INDIA: AT MULTIPLE CROSSROADS OF WORK-

FAMILY CONFLICT

• INDIA IS A DEVELOPING COUNTRY WITH A

POPULATION of 1 BILLION PEOPLE

• RATIO OF THE POPULATION IS 935:1000

• THUS 48% OF TOTAL POPULATION IS FEMALE

• WORKING POPULATON IS 36% OF THE TOTAL

POPULATION

• WOMEN CONSTITUTE 32% OF THE WORKING

POPULATION

• AS PER COUNTRY REPORT PRESENTED AT THE 4TH

WORLD CONFERENCE-BEIJING,ONLY 4% OF ALL
WORKING WOMEN ARE EMPLOYED IN THE
ORGANIZED SECTOR

• IN URBAN AREAS, DUAL CAREER COUPLES ARE A

BURGEONING WORKFORCE

• THE JOINT FAMILY/EXTENDED FAMILY SYSTEM

,THE HALLMARK OF INDIAN HOUSEHOLDS IS FAST
DYING OUT.
• WOMEN ARE BETTERING THEIR STATUS-IN THE
DOMESTIC FRONT AS WELL AS THE PROFESSIONAL
FRONT.

• LARGE NUMBER OF WOMEN HAVE ENTERED THE

HIGHER ECHELONS OF PROFESSIONAL LIFE EVEN
THOUGH THERE ARE STILL VERY FEW IN THE
INDIAN CORPORATE BOARDROOM.

• WOMEN IN THE RURAL SECTOR HAVE ALWAYS

BEEN WORKING- WOMEN IN THE ORGANIZED
WORKFORCE IS A NEW SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL
PHENONMENON IN INDIA STARTING IN THE 70’S.

• WITH MORE AND MORE WOMEN HANDLING

MULTIPLE ROLES OF WIFE,MOTHER ,HOMEAKEDR
AND MANAGER,INDIA IS NOW SEEING THE
PHENONMENON OF WORK FAMILY CONFLICT.

• THE PROBLEM IS VAST AND MANIFESTED

DIFFERENTLY FROM THE WEST DUE TO THE
RAPIDLY CHANGING SOCIO-ECONOMIC FABRIC IN
THE INDIAN CONTEXT.

• CONFOUNDING THE CHANGES DUE TO THE INDIAN

WOMAN GOING OUT OF THE HOUSE TO WORK IS
THE REACTION AND CONSEQUENCES OF
BEHAVIOUR OF THE TRADITIONAL INDIAN MALE
 CULTURAL CHARACTEREISTICS OF INDIA

• AS PER HOFSTEDE’S STUDY(1980) ON

INTERNATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN WORK RELATED
VALUES,INDIA RATES HIGH ON POWER
DISTANCE,LOW ON UNCERTAINTY
AVAOIDANCE,MEDIUM ON INDIVIDUALISM AND
MEDIUM ON MASCULINITY.

• AS PER GLOBE CULTURAL

DIMENSIONSTUDY,INDIA RANKS AMONG THE FIVE
HIGHEST COUNTRIES ON IN- GROUP
COLLECTIVISM,AND AMONG THE FIVE LOWEST ON
GENDER EGALITARIANISM

• HIGH RANKING ON POWER DISTANCE DUE TO

CENTURIES OLD CASTE SYSTEM THAT STILL
PREVAILS IN INDIA-PERPETUATED BY THE
ESTABLISHMENT OF A HIERARCHICAL AND ALL
PERVASIVE ADMINISTARTIVE SYSTEM LEFT BY 200
YEARS OF BRITISH RULE.

• IN INDIA SOCIAL RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGS VARY

WITH STATUS

• POLITICAL FAMILIES ENJOY HIGH STSTUS AND

WELL PACED FAMILIES ENJOY FULL DOMESTIC
HELP.

• CHILDREN ARE TAUGHT TO BE DEPENDENT ON

OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS AND SUBSEQUENTLY
SUPPORT THEM
• CHILDREN EXPECTED TO LIVE WITH THEIR
FAMILIES LEAVING HOME ONLY FOR EDUCATION
AND WORK

• PAYMENT FOR EDUCATION IS THE

RESPONSIBILITIES OF ELDERS

• HELP OF FAMILY MEMBERS IS SOUGHT AND

EXPECTED

• REGARDING UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE-EFFORTS

ARE MADE TO REDUCE UNPREDICTABILITY ODF
EVENTS IN INDIA THROUGH THE PRACTICE OF
RELIGOUS BELIEFS AND CUSTOMS

• ACADEMIC ACHEIVEMENT IS A HUGE CONCERN

FOR MOST PARENTS, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE IN
THE MIDDLE CLASSSEEN AS A DIRECT STEP TO
ACHIEVE STATUS AND PRESTIGE.

• INDIAN SOCIETY CONTINIUES TO BE MALE-

DOMINATED DESPITE HAVING A STRONG FEMALE
PRIME MINISTER FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

• PRIMARILY,WOMEN ARE HOME MAKERS

• LARGE MAJORITYOF NATIONAL HEROES ARE MEN

• LITERACY RATE OF WOMEN MUCH LESS THAN

MEN-MALE CHILD SI THE PREFERRED SEX AND
FEALE INFANTICIDE STILL PREVAILS.
 • VIOLENCE AND ATROCITIES AGAINST WOMEN IN
THE FORM OF ‘SATI’* THOUGH BANNED- STILL
GOES ON-OCCASIONALLY

• DOWRY OR PAYMENT OF HUGE SUMS OF MONEY

OR PROPERTY OR ARTICLES OF USE, BY THE
BRIDES’ PARENTS TO THE GROOMS, AT THE TIME
OF THE WEDDING, IS STILL PRACTICED.

• POLYGAMY IS ILLEGAL, THOUGH PRACTICED BY

SOME RELIGIOUS GROUPS.

• THUS TO SUM UP-INDIAN SOCIETY CAN BE

DESCRIBED AS LARGELY GENDER INEGALITARIAN.

*committing suicide openly by the wife with sanction from

society- when the husband dies .
EMIC ISSUES

• RITUALS,CEREMONIES AND RELIGIOUS WORSHIP IS

COMMON IN ALL WALKS OF LIFE. INITIATIONS,
STARTING NEW VENTURES,SWEARING IN OF A
CABINET ARE SCHEDULED ACCORDING TO
AUSPICIOUS DATES AND TIMES.

• AMBIVALENCE ABOUT PUNCTUALITY-

PUNCTUALITY IS MAINTAINED TO A REASONABLE
DEGREE FOR BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS.FOR
SOCIAL ACTIVITIES AND
FUNCTIONS,PUNCTUALITY IS NOT CRITICAL.

• SOME OF THE LARGEST BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS

CONTROLLED BY FAMILIES OF FOUNDERS-
DILUTION OF MANAGEMENT CONTROL TO
PROFESSIONAL MANAGERS TAKES PLACE
GRADUALLY OVER GENERATIONS,USUALLY BY
THE THIRD GENERATION PROFESSIONALIZATION
OF THE COMPANY STARTS TAKING PLACE.

• PEOPLE OF HIGHER AGE AND STATUS TREATED

WITH DEFERENCE-SENIORITY CONTINUES TO BE
VALUED IN ALMOST ALL TYPES OF
ORGANIZATIONS