A STUDY ON WORK LIFE BALANCE OF EMPLOYEES AT

BIG BAZAAR, TRIVANDRUM

PROJECT REPORT

Submitted to
RAJAGIRI CENTER FOR BUSINESS STUDIES (AUTONOMOUS)

In partial fulfilment of the requirement for the award

Of
POST GRADUATION DIPLOMA IN MANAGEMENT(PGDM)
(2017-2019)
By
SOUMYA SURESH
Reg. No: P17277

RAJAGIRI COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES (AUTONOMOUS)

RAJAGIRI VALLEY P.O
KOCHI-682039
 DECLARATION

I, Soumya Suresh, a student of Rajagiri Center For Business Studies (autonomous),

Rajagiri Valley, hereby declare that the project report entitled “A study on work life
balance of employees at Big Bazaar, Trivandrum” submitted by me for the partial
fulfillment OF Post Graduation Diploma In Management course of the Rajagiri
autonomous university is my original own work. The report has not been submitted for
the award of any other degree of this university or other university.

The observations, suggestions and empirical findings in this report are based on data
collected by me. Any part of this report has not been reproduced from any other report
or reports of the university studies

Place : SOUMYA SURESH

Date :
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

At the outset of the Project Report, I would like to express my sincere

gratitude to all those who have been the guiding posts for me throughout the
journey.

First of all, I take this opportunity to extend my sincere gratitude to the

God Almighty for the successful completion of the project. Then I would like to
thank Dr. Joseph I. Injodey, the Executive Director, Rajagiri Center For Business
Studies (Autonomous) whose enthusiasm and farsightedness has given great
inspiration to us. I also express my heartfelt thanks to Dr. Binoy Joseph, Principal,
Rajagiri Center For Business Studies (Autonomous) for his incessant support and
guidance.

I express my profound gratitude to my project guide Mr. Manoj Menon,

Assistant Professor, Rajagiri Center For Buisiness Studies, for his valuable and
timely guidance and support throughout the course of the organization study. I
also take this opportunity to extend my sincere thanks and indebtedness to my
guide in the company, Mr. George Mathew, HR manager, Big Bazaar,
Trivandrum for his inspiring pieces of advice and constructive criticisms.

Last but not least, I am thankful my family members and friends for helping
me complete my study successfully.

Soumya Suresh
 Table of Contents
Profile Study of the Organization .............................................................................................................. 6
Industry Analysis ........................................................................................................................................ 7
Major Players: ........................................................................................................................................... 8
Pricing Strategy: ........................................................................................................................................ 8
Nature of Demand .................................................................................................................................... 8
Nature of Supply ....................................................................................................................................... 9
ORGANISATION PROFILE .................................................................................................................... 9
Mission and Vision Statement ................................................................................................................ 12
Capital Structure, Snapshot of Performance: ......................................................................................... 13
Business Turnover, Profit/Loss and Market Share .................................................................................. 14
SWOT Analysis......................................................................................................................................... 23
Observations: .......................................................................................................................................... 25
PROBLEM CENTRIC STUDY .............................................................................................................. 28
TITLE OF THE STUDY .......................................................................................................................... 29
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY................................................................................................................. 29
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM ............................................................................................................... 29
RELAVENCE OF THE STUDY ..................................................................................................................... 29
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY ....................................................................................................................... 30
SCOPE OF THE STUDY.............................................................................................................................. 30
PRESENTATION & ANALYSIS OF DATA .................................................................................................... 31
FINDINGS ................................................................................................................................................. 51
SUGGESTIONS ........................................................................................................................................ 51
CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................................... 52
ANNEXURE .............................................................................................................................................. 53

4
INTRODUCTION
Big Bazaar is an Indian operating retail store that was founded in the year- 2001. Big Bazaar
operates as a chain of hyper markets, discount department stores and grocery stores. It was founded
by Kishore Biyani under his parent organization Future Group which is known to have a significant
prominence in the Indian retail and fashion sectors. It is one of the oldest and largest hyper market
chain of India housing more than 250 stores in 120 cities and town across the country. It adopts
and follows the operating business model of US based firm Wal-Mart. The basic attraction
associated with reasonable prices is their unique selling price. Catering to the different customers
and meeting their different demand requirements is the prime objective for the company to serve
in the country. There are 2 stores located across Trivandrum city. Every day there is something
new to offer for the customers giving discount prices on different products which makes it
interesting for the customers to come in and shop. Also with availing various other offers and
benefits for the customers, it aims to keep a long lasting relation with its customers and aim to
keep them happy. Product quality and competitive pricing is assured for every customer who
comes and shops at big bazaar. Thus with all these different approaches it aims at becoming a
better retail store and being the no1 retail store to operate in the country.

5
 Section 1
Profile Study of the Organization

6
Industry Analysis
The Indian retail industry is the fifth largest in the world. Comprising of organized and unorganized
sectors, Indian retail industry is one of the fastest growing industries, especially over the last few
years. Though initially, the retail industry in India was mostly unorganized, with the change of
tastes and preferences of the consumers, the industry is getting more popular these days and getting
organized as well. With growing market demand, the industry is expected to grow at a pace of 25-
30% annually. The Indian retail industry was expected to grow from Rs. 35,000 Cr. in 2004-05 to
Rs. 109,000 Cr. by the year 2010 and which it did. The retail scenario in India is unique. Much of
it is in the unorganized sector, with over 12 million retail outlets of various sizes and formats.
Almost 96% of these retail outlets are less than 500 square feet in size, the per capital retail space
in India being 2 square feet compared to the US figure of 16 square feet, India’s per capita retailing
space is thus the lowest in the world. With more than 9 outlets per 1000 people, India has the
largest number of outlets in the world. Most of them are independent and contribute as much as
96% to total retail sales. Because of the increasing number of the nuclear families, working women,
greater work pressure and increased commuting time, convenience has become a priority for
Indian consumers. They want everything under one roof for easy access and multiplicity of choice.
This offers an excellent opportunity for organized retailers in the country which account for just
2% and for modern stores with 0.5% of the estimated US Dollar 180 billion worth of goods that
are retailed in India every year.
Some Challenges:

 Restrictions in Foreign Direct Investment

 Shortage of retail study options
 Shortage of trained manpower
 Low retail management skill
 The tax structure in India favors small business
 Lack of adequate infrastructure facilities
 High cost of real estate
 Dissimilarity in consumer groups

7
The retail industry in India is currently growing at a great pace and is expected to go up to US$
950 billion by the end of this year. It is further expected to reach US$ 1.5 trillion by the year 2019
at a CAGR of 10%. As the country has got a high growth rates, the consumer spending has also
gone up and is also expected to go up further in the future. In the last four year, the consumer
spending in India climbed up to 75%. As a result, the Indian retail industry is expected to grow
further in the future days.

Major Players:

 RPG Enterprises
 Landmark Group
 Madura Garments
 Tata Trent Limited
 Wal-Mart
 Shoppers Stop

Pricing Strategy:

 Value pricing (EDLP) Everyday low pricing: promises the lowest and best prices
without coupon clipping or waiting for discounts.
 Promotional pricing: The concept of psychological discounting is heavily used E.g.: 99/-
, 199/-
 Differentiated pricing: Pricing based on the peak or non-peak days of business or
purchasing is aggressively used by big bazaar.
 Bundling: Offering combo packs or sets to customers helps in promotion of the sale.

Nature of Demand:

The demand remains rather constant throughout the year with products pertaining to the time of
the year coming in and the festivities sees a huge boost in demand with the products which in
association with the festivity or the time of the month being promoted and contributing to the major
chunk of the sales.

8
Nature of Supply:

The planning and management of all activities involved in sourcing

and procurement, conversion, and all Logistics Management activities influence
supply. Importantly, it also includes coordination and collaboration with channel partners, which
can be suppliers, intermediaries, third-party service provider, and customer.

ORGANISATION PROFILE

INCORPORATION OF THE ORGANISATION AND HISTORY

Future Group is an Indian private conglomerate, headquartered in Mumbai. The company is

known for having a significant prominence in Indian retail and fashion sectors, with popular
supermarket chains like Big Bazaar and Food Bazaar, lifestyle stores like Brand Factory, Central
etc. and also for having notable presence in integrated foods and FMCG manufacturing
sectors. Future Retail (initially Pantaloons Retail India Ltd (PRIL)) and Future Lifestyle Fashions,
two operating companies of Future Group, are among the top retail companies listed in BSE with
respect to assets, and in NSE with respect to market capitalization. Established in 1994 with
presence in over 61 cities and 65 rural areas with an employee strength of 35000. Future Retail is
the flagship company of Future Group, India’s retail pioneer catering to the entire Indian
consumption space. Through multiple retail formats, they connect a diverse and passionate
community of Indian buyers, sellers and businesses. The collective impact on business is
staggering: Over 330 million customers walk into their stores each year and choose products and
services supplied by over 30,000 small, medium and large entrepreneurs and manufacturers from
across India. This number is set to grow.

 Type: Private
 Industry: Retailing, Insurance, Logistics, Media
 Founder: Kishore Biyani
 Headquarter: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
 Products: Integrated foods and other FMCGs
 Services: supermarkets, hypermarkets, discount stores, insurance, logistics and media

9
  Number of employees: 35,000
 Divisions: Future Retail Ltd., Future Lifestyle Fashion Ltd., Future Consumer Enterprise
Ltd., Future Innoversity Ltd, Future Supply Chains Ltd., Future Brands Ltd. and Future
Capital Holdings Ltd.

Websites: www.futuregroup.in www.futurebazaar.com

Retail:

 Future Retail Ltd

 Future Lifestyle Fashion Ltd
 Future Consumer Enterprise Limited

Financial Services:

 Future Capital Holdings (for internal financial services)

 Future Generali Life Insurance
 Future Generali General Insurance
 Future Ventures

Other Services:

 Future Innoversity
 Future Supply Chains
 Future Brands
 Future Learning

Future Group retail services sorted by operating companies:

 Food Bazaar
 FBB (Fashion @ Big Bazaar)
 Home Town
 E Zone
 Foodhall

10
 FutureBazaar.com (e-retailing)
 Easyday
 Big Bazaar
 Nilgiris 1905

Future Lifestyle Fashion Ltd:

 Central
 Brand Factory
 Planet Sports
 I AM in
 ALL

Future Consumer Enterprise Limited:

 KB's
Fashion and Lifestyle:

 Indigo Nation
 Scullers
 John Millers
 All
 Rig

Integrated Foods and FMCG:

 Tasty Treat
 Fresh & Pure
 Ektaa
 Premium Harvest
 Mera Swad
 Pratha
 Punya

11
 Sach
Mission and Vision Statement

Vision Statement:

Future Group shall deliver Everything, Everywhere, Every time for Every Indian consumer in the
most profitable manner

Mission Statement:

We share the vision and belief that our customers and stakeholders shall be served only by creating
and executing future scenarios in the consumption space leading to economic development

We will be the trendsetters in evolving delivery formats, creating retail realty, making consumption
affordable for all customer segments for classes and for masses.

We shall infuse Indian brands with confidence and renewed ambition.

We shall be efficient, cost-conscious and committed to quality in whatever we do.

We shall ensure that our positive attitude, sincerity, humility and united determination shall be the
driving force in making us a success.

Values:

Future group values include Indian-ness, Leadership, Respect and Humility, Introspection,
Openness, Value and Nurture Relationships, Simplicity and Positivity, Adaptability and Flow

Future group is a well-established group that aims at bringing multiple products, opportunities and
services to millions of customers in India. They serve customers in more than 240 cities across the
country. They help India shop, save and realize dreams and aspirations to live a better quality of
life every day. Careful observation of their work culture and their determination to keep up to their
expected / normal targets shows how much they are aligned with, and dedicated to their vision and
mission statements. Future Group offers today all the products that the common Indian requires
for a comfortable life at highly affordable prices. Future Group’s focus is mainly customer-centric
and gives the customers a feeling of Indian-ness while the customers are at their shopping

12
experience. This was identified as one of their key strategies to attract the public and carve way to
envisioning their values and vision mission statements.

Capital Structure, Snapshot of Performance:

Future retail has performed comparatively better than their last financial year, reporting a profit
from last year. During the financial year, the Company had a total income of 6,860.47 Cr. The
total expenditure during the year amounted to 6,845.92 Cr, thereby resulting profit before Tax of
14.55 Cr. There was no provision for tax and therefore the profit for the year amounted to 14.55
Cr.

The equity share capital of the Company was increased from 1398.66 Cr. to 1719.75 Cr. and then
was decreased to 8.70 (excluding 85.57 Cr. worth of shares issued to shareholders of FEL, as per
Composite Scheme of Arrangement) during the financial year under review.

The capital employed in the business is 2996.59 Cr. as of March 31, 2017. Return on capital
employed (EBIDTA / average capital employed) during 2015-16 is 6.52% as compared to
(259.79%) during 2015-16.

Net Profit of the Company for financial year ended March 31, 2017 stood at 14.55 Cr. as compared
to (379.21 Cr.) in the previous year with an increase of 393.76 Cr. and with YOY increase of 1.04
times over the previous year

Interest & Financial charges outflow has increased from 20.23 Cr. incurred in previous year of
2014-15 to 49.75 Cr. for financial year ended March 31, 2017. The increase in interest and financial
charges is on account of additional borrowings for funding the growth plans of the Company. The
interest & financial charges cover for financial year ended March 31, 2017 under review is 2.03
times as compared to 15.57 times in the previous year.

For a detailed review of the performance of future retail, the annual report has been attached.

13
 Business Turnover, Profit/Loss and Market Share

The financial performance of the Company is as follows: in (cr)

Financial Year Financial Year

Particulars

2016-17 2015-16

Revenue from Operations 6,844.96 1,779.42

Other Income 15.51 70.03

Total Revenue 6,860.47 1,849.45

Profit / (Loss) Before Depreciation and Amortization Expense & Tax Expense 51.31 (335.11)

Less: Depreciation and Amortization Expense 36.76 44.10

Profit / (Loss) Before Tax 14.55 (379.21)

Less: Tax Expense -- --

14
 Profit / (Loss) After Tax 14.55 (379.21)

Earnings Per Equity Share of Face Value of ` 2/- each

Basic & Diluted (in `) 0.66 (107.24)

Source: Financials/ Future enterprise’s/balance sheet/PR 03

As we can clearly see, the operations revenue of future retail was almost four times than the
previous year. Considering a minor contribution from ‘other incomes’ we can accumulate their
total revenue to Rs 6860 Cr as compared to a low Rs 1850 Cr which is a drastically improved
performance from their last financial year. This has helped Future Retail recoup and recover their
loss of Rs 335 Cr of last year and slide onto the better side of the scale. Summing to a profit of 15
Cr. Rs after taxes, depreciation and amortization, Future Retail has recovered from a financial loss
of Rs 379 Cr.

Big Bazaar accounts for 90% of Future Retail’s revenue. Big Bazaar sometimes runs weekly
campaign of deals and promotions called Crazy Weekends, which will run for a year to keep up
with competition. The promotions will result in like-to-like sales growth nearly doubling to 25-
28% in FY17 from 15-16% in FY16. Despite the competition from online retailers, brick and
mortar retail chains have seen robust growth in the past year. It was in FY15, that Future Group
had realigned the businesses in order to create a simplified business structure with independent
companies in home and value retailing, fashion and food. As such, in FY15, the net profit of the
three companies cumulatively stood at Rs.96.63 Cr. Rupees on revenues of 18,342 Cr. Rupees.

15
3. Organizational Structure/Hierarchy: The following is the hierarchical organization
structure of future retail (Big Bazaar) from Top to bottom.

As seen below, the Head Quarters located in Mumbai is where the final reporting occurs.
Starting from team members to up to the HQ in Mumbai, reporting is done on a systematic basis.

Head Quarters

Zonal Manager

Regional Manager

Store Manager

Assistant Store Manager

Department Managers

Asst. Department Manager

Team Leaders

Team Members

4- FUNCTIONAL DEPARTMENT OF BIG BAZAAR:

16
 1. HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT

2. FINANCE DEPARTMENT

3. MARKETING DEPARTMENT

4. LOGISTICS DEPARTMENT

5. SALES DEPARTMENT

6. CUSTOMER DEPARTMENT

7. ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT

4.1- HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT:

The HR department of Big Bazaar is very dynamic. Employees are the biggest strength and asset
of any organisation and the HR department realises that very well. They take at most care to select,
train, motivate and retain all employees and ensure a continuous developmental programmes for
all the employees. There are 2 shifts for the employees. The first shift employees arrive at 10 AM
in the morning and leave at 7:30 PM in the evening, while the second shift employees report at
12:30 PM in the afternoon and leave at the time of store closing 10:00PM.
For any HR activity one of the major activity is recruitment of the employee. The following are
the main sources through which Big Bazaar recruit its employees.
Sources of Recruitment:
 Consultancy Services: For the top level management, employees are recruited through
private consultants. They are usually appointed by the departmental managers.
 Walk- Ins: This is the main source through which Big Bazaar recruits its employees.
People seeking jobs usually approach the HR department for job vacancy. Employees
usually selected from this source are appointed at the entry level as team members.
 Employee Referrals: Candidates who have given their previous employer as referrals are
first interviewed, and from their previous employer, opinion is taken about their behaviour
and performance in the job. If they receive a positive response from the previous employer
they are selected.
 Campus Recruitment: Big Bazaar visits some of the reputed educational institutions to
hire some of the most talented and promising students as its employees. The following is
the selection procedure that HR department practises to hire its employees:

INTERVIEW

17
 PSYCHOMETRIC TESTS

GROUP DISCUSSIONS

INDUCTION PROGRAMME: New employees selected will be given a 13 day induction

and training program. They will be given information of the company’s business, different
departments etc. They will be informed about their roles, duties and responsibilities. They
will also be informed about the HR policies and rules of the company. The new employees
will be on probation for 6 months. After this period the HR along with the department
manager will review the performance of the employee. If the employee performance is
good and encouraging, the employee’s services will be confirmed.

COMPENSATION & REWARDS: The employees are rewarded suitably with attractive
pay packages:
 The salary of an employee includes basic pay. HRA, special allowance, PF, ESI,
Mediclaim etc.
 Annual bonus will be given at the time of Diwali.
 The employees and their dependents are also entitled for medical treatment in recognised
hospitals with cashless hospitalization with whom the company has tie ups.
 Along with these all the employees are given a card known as “Employee Discount Card”
(EDC) through which they can buy any product at Big Bazaar at a special discount of 20%
- 30%.

Leaves and Other Rules: An employee during his probationary period is entitled for a leave of 7
days of leave. A confirmed employee is entitled for 30 days of leave in a year. There is only one
type of leave which all employees can take which is known as All Purpose Leave (APL).

All the employees will be given identity cards which they have to wear and also swipe while at the
time of entering and leaving the store.

18
Performance Appraisal: The HR department conducts the performance appraisal of all the
employees annually in the month of April. Based on their performance increments will be given
in their pay. In addition to this if an employee achieves or exceeds the targets given along with
their team members, they will be provided with attractive cash and other incentives.

Training and Development: Future group has its own training division called as “Future
Learning & Development Limited” (FLDL). All the employees are given training for 20 days in
a year spread over different periods. “Gurukul” which is a part of FLDL gives training to all the
employees on various skills like team work, dedication, discipline, improving customer service etc
to make them more knowledgeable and productive.

Retention Strategy: Big Bazaar strives to foster a feeling of wellbeing in the employees through
care and respect, they have a structured processes including employee monitoring and grievance
management programmes which are intended to facilitate a friendly and cohesive organisation
culture. Offsite activities are also conducted to improve inter personal relationship. An employee
suggestion programme called “Prerna” has also been implemented where the employee can give
in their suggestions.

4.2- FINANCE DEPARTMENT:

Finance is the life blood of any business. The Finance department of Big Bazaar Trivandrum,
performs few basic functions such as preparing the store’s “Income and expenditure statement”
giving full particulars of all the items. It also prepares the budget for expenditure at various levels
on different items.

The department is also responsible for deciding and giving in the weekly, monthly and yearly sales
targets and the margins for all the departments separately. The Finance department is also
responsible for collecting and depositing cash received in the company’s bank account daily.

Review and Performance: The Company has crossed a $1 Billion turnover mark during the year
under review, having recorded a robust growth in both top line as well as bottom line. The
following are some of the characteristics to be performed by the department:

 Prepare the budget for expenditure at all levels

19
 Decide and give the sales targets for all the departments periodically
 Maintain books of accounts, collect and deposit the cash received daily through sales in
the company’s bank accounts.

4.3- MARKETING DEPARTMENT:

The marketing department is responsible for marketing of Big Bazaar’s product through
different media like TV, radio, newspapers, banners, placards etc. The marketing department
has to decide and identify the most effective medium to attract the customers to Big Bazaar
there by increasing sales. The department has to design creative and attractive advertisements
through which the company’s products can be promoted to the customers. The company has
to visit different companies and has to enter into tie-ups for all its advertising campaigns.

The marketing department also consists of another separate department called as “Visual
Merchandising”. Visual Merchandising is an art by which the retailer makes the store talk to
its customers. The colors, signage, lights, look, and feel everything is taken into account. It is
very important to figure out what is the idea that is being sold to the customers.

Another concept that was incorporated in Big Bazaar was “Category Management” as opposed
to the brand merchandising that is followed by many retailers. Category Management is based
on the belief that a customer walks into the store looking for a party shirt or a formal trouser,
rather than a particular brand. Therefore the store is designed according to the categories like
men’s formal ware, women’s western wear or a casual wear, etc.

Within the organization too, teams are divided according to the categories they managed, rather
than the brand. Big- Bazaar wanted to have a complete bouquet of products in each category
at different price points, design, fabric, size and color. The objective was to create “Traffic
Drivers” within the store rather than make brands compete with each other. Focusing on
categories also helped to achieve a level of perfection within the specific segments.

The department is responsible for attractive product arrangement in the store with respect to
their nature. The basic function of this department is it divides the store into some departments
based on the nature of the product and also within the department it decides how the products

20
should be arranged keeping in mind the customers taste. It also arranges the products to attract
the customer and also ensure easy availability of the products.

4.4- LOGISTICS DEPARTMENT: The following are the various activities performed under
the logistics head namely:

 Responsible for Procuring the stocks for all the products of different departments
 Verifies the goods received from the warehouse adheres to the given goods received
statement
 Despatches the goods to the respective department after recording it in goods inward
register. If there is damage in the goods or if the goods does not match the details given
in the goods received statement, it enters in the stock outward register and is sent back
to the warehouse along with a goods returned note.

4.5- SALES DEPARTMENT: This department is responsible for the collection of sales
amount i.e. cash sales. There are totally 25 cash counters in the store. There is a head
cashier to whom all the cashiers report and submit the total sales amount collected through
the day by cashiers. In addition to cash all leading debit and credit cards are accepted with
no extra charge. Also big bazaar vouchers and Sodexho coupons are accepted. A cashier at
time of opening the bill counter will be given an opening balance of 1000 Rs. The cashier
has to ensure that all the offers available for the respective products are given to the
customers in his/ her bill. Also if there are any free items given during purchases, it should
be informed to the customers clearly. After the billing is done the cashier has to pack the
products neatly in a plastic cover according to the customer’s needs.

At the time of closing the bill counter the cashier has to give a statement of cash, with all
particulars of different denominations of cash- amount collected through credit cards,
amount collected through debit cards, amount collected in Sodexho coupons, Big Bazaar
vouchers and through credit notes.

Wednesday Bazaar is very important and popular event in Big Bazaar, Every Wednesday
fabulous offers and great discounts are given on most of the products. Customers arrive in

21
 large numbers as they realize it’s on Wednesday that the products are offered in the lower
prices.

On Saturday and Sunday most of the customers turn out for shopping as it is on the
weekend the customers find time for shopping and the turnout is really high. Good
discounts and offers are provided to attract the customers. Retailing is not about selling a
product rather it is selling an idea. It is very crucial in retailing to make the customer relate
to every product that is being sold as well as the environment of the store.

4.6- CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT- As the name suggest this department

separately focuses on the customer service like if a customer finds difficulty in finding any
product , if there are any complaints they are looked into it, if there is a need for any assistance.
There is also an exchange counter where if a customer is dissatisfied or wants to exchange the
product he/ she has purchased for any reason, the customers can exchange them in7 days of
their purchase.

When a customer brings in a product for exchange the product is first received and checked if
used or deliberately damaged or tampered with. If it is in acceptable condition then the
customer is issued a credit note for that amount. Then the customer can purchase any product
for that amount or just take back the money by encashing the credit note at the cash counter. If
the customer buys a product less than the amount on the credit note the difference amount will
be returned to the customer and on the other hand if a customer buys a product more than on
the credit note the customer will be asked to pay the difference amount.

This department is also responsible for all the offers running in the store on different products
through the day. This department does gift wrapping for free of cost for any product wanted
by the customer.

The department also collects customer’s opinion/ feedback for continuous improvement in
their service. The ultimate aim for the department is to help and satisfy the customer in every
possible manner and make the customers experience a memorable one.

22
 4.7- ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT: The store administration comes under the store
manager. Its functions are store maintenance, housekeeping, security etc. The store
maintenance is concerned with the proper running of the store in coordination with all the
departments. It also has to ensure proper power back up supply in times of power cuts. The
housekeeping is concerned with keeping all the departments of the store clean and neat all the
time. Covers and other wastes should be properly cleaned and the floor is swept regularly to
keep it clean.

The security is concerned with the security in the entire store. The security department keep a
vigilant check on all the people entering and departing at various entry and exit points in the
store. They also maintain all the registers like employee’s attendance register, stock register,
and visitors register etc. They check all the customer’s bill before letting them out of the store.

They ensure orderliness in the store and prevent shrinkage or pilferage of goods to minimize
the loss arising out of it. The housekeeping and security are outside agencies employed by the
store on a contract basis to take care of the respective functions.

The administration department also has a separate section known as “Information

Technology”. This department is responsible for the maintenance of all the systems in the store,
all the billing machines their function networking with the master machine etc. If there is
problem with any machine in any department in the store, then this department comes into
function. This departments integrates all the systems in the store and properly maintains all of
them.

SWOT Analysis
Strengths:

 Affordability for middle class is provided by Big Bazaar in India.

 Big Bazaar offers quality, choice and convenience.
 Wide range of products and service offerings.
 Strong presence in local market.
 Attractive promotional offers given by Big Bazaar to attract customer through- discounts,
sales, exchange offers etc.
 Large no. SKU provided to consumers.

23
  Good branding and advertising by also roping in celebrity brand ambassadors also
boosted Big Bazaar's presence.
Weaknesses:
 Unable to meet the store opening targets on time
 Falling revenue per square feet
 General perception: “Low Price- Low Quality”
 Overcrowded during offers
 Long lines at billing counters which are time consuming.
 Limited only to value offering to low priced products. A number of branded products are
still missing from big bazaars line of products E.g. Jockey, Van Heusen.
Opportunities:
 Being a large retail chain, Big Bazaar has scope for expansion and has a huge financial
potential to back its decisions. Unlike small timers, big retail chains always have the
advantage of expanding with considerable risk since it has enough to back its decisions.
 E-Wallets and Loyalty Programs- Big Bazaar has identified the need for digital wallets
and is now adapting to a digital and cashless payment method to process their payments by
influencing customers to take an interest in online and cashless modes of transactions
which will benefit the customers as well.
 Sabse Sastha 6 Din – This is an identified opportunity by Big Bazaar for clearing out their
stocks at prices that don’t affect their margins and also offering the best to the customers,
creating a win-win situation for both.
Threats:

 Competition from other value retail chains such as Shoprite, Reliance (Fresh and trends),
Hyper city and D mart.
 Unorganized retail also appears to be a threat to Big Bazaar’s business. A large population
still prefers to visit local convenient stores for daily purchases
 Changing Government policies
 International players looking to foray India

24
Observations:

Working on board the Future Group family with Big Bazaar gave an insight into the various
management skills and techniques employed on a daily basis in the store for its daily functioning
and the desired results of their successful implementation.

These include:

 Many customers visit only Big Bazaar and are loyal customers to the store.
 Mostly middle class families prefer Big Bazaar.
 Customers prefer Big Bazaar because it gives them huge discounts and offers, with value
for money.
 During big day sale which was conducted for 6 days, Big Bazaar witnessed a huge crowd
of customers and the sale was very high as per their expectation.
 The offers/discounts change any time if there is technical problem or shortage of stock.
 Team members sometimes find it hard to pay individual attention to the customers on the
floor.
 There are more than 10 cash counters to ensure efficient and effective crowd control. All
cash counters are open only on festival season or on the mega offers of Big Bazaar.
 The order processing takes no time and almost at all times gets delivered on time due to
co-ordination and communication of logistics.
 The collection of vegetables and fruits are done from local markets and local farmers due
to perishable nature.
 There is at least one meeting of Store Manager with employees in a week.
 Communication between the employer and employee is good.
 Employees have the good knowledge about the products in their own sections and are very
helpful.

Other Information:
A lot of information could be obtained from interaction and brochures/leaflets which are unique

25
to the brand and outlet specific, the following are some of the observations and relevant
information obtained.

Loyalty Plans: The array of loyalty plans Big Bazaar has which are constantly updated with
constant offers include-

 Profit Club- A shopping card with increased value for regular customers
 T24- A Docomo SIM card which gets topped up with purchases
 Future Pay- An E wallet exclusive by Future Group
 Feedback forms- to gauge the customer satisfaction levels
 Live kitchen and Display- Bakery and confectionary items made in house are kept on
display for sale
Announcements and communication mediums:

Announcements are an integral and effective part of the Big Bazaar culture and in order to increase
the efficiency they undertake multiple languages for efficient communication.

Conclusion
From all the available results and findings it can be concluded that people have huge expectations
from the company. They not only want all the things they are getting from other companies but in
addition they also want some other benefits which in turn can give them security of being a part
of Big Bazaar as a customer in long run.

Big Bazaar has many brands in Food Bazaar such as Nestle, HUL, Cadbury, Amul, Tata, Parle,
Bikaji, Marico, Adani’s Suffola, etc. With a large product range of these brands which helps keep
and increase their customers. Since many customers have different brand preferences.

In Food Bazaar they have big brands as mentioned which helps them achieve the required customer
base and loyalty and in turn achieve the target by the arrangements of merchandise and good
employee’s interaction with customers.

Food Bazaar contributes almost 50% of daily sale of the store. But sometimes in normal days,
Food Bazaar does not achieve the target. In fact, during festival offers and Big Days, Food Bazaar
has the major contribution in attracting customers and increasing the store sale.

26
So we can say that customers want huge offers and discounts. Big Bazaar consistently gives huge
discount and offers; which are definitely increase its sales.

All the customers know that Big Bazaar is about:

“Isse Sasta Aur Achha Kahin Nahi!”

Although Big Bazaar provides many services yet there are a few areas where customers demand
for more, being not satisfied with what they get and which is beyond company policy like, free
servicing, additional free gifts and extra term benefits. Because, the customers are a hard to please
lot.

The company occasionally faces some problems from its previous customer’s that had some bad
experience about the company’s products and services. It is duly taken care of by attention of team
members to the customers and giving them complete information about the products. Big Bazaar
also has a good service at CSD for their customers. In brief, the organization is working on all
these aspects continuously by filling feedback forms from customers and conducting market
research on products range and customers’ preferences to extent and reach the farthest corner of
the country as the household name that it is. “That is Big Bazaar”.

27
 SECTION – 2

PROBLEM CENTRIC STUDY

28
 TITLE OF THE STUDY
“ WORK LIFE BALANCE OF EMPLOYEES IN BIG BAZAAR”

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

In the early times employers were not concern about the work life balance of
their employees within the organization. Employees were not provided with proper consideration
of their personal life in the early times so that they cant balance their work life and probably it
affected their productivity. The concept of Work Life Balance was first introduced in the middle
of 1970’s in order to compare one’s personal and professional life and the need of balancing both.
Kanter opined that attention to the reality that work and home are inescapable linked. After that
the concern on Work life balance increased and employee representatives took initiatives to take
increase work life balancing in order to improve mental and physical health and performance
outcomes for the individual, families and organization.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The problem centric study is based on the study on work life balancing of employees of Big Bazaar.
Work-Life Balance is actually trying to be equally engaged and equally satisfied manner with
their work life and family life. A good work life balance can enable employees to feel more in
control of their working life and lead to increased productivity, lower absenteeism, less stressed
workforce and improves employee health and well-being. Work life balance is the time balance,
psychological involvement and satisfaction balance in both work and family roles. Most of the
companies used to create a work life balance to the employees by providing flexible work timings,
company sponsored events like picnics, family get together etc. Work life balance for each
employee is different depending on their work , personal and social needs. Those who achieve this
balance tends to have a higher level of satisfaction with their job with lower level of stress and
depression. It also reduce absenteeism and turn over and improve employee voluntarily
engagement in overall practices.
There are many work life balancing policies including benefits like flexible working hours, child
and elder care provisions or leave, paid maternal leaves, educational ore health assistance,
insurance policies, job sharing, etc. if a company did not have proper work life policies it will
negatively affect the job satisfaction of employees and lead to resignation. There are no such
defined government laws and policies for work life balance in India but there are laws for
supporting the employee’s work life and provide some relief to them.

RELAVENCE OF THE STUDY

Work life balance is very important for employees to perform well in an organization.
Along with regular work employees have to take effort to spend time for family and self care.
When the employees spend their major time for work related activities, they will feel stress and
tiredness. As they cannot enjoy personal happiness or cannot full fill family expectations they
began to hate professional life. This may affect the productivity very seriously. This study is to

29
find out how balanced is the work life of employees in the Big Bazaar, what all measures are taken
by the company to balance the employees work and personal life, what measures to be taken to
make the work life balancing of employees more stable.

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

1. To identify the awareness of employees about work life balance.

2. To identify the importance of work life balancing for employees.
3. To identify what type of policies to be framed for employees on work life balancing.
4. How successful is the current policies in the organisation.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

Work life balance is being on of the major concern of Human resource management and reason of
employee retention. Now a days there are many stress related issues in connection with work life
imbalance is affecting most of the employees. In order to identify and rectify this issues this study
will help to examine the impact of work life balancing and what all measure to be taken for work
life balancing.
RESEARCH DESIGN
The study is both descriptive and analytical in nature. In order to make a study on work life
balancing more meaningful, data collection is done through questionnaires. Analysis of
questionnaire taken from the selected sample is used to draw conclusion and reveal the impact of
work life balance of employees in the organization. The study will be based on primary and
secondary data.

TOOLS FOR DATA COLLECTION

Questionnaire

METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION

Collecting the data through questionnaires and analyzing those data and coming to conclusion.
SAMPLING AND SAMPLE SIZE
Sampling is the process of selecting suitable samples for the purpose of determining
parameters of characteristics of the whole population . A sample is a true representative of
population. Here also we consider a set of sample to collect the data.

30
PRESENTATION & ANALYSIS OF DATA

31
Employees work for more than 6 days in a week

Row Labels Sum of count

Agree 1
Disagree 14
Indifferent 1
Strongly Agree 7
Strongly Disagree 3
Grand Total 26

Total

11% 4% Agree
Disagree
27% Indifferent
54% Strongly Agree
4% Strongly Disagree

65% of employees saying that they are not working for more than 6 days in a week. 27% of
employees strongly agreeing that they have to work all the 7 days in a week.

32
Employees work more than 8 hours in a day

Row Labels Sum of count

Agree 5
Disagree 9
Indifferent 0
Strongly Agree 11
Strongly Disagree 1
Grand Total 26

count

4%
Strongly Agree
Agree
35% 42%
Indifferent
Disagree
0% Strongly Disagree
19%

42% people says that they have to work more than 8 hours a day. 35% people says they only work
for 8 hours.

33
Employees feeling of unable to balance my work life

Row Labels Sum of count

Agree 7
Disagree 10
Indifferent 3
Strongly Agree 5
Strongly Disagree 1
Grand Total 26

count

4%
19% Strongly Agree
Agree
38% Indifferent

27% Disagree
Strongly Disagree
12%

38% of employees are successful with balancing their work life. 4% employees are highly
satisfied with their work life balance. 46% of total employees cannot balance their work and
life. Among them , 19% are really dissatisfied of unbalance in their work life.

34
Employees usually worry about my work when I am not actually at work
Row Labels Sum of count
Agree 8
Disagree 9
Indifferent 1
Strongly Agree 8
Strongly Disagree 0
Grand Total 26

count

0%
Strongly Agree
34% 31%
Agree
Indifferent
Disagree
4%
Strongly Disagree
31%

62% people worry about their work when they are not actually in work. Among them, 31% feels
heavy tension on their work when they are at home. They cant enjoy personal life because of
these tensions.

35
Employees work in shifts
Row Labels Sum of count
Agree 9
Disagree 4
Indifferent 0
Strongly Agree 13
Strongly Disagree 0
Grand Total 26

count

15% 0% Strongly Agree

0%
Agree
50% Indifferent

35% Disagree
Strongly Disagree

Most of the employees are working in shifts. There are 2 shifts morning 9.00 am to 6.00 pm and
12.30 pm to 9.30. Employees are a part of any of the 2 shifts.

36
I find myself unable to spend enough time with my family
Row Labels Sum of count
Agree 6
Disagree 9
Indifferent 2
Strongly Agree 9
Strongly Disagree 0
Grand Total 26

count

0%
Strongly Agree
35% 34% Agree
Indifferent
Disagree
8% Strongly Disagree
23%

57% employees says they are unable to spend enough time with their family. 35% employees got enough time
to spend for their family. 8% employees see their work and personal life separate and they find equal time for
both.

37
Sometimes I miss out quality time with my family
Row Labels Sum of count
Agree 9
Disagree 6
Indifferent 1
Strongly Agree 10
Strongly Disagree 0
Grand Total 26

count

0%
23% Strongly Agree

38% Agree
4% Indifferent
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
35%

73% agrees that they usually loses their quality time with family. Most of them used to ignore
family feelings because of their work. Only 23% give preference to give their proper attention
and care to their family.

38
Employee awareness on separate policy for work-life balance
Row Labels Sum of count
Agree 1
Disagree 18
Indifferent 1
Strongly Agree 3
Strongly Disagree 3
Grand Total 26

count

12% 11% Strongly Agree

4%
4% Agree
Indifferent
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
69%

81% employees says that they don’t have any written work life policies. 15% employees says
that even though there is no special policies authorities have some concern about the personal
needs of employees. 4% have no idea about company policies.

39
Need of Flexible working hours policy
Row Labels Sum of count
Agree 6
Disagree 5
Indifferent 3
Strongly Agree 12
Strongly Disagree 0
Grand Total 26

count

0%
19% Strongly Agree
Agree
12% 46% Indifferent
Disagree

23% Strongly Disagree

69% employees like to include flexible timings if the organization make a work life policy. 19%
did not need any updating in work timings. 12% employees are ok with both.

40
Need of Holidays/ paid time-off policy
Row Labels Sum of count
Agree 5
Disagree 1
Indifferent 2
Strongly Agree 18
Strongly Disagree 0
Grand Total 26

count

0%
8% 4% Strongly Agree
Agree
19%
Indifferent
Disagree
69%
Strongly Disagree

Most of the employees need paid time offs. Only 12% have an another opinion.

41
. Need for Job sharing policy
Row Labels Sum of count
Agree 12
Disagree 1
Indifferent 0
Strongly Agree 12
Strongly Disagree 1
Grand Total 26

count

4%4%
0% Strongly Agree
Agree
46% Indifferent
46% Disagree
Strongly Disagree

92% people supports for job sharing policy. Only 8% are against the policy.

42
Need for Counselling service policy

Row Labels Sum of count

Agree 8
Disagree 0
Indifferent 2
Strongly Agree 15
Strongly Disagree 1
Grand Total 26

count

4%
7%0% Strongly Agree
Agree
Indifferent
31% 58%
Disagree
Strongly Disagree

89% says they need counselling services from their organization . They found somewhat missing
in satisfaction in their job sometimes so they actually in need of good counselling support. Most
of them need counselling from an external source.

43
Need for Career break policy
Row Labels Sum of count
Agree 8
Disagree 2
Indifferent 1
Strongly Agree 15
Strongly Disagree 0
Grand Total 26

count

7% 4% Strongly Agree
4%
Agree
Indifferent
30% 55%
Disagree
Strongly Disagree

85% of employees need career break policies and 11 didn’t need such policies 4% have an
indifferent opinion.

44
Need for policy regarding Health programs
Row Labels Sum of count
Agree 5
Disagree 3
Indifferent 0
Strongly Agree 18
Strongly Disagree 0
Grand Total 26

Total

0%
19% Agree
Disagree
12% Indifferent
0% Strongly Agree
69%
Strongly Disagree

88% needs good health programs. Some says in olden times there was
medical checkups but now it is not there.

45
Preference on policy for Paid Paternity Leave

Row Labels Sum of count

Agree 6
Disagree 1
Indifferent 3
Strongly Agree 16
Strongly Disagree 0
Grand Total 26

Total

0%
23% Agree
Disagree
4% Indifferent
62% 11% Strongly Agree
Strongly Disagree

85% employees supports paid paternity leave. Among them , 62% strongly support for paid
paternity leave same as maternity leave. 11% have indifferent opinion. 4% disagree for such a
policy.

46
Employee suffer from any stress-related disease

Row Labels Sum of count

No 16

Yes 10

Grand Total 26

count

38%
Yes
no
62%

62% people are suffering from stress related problems like blood pressure, tension related
health problems etc.

47
Employees says whether the organization encourage the involvement of

your family members in work achievement reward functions

Row Labels Sum of count

No 7

Yes 19

Grand Total 26

Total

27%
No
Yes

73%

73% people have take part in functions related to the reward and appraisal which includes
family and 27% of new members didn’t experienced such events.

48
Employees feels like work life balance policy in the organization should be

customized for individual needs

Row Labels Sum of count

No 7
Yes 19
Grand Total 26

Total

27%
No
Yes

73%

73% of employees need customized policies as they have different requirements. 27% says that it
is good to give common policy than customizing the policy.

49
Employees opinion on having a good work-life balance gives organization

more success

Row Labels Sum of count

No 0

Yes 26

Grand Total 26

COUNT
26

YES NO

All employees in the organization believes that good work life balance can make the
organization to conquer more success.

50
FINDINGS

 Most of the employees cannot balance their work and life.

 More than 50% of employees says they are unable to spend enough time with their
family.
 73% agrees that they usually lose their quality time with family
 69% employees like to include flexible timings if the organization make a work life
policy
 Most of the employees need counselling services from their organization which could
reduce their stress and encourage them to improve efficiency
 Most of the employees needs good health programs.
 62% people are suffering from stress related problems
 73% people needs to includes family to take part in functions related to the reward and
appraisal

SUGGESTIONS

 The organization can make a written policy related to work life balancing including
flexible time, holiday payoffs, job sharing, career break, counseling services, paid
paternity leaves, and other health programs.
 Making sure that every employees are getting equal benefits and job timings,
organization should avoid forcing to do extra time work.
 Introducing stress relieving daily 10 minute activities like small games, warm up etc. for
employees or providing weekly one hour for yoga or meditation.
 Providing flexibility time schedules for employees considering their personal needs .
 Engaging job sharing with team building exercises.
 Providing health care activities and good counseling for the employees.

51
CONCLUSION

The work life balance is now a days being a more serious issue affecting the performance of
employees and there by the performance of organization. Employees are under a lot of pressure
to balance the tensions of working hours and tension about personal life. They are struggling in
between these feeling to meet the expectations of the organization. Providing a separate written
work life policy can make the employees more relaxed and organized. It also help to provide
employee better mental and physical health and make them feel prioritized rather than sacrificing
for work. In total good work life balancing of employees should be a goal for the organization.

52
 ANNEXURE
WORK LIFE BALANCE

1. Age:

2. Gender:

3. Designation:

4. I normally work for more than 6 days in a week

Strongly Agree Agree Indifferent Disagree Strongly Disagree

5. I normally work more than 8 hours in a day

Strongly Agree Agree Indifferent Disagree Strongly Disagree

6. I always feel that I am not able to balance my work life

Strongly Agree Agree Indifferent Disagree Strongly Disagree

7. I usually worry about my work when I am not actually at work

Strongly Agree Agree Indifferent Disagree Strongly Disagree

8. I work in shifts

Strongly Agree Agree Indifferent Disagree Strongly Disagree

9. I find myself unable to spend enough time with my family

Strongly Agree Agree Indifferent Disagree Strongly Disagree

53
10. Sometimes I miss out quality time with my family

Strongly Agree Agree Indifferent Disagree Strongly Disagree

11. My company has a separate policy for work-life balance

Strongly Agree Agree Indifferent Disagree Strongly Disagree

If your organization frames a policy for employees, what should be included in the policy?

12. Flexible working hours

Strongly Agree Agree Indifferent Disagree Strongly Disagree

13. Holidays/ paid time-off

Strongly Agree Agree Indifferent Disagree Strongly Disagree

14. Job sharing

Strongly Agree Agree Indifferent Disagree Strongly Disagree

15. Career break

Strongly Agree Agree Indifferent Disagree Strongly Disagree

16. Counseling services

54
 Strongly Agree Agree Indifferent Disagree Strongly Disagree

17. Health programs

Strongly Agree Agree Indifferent Disagree Strongly Disagree

18. Paid paternity leaves

Strongly Agree Agree Indifferent Disagree Strongly Disagree

19. Do you suffer from any stress-related disease?

Yes No

20. Does your organization encourage the involvement of your family members in work achievement reward
functions?

Yes No

21. Do you feel like work life balance policy in the organization should be customized for individual needs?

Yes No

22. Do you think that if employees have good work-life balance the organization will be more successful?

Yes No

55
56