17mba1028 - Summer Internship Report.pdf

SUMMER INTERNSHIP AT RELIANCE RETAIL LIMITED MYLAPORE

Internship Report Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For The Award of the degree of Master of Business Administration

by

MOHAMED NIYAMATHULLAH S 17MBA1028

Under the Guidance of

Dr. Saju. B Assistant Professor

JULY-2018

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CERTIFICATE This is to certify that this Internship Report is submitted by ​Mohamed Niyamathullah S,​ Reg. No. ​17MBA1028 ​to VIT Business School, VIT University, Chennai in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Administration is a bonafide record of work carried out by her under my supervision. The contents of this report, in full or in parts have not been submitted in any form to any other institute or university for the award of any degree or diploma.

Faculty Guide

​Programme

Coordinator

Internship Coordinator

​Dean, VITBS

Internal Examiner 3

DECLARATION I, M ​ ohamed Niyamathullah (1​ 7MBA1028)​ , a Bonafide student of the VIT Business School, VIT University, Chennai, hereby declare that the Internship Report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Degree of Master of Business Administration of the VIT University, is my original work.

Date:

Place: Chennai

Mohamed Niyamathullah S

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT On the accomplishment of the summer internship project successfully, many people have bestowed upon me with continuous support and encouragement. I, hereby, utilizing the opportunity to thank all the people who played major roles in fulfilling the project. I express my sincere gratitude towards the Chancellor ​Dr. G. Viswanathan for providing me with adequate infrastructure and a congenial academic environment. I wish to express my thanks to the Dean of VIT business school​, Dr. N. Sambandam for his patronage. I am grateful to the Programme Coordinator of VIT business school ​Dr. A. Anuradha​, for encouraging and providing me with necessary assistance in accomplishing the internship. I am wish to thank my Guide ​Dr. Saju B​, Assistant Professor, VIT business school whose timely guidance and persistent encouragement helped me in completing the internship successfully and in having a wonderful learning experience. I want to thank several people for their professional assistance. This includes ​Mr. Mohan Periyasamy ( Deputy Manager, Employee Relations and Statutory compliance, Reliance Retail Limited) ​and ​Mr. Manivannan (HR, Reliance Retail Limited) ​who gave me privilege of carrying out my study in Reliance Retail Limited, Mylapore. They devoted their precious time a rendered generous support for my study. I convey my thanks to all teaching and non-teaching staff of business school for their support and cooperation during my internship. Finally, I thank my parents and colleagues who have helped me in the successful completion of the internship.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

S.NO

CONTENT

PAGE NO

1

ORGANIZATIONAL ANALYSIS

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2

INTERNSHIP ANALYSIS

22

3

APPLICATION OF MANAGEMENT THEORY

26

4

INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE REFLECTION

34

ON LEARNING AND GROWTH 5

REFERENCES

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INTERNSHIP SUMMARY I underwent my summer internship programme at Reliance Retail Limited, Mylapore, Chennai from 02/05/18 to 02/06/18. The Deputy manager of HR - Employee Relations and Statutory Compliance at Reliance Retail Limited, Mr.Mohan Periyasamy was my Corporate Mentor and I had to report to him daily. My work timings were from 9:30 AM - 6:30 PM My day to day activities involved PF, ESI documents verifying, Assisting in Joining formalities, Statutory Compliance verification and Regular check on Store Audit documents. I visited Reliance SMART, Trends and Digital in Perambur to interact with employees regarding their work life balance so as to assist me in preparation of questionnaire to understand the factors affecting the work life balance of low level employees at Reliance Retail Limited.. After the data was collected, it was interpreted and the factors affecting Work Life Balance was found and suggestions were passed on to the Corporate Mentor to implement so as to improve the Work Life balance of employees at Reliance Retail Limited.

Key-Words ​: Work Life Balance, Statutory Compliance, Employee Relations, Reliance Retail Limited

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CHAPTER 1 ORGANIZATIONAL ANALYSIS

1.1 About the industry  The Indian retail industry has emerged as one of the most dynamic and fast-paced industries due  to the entry of several new players. It accounts for over 10 percent of the country’s Gross  Domestic Product (GDP) and around 8 percent of the employment. India is the world’s fifth-  largest global destination in the retail space. 

1.2 Market Size  India’s retail market is expected to nearly double to US$ 1 trillion by 2020 from US$ 600 billion  in 2015, driven by income growth, urbanization and attitudinal shifts. While the overall retail  market is expected to grow at 12 percent per annum, modern trade would expand twice as fast  at 20 per cent per annum and traditional trade at 10 per cent. India’s Business to Business (B2B)  e-commerce market is expected to reach US$ 700 billion by 2020. Online retail is expected to  be at par with the physical stores in the next five years.  India is expected to become the world’s fastest growing e-commerce market, driven by robust  investment in the sector and rapid increase in the number of internet users. Various agencies  have high expectations about growth of Indian e-commerce markets. Indian e-commerce sales  are expected to reach US$ 120 billion! by 2020 from US$ 30 billion in FY2016. Further, India's  e-commerce market is expected to reach US$ 220 billion in terms of gross merchandise value  (GMV) and 530 million shoppers by 2025, led by faster speeds on reliable telecom networks, 

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faster adoption of online services and better variety as well as convenience.  India’s direct selling industry is expected to reach a size of Rs 23,654 crore (US$ 3.54 billion)  by FY 2019-20, as per a joint report by India Direct Selling Association (IDSA) and PHD. Indian  exports of locally made retail and lifestyle products grew at a compound annual growth rate  (CAGR) of 10 per cent from 2013 to 2016.  The size of modern retail in India is expected to double to Rs 171,800 crore (US$ 25.7 billion)  from Rs 87,100 crore (US$ 13 billion) in three years driven by omni-channel retail.

1.3 Reliance Retail Limited Organization

: Reliance Retail Limited

Founded

: 2006

Headquarters

: Reliance Industries Limited, Nariman Point, Maharashtra, Mumbai

No.of Stores

: 3,637 Retail Stores across 679 Cities in India.

Chairman

: Mr. Mukesh Ambani

Managing Director

: Mr. V Subramaniam

CEO (Value Chain)

: Mr. Damodar Mall

Revenue

: 4.31 Lakh Crores INR

Operating Income

: 105 Crore INR / Day

Parent Company

: Reliance Industries Limited

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Reliance Retail Limited operates supermarkets, hypermarkets, wholesale cash and carry,  convenience, and specialty stores. The company has been set up to initiate, acquire, set-up,  construct, establish, maintain, run, operate, and manage business centers, hypermarkets,  departmental stores, supermarkets, shopping malls, discount stores, specialty stores, shopping  outlets, convenience stores, etc. Its retail outlets offer foods, groceries, apparel and footwear,  lifestyle and home improvement products, electronic goods, and farm implements and inputs.  The company’s outlets also provide vegetables, fruits, and flowers. It focuses on consumer  goods, consumer durables, travel services, energy, entertainment and leisure, and health and  well-being products, as well as educational products and services. Reliance Retail Limited was  formerly known as Reliance Petroleum Retail Private Limited and changed its name to Reliance  Retail Limited in January 2006. The company was incorporated in 1998 and is based in Mumbai,  India. Reliance Retail Limited operates as a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited. 

1.3.1 Reliance Fresh  Reliance Retail started its journey in 2006 with the opening of its first Reliance Fresh store.  Today Reliance Retail operates over 500 Reliance Fresh stores across 80 cities and sells over  200 metric tonnes of Fruits and over 300 metric tonnes of Vegetables every day.Reliance Fresh  is India’s leading neighbourhood retail chain, synonymous with freshness & savings. With the  three core promises of Fresh Hamesha, Available Hamesha and Savings Hamesha, Reliance  Fresh is a one-stop-shop for fresh shopping, fresh savings and fresh happiness.  From fresh fruits & vegetables to dairy, cereals to spices, processed food & beverages to home  & personal care products, we have the entire gamut of your grocery needs covered. Reliance  Fresh has consistently appeared in the list of ‘Most Trusted’ Service brands in India by Brand  Equity and is ranked No. 2. This represents the faith of consumers in patronising the chain which  continues to remain as India’s favourite neighbourhood grocer. 

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1.3.2 Reliance Smart  Synonymous to its name, Reliance Smart is a new age supermarket serving the needs of today’s  smart and value seeking customers. Reliance Smart offers a one-stop shopping experience by  offering fresh produce, bakery, dairy products, home and personal care products, general  merchandise and in many cases are co-located with our fashion & electronics store Reliance  Trends and Reliance Digital, making it a complete shopping destination.  Reliance Smart’s incredible value proposition rewards shoppers more & more for bigger  purchase, every single time they shop with 100% assortment being offered below MRP all year  round, while delivering a world-class shopping experience. 

1.3.3 Reliance SMART.in  RelianceSMART.in has made grocery shopping even simpler and convenient by bringing it to  customers door step. No more hassles of sweating in crowded markets or grocery shops,  RelianceSMART.in offers over 6,000+ products at comfort of your home, office or on the move. 

1.3.4 Reliance Market  Reliance Retail opened the first Reliance Market in 2011 and since then Reliance Market has  grown rapidly expanding to 37 cities and serving over 2.5 million member partners.  Reliance Market operates on the principle of 'less is more' i.e. 'buy for less' – 'operate for less' –  'sell for less' relying on higher efficiency of asset utilization and passing on higher value to  customers. The societal value thus created by Reliance Markets helps in supporting member  partners to be more profitable.  Reliance Market enjoys strong patronage of its registered member partners by offering them a  wide assortment of groceries, home and personal care products, consumables, general  merchandise, apparel, footwear and home appliances. By sharing benefits of strong sourcing  capabilities and relationships with a large network of vendors, Reliance Market offers regional,  12

national and international brands to its partners and help them prosper. 

1.3.5 Reliance Digital  Reliance Digital is a consumer durables and information technology concept from Reliance  Retail. It is a subsidiary of Reliance Retail, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance  Industries. Reliance Digital is a consumer electronics company in India. The first Reliance  Digital Store was opened on 24 April 2007 in Delhi. Currently there are around 2000 Reliance  Digital & Reliance Digital Xpress Mini Stores in around 600 cities in India. The stores are  spread across the states of Maharashtra (Mumbai, Pune), Gujarat (Ahmedabad), Delhi NCR,  Karnataka (Bangalore, Mangalore, Mysore, Hubli), Kerala, Tamil Nadu (Chennai, Madurai,  Salem, Coimbatore) and Telangana (Hyderabad). Reliance Digital Stores are bigger in size than  the other format Digital Xpress Mini stores. The company plans to ramp up its current store  count of 1200 stores to 2500 by the end of 2017. 

1.3.6 Digital Xpress Mini  Digital Xpress Mini Stores are relatively smaller in size than Reliance Digital. These stores are  about 250 square feet and mainly sell the company's telecom services, smartphones, tablets and  also accessories of other brands. There are around more than 1700 Digital Xpress Mini stores  as of the Feb 2017. 

1.3.7 Reliance Trends  Reliance Trends is a leading lifestyle retail chain with over 351 retail stores across 186 cities.  Reliance Trends offers stylish, high-quality products across Womenswear, Lingerie, Menswear,  Kidswear and fashion accessories through a diversified portfolio of own brands, national and  international brands.  The uniqueness of the store is the core, which delivers "fashion at great value". Spread over  8,000 – 24,000 square feet of shopping area, each Reliance Trends store is designed to offer a  13

unique shopping experience for the entire family through wide aisles, coordinated displays and  highly trained fashion professionals offering best in class customer assistance. 

1.3.8 Reliance Footprint  Reliance Footprint is a leading specialty family footwear retail chain that caters to the footwear  needs of the entire family. Reliance Footprint offers widest range of international, domestic and  Reliance owned brands across men’s footwear, women’s footwear, kids footwear, handbags,  backpacks, luggage, socks, belts, wallets and shoe care products.  At Reliance Footprint, we believe in the quality of our products and service which is the sole  reason for our success. Be it indoor, outdoor, formals, casuals, sports, parties, ethnic or  occasional, we offer the best in-trend fashion footwear and accessories for all age groups. 

1.3.9 Footprint360  Extending its reach Reliance Footprint operates its omni-commerce platform Footprint360  bringing the convenience to shop your favourite pair of footwear from anywhere any time.  Footprint360 offers a wide collection of footwear and accessories at a convenience of click to be  delivered at your doorsteps or pick-up from the nearest store. 

1.3.10 Reliance Jewellery  Reliance Jewels is India’s leading fine jewellery retail chain. With its first store opening in 2007,  Reliance Jewels today extends its reach to 36 cities with 52 stores across India. At Reliance  Jewels, customers are assured of the widest range, stunning designs, guaranteed purity & quality  and a pleasant shopping experience. The product collection hosts an extensive range starting  from traditional gold jewellery including Kundan, Polki, Filigree and Temple that showcases the  legendary design and craftsmanship of various parts of India right up to contemporary diamond  jewellery & solitaires.  Renowned for its high quality, competitive pricing and superior customer service experience,  14

Reliance Jewels have touched millions of lives in various ways and earned trust & loyalty  amongst customers. Offering BIS Hallmarked Gold, Internationally Certified Diamonds and  Free Jewellery insurance, the brand further assures complete peace of mind to its customers. 

1.3.11 AJIO.COM  Ajio, a fashion and lifestyle brand, is a natural extension of the Reliance legacy in fashion which  started with the iconic brand-Vimal in 1975. Ajio was unveiled in April 2016 at Lakme Fashion  Week, Mumbai. It’s also the first pan-India e-commerce venture by Reliance Retail and is  focused  on making premium fashion accessible to all.  AJIO’s brand mission is to live life to its fullest, aligning itself to the call to live that is Jio. AJIO  is a style philosophy, a brand foremost. We are a style destination, offering handpicked curated  fashion across a unique selection of own brand, international brands, authentic handcrafted  artisanal products, inspired indie and national brands. We offer a significant majority of  exclusive merchandise that customers will not find elsewhere.  With the advanced internet infrastructure built by Jio and a robust physical retail business built  by Reliance Retail, we are creating a differentiated e-commerce model for India. This model will  entail seamless integration of online and offline while innovating across superior customer  experience, delivery services and payment ecosystem. Ajio App is available for download on  Google play and Apple App Store 

1.3.12 Reliance ResQ  ResQ is the service arm of Reliance Digital / Digital Xpress and Digital Xpress mini stores,  which caters to customers for after sales service. resQ is India’s first Multi product, Multi brand,  Multi-location service facility which offers service from 10am to 10pm, 365 days a year. The  resQ Care Plans offer scheduled preventive maintenance visits and Standby units in special 

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cases. 

1.3.13 iStore  Reliance Digital also operates a chain of Apple resellers in India under the name iStore. There  are about 4 such stores in India currently. 

1.3.14 Reconnect  Reliance Digital launched its private label of products branded "RECONNECT" in October,  2011. Reconnect product range covers over 200 products, from the latest large-screen LED TVs,  Star-rated Air conditioners, Washing Machines, Smartphones, Tablets to household appliances  & personal care products. Major all products comes with a 2-year warranty, while accessories  product warranty vary from 6 months to 1 year. 

1.3.15 LYF  Reliance Digital also carries the LYF brand of 4G smartphones. These phones were launched in  January 2016. So far, five phones have been launched - Earth 1, Water 1, Water 2, Wind 6 and  Flame 1. 

1.3.16 Awards & Recognitions  • Reliance Digital, the consumer electronics & durables arm of Reliance Retail has been  recognized as ‘Best Indian Retailer – CDIT & Telecommunications’ at the Franchise  India “Indian Retail Show 2014” held in Gurgaon.  • Reliance Retail appeared in the list of Most Trusted Retailers as per ET Brand Equity  2016 Survey  • Reliance Retail recognized as India’s Top 10 Retail Companies to Work for Calendar  Year 2017 by Great Place to Work Institute and Retailers Association of India (RAI)  • Reliance Smart awarded with “IMAGES Most Admired Food & Grocery Retailer of The  Year: Merchandising, Marketing, Consumer Promotions & Customer Service” at the  16

India Food Forum 2017  • Reliance Digital awarded ‘Retailer of the Year’ by India Retail Awards 2016  • Reliance Digital rated as ‘the Leading Electronics Retail Brand’ in equity index study by  Nielsen  • Reliance Digital retains No.1 position as CDIT retail brand in the Brand Equity Economic  Times survey  • Reliance Digital was awarded the Retail Leadership Award 2015 - India Retail Awards  2015  • Reliance Digital receives Golden Mikes 2015 bronze award for the “Best Radio  Commercial”  • Great Place to Work® Institute and Retailers Association of India (RAI) have recognized  Marks and Spencer Reliance India Pvt. Ltd. as the 6th best company to work for in retail  industry this year  • Marks and Spencer Reliance India Pvt. Ltd. was awarded the "Most Admired Retailer”  of the Year - Employee Practice by IMAGES Retail Awards 2015  • Marks and Spencer Reliance India Pvt. Ltd. was awarded the “Green Initiative in Supply  Chain & Logistics”, Scale Awards -2015 by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)  • Reliance Footprint wins “ABP Business Excellence” award for brand excellence in  fashion & lifestyle category  • Reliance Footprint was awarded the “Footwear Retailer” of the year by Franchise India  Retail Awards 2014 and by CMO Asia Retail Excellence Awards 2015  • Reliance Jewels received an award in the mid design category in the inaugural Retail  Jewellery Guild Awards 2015  • AJIO receives ‘Silver W3 Award’ for its creative excellence on the web by the Academy 

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of Interactive and Visual Arts and wins 'Excellence in Digital Experience’ award in SAP  Ace Awards 2016 

1.4 VISION AND MISSION  1.4.1 Reliance Retail Vision statement  ●

Through sustainable measures, create value for the nation. 

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Enhance the quality of life across the entire socio-economic spectrum. 

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Help India to become a global leader in the domains where it operates. 

1.4.2 Reliance Retail Mission statement  ”Growth through Commitments”   We care about:-   ● Quality    ● Research & Development Health,   ● Safety & Environment    ● Human Resource Development    ● Energy Conservation    ● Corporate Citizenship   Reliance believes that any business conduct can be ethical only when it rests on the nine core  values of Honesty, Integrity, Respect, Fairness, Purposefulness, Trust, Responsibility,  Citizenship and Caring.   The essence of these commitments is that each employee conducts the company's business with  integrity, in compliance with applicable laws, and in a manner that excludes considerations of  personal advantage. We do not lose sight of these values under any circumstances, regardless of  the goals we have to achieve. To us, the means are as important as the ends.     For Reliance…   ● Growth is care for good health Reliance's occupational health centers carry out  18

pre-employment and periodic medical checkups as well as other routine preventive  services. Specialised tests like biological monitoring, health risk assessment studies and  audits for exposure to various materials are also performed. Health education and  awareness form an integral part of the health care programme at Reliance. Growth Is  Care for Safety We believe that the safety of each employee is the responsibility of the  individual as well as of the whole community of employees.   ● Growth is care for the environment Reliance believes that a clean environment in and  around the workplace fosters health and prosperity for the individual, the group and the  larger community to which they belong. Environmental protection is an integral part of  the planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of all our projects.   ● Growth is conservation At Reliance, energy conservation efforts seek to reduce the unit  cost of fuels and to improve efficiencies in energy intensive processes.   ● Growth is betting on our people Reliance builds with care a workplace that proactively  fosters professional as well as personal growth. There is freedom to explore and learn;  and there are opportunities that inspire initiative and intrinsic motivation. We believe that  people must dream to achieve, that these dreams will drive the company's excellence in  all its businesses.   ● Reliance thinks, behaves, lives and thrives with a global mindset, encouraging every  employee to reach his / her full potential by availing opportunities that arise across the  group. 

1.4.3 Reliance Retail Values  ● Growth and success are based on the ten core values of  ● Care  ● Citizenship  ● Fairness  ● Honesty  ● Integrity  ● Purposefulness  ● Respect  19

● Responsibility  ● Safety  ● Truth 

1.5 ABOUT THE CEO  CEO – Mr. Damodar Mall  Damodar Mall is an Indian retail sector professional. He is Chief Executive Officer of Reliance  Retail Ltd. (Value Format). He is the Ex-Director, Integrated Food Strategy at Future Group. He  was a part of Kishore Biyani’s core strategy team. Damodar Mall writes an invitation blog for  Forbes India, on consumer behaviour and modernising retail. Damodar Mall is a Business  Graduate from IIM, Bangalore and an Engineer from IIT Bombay.  He won a marketing gold, at his business school. His earlier career was at Hindustan Unilever,  in the brand management function. With a foreword from Mukesh Ambani and preface by  Kishore Biyani, Damodar Mall’s first book, SuperMarketWala – Secrets to Winning Consumer  India, was launched on September 17 at the India Retail Forum 2014.  Drawing inspiration from Paco Underhill, Mall’s book talks about observations and experiences  in the retail sector. A collectivization of Mall’s blog at Forbes, the book has become the focal  point of the launch of the retail know-how brand, SuperMarketWala.  He has written columns for the Economic Times, DNA, and the Times of India. He was profiled  by Mint, a business daily in 2007. Damodar was a member of Coca-Cola Retail Research  Committee of Asia from 2006-2009. He is the recipient of the Golden Spoon Award for the most  admired Food & Grocery retail professional of the year, in 2011. 

1.6 About the Managing Director Managing Director - Mr V Subramaniam 20

V Subramaniam is a Chartered Accountant and Cost Accountant and has over 25 years of experience in the fields of Business Management, Finance & Information Technology. He has worked in Reliance Group, Tata Group, Bajaj Group and in various senior positions. He has vast experience in consumer businesses of Retail and Telecom and also in manufacturing businesses across Petroleum, Petrochemicals and Automobiles sectors. Currently he is the Managing Director of Reliance Retail which is India’s Largest Retail enterprise and operates Groceries, Electronics and Fashion and Lifestyle Stores.

1.7Organizational Chart of Reliance SMART

Zonal Manager

Cluster Manager

Assistant Store Manager(ASM)

Store Supervisor

Area Manager

Store Manager(SM)

Commercial Associate

Customer Service Associate

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CHAPTER 2 INTERNSHIP ANALYSIS Week 1: (May 2nd'18 - May 4th'18)

● I Was Oriented into the work done by the HRD - Employee Relations and Statutory Compliance. ● This week also involved on the process of verifying the PF documents submitted by employees. - Verification and Validation. & Transfer to Head Office in Mumbai.

Week 2: (May 7th'18 - May 11th'18)

● Designed a Grievance redressal poster with the help of my guide and distributing to various Reliance Digital, Fresh and Trends outlets via courier addressed to respective Store Managers. And educating them about how to make employees understand the usage of grievance redressal service ● CLRA license documents were verified and sent as soft copies via email to Respective store managers and cluster managers of TN- Circle Reliance Digital, Trends and Fresh Stores. ● Visited the Sastri Bhavan, Labour office to get permission from Assistant Commissioner of Labour in accordance with Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972.

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Week 3: (May 14th'18 - May 18th'18)

● This week involved predominantly verification of HR registers maintained properly for the year 2017 from Reliance Trends and Reliance Digital, Mylapore. ● Next was Understanding of Legal Notices to be displayed at Stores - Payment of Wages Act, 1936 , Form (V) Statement Of Holidays, Sexual Harassment of woman at Workplace(Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act and Rules, 2013, Notice of authorised person under Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972, Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 & Notice under Child Labour (P&R) Act, 1986. ●

Joining formalities for New Joinees to Reliance Trends, Digital and Fresh Stores in Chennai was done and proper verification of the documents was done and set according to different categories

● Facilitating smooth joining procedure and explaining about Joining Kit Details

Week 4 & 5: ( May 12th'18 - June 2nd'18)

● Visited Reliance SMART Perambur, Reliance Digital Perambur, Reliance Trends Perambur to understand the Marketing and Operations Activity at the Respective Stores. ● Interacted with Employees to understand about their Work Life Balance as part of the Employee Relations team. ● Conducted a research study on The Work Life Balance of Employees at Reliance Retail Limited based on suggestions of Corporate Guide and according to company rules and regulations and policies. ● Survey was collected from employees and Data was interpreted..

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Marketing & Operations Activity at Reliance SMART, Perambur ● The Reliance SMART Outlet followed a grid type pattern. This enables the customer to get accustomed and familiar which helps in locating the merchandise easily. It is also cost efficient and easy to clean and self servicing is easier. ● All the products are displayed on a gondola, bay and some products are kept on end cap to sell at a much faster pace ●

There was a Summer jackpot sale was going on and hence banners and displays were raised outside the outlet to attract customers. Offers were given on beverages and ice creams.

● During the weekend, Rice bag ice cream and Oil combo offers were displayed outside the outlet to improve the sale. ●

Maaza introduced a new flavor “Maaza Gold”. So, a promotional ad campaign was going on in the outlet.

● Clearance markdowns were done to get rid of slow-moving and obsolete products. ● Promotional markdowns were done to increase sale traffic and to promote new products. ● These type of products are often kept on floor display or where the customer waits like near the billing counter. ●

New displays and banners were raised as part of the Ramzan Promotional Campaign.

● I learnt how SAP was used to manage the inventory at the Reliance SMART outlet. ● Fruits & Vegetable were sourced from different nearby villages (Tiruvallur, Acharapakkam) and distributed from the HUB. ● The HUB for Reliance Retail Limited is situated in Puzhal Camp, from there it is distributed to all the retail outlets. ● GRN (Goods Receipt Note) is entered in the SAP database immediately after the arrival of the products. ● GRN is created to record the delivery of items from your suppliers. 24

● Suppose if the product is sold with GRN registration it can be corrected using Stock/Negative Correction or else it will show the negative number in the database. ● Stocks are updated in the database and the products are sent to the outlets when the stock reaches a minimum number. ● Some products follow DSD like ID, Kwality Wall’s. ● Direct Store Delivery, or DSD, is a distribution strategy that offers an alternative to centralized distribution. DSD allows retailers to reduce operating costs by sidestepping the retailer’s distribution center. ● Instead, goods travel directly from the supplier to the retail store, saving time and money off of the retailer’s bottom line.

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CHAPTER 3 APPLICATION OF MANAGEMENT THEORY 3.1 Work Life Balance The term Work life balance is referring to a satisfying balance between work life and private life and the experience when and how that is achieved could of course differ between people, but the term “Work- life balance” could be explained as, when the two life spheres: work-life and private life are not intruding excessively on each other. Work-life and family life have until quite recently had clear physical borders i.e. before you were either at the office working or at home with your family and it was basically not possible to work from home, unless you were self-employed or in a similar work-situation Nowadays, the possibility to work at different places for instance, from; home, the public transportation or sometimes even on a beach anywhere in the world has become a reality for many people. The technology such as: smartphones, tablets, laptops etc. have changed that and a lot of different work-places offer alternative work arrangement, which means that there are alternatives to the traditional eight hours’ work-day, approximately between 9 a.m. to 5 a.m. at the office. Throughout history work-life has changed in different ways. People used to work longer days before and in 1971 the Swedish working act regarding the regular working hours was made, which limited the working hours to not exceed 40 hours a week. Nowadays, we have entered into a new era where boundaries regarding working hours are more blurred and work arrangement such as flexible and unregulated working hours are increasing. Explicitly, the working hours might be 40 hours a week, but in reality the working hours could be a different number and sometimes they are more and sometimes they are less. Naturally, this phenomenon has changed the possibility to spend time with our family more or less. It depends on how it would be interpreted as being with the family and working at the same time or simply working with the family physically close to you. On the other hand,

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unregulated working hours allow you to take hours off if needed throughout the day, for example, to visit your child at school if there is for instance, a meeting with the teacher or another important activity. Work life balance describes the relationship between your work and the commitments in the rest of your life, and how they impact on one another. Employers, employees and government want to maximize participation in the workforce. However, in our demanding lives many people struggle to balance work and the responsibilities of caring for children, family members with a disability or elderly parents. For other workers it's often difficult to find time outside work for study, volunteering, taking care of their own health or participating in sport and recreation. There is no ideal work life balance; everyone is different and the 'right' balance may alter over time as families grow older and personal commitments change. Having options about how work is organized makes managing work and life demands possible by allowing employees to work in non-traditional work patterns and locations that better fit their personal commitments. Overall quality of life improves and businesses also benefit from employees' higher morale and commitment. The term work life balance (WLB) can be defined as previously mentioned the balance between work-life and private life. The term balance as a metaphoric definition indicates the pursuit towards a satisfying balance and the avoidance of any side weighting to heavy. When a person experiences a good WLB he or she is able to separate between work-and family life and does not had to worry about being interrupted by alarming telephone calls messages or emails while spending time with their family or in a private situation. The term has been criticized since it is considered to be socially constructed regarding what is really related to work and why it is not for example the domestic work, which is still mostly carried out by women, this is future discussed below under. Hence, this study will refer to work in the context of paid work to avoid any ambiguity. WLB practices can be described as benefits for the employees to the able to combine their private life with their work-life. Work-life balance practices could be any benefit that makes life easier in one way or another for the employee who are juggling their private life and work-life for instance: Parental leave, flexi-time, unregulated working hours, telecommuting, and could as well be available fitness center, daycare center sponsored by the workplace etc. There is a focus on the most commonly used WLB practices in this study, search as: parental leave, flexitime, unregulated working hours

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and part-time working. The delimitations in this study have been to focus on the actual experiences of the informants concerning work-life balance practices. The de-limitations regarding the informants have been that they are officials working in either private- or public sector and they should have children under 18 years of age and that they had used parental leave and other work-life balance practices such as; flexi time, part time, telework or unregulated working hours. The only requirement was that they had used the parental 4 leave and at least one more WLB practice. The basis is to investigate and understand how the work life balance practices have worked in eight different people’s lives, neither to make a comparative study between countries nor to generalize it to for example all other parent in Sweden. Officials are chosen mainly because their technical work equipment (such as laptops, smartphones etc.) allow them to work at other place that their workplace to a greater extent than workers who usually perform practical tasks that are only possible to be at the workplace, for instance: painters, carpenters, care workers, bus drivers etc. Those workers can of course also work to much overtime etc. The study’s aim was to assess the extent to which employers operated work-life balance practices and whether employees felt existing practices met their needs. The study looked at policies and practices that: Permitted some flexibility with respect to hours of work. Allowed people to work from home. Granted leave arrangements their allowed people to either meet their non-work. Commitments or realize their non-work goals. Provided workplace facilities assist employees to attend work. Promoted communication and consultation between employers and employees over relevant issues.

3.1.1 THE IMPORTANCE OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE As with most things in life, moderation is the key. People who are constantly tied to their jobs deal with the symptoms of stress and burnout. Overworked employees are more likely to suffer health problems, more like to be absent and/or sick, less efficient, less sociable, and overall more difficult to work with. It is in the best interest of both the employee and employer to avoid these pitfalls through smart human resource management.

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3.1.2 THE ROLE OF MANAGEMENT IN PROMOTING WORK-LIFE BALANCE Human resource (HR) management is a particularly versatile element of the organization, and its responsibilities are often much less clear than a textbook might imply. While hiring, training, employment contracts and regulatory considerations are well within the HR framework, so too is 5 ensuring that employees are both healthy and satisfied at work. This requires taking stands on behalf of the employees, and putting organizational and managerial expectations and policies in place to ensure that employees are treated properly. One example of what HR and/or upper management can do in this regard is override the culture to encourage employees to take time for themselves. Upper management must communicate to lower managers, through words and by example, that work communication past a certain time of night (or on the weekends) is only acceptable in highly time-sensitive situations (or never at all). HR can suggest to employees that they turn off their work phones in the evenings and leave their work computers in the office unless absolutely necessary. Another useful tool for management is flexi time. This is particularly useful for individuals in global markets, since they are often on the phone early in the morning or late at night with clients or suppliers on the other side of the globe. Employees might also work only four days a week, but work 10 to 12 hours each of those days (from, say, 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). Businesses focused on quarterly results could offer long weekends at a company-wide level at the beginning of each new quarter (when workload is the smallest). HR professionals should be observant and creative, identifying when employees are pushing themselves too hard and offering solutions.

3.1.3 WORK-LIFE BALANCE POLICIES & PRACTICES WORK LIFE BALANCE Work-life balance policies frequently include benefits such as flexible work hours, child- and elder-care provisions, paid maternity leave, adoption assistance, leave/ time off, education assistance, health assistance, and housing assistance. Flexible work hours, telecommuting, and job sharing also may encourage work-life balance, and for some organizations may help reduce costs for non-work-related absences. However, research clearly shows that regardless of what the organization promotes, direct supervisors/managers greatly influence the work-life balance of 29

their subordinates. Managers, who focus on the desired work product, rather than requiring “face time” or logging overtime hours, can better enable their employees to balance work and life demands. An important caveat to note: when organizations advertise a culture of work-life balance to job applicants but then fail to implement or enforce the policies, they may quickly lose those new hires. Also important to note, the menu of work-life balance supports should be broad enough to meet the needs not only of p 6 A state of equilibrium in which the demands of both a person’s job and personal life are equal. WLB is the maintenance of a balance between responsibilities at work and at home. Work life initiatives are those strategies, policies, programs and practices initiated and maintained in workplaces to address flexibility, quality of work life and work family conflict. In other words, WLB is about people having a measure of control over when, where and how they work. Strategies of WLB in organizations include policies covering flexible work arrangements, child and dependent care and family and parental leave. Several studies have shown the benefits associated with the provision of work life in organizations. Various researches has indicated that those workers who have some form of control over their working environment tend to suffer less stress related ill-health, with clear implications for the concept of work-life balance. According to Jim Bird, CEO of Worklifebalance.com (an international work-life balance and consulting company), and “Work-life balance is meaningful achievement and enjoyment in everyday life”. Also he believes that to achieve better work-life balance, each individual needs to work smarter- to get more done in less time. The primary way companies can help facilitate work life balance for their employees is through work-life practices, that are usually associated with flexible working and reductions in working time or family-friendly policies. Even if many companies have extensive work-life programs, most have not yet changed their organizational cultures to support employees and managers who want to use work-life options. Work-life balance policies can assist employees achieving a balance between their work and personal commitments that is right for them. The policies need to be supported by the workplace culture, which reflects the beliefs, values and norms of the whole of the organization from the CEO to staff members. Other important factors in the success of work life balance policies include proper communication of commitment to the policies to existing and

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future employees, raising awareness of the policies, education of managers about the importance of policies, and training of managers on ‟how to’’ implement these policies

● According to the questionnaire answered by the employees it can be clearly seen that Reliance Retail Limited have various policies regarding work life balance of employees, the prominent one’s being Family Support / Counselling Services, Flexible working hours is one major factor in maintaining positive work life balance as said by majority of the employees.

3.2 STORE LAYOUT AND TRAFFIC FLOW It is very important that the store's layout and overall presentation work harmoniously together to attract customers to the store and encourage them to buy. Layout and presentation need to promote the store image and support the store's market position in a consistent manner. In organising store layout, the manager is responsible for: ● allocating floor space; ● planning traffic flow; and ● product placement. Store layout is not established and then forgotten about. Layout needs to be assessed, monitored and adjusted to ensure that the store works as efficiently as possible. As the manager, you will need to regularly carry out layout assessment. Product placement also needs to be assessed regularly. This assessment should take into account: ● commitments to manufacturers; ● sales figures for individual products; ● promotions; and ● seasonal considerations.

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Allocation of store space Store managers generally expend a great deal of time, thought and money designing and implementing a workable and effective store layout. The planning begins with allocating floor space based on selling area and/or the area where merchandise is displayed. From available space, room must also be made for employees to rest, customers to walk, sit and try on clothes and for other activities such as storing stock. Some of the space allocations are beyond the control of the manager e.g.the size of the storeroom or break room. As the manager, you will need to regularly evaluate the allocation of space that you do have control over. This is an important management planning task.

Traffic flow Traffic flow is the movement of customers through the store. It is a critical aspect of store layout due to the impact that it can have on the customer both practically and psychologically. A well-designed layout not only influences the movement of customers through the store, it can also encourage certain shopping behaviours. For example, a supermarket may deliberately make the aisles small and crowded to create a feeling of economy and order. This encourages the customers to move consistently through the store in an ordered pattern. It may also imply that the store sells many more lines of product than they actually do. In comparison, the layout in a gift shop may appear to be haphazard. This doesn't mean that the design has not been well-planned. The intention may be to encourage people to take their time browsing through the store.

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Types of traffic flow There are two basic traffic-flow alternatives available to the retailer:

● the grid pattern which is characterised by its structured layout design; and ● the free flow pattern which is less formal in its appearance.

The Reliance SMART Outlet followed a grid type pattern. This enables the customer to get accustomed and familiar which helps in locating the merchandise easily. It is also cost efficient and easy to clean and self servicing is easier. The Grid Pattern Grid Pattern​. Another traditional form of ​store layout​ is ​grid pattern​, in which the counters and fixtures are placed in long rows or runs., usually at right angles, throughout the ​stores

Figure 3.1 GRID PATTERN

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CHAPTER 4 INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE REFLECTION ON LEARNING AND GROWTH 4.1 INTERNSHIP LEARNING: ● During my Internship I worked under the Employee relations and statutory compliance department of Reliance retail limited. ● As part of the statutory compliance department, I was able to gain exposure to PF, ESI related rules and regulations of any retail limited company. ● I gained understanding about the legal notices that are to be displayed at stores as per various acts of the Indian Government - Payment of Wages Act, 1936 , Form (V) Statement Of Holidays, Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace(Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act and Rules, 2013, Notice of authorised person under Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972, Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 & Notice under Child Labour (P&R) Act, 1986. ● I assisted in the Joining formalities for newly hired employees of reliance fresh and reliance digital stores across tamilnadu and gained exposure to the induction process of a new employee into any retail store. ● As part of the Employee Relations department, my mentor had instructed me to visit Reliance Digital, Trends and SMART stores in Perambur and interact with employees to understand their Issues related to Work Life Balance. ● The interaction was used as Primary data for my research work. ● I developed a questionnaire under the instruction of my mentor based on the interaction with the employees and piloted initially to few employees at reliance trends, perambur. ● Then a sample size of 50 employees was chosen from the 3 stores and questionnaire was circulated in hard copy. ● It was made into soft-copy by filling in google forms and easier to interpret the results. 34

4.2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE A brief of relative literature is too presented for any research study. It deals with a literature survey of the existing volume of similar or related subjects. Since effective research is based upon past knowledge, a survey of past literature helps to eliminate the duplication of what has been done and sometimes providing useful hypothesis. a) Galinsky et al (1991)1​ This gives a detailed discussion on different work life balance policies which are the values, those which attract prospective employees and what are tools for employee retention and motivation. The study gave a detailed insight on how one should also keep in mind that new generation employees should not only evaluate their career progress not in terms of lucrative and high paid job assignments but also in terms of their ability to maintain healthy balance between their work and non-work life.

b) Bachmann and Schwartz (1994)2​ This gives a detailed discussion on the literature that work and balance is quite varied. Family-Friendly work environment, such as flexi-time, telework has been portrayed as an important component of an individual worker’s preferences towards work time. It has been suggested to the organizations that if work and non-work lives environment should be provided to the employees with a means of recruiting, retaining and motivating their work-force.

c) Glass and Fujimoto (1995)3​ This defined work-family practices as ‘any benefit, working condition, or personnel policy that has been to empirically decrease work–family conflicts among workers’. In working, work –family practices address predominantly childcare plans, on-site day care, elder care, parental leave, long-term care leave, and flexible working hours as the supporting HR practices which makes an employee to balance both work and life.

d) Karrir and Khurana (1996)4​ The Researcher here found significant correlations of Quality of work life of managers from three sectors of industry viz., Public, Private and Cooperative with some of the background variables (education qualification, native/migrant status, income level)

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and with all of the motivational variables like job satisfaction and job involvement. And concluded that both the variables show effect on work life balance. e) Caproni (1997)5​ This Researcher, unlike her peers, takes a different stand on work life balance. Here she argues that much of the work in field has been built on the language and logic based on traditional models of bureaucratic organizations which further aggravates the problem. She cites certain problems in the prevalent literature: first the overarching goal oriented approach to life that assumes people have a great deal of choice and control over their lives, and second, the sole focus on individual (and neglect of structural and relational) level of analysis.

f) Baral (2000)6​ conducted a study on 730 managerial employees from various organizations in India, and found that family significantly contributes to work in terms of enhancing performance and positive emotions at the workplace. The finding indicates that one of the important determinants of work life balance is availability of work life balance programs. When an organization offers its employees policies, practices, benefits and services to help them integrate their work and family responsibilities, they feel committed to the organization and indulge themselves in organizational citizenship behaviors..

g) Bhandari K., Soni H. (2015)7​ in the paper titled "Impact of Gender, Age and Work Experience on satisfaction towards Work Life Balance (with special reference to Bank Of 30 Baroda, Udaipur)" showed that Male employees are less satisfied than Female employees because female employees get maternity leave and males don't get any parental leave to take care of his newly born baby and his wife. Paternity benefit as retention tool is considered as main factor for work life balance of fathers. It's too hard for male employees to take time off during work to take personal/ family matters as male employees have all the responsibility of family including his parents, wife and children rather than female employees. So company should be flexible with respect to family responsibilities.

h) Mohanty A., Kesari L. (2016)8​ in the paper titled "Work-Life Balance Challenges for Indian Employees: Socio-Cultural Implications and Strategies" – conducted interviews with some of the

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Indian HR managers working in manufacturing, IT and Telecom sectors in India. They have said that the MNC's have come up with initiatives to offer provisions such as flexi-time, paid paternity leave, childcare facilities and tools such as video conferencing to reduce commuting to office. At the same time no formal initiatives have been taken to improve WLB. The slow and differential HR policy response in India as compared to western countries can be attributed to the political ideologies, slow pace of change in socio- demographic structure & attitude of employers

4.3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY It is used in the present study including details of sample, development of research tools, data collection procedure and statistical techniques employed for data analysis. Quantitative analysis of data was done using statistical tools wherever applicable. Research is any organized inquiry carried out to provide information for solving problems. Business research is a systematic inquiry that provides information to guide decisions. More specifically, it is the process of determining, acquiring, analyzing and synthesizing, and disseminating relevant data, information, and insights to decision makers in ways that mobilize the organization to take appropriate actions that, in turn, maximizes business performance.

4.3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN The research design consists of:- An activity and time based plan A plan always based on research question A guide for selecting sources and types of information A framework for specifying the relationships among the study variables A procedural process for every research activity.

4.3.2 TYPES AND SOURCES OF DATA The data can be collected from the two sources namely:

4.3.2.1 PRIMARY DATA Primary data are information collected by a researcher specifically for a research assignment. In other words, primary data are information that a company must gather because no one has compiled and published the information in a forum accessible to the public. Companies generally take the time and allocate the resources required to gather primary data only when a question, issue or problem presents itself that is sufficiently important or unique that it warrants the 37

expenditure necessary to gather the primary data. Primary data are original in nature and directly related to the issue or problem and current data. Primary data are the data which the researcher collects through various methods like interviews, surveys, questionnaires etc.

4.3.2.2 SECONDARY DATA Secondary data are the data collected by a party not related to the research study but collected these data for some other purpose and at different time in the past. If the researcher uses these data then these become secondary data for the current users. These may be available in written, typed or in electronic forms. A variety of secondary information sources is available to the researcher gathering data on an industry, potential product applications and the market place. Secondary data is also used to gain initial insight into the research problem.

4.4 SAMPLING METHODOLOGY Population In Reliance Retail SMART, Trends and Digital Overall 90 employees are working. Employees of the Reliance Retail SMART, Trends and Digital are taken as the sampling unit. Sample Frame and Sample Size: The sample size was chosen based on the availability of the employees in the organization. The questionnaire was targeted to lower level employees in the overall population. Hence the sample size is 30

4.5 PERIOD OF STUDY The study was carried out from 12/05/2018 - 30/05/2018

TOOLS USED FOR ANALYSIS The data collected from the respondents were converted into readable for processing, classification and arrangement. The n it was analyzed using statistical methods like ●

Simple percentage analysis

( No. of Respondents / Total Respondents ) * 100 = Percentage of Respondents

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4.6 DATA ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION 4.6.1 ANALYSIS Analysis helps in structuring the finding from different sources of data collection.it is very helpful in breaking a macro problems into micro parts. Data analysis acts like a filter when it comes to acquiring meaningful insights out of huge data set. Overall analysis is classifying and rearranging the raw data to arrive at meaningful interpretation. 4.6.2 INTERPRETATION Interpretation is essential because it brings the outcome of the analysis into forefront.it is the process of assigning meaning to the collected information and determining the conclusions, significance and implications of the findings. It is through interpretation that the researcher can understand the abstract principles that the work beneath his founds. Through this he can linkup the same abstract principle. Interpretation leads the establishment of explanatory concepts that can serve as a guide for tutor research studies. Research can appreciate only through interpretation which can make other to understand of researcher finding a per project study. The data collect are analyzed simple percentage tool as the against the tool number of respondents. The content analysis presented in the form of tables and charts.

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4.7 PERCENTAGE ANALYSIS

Figure 4.1 ( Age of Respondents )

● The total No. of respondents was 30 and the Maximum number of respondents was from the age group (19-26) around 20. ( 66.67%) ● The remaining 10 (33.33%) respondents were from the age group (27-35)

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● This clearly shows that the sample population taken has a healthy mix of age group among them.

Figure 4.2 ( Employee type of Respondents )

● All of the employees taken for the sample population are full time workers (100%)

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Figure 4.3 (Gender of Respondents)

● This sample population has an equal share of Male and Female Respondents ( 50%) each.

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Figure 4.4 (Marital Status of Respondents)

● 70% of the employees ( 21 ) were single and the rest 30% (9) were married workers.

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Figure 4.5 ( Work Life Balance )

● From this graph it is clearly seen that 70% of the employees have a positive work life balance at Reliance Retail Limited. ● The rest 30% who do not have a proper work life balance, we will find out what are the predominant factors affecting their Work Life balance.

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Figure 4.6 ( Working Hours )

● Nearly 86.7% ( 26 ) Employees feel that the working hours is the most important factor which helps them maintain a positive work life balance.

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Figure 4.7 ( Holidays )

● We have an interesting mix from the respondents in this chart where almost 53.3% agree to the fact that they make use of the holidays and paid time off to maintain good work life balance. ● 13.3% are unsure whether it really helps them or not ● 33.3% feel that the holidays and paid time off are either not provided at all or are really not helpful in maintaining positive work life balanc​e.

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Figure 4.8 ( Counselling Services )

● 66.6% of the employees make use of the counselling services and it is benificial for them to maintain positive Work Life Balance. ● 13.3% of them are unsure whether it is really helpful or not. ● 20% of the population feel that the counselling / family support programs are of not much use for them to maintain a positive work life balance.

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Figure 4.9 ( Work Environment )

● 66.7% of the employees feel that the Environment is safe and comfortable to work in. ● 13.3% are not sure how to decide whether the environment is safe or not and in a state of equality. ● The rest 20% feel it is not comfortable work environment to work in.

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Figure 4.10 ( Due Compensation )

● From this graph we can interpret that either the employees are not compensated on time for the work they do or they do not know about the incentives available for such extra work done. ● 46.7% feel that they are duely compensated, whereas 36.7% feel that they do not get enough motivation with the compensation provided. ● The rest 16.7% are unsure whether they get what they deserve or not.

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Figure 4.11 ( Job Satisfaction and Security )

● Can be clearly interpreted that majority of the employees (66.7%) are satisfied with the work they do and feel secure in the job ● 10% are not sure about the satisfaction and safety. ● 23.3% of the employees are not satisfied with the work they do and do not feel secure in the job.

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Figure 4.12 ( Work Pressure )

● 80% of the workers feel that the work pressure is too much on them that they do not get to spend quality time with friends and family ● The rest 20% somehow manage to handle the pressure and still spend time with family and friends.

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Figure 4.13 ( Exhaustion )

● 50% of the employees feel that there is not much exhaustion in the work they do. ● 33.3% of the employees feel much exhaustion at EOD. Maybe it differs from job to job.

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Figure 4.14 ( Depression )

● 70% of the employees say no to depression, whereas 13.3% of them feel that they get depressed at home due to work. ● 16.7% of them are not sure.

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Figure 4.15 ( Societal Respect )

● 60% of the employees feel respected in society, 26.7% of them neither agree nor disagree. ● 13.3% feel that the job they do is looked down upon in society.

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Figure 4.16 ( Personal Commitments )

● 43.3 % agree and 43.3% disagree for the same. The rest 13.3% neither agree nor disagree.

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Figure 4.17 ( Worry about work at home )

● 60% of them strongly agree to worrying about their work even when they are at home. ● 30% have a policy of whatever happens at work, stays there.

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Figure 4.18 ( Salary )

● From the chart we can clearly see that 86.6% of the employees are clearly not satisfied with the salary they get and it is not enough for them to manage their personal life.

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Figure 4.19 ( Peers / Superiors )

● 73.3% agree to the fact that their peers / superiors do not like it when they discuss personal life problems while at work.

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Figure 4.20 ( Family / Friends )

● Clearly 83.3% of the employees have the problem that their family and friends do not spend proper time with them due to work timings and pressure.

4.7 SUGGESTIONS Based on the findings and discussions, some recommendations could be mentioned here. 1. Maintaining proper working hours is one of the major key factor to maintain positive work life balance. The organization should make sure that the employees come on time and leave on time. This will help in improving the overall productivity of the employee as well as help him in

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maintaining a good work life balance. Apart from working hours, not making them to work even holidays will ensure well being for both employer and employee. 2. Employees should be kept constantly engaged with counselling activities and family support programmes which has proven to be a very beneficial factor for most of the employees. I suggest continuing and improving the counselling services 3. Each employee must be given enough time for discussion to keep forth their thoughts & points and noted that every employee gets a chance to speak / discuss. 4. Feedback must be collected on a regular basis from the subordinates and employees to serve in better way (or) to improve the current practices. 5. Due compensation for work done should be immediately settled in due time without any delay. Most of the employees are sole bread-winners for the family and they are of low level employees. Even a slight delay in getting compensated might make them feel agitated and in turn affect their work life balance in a negative way. 6. Providing accomodation for employees who travel from far away places should be done to avoid exhaustion and lead to severe health issues. 7. Proper salary should be paid according to industry standards and rules as most of the employees feel that the salary paid is very low for them to lead their personal lives.

Apart from these suggestions, few more are implementing online registers for stores instead of storing all registers and verification documents in hard copy format. Digital format will be kept safe and hassle free verification is possible during store audits. Digital records verification will save lots of time in verification and thus more stores can be covered in a single day.

Instead of following just a grid pattern in the Reliance SMART outlet, a combination of free flow and grid pattern is introduced in the store layout. It will help in improving the browsing of customers and also to identify the shopping behaviour of customers. It will help in creating an atmosphere suited to the product as the Outlet also houses luxury electronics.

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4.8 CONCLUSION Work-life balance can increase the productivity in the workplace and improve the work environment in general. Work-life balance requires cooperation and coordination at national, governmental, organizational, family, as well as the individual level. Stress is one of the factor affecting both the work life and personal life of the employees. The stress due to workload and poor working conditions can be reduced by improving the working conditions. Providing good canteen facility or cafeteria where employees can go for a break and refresh and giving them enough leisure time and holidays can really help. Taking the employees for a holiday outing can improve the interpersonal relations and reduce their stress level. To overcome this problem both the employer and employee should contribute equally in avoiding or minimizing the factors raising stress in the work-place.

From the internship, I gained huge insight into the department of statutory compliance foremost as i did not have any knowledge of such a departments existence in the HRD. It really helped me in understanding the compliances to be followed while owning a retail store.

Understanding about the PF and ESIC also enlightened me about labour laws and regulations to be followed while being an Entrepreneur.

The Grievance redressal cell was formed at the time of the starting of Internship, and it gave me deep insights into Employee relations and well being. The process was entirely anonymous and any employee could talk about their Grievances to the HR without fearing their superiors.

Overall it can be concluded that the Internship was a very good experience in terms of Management processes learning, being on time, leaving on time, team work and maintaining a healthy relationship with your peers and superiors. This will definitely be of great help for my Professional Career.

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REFERENCES

Book Referred 1. P. Subba Rao, Personnel and human resource management – Text and cases 8th Edition, Himalaya Publishing House. 2. C. R. Kothari: Research Methodology – Methods and Techniques, 2nd Edition, New Age International Publisher. 3. K. Aswathappa Human Resource Management – Text and cases 7th Edition, McGraw Hill Education.

Web-Links ● https://relianceretail.com/index.html ● https://epfindia.gov.in/site_en/index.php ● https://www.esic.nic.in/insured-person-employer-login Other References 1. Galinsky,E., et al “The Corporate Reference Guide to Work-Family Programmes, Families and Work Institute: New York, 1991. 2. Bachmann,k., “work life balance. Are employees listening? Ottawa: Conference Board of Canada”, 2000. 3. Glass,J.L., and Fujimoto,T., “Employer Characteristics and the provisions of Family Responsive Policies", Volume No.22, 1995, pp.380-411. 4. Karrir, N. and Khurana, A., “Quality of work life of managers in Indian industry”, Journal of the Indian Academy of Applied Psychology, Vol. 22(12), 1996 pp.1926. 5. Coproni,P.J “Work life balance: you can’t get there from here. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, Volume 33(1), 1997, pp.46-56.

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6. Baral, R.,”Examining Antecendents of Work-Family Enrichment and its Effect on Individual, Family and Organisational Outcomes”, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, IIT Bombay, 2000. 7. Bhandari, K., & Soni, H. Impact of Gender, Age and Work Experience on Satisfaction towards Work Life Balance (with special reference to Bank of Baroda, Udaipur). 8. Atasi Mohanty, Lalatendu Kesari Jena, Work-Life Balance Challenges for Indian Employees: Socio-Cultural Implications and Strategies, Journal of Human Resource and Sustainability Studies, 2016, 4, 15-21 Published Online March 2016 in SciRes

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