A STUDY ON WORK CULTURE AT POLARIS

A Dissertation submitted to the

UNIVERSITY OF MADRAS

in partial fulfillment of the requirements

for the award of the degree of

Master of Social Work

By

G. AMBIKA

MADRAS SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK

(Affiliated to the University of Madras)
No.32, Casa Major Road, Egmore,
Chennai– 8.

March 2005
 Certificate of Approval

It is hereby certified that the dissertation ‘A STUDY ON WORK CULTURE’

was designed and executed by G. AMBIKA in partial fulfillment of the
requirement for the award of the Degree of Master of Social Work, University
of Madras. This Dissertation is the original work of the said candidate, carried
out exclusively for the above-mentioned purpose.

Dr. D.Varadharajan, Mr. V.A. Vijayaragavan,

Principal Research Guide

Place: Chennai

Date: 31-03-05
 CONTENTS

PAGE
S. NO CONTENTS
NUMBER

1
Acknowledgement 1

2
List of Tables 2

3
Chapter-I: Introduction 3

4
Chapter-II: Research Methodology 15

5
Chapter-III: Analysis of Data 21

6
Chapter-IV: Findings, Suggestions and Conclusion. 38

7
Bibliography 44

8 Appendix 47
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

With much of pleasure, I express my gratitude to my Parents for

their strong support and encouragement in all my endeavors.

It is my privilege to thank our Principal Dr. D. Varadharajan for

fostering an excellent academic climate, which ultimately made this
endeavour possible.

I wish to extend my heartfelt thanks to Prof V.A. Vijayaragavan,

for his valuable throughout the Research

I would like to thank all my friends, who have helped me in the

completion of my Dissertation.

I would like to thank Mr. Prasanna, Asst Manager HR and

Ms. Sridevi Executive HR, of Polaris for allowing me to carry out the
Research in their organization.

Researcher
 LIST OF TABLES

PAGE
S.NO TABLES
NUMBER

1 Respondents by their Age 22

2 Respondents by their Sex 23

3 Respondents by their Departments of Work 24

4 Respondents by their Educational Qualification 25

5 Respondents by their Experience in the Organization 26

6 Values system in the Organization 28

6A Adherence of the Value and Ranking 29

7 Adherence to the Work related matters 30

8 Opinion on organization attending to employee needs 32

8A Needs of the Employees and their Ranking 34

Relationship between the top management and the

9 35
employees

9A Relationship Factors and their Ranking 37

INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER - I
 CHAPTER 1

1. INTRODUCTION

Work culture is one of the most important aspects in any organization. The work
culture is very important and vital because of the fact that it improves production and
enhanced work culture in the organization helps to survive the increasingly
competitive domestic as well as global markets. It refers to the employee’s opinion on
Flexi timings, Superior- subordinate relationship and the nature of work. Work is a
source of sustenance to human beings. The environment where the person works has
a lot of effect on the efficiency and effectiveness. In a layman’s language we can call
this environment along with the processes working in it as “Work Culture”

1.1 DEFINITONS:

According to R.S Mani, in the book “Human behavior at work”, by M.G.Rao, (1993)1
defines work culture as:

Work culture is defined as the rules/ regulations, polices/ practices, traditions / rituals
and values / beliefs of the organization

Edgar.H. Schein defines work culture in the book “Human behavior at work” by
M.G.Rao, (1993)2, as:

The “work culture” of an organization is a product of its history, traditions, values

and vision.

“A Pattern of basic group assumptions that has worked well enough to be considered
valid and therefore, it is taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think
and feel”
 1.2. THE CONTEXT / MEANING OF WORK CULTURE

Jai.B.Psingh, (1990)3 has defined the concept and meaning of work culture in the
book “Work culture in Indian context” as:
“The work related activities and the meanings attached to such activities in the
framework of norms and values regarding to work. These activities, norms and
values are generally conceptualized in an organization. An organization has its
boundaries, goals and objectives, technology managerial practices, material and
human resources as well as constraints. Its employees have skills, knowledge,
needs and expectations. The two sets of factors organizational and organismic
interact and overtime establish roles, norms and values pertaining to work. It is
the totality of levels of interacting factors around the focus concerns for work
culture”

1.2.1 WORK CULTURE AT FOUR LEVELS:

Jai.B.P.Singh, (1990)4 describe the following four levels of work culture as;

 Organizational goals and objectives and the way they are perceived and reacted to
by the employees: The work culture can be assessed by knowing whether the
goals and objectives of the organization are aware to the employees and also the
way they perceive it and react to the goals of the organization

 Technology of an organization, its structure, work forms, financial position etc:

The type of technology used in the organization, the structure of the organization
whether it is vertical or horizontal, the financial background of the organization
etc.
 Social groups, norms, values, power structure, role relations etc: The different
social groups in the organizations, its functioning, the norms and values followed
by the members, the power structure and the various role relations between the
employees in the organization.
 Work behaviour and work related activities: The behaviour pattern followed in
the organizations among the employees and also the other work related activities
like the discipline, timings and nature of the work.

1.3. KINDS OF WORK CULTURE:

Jai.B.P.Singh, 19905 describes the kinds of work culture in the book “ Work
culture in Indian context” as follows:

Work and organizational cultures are subsets of the larger societal culture. While
each organization has its own work culture, two patterns are distinct: soft and
synergetic representing the extremes of a broadly conceived continuum of work.

1. Soft work culture means that everybody in the organization is complacent enough
and the motivation level of the employees to do something new is very less. The
Soft work culture is not a desirable state of an organization

2. Synergetic work culture: Its social cultural values are utilized to mobilize and
motivate manpower. Synergetic organizational culture believes in rewarding for
hard work recognizes merit and gives due importance to work.

If the organizational culture is conductive to excellence at work, high

productivity, and the efficiency of work in employee’s life span and a high quality
of work life, the organization is said to have a work- conducive culture.
If an organizations enforces strong work norms, maintains strict discipline and
makes profits, but neglect and exploits its human resources the organization is
said to possess an unethical and work-centric culture. The employees lack
involvement, commitment, and desire to do something innovative in this kind of
culture.

Similarly if an organization neglects the social needs of its employees in

achieving technological excellence, it is said to be working under the technocratic
culture.

The criteria which determines the centrality of work for an individual are job
satisfaction, value addition from the job, peace of mind, working conditions, up to
date technology, superior – subordinate relationship, reinforcement (reward for
hard work), status/ prestige associated with the position/ designation, extent of
responsibility and freedom for making decisions, security of job and last but not
the least money.

Work culture changes with the organizational core activity. The work culture
present in heavy industries is significantly different form that existing in diverse
industries like banking, IT, fashion, entertainment and knowledge based
industries.

1.4. HISTORIC VIEW OF WORK CULTURE:

According to Jai.B.P.Singh, (1990)6 describes the historic view

of work cultures follows:

In the west, work culture evolved from the Judeo- Christian traditions, where
work was negatively viewed, where work was presented as a calling, to the post
industrial world view, where the concept of work being liberated from the
confines of employment and redefined as those activities which are societically
useful and personally Self- realizing. Work role compared to the changed
circumstances with the other life roles (such as family and leisure). While the
industrial revolution was a catalyst for the Protestian ethic, material affluence and
information technology seem to lead to new ways of looking at work culture in
the post-industrial era. It has been possible might have been more time for other
life roles.
1.5. IMPORTANCE OF WORK CULTURE:

Jai.B.P.Singh, (1990)7 describe the importance of work culture as follows:

Work culture has to be imbibed and developed. A good work culture is where
employees are prepared to take up new/ modified tasks and ensure that the same
are completed as per schedule. A good work culture involves the organization
creating a climate where employees are anxious to work and complete the task
and the employees ensure that the working hours are very devoted towards the
organizational work.

Culture is the software of the mind

Societical culture is an important aspect of an organization’s environment

External culture: that determines the work culture is the following:

- Acceptable behaviour for an organization

- Acceptable behaviour for individuals

Internal culture:
- Who will be hired
- How individual behave within the organization
- Whether an organization achieves its goals

Internal culture:
- The value and the beliefs shared among the employees of an organization
- As within the national culture, this determines acceptable and unacceptable
behaviour the

1.6. FOUR MODELS FOR WORK CULTURE:

M.G.Rao, (1993)8 indicates the four models of work culture as follows:

Preparing work place success:

1. Understanding who they are and what they do:

We believe that the models are helpful for determining options within the work
environments but can never be literally transposed between one environment and
another and emdashnor should they be. Each company reflects as an individual
does, unique characteristic, which require unique responses form the company
ownership. When a college hires a new faculty member, it is to the college that
the faculty understands the student needs, services available in the campus, the
funding system and more, likewise, when working with the clients it is important
to understand their motivation and how their system work. For E.g. is the
company in a growth mode? If so, they may value speed, efficiency, and
recruiting. Training may be a strong value. Alternatively, if the company is
undergoing an internal transition like ISO certification, then the documentation
becomes important process with details and accuracy is magnified.

2. Flexibility:

Business is constantly changing. Part of serving industry is the ability to meet its
ongoing demands. A company may have new management, be undergoing a
merger, or it may have adapted a new training programme. This means that a
company may call on Monday for training they would like to offer on Friday.
They may delay or adjust class schedules four to six times based upon the
production needs or customer demands. In addition personnel changes happen
regularly within industry, so building and rebuilding relationships is critical.

3. All workplace education is outcome based:

Most of the training is provided because of a clear and evident need. The
workplace often requests the instructor/ consultant’s experience in designing
training outcomes. Employees are paying for results, and if they aren’t being
delivered they will look elsewhere.

4. Commitment to individual and collective success:

Industry is often portrayed as an evil entity, which uses and victimizes people.
The employer often pays education within the workplace, so they have a high
commitment to the individual and the team ‘s success within the learning process.
Washington is experiencing a low employment cycle. Within the environment,
many employers are investing heavily in the education of their workforce.

1.7 WORK CULTURE IN INDIAN CONTEXT:

Jai. B.P.Singh, (1990)9 while describing the work culture in Indian context
mentions the following:

Work culture in Indian took a different route. Initially, work performed as

a part of social relationships and occupational differentiations along caste lines.
The British bureaucratized Indian work organizations and polarized the positions
of officers and non- development with the twin goal growth and social justice. In
many organizations, however social drifted into welfare orientation, which often
diluted the salience of growth of the reason may be the fact that the major share of
work in India is still performed in the agricultural sector, which is more central of
the Indian social systems in India. Hence, a more comprehensive understanding
of the Indian social milieu helps in understanding the work culture in Indian
organizations.
Overview Of Emergence And Changing Of Work Culture In Indian
Context:

The British were the first to introduce procedures and work methods were
all patterned after the British organization. The preference for relationship
orientation, which requires a superior to be nuturant and the subordinate to be
dependent was never totally erased from the Indian psyche. The rapid expansion
of industrial activities required a large-scale import of Western technology. And
work forms, which were expected to contain Western work values. The works
organizational were put in the service of national development with the twin goal
of growth and social justice. The developmental roles were not congruent to
economic objectives. The climate in many of the work organizations is still
marked by bureaucratization, im-personalization, political interference, and the
ethos of a welfare organization (more in public sector than in the private sector).
With the recruitment of employees from broader spectrum of the society there has
been grater penetration of social habits and cultural values into fabric or the work
organization.

The emphasis on equitable distribution of wealth had its roots in the Indian
cultural preference for harmony and sharing of wealth .In highly heterogeneous
and pluralistic social context of India, the condition of the employees was sought
to be improved through building tolerant organizations with the minimal conflict.
However it worked other way as employees construed these employee friendly
policies to meet their personal and social obligations while neglecting work
requirements.
Emerging trends of work culture in Indian Context:

Increasing number of organizations in India is doing away with the cabin

culture. Open office layout ensures greater transparency of operations and
facilitates easier communication among various people in the same location. This
promotes a feeling of oneness and eliminates physical barriers. There are only a
few cabin cubicles, which serve as conference with lesser disturbances. Another
important feature among the organizations is that hey have begun to lay greater
emphasis on teamwork. This fosters “we spirit and can often contribute to synergy
which in turn can make the organization more productive. Organizations have
now started to open office system, many organizations have heading for common
canteens, pools etc. This is the hierarchy for relationships at work are given more
informal and self- dependent ways of getting things done.

Some Recent Policies In Organizations Affecting The Work Culture:

There is always a policy change taking place in the organization for achieving
the goals of the organization like many organizations have introduced Voluntary
Retirement Scheme (VRS) to downsize (reduce the employees strength) to reduce
cost. This is applicable to mostly ailing PSU’S and private organizations in the
brick and mortar sector.

The organizations have come up with an “Anti sexual harassment policy” as

an initiative to prevent any abuse against the women workforce. This is one of the
policies that reflect the changing status of women in the workplace of the new
economy.

The increasing fluidity of organizational structure and cultures has opened up

opportunities for women who are well informed, well placed and well organized.
This trend is more visible in the urban class with the rural female population still
lagging quite behind. In certain cases, the workingwomen have proved themselves
to be more productive than their male counterparts. The work environment has
become so liberal that even women are staying late in the night to complete their
work. They are interacting continuously with the male colleagues and discussing
with them their family and other problems. They attend all the official parties and
functions, which continue sometimes, even in the late night. The noticeable point
is that they are still maintaining the traditional and moral values of the society.

1.8 IMPACT OF WORK CULUTRE ON THE SOCIETY AND

ITS MEMBERS:

According to Fred Luthans (2002)10 with the skyrocketing of the skilled work
force in the new economy industries, consumerism has become quite evident in
the metropolitan cities. Life is becoming more modernized in the megalopolis.
The overwhelming salaries and incentives offered by these organizations is in line
with their philosophy to create and share wealth. Decision making capability in
the social life of an individual has improved drastically with the decentralization
of decision- making process in the organizations. Similarly, leadership role in the
organizations can teach a person to fight against any social injustice in the
personal life. The win-win climate in these organizations can foster positive
attitude in the employees that help them in being successful in the social life.
These claims can be substantiated by the awareness of the working people living
in big cities about the problems faced by the society and their willingness to take
on initiative to clean the malaise faced by the society

Organization Profile:
Polaris Software is a leading global provider of financial Technology Solutions
and offshore IT Services, is a debt free and a cash rich company with a cash
reserve of over $20 million. Polaris’ domain expertise in the Financial
Technology space stems from its 18-year old relationship with Citibank and its
singular focus on the financial services industry. Solutions developed, deployed
and supported by Polaris service over 10 million Citibank customers in 70
countries across the world.

Polaris has undertaken over 2000 successful projects and has over 25,000 person
years of experience in managing projects with some of the most respected names
worldwide in the areas of consulting, turnkey project management, systems
integration and customized software development..

Polaris’ product suite offers comprehensive solutions that can be seamlessly

integrated into the existing systems and technologies of any financial institutions.
Polaris offer solutions for all domains - corporate banking, retail banking, trade
finance, credit/risk management, cash Management, treasury management,
leading, investments and securities mutual funds, credit cards and insurance.

Polaris’ Outsourcing models are flexible, with an appropriate solution for every
customer at any evolutionary stage of offshore development. Polaris is the world’s
first CMMi Level 5 company. Its physical and information security practices meet
the stringent security standards of the world’s top financial firms like Citi-group
and AIG.

With over 5500 employees, 22 relationship offices in 13 countries, 6 Software

engineering Centers in India and Business Continuity Centers in New Jersey and
Singapore, Polaris is right sized for providing maximum value to its customers.

1.9 RESEARCH PROBLEM:

In the light of the discussion presented in the preceding pages about the
nature and importance of work culture for organizational well being, it is the
interest of the researcher to have a empirical idea about the prevailing work
culture at the organization and also to study the issues related to it.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
CHAPTER - II
 CHAPTER - II
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

2.1 TITLE OF THE STUDY:

"A Study on work culture at Polaris"

2.2 AIM:
To analyze and understand the prevailing work culture at Polaris

2.3 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:

- To study the prevailing work culture
- To understand the factors that contribute to the work culture
- To confirm with the employee's comfortability with the prevailing work culture

2.4. RESEARCH PROBLEM:

Work culture is an important aspect of every organization. It is therefore the
interest of the researcher to have an empirical idea about the prevailing work culture at
the selected organization and also to study the issues related to it.

2.5. PILOT STUDY:

Before actually, undertaking the study, a pilot study was conducted at different
organizations like Quintergra, Prolease India ltd, SSI Technologies etc to get an idea
about the feasibility of conducting a research study on the topic (work culture). During
the process the researcher had a discussion with the HR executives there in and solicited
their opinion on the various issues related to the study. Out of the pilot study the
researcher decided to conduct a study at Polaris.
2.6. UNIVERSE AND SAMPLE:
Since the management at Polaris wanted the researcher to focus only on the
management staff for the present stud, they formed the universe for the study.
The management at Polaris did not give the employees detailsand also did not
provide the details regarding the total number of employees i.e. universe, as they
were considered it to be very confidential, Therefore the researcher had to adopt a
purposive sampling method of taking 10 respondents from each of the
departments of work at polaris. The details are as follows:

DEPARTMENT NO OF EMPLOYEES
Corp HR 10

Corp IT 10

EG 21 10

EG 24 10

SEPG 10

Internal Automation 10

2.7. RESEARCH DESIGN:

As the study attempts to describe the work culture and analyze the employee’s
comfortability, the Descriptive design seemed to be most appropriate and was
therefore adopted.

2.8. TOOLS FOR DATA COLLECTION:

The tool used by the researcher for collecting data was a structured questionnaire.
It was prepared in English and had closed ended questions. The questionnaire
method was adopted, as most of the respondents were very busy during the office
hours.
 The questionnaire was prepared in keeping the objectives in mind; it was given to
the respondent and collected back at a later date.

Contents of the questionnaire:

Contents of the questionnaire are divided into:

a) Personal data of the respondents
b) Focus of Values of the organization
c) Focus on the organization’s adherence to work related matters
d) Focus on the organization’s role in attending to factors like freedom, support
etc.
e) Focus on the relationship between Top management and the employees

2.9. PRE TESTING:

In order to ascertain the validity of the tool of data collection, viz. questionnaire, a
pre testing was done by the researcher with a selected number of 5 management staff of
the organization. This was essential to find out the parts of the questionnaire, which was
lacking perfection and also helped the researcher to identify the lacking areas and also
modify some parts of the questionnaire. The exercise done in this regard was very useful
for the researcher to give the final touch towards the questionnaire before putting into
actual study.

2.10. DATA COLLECTION:

Data collection was carried out at Polaris in the month of February 2005.All the
60 questionnaires were distributed to the employees at the work place. The
purpose of the study was explained to them personally by the researcher.
On the whole the respondents were friendly and co-operative.
2.11. OPERATIONAL DEFINTION:

For the purpose of the study the following key terms were operationally defined:

Work culture:
Work culture is defined as the rules/ regulations, policies/ practices, traditions /
rituals, values/ beliefs of the organization. (R.S.Mani) *

Management staff:
All the employees of the organization working in the departments like
EG21,EG24, SEPG, Internal automation, Corp HR, Corp IT in positions like
System analyst, Software developer, Hr executive etc, other than that of the
workers cadre are considered to be the management staff .

2.13. PROCESS OF DATA ANALYSIS:

The statistical package used for the research study is SPSS (Statistical Package for
Social Sciences.) through which the data was first entered and tabulated .The tabulated
data was interpreted to arrive at workable conclusions. Analysis and interpretation was
made to the tabulated data.

2.14. LIMITATIONS:

• The researcher found it difficult to collect the data from the respondents as
the respondents felt that there was a deviation from their regular work.

• The researcher found it difficult to restrict the respondents by discussing

with each other, which influenced the respondent’s original opinion about
the study.
2.15. CHAPTERIZATION:
The whole research study is characterized under the following chapters for easy
reading and better presentation.

1. Introduction

2. Research Methodology

3. Analysis and Interpretation

4. Findings, Conclusions and Suggestions

ANALYSIS OF DATA
CHAPTER - III
 CHAPTER III

ANALYSIS OF DATA

I. Analysis Of The Personal Data:

The analysis of the following tables shows the personal data of the respondents
like their age, experience, education etc, which are relevant for the purpose of the
study

Table 1:

Respondents by their Age

Percentag
S.no Age (years) Frequency
e

1 20-26 16 26.7

2 26-31 35 58.3

3 31-36 8 13.3

4 36& above 1 1.7

Total 60 100.00

With reference to the analysis of the personal data, Table No: 1shows that most
(58.3%) of the respondents of the study are in the age category between 20-25 yrs.
The other half(26.7%) of the respondents are in the age category between 20-
25yrs, the rest of the respondents about(13.3%) are of the age category between
30-35yrs and the rest about (1.7%) of them are in the age category between 35
&above.
 Table 2:

Respondents by their Sex

S.no Sex Frequency Percentage

1 Male 33 55.0

2 Female 27 45.0

Total 60 100

With reference to the sex of the respondent, Table No: 2 shows that
more than half (55%) of the respondents are male and the rest (45%) of the
respondents are female.
 Table 3:

Respondents by their Departments of work:

S.no Department Frequency Percentage

1 Corp HR 10 16.7

2 Corp IT 10 16.7

3 EG21 10 16.7

4 EG24 10 16.7

5 Internal automation 10 16.7

6 SEPG 10 16.7

Total 60 100.00

In the organization covered by the study there are 6 departments of work. They
are

1. Corp HR-
2.Corp IT,
3. EG21
4. EG24
5. SEPG
6. Internal Automation

The researcher included 10 respondents from each of the department for the
study. Table No: 3 shows the details about the percentage of the respondents as
drawn from all the six departments.
Table 4:

Respondents by their Educational qualification

Educational
S.no Frequency Percentage
qualification

1 Higher secondary 1 1.7

2 Under graduate 31 51.7

3 Post graduate 28 46.7

Total 60 100.0

With reference to the educational qualification of the respondents, Table No:4

shows that almost all the respondents are educated up to the level of graduation
(51.7%) or post graduation (46.7%) Where as only a least percent of the
respondents (1.7%) are found a in the higher secondary.
 Table 5:

Respondents by their Experience in the organization

S.no Experience in years Frequency Percentage

1 0-3 46 76.7

2 3- 5yrs 15 23.3

Total 60 100

As for the work experience of the respondents is concerned, Table No: 5 shows
that most (76.7%) of the respondents have an experience of less than 3yrs of work
experience. The rest (23.3%) of them a have an experience of more than 3yrs.
II. Analysis on work culture

The presentation and analyses of the following tables given in this section
reflects the various aspects of the work culture prevailing in the organization.
The different aspects taken for confirming the same are the as follows:

1. Values upheld in the organization.

2. Organization’s role in work related matters
3. Organizations role in attending to the employee’s needs.
4. Relationship between the top management and the employees
Values of the organization:

Table No 6:

Values System in the organization

Name of the
S.no Responses Frequency Percent
value
To great extent 24 40%
To some extent 36 60%
Integrity of
1 Not at all 0 0
employees
Total 60 100

To great extent 29 48.4%

Employees To some extent 31 51.6%
2 growth and Not at all 0 0
development
Total 60 100

To great extent 29 46.8%

To some extent 31 53.2%
Dignity of
3 Not at all 0 0
individuals
Total 60 100

To great extent 22
36.7%
Rewards and To some extent 37
61.6%
4 recognition of Not at all
1.7%
the employees
Total 60
100
To great extent 17 28.3%
Trust To some extent 42 70%
5 maintained with Not at all 1 1.7%
the employees
Total 60 100

To great extent 25 41.7%

Equal To some extent 32 53.3%
6 opportunities to Not at all 3 5%
the employees
Total 60 100
 The value system of the organization was confirmed on the following 6 categories
of values:
1. Integrity of the employees
2. Employee’s growth and development
3. Dignity of the employees
4. Rewards and recognitions
5. Trust maintained with the employees
6. Equal opportunities to the employees

With reference to the values adhered by the organization, Table No 6 shows that
all the values of the organization are very much upheld by the organization like
 Integrity- 60%,
 Employees growth and development- 51.6%
 Dignity of the employees- 53.2%,
 Rewards and recognitions- 61.6%.
 Trust maintained with the employees- 70%
 Equal opportunities to the employees- 53.3%.
The adherence of the values taken for study on their arrangement in their order of
rank indicates the following:
Table: 6A
Adherence of the Value and Ranking:

Value Ranking

Trust maintained with the employees 1st

Rewards and recognition of the
2nd
employees
Integrity of the employees 3rd

Equal opportunities to the employees 4th a

Dignity of the individuals 4th

Employees growth and development 5th

B. Organization’s adherence to the work related matters:
The analysis of the following tables shows the organization’s adherence to the
work related matters such as rules, policies etc.

Table No: 7
Adherence to the Work related matters

S.No Work related matters Adherences Frequency Percent

To great extent 41 68.3%

To some extent 19 31.7%
1 Rules and regulations Not at all 0 0

Total 60 100
To great extent 39 65%
Formulation and To some extent 21 35%
2 implementation of Not at all 0 0
policies
Total 60 100
To great extent 27 45%
To some extent 32 53.3%
Upholding the traditions
3 Not at all 1 1.7%
of the organization
Total 60 100

To great extent 29 48.3%

To some extent 31 51.7%
Enforcement of
4 Not at all 0 0
discipline in organization
Total 60 100

To great extent 26 43.3%

To some extent 32 53.4%
5 Work place maintenance Not at all 2 3%

Total 60 100
To great extent 21 35%
To some extent 39 65%
Adhering to the orders of
6 Not at all 0 0
the organization
Total 60 100
 The organization’s adherence to the work related matters is taken for confirmation
under the following categories:

1. Rules and regulations

2. Formulations and implementation of policies
3. Upholding the traditions of the organization
4. Enforcement of discipline in the organization
5. Work place maintenance
6. Adhering to the orders of the organization.

The analysis of Table No: 7 indicate the fact that in the work related matters in
case of

 Rules and regulations 68%

 Formulation and implementation of policies 65%
 Enforcement of discipline in the organization 51.7%
 Adhering to the orders of the management 65%
All respondents have given an overwhelming response in favor of their adherence
in the organization (100%) each. However on the following cases a small number
of respondents have an opinion against 100% adherence

 Upholding the traditions of the organization. 53.3%

 Work pace maintenance 53.4%

A small number of respondents have an opinion against 100% adherence.

C. Organizations role in attending to the employee’s needs

The analysis of the following tables shows the organization’s role in attending to
the employee’s needs.
Table No: 8:

Opinion on organization attending to employee needs

S.no Employee’s needs Opinion Frequency Percent

To great extent 24 40%

To some extent 35 58.3%
Recognition of
1 Not at all 1 1.7%
employees
Total 60 100
To great extent 27 35%
To some extent 37 61.7%
2 Freedom at work Not at all 2 3.3.%

Total 60 100
To great extent 14 23.3%
To some extent 44 73.3%
Support form top
3 Not at all 2 3.3%
management
Total 60 100
To great extent 27 45%
Establishment of To some extent 30 50%
4 communication Not at all 3 5%
system
Total 60 100
To great extent 21 35%
To some extent 38 63.3%
Providing welfare
5 Not at all 1 1.7%
measures
Total 60 100
To great extent 25 41.7%
Providing To some extent 34 56.7%
6 opportunities for Not at all 1 1.6%
growth
Total 60 100

To great extent 28%

17
To some extent 70%
42
Establishing a Not at all 2%
7 1
competitive salary
Total 100
60
The organization role in attending to the needs of the employees was confirmed
on the a following aspects:

1. Recognition of employees

2. Freedom at work

3. Support from top management

4. Establishment of communication system

5. Providing welfare measures

6. Establishing a competitive salary are all maintained to some extent in the

organization.

Contrary to the observation made in Table No: 7 with regard to the organization
attending employees’ needs, where in, it is observed that they are fulfilled at
100% level. Here by the fulfillment of employee needs are observed to be as
follows:-

 As regard to the recognition of employees 58.3%

 As regard to the freedom at work 61.7%

 As regard to the support from the top management 73.3%

 As regard to the establishment of communication system 50%

 As regard to providing welfare measures 63.3%

 As regard to providing opportunities at work 56.7%

 Establishing a competitive salary 70%

 The organization’s role in attending to the needs of the employees in their order of
rank:

Table: 8A
Needs of the Employees and their Ranking

Needs of the employees Ranking

Support from top management 1st

Competitive salary 2nd

Welfare measures 3rd

Freedom at work 4th

Recognition of employees 5th

Opportunities for growth &

6th
development

Establishing communication system 7th

D. Focusing on the relationship between the top management and the

employees

Analysis of the following tables shows the relationship maintained

between the top management and the employees in the matters like
transparency, collaboration etc
Table :9:
Relationship between the top management and the employees:
S.no Relationship factors Opinions Frequency Percent

29 48%
To great extent
Collaboration 30 50%
To some extent
between individual 1 2%
1 Not at all
goals and
organizational goals 60 100
Total
To great extent 22 36.7%
Transparency To some extent 36 60%
2 between top mgt and Not at all 2 3.3%
employees
Total 60 100
To great extent 27 45%
Communication To some extent 31 51%
3 between top mgt and Not at all 2 5%
employees
Total 60 100
To great extent 16 26.7%
Interpersonal To some extent 43 71.7%
4 relations between top Not at all 1 1.6%
mgt and employees
Total 60 100

To great extent 26 43.3%

Confidence To some extent 34 56.7%
5 maintained by the top Not at all 0 0
mgt in the employees
Total 60 100

To great extent 20 33.3%

To some extent 40 66.7%
Extent of comfort in
6 Not at all 0 0
the organization
Total 60 100

To great extent 15 25%

To some extent 45 75%
Extent of satisfaction
7 Not at all 0 0
in the organization
Total 60 100
The relationship maintained between the top management and the employees was
confirmed on the following aspects:

1. Collaboration between the individual and organizational goals.

2. Transparency between the top management and the employees

3. Communication between top management

4. Interpersonal relations between the top management and the employees

5. Confidence maintained by the top management in the employees

6. Extent of comfort in the organization

7. Extent of satisfaction in the organization.

all the relationship factors are very well maintained in the organization:

The analysis of data on the above table indicates that,

 Collaboration between the individual goals and the organizational goals-

50%,

 Transparency between the top management and the employees- 60%,

 Communication between the top management and the employees- 51%,

 Interpersonal relations between the top management and employees-43%,

 Confidence maintained between the top management in the employees- a

34%

 Extent of comfort in the organization- 66.7%,

  Extent of satisfaction in the organization- 75%

The relationship factors of the organization in their order of rank are as follows:

Table : 9A
Relationship Factors an their Ranking:

Relationship factors Ranking

Satisfaction in the organization 1st

Interpersonal relations between the top

2nd
management and the employees

Comfort in the organization 3rd

Transparency between the top

4th
management and the employees

Confidence maintained by the top

5th
management in the employees

Communication between the top

6th
management and the employees

Collaboration 7th
FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
CHAPTER - IV
 CHAPTER IV
FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

4.1. INTRODUCTION:

The study by the researcher was on the work culture at Polaris. The study
focuses on the prevailing work culture at Polaris and analyses the factors that lead
to the employee’s comfortability in the prevailing work culture.

4.2. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY:

• To study the prevailing work culture in the organization

• To understand the factors that contribute to the prevailing work culture
• To confirm with the employee’s comfortability with the prevailing work
culture.

4.3. RESEARCH PROBLEM:

To study and understand the prevailing work culture in the organization and also
to know the factors that contributes to the comfortability of the employees in the
prevailing work culture.

4.4. FINDINGS ON DATA:

A. The Findings on the personal data:

 Most of the respondents are in the age category between 26-31 yrs. (58.3%)
 Majority of the respondents covered by the study are male respondents (55%)
 Majority of the respondents are well educated and highly qualified (51.7%)
are either graduates or post graduates.
 Almost all the respondents (76.7%) have work experience of 0-3 yrs.
 The above findings indicates that all the respondents are youngsters, well
educated and at the early stages of work looking for more challenging jobs and
better opportunities for growth.
WORK CULTURE

B. Findings on the organization’s values:

By referring to the values in the organization it is found that the following values
are upheld in the organization:

 Integrity of the employees (60%)

 Employee’s growth and development (51.6%)
 Dignity of the individuals (53.2%)
 Rewards and recognitions of the employees (61.6%)
 Trust maintained with the employees (70%)
 Equal opportunities to the employees (53.3%)

Thus it can be concluded that the organization gives a lot of importance in

upholding a set of values and also implicates the values to a large extent in the
organization. By this the employees feel that they are regarded and respected well
by the organization.

C. Findings on the organization’s role in attending to work related matters:

With reference to the work related matters it is found that there is almost a great
extent of adherence to the work related matters by the organization:
 Rules and regulations (68.3%)
 Formulation and implementation of policies (65%)
 Upholding the traditions of the organization (53.3%)
  Enforcement of discipline in the organization (51.7%)
 Work place maintenance (53.4%)
 Adhering to the orders of the organization (65%)
Considering the work related matters it is found from the study that
the organization gives a lot of importance to the work related matters
like rules, traditions etc.
Also the discipline is maintained well in the organization which leads to the
effective functioning of the organization.

D. Findings on the organization’s role in attending to the needs of the

employees:

Focusing on the needs of the employees, it has been found that several key
employee needs are satisfied by the organization in a reasonable manner as shown
below:-

 Recognition of the employees (58.3%)

 Freedom at work (61.7%)
 Support from the top management (73.3%)
 Establishment of communication system (50%)
 Providing welfare measures for the employees (63.3%)
 Providing opportunities for growth (56.7%)
 Establishing competitive salaries (70%)

Thus it can be expected that due to this need satisfaction the employees will be
motivated to work well in the organization.

E. Findings on the relationship between the top management and the

employees:

The findings on the Relationship maintained between the top management and the
employees as ascertained indicates the following:
  Collaboration between the individual and the group goals (50%)
 Transparency between the top management and the employees (60%)
 Communication between the top management and the employees (51%)
 Interpersonal relations between the top management and the
employees (71.1%)
 Confidence maintained by the top management in the employees (56.7%)
 Extent of comfort in the organization (66.7%)
 Extents of satisfaction in the organization (75%)

Thus it can be concluded that the relationship between the top management and
the employees it is found to be good and is maintained in a harmonious manner.

4.4 CONCLUSIONS:

The study has dealt in detail about four aspects influencing the work
culture in the organization namely values, rules & regulations, discipline in the
organization.

From the study it was found that the rules and the regulations have been strictly
enforced in the organization.

The relationships between the Top management and the employees have been
maintained well and there is a good of collaboration between individual’s goals
and the group goals. Also there is transparency maintained between the top
management and the employees.

The tradition and rituals of the organization are well attended and maintained. The
management provides opportunity for the family also to participate in the
functions and get together.
 A majority of the respondents are of the view that e organization takes good care
of the welfare measures. There is much collaboration between the group goals and
the individual goals in the organization.

It is also observed from the study that there is a good communication system
established within the organization and this provides a basis for better inter
personal relationship between them.

On the basis of the above findings it can be concluded that the there is a
synergetic type of work culture that prevails in the organization, also the work
culture prevailing in the organization enables the employees to be a part of it,
work independently and achieve better results.

4.5 SUGGESTIONS:

The following are the suggestion that needs to be implemented in the

organization. At some areas the respondents feel that the values are not carried out
to required extent, the areas coming under this category are as follows:

a. Freedom
b. Rewards and recognition of the employees
c. .Trust maintained with the employees
d. Workplace maintenance

If these factors are also improved then the organization can be more a positive
type of culture.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. M.G.Rao - Human Behavior - Discovery Publishing House - 1993 – ibid –1: Pg - 3

at Work New Delhi

2. M.G.Rao - Human Behavior - Discovery Publishing House - 1993 – ibid –2: Pg - 6

at Work New Delhi

3. M.G.Rao - Human Behavior - Discovery Publishing House - 1993 – ibid –8: Pg - 25

at Work New Delhi

4. Jai. B.P.Singh - Work culture in - Sage Publications,

Indian context, New Delhi / New York Park - 1990 – ibid – 3 :Pg-15
/London;

5. Jai. B.P.Singh - Work culture in - Sage Publications,

Indian context, New Delhi / New York Park - 1990 – ibid – 4 :Pg-17
/London;

6. Jai. B.P.Singh - Work culture in - Sage Publications,

Indian context, New Delhi / New York Park - 1990 – ibid – 5 :Pg-24
/London;

7. Jai. B.P.Singh - Work culture in - Sage Publications,

Indian context, New Delhi / New York Park - 1990 – ibid – 6 :Pg-53
/London;
8. Jai. B.P.Singh - Work culture in - Sage Publications,
Indian context, New Delhi / New York Park - 1990 – ibid – 7 :Pg-175
/London;

9. Fred Luthans - Organizational Behaviour – McGraw Hill

International
Edition – 2002 – ibid – 10: Pg -122 - 123

ARTICLES
1. Trilok Kumar Jain - Important Considerations - December 2001
of Work Culture Volume No. 3
HRD Times Issue No. 12

2. Trilok Kumar Jain - Important Components - July 2001

of Work Culture Volume No 3
HRD Times Issue No. 7

3. ChandrasekharRao - Towards a Positive Work Culture - October 2004

The Indian Journal of Volume No. 40
Industrial Relation Issue No. 2
QUESTIONNAIRE
 STUDY ON WORK CULTURE AT POLARIS

PERSONAL FACTORS:

1. Name :

2. Age ( in years) : 20-25 / 25-30 / 30-35 / 35 & above

3. Sex : M / F

4. Job Title:

5. Designation:

6. Department:

7. Educational qualification:

(a) Higher secondary (b) Degree

(c) Post graduate (d) Diploma

8. Years of experience :

Less than 1 / 1-3 / 2-5 / more than 5

9. Values:

Indicate to what extent your organisation stands for the following values?

Human Resources

a) Integrity of employees.

To great extent / To some extent / Not at all

b) Employees growth and development

To great extent / To some extent / Not at all

 c) Dignity for individuals

To great extent / To some extent / Not at all

d) Rewards and recognition's of employees

To great extent / To some extent / Not at all

e) Trust maintained with the employees

To great extent / To some extent / Not at all

f) Equal opportunities to all the employees

To great extent / To some extent / Not at all

10.Indicate the commitment of your organisation in adhering to the following

areas of work related matters?

a) Rules and regulations regarding the work

To great extent / To some extent / Not at all

b) Formulation and implementation of work related policies

To great extent / To some extent / Not at all

c) Upholding the traditions of the organisation

To great extent / To some extent / Not at all

d) Enforcement of discipline in the organisation

To great extent / To some extent / Not at all

e) Work place maintenance

To great extent / To some extent / Not at all

f) Adhering to the orders of the top management

To great extent / To some extent / Not at all

11. Indicate the extent of the organisation's role in attending to the following.
a) Recognition of employees

To great extent / To some extent / Not at all

b) Freedom available at work

To great extent / To some extent / Not at all

c) Support from the Top management

To great extent / To some extent / Not at all

d) Establishment of the communication system

To great extent / To some extent / Not at all

e) Providing welfare measures for the employees

To great extent / To some extent / Not at all

f) Providing opportunities for growth of the employees

To great extent / To some extent / Not at all

g) Establishing a competitive salary / compensation system for the employees

To great extent / To some extent / Not at all

12. Indicate the nature and the extent of relations maintained between the top
management and the employees :

a) Collaboration between the individual and the group goals

To great extent / To some extent / Not at all

b) Transparency between the top management and the employees

To great extent / To some extent / Not at all

c) Communication between the top management and the employees

To great extent / To some extent / Not at all

d) Interpersonal relations between the Top management and the employees

 To great extent / To some extent / Not at all

e) Confidence maintained by the Top management in the employees

To great extent / To some extent / Not at all

13. To what extent are you comfortable working in this organisation

To great extent / To some extent / Not at all

14. To what extent are you satisfied working in this organisation

To great extent / To some extent / Not at all

15. Indicate some of the factors that lead to your comfortabilty?

1.

2.

3.