Link Between Workplace Environment and Employee Performance

A STUDY ON LINK BETWEEN WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT AND EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE AT BIG BAZAAR, CHENNAI PROJECT REPORT

 Submitted by

S. POORNA VENKATA SUBRAMANI Register No: 1010301098

 In partial fulfilment for the award of the degree Of  MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION  In

MANAGEMENT STUDIES SONA COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY SALEM–636 005. DECEMBER-2011

SONA COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY SALEM- 636 005

Department of Master of Business Administration PROJECT WORK 

DECEMBER 2011

This is to certify that the project entitled

A STUDY ON LINK BETWEEN WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT AND EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE AT BIG BAZAAR, CHENNAI

is the bonafide record of project work done by S. POORNA VENKATA SUBRAMANI Register No: 1010301098

Of MBA ( Master of Business Administration) during the year 2011-2012. ------------------

------------------------------

Project Guide

Head of the Department

Submitted for the Project Viva-Voce examination held on

-------------------------Internal Examiner

------------------------External Examiner 

DECLARATION

I affirm that the project work title “A STUDY ON LINK BETWEEN WORK PLACE ENVIRONMENT AND EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE AT BIG BAZAAR” being submitted in partial fulfillment for the award of MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (MBA) is the original work carried out by me. It has not formed the part of any other project work  submitted for award of any degree or diploma, either in this or any other University

(Signature of the Candidate) S. POORNA VENKATA SUBRAMANI 1010301098

I certify that the declaration made above by the candidate is true

Signature of the Guide,

Ms. VIDHUBALA Lecturer 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am highly indebted to Mr. SELVARAJ, Director, Dept. of Master Of Business Administration for his guidance and motivation during the course of the project.

I wish to express my gratitude to Ms. VIDHUBALA Dept. of Master Of Business Administration head for his support and encouragement throughout the project.

I wish to thank Ms. AISHWARYA Sr. HR Executive at BIG BAZAAR, CHENNAI for  allowing me to undergo training in their organization and her support and encouragement throughout the project.

Finally I bow my head saluting my parents for showering their blessings on me which has enabled me to attain success in this endeavour.

TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER NO.

TITLE

LIST OF TABLE

PAGE NO.

LIST OF CHARTS INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY 1.2 ABOUT THE INDUSTRY 1.3 INDUSTRY & COMPANY PROFILE 1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

I.

THE MAIN THEME OF THE PROJECT 2.1 PERSONALITY, HEALTH,

WORK  

ENVIRONMENT AND PERFORMANCE 2.2 THEORY AND HYPOTHESIS 2.3 KEY KEY FACT FACTOR ORS S OF EMPL EMPLOY OYEE EE’S ’S HEAL HEALTH TH THAT AFFECT THEIR PRODUCTIVITY 2.4 RELATIONSH RELATIONSHIP IP BETWEEN BETWEEN OFFICE OFFICE DESIGN DESIGN

II.

AND PRODUCTIVITY 2.5 REVIEW OF LITERATURE

III IV V

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, SUGGESTIONS QUESTIONNAIRE BIBLIOGRAPHY

LIST OF TABLES

S.NO

TITLE

Employee’s belongingness towards team 1. Employee’s opinion towards challenging assignments 2. Employee’s view on training classes 3.

PAGE.NO

Importance of learning new job skills to employee 4. Employee’s view on need to learn more skills 5. Employee’s opinion towards opportunity to learn new skills 6. Employee’s opinion towards employment security in company 7. Employee’s view on feedback from supervisor  8. Employee’s view on performance appraisal 9. Employee’s perception towards work  10.

11.

Employee co considers the wo work as as personally rewarding Employee’s view on self determination in doing the work 

12. Employee’s opinion on work place factors(being treated fairly) 13. Employee’s opinion on working conditions 14. Employee’s view on competence to do the job 15. Employee’s opinion on performance capacities 16.

Employee’s view on contribution towards success 17. Employee’s opinion on self-impact for success in work area 18. LIST OF CHARTS

S.NO

TITLE

Employee’s belongingness towards team 1. Employee’s opinion towards challenging assignments 2. Employee’s view on training classes 3. Importance of learning new job skills to employee 4. Employee’s view on need to learn more skills 5. Employee’s opinion towards opportunity to learn new skills 6. Employee’s opinion towards employment security in company 7. Employee’s view on feedback from supervisor  8. Employee’s view on performance appraisal 9.

PAGE.NO

Employee’s perception towards work  10.

11.

Employee co considers the wo work as as personally rewarding Employee’s view on self determination in doing the work 

12. Employee’s opinion on work place factors(being treated fairly) 13. Employee’s opinion on working conditions 14. Employee’s view on competence to do the job 15. Employee’s opinion on performance capacities 16. Employee’s view on contribution towards success 17. Employee’s opinion on self-impact for success in work area 18.

LINK BETWEEN PERFORMANCE

WORKPLACE

ENVIRONMENT

AND

EMPLOYEE

Abstract

The workplace environment impacts employee morale, productivity and employee engagement –   both positive and negative. In general, it is to be noted that most of us believe that the level of  employee performance is directly related to employee’s salary package. Instead, the quality of  work place environment impacts the level of motivation and the performance.

How well they engage with the organization, in this case their immediate environment influences their error rate, collaboration with other employees, level of innovation, absenteeism and how long they stay in their current job. Creating a work  enviro environme nment nt in which which employ employees ees are produc productiv tivee is essent essential ial to increa increased sed profit profitss for the organization and businesses as well. In short the work place becomes an integral part of the work  itself. Businesses must step outside their traditional roles to create a work environment where employees enjoy what they do, have pride in what they do, can reach their potential. Discussed Discussed below are some of the factors and how they can be utilized to boost the performance performance of the employees.

Money is not sufficient motivator in creating superior work place environment. Supervisors will need to be comfortable with working with workplace factors that influence skills required to engage employees in mutual goal-setting, clarify role specifications, expectations and provide regular feedback, providing adequate resources and work place coaching.

In today’s competitive business environment, management cannot afford to waste the potential of their workforce. The key factors in work place environment impact greatly on employee’s level of motivation and their performance. The workplace environment set in place impacts employee morale, productivity and engagement – both positive and negative. In an effort to motivate employees, organizations have implemented performance based pay, practices to help  balance both work and family and various forms of information sharing. Management’s new challe challenge nge is to create create a work work enviro environme nment nt that that attrac attracts, ts, keeps keeps and motiva motivates tes its workfo workforce rce.. Today’s workplace is different, diverse and constantly changing. The responsibility lies with managers and supervisors across all levels of organization.

The project discusses the quality of quality of workplace environment that impacts the level of  employ employee ee perfor performan mance. ce. The purpos purposee of this this study study is to examin examinee the relati relations onship hip betwee between n  personality, work environment preferences, performance and commitment. And also to know the key factor factorss in the employ employee’ ee’ss workpl workplace ace environ environmen mentt that that impact impact the level level of employ employee ee  performance and effect of employee’s health on their work performance. The bottom line is that

the manage managemen mentt starte started d to reali realize ze if the employ employees ees are dissatis dissatisfie fied, d, they they can find find the job elsewhere easily. Hence, the organizations have started to create a positive work environment for  their work force. Business leaders are urged to take account of the links between work place environment and employee performance when overhauling the old ones.

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

It is the quality of the workplace environment creates impact in the work force motivation and their performance. How well employees engage with the organization (i.e) with their immediate environment, influences their error rate, level of innovation, collaboration with other employees, absenteeism and how long they stay stay in the the job. The objective of this study is to find out the relationship between work place environment and  productivity. For this purpose, 230 employees of Big Bazaar were contacted and studied. The

findings of this study shows that a good work place environment is essential in increasing employee’s productivity. Comfortable environment motivates the employees and increases their   performance substantially.

Most of the employees spend their time within indoor environment, which greatly influence their  mental mental status status,, action actions, s, abili abilitie tiess and perfor performan mance. ce. Better Better result results, s, increa increased sed product productivi ivity ty is assumed to be the result of better workplace environment. Employees in different organizations have different different work place designs. Every work place has unique furniture, furniture, lighting lighting and heating arrang arrangeme ements nts.. The purpose purpose of this this study study is to analyz analyzee the impact of workpl workplace ace factor factorss on employees productivity. The literature shows that good work place design or environment has a  positive effect on employees productivity and the same assumption is being tested in this study for Big Bazaar Bazaar,, Royapet Royapettah, tah, Chennai. Chennai. The study tries tries to find find out the effect effectss of work work place place enviro environme nment nt design design on employ employees ees product productivi ivity. ty. The study study will will be based based on primar primary y data data collected through structured questionnaire. Many managers do not have the flexibility in their employee pattern, hence they must deal with the hand they are dealt. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between   per perso sonal nalit ity, y, work work envi enviro ronm nment ent pref prefer eren ence ces, s, the the

outco outcome me vari variab able les, s, perfo perform rman ance ce and and

commitment. In this study, first factors that serve to define the well being and health in the work   place, favorable work environment are studied. Then factors associated with productivity and  performance, the consequences of low well being work place factors that affect performance are studied. And future directions for research and practice regarding the work environment and working ability are highlighted from the organization point of view. The study begins with discussion of relationship between personality, work environment, health, employee performance and commitment. For this purpose, employees working in different work  environment were contacted. The result of this study will show how the work place environment is essential in terms of improving the employee performance. Key factors that affect employees’ productivity and performance comes under two categories:

 –  factors that are driven by procedures, management requirements.  –  factors arise from premises, office (or factory) design.

Employees performance and Productivity:

Employees wellbeing and Work Environment:

Job Factors motivating Employees Performance to attain the Target

Interesting work, opportunity to develop special abilities, adequate information, sufficient help and equipment, helpful co-workers, competent supervision, clearly defined responsibilities and good pay are considered to be the job factors that motivates employee performance to attain the target. Interesting work has got the highest significance for employees. In certain instances, employees agree with the fact that the interesting work motivates their performance to attain the target. If  the company pays good pay according to their position and work, then most of the employees are

motivated by the good pay to perform their work. The company should also provide opportunity to develop special ability for the particular job which in turn helps them to gain knowledge and develop abilities. In an organization, each employee should be allocated to particular job which is to be completed before the stipulated time. Thus clearly defined responsibilities motivates the employee performance. The target to be attained has been set by the organization, where enough information about work is passed on to the employees. Thus each employee is getting enough information about the work to be performed which in turn motivates the employee to perform. WORK PLACE PERFORMANCE FACTORS Goal Setting

Involve employees in setting meaningful goals and performance measures for their work. It coul could d be info inform rmal ally ly betw betwee een n empl employ oyees ees and thei theirr imme immedi diat atee supe superv rvis isor or or as part part of  organizational process. The key is that each employee takes ownership in the final agreed goals and work measures.

Performance Feedback 

Regular Regular feedback to employees employees should have both positive positive feedback feedback on what the employee employee is doing right as well as feedback about what could be done for the improvement. The feedback  should be delivered with appropriate conflict resolution skills.

Workplace Incentives

Determine what motivates the employees and formal, informal structures can be created for  reward rewarding ing employ employees ees.. Rewards Rewards may consis consistt a mix of intern internal al reward rewardss such such as challe challengi nging ng assignments, external rewards such as higher compensation and peer recognition. Defined Process

The Organization constrains the variability of how the work is actually performed through documenting processes and communicating such expectations to employees.

Office design and productivity:

Physical aspects Influencing Employees Performance at the workplace

Office Office space space is one of the physic physical al aspect aspect that that influe influence nce the employ employees ees perfor performan mance ce at the workplace. Studies reveal that if sufficient space is not provided by the company for the assigned  job it leads to poor management management of office office space wastage of time and energy which hampers the effective work habits. At the organization if the furniture is not maintained in good condition,  proper furnishing is not done then the employees may feel uncomfortable while they work. And adequat adequatee storag storagee facil faciliti ities es for material materialss should should be provid provided ed for the goods goods to be arrange arranged d  properly. 1.2. About the industry Retailing Introduction:

The Indian retail industry is divided into organized and unorganized sectors. Organized retailing refers refers to trading activities activities undertaken by licensed licensed retailers, retailers, that is, those who are registered registered for  sales tax, income tax etc. These include the corporate-backed hypermarkets and retail chains, also the privately owned large retail businesses. Unorganized retailing, in other hand, refers to traditional formats of low-cost retailing, for example, the local kirana shops, convenience stores, hand cart, pavement vendors etc.

Traditional markets are making way for new formats such as departmental stores, hypermarkets, supe superm rmar arke kets ts and and spec specia ialt lty y stor stores es.. We West ster ern n styl stylee mall mallss have have begun begun to appea appearr in metr metros os introducing the Indian consumer to an unparalleled shopping experience.

The Indian retail sector is highly fragmented with 90% of its business being run by unorganized retailers like the traditional family run stores, corner stores. The organized retail is at nascent stage though attempts are being made to increase its presence by bringing in huge opportunity for the potential new players. The sector is the largest source of employment after agriculture, and has deep penetration into rural India generating more than 10% of India’s GDP.

The last few years have witnessed tremendous growth by this sector, the key drivers being changing changing consumer profile profile and demographics demographics,, increase in the number of internation international al brands availa available ble in Indian Indian market market,, credit credit availab availabili ility, ty, improv improveme ement nt in infrainfra-str struct ucture ure,, increa increasin sing g invest investmen mentt in techno technolog logy y and real real estate estate buildi building ng a world world class class shoppin shopping g environ environmen mentt for  consumers. In order to keep pace with the increasing demand, there has been hectic activity in terms terms of entry entry of intern internati ational onal labels labels,, expansi expansion on plans, plans, focus focus on technol technology ogy,, operati operation on and  processes. This This has led to more more comple complex x relati relations onship hipss involv involving ing suppli suppliers ers,, third third part part distri distribut butors ors and retailers, which can be dealt with the help of supply chain. A proper supply chain will help meet the competition head on, manage stock availability, supplier relation, new value added services, cost cutting and most importantly reduce wastage levels in handling the goods.

Retailers can bargain with suppliers to reap economies of scale. Hence, discounting is being an accept accepted ed practi practice. ce. Prope Properr infras infrastru tructu cture re is a pre-re pre-requi quisit sitee in retail retailing ing,, which which would would help help to modernize India and facilitate rapid economic growth. This would help in efficient delivery of  goods and value-added services to consumer making a significant contribution to the GDP.

Growth drivers in India for retail sector

 –

Rising Rising incomes incomes and improvem improvements ents in infrast infrastruc ructur turee are enlargi enlarging ng consumer consumer markets markets and accelerating the convergence of consumer tastes.

 –

Liber Liberal aliz izati ation on of of Indi Indian an econ econom omy. y.

 –

Incr Increa ease se in spen spendi ding ng per per capit capitaa incom income. e.

 –

Advent of dual dual income income families families also helps helps in the growth of the the retail retail sector. sector.

 –  Shift in consumer demand to foreign brands like Sony, Samsung, Panasonic etc.

 –

The intern internet et revolut revolution ion is making making the India Indian n consumer consumer more more accessi accessible ble to the growin growing g influences of domestic and foreign retail chains. Satellite T.V. channels is helping to create awareness about global products in local markets.

 –  Foreign companies attraction to India is the billion-plus population.

Opportunities and Challenges

AT Kearney’s study on global retailing trends found that India is least competitive and least saturated saturated of all major global markets. This implies that there is low entry barriers for players trying trying to setup setup base base in India. India. The report further further states states that global global retailer retailerss such such as Walmar Walmart, t, Carrefour, Tesco would take advantage of favourable FDI rules in India and enter the country through through partnershi partnership p with local retailers retailers.. A good talent talent pool, unlimited unlimited opportuniti opportunities, es, huge markets and availability of quality raw materials at cheaper costs is expected to make India overtake the world’s retail economies by 2042. The retail industry in India, according to experts, will be a major employment generator in the future. Currently, the market share of organized retail is just over 4% thereby leaving a huge untapped opportunity. Commanding such a large chunk of the organized retail business in India, fashion retailing has indeed been responsible for single-handedly driving the business of retail in India.

Challenges in Retailing

The industry is facing shortage of talented professionals at middle-level management. Most Indian retailers are under serious pressure to make supply chains more efficient in order to deliver the levels of quality of service expected by consumers. Lack of adequate adequate infrastru infrastructure cture with respect to roads, electricit electricity, y, cold chains and ports has further further led to impediment impediment of pan-India pan-India network of suppliers. suppliers. Due to these constraints, constraints, retailers retailers have resorted to multiple vendors for their requirements thereby, raising costs and prices.

The available available talent talent pool does not back retail retail sector sector as the sector has emerged emerged recently from its nascent stage. Further, retailing is yet to become the preferred career option for India’s educated class that has chosen sectors like IT, BPO and financial services.

Even though the government is attempting to implement uniform value-added tax across states, the system is currently currently plagued with differenti differential al tax rate for various states leading to increased increased costs and complexities in establishing an effective distribution network.

The retail sector does not have the ‘industry’ tag making it difficult to raise finance from banks and fund their expansion plans. Non-availab Non-availabilit ility y of government land and zonal restriction restrictionss has made it difficult to find a good real estate in terms of location and size. Also, lack of clear  ownership titles and high stamp duty has resulted in disorganized nature of transactions. 1.3 COMPAN COMPANY Y PROFILE PROFILE Future Group Introduction

Future Group, led by its founder and Group CEO, Mr. Kishore Biyani, is one of India’s leading  busin  business ess houses houses with with multip multiple le busine business ss spanni spanning ng across across the consum consumpti ption on space. space. Led by its flagship enterprise, Pantaloon Retail, the group operates over 12 million sq.ft of retail space in 71 cities and towns and 65 rural locations across India. Headquarter Headquartered ed in Mumbai, Mumbai, Pantaloon Pantaloon employs 30,000 people. people. The company company follows follows multiformat format retail retail strate strategy gy that that capture capturess almost almost entire entire consump consumptio tion n of Indian Indian consume consumers. rs. In the lifestyle segment, the group operates Pantaloons, a fashion retail chain and Central a seamless malls. malls. In the value segmen segment, t, its its marque marqueee brand brand Big Bazaar Bazaar is a hyperm hypermark arket et format format that combines the look and feel of Indian bazaars with the choice and convenience of modern retail.

FUTURE VALUE BRANDS

 –

The Future Future Group Group has built built a strong strong portfolio portfolio of some of the fastest fastest growing growing consumer  consumer   brands in India.

 –  This activity is led by Future Brands India Limited, a subsidiary company set up to

create and build powerful brands that address the aspirations of the new Indian consumer.

 –  –

Leader Leadershi ship: p: to be be a leader leader,, both both in thou thought ght and and busin business ess

Respect & Humilit Humility: y: to respect respect every every individua individuall and be be humble humble in our our country country

Future Group Firms

 –

Pant Pantal aloon oon Ret Retai ail( l(In Indi dia) a) Limi Limite ted d

 –

Home Home Sol Solut utio ions ns Reta Retail il Indi Indiaa Limi Limite ted d

 –

Futu Future re Bran Brand d Limi Limite ted d

 –

Future Future Suppl Supply y Chai Chain n Solu Solutio tions ns Limite Limited d

 –

Pantal Pantaloon oon Food Food Product Product(In (India dia)) Limit Limited ed

 –

Futu Future re Cap Capit ital al Hol Holdi ding ng Limi Limite ted d

 –

Future Future Gene General ral India India Insu Insuran rance ce Compa Company ny Limi Limited ted

 –

Future Future Gener General al Indi Indiaa Life Life Insura Insurance nce Comp Company any Limi Limited ted

 –

Futu Future re Baza Bazaar ar Indi Indiaa Limi Limite ted d

 –

Winn Winner er Spo Sport rts( s(P) P) Lim Limit ited ed

 –

Staple Stapless Futur Futuree Offic Officee Produc Products( ts(P) P) Limite Limited d

 –  Talwalkars Pantaloon Fitness(P) Limited

COMPANY PROFILE – BIG BAZAAR 

Big Bazaar caters to every need of your family. Where Big Bazaar scores over other stores is its value for money proposition for the Indian customers.

Since its first outlet open in Kolkata in late 2001, the Big Bazaar has spread to towns and cities with currently 106 outlets. These multi-level multi-level shopping meccas stock everything everything from food to fridges, fridges, and cookware cookware to clothes. It’s been especially designed to Indian consumers. With slogan “Is se sasta aur accha aur kahin nahi ”, the Big Bazaar targets itself directly at the average Indian love for following the crowd and scrambling for good discount.

Parent-Pantaloon Retail India Limited

Pantaloon Retail India Limited, is India’s leading retailer that operates multiple retail formats in  both value and lifestyle segment of the Indian consumer market.

Headquarter Headquartered ed in Mumbai, the company operates over 12 million million sq.ft of retail space, has over  1000 stores across 71 cities in India and employs 30,000 people. The company’s leading format include Pantaloons, a chain of fashion outlets, Big Bazaar, Food Bazaar, blends the look, touch and feel of Indian bazaars with aspects of modern retail like choice,

conven venience

and

quali ality.

The

company

also

operates

an

onli nline

portal

www.futurebazaar.com.

A subsidiary company, Home Solutions Retail(India) Limited, operates Home Town, a large format home solutions, selling home furniture products and e-Zone focused on catering to consumer electronics segment.

Target Consumers

Big Bazaar targets higher and upper middle class consumers, the large and growing young working population is a preferred consumer segment. Big Bazaar specifically targets working women and home makers who w ho are the primary decision makers.

Organization Structure (Big Bazaar)

Big Bazzar Organ ization ization Chart Store Manager 

A ssistant Stor e M ana g er

S uppor t F unctions

Department Manager 

Human Resource Management

Assistant Department Manager 

Cash

Team Leader 

Visual Merchandise

Team Member 

Administration

Logistics

Maintenance

Customer Service Department

STORE STRUCTURE

STORE MANAGER 

DEPERTMENT

MARKETIN

MANAGER 

GMANAGER 

HR  MANAGER 

ASSIS.DEPER.

VIDUAL

MANAGER 

MARCHANDISIN

ASSIS.DEPER. MANAGER 

CASHIER 

CSD

ADMINISTRATIOR 

TEAM LEADER  SECURITY

MAINTANANCE

ASSIS.DEPER. MANAGER 

Problem Statement

1) The The purp purpos osee of this this proj projec ectt is to exam examin inee the the rela relati tion onsh ship ip betw betwee een n  personality, work environment preferences, performance and commitment. 2) To know know the key factor factorss in the employee employee’s ’s work work place place environ environmen mentt that that impacts their level of motivation and performance. 3) To assess assess whether whether office office design design,, employ employee’ ee’ss health health affect affect the work work force force  productivity.

1) The purpose of this project project is to examine the relationship relationship between between personality, personality, work  environment preferences, performance and commitment .

Management’s new challenge is to create an environment that attracts, motivates the work force. The responsibility lies with all levels of managers and supervisors. Organization must step outside their traditional and comfort zones to look for new ways of working. Work place environment should be created in such a way that people enjoy what they do, feel like they have  purpose, have pride in what they do, can reach their potential.

Today’ Today’ss workpl workplace ace is differ different ent,, divers diversee and consta constantl ntly y changin changing. g. The employ employer/ er/emp employ loyee ee relati relations onship hip has changed changed turned turned upside upside down. down. A combin combinati ation on of factor factorss have create created d an environment where businesses needs its employees more than employees n eed the business.

Link between work environment and performance

Studi Studies es have have show shown n that that envi enviro ronm nment ent has has dire direct ct impac impactt on organ organiz izat atio ion’ n’ss perfo perform rman ance ce (financial/non-financial). Components of environment can be classified into two categories: 1. Orga Organi niza zati tion’ on’ss cult cultur uree 2.

the climate within which the individual is working.

Organization Culture – “ the way the things are done inside the premises” – comprised of formal and in-formal factors that go hand in hand. (e.g) the need to do things differently and the need for  consistent process and procedures; the need to pay attention to external factors while making

decisions. Organizations which creates an effective to the above said are more able to achieve  performance goals in –

Profitabil bility

–

Quality

–

Innovation

–

Sales growth

 –

Empl Employ oyee ee sati satisf sfac acti tion on

The majority of work occurs at the team or work group level. Much more than individuals, groups are responsible for innovation, processes and practices that have the ability to take organization to the next level. Whet Whethe herr the the dime dimens nsio ions ns of pers person onal alit ity y is dire direct ctly ly resp respon onsi sibl blee for for empl employ oyee ee succ succes esss in organizations, or the preferences the work force have for in their work environment play an major major role role in the link? link? Select Selecting ing employees employees on the basis basis of person personali ality ty can be inaccu inaccurat rate. e. Considering the span of control and reduced contact between employees and managers in work  situations, relying on employee selection processes to improve the performance and commitment could be less effective. In addition, managers do not have flexibility in their staffing patterns in short term. In such situations, the work environment could be controlled as an short term option  beyond skill training, to improve the result outcome.

2) To know the key factors in the employee’s work place environment that impacts their level of motivation and performance.

To keep employees satisfied today, it takes an entirely different approach than it did a decade ago. One-third of today’s executives say that work environment is also one of the critical factors in keeping the employees satisfied today in business world. Other factors include the importance of praise and recognition, compensation, concern over promotions. An employee’s work place environment is an critical element which determines the level of work  force force produc productiv tivity ity.. How well well the workpl workplace ace engages engages an employ employee ee impact impactss their their level level of  motivation to perform. This in turn influence the employee’s: –

error rate

 –

level evel of innov nnovat atio ion n

 –

engag engagin ing g wit with h oth other er empl employ oyees ees

 –

absent absenteei eeism sm and and how how long long they they stay stay in the the job job

In a given work place, consistent absenteeism could be a potential problem. Absenteeism can be a result of combination of factors: Lack of incentives, including bonuses or recognition can cause employees to lose motivation. Unproductive working conditions may arise due to employees who are negative or disruptive, failur failuree to equip equip employ employees ees with with right right tools, tools, traini training, ng, softwa software re and suppli supplies. es. Manager Managerss and supervisors need to work with the combination of work place factors that influence employee’s motivation. Some of the keys to improve Employee Performance are: 1. Employ Employees ees submit submit ideas ideas on how to make company company more efficie efficient, nt, cut costs, costs, increase increase revenue. 2. All All idea ideass will will be be evalu evaluat ated ed.. 3. There will will no limit limit to to the number number of ideas ideas selecte selected d for merit. merit. All employees whose ideas are implemented will receive company wide recognition and a bonus.

3) To assess whether office design, employee’s health affect the work force productivity.

A well designed office signals the values and objectives of the company and use of design in interior communicates the organization’s values and identity. Good work place design can make a big difference in staff satisfaction, attraction, motivation and retention. It can also affect the knowledge and skills of workers how they respond to business and technological change, how effective the organization in attracting and retaining the customers. In order for employees to be productive, they have to be comfortable in their work environment. Proper lighting plays an important role in the visual comfort for employees and customers. Organizations should take more account of the link between good office design and improved  business performance when planning for new buildings and overhauling old ones. Companies are striving to make office a healthy and comfortable work place, using proper ergonomic furniture and accessories, proper lighting and a functional design to minimize distraction and consequently making employees work more productively. Finding answers to some of the questions can improve the comfort level of an office to increase the productivity of its work force: 1. Where Where and and how peop people le work work effic efficien iently tly??

2. Insu Insuff ffic icie ient nt ligh lightt will will impa impact ct on visu visual al insp inspec ecti tion on acti activi viti ties es.. Henc Hence, e, what what is the the requirement for light intensity and what type of light is ideal to enhance the productivity? 3.

Does the work environment has poor quality of air that could cause fatigue and reduce the performance level?

Employee health and morale are often interrelated when it comes to productivity in work place. Many Many fact factor orss cont contri ribut butee to poor poor empl employ oyee ee perf perfor orma manc nce, e, incl includ udin ing g stre stress ss and and lack lack of  communication. While managers can find ways to boost employee morale, employees should also find ways to release their stress. The working environment affects the sense of well being, health and motivation to go to work or not. Hence, it is the employer’s responsibility to create an  positive work place because the environment can increase or decrease the work force morale.

1.4 Significance of the Study

With the rise of global markets and intensifying competition for consumers, employees and other  critical resources, the ability to develop innovative products, services, processes and strategies is essential. Innovation is the major driving force in organization today.

As many as 40% of the employees believe that their company want to keep their cost low resulting in work places not designed properly, 46% of employees think that priority list of their  company does not have work place design on top. When summarized, almost 1 out of every 5 employees rated their work place environment from ‘fair to poor’. 90% admitted that their  attitude about the work is affected by their work place environment. Yet 89% blamed their  working environment for job dissatisfaction (Gensler, 2006).

It is evident that there is less importance given to office design, incentives and assisting facilities. The situation is that they can’t complain about them. These circumstances are greatly affecting the performance of the employees in the form of delay in work completion, frustration, effect on  personal growth etc. The project will try to find out the effects of office design in terms of  furniture, noise, lighting, spatial arrangement on employees productivity.

In management research there are studies which have attempted to chart the effect of physical work environment on performance and efficiency. The result indicate that a highly rated physical

working environment results in greater job satisfaction. The impact and significance of work  environment on employees productivity is addressed in this project.

The The signi signifi fica cance nce of goalgoal-or orie ient ntat atio ion n pref prefer eren ence cess in medi mediat atin ing g the the rela relati tion onsh ship ip betw between een  personality and workplace provides evidence that intervening variables plays a substantial role. Increasing knowledge of the economic and social benefits of good safety and health performance at company levels plays an significant role in raising occupational health and safety levels. Safety and health of workers is a moral responsibility which cannot only depend on productivity crit criter eria ia with within in parti particu cula larr comp compan any. y. This This resp respons onsib ibil ilit ity y fits fits into into the the broa broade derr conce concept pt of   performance of the company. Better understanding of positive effects of good work environment would support the implementation of effective safety and health policy at company level. It is not enough enough to create create work work enviro environme nment nt on the basis basis of practi practical cal experi experience ence and profes professio sional nal   preconcepti preconceptions. ons. Management Management wishes to have more interaction interaction and informati information on sharing sharing with employees, so that creativity and efficiency at work place could be improved and better results will be achieved in the long run. 1.5 Terms Definition

Productivity:

Productivity is what people can produce with least effort. Productivity is the ratio to measure how well an organization (or individual, industry) converts input resources (labor, materials, machines etc.) into goods and services.

Office design:

The arrangement of workspace so that work can be performed in the most efficient way.

Work Environment:

Circum Circumsta stances nces,, influe influence nces, s, stress stresses, es, compet competiti itive, ve, cultur cultural, al, demogr demograph aphic, ic, natura natural, l, politi political cal,, regulatory, technological factors affect the growth, operations and survival of an organization.

Mentoring:

Act of providing guidance and support to another (new employees).

1.6 Limitations of the project

Potential limitations of this project include cross sectional nature of data. This project relies on self-repor self-reportt surveys surveys to measure measure employee employee perceptions perceptions of their personality, personality, commitment commitment,, work  environment preferences which raises the potential for common method variance.

Following are few limitations of this project:

The limitation of this project is the fact that this study is applicable for settings similar to those where further research can be conducted. By this one can assume that the findings could be only relevant to blue-collar employees working in production line and to some extent whose salary is  based on their performance. And also, there is no guarantee that the same result can be applied to companies companies in other industries, industries, countries, countries, cultures, cultures, companies companies having different organization organization structure. However, this project could be researched further to see how findings of this project could be applied to those particular settings.  –

The data collec collected ted was based based on subject subjective ive product productivi ivity ty measure measurement ment;; other method methodss could also be used.

 –

Data Data was colle collecte cted d by the metho method d of struct structure ured d questio questionnai nnaires res..

 –  The survey was conducted in English, hence it is limited to English speaking employees.

 –

The survey survey was was bound bound to be complete completed d in a certai certain n time, time, so time limit limit was was a barrier barrier to investigate employees for more information.

CHAPTER 2

Concepts and reviews

A widely accepted assumption is that better workplace environment produces better results. The   performance of an employee is measured by the output of that individual and is related to  productivity. At corporate level, productivity is affected by many factors such as employees, technology and objectives of the organization. It is also dependent on the physical environment and its effect on employee’s health.

2.1Personality, Health, Work Environment and Performance

According to Schneider(1987), “people makes place”. Costa, McCrae and Holland(1984) assert that people begin this process by selecting the vocation that match their personalities. Similarity  between a job applicant’s and the values of recruiters and employees within the organizations result resultss in improv improved ed work work attitu attitudes des and increa increased sed perfor performan mance ce after after organi organizat zation ional al entry entry (Chatm (Chatman, an, 1991; 1991; Judge Judge and Cable, Cable, 1997). 1997). Resear Research ch by Cable Cable and Judge Judge (1994) (1994) provid provides es evidence that the applicants pro-actively choose the organizational environment based on their   personal preferences, as they found job candidates seek organizations with reward systems and culture that fit their pe rsonalities.

Personality traits as Sources of Stress:

Past Past studie studiess have have indica indicated ted the potent potential ial impact impact of persona personali lity ty trait traitss on job stress stress.. Five Five   per perso sonal nalit ity y trai traits ts that that have have been been iden identi tifi fied ed are are

neur neurot otic icis ism, m, extra extraver versi sion, on, open opennes ness, s,

agreeableness, conscientiousness (Costa and McCrae, 1985; Costa and McCrae, 1992; McCrae, 1992). The neuroticism means one’s degree of emotional stability and adjustment. Extraversion assess the extent to which individuals are assertive, active and talkative. Openness measures the extent to which the persons are open to new experiences, creative, imaginative and prefer variety. Agreeableness reflects the extent to which one is altruistic and cooperative. The general consensus is that personality holds the key for performance. Research  by Motowi Motowidlo dlo and Van Scotte Scotterr (1994, (1994, 1996) 1996) sugges suggests ts that that person personali ality ty has larger larger impact impact on   per perfo form rmanc ancee leve level, l, espe especi cial ally ly extra extrave vers rsio ion n and agree agreeabl ablene eness ss were were stro strong ngly ly rela relate ted d to interp interpers ersona onall facil facilita itati tion. on. Hurtz Hurtz and Donova Donovan n (2000) (2000) found found that that emotio emotional nal stabil stability ity and agreeableness also plays an significant role in interpersonal facilitation and a predictor of task   performance.

It is widely accepted that better workplace environment produces better results. Mostly office is designed in tune with nature of job, individuals who are going to work in that office. The  performance of an employee is measured by the output that the individual produces and related to productivity. The workplace environment either leads to engagement or disengagement. The key factors that affect employees productivity and performance fall in two categories: Management driven factors: •

Organization plans such as the allocation of responsibilities at all levels, definition of job descri descripti ptions ons,, degree degree of access access to manage management ment and admini administr strati ative ve suppor supportt needed needed to complete the task.

•

Working patterns, shift-working, break times, absence or holiday cover.

•

Health and safety policies.

The factors arise from company premise, office design: ➢

Furniture

➢

Workspace availability

➢

Light intensity

➢

Ventilation/humidity

➢ ➢

 Noise/vibration Premises hygiene/ welfare facilities

2.2 Theory and Hypothesis

It is believed believed that the personalit personality y factors factors conscientio conscientiousness usness,, agreeablenes agreeableness, s, extraversi extraversion on – will work specifically through goal orientation and relationship work environment preferences on their way to influencing job performance and commitment. The personality factors openness to experi experience ence and emotio emotional nal stabil stabilit ity y will will manife manifest st themse themselve lvess in relati relations onship hip and syste system m maintenance work environment preferences. Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Extraversion and Employee Performance:

Conscientiousness is the personality trait that is strongly linked to performance outcomes. Two analyses provide strong linkage between conscientiousness and employees productivity. Salgado (2003 (2003)) found found,, of the the perso persona nali lity ty fact factor ors, s, consc conscie ient ntio ious usnes nesss is dire direct ctly ly conne connect cted ed to job job  performance.

Research Research by Witt, Witt, Burke, Barrick and Mount (2002) and Witt and Ferris (2003) found that low levels levels of social social skill skill on the part part of conscie conscienti ntious ousnes nesss employ employees ees remove removed d the signif significa icant nt relationshi relationship p with performance. performance. This indicates the potential potential importance importance of the interperson interpersonal al interaction-oriented relationship dimension of work environments. The import importance ance of goal achiev achieveme ement nt dimens dimension ion and mainta maintaini ining ng goal goal orient orientati ation on in work  work  environments on the conscientiousness-performance relationship has been indicated in research  by Stewart, Fulmer, Barrick Barrick and Hollenbeck Hollenbeck (2005), (2005), where conscientiousne conscientiousness ss employees employees were shown to focus on task role behavior in their pursuit of team performance outcomes. The relationshi relationship p between between the personalit personality y dimension dimension agreeableness agreeableness and performance performance shows that, agreeableness leads to enhanced consumer relations, improved relationships and communication with managers ( Costa and McCrae, 1995; Sackett and DeVore, 2001). The work work environ environmen mentt factor factor goal goal achiev achievemen ementt also also play play a signif significa icant nt role role in relati relations onship hip  betwe  between en extrav extravers ersion ion and employ employee ee produc productiv tivity ity (perfo (performa rmance nce). ). In the study study conduct conducted ed by Barrick et aL (2002, for sales job), found that individual’s striving for status and accomplishment negated negated the extraversi extraversion-emp on-employee loyee performance performance relationsh relationship. ip. Barry and Stewart Stewart noted that extraverts induce perceptions of their contributions to group outcomes by focusing on providing task related inputs. Such task oriented approaches indicate the importance of goal oriented work  environments. In conclusion, conclusion, the review review of literatur literaturee suggests suggests that the personalit personality y traits traits conscientio conscientiousness usness,, agreeableness, extraversion manifest themselves in goal and task oriented work environments which in turn affect employee performance and commitment.

Openness to Experience and Employee Performance:

Openness to experience has been described as an employee’s desire to be curious, imaginative and open to possibilities. The research on openness to experience-performance relationship has reinforced reinforced the idea that in the continuousl continuously y evolving evolving working working environment were learning learning and adaption are required to enhance the openness-performance link. In general, research indicates the link between openness to experience and enhanced performance in learning and adaptionoriented oriented environment environmentss as decision decision making making ( Lepine, Lepine, 2000; Colquitt Colquitt et al., 2002) and training training  proficiency (Salgado, 1997).

Employees with high levels of openness to experience may benefit from highly relationshiporiented work environments, as Nikolaou (2003) found that openness to experience is related to  performance only for professions involving higher levels of social interaction. 2.3 The Key Factors of Employee’s Health that effect their productivity:

Health Health concerns, concerns, are a big drain on employee’s employee’s ability to be productive. productive. Researchers Researchers noted that the effects of fatigue, most related to wide range of physical and mental health problems, employees not able to perform at maximum level due to health reasons.

Costs of occupational accidents

Victim

Non-tangible

Tangible

Pain and suffering, moral and

Loss of salary and premiums.

 psychological suffering

Reduction of professional capacity. Loss of time

Family and friends

Moral and psychological

Financial loss

suffering.

Extra costs

Medical and family burden. Colleagues

Company

Bad feeling

Increase of work load.

Worry or panic (in case of 

Training of temporary

serious accidents)

workers

Detoriation of social climate.

Internal audit

Bad reputation.

Decrease in production Quality losses Training of new staff  Increase of production costs

Society

Reduction of human labor 

Loss of production.

 potential

Increase of social costs

Reduction in quality of life

Decrease in standard of living

The above table shows that occupational accidents and ill health may have serious consequences for individual employees. Emotional stability and Employee performance

We all have emotional ups and downs. Emotional stability is the ability to handle pressure and stress, to consistently carry out responsibilities, self discipline. Emotionally stable employees are able to maintain a problem-solving attitude when dealing with wide range of stressful conditions.   Neuro Neurotic ticism ism reflec reflects ts one’s one’s tendenc tendency y to experi experience ence negati negative ve effect effectss such such as fear, fear, sadnes sadness, s, embarrassment, anger, guilt (Costa and McCrae; 1992). People with neuroticism traits are those who experience more negative emotions, which will be reflected in poor job attitudes and high level job stress. Telleg Tellegen en (1985) (1985) suggest suggested ed that that neuroti neuroticis cism m functi functions ons as a warnin warning g system system,, activa activated ted by  perceptions of environmental uncertainty and tends to interfere with one’s ability to adapt. Thus, individuals high in neuroticism are thought to be less able to control their impulses and cope

effect effectivel ively y with with stress stress and also also emotio emotional nally ly unstab unstable le and experie experience nce negati negative ve effect effect.. Such Such information seems to suggest that these individuals are likely to perceive great organizational stress, which in turn lead to higher job stress. Generally, the stress level of employees with low levels of neuroticism shows an increasing trend when the unfavorable work environment increases from low to high. Specifically, increase in job stress is at an increasing rate when the level of unfavorable work environment is perceived to range from low to moderate. These traits would not facilitate effective job performance, and Barrick and Mount (1991) have said that such individual are often selected out of the labor pool altogether. The impact of emotional stability/neuroticism seems to be related to the ability to form and maintain maintain positive relationshi relationships ps in one’s work environment. environment. Van Vianen and De Dreu (2001) found that high levels of emotional stability stability contributed social cohesion in teams and high levels of neuroticism predicts anger and neglect in relationships (Barta and Kiene, 2005).

2.4 Relationship between Office Design and Productivity

Over the years, many organizations have been trying new designs and techniques to construct office buildings which can increase productivity and attract more employees. Many authors noted that, the physical layout of the office, along with efficient management processes plays a major role in boosting boosting employee’s employee’s productivity productivity and improving improving organization organizational al performance performance (Uzee, 1999; Leaman and Bordass, 1993; Williams et al. 1985). These These resear research ch findi findings ngs suggest suggest that that busine businesse ssess that that ignore ignore the design design and layout layout of their  their  work workpl place acess are are fail failin ing g to optim optimiz ize. e. The The work work envi enviro ronm nmen entt can can also also have have an impa impact ct on individual’s ability to work safely, competently and in compliance with operational performance targets. It is important to address the following: ➢

Furniture

➢

Workspace availability

➢

Light intensity

➢

Weather/temperature

➢

Ventilation/humidity

➢ ➢

 Noise/vibration Premises hygiene/welfare facilities

Furniture

Office furniture comprises of desks chairs, the filing system, shelves etc. All these components have a specific role to play in proper functioning of any office and the productivity and the efficiency of the employees. Ergonomic office furniture ensures that each employee gels with the things around him, like chairs, desks, even environmental factors. If employee is uncomfortable due to any reason, his work is bound to be affected. Office furniture like desks can be designed to give greater leg room and adequate support to the elbows while working on the computer. The positioning of the computer monitor and the mouse should also be adequate.

Noise:

 Noise  Noise harms us in more ways than we can think of and at times without us even knowing about it. There are various sources of noise pollution. In some places noise from construction projects  predominate, while in others it is vehicular traffic or noise from airport. In our country unleashed loudspeakers disturb the neighborhood on seemingly endless nights, where the laws are either   battered in the name of religion or just for fun. Architects and interior designers have a big and profound responsibility to design functional and safe safe environ environmen ments. ts. It is very very essent essential ial to meet meet functi functiona onall and sound sound safe safe environ environmen ments ts by consid consideri ering ng acoust acoustics ics.. Acoust Acoustics ics is essent essential ial to the functi functioni oning ng of almost almost every every type type of  environment. Some environments could be dangerously loud and unsafe for the occupants. In order to effectively address these issues, acoustics should be considered at design phase itself. Very often noise does not create visible results. Hence, people believe that noise does not cause health hazards. Instead, different studies shows noise creates health hazards affecting children the most, with extremely high noise levels even causing hearing loss in newborns.

Light Intensity:

Common knowledge, backed by scientific research proves that quality of indoor lighting in the office can have significant effects on performance. In recent years, the understanding of how light impacts impacts upon our health has grown by leaps and bounds. bounds. The brightness brightness of office light effects alertness, concentration and task performance. Adjusting the type and quality of light can significantly improve working experience and productivity. Over-lighting can actually make a workplace uncomfortable and distracting. In addition, giving workers control over their lighting has been demonstrated to increase productivity and workplace

satisfact satisfaction. ion. Task lamps relieve relieve inefficient inefficient overhead lights of their their massive massive duties, duties, notably notably reducing energy use and over lighting. Using direct lighting to illuminate specific areas instead of relying on ceiling fixtures that light entire rooms in an innovative idea. Task lamps, desk  lamps are essential pieces of office equipment, offering workers the control they need to be comfortable and productive, while reducing energy use. Workers who use computer display terminals prefer relatively low lighting levels to minimize glare and reflections on their display screens. On the other hand, workers who read, write and draw on paper typically prefer higher lighting levels so they can see small letters and fine details. The ability to adjust lighting levels is particularly important for workers seated near windows, who must adopt to varying levels of sunlight during the day and workers who require adjusted lighting levels for the different daily tasks that they perform. Employee Comfort

Temperature and humidity can have a significant impact on how alert or tired somebody might feel. This in turn, can have a dramatic effect on performance of a worker. In hot environment, it is not uncommon for staff to become irritable and less efficient. A lot of emphasis has been  placed in recent years on issues such as maximum working hours, ergonomically designed office officess but the overall overall comfor comfortt of the workin working g condit condition ionss of employ employees ees can someti sometimes mes be overlooked.

Productivity and Temperature

An ergonomics study by Cornell Institute, US concluded that there were definitive link between the effici efficiency ency/pr /produ oducti ctivit vity y levels levels of worker workerss and the enviro environme nmenta ntall condit condition ionss in office offices. s. Temperature and humidity monitoring in workplace environments has often been overlooked as a mechanism for ensuring that workforce is efficient. Health and safety regulations mean that some form of ongoing monitoring should be carried out by employers, but in addition it could also also help help compani companies es and organi organizat zation ionss to identi identify fy how enviro environme nmenta ntall condit condition ionss could could be adjusted to improve productivity and efficiency in the workplace. Review of Literature

Openness measures the extent to which the persons are open to new experiences, creative, imaginative and prefer variety. Agreeableness reflects the extent to which one is altruistic and cooperative. The general consensus is that personality holds the key for performance. Research  by Motowi Motowidlo dlo and Van Scotte Scotterr (1994, (1994, 1996) 1996) sugges suggests ts that that person personali ality ty has larger larger impact impact on   per perfo form rmanc ancee leve level, l, espe especi cial ally ly extra extrave vers rsio ion n and agree agreeabl ablene eness ss were were stro strong ngly ly rela relate ted d to interp interpers ersona onall facil facilita itati tion. on. Hurtz Hurtz and Donova Donovan n (2000) (2000) found found that that emotio emotional nal stabil stability ity and agreeableness also plays an significant role in interpersonal facilitation and a predictor of task   performance. It is widely accepted that better workplace environment produces better results. Mostly office is designed in tune with nature of job, individuals who are going to work in that office. The  performance of an employee is measured by the output that the individual produces and related to productivity. The workplace environment either leads to engagement or disengagement.

CHAPTER 3 Research Methodology

Objectives of the Study

1. To analyze analyze work place place physical physical design design in Big Bazaar, Bazaar, Express Express Avenue, Chennai Chennai.. 2. To dete determ rmin inee the the impa impact ct of work work envi enviro ronm nmen entt on empl employ oyee ee’s ’s prod produc ucti tivi vity ty and and  performance. 3. To analyze analyze the the effect effect of employee’s employee’s health health on their their perform performance. ance.

I.To analyze work place physical design in Big Bazaar, Express Avenue, Chennai.

In today’s competitive environment store design has become a strategic tool for differentiating the offering and retaining retaining the consumers. consumers. Consumer’s Consumer’s perception perception regarding in-store design has changed. Consumers like to shop in changing and exciting environment. Retailers are developing innovative strategies for store design. Thoughtful design of physical elements is a significant aspect for communicating store image to consumers. Retailers are giving more attention to create a favorable environment for consumers, this requires deep understanding of target consumers.

In retail environment more systematic attention is given efficient designing of the store which influences the buying behavior of the consumer. Thoughtful in-store display creates favorable appearance of the store for the target consumer and attracts them towards products. Effective display provide easy accessibility of product to target consumers and demonstrate the product in a way to make selection process easy for consumers. Efficient design of the store contributes to  profitable utilization of store space. Retailers adopt different patterns of store layout to encourage circulation of consumers to all parts of the store and provide easy access to merchandising. The ultimate aim of an efficient store design is to increase sales and profit of the store. Directly or in-directly the elements have some impact on consumer buying behavior. Retailers always try to create favorable psychological impact on consumer by designing the store element in more sophisticated way. (e.g) Retailers use graphics with social message to associate consumer with some life style.

People complain that Big Bazaar outlet always look crowded. But few realize that it concisely design designed ed that that way. way. When When the shop look look neat neat and empty, empty, the masses masses don’t walk into it. Big Bazaar layout consists of long rows and parallel fixtures, with no aisles because aisles restrict the available space. •

It uses spaces efficiently.

•

It provides easy sitting of merchandise and linking of product throughout the store.

•

It allows more consumers in the store at any time.

•

Allows staff of the store to work alongside with consumer without disturbing them.

•

Provide self-service atmosphere.

Interior design

The interior design of Big Bazaar is very vibrant with color combination of blue and orange that leave an impression on Indian consumers. It is designed as agglomeration of bazaars with different sections selling different categories. Following are the internal attributes: •

Envelope: the internal structure and decoration of the building that provides physical  boundaries within which shopping takes place.

•

Internal layout: the internal path the consumer use are in order to view merchandise.

•

Methods of display: including fixtures, their positioning, the color and textures are within the product themselves.

•

Visual merchandising: display of the items on sale together with pictures and other items that illustrate product use or create lifestyle impressions relating to their use.

Exterior design

The exterior of Big Bazaar includes entrance of the store, architectural design of the building and window. The exterior design of Big Bazaar is easily visible from the distance and can be distinguished from competitors. Window display is used as an effective medium to introduce new offerings of the company. Hence, special attention is given in designing the windows of the store. The entrance of store is designed to welcome consumers and provide easy access to merchandising. External features •

Car parking

•

sculpture, lighting

•

outdoor seating, trolley parking and other miscellaneous

II. To det deter ermi mine ne the impac impactt of work work envir environm onmen entt on empl employe oyee’ e’ss produ producti ctivit vity y and and performance

In general, improving the the work environment increases productivity. There are number of factors which affect productivity including privacy, communications, social relationships, office system organization, as well as environmental issues. It is much higher cost to employ people who work  than it is to maintain and operate the building. Hence, spending money on improving the work  environment may be the effective way ot improve productivity.

Work Environment Factors Affecting Performance

Source Paper

Factors affecting Performance

Aronoff and Kaplan

Physical setting, motivation, respect, satisfaction with goals, camaraderie

Bakke

Job specification and requirements, communication system, status, reward, pay, job security, control, pride and self respect

Blackler and Williams

Identity, meaning of work, social interaction, goal setting, expectancy, peer pressure

Brown

Relationship with management, responsibility, self-respect, status, control over work.

III. To analyze the effect of employees health on their work performance

Work related related stress stress is one of the main reason for mental mental ill health. Stress Stress can manifest manifest itself in absenteeism, reduced productivity, fatigue, impaired judgment and decision making and onset of   both mental and physical health problems. As employers explore ways to improve the health, wellness and productivity of workforce, incentives have emerged as an attractive tool. A better understanding of positive effects of good working environment would support the implementation of effective health and safety policy at company level. It would complement set of rules and regulations with a decisive parameter that is linked to intrinsic motivation of a company.

3.1 Research Methodology

The purpose of the methodology section is to describe the research procedure. It involves overall research design, the sampling procedure, the data collection methods, the field methods and analysis procedure.

Research Design

A research design specifies the methods and procedures of conducting a particular p articular study. The type of research employed here is descriptive study. Because descriptive study focus mainly on defining the problem. A descriptive study aims at portraying a particular group or situation. Descriptive studies are designed primarily to describe what is going on or what exists. In this project the study should portray the link between workplace environment and employee  performance, hence descriptive method is chosen. Questi Questions ons are struct structure ured d to discov discover er which which organi organizat zation ional al factor factorss (i.e., (i.e., workpl workplace ace design design features, management support, technology and equipment, and coworker support) in relevant workplace workers perceive to hamper or encourage their ability to perform effectively.

Methodology

Data Collection

- Primary data and secondary data

Sampli Sampling ng Procedu Procedure re

- Random Random Sampli Sampling ng

Sample Size

- 150 employees

Sample Area

- Big Bazaar, Express Avenue, Chennai

Method used

- Questionnaire

Sampling Technique

Sampling technique employed for this study is questionnaire method. Sample Design

The sample design used is simple random sampling which comes under probability sampling where each and every item in the population has equal chance of inclusion in the sample. Sources of Data

After determining the objectives of study and research design, the next step is data collection method. method. The information information has to be collected collected from the respondents. respondents. During the process of study the data is collected from the employees with the help of questionnaire. The sources of data collection are ➢

Primary Data These These genera generall lly y includ includee the survey survey or questi questionn onnair airee method method,, telepho telephonic nic interv interview iew,,  personal interview method of data collection. In this project, questionnaire method has  been employed to collect the data from the employees of Big Bazaar, Express Avenue, Chennai.

➢

Secondary Data These include books, internet, company brochures, product brochures, company website, compet competito itor’s r’s websit website, e, newspape newspaperr articl articles es etc. etc. In this this study study compan company y employ employees ees and company website play a vital role in collecting secondary data apart from the sources.

Statistical Tools Used 1.Percentage Analysis

Simple percentage analysis refers to a special kind of ratio in making comparison between two or  more data and to describe the relation between the data. Percentage can also be used to compare relative items, the distribution of two or more series of data.

Simple percentage percenta ge = No.of Respondents Respond ents x 100 Total no. of respondents

2.Correlation

Correlation is a statistical technique that can show whether and how strongly pairs of variables are related. The main result is called the correlation coefficient (or ‘r’). It ranges from -1.0 to +1.0. The closer r is to -1 to +1, the more closely the two variables are related. If ‘r’ is close to 0,

it means there is no relationship between the variables. If ‘r’ is positive, it means that as one variable gets larger the other gets larger. If ‘r’ is negative it means that as one gets larger, the other gets smaller (often called an “inverse” correlation).

CHAPTER 4 ANALYSIS & DISCUSSION

Analysis and Interpretation

The data collection has to be processed and analyzed in accordance with the outline laid down for the purpose of developing the research plan. This is essential for a specific study and for  ensuring that we have relevant data for many contemplated comparisons and analysis. Processing implies editing, coding, classification and tabulation of collected data.

Analysis is the the proc proces esss of brea breaki king ng compl complex ex subs substa tanc ncee into into smal smalle lerr part partss to gain gain bette better  r  understanding of it. The term analysis refers to computation of certain measures along with the searching for pattern of relationship exist among data groups. Analysis of data in a general way involves a number of closely related operations, which are performed with the purpose of  summarizing the collected data and organizing them in such a manner the project answer the questions posed by the project.

TABLE NO: 4.1 Employee’s belongingness towards team  No. of  Respondents Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Cumulative Percent

Strongly Agree

75

50.0

50.0

50.0

Agree

53

35.3

35.3

85.3

8. 0

8 .0

Neither Agree or Disagree

12

93.3

Disagree

5

3. 3

3 .3

96.7

Strongly Disagree

5

3. 3

3 .3

100.0

150

100.0

100.0

Total Source: Primary Data

Inference ➢ 50% of the employees strongly agree that they feel like part of team, 35.3% agree that

they feel like part of team, 8% are not sure about whether they are part of team or not, 3.3% of employ employee ee believ believee they they are not part part of team and 3.3% of employees employees strongly strongly  believe that they are not part of team. CHART NO: 4.1 Employee’s belongingness towards team

TABLE NO: 4.2 Employee’s opinion towards challenging assignments  No. of  Respondents Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Cumulative Percent

Strongly Agree

55

36.7

36.7

36.7

Agree

71

47.3

47.3

84.0

9

6 .0

6 .0

Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree Total

90.0

4

2 .7

2 .7

92.7

11

7 .3

7 .3

100.0

150

100.0

100.0

Source: Primary Data

Inference ➢ 36.7% of the employees strongly agree that they are given challenging tasks, 47.3% agree

that they are given challenging tasks, 6% are not sure that they are given challenging tasks, 2.7% of employee disagree that they are given challenging tasks and 7.3% of  employees strongly disagree that they are given challenging tasks. CHART NO: 4.2 Employee’s opinion towards challenging assignments

TABLE 4.3

Employee’s view towards training classes

 No. of  Respondents Valid

Percent

Valid Pe Percent

Cumulative Percent

Strongly Agree

51

34.0

34.0

3 4 .0

Ag re e

61

40.7

40.7

7 4 .7

Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree Total

17

11.3

11.3

8 6.0

7

4 .7

4. 7

9 0.7

14

9 .3

9. 3

100.0

150

100.0

100.0

Source: Primary Data

Inference 34% of the employees strongly agree that they need more training classes, 40.7% agree that they

need more training classes, 11.3% are not sure whether they need more training classes, 4.7% of  employee disagree that they need more training classes and 9.3% of employees strongly disagree that they need more training classes. CHART NO: 4.3 Employee’s view towards training classes

TABLE NO: 4.4 Importance of learning new job skills to employee  No. of  Respondents Valid

Valid Pe Percent

Strongly Agree

23

1 5 .3

15.3

15.3

Agree

73

4 8 .7

48.7

64.0

Neither Agree nor Disagree

20

1 3 .3

13.3

77.3

Disagree

18

1 2 .0

12.0

89.3

Strongly Disagree

16

1 0.7

10.7

100.0

150

100.0

100.0

Total Source: Primary Data

Inference

Percent

Cumulative Percent

15.3% of employees strongly agree that learning new job skills is important, 48.7% agree that learning new job skills is important, 13.3% are not sure that learning new job skills is important, 12% of employee disagree that learning new job skills is important and 10.7% of employees strongly disagree that learning new job skills is important. CHART NO: 4.4 Importance of learning new job skills to employee

TABLE NO: 4.5 Employee’s view on need to learn more skills  No. of  Respondents Valid

Percent

Valid Pe Percent

Cumulative Percent

Strongly Agree

54

36.0

36.0

36.0

Agree

61

40.7

40.7

76.7

Neither Agree nor Disagree

20

13.3

13.3

90.0

Disagree

9

6 .0

6 .0

96.0

Strongly Disagree

6

4.0

4 .0

100.0

150

100.0

100.0

Total Source: Primary Data

Inference 36% of employees strongly agree that they need to learn more to perform well, 40.7% agree that

they need to learn more to perform well, 13.3% are not sure whether they need to learn more to  perform well, 6% of employee disagree that they need to learn more to perform well and 4% of  employees strongly disagree that they need to learn more to perform well. CHART NO: 4.5 Employee’s view on need to learn more skills

TABLE NO: 4.6

Employee’s opinion towards opportunity to learn new skills

 No. of  Respondents Valid

Percent

Valid Pe Percent

Cumulative Percent

Strongly Agree

60

4 0 .0

40.0

40.0

Agree

58

3 8 .7

38.7

78.7

Neither Agree nor Disagree

19

1 2 .7

12.7

91.3

Disagree

5

3.3

3. 3

94.7

Strongly Disagree

8

5. 3

5. 3

100.0

150

100.0

100.0

Total Source: Primary Data

Inference 40% of employees strongly agree that company gives more opportunity to learn, 38.7% agree

that company gives more opportunity to learn, 12.7% are not sure whether the company gives more opportunity to learn or not, 3.3% of employee disagree that the company gives more opportunity to learn and 5.3% of employees strongly disagree that the company gives more opportunity to learn. CHART NO: 4.6 Employee’s opinion towards opportunity to learn new skills

TABLE NO: 4.7 Employee’s view on employment security in the company  No. of  Respondents Valid

Valid Percent

Strongly Agree

51

34.0

34.0

34.0

Agree

58

38.7

38.7

72.7

Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree Total Source: Primary Data

Inference

Percent

Cumulative Percent

19

12.7

12.7

85.3

9

6. 0

6 .0

91.3

13

8. 7

8 .7

100.0

150

100.0

100.0

34% of employees strongly agree that they have good future in the company, 38.7% agree that they have good future in the company, 12.7% are not sure whether they have good future in the company, 6% of employee disagree that they have good future in the company and 8.7% of  employees strongly disagree that they have good future in the company. CHART NO: 4.7 Employee’s view on employment security in the company

TABLE NO: 4.8 Employee’s opinion on feedback from supervisor

 No. of  Respondents Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Cumulative Percent

Strongly Agree

29

19.3

19.3

1 9.3

Agree

48

32.0

32.0

5 1.3

Neither Agree nor Disagree

25

16.7

16.7

6 8. 0

Disagree

12

8. 0

8 .0

7 6.0

Strongly Disagree

36

24.0

24.0

100.0

150

100.0

100.0

Total Source: Primary Data

Inference

19.3% of employees strongly agree that they get meaningful feedback from supervisor, 32% agree that they get meaningful feedback from supervisor, 16.7% are not sure whether they get meaningful feedback from supervisor or not, 8% of employee disagree that they get meaningful feedback from supervisor and 24% of employees strongly disagree that they get meaningful feedback from supervisor. CHART NO: 4.8 Employee’s opinion on feedback from supervisor

TABLE NO: 4.9

Employee’s view on performance appraisal

 No. of  Respondents Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Cumulative Percent

Strongly Agree

42

28.0

28.0

28.0

Agree

54

36.0

36.0

64.0

Neither Agree nor Disagree

17

Disagree

11.3

75.3

8

5. 3

5 .3

80.7

29

19.3

19.3

100.0

150

100.0

100.0

Strongly Disagree Total

11.3

Source: Primary Data

Inference

28% of employees strongly agree that they can find out how well they are doing, 36% agree that they can find out how well they are doing, 11.3% are not sure whether they can find out how well they are doing, 5.3% of employee disagree that they can find out how well they are doing and 19.3% of employees strongly disagree that they can find out how well they are doing. do ing. CHART NO: 4.9 Employee’s view on performance appraisal

TABLE NO: 4.10 Employee’s perception towards work   No. of  Respondents Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Cumulative Percent

Strongly Agree

43

28.7

2 8 .7

28.7

Ag r e e

55

36.7

3 6 .7

65.3

Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree Total

20

13.3

1 3. 3

78.7

8

5 .3

5 .3

84.0

24

16.0

1 6 .0

100.0

150

100.0

100.0

Source: Primary Data

Inference 28.7% of employees strongly agree that the work they do is important, 36.7% agree that the work 

they do is important, 13.37% are not sure whether the work they do is important or not, 5.3% of 

employee employee disagree that the work they do is important important and 16% of employees strongly strongly disagree that the work they do is important. CHART NO: 4.10 Employee’s perception towards work 

TABLE NO: 4.11 Employee considers work as personally rewarding  No. of  Respondents Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Cumulative Percent

Strongly Agree

51

34.0

34.0

34.0

Agree

57

38.0

38.0

72.0

Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree Total

22

14.7

14.7

86.7

6

4. 0

4 .0

90.7

14

9. 3

9 .3

100.0

150

100.0

100.0

Source: Primary Data

Inference 34% of employees strongly agree that the work they do is rewarding, 38% agree that the work 

they do is rewarding, 14.7% are not sure whether the work they do is rewarding or not, 4% of  employee disagree that the work they do is rewarding and 9.3% of employees strongly disagree that the work they do is rewarding.

CHART NO: 4.11 Employee considers work as personally rewarding

TABLE NO: 4.12

Employee’s view on self determination in doing the job

 No. of  Respondents Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Cumulative Percent

Strongly Agree

69

46.0

4 6.0

46.0

Agree

51

34.0

3 4.0

80.0

Neither Agree nor Disagree

15

10.0

1 0. 0

90.0

Disagree

7

4. 7

4 .7

94.7

Strongly Disagree

8

5 .3

5 .3

100.0

150

100.0

100.0

Total Source: Primary Data

Inference 46% of employees strongly agree that they have freedom in the job, 34% agree that they have

freedom in the job, 10% are not sure whether they have freedom in the job or not, 4.7% of  employee disagree that they have freedom in the job and 5.3% of employees strongly disagree that they have freedom in the job. CHART NO: 4.12 Employee’s view on self determination in doing the job

TABLE NO: 4.13 Employee’s opinion on work place factors(being treated fairly)  No. of  Respondents Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Cumulative Percent

Strongly Agree

45

30.0

30.0

3 0 .0

Agree

56

37.3

37.3

6 7 .3

Neither Agree nor Disagree

16

10.7

10.7

7 8 .0

Disagree

16

10.7

10.7

8 8 .7

Strongly Disagree

17

11.3

11.3

100.0

150

100.0

100.0

Total Source: Primary Data

Inference 30% of employees strongly agree that they are treated fairly, 37.3% agree that they are treated

fairly, 10.7% are not sure whether they are treated fairly or not, 10.7% of employee disagree that

they have freedom in the job and 11.3% of employees strongly disagree that they are treated fairly. CHART NO: 4.13 Employee’s opinion on work place factors(being treated fairly)

TABLE NO: 4.14 Employee’s opinion on working conditions  No. of  Respondents Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Cumulative Percent

Strongly Agree

51

34.0

3 4 .0

34.0

Ag r e e

58

38.7

3 8 .7

72.7

Neither Agree nor Disagree

19

12.7

1 2. 7

85.3

Disagree

10

6 .7

6 .7

92.0

Strongly Disagree

12

8 .0

8 .0

100.0

150

100.0

100.0

Total Source: Primary Data

Inference 34% of employees strongly agree that they are satisfied with working conditions, 38.7% agree

that they are satisfied with working conditions, 12.7% are not sure whether they are satisfied with working conditions or not, 6.7% of employee disagree that they are satisfied with working condi conditi tion onss and and 8% of empl employ oyee eess stro strongl ngly y disa disagr gree ee that that they they are are sati satisf sfie ied d with with work workin ing g conditions. CHART NO: 4.14 Employee’s opinion on working conditions

TABLE NO: 4.15 Employee’s view on competence to do the job  No. of  Respondents Valid

Percent

Valid Percent

Cumulative Percent

Strongly Agree

34

22.7

22.7

22.7

Agree

88

58.7

58.7

81.3

Neither Agree nor Disagree

21

14.0

14.0

95.3

Disagree

1

.6

.6

96.0

Strongly Disagree

6

4.0

4. 0

100.0

150

100.0

100.0

Total Source: Primary Data

Inference 22.7% of employees strongly agree that they are confident about their ability to do the job,

58.7% agree that they are confident about their ability to do the job, 14% are not sure whether  they are confident about their ability to do the job or not, 0.6% of employee disagree that they are confident about their ability to do the job and 4% of employees strongly disagree that they are confident about their ability to do the job. CHART NO: 4.15 Employee’s view on competence to do the job

TABLE NO: 4.16 Employee’s opinion on performance capacities  No. of  Respondents Valid

Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree Total

Source: Primary Data

Inference

Percent

Valid Pe Percent

Cumulative Percent

5

3 .3

3 .3

3 .3

30

2 0.0

2 0 .0

23.3

72

4 8.0

4 8 .0

71.3

39

2 6 .0

2 6 .0

97.3

4

2.7

2 .7

100.0

150

100.0

100.0

3.3% of employees strongly agree that the work they do is important, 20% agree that the work  they do is important, 48% are not sure whether the work they do is important or not, 26% of  employee disagree that they are confident about their skills and 2.7% of employees strongly disagree that the work they do is important. CHART NO: 4.16 Employee’s opinion on performance capacities

TABLE NO: 4.17 Employee’s view on their contribution for success  No. of  Respondents Valid

Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree Total

Percent

Valid Percent

Cumulative Percent

8

5 .3

5. 3

5.3

62

4 1.3

41.3

46.7

69

4 6.0

46.0

11

7 .4

7.4

150

100.0

100.0

Source: Primary Data

Inference 5.3% of employees strongly agree that they influence on success of the job, 41.3% agree that

they influence influence on success success of the job, 46% are not sure whether they influence on success of the  job or not, 7.4% of employee disagree that they influence on success of the job. CHART NO: 4.17 Employee’s view on their contribution for success

TABLE NO: 4.18

92.7 100.0

Employee’s opinion on self-impact for success in work area

 No. of  Respondents Valid

Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree

Percent

Valid Percent

Cumulative Percent

3

2. 0

2 .0

2.0

26

17.3

17.3

19.3

55

36.7

36.7

56.0

Disagree

51

34.0

34.0

90.0

Strongly Disagree

15

10.0

10.0

100.0

150

100.0

100.0

Total Source: Primary Data

Inference 2% of employees strongly agree that they do the work for success, 17.3% agree that they do the

work for success, 36.7% are not sure whether they do the work for success or not, 34% of  employee disagree that they do the work for success and 10% of employees strongly disagree that they do the work for success. CHART NO: 4.18 Employee’s opinion on self-impact for success in work area

CORRELATION ANALYSIS

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE EMPLOYEES AND SUPERVISOR 

Correlations

Employees are  provided with Managers the resources discusses the to perform training needs Employees are Pearson Correlation  provided with the Sig. (2-tailed) resources to  N  perform Managers discusses the training needs

1

.534** .000

Pearson Correlation

150

150

.534**

1

Sig. (2-tailed)

.000

N

150

150

**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

Since calculated value r = 0.534 is positive, there exists positive relationship between employees and supervisor.

CHAPTER 5 Suggestions, Discussion and Conclusion

SUGGESTIONS

•

The management can come up with innovative methods which will help to know the employee’s expectations.

•

A reward system can be brought in for employees who perform better after the training is given.

•

Supervisors can be asked to inform the employees as and when the change is taking  place.

•

Employee satisfaction survey can be conducted once in a quarter.

•

Regular activities of the store should be informed to all.

•

Training should be provided to employees with clear explanation.

•

Inte Interr-de depa part rtme ment ntal al comm communi unicat catio ion n shou should ld be reli reliab able le so that that work work can can be done done efficiently.

Work Environment and Productivity

To gain more insight to phrase “people make place”, the project examined the relationship  between individual personality, work environment preferences, performance and commitment in the organization. The result suggests that – an employee’s work environment preference for goal orientation – plays a predominant role in performance and the outcomes. Agreeableness is significantly related to both goal orientation and system maintenance, but these relationships did not translate into either performance or commitment.

The result suggests that agreeableness, extraversion, conscientiousness shall combine to form a  preference for work environment that offer high level of goal orientation. Challenging goals may communicate high level of confidence in the abilities of the employees and increase self-efficacy and these positive positive feelings feelings may manifest themselves themselves into improved employees commitment commitment (Whittington et al., 2004). If managers provide goal-oriented environment to individuals with these desirable personality characteristics, they shall reap the benefits of enhanced performance and commitment.

The ability to retain high performers is becoming increasingly important in today’s competitive  business environments. The result of this study indicates that developing goal-oriented work  environments shall be an effective means of improving employee performance and commitment.

Strickland and Galimba (2001) provide structure to ambiguous situations, reducing the effects of  cognitive interference on task performance. Work Work environ environmen ments ts will will provid providee social social cues to organi organizat zation ion member memberss to act accord according ingly ly (Salancik and Pfeffer, 1978; Schneider, 1975). Thus, if a work environment develops a strong goal orientation, employees are more likely to align their individual goals to that of company norms to maintain harmony with their surroundings (Neal et al., 2000). Whittington et al., (2004) found that goal setting enhanced the transformational leadership and employee commitment,   performanc performancee and concluded concluded that goal-orient goal-oriented ed environment environment provides provides clarificat clarification, ion, direction, direction, focus and long-term perspective into performance effectively. Employers have an obligation to make provision for emergencies that may affect the health of  employees, hence it is essential to recognize the needs of all employees. There should be an  procedure in place to ensure managers are confident of action taking place in seeking such advise. Decisions affecting the employee should be only based on medical advice as it applies to specific work environment.

This may be when:

Frequent short-term/ or long-term absence from work. Employee appears to be experiencing side effects from medication. Perceived unusual behavior patterns take place.

Employee Stress Reduction and Tips for Boosting Morale

While it’s important for employees to develop stress management and coping skills, there are other things that managers and business owners can do to help employees to reduce their stress.  –

Encourage Encourage feedback, feedback, especially especially when faced with, when rollin rolling g out new product products. s.

 –

Incorp Incorpora orate te an outsid outsidee facilit facilitator ator or coach coach into the employee employee program program.. Employee Employeess are more more willin willingly gly to give give input input to outsid outsider er and superv superviso isorr will will gain gain from from anonym anonymous ous feedback.

 –

Underst Understand and limita limitatio tions, ns, expecti expecting ng too much in limited limited amount amount of time time produces produces stress stress and decreases the quality of employee output.

Work environment Stressors:

The purpose of this study is to explore and understand the relation between job performance and well being. From the established research that exists today, factors of performance are stated to

 be influenced by a number of motivators such as rewards and appraisal with ambiguous results. Factors influencing performance can also be different environmental stressors such as workload and work tools. The findings show that the link between performance and well-being is provided through positive feelings arising when employees perform as required. However, when the stress causes obstacle to perform, the relation between well-being and performance occurs through negative feelings causing stress, which in turn decrease in both well-being and performance. When a “direct” influence occurs, the performance will instantly decrease due to the stressor  shows shows itsel itselff in decreas decreased ed well-b well-bein eing g because because of existi existing ng and consta constant nt pressu pressure re to perfor perform m required from management. In case of “in-direct” influence the well being is negatively affected by feelings of frustration, tiredness and stress when the employee has less inclination towards work performance. Due to the fact that each person is different and unique, there is no one way of handling  performance based issues and well-being of employees. These are experiences, attitudes and feelings of the individuals that shape how they act and response to different stress and influences, directly or indirectly.

If companies aim at achieving increased performance from their employees, they should be aware that both well-being and performance are intertwined and have cause and effect on each other.

Managing Employee Attitudes:

Given the consistency of employee’s job attitudes, the relationship between goal-oriented work  environment and commitments gives impetus to the argument that the employers should try to organize work environment in a positive way so that work is more satisfying and rewarding experience. The study suggests that unfavorable work situations can directly impact employee  performance regardless of personality dispositions, whereas the development of supportive work  environments will have positive effect on employees.

Future research

Most of the studies conducted in the past focused on concept of job satisfaction. By focusing on well-being, the researchers managed to explore the same title but in different perspective. The research might suggest a link between performance and well-being when certain stressors are  present in work environment. The study admit the use f qualitative methods (interviews) which allowed to reach their goals, also suggest conducting further research and explore the same topic from quantitative perspective. It would enable us to get more precise and reliable information on  performance and well-being. Recommendation for further research would be to test and supplement present projects result by conducting experiments and explore every possible factors influencing employee well-being and  performance at any given point of time. Following the recommendations of research by Luthans and Sommer (2005) and Tata and Prasad (2004), future studies can examine the effectiveness of human resource department functioning as strategic partners in creating performance-oriented work climates and team self-management contexts to aid in adaption towards increasing larger span of control in contemporary work  environments.

The primary contribution of this study was the examination of unique variance contributed by  personality and work environment preferences in determining employee performance. The result of this this projec projectt indica indicates tes the relati relations onship hip between between person personali ality, ty, workpl workplace ace enviro environme nment nt and employee outcomes and in need of further research. It should also examine the dimensionality of    bot both h perso persona nali lity ty and and outc outcom omes es in the the work workpl plac acee to under underst stan and d the the comp comple lexi xiti ties es of the the relationship. Summary of Findings

It becomes imperative to identify the major contributory factors to performance, bearing in mind that an organization continues to exist only on the basis of employees performance. The absence of the following following working conditions conditions such as conducive conducive office office setting, setting, attractive attractive pay, proper  communication by management retard the managemen t from attaining the set goals. Adequat Adequatee and conducive conducive workin working g condit condition ion should should be put in place place so that that employ employees ees can  perform better in their job. The organization should ensure a channel of communication to enable employees to know about the events happening in the organization. Furthermore, management should ensure that jobs are designed in such way that it leads to employee satisfaction which in turn enhance the employee performance.

Employees should be allowed to participate in decision making process of an organization. Once the organization carry its employee in decision making process, performance will rise and the company can achieve its desired goals.

QUESTIONNAIRE

Questionnaire for  “Link between Workplace Environment and Employees’ Performance” INSTRUCTIONS: Please READ each question carefully. SELECT the option you think think best suits you. Put tick mark to only ONE option for each question.  Name :( optional) Designation:

Department: ______________________  Age:____  Gender:___________  1.

How long have you worked at (company)? a) 1-3 months b) 3-6 months c) 6-9 months d) more than 1 yr  yr 

2.

How do you view this job for your further career growth? a) Challenging b) Responsible c) Motivating d) Secured

Ratings: SA-Strongly Agree A-Agree NA-Neither agree n or disagree D-Disagree SD-Strongly Disagree

S.N

SA

O

1

I feel like part of my team(shared mission, goals)

2.

I feel challenged and am a m given assignments that stretch my abilities

.

A

NA

D

SD

3.

My efforts are recognized and acknowledged

4.

Receive constructive feedback that emphasizes  positives

5.

Innovations are expected from me and encouraged to take initiative

6.

I am encouraged to solve as many work related problem as possible

7.

I believe in and take pride in my work and workplace

8.

I feel in control of my work and capable of carrying out my daily tasks

9.

I tend to see problems as challenges rather than obstacles

10

.

I am encourages to give honest feedback to my supervisor 

11.

I am able to keep encounters with other staff workcentered rather than ego-centered

12.

I receive enough opportunities to interact with other  employees at formal level

13.

I feel accepted and valued by my colleagues

14.

I have clear path for career development

15.

I feel accepted and treated with courtesy, invited to express my thoughts by my supervisor 

16.

The administrative team provides an environment which I feel safe and secure

17.

My job requirements are clear 

18.

I feel safe sharing my plans with my team leader 

19.

My team manager is committed to finding win-win solutions

20.

I could do better in my current job if I get more training

21.

I have good opportunities to improve my skills

22.

I have a good future in this company

23.

I know whether I am p performing erforming well or not

24.

The work I do is important to me

25.

The work I do is personally rewarding

26.

I can decide on my own on how to do the job

27.

I have considerable freedom in how to do my job

28.

I am confident in my ability to do job

29.

I am capable of performing various job tasks

30.

How well I do my job is important to my work area

31.

I have significant influence on the success of my work  area

32.

It is important to the success of my work area that I do my job well

33.

The company clearly communicates its goals and strategies to me

34.

The company is flexible with respect to your family responsibilities

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