCE
It has been inferred that 20% and 26% 0f the respondents were dissatisfied with their job because most of them felt that they didnt fit in with the task allotted to them and some felt that they were dominated by their higher officials and didnt get any freedom to share their views.

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Chart 5.13

Stress level of the employees

70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Strongly Agree Agree Nuetral Disagree Strongly disagree

INFERENCE
Nearly 58% and 22% of the respondents have agreed that their work is heavy and tiresome which causes stress and due to stress they absent themselves to relax. This was found to be the majo reason for most of the employees to be absent.

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Chart 5.14

Salary and allowances

60

50

40

30

20

10

0 Strongly agree Agree Nuetral Disagree Strongly disagree

INFERENCE
50% and 27% of the employees feel that the salary given to them is not satisfactory since their work is stressful and they dont get any performance pay even if they work for overtime. They feel that the work assessed to them is greater and their pay scale is lesser.

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Chart 5.15

Loneliness at the workplace

45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Strongly agree Agree Nuetral Disagree Strongly disagree

INFERENCE
Only 8% and 3% of the respondents feel lonely at their workplace. This shows that this is a very minor reason for absenteeism in the company. Because, most of the employees were from the same locality and were found to have been college mates or schoolmates.

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Chart 5.16

Boredom due to routine work

45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Strongly agree Agree Nuetral Disagree Strongly disagree

INFERENCE
41% agree and 12% strongly agree that the same routine work allotted to them causes boredom towards their work which makes them to absent. This will also lead to lack of interest towards the work.

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Chart 5.17

Satisfaction with the existing working condition

60

50

40

30

20

10

0 Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree

INFERENCE
None of the respondents are dissatisfied with their existing working conditions. This shows that they are satisfied with the infrastructure and atmosphere in which they work.

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Chart 5.18

Satisfaction with the welfare measures

60

50

40

30

20

10

0 Strongly agree Agree Nuetral Disagree Strongly disagree

INFERENCE
It has been found that only 2% of the employees are dissatisfied with the welfare measures adopted by the company and the rest of them strongly disagree to this statement.

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Chart 5.19

Shift basis - Drawback

45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Strongly agree Agree Nuetral Disagree Strongly disagree

INFERENCE
20% and 40% of the respondents agree and strongly agree to that shift basis is a strong reason for their absence. This is because 62% of the respondents who participated in the survey were female, who feel that they are not comfortable with the night shifts.

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Chart 5.20

Lack of motivation

Strongly agree

Agree

Neutral

Disagree

Strongly disagree

INFERENCE
Only 11% and 28% of the respondents agree and strongly agree that they dont get proper motivation from their superiors, whereas 32% of the employees disagree to this statement.

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Chart 5.21

Colleagues Co-operation

Strongly agree

Agree

Neutral

Disagree

Strongly disagree

INFERENCE
Only 11% of the respondents strongly agree that their colleagues are not cooperative, whereas 60% of the respondents disagree to this fact, so it is evident that this factor doesnt play a major role in absenteeism.

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Ranking the general causes using weighted average method: Table 5.3 No
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Causes
Other source of income Higher studies Time for personal activities Health problems Employees commit ment Transportation problems Family responsibilities Lack of interest

Total score
299 411 379 236 293 227 191 322

Average
2.99 4.11 3.79 2.36 2.93 2.27 1.91 3.22

Rank
4 1 2 6 5 7 8 3

INFERENCE:
From the above table we can infer that the reason of higher studies was ranked first among the other causes, most of the employees also feel that they dont get ample time for their personal activities so it has been ranked second. Lack of interest towards the job has been ranked third, since most of them expect the right kind of job to be allotted to them.

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Ranking the workplace factors using weighted average method: Table 5.4 No
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Causes
Employees satisfaction Stress level of the employees Pay scale Loneliness at the workplace Routine work causes boredom Working conditions Welfare measures Shift basis- Drawback Lack of motivation Colleagues co-operation

Total score
324 421 410 247 309 166 165 344 288 209

Average
3.24 4.21 4.10 2.47 3.09 1.66 1.65 3.44 2.88 2.09

Rank
4 1 2 7 5 9 10 3 6 8

INFERENCE
The first main workplace factor was found to be the stress level of the employees. It was also found that most of the employees were not satisfied with their pay scale. Therefore it has been ranked second. Shift basis was also found be the third main reason for the employees absenteeism in this company.

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CHAPTER-6

6.1 FINDINGS General factors responsible for absenteeism:    Since most of the employees are working in a temporary basis and pursuing their studies, they tend to be absent to a greater extent. Lack of time for recreation and personal needs due to work pressure encourage them to take leave. Lack of interest towards the jo b due to over qualification and mismatch of the jo b makes them to be absent.

Worklife factors responsible for absenteeism:    Employees experience a higher level of stress since their work is heavy and tireso me, which makes them to be absent. Most of them feel that they are underpaid because they feel that for the same qualification other companies give them better compensation. The female employees dont feel co mfortable with all the shifts, mainly the night shifts.

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6.2 SUGGESTIONS:  The co mpany it self should provide support and back-up to its employees by having tie-up with educational organisations and conducting training programme and seminars once in a while. The co mpany can help the employees have get together or peer groups at the end of every month The people who are overqualified and not suitable for that particular jo b should not be recruited. The co mpany should allot some time for entertainment in additio n to the lunch break and it was found that most of the employees needed a break at least for alternate Saturdays. The co mpany can conduct performance appraisal once in 2 months. It can give overtime incentive for people who work for the organisation in Saturdays. It should also revise and increase the pay scale based on the profits of the company.

  

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CHAPTER-7 7.1 CONCLUSION

Integra software services should be very cautious while recruiting the employees. The co mpany should not solely concentrate in getting the work done by the employees; it should also give its employees so me time for fun and entertainment. Since this is a fastly developing company here in Pondicherry, it has to look after that its employees are satisfied with salary and co mpensation given to them. The co mpany can try adopting the suggestions given above to reduce absenteeism in the co mpany. Since most if the employees working here are co ming under the age group of 20-30, they will like to socialize in their weekends with their friends or family, so the company can free them in their Saturdays.

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7.2 BIBILIOGRAPHY

 Aswathappa, Human Resource and Personnel Management, Tata MC GRAW- Hill Publishing Co mpany limited.  Paneerselvam.R., Research Methodology Methods and Techniques, Second Edition.  Likert Rensis, The Human Organisation published by Mc Graw Hill Book Company Limited.  Flippo Edwin B Personnel Management publis hed by Mc Graw Hill Book Company Limited.  Tripathi P C Human Resource Development published by Sultan Chand &Sons, Educational Publishers.  Tapomoy Deb Strategic Approaches to Human Resource Management published by Atlantic publisher.  Dwivedi R.S., Human relations and organizatio nal behavior, 5th edition, publisher by Beri fore Macmillan India ltd., New Delhi.  Biswajeet pattanayak, Human resources management, second edition, published by prentice Hall of India Private Ltd., New Delhi.  Lewis R. Go mez-Mejia, David B. Balkin, Robert L. Cardy, Managing human resources,Third editio n, published by rajiv Beri fore Macmillan India ltd., New Delhi.  Gupta, S.P., Statistical Methods, Sultan Chand & Sons Publishers, New Delhi, Thirty Fourth Edition, 2005.

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Websites:
http://www.citehr.com/register.php?do=signup http://www.managementparadise.com/forums/archive/index.php/t13788.html http://www.sciencedirect.com/ http://www.absenteeism.com/ http://www.wikipedia.com/ http://www.integra-india.com/ http://www.scribd.com/ http://www.oppapers.com/

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ANEXXURE

60

QUESTIONNAIRE: A Study on Employee Absenteeism with reference to Integra Software Services, Pondicherry Name: Age a.) 20-30 Sex a.) Male Marital Status a.) Single

b.) 31-40

c.) 41-50

b.) Female b.) Married c.) Divorced d.) Widow(er)

General factors:
1. I have some other source of income which prompts me to take leave a.)Strongly agree b.)Agree c.) Nuetral d.) Disagree e.) Strongly disagree

2. I concentrate more on my higher studies when compared to my work a.) Strongly agree b.)Agree c.) Nuetral d.) Disagree e.) Strongly disagree

3. I am not into the job assigned to me and I am seeking for the appropriate job a.) Strongly agree b.)Agree c.) Nuetral d.) Disagree e.) Strongly disagree

4. I dont get enough time to spend with my family a.) Strongly agree b.) Agree c.) Neutral d.) Disagree e.) Strongly disagree

5. I feel that sickness makes me absent from work often a.) Strongly agree b.) Agree c.) Neutral d.) Disagree e.) Strongly disagree

6. I feel that my worklife is affected by the family responsibilities a.) Strongly agree b.) Agree c.) Neutral d.) Disagree e.) Strongly disagree

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7. I feel that my absence doesnt affect the companys output a.) Strongly agree b.) Agree c.) Neutral d.) Disagree e.) Strongly disagree

8. I do absent myself often because of transportation problems a.) Strongly agree b.) Agree c.) Neutral d.) Disagree e.) Strongly disagree

Worklife factors:
1. I am not satisfied with my works a.) Strongly agree b.)Agree c.) Nuetral d.)Disagree e) Strongly disagree

2. Stress is a part of my work life a.) Strongly agree b.) Agree c.) Nuetral d.) Disagree e.) Strongly disagree

3. I am not satisfied with the salary and allowances a.) Strongly agree b.) Agree c.) Nuetral d.) Disagree e.) Strongly disagree

4. I feel lonely while working with others (in your workplace) a.) Strongly agree b.)Agree c.) Nuetral d.) Disagree e.) Strongly disagree

5. I feel bored with the same routine work a.) Strongly agree b.)Agree c.) Nuetral d.)Disagree e.)Strongly disagree

6. I dont feel satisfied with the existing working condition a.) Strongly agree b.) Agree c.)Neutral d.) Disagree e.) Strongly disagree

7. I am not satisfied with the welfare measures adopted by the company a.) Strongly agree b.) Agree c.)Neutral d.) Disagree e.) Strongly disagree

8. Shift basis is a stumbling block for my regularity a.) Strongly agree b.) Agree c.) Neutral d) Disagree e.) Strongly disagree

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9. I dont get proper motivation from my superiors a.) Strongly agree b.) Agree c.) Neutral d.) Disagree e.) Strongly disagree

10. I am not getting sufficient co-operation from my colleagues a.) Strongly agree b.) Agree c.) Neutral d.) Disagree e.) Strongly disagree

Any other reasons, for your absence, please specify Any suggestions to reduce absenteeism in your company .

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