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The Relevance of Indian Ethos and Ethical Values in Maintaining Worklife Balance

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ABSTRACT Indian ethos helps in the development of unique work culture. Indian ethos considers work as worship (Sadhna) and there is no difference between Work (Karma) and religion (Dharma). In this regard, the term Dharma does not indicate any particular religion rather it was considered a duty to be performed in a given situation and therefore can be attained by Karma only. Therefore, there is a requirement of encoding proper knowledge in human values and the role played by the ethos and ethical values in maintaining work-life balance, self-motivation, self-management, teamwork, and team spirit are needed in the knowledge economy to obtain a double benefit of personal and organizational development. Therefore, the objective of this article is to provide an overview of ethical values cited in Indian ethos that can enhance organizational effectiveness and are helpful for maintaining work-life balance. The information cited is on the basis of secondary data from different databases that include research papers, review papers, articles, PhD abstracts, case studies etc. The inclusion and exclusion criteria for selecting papers for review were the exact theme of the paper. The review of literature has highlighted various ethical and moral values cited in Indian ethos that contribute to maintaining work-life balance and maintaining organizational effectiveness if implemented with proper planning and organizational policy formulation as the code of conduct in organizations. Keywords: Ethical Values, Work-life Balance, Development, Personality, Cultural Impact
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UNDERSTANDING
INTERDISCIPLINARY
ORGANIZATIONAL FLOWS
Indu Book Services Pvt. Ltd.
(Publishers & Distributors)
New Delhi
Editors
Dr. Yashpal Azad
Dr. Ambika Sharma
&
Dr. Tanu Sharma
UNDERSTANDING
INTERDISCIPLINARY
ORGANIZATIONAL FLOWS
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
Dr. Yashpal Azad, Dr. Ambika Sharma & Dr. Tanu Sharma
Copyright © Author & Publisher
First Published: 2022
ISBN: 978-93-91377-01-4
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TO PARENTS EVERYWHERE WHO TEACH US TO TREAD ON
THE PATH OF IMPOSSIBILITIES…

TO FAMILIES EVERYWHERE WHO ARE THE VERY SOUL OF
ONE’S SPIRIT ….

TO ALMIGHTY WHOSE GRACE SHALL ALWAYS BE OUR
LIGHTHOUSE!!!
A Note From Editors Desk…
The idea of this edited volume came to us over a general discussion
and little did we realize that we were on it. The bandwagon initially
comprised of two team mates which later turned into three. Putting
this collaborative effort forth has indeed been a strenuous exercise
which was laden with discussions, coffee sips and a lot of mind-
boggling sessions. Nevertheless, the journey has been overwhelming.
A big thanks to the contributors who were quick in their response and
came forward with an array of worthwhile ideas. We wish to thank each
and every individual who has contributed to this volume. We hope our
network stays strong in times to come.
We also wish to thank each and every member of our family who
have been a constant support in this journey. Also, we thank our
parents whose blessings make us stride the toughest of terrains.
We’d also like to thank our host organization, Eternal University,
for it is the environment of this heavenly intellectual abode which
eventually could make us embark on this journey of ours.
It is an effort which has been able to see the light of the day
because of almighty’s grace and it is his grace which shall always be
our lighthouse!!!
…Editors
Contents
A Note From Editors Desk… vii
List of Contributors xi
1. Examining the Relationship between Brand Image, 1
Customer Satisfaction and Repurchase Intentions
Shivani Nigam and Sonika
2. Sustaining Worklife Balance in Professional and Personal 13
Space
Sulochna Syal and Gunjan Sharma
3. Paradigm Shift and Its Execution in Organizational 21
Research: A Case of Socially Disadvantaged Groups
Roshan Lal Zinta
4. Customer Retention in the Covid Era: Some Insights for 29
Businesses
Amit Kumar
5. The ‘Conman’ in The Market: A Deleuzian Analysis of 37
Market Flows
Ambika Sharma and Kanchan Sharma
6. Social, Psychological and Cultural Motives in Buying 43
Behavior
Komal Rani and Yashpal Azad
7. Impacts of Covid-19 on Consumer Attitudes and 53
Behaviours towards Mobility of Vehicles
Kajal Chaudhary and Surjan Singh
8. Decoding Prism of Employee Well-Being and Work-Life 61
Balance During Pandemic
Shefali Thapa
9. Socio-Psychological Factors Hampering Work Life Balance 70
Deepika Negi
10. Ethnographic Factors Influencing Consumer Market 79
Relations
Ritu Verma and Shanta Kumari
11. Financial Literacy for Crypto-Currencies in India: 87
A Bibliometric Analysis
Neba Bhalla and Bikram Paul Singh Lehri
12. Current Trends and Psychological Models in the 95
Marketing World
Shilpy Gupta and Meenakshi Gupta
13. Reconstructing Work Life Balance 103
Sargun Kaur and Kiran
14. The Relevance of Indian Ethos and Ethical Values in 110
Maintaining Worklife Balance
Sandeep Kaur and Yashpal Azad
15. The Role of Persuasion Principles in Consumer Decision 120
Making
Puja Kumari and Kiran
16. Personality Traits (Big-Five Model) and Investment 126
Behaviour of Individuals: Analysis of Socio-Demographic
Factors
Ekam Riar and Amit Kumar
17. Flows of Psyche: Effect of Commodification on Individuals 139
Sukhneet Kaur
18. Marketing Flows and Consumer Behavior: An Analysis 146
154
Kiran and Sargun Kaur
Index
List of Contributors
Sr.
No.
Author Name About Author
1. Prof. Roshan
Lal Zinta
Prof. Roshan Lal Zinta is former chairman and
Head of Psychology Department. Himachal Pradesh
University. He remained as a chairman for the
department of Life long Learning and Psychology as
well as additional chief warden. He has wide teaching
and research experience of 24 years. He has published
a number of books, research papers, psychology
manual on various subject matters of psychology.
2. Dr. Shivani
Nigam
Dr. Shivani Nigam is an Assistant Professor at Silicon
City College, Bengaluru, she has excellent research
experience in the field of Consumer behavior and
Marketing research.
3. Dr. Sonika Dr. Sonika is an Assistant Professor at Himachal
Pradesh University regional Centre Dharamshala
(H.P.). She had 8 years of vast experience in research
areas of Human resource management, Organizational
Development, Employee Psychology and Marketing
Research.
4. Dr. Kajal
Chaudhary
Dr. Kajal Chaudhary is an Assistant Professor in Akal
College of Economics, Commerce and Management at
Eternal University, Baru Sahib, having 18 years of vast
experience in teaching and research esp. consumer
behaviour, consumer attitude, and perception.
5. Dr. Surjan
Singh
Dr. Surjan Singh is Associate Professor in Akal College
of Basic Sciences at Eternal University, Baru Sahib,
having 15 years of vast experience in teaching and
research.
(xii)
Sr.
No.
Author Name About Author
6. Dr. Sulochna
Syal
Dr. Sulochna Syal is an Associate Professor, in the School
of Management, Bahra University, Waknaghat, Shimla
Hills, she has vast experience of over fifteen years in
teaching and research. She has served for various
institutions and universities in various designations.
Her area of expertise is in banking sector with special
focus on HR policies in Banks and among her subjects
of interest are Research Methodology, Human Resource
Development and International Human Resource
Management. She has special flair of research.
7. Dr. Shilpy
Gupta
Dr. Shilpy Gupta, is working as an Assistant Professor
in Sohan Lal DAV College of Education, Ambala City.
She is Ph.D. in Education, M.Ed., M.Phil. in education,
Master’s in psychology and Mathematics, she has
cleared UGC NET in education and having 13 years of
experience in teaching and research.
8. Dr. Minakshi
Gupta
Dr. Meenakshi Gupta is working as Deputy Librarian,
Eternal University Baru Sahib. She had done Ph.D.
in library and Information Science, Master’s in library
science, Hindi, political science and B.Ed. She has 19
years of experience in the field of library and research
and has published numbers of research papers.
9. Dr. Shanta
Kumari
Dr. Shanta Kumari is presently working as an associate
professor in the Department of Economics, Akal
College of Economics, Commerce and Management,
Eternal University, Baru Sahib. She has also served
as an assistant professor in the govt. universities of
Ethiopia. She was awarded the ‘Anamitra Shah Prize’
by the Indian Society of Agricultural Economics,
Mumbai, for the best paper published in Indian Journal
of Agricultural Economics during the year 2006.
10. Dr. Deepika
Negi
Dr. Deepika Negi has completed her PhD in Psychology
from department of Psychology, Himachal Pradesh
University Sumer Hill, Shimla-5 (India). Presently
she is appointed as an assistant professor at Eternal
University Baru Sahib. She has also work experience
in the field of Special education for person with
mentally retardation. She has also worked experience
as counsellor under NHRM in District Hospital Una,
H.P. She hails from District Kinnaur. She is well
skilled teacher and psychologist.
(xiii)
Sr.
No.
Author Name About Author
11. Ms. Gunjan
Sharma
Ms. Gunjan Sharma is a research scholar and
presently working as an Assistant Professor in the
School of management, Bahra University. Shimla
Hills, Waknaghat.
12. Mr. Amit
Kumar
Mr. Amit Kumar is an Assistant Professor at Akal
College of Economics, Commerce and Management,
Eternal University, Baru Sahib and currently
pursuing Ph.D. from Jaypee University of Information
Technology, Waknaghat, His research interests include
the areas of service marketing, customer relationship
management, and consumer behavior.
13. Ms. Ekam
Riar
Ms. Ekam Riar is a research scholar in department
of Management at Eternal University, Baru Sahib.
Currently working on her master’s research thesis in
the area of behavioral finance.
14. Ms. Kanchan
Sharma
Ms. Kanchan Sharma is a Research Scholar at the
department of English, Eternal University, Baru
Sahib. She is working on Deconstructing binaries of
being and becoming in selected works of Atwood
15. Ms. Neba
Bhalla
Ms. Neba Bhalla, is a research scholar at School of
Humanities and Social Sciences, Thapar Institute of
Engineering and Technology, Patiala (India).
16. Mr. Bikram
Paul Singh
Lehri
Mr. Bikram Paul Singh Lehri, is an Assistant Professor
Department of Commerce Eternal University, Baru
Sahib (India).
17. Ms. Kiran Ms. Kiran is a research scholar in the Department of
Management at Akal College of Economics, Commerce
and Management, Eternal University, Baru Sahib.
Her research interests include customer loyalty, and
consumer behaviour.
18. Mrs. Puja
Kumari
Mrs. Puja Kumari is a research scholar in the
Department of Management at Akal College of
Economics, Commerce and Management, Eternal
University, Baru Sahib. Her research interests
include consumer satisfaction, consumer perception,
consumer’s decision-making process.
19. Ms. Sargun Ms. Sargun Kaur is a Research Scholar in Department
of Commerce at Akal College of Economics, Commerce
and Management, Eternal University, Baru Sahib.
Her research Interests include social intelligence,
customer satisfaction.
(xiv)
Sr.
No.
Author Name About Author
20. Ms. Komal
Rani
Ms. Komal Rani, is a research scholar and currently
pursuing her PGDCP in Clinical Psychology at Mata
Gujri College (M.G.C), Fatehgarh Sahib (Punjab), She
had completed her Master in M.Sc. (Psychology) from
Eternal University, Baru Sahib.
21. Ms. Shefali
Thapa
Ms. Shefali Thapa, is a research scholar and currently
pursuing her PGDCP in Clinical Psychology at Mata
Gujri College (M.G.C), Fatehgarh Sahib (Punjab), She
had completed her Master in M.Sc. (Psychology) from
Eternal University, Baru Sahib.
22. Ms. Ritu
Verma
Ms. Ritu Verma is a research scholar in the Department
of Economics at Akal College of Economics, Commerce
and Management, Eternal University, Baru Sahib,
H.P. She has received 1st award for her good academic
performance in master degree in Economics from Govt.
Post Graduate College, Nahan.
23. Ms. Sandeep
Kaur
Ms. Sandeep Kaur, is a research scholar had completed
her Master in M.Sc. (Psychology) from Eternal
University, Baru Sahib. She had a very good academic
and research aptitude.
24 Ms. Sukhneet
Kaur
Ms. Sukhneet Kaur is a student of psychology, ACA&
SS, Eternal university, Baru sahib, H.P. she takes
an advantage of her project by indulging in research
work. She had gained knowledge of research in data
collection and analysis for various topics, case studies
and filed work.
1
Examining the Relationship Between
Brand Image, Customer Satisfaction and
Repurchase Intentions
Shivani Nigam and Sonika
ABSTRACT
Marketers these days are very much concerned about the retention of
the customers to their brands only. So, it very imperative on their part to
know that how do they build the image of their brand in the mind of the
customers and how they can give the best service quality which may lead
to highest customer satisfaction and loyalty. Therefore, understanding these
concepts and channelizing them in a fruitful way is another milestone for
the marketers. In lieu of this assumption, this paper is conceptualized as
three-dimensional constructs comprising: brand image, customer satisfaction
and repurchase intention. The main purpose of the study is to examine the
relationship between all the three dimensions. A survey was undertaken using
convenience sample of female consumers using branded apparel in Chandigarh
city. Questionnaire was used to collect the data and relationship between
brand image and customer satisfaction and repurchase intention and the data
was analyzed using SPSS 16. Pearson’s Correlation Technique was used to find
out the relationship between all the 3 dimensions and results designate that
there is significant relationship between brand image, customer satisfaction
and repurchase intention.
Keywords: Brand Image; Customer Satisfaction; Repurchase Intention
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
2
INTRODUCTION
Brand, in today’s world, has seeped in all the facets of our life. They
play a very important function and among them, some basic functions
are for the marketers to promote their products. Another function that
brands serve for the customers is to streamline the choices, assure the
quality, maintaining the confidence. Though brands do not have any
corporal presence and brand value unless and until they involve in
some business transactions (Seetharaman, Nadzir & Gunalan, 2001).
Brands are attached with goods and services and they are associated
with the promotional activities which serve all the customers. Therefore,
brands can assist the customers in their overall buying behavior and
it has become imperative on the part of the marketers to strive hard in
order to enhance their brand image.
Brand image in a simple sense relates to an outlook of the customers
towards any brand. It includes knowledge of the customers and beliefs
towards various products of the same brands and non-product features
(Lee, Lee & Wu, 2011). Customers are very learned these days. They
know what do they want from the marketers, so marketers strive hard
to meet up their expectations and to satisfy them (Roustasekehravani,
Hamid, & Pooladireishahri, 2014). These expectations then lead to
how customers will perform future course of action along with the
customer satisfaction in repurchasing the same product (Ha, Janda
& Muthaly, 2010). Therefore, it is important to understand and study
these variables that how brand image, customer satisfaction and
repurchase intention can play a significant role in overall consumer
buying decision making and what steps marketers can take in order to
plan their strategies in the long run.
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Brand Image
Several definitions and meaning had been given in context of brand
image. Every author had defined brand image in one or the other way.
Among few authors, Lee, James and Kim (2014) had defined brand
image after doing extensive study of various definitions as given by
different authors over a period of time. They defined brand image by
considering customers’ perceptions about brand which was emerged
by the collaboration of perception, emotion and assessment of different
review. In the words, Amber and Styles (1996), brand were the packages
of traits of the customers who purchases the products which ultimately
Examining the Relationship Between Brand Image, Customer Satisfaction… 3
tends to satisfy. Researchers were of the view that these traits could be
misleading, actual, expressive or lucid, imperceptible and touchable.
Researchers like Bhakuni, Rajput, Sharma and Bhakar (2021) also
propounded that brand image had an influence on the repurchase
intention as well in order to have increase number or repurchases,
brand image played a very important role.
Customer Satisfaction
Customer satisfaction had been defined by Russell, McColl and
Coote (2007) as the antecedent of belief of the brand, brand purpose,
and customer trustworthiness towards the brand when they bought
and practice the services offered. Researchers like Roustasekehravani
et. al., (2014) were of the view that customers had become very aware
those days and it was also known to firms that customer satisfaction
was the utmost priority and for that they should be taking care of
customers’ taste, desires, demands and requirements and most
importantly the buying pattern. In order to see the buying pattern,
it was understood by the firms that they should be informed about
the consumer buying decision making process so that customers’
expectations could be met. There were researchers who focused on
service quality as a major aspect with respect to customer satisfaction.
It was found that when service quality was offered the product then
the brand image and overall customer satisfaction would be boosted
(Hsieh, Lu & Lu, 2018).
Repurchase Intention
Repurchase intention could be termed as the customer’s intention
or willingness to purchase again the same product from same brand
depending on his/her past learning (Hellier, Geursen, Carr & Rickard,
2003). Among various authors like Lin and Lekhawipat (2014) focused
on the repurchase intention in context of online shopping where they
also found that past experiences and habits played a major role in
greater customer satisfaction, intend to purchase again and higher
customer expectations. It was also seen that service quality had an
important function with respect to online shopping behaviour, values
and repurchase intention when compared between two different income
groups (Kim, Galliers, Shin, Ryoo & Kim, 2012). Addition to service
quality, other factors like belief, professed ease of use and usefulness
and gratification were having substantial impact on the repurchase
intention in context with online shopping (Chiu, Chang, Cheng & Fang,
2008).
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
4
Brand Image, Customer Satisfaction and Repurchase Intention
Studies had shown the significant impact of brand image on
customer satisfaction and repurchase intention. Authors like Tu, Li and
Chih (2013) had shown in their study that brand image had a positive
impact on the customer satisfaction along with the perceived value of the
customers which ultimately impacted customer loyalty. In another study
by authors Majeed, Asare, Fatawu and Abubakari (2022) found out two
engagement proportions which interceded the relationship between the
customer satisfaction and repurchase intention. Also, Customers with
high loyalty could lead to repurchase intention when they felt satisfied
with their purchase (Yi & La, 2004). Researchers also investigated the
same relationship in the telecom industries as well where respondents
were using specific telecommunication brands and it was revealed that
there was an indirect impact of the service quality and brand image
on the customer satisfaction and less switching behavior which in due
course led to repurchase intention (Srivastava & Sharma, 2013).
Literature Gap
It has been observed from the previous researches that this association
has been studied in the other parts of the world and few studies are
in context of Indian market. So, this study attempts to highlight the
relationship among brand image, customer satisfaction and repurchase
intention specifically on Female population of Indian State/UT.
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The main objective of the study is to examine the relationship
between brand images, customer satisfaction and repurchase intention.
HYPOTHESIS OF THE STUDY
To examine the relationship between the brand image, customer
satisfaction and repurchase intention, it was hypothesized that:
H01: There is no significant relationship between Brand Image,
Customer Satisfaction and Repurchase Intentions.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Scope of the Study
The theoretical scope of the study is limited to brand image,
customer satisfaction and repurchase intention. The geographical
scope of the study is based on Chandigarh, India.
Examining the Relationship Between Brand Image, Customer Satisfaction… 5
Research Design
Research design for the present study is empirical research design
with quantitative approach.
Sampling Technique and Sample Size
Convenient judgmental sampling technique was used to collect
responses of 90 respondents out of 100 as 10 respondents were not
relevant according to the study. The present study is conducted on
specifically Female of Chandigarh area.
Research Instrument
The research instrument used in this study was a Structured
Questionnaire which is designed specifically for the purpose of this
study. Questionnaire was divided between Brand Image, Customer
Satisfaction and Repurchase Intentions. Questions were asked on the
5-point Likert’s Scale.
Data Collection
Data was collected by the self-administered questionnaire by survey
method.
Statistical Techniques Used
The objective of the study is to find the relationship between all the
three dimensions; therefore, Descriptive and inferential statistics were
used for the study. In descriptive statistics, frequency and percentages
were used and in inferential statistics, Bivariate Correlation Technique
is used using SPSS 16.0.
ANALYSIS OF THE RESULTS
The targeted participants for the study are Female consumers
who has done shopping in the last 6 six months from various brands.
Apparel segment is taken for the purpose of the present study. To
conduct the study 100 questionnaires were distributed to the people
of different age group, education and occupational status. The study is
focused mainly on Females of Chandigarh Area.
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
6
Table 1: Frequency Analysis of Demographic information on the basis of Gender
Frequency Percent
Valid 2 90 100.0
Table. 1: shows the frequency of Gender as all the respondents are
Female in the present study.
Table 2: Frequency table on the basis of Educational Qualification
Frequency Percent
Undergraduate 48 53.3
Graduate 15 16.7
Postgraduate 27 30
Total 90 100
Table. 2: shows the educational qualification of the respondents as
48% are Undergraduate followed by 27% as Postgraduate and 15 % as
Graduate.
Table 3: Frequency table on the basis of Occupation
Frequency Percent
Valid Student 58 64.4
Working 32 35.6
Total 90 100.0
In the present study 58% of the respondents are students and 32%
of the respondents are working people.
Table 4: Frequency of Buying Clothes
Frequency Percent
Valid
Rarely 9 10.0
Sometimes 21 23.3
Often 45 50.0
Always 15 16.7
Total 90 100.0
Table. 4: shows frequency of buying clothes by the respondents.
Results shows that 45% of the respondents often purchases clothes
followed by sometimes (21%), Always (15%) and rarely (9%).
Examining the Relationship Between Brand Image, Customer Satisfaction… 7
Table 5: Frequency of buying accessories
Frequency Percent
Valid
Never 6 6.7
Rarely 27 30.0
Sometimes 39 43.3
Often 18 20.0
Total 90 100.0
Table. 5: shows the frequency of buying accessories. Result shows
that 39% of the respondents purchases the accessories Sometimes
followed by Rarely (27%), Often (18%) and never as 6% of the
respondents.
Table 6: Frequency of buying footwear
Frequency Percent
Valid
Rarely 15 16.7
Sometimes 15 16.7
Often 45 50.0
Always 15 16.7
Total 90 100.0
Table. 6: shows the frequency of buying footwear by the respondents.
It shows that 45% of the respondents often purchases footwear followed
by always, sometimes and rarely as 15% each.
Table 7: Frequency of buying personal care
Frequency Percent
Valid
Never 3 3.3
Rarely 12 13.3
Sometimes 15 16.7
Often 18 20.0
Always 42 46.7
Total 90 100.0
Table. 7: shows the frequency of buying personal care products by
the respondents. Result shows that 42% always purchases personal
care products followed by often (18%), sometimes (15%). Rarely (12%)
and never (3%).
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
8
Table 8: Frequency of buying gym & sports
Frequency Percent
Valid
Never 12 13.3
Rarely 30 33.3
Sometimes 24 26.7
Often 18 20.0
Always 6 6.7
Total 90 100.0
Table. 8: shows the frequency of buying gym and sports products
bought by the respondents. It was found that 30% of the respondents
bought rarely followed by sometimes (24%), often (18%), never (12%)
and always (6%). Results have shown that branded Clothes and Foot
wears are often purchased by the consumers. Personal care is the
second most frequent item which respondents purchase. Accessories,
Gym and Sports have shown mixed results.
HYPOTHESIS TESTING
H01: There is no significant relationship between Brand Image,
Customer Satisfaction and Repurchase Intentions.
To check the relationship between all the three dimensions Pearson’s
Correlation Technique is applied. In order to find out the relationship
between Brand Image, Customer Satisfaction and Repurchase
Intention, some statements were asked from the respondents. These
statements are given below:
Brand Image
To find out the image of the particular brand that respondents are
using or used, some statements were asked on the 5-point Likert’s
scale (1-not at all important…5-extremly important) as why they
prefer the particular brand over the other brand. These statements
were Trustworthiness, Status Symbol, Quality of the Product, Value for
Money, Attachment to the Brand and Post Sale Service.
Customer Satisfaction
To find out the satisfaction level of the respondents about the
brand, statements were asked on 5-point Likert’s Scale (1-extremely
dissatisfied…5-extremly satisfied). These statements were Deliver what
they Promise, New and Improved Range of Product, Attention Given by
Staff and Overall satisfaction.
Examining the Relationship Between Brand Image, Customer Satisfaction… 9
Repurchase Intentions
To know whether the respondents would return to the same brand,
statements were asked on 5-point Likert’s Scale (1-strongly disagree…
.5-strongly agree) related to I would buy the products of same brand
again, I would recommend the brand to others and I would buy other
products from the same brand. To check the relationship between
Brand Image, Customer Satisfaction and Repurchase Intentions,
summated mean score was calculated and on the basis of the mean
score value correlation matrix was prepared using SPSS 16.0. Results
drawn from the summated mean score value and Correlation matrix
of Brand Image, Customer Satisfaction and Repurchase Intention are
given below:
Pearson Correlation Technique
Table 9: Descriptive Statistics
Mean Std. Deviation N
Brand_Image_mean 3.4833 .59232 90
Customer_Satisfaction_mean 3.9250 .33822 90
Repurchase_Intention_mean 3.7667 .43404 90
Table 10: Correlations
Brand_
Image_mean
Customer_
Satisfaction_
mean
Repurchase_
Intention_
mean
Brand_
Image_mean
Pearson
Correlation
1 .295** .407**
Sig. (2-tailed) .005 .000
N 90 90 90
Customer_
Satisfaction_
mean
Pearson
Correlation
.295** 1 .434**
Sig. (2-tailed) .005 .000
N 90 90 90
Repurchase_
Intention_
mean
Pearson
Correlation
.407** .434** 1
Sig. (2-tailed) .000 .000
N 90 90 90
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
10
Interpretation of Results
The correlation matrix is showing that there is a significant
relationship between Brand Image, Customer Satisfaction and
Repurchase Intentions. Pearson Correlation Technique is used to
find out the relationship. Results are showing that all the values are
significant at 0.01 levels. It means that good brand image affects the
customer’s satisfaction level and this leads to repurchase intentions of
the same brand. Hence, the null hypothesis H01 is rejected showing
that there is a significant relationship between Brand Image, Customer
Satisfaction and Repurchase Intentions.
SUGGESTIONS
In this competitive world, where there is cut throat competition
among various brands, firms are continuously working hard to position
and firmly fix their brand in the minds of the customers by creating
brand image and once the customers buy the products, they look for
the service quality and customer satisfaction which ultimately leads
to a channelized repurchase methodology. This creates brand loyalty.
The present paper tries to focus on all these aspects and to find out the
relationship between these variables. With the results it is shown that
putting more effort on brand image and customers satisfaction, one
can led to customers repurchasing the products from the same brand.
Firms should resort to practices wherein the companies can focus on
the age and gender etc. segments to gain customer satisfaction, loyalty
and customers for future.
CONCLUSION
This study is based on female consumers who use branded apparels
like clothes, footwear and accessories etc. This study has mainly focused
on investigating the relationship between Brand Image, Customer
Satisfaction and Repurchase Intention. The Empirical evidence rejects
the null hypothesis stated and it revealed that there is a significant
relationship between all the three dimensions.
LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH
The present study has some limitations as it considered only female
consumers of branded products. Male consumers are totally excluded.
Future research could be conducted taking male consumers in the
sample. Further study could be conducted on large sample size as in
this study responses of 90 respondents have been taken for analysis.
Examining the Relationship Between Brand Image, Customer Satisfaction… 11
This study is restricted to only Chandigarh city; responses could be
collected from other regions of Punjab and Haryana. Extended study
could be conducted on different dimensions of brands like Brand
Equity, Brand Loyalty and Brand Preference and their relation with
Customer Satisfaction and repurchase Intentions.
REFERENCES
Ambler, T., & Styles, C. (1996). Brand development versus new product development:
towards a process model of extension decisions. Marketing intelligence & planning.
Bhakuni, P., Rajput, S., Sharma, B. K., & Bhakar, S. S. (2021). Relationship between
brand image and store image as drivers of repurchase intention in apparel
stores. Gurukul Business Review, 17(1), 63-73.
Chiu, C. M., Chang, C. C., Cheng, H. L., & Fang, Y. H. (2009). Determinants of customer
repurchase intention in online shopping. Online information review.
Ha, H. Y., Janda, S., & Muthaly, S. K. (2010). A new understanding of satisfaction
model in e-re-purchase situation. European journal of marketing.
Hellier, P. K., Geursen, G. M., Carr, R. A., & Rickard, J. A. (2003). Customer repurchase
intention: A general structural equation model. European journal of marketing.
Hsieh, S. W., Lu, C. C., & Lu, Y. H. (2018). A study on the relationship among brand
image, service quality, customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty–Taking ‘the
Bao Wei Zhen Catering Team as an Empirical Study. KnE Social Sciences.
Jani, D., & Han, H. (2014). Personality, satisfaction, image, ambience, and loyalty:
Testing their relationships in the hotel industry. International Journal of Hospitality
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Internet shopping value and customer repurchase intention. Electronic commerce
research and applications, 11(4), 374-387.
Lee, H. M., Lee, C. C., & Wu, C. C. (2011). Brand image strategy affects brand equity
after M&A. European journal of marketing.
Lee, J. L., James, J. D., & Kim, Y. K. (2014). A reconceptualization of brand
image. International Journal of Business Administration, 5(4), 1.
Lin, C., & Lekhawipat, W. (2014). Factors affecting online repurchase intention. Industrial
Management & Data Systems.
Majeed, M., Asare, C., Fatawu, A., & Abubakari, A. (2022). An analysis of the effects of
customer satisfaction and engagement on social media on repurchase intention
in the hospitality industry. Cogent Business & Management, 9(1), 2028331.
Roustasekehravani, A., Hamid, A. B. A., Haghkhah, A., & Pooladireishahri, M. (2014).
Do brand personality really enhance satisfaction and loyalty toward brand?
A review of theory and empirical research. European Journal of Business and
Management, 6(25), 174-183.
Russell-Bennett, R., McColl-Kennedy, J. R., & Coote, L. V. (2007). Involvement,
satisfaction, and brand loyalty in a small business services setting. Journal of
Business Research, 60(12), 1253-1260.
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
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Seetharaman, A., Nadzir, Z. A. B. M., & Gunalan, S. (2001). A conceptual study on
brand valuation. Journal of product & brand Management.
Srivastava, K., & Sharma, N. K. (2013). Service quality, corporate brand image, and
switching behavior: The mediating role of customer satisfaction and repurchase
intention. Services Marketing Quarterly, 34(4), 274-291.
Tu, Y. T., & Chih, H. C. (2013). An empirical study of corporate brand image, customer
perceived value and satisfaction on loyalty in shoe industry. Journal of Economics
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Yi, Y., & La, S. (2004). What inuences the relationship between customer satisfaction
and repurchase intention? Investigating the effects of adjusted expectations and
customer loyalty. Psychology & Marketing, 21(5), 351-373.
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2
Sustaining Worklife Balance in Professional
and Personal Space
Sulochna Syal and Gunjan Sharma
ABSTRACT
The balance between work and life means that people have some control
over when, where, and how they work. It is achieved when the right to the full
life of an individual, both inside and outside of work is accepted and respected
as a norm for the mutual benefit of the individual, economy and society. The
concept of work-life balance is fluid and involves some subjectivity. The balance
between individual work and life changes. This change is based on various
factors like age, family life cycle, career stages and prospects, work and family
commitment, gender, location, and financial situation. This article provides an
overview of the balance of work life. Further, this chapter emphasizes upon
work-specific factors and life specific factors related to employee work life
balance. Finally, this research summarizes and discusses the previous research
findings thus, identifying the gap of existing literature. The study is based
on secondary data from different articles, research papers and literatures
to investigate the factors affecting work life balance. The present study
exposes the qualitative and exploratory roles in the field of work life balance.
Literature reveals important factors contributing to the work life balance.
It also highlights the strategies to maintain a work life balance which leads
to better performance. Further it concludes the possible work life balance
outcome for an individual entity.
Keywords: Work-Life balance, Life Cycle, Organization, Personal Space,
Professional Space
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
14
INTRODUCTION
Domestic and economic activities have been shared by men and
women alike, not to forget the children as well. Eventually, this was
altered by the nineteenth-century industrial revolution. People in
industrial countries were forced to leave their houses and work in
factories under the new factory system (Wren, 2005). Both men and
women worked in factories during the early stages of the industrial
revolution, but women progressively withdrew from the workforce
and stayed at home to care for their families. As a result, home and
economic labour was separated into two categories based on gender.
Men’s major function shifted to outside-the-house towards the paid
economic activity, while women took on unpaid home jobs and cared
for obligations (Beauregard et al., 2009).
Following the onset of World Wars, men were recruited to fight and
women were asked to fill men’s shoes. When the service men returned
home after the end of the war, women were convinced to resume their
customary roles at home, freeing up jobs for the returning service men
(MacDermid, 2005). The work-life interface debate began in the United
States and the United Kingdom, it then expanded to other English-
speaking countries and eventually it spread to sections of Europe (Lewis
et al., 2007). Despite being extensively acknowledged and explored,
the debate on the work-family interface has been criticised for being
too narrow, focusing only on men and women with caring obligations,
particularly mothers with young children. This narrow scope appeared
to imply that men and women who did not have a clear commitment to
care did not need to manage their professional and personal lives. In
the 1990s, the term ‘family’ was substituted with ‘life’ in order to create
a more holistic and all-encompassing idea, and the phrase work-life
balance was thus born (Lewis et al., 2007).
Elucidating Work-life Balance
Work-life balance starts with picturing working companions’
disagreements and position friction as the “instantaneous event
of 2 arrangements of power to such a degree that fulfilment with
one would make satisfaction with the other all the more difficult.”
The position weights relation was a type of position difference, and
job spaces were misaligned on several levels. The righteousness of
commitment on relations and (job) work made commitment in the job
(relationship) position was even more difficult. Work and family are
intertwined in a person’s life and have fundamental repercussions for
couples and individuals. The existence of meaningful as well as non-
Sustaining Worklife Balance in Professional and Personal Space 15
existent relations-job logical inconsistency is investigated through the
commonness of job-relations. In any case, workers’ experiences show
that job and family are both sources of improvement and can withstand
the same pressures and wickedness.
This demonstrates that the likelihood of a job and relationship
benefiting from every job-relations dispute is clear and hopeful, or that
a job-relations enhancement that works as well as family common
forms of employment does not necessitate general conflict. A number
of circumstances have been used to clarify the hoped recompense
of work and family responsibility commitment tallying, work-family
idealistic overflow the purely theoretical base for work-family help as
progress has been made. Swamy, (2007) explained work/life balance
is in motion, and agents are concerned about how long it will take
them to offset their work by their duties and the success they have
achieved from outside job. As a result, it enables people to resolve
conflicting situations at work and at home by gathering their demands
and receiving the same from their bosses.
OBJECTIVES
1. To investigate the existing literature on work life balance.
2. To gain insights into the work specific factors affecting work life
balance.
3. To gain insights into the life specific factors affecting work life
balance.
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
The following sections review the prior literature on talent
management and employee retention. Review of literature was divided
into three sub sections:
Work Life Balance
Studies conducted on work life balance, Konrad and Mangel (2000)
concluded that Work-life balance regulations have a stronger beneficial
impact on productivity when women make up a larger percentage of
the population and when professionals make up a larger percentage of
the workforce.
Similarly, Guest, (2001) identified that “An individual’s personality
also contributes to the diverse views of balance,” she says. Workaholics,
for example, are people who choose to work long hours even if they
don’t have to, and do so at the detriment of other activities.
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
16
On the other hand, Casanova, M (2001) found that a large number
of organisations in Spain are unaware of the negative impact that
work-life balance policies have on company success. 67 percent of
companies in Spain that say work-life balance isn’t a priority for them
actually implement a disproportionately large number of such systems.
They just don’t see it as a deliberate instrument. The corporation that
executes the lowly figure of such an agenda, on the other hand, declares
that “work-life balance is a business policy goal.
Further, Cieri, H., D (2002) stressed out that an organization’s
need to attract and retain valued human resources in a highly
competitive labour market is a powerful motivator for increased
managerial awareness and action with regard to human resource
policies and practises that promote work-life balance. Moreover, Frone,
(2003) explained that a four-fold taxonomy of work-family balance
that contains the individual components of work-to-family conflict,
family-to-work conflict, work-to-family facilitation, and family-to-work
facilitation is needed to maintain work life balance.
Later, Judy, de Villiers and Elize Kotze, (2003) has explained
that “Work-life balance is a personal issue that varies with time and
circumstance, and the underlying conflict is role overload and role
interference.” Compound workplace concerns, such as managing
change, supervisory and technical competencies, leadership, roles and
accountability, and culture, cause the most severe work-life conflict.
The findings indicate that leadership, managers, and supervisors
recognise and support individuals and their needs, which has an
impact on work-life balance.”
Moreover, Kanwar et al., (2009) have examined “The influence of
WLB in the context of the Information Technology (IT) and IT Enabled
Services (ITES) industries” and it was discovered that WLB and job
satisfaction are positively associated. In comparison to the ITES group,
the IT group exhibited lower work-life balance and job satisfaction, as
well as increased meaninglessness, demotivation, and weariness.”
Work Components and Work-life Balance
Studies conducted on work components and work life balance,
Parasuraman et al., (1992), researchers looked at the connection
between work and family role pressures and conflict experience in 119
dual-career couples. Work role stressor had a negative influence on job
satisfaction and a good impact on work-family conflict, according to the
study’s findings. Similarly, Glass and Estes (1997) identified that in the
workplace, social support refers to how much practical, informational,
and emotional interpersonal assistance an individual receives from
Sustaining Worklife Balance in Professional and Personal Space 17
superiors and co-workers. Several research investigations have found
a link between superior and colleague support and improved work-
life balance. Moreover, Cartwright, (2000) identified that extreme work
hours have been reported to affect an individual’s psychological and
physiological well-being, as well as disturb personal relationships.
On the other hand, Saltzstein et al., (2001) looked into the
relationship amongst work and family demands, family-friendly
policies, and work-life balance satisfaction. The study, which was
based on data from a survey of federal government employees in
the United States, discovered that monetary awards were critical in
boosting job satisfaction and hence enhancing work-life balance.
Moreover Pocock (2003) discovered that work intensification fatigued
people psychologically and physically, leaving them unable to meet
personal obligations.
Further, Hill et al., (2004) identified in their study that job workload
was highly and positively connected to work-life conflict across all
nations, according to IBM survey results from 48 countries with a
sample size of 25,380. Later, Steiber (2009) evaluated the elements that
lead to a negative view of work-life spill over. Excessive working hours
and uncertain hours exacerbated work-life interference, according to
the findings. Working hours produced time-based conflict, which led
to strain-based conflict, in which individuals felt too fatigued to meet
additional non-work obligations.
Similarly, Warner and Hausdorf (2009) identified the direct and
indirect relationships between organisation and supervisor support for
work-life difficulties and to investigate the same empirical research of
207 health employees was conducted. The study’s findings revealed
a complex link between the variables, as well as the importance of
social support in decreasing work-life conflict. Similarly, Darcy et al.,
(2012) focused work-life balance variables in connection to various
stages of career growth. For this they had investigated a sample of 729
employees from 15 Irish companies. According to the study’s findings,
development opportunities improved employees’ work-life balance
regardless of their career status.
Life Components and Work-life Balance
Studies conducted on life components and work life balance, Bohen
and Viveros-Long (1981) undertaken an in-depth case study of workers
from two different government departments and discovered that being
responsible for household duties was a significant source of life-work
conflict.
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
18
Similarly, Stone (1987) revealed that there was a robust link
between pleasant mood and family-leisure activities. As a result, leisure
activities are seen to be beneficial in lowering stress and enhancing
work-life balance. Moreover, Kinnunen and Mauno (1998) identified
that having child care responsibilities, particularly for small children,
increased parental overload, causing life-work conflicts. The study’s
conclusions were based on a sample of 501 men and women who
worked in four different organisations in Finland. Aside from presence
of children, the number of children is also a significant factor.
Further, Grzywacz and Marks (2000) surveyed 1, 986 employed
persons in the United States and therein an attempt was made to
explore different dimensions of the work-life interaction. The data
revealed that close family support reduced negative spill over from life
to work while increasing positive spill over.
Later, Aycan and Eskin (2005) identified that extended family
members, such as grandparents and relatives, were found to
assist working family members with domestic activities and share
responsibilities in collectivist cultures. In Turkey, the study looked
at 434 dual-earner families with at least one pre-school child. In
industrialised countries with individualist cultures, this type of support
structure was found to be uncommon.
Moreover, De Ruijter and Van der Lippe (2007) looked at 795
Dutch couples to see how occupational characteristics influenced their
decision to outsource household activities. The findings showed that
employing domestic help alleviated the pressure of home activities and
so provided a source of life-work development.
METHODOLOGY
Research Design
The present study is qualitative and exploratory in nature.
Data Collection
The present study is based on secondary data retrieved from various
research articles, Journals and ongoing Research papers.
CONCUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Work life balance plays a vital role in individuals’ life. From the
studies under lens, it could be concluded that there is a connection
between work and family role pressure. It negatively influences the
Sustaining Worklife Balance in Professional and Personal Space 19
job satisfaction. Working hour has a direct relationship with the
psychological and physiological well-being of an individual. Monetary
award is identified as a key factor in boosting job satisfaction and
further enhancing work life balance on a larger scale. Work life conflict
arises due to job workload. Development opportunities improve
employees work life balance. Lastly, it was identified that women face
a life work conflict due to household chores. Pleasant mood and family
leisure activities has a positive relationship with work life balance.
Thus, we can conclude that balance in the workspace acts like the
base to the superstructure of both the professional balance and the
personal balance and it is a potential field to study and research on
with changing trends and shifting paradigms.
REFERENCES
Aycan, Z., & Eskin, M. (2005). Childcare, Spousal, and Organizational Support in
Predicting Work-family Conict for Females and Males in Dual-Earner Families
with Preschool Children. Sex Roles, 53 (7), 453-471.
Beauregard, T.A., Ozbilgin, M., & Bell, M. (2009). Revisiting the Social Construction
of Family in the Context of Work. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 24 (1), 46-65.
Bohen, H., & Viveros-Lond. (1981). Balancing Jobs and Family Life: Do Flexible Work
Schedules Help? Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
Cartwright, S. (2000). Taking the Pulse of Executive Health in the U. K. Academy of
Management Executive, 14, 16–23.
Darcy, C., McCarthy, A., Hill, J., & Grady, G. (2012). Work–life Balance: One Size Fits
All? An Exploratory Analysis of the Differential Effects of Career Stage. European
Management Journal, 30(2), 111-120.
De Ruijter, E., & Van der Lippe, T. (2007). Effects of Job Features on Domestic
Outsourcing as a Strategy for Combining Paid and Domestic Work. Work &
Occupations, 34(2), 205-230.
Grzywacz, J., & Marks, N. (2000). Reconceptualizing the Work-Family Interface: An
Ecological Perspective on the Correlates of Positive and Negative Spillover
between Work and Family. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 5, 111-126.
Hill, E.J., Yang, C., Hawkins, A.J., & Ferris, M. (2004). A Cross-cultural Test of the
Work-family Interface in 48 Countries. Journal of Marriage and Family, 66(5),
1300- 1316.
Judy De Villiers And Elizekotze (2003), “Work-Life Balance: A Study In The Petroleum
Industry”, SA Journal Of Human Resource Management, Vol 1, No 3, A27, DOI:
Https://Doi.Org/10.4102/Sajhrm.V1i3.27
Kinnunen, U., & Mauno, S. (1998). Antecedents and Outcomes of Work-family Conict
among Employed Women and Men in Finland. Human Relations, 51, 157-177.
Konrad AndMangel (2000), “The Impact Of Work-Life Programs On Firm Productivity”,
Strategic Management Journal 21(12):1225 – 1237.
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
20
Lewis, S., Gambles, R., & Rapoport, R. (2007). The Constraints of a ‘Work-Life Balance’
Approach: An International Perspective. International Journal of Human Resource
Management, 18(3), 360-373.
MacDermid Shelley, M. (2005). (Re)Considering Conict between Work and Family. In
E. Kossek and S. Lambert (Eds), Work and Life Integration -Organizational, Cultural
and Individual Perspectives (19-40) Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Parasuraman, S., Greenhaus, J. H., & Granrose, C. S. (1992). Role Stressors, Social
Support and Well-being among Two-career Couples. Journal of Organizational
Behavior, 13, 339-356.
Pocock, B. (2003) The Work/Life Collision. Sydney: The Federation Press.
Saltzstein, A., Ting Y., & Saltzstein, G. (2001). Work-family Balance and Job Satisfaction:
The Impact of Family-Friendly Policies on Attitudes of Federal Government
Employees. Public Administration Review, 61 (4), 452-467.
Steiber, N. (2009). Reported Levels of Time-based and Strain-based Conict between
Work and Family Roles in Europe: A Multilevel Approach’. Social Indicators
Research, 93, 469-488.
Stone, A. (1987). Event Content in a Daily Survey is Differentially Associated with
Concurrent Mood. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52, 56-58.
Wren, D. (2005). The History of Management Thought. New York: Wiley.
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3
Paradigm Shift and its Execution in
Organizational Research: A Case of Socially
Disadvantaged Groups
Roshan Lal Zinta
ABSTRACT
Past few decades had witnessed a paradigm shift in organizational studies
and organizations have gone through major theoretical transformations,
and eventually altered the organization’s ability to achieve their objectives.
The positivists who concentrated on epistemological and methodological
difficulties were included in the gradual, system, adaptability, bounded
rationality, and new patterns from the pre-modern to postmodern era.
Furthermore, the relativists, humanists, and socio-psychological paradigms all
proved to be highly effective in shaping and achieving the organization’s aim.
Despite the fact that the organization has benefited a large number of people,
there are still vast rural populations, including socially disadvantaged groups
such as scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, women, economically poor and
other backward classes, who live in a state of helplessness due to a lack of
infrastructure, for them, this paradigm shift is meaningless because they are
dealing with basic economic difficulties. Therefore, this chapter aims to focus
on and bring forth the issues such as political sycophancy, leader interference,
use of sir name based on caste, income, and discrimination in the recruitment
process, resulting social diversity have multiplied allostatic load among the
people who are still not outreached, and need to draw attention of policy
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
22
makers, government, non-government organizations to formulate appropriate
policy and reservations to these marginalized people in various organizations.
Keywords: Paradigm shift, Social Diversity, Ethnicity, Disadvantaged groups,
Allostatic load
INTRODUCTION
Social Identity and Organizational Behavior
In India, people are classified into many social categories based on
their work or inherited standing. The effects of social categorization
can often be seen in the dynamics of social relationships, especially
in how one’s social status is portrayed as one’s identity. Individuals’
caste has an implicit status that has historically shifted from social
to hereditary positions, resulting in social hierarchy based on birth
in a particular family. Individuals born into the Brahmin caste were
thought to be scholars or priests, while those born into the Kshatriya
caste were thought to be warriors or emperors, those born into the
Vaishya caste were thought to be merchants or traders, and those born
into the Shudra caste were thought to be laborers. Aside from that,
there is another group of individuals who are considered outcasts,
known as Dalits or untouchables, who are at the bottom of the social
ladder (Dirk, 1989; Ambedker, 1925; Pick & Dayaram, 2006). These
underprivileged individuals are classified as Scheduled Caste (SC),
Scheduled Tribe (ST), other backward castes (OBC), and forward caste
(FC) in the present Indian Constitution. Historically, forward castes
have had strong socioeconomic status while disadvantaged groups
have suffered from social and economic deprivation. The government
has attempted to uplift the status of these people through affirmative
action, but there are still many gaps and policy formulation requires
careful consideration. (Dreze & Khera, 2009; Kumar, 2001; Gupta,
2005).
The social or group identities operate on conscious and unconscious
level in the behavior and personality of individuals in Indian society. At
present, whether it’s a government or a non-governmental group, both
have an impact on people all over the world. Aside from entrepreneurial
organizations, machine, professional, diverse, innovative, missionary,
entrepreneurial, and political organizations have all had a global
impact. An organization is made up oz a collection of individuals
working together toward a common objective. They are organized into
the following functional groups: the strategic apex, the middle line,
the operating core, the techno-structure, and the support staff. An
organizational structure outlines how tasks are assigned, coordinated,
Paradigm Shift and its Execution in Organizational Research 23
and overseen in order to achieve organizational objectives. In decision-
making processes, it serves as a glass perspective and best practices.
Both formal and unstructured organizations of this kind exist.
Paradigm Shift in Organizations and Disadvantaged Groups
During stone and pleistocenic period the people use to pass nomadic
life those converted into sedentary mode with the evolution of brain
and consciousness. In the contemporary scenario, the organizations
have fueled and progressed speedily with the discovery of technology
in this scientific period. Now people are dependent on the wages they
earn from the organization. It has proved effective in improving the
quality of life of the people. About two centuries ago in America about
20% of the United States populations were dependent on a wage
income that increases 90% in the nineteenth century by creating a
perfect opportunity. Overall, the historical and social context in which
organizations arouses in the United States and reached at every corner
in other parts of the countries. The bureaucratic, rationalization and
the division of labor theories made its strong grip.
Further, positivist paradigm those included an epistemological and
methodological to relativists, humanists and postmodern approaches
came into forth by taking consideration on objectivity, generality,
empiricism and linearity for exploring the truth. Further, study of
consciousness through words, ideas, concept, opinion, emotions,
projection and beliefs as well as behavior popularized the psychological
aspect beside social issues in the organization. Postmodern approaches
also known as critical beyond determinism and natural science
also proved effective for progressing the organization (Alvesson &
Deetz, 1996). They explored the role of social construction in truth
and organizational behavior was considered as artifact, and imagery
metaphor for understanding the world. Global local theories also paved
their path (Martin, 2003; Pfeffer, 1982).
Relativists, humanists and post modernists talk about socio-
cultural factors, social power and influence as well as of local narratives
further shaped it. Further collective view appeared and transformed
research in the organization (Hatch & Yanow, 2003). The bounded
rationality model also worked in the same way. Nelson and Winter
(1982) model of gradual adaptation for studying diversity in the society
focused on the routine of doing things. Adaptive Markets Hypothesis
focus on evolutionary biology whose thrust is competition mutation,
reproduction and natural selection (Andrew, 2004). Rule of quality
governing is also important need to change.
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
24
The system theory that came in 1960 has given its focus from
external environment to internal conditions of the person. It views
organization as adaptation toward equilibrium from person to the
environmental conditions. Open, rational, and natural organizational
models are currently prevalent in different organizations. Weber
himself studied his own theory with an emphasis on “organizations
as systems of power or domination in that the leader exercises control
over the through a hierarchy of bureaucrats,” even if there are many
components to Weber’s theory that are all pertinent to a well-run
bureaucracy. According to the Teal paradigm, the organization should
be seen as a self-sufficient force with its own purpose rather than
merely a tool for achieving management’s goals. It also emphasizes the
development of human awareness. Network research has expanded
as a result of a wider shift away from individualist, essentialist, and
atomistic theories and toward ones that are relational, contextual, and
systemic.
The emphasis has evolved in recent years toward an informational
perspective that sees interlocks as a way for firms to share knowledge
about acceptable and efficient business behavior and eliminate
uncertainty. Board interlocks have been used by academicians to
explain a variety of phenomena, including the spread of poison pills
(Davis, 1991), corporate acquisition behaviour (Haunschild, 1993),
the adoption of organizational structures (Palmer, Jennings & Zhou,
1993), CEO pay premiums (Geletkanycz, Boyd & Finkelstein, 2001),
the formation of joint ventures (Gulati & Westphal, 1999), and the
use of imitation strategies more generally (Westphal, Seidel & Stewart,
2001). Various studies, highlighted those interlocks are more crucial
in uncertain contexts than in certain ones for reducing uncertainty
(Carpenter & Westphal, 2001; Geletkanycz & Hambrick, 1997).
The sociopsychological contributions of neoclassical perspective’s
focuses on morale, leadership, and Hawthorne experiments to
emphasize cognitive, affective, and co-native elements to understand
the paradigm shift. Early theories of organizations used a rational
approach, but they have since evolved to include a wider range
of viewpoints. As a result, there have been a number of paradigms
shifts in the organization’s sector. The phrase “paradigm shift” refers
to both a change in consciousness and a profound alteration in an
outward state of circumstances. A significant transformation in one’s
perspective, concepts, and methods of doing something is referred to
as a paradigm shift.
The change can take place in a variety of settings, including
scientific research and industry. When new technology is introduced
Paradigm Shift and its Execution in Organizational Research 25
and drastically changes how an item or service is produced, industries
frequently experience paradigm shifts. The Structure of Scientific
Revolutions, published by Thomas Kuhn in 1962, was the first book to
introduce the concept of paradigm shift. An organizational paradigm is
the comprehensive set of standards, beliefs, and procedures that serve
as a guide for actions and choices. The board of the organization got
considerably more involved in inspiring collective leadership and action.
These changes are important catalysts for many social processes. It is
evident in a variety of disciplines, including literary criticism (Barthes,
1977; Kristeva, 1980), and for every type of network (Barabasi, 2002;
Newman, 2002).
Additionally, several types of links, such as the “who has disputes
with who and who trusts whom” network, are often believed to serve as
the primary network (Borgatti, & Foster 2003). Social resources, such
as social capital and social support (Walker, Wasserman, and Wellman,
1994), are likely the area of organizational network study that is getting
the great attention and growing rapidly (Lin, 1982, 1988). Despite its
apparent simplicity, integrating diversity in the workplace requires a
paradigm shift due to the inherent nature of racism, sexism, and all
other forms of prejudice. These biases are deeply established and a
component of the human psyche. As a result, they have an impact on
all facets of life, particularly social contexts like the workplace. More
diversity in the workplace would undoubtedly result from a paradigm
shift. Many workplaces are egregiously inaccurate approximations
of the wider population. Minorities are infrequently in positions of
authority in enterprises, despite the high minority representation.
Therefore, in order to bring about a paradigm change, more women
and people of different race and caste (disadvantaged) need to assume
prominent and prestigious jobs (Carlton-LaNey, 2003).
Instead, it would be more accurate to say that organizational
structures evolved from prehistoric times when hunters and collectors
were organized into tribes, to highly clerical and royal power systems,
to industrial structures, and finally postindustrial structures. There is
now religious diversity inside the organizational structure. Although
social diversity based on culture, religiosity, area, language, gender,
income and caste are visible everywhere yet the socially deprived people
across the country have experienced setback in the organization. The
people from rural areas especially the women and scheduled caste
people still consider employment in the industry as a dream because
of sycophancy in political organization and their well-wisher agents
in both government and non-government organization. The political
interference of community leaders is commonly visible at every platform.
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
26
In Foucauldian sense, thus we see how power structures are created
as a result of the panoptical view, and how places and spaces of power
are largely appropriated to suit an individual or an organization.
At the same time the socio-economic problems faced by the people
prevent them to enter in the organization. Sir name based on caste,
gender, outfits and physical appearance, language such as over
assertiveness and fluency in English speaking have rooted well without
exploring and exploiting the intelligence of the rural people. No leaders
and organization set up their placement cell in the rural areas. No one
is daring to do their outreached activities by reaching at the need of
the common people. No due space is being given to the rural people at
national and international level. The digitalization is being practiced
everywhere in the organization without identifying the rural resources.
For example, in rural India there are the people who still lacks in
physical and socio-psychological infrastructure. The facilities of road,
water, health, electricity and education including awareness are still
minimal in the rural areas.
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
The deprived people still are facing a lot in entering the organization.
The women and scheduled caste people still are dreaming a lot in entering
the areas. Lack of education, socio-economic earning and general
awareness including deficit in social and economic infrastructure,
the minority. Exploring paradigm shifts and its execution although
is an arduous task yet it has proved effective in understanding the
organization. Be it a government or non-governmental organization
such as entrepreneurial, machine, professional, diversified, innovative,
missionary, and Political organizations; all have curtailed the socio-
psychological suffering of the people of Pleistocenic period by opening
the gateway of employment to restore their wellbeing and improve
quality of life. Various theoretical and paradigm shifts took place in the
organization those shaped it in accomplishing the goal. From pre- to
post modern era, the gradual, system, adaption, bounded rationality,
and teal paradigms including of positivists those focused on the
epistemological and methodological issues.
Further, the relativists, humanists and socio-psychological
paradigm significantly proved effective in carving and accomplishing
the goal of the organization. Although masses of people have benefitted
from the set of the organization yet there are mammoth rural masses
such as socially disadvantaged group such as scheduled caste,
scheduled tribe, women and other backward classes who still seems
helpless due to lack of infrastructure. The concept of digitalization for
Paradigm Shift and its Execution in Organizational Research 27
them is worthless as these people are facing fundamental issues of
livelihood. The political sycophancy, interference of leader, sir name
based on caste, income, discrimination in recruitment process based
on this social diversity have really increased allostatic load among the
people who still are outreached and no organizations are sincerely doing
their effort to uproot their suffering. The need is to formulate policy
and implement reservation even in the non-governmental organization
based on the religiosity (caste, gender) and income so that the common
people would be able to get an opportunity to shape their career.
Thus, the need is to bring the common man in forefront i.e., in the
organization so that he/she may get job in the organization. So far
as the different jobs are being grappled by the urban youth and the
rural one does not know the procedure. Need is to bring the awareness
among the attitude of highest authority to move their recruitment
cell in rural areas to capture real intellectual people in industrial and
organization sector by forgetting social discrimination based on caste,
creed and other religious activity so as to progress the nation.
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4
Customer Retention in the Covid Era:
Some Insights for Businesses
Amit Kumar
ABSTRACT
As a situational crisis, we witnessed how the coronavirus (COVID-19)
epidemic has wreaked havoc on the worldwide health system. Coronavirus
has a wide-reaching effect on almost every business. This pandemic continues
to impose the temporary closure of businesses and follow lockdown
measures. COVID-19 has transformed the lives and livelihoods of people all
over the world in a short period and compelled businesses to comprehend
the impact of COVID-19 on their operations and to respond appropriately in
this uncertain circumstance. Businesses must realize that in this environment
of fear, confusion, and concern they need strong engagement with their clients
and use customer relationship management (CRM) tactics to get closer to
their customers. Consumer demand and marketing, sales growth, and revenue
generation are key issues faced by businesses at the covid time. As a result of
this drastic incident, firms and their initiatives to gain new clients for business
have slowed down. This emphasizes the significance of adapting customer
retention strategies. This article, therefore, strives to provide some insights
to understand and implement customer retention strategies in the pandemic
crisis.
Keywords: Customer retention, COVID-19, Corona virus, Business
strategies.
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
30
INTRODUCTION
Most people have been affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19)
outbreak, which started in China. Businesses all across the world are
paralyzed and estimating the negative costs as a result of its spread.
This epidemic has put the economies of several countries in danger
since it required temporary business closures, travel restrictions, and
a general avoidance of large crowds in public areas, all of which had
a negative impact on businesses’ sales and profitability. Coronavirus
spread uncontrollably around the world; as of March 2022, total of
492,022,225 people had been infected and 6,177,076 died globally
(WHO, 2022). In response to the pandemic outbreak, governments in
numerous nations elected to prioritise saving lives over protecting their
economies, proclaiming immediate or progressive lockdowns in their
respective nations. Suddenly implemented rules like “social separation”
and “stay-at-home” have cursed various industries.
According to the World Trade Organization, the COVID-19 pandemic
allegedly sparked a global financial crisis after “international trade had
witnessed a fall in 2019,”. Due to the high amount of uncertainty, it
has become difficult for most enterprises to maintain their financial
operations. The global business community is under a lot of strain as a
result of COVID-19. While businesses have started to recover from the
shock, it will likely take some time before consumer optimism reaches
pre-crisis levels. Demand is low, and customers are hesitant to make
purchases, delaying purchases and continuously looking for lower
prices, even switching from their preferred brands (because of high
online migration). In this scenario, Customer lifetime value (CLV) and
maintaining existing clients have become critical in this environment,
particularly for recurring revenue enterprises. Customer retention and
CLV are linked very much. CLV identifies the businesses’ most loyal
customers and assists them in prioritizing service based on customer
value, resulting in increased customer loyalty and CLV. This insight is
critical for businesses, as the Pareto principle in marketing suggests,
“generally, 20 percent of customers contribute about 80 percent
of revenue”. During these critical periods, the CLV measure is even
more important. Many organizations marketing budgets have been
drastically decreased as a result of the pandemic, as priorities have
altered. As a result, in order to maximize their marketing strategies,
corporate executives will need to concentrate more on CLV and consider
developing loyalty programmes to retain and attract additional high-
value customers.
Customer Retention in the Covid Era: Some Insights for Businesses 31
Nowadays customer retention is very challenging for businesses.
The unprecedented time and business environment have made it
uncertain for business leaders who are jolting in fixed spaces as to
what steps can be taken to retain their respective and prospective
customers. Budgets have been compromised and priorities have moved
online. In this mix, it is necessary to find efficient ways to sustain
the businesses. According to Marketing Metrics, the rate of success
while selling to an existing customer is close to 70 percent, while the
same for a new prospect is 5-20 percent. Increasing customer rate
by 5 percent can increase profits by 25-90 percent (Kumar & Kaur,
2021). In a time of crisis like the Coronavirus, a primary indicator that
can set businesses apart is customer experience. What might not have
harmed a company in the past is now a significant issue. As a result,
any firm that wants to survive in this economic downturn must focus
on retaining customers.
The Pandemic has compelled the businesses all across the world
to operate in a more innovative and resilient manner. Past few days,
has witnessed that paradigm shifts are changing the goals of the
organization. This is a reflex reaction to current obstacles like real-
time decision-making, worker productivity, company continuity, and
security concerns, but new difficulties brought on by the epidemic
are trying their resilience as they attempt to lay a foundation for the
future. Businesses and organizations from all around the world have
begun taking action to safeguard the interests of their stakeholders.
Globally, COVID-19 has quickly altered people’s life and means of
subsistence. Organizations are now required to comprehend how
COVID-19 will affect their industry and respond to this unpredictable
position (Donthu & Gustafsson, 2020).
Moreover, businesses need to understand how they should
communicate with the customers and how they should apply customer
relationship management (CRM) strategies to tackle such perplexed
situational crises and retain the potential customer base. COVID -19
like a rhizome spread in such a manner that companies who invested
in their core customer segments went down, physical movement of
people was restricted but the Online formats/ digital models of business
gained popularity. Customers largely shifted to online shopping for
all types of goods and services. This is a time when businesses and
companies need to stay close to customers by resorting and adapting
to digital models and online formats. The post-Covid scenario too sets
forth a tone of self-introspection for large enterprises as well as small
ones; wherein the businesses’ investment in online formats would be
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
32
a wise decision to push their Omni-channel distribution and create an
advantage to help their customers.
BACKGROUND
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Middle East
respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV), and acute respiratory syndrome
(SARS-CoV), are two more serious illnesses, caused by the vast family
of coronaviruses (Verma & Gustafsson, 2020). Coronavirus is denoted
by Covid-19 (disease of the year 2019) and It is a fresh strain that
was found in people for the first time in 2019. In December 2019, the
Chinese city of Wuhan reported the epidemic for the first time to WHO.
The majority of the coronavirus material was compiled and published
in academic and professional publications as a result of such a macro-
level problem. In December 2019, Zhu et al. (2020) reported that a
cluster of individuals with pneumonia of unknown cause originated
from Wuhan, China’s wholesale seafood market. This cluster
eventually gave rise to the first COVID-19 variants. One of the most
contagious illnesses, coronaviruses mainly affect people after infecting
their immune systems with the severe acute syndrome of respiratory
disorders (Verma & Gustafsson, 2020).
Customer Retention
According to Keiningham et al. (2007), customer retention is the
continuation of a client’s business engagement with an organisation.
Customer retention has long been seen as one of the main goals
of organizations using relationship marketing (Yim et al., 2004).
A organization must maintain its competitiveness to develop and
survive. The opposite of customer defection has been thought to be
client retention. Low defection rates are similar to high retention rates
(Schweidel et al., 2008). Moreover, management researchers stress the
importance of client retention for two main reasons, first, in industry,
the cost of obtaining a new consumer is relatively very expensive
and second, since clients stick with the company for a longer period
of time, when they estimate profit for long run. Further, Hanks (2007)
in a study found that a simple 5% increase in client retention might
result in a 75% increase in profitability. Additionally, the average
returning customer spends 33% more than a new one (Kumar and
Kaur, 2021). In light of this, a client retention strategy has emerged
as a tearing method for fostering loyalty, particularly in the digital
age. This conceptual study demonstrates how companies can manage
clients and maintain their competitiveness in the digital age by utilizing
specific customer retention tactics.
Customer Retention in the Covid Era: Some Insights for Businesses 33
METHODOLOGY
Conceptual research is conducted to investigate the use of
customer retention strategies during and after the pandemic. Because
a COVID-19 pandemic is a new event with no precedence, and all
empirical evidence will be available only thereafter, the conceptual
study technique was deemed to be the most appropriate in the current
circumstances.
CUSTOMER RETENTION STRATEGIES
Focus on What You Already Have
Many businesses were left financially insecure as a result of the
pandemic. Some businesses attempted to cut costs in anticipation
of reduced revenue. The marketing department was one of the first
departments to be slashed in many businesses. Businesses should
consider modifying their business marketing plans to focus on
customer retention and loyalty if they need to work with a limited
budget. Instead of investing in brand awareness and initiatives
to attract new prospects, businesses should rather channel their
marketing strategies by keeping their clientele and customers in view.
Additionally, firms must be proactive in dealing with client complaints.
Predicting client complaints is the mark of a good agency and agent.
Businesses, particularly in the pandemic-affected market would need
to connect with customers, understand their concerns and promptly
respond to them. This presents a chance to boost customer retention,
loyalty, and satisfaction.
Meet Consumer Expectations
The speed with which traditionally in-person behaviors and acts
migrated to the internet is one of the most notable factors of the
pandemic. Without a doubt, a trend toward digitizing business-to-
consumer relationships was already underway before the outbreak, but
COVID-19 laws compelled enterprises to expand their online products
to remain available to consumers and to get online if they weren’t
earlier. Businesses have had to adapt their operations regardless of
industry, whether it was event planners producing virtual events, brick-
and-mortar merchants using online purchasing and curbside pick-up
choices, or institutions and universities building virtual classrooms for
sessions.
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
34
Many organizations found themselves forced to adjust to COVID-19
constraints, which set a new standard and opened up previously
unimagined territories and planes of exchange for online contact
and involvement. Customers are more likely to stay loyal to a firm
if they believe it values them and responds to their needs, which
may change over time. An Omni-channel strategy provides a single
perspective of each consumer, allowing for a more comprehensive
customer experience. It enables businesses to send each consumer a
personalized, relevant, and timely message via their preferred channel.
Be Concerned about Customers
Every interaction or communication of the company with the existing
customers provides them an opportunity to demonstrate the brand
and purpose, especially in an uncertain situation like COVID-19. Every
interaction with a customer is an opportunity to demonstrate what an
organization is all about, and to be true to one’s brand and purpose.
People are paying attention to how an organization is responding.
Companies need to respond appropriately in a difficult time because
it can lead to even strong relationships with customers. Companies
should offer genuine support and take preventive steps for customer
safety. It will earn strong confidence, trust, and reputational benefits
for the brand, resulting in the retention of existing customers and even
attracting new customers for companies.
For example, the lifebuoy soap brand marketed by Unilever spread
hygiene awareness during the time of COVID-19. Their awareness
campaign on print ads, TV commercials, and digital ads, show ways
to prevent contact with the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
Their communication does not focus on sales promotion. They have
maintained the stance that using any soap not only lifebuoy for
handwashing can thoroughly prevent one from coronavirus. They
rolled out different TV commercials which focus on washing hands,
teaching viewers to wash hands from hands and showing hands with
faces made on them to make it more appealing to the consumer.
Make Most Out of Data
Data can guide businesses in making well-informed marketing
decisions during times of uncertainty. To obtain insights into the user’s
activities and understand where the traffic is coming from, businesses
should employ analytics and research tools like Google Analytics and
Google Search Console. As more people are spending time online than
ever before, it’s more important than ever to invest in search engine
Customer Retention in the Covid Era: Some Insights for Businesses 35
optimization (SEO) to improve business search exposure. While SEO
may already be a component of business marketing strategy, there may
be some significant changes to be aware of. To update the SEO efforts,
businesses must first understand what the audience is looking for and
what search queries are leading them there. Identify new search trends,
high-volume keywords, and other opportunities using your research
tools and resources. Keeping an eye on what the target customer base
is looking for, can help businesses not just with marketing and SEO,
but also with generating new business goals and opportunities in the
longer stead.
CONCLUSION
This is not the first crisis, and it won’t be the last, but it is a good
opportunity to listen to loyal customers, learn from their input, and
anticipate their requirements. Businesses that take advantage of
this chance will be able to build a favorable brand image, and after
this difficult time, they will be rewarded with potentiating market
participation of the loyal and pleased customers. Despite the crisis,
retention is similar to what it was in earlier times. It should be a
primary priority in the future. Businesses should stay on top of their
customer’s changing needs, as well as detect and resolve their problems
ahead of time. It is the most effective way of expressing your gratitude.
COVID-19 has been identified as a health threat. It has thrown the
economy into disarray and presented businesses with enormous
challenges. All major areas of the Indian economy have been put on
hold. The pandemic has shifted how organizations approach marketing
techniques, emphasizing the need for the adoption of effective customer
retention strategies. Businesses can implement customer retention
strategies as it has a major impact on the bottom line due to their
relatively low cost, high return on investment, and long-term benefits.
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complaint management: A theoretical analysis. Journal of Marketing Research, 24,
337-346.
Hanks, R.D. (2007). Listen and learn. Restaurant Hospitality, 91(8), 70-72.
Karakaya, F., and Yannopoulos, P. (2010). Defensive strategy framework in global
markets: A mental model’s approach. European Journal of Marketing, 44, 1077-
1100.
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
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Keiningham, T.L., Cooil, B., Aksoy, L., Andreassen, T.W. and Weiner, J. (2007). The
value of different customer satisfaction and loyalty metrics in predicting
customer retention, recommendation, and share-of-wallet. Managing Service
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Kumar, A., and Kaur, A. (2021). Complaint Management: key to customer retention in
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Schweidel, D.A., Fader, P.S. and Bradlow, E.T. (2008). A bivariate timing model of
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Verma, S., and Gustafsson, A. (2020). Investigating the emerging COVID-19 research
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Yim, F.H.-K., Anderson, R.E. and Swaminathan, S. (2004). Customer relationship
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5
The ‘Conman’ in the Market: A Deleuzian
Analysis of Market Flows
Ambika Sharma and Kanchan Sharma
ABSTRACT
With advancement in the digital arena today we see that the definition of
market flows has also considerably changed. With digitalization seeping in every
sector today, we see how the attitude of the consumer is an outcome of his
needs and desires which are perpetuated further as a result of the market
flows. Market flows are the rhizomatic structures which upshoot the machinic
drives of the consumer. The consumer market gimmicks act like Benthamite
panopticons which create a tension in the visibility paradigm; this visibility makes
the strategist marketer a Conman in the market. Here, Gilles Deleuze’s theory
of ‘Act as Desiring Machines’ play a pertinent part in order to understand the
assemblages at work in a rhizomic frame of the consumer-market flows.
This study aims to decode the marketing strategies, fandom influence and
machine-driven desires which are all strategic in the whole gamut of marketing
exchange. It also attempts to deconstruct the personal, psychological, social
and financial factors which work upon the flows of the psyche. Producer
entraps the mind of the purchaser with their panoptic tools. For their
promotions, they use eminent tools like big personalities, familiar faces, sports
icon symbols etc. Identity and resemblance thus act like the differentiator
here for the buyer. The deferred meaning of difference between Visibility and
actualization is what the article dives in.
Keywords: Market, Consumer, Desire, Desiring Machines, Assemblage
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
38
INTRODUCTION
The Why, What and How of Consumer behavior has been a matter
of debate in many a fields like Sociology, Management, Psychology,
Philosophy and Cultural Studies to name a few. The motivational
factors that drive the consumer behavior are multidimensional.
Consumer behavior is based on two set paradigms: One on the visibility
paradigm and the other on the actualization paradigm. Their general
behavior is based on the perception and suggestibility measure. This
entails the general affect which is created on the mind of the consumer
by the representational states and processes of the market flows. On
the other hand, actualization paradigm is based on the measure of
identification. Market is the simulacra and the marketing flows are the
simulation flows. Consumer market relationship (CMR) and consumer
brand relationship (CBR) cannot be decoded from a dyadic standpoint;
it is but a web that is systemic in reality. Assemblage theory states that
all actants and all agents are entwined and intertwined and the reality
lies in their in-between ness.
ONTOLOGY OF ASSEMBLAGE FLOWS
As per Assemblage theory, Assemblages draw the attention of an
individual towards the expressive capacities of components. These
components further enhance their affect by coming in close proximity
of the individual. These assemblages are not fixed but they exercise
and exert their presence in the form of extensions. A general visit to
the restaurant brings about in an individual a state of elation and
there are some set appropriated ordinances for every entity. It is the
rhizomic lines of flight of these ordinances which de-territorializes the
being. They become a slave of such predesigned ordinances and we see
the role of the marketer in this stead, as it is he who accentuates the
functioning of these fixed values on the individual’s individual line of
flight.
If we closely decode the meanings of consumer landscape, we will
observe that the extensions in the assemblages play a vital role in
determining the common attitude of the Consumer. In today’s world
where everything is technologically driven, we see how the common
man is conned by the Conman in the market. The clash of the
convergent intensities is what is at play in the consumer landscape.
Extensions and intensities are somewhat symbiotic in form and spirit.
It is the affective, narrative, stylistic and referent intensities of the
agents in the market that drive the market flows, as they enable both
The ‘Conman’ in the Market: A Deleuzian Analysis of Market Flows 39
de-territorialization in the form of larger, emergent assemblages and
re-territorialization of key assemblage components.
Desire is often power laden. It can be destructive also. The
dynamism of day-to-day life is non-linear. It is not driven by singularity
in becoming; it is but institutionalized in myriad functional ways. The
agency desires to float, the agent desires to sell and the participants
become the desiring threads to keep their market flows going. The
market offers a symbolic exchange and also an economic exchange.
The society is a society of spectacle where everything is hyperreal.
In this hyperreal world, the individual is dominated by images
of need, existence and desires altogether. Brands all over the world
disperse their popularity. This popularity plays the role of a manager
in commodification of the commodity. According to Gilles Deleuze
to designate contemporary society it is important to chalk out the
difference between control society and disciplinary society. Today what
is seen is the disciplinary society changing itself into control society.
Commodity culture plays a crucial part in highlighting the control
mechanism of the society. These commodities act directly upon the
molecular assemblages of one’s individual existence. Articulation of
the commodity becomes the imperative tool for the seller who is meant
to sell the same to the prospective buyer. Pictorial delight is what
drives one towards temptation and pursues one to buy. Companies
and brands play the part of desiring machines.
Further, commodification is appropriated and structured
strategically. Producers elucidate the usage of the products for the
understanding of the customer. 70 to 80 % sellers use transparent
screens to attract the customer. Sellers use seasonal products with
ethical images, colors and suitable themes for attraction. Use of
colors, music, shades and presentation with thematic structure lure
the customer’s mind. New trends come out in the world in the form
of customized products which showcase different shapes, sizes and
designs of the products being manufactured. In this respect Deleuze
and Guattari sets forth the ontological vision of the subjective realm
of becoming. The Subject is treated as an object in the ontological
movements and thus are nothing but residual effects of their thoughts.
THE FANDOM MATRIX
Any kind of business today in the world is carried forth keeping in
mind the communities that exist and the way they exercise exchange
of values- cultural, social, moral or psychological. Psychology plays
a major role in driving one’s attitude in terms of perception and
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
40
reception both. Sigmond Freud saw language and its tools as a means
of accessing the human psyche. On the other hand, in Lacanian frame,
we see him proposing forth the idea of language as constituting the
human precepts. He further postulates that language is residual in the
act of the immanent self.
Therefore, the relation between the consciousness of the marketing
managerial discourses and the consumers is always in a panoptic flow.
As a result, we see that the consumers are conned by the continuous
advertising gimmicks taking resort to celebrity portrayal which drive
forth the psychotic tendencies of the individual buyer. Film stars,
cricketers, politicians, motivational speakers, big faces of the nation
come forward to habituate the prospective psychotic framework of the
individual market. These faces gain attention very fast. In the words
of Schuster, the connections that establish themselves and synthesize
composed versions they end up composing the dense reality of the
individual. This, he says, is the real throw of the dice. For promotion
of brands, products, place or big project these celebs are paid a big
amount.
Thus, we see that the advertisers and marketing machinic
agents keep an eye on the consumer movements. They become the
panopticon that is always surveillant. The real throw of the dice is
the accumulation of rhizomic patterns that habituate the consumer
behavior. Deleuzoguattarian perspective on the machinic model of
consciousness offers analyzing the incoherent critical forces which
disrupt the flow of the desires and configures them in a blind narcissist
order.
DESIRING MACHINES
The Machinic model of Deleuze Guattari emphasizes on the
consciousness being subject to circumstantial eventualities. The
unconscious says Deleuze is a resultant of the many accidents. The
conscience wants to make sense of these accidents but the interplay
of habits accidently entraps the immanent self. Everyone is embroiled
in the play of habits. Un Intentional or Intentional behavior is often
perpetuated as a result of the accidental patterns at work. Our identity,
which is a sum total of such accidents make us choose in a habituated
matrix where we become the desiring heads lured by the desiring
machines. Presentation, representation too directly or indirectly
communicates with our habits. Contemporary consumer culture is
behavior driven, desire driven and model driven where representation
repress our mind to the extent that we lose our psychic threads to
explore what emerges before us. This obscurity of design puts us into
The ‘Conman’ in the Market: A Deleuzian Analysis of Market Flows 41
a mode of situated unconsciousness where we freeze in the proto
subjective forces.
Longings are stimulated by the psychological simulations. Desires
are built through inspiration, provocation. For example: - just like a
simple watch shows the time, in the same way a smart watch also
does the same thing, but the advanced features of smart watch compel
the customer to purchase it too. This is the outcome of the accidental
situatedness and habituation. Market agents keep launching features
to entice the consumer and play with his / her habits. As a result, the
unconscious customer is driven towards the proto subjective forces.
Signification in technological world too has split the customer into
profitable patterns of behavior. We witness the surge in technology
where no being can do without the digit game. Digital cyborg has become
the new rhizomic force with which people have turned into signified
cyborgs. Logos and symbols also gain attention of the customers.
Ethically, needs are a tool of life force but there is difference between
need and desire.
CONCLUSION
According to Deleuze desire is a passive synthesis. As per his
calculation, product should be real. Desire behaves like machines
because it curbs the psyche of the individual with the dice play.
Appetite is based on human prosperity but desire always impacts
the scarcities. Consciously or unconsciously consumers idolize their
wish and command their intellect through the habituated sense of
perception and reception. Desire is credible only if it is valuable to the
immanent self and that desire must have the capacity not to cultivate
a distinct desire. The machinic impulses necessitates the prism of
perception and reception. A look at the modulation of data by the
society of control and its controlling agents makes us aware of the
real ‘conman’ in the ‘market’ and Deleuze wants us to be aware of this
society of passwords and surfing where people are grasped as data
and not just mere subjects. This data gives birth to various forms of
epistemic constellations where the immanent being gets lost.
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rrr
6
Social, Psychological and
Cultural Motives in Buying Behavior
Komal Rani and Yashpal Azad
ABSTRACT
The present chapter is an attempt to assess the influence of psychological
factors on consumer behavior. Consumer behavior and decision-making
processes have advanced to the point where they have become a major topic
in the marketing world. This chapter provides an in-depth analysis of the
factors that influence customer behavior and the purchase decision-making
process in marketing. Because marketing begins and ends with the customer,
the ability of an organization’s marketing strategy to meet marketing demand
is demonstrated by consumer purchasing decisions. Consumer behavior
refers to the psychological processes that customers go through when
they’re trying to figure out what they want. Discovering patterns to meet
these needs, making purchasing decisions, such as whether to buy goods and
services and, if so, which brands and where to acquire them, interpreting
advice, developing plans, and carrying out these plans, such as comparative
shopping or actual product purchases.
Keywords: Consumer Behavior, Economic Factors, Psyche, Cultural Factors,
Pandemic, Social Factors.
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
44
OVERVIEW
Understanding Flows Experience on Psychological Level
Despite the fact that Csikszentimihalyi (1977) defined the flow
experience as a “holistic sense that people feel when they function with
whole participation,” other researchers have honed down on other
aspects that appear to constitute the flow experience. While some of
these structures influence or produce flow, others are viewed as a
result of the person’s flow state. Moreovwe, Hoffman and Novak (1996)
extended the application of flow theory to online settings like the WWW
(World Wide Web), further explaining the flow as a state characterized
by a seamless succession of responses made possible by machine
interaction, which is intrinsically enjoyable, is accompanied by a loss
of self-consciousness, and is also self-reinforcing.
The “flow experience” is one of the most frequently cited arguments
for why people shop online. When flow experience is viewed as an
independent variable, the study of online customers’ information-
seeking behaviours, an important part of consumer behaviour, has
gotten less attention (Wilson, 1997). It seems that when people search
for information online, they typically feel flow (Chen, Wigand & Nilan,
1999; Pilke, 2004; Alina, 2012). In addition, Lutz and Guiry (1994)
make it clear that the term “flow” is used by psychologists to describe a
mental state that persons who are totally engaged in an event, object,
or activity experience. When one is entirely immersed in the consuming
activity, time may seem to slow down and nothing else may seem to
matter.
The key flow psyche characteristics are discussed by Csikszentmihalyi
(1997) and include clear and distinct goals, momentary loss of self-
awareness, warped perception of time, actions merging with awareness
and immediate feedback, high levels of concentration and control, and
a balance between the person’s skills and the task challenges. Due to
the expanding role that technology plays in the modern information
economy, academia and business throughout the world are increasingly
interested in understanding how to provide compelling online customer
experiences. When evaluating and enhancing customer interactions
in online contexts, businesses should take the concept of flow into
consideration. Additionally, it was shown that flow was a crucial
element in explaining online shopper behaviour (Hoffman et. al., 1996;
Koufaris, 2002).
Social, Psychological and Cultural Motives in Buying Behavior 45
The Psychology of Consumer and Consumer Behavior
An individual who has the ability to decide and act in ways that
affect how resources are used is referred to as a consumer (Lambin,
2000). Consumer decisions or preferences are referred to as consumer
behaviour. When presented with a purchasing opportunity, a
consumer’s behaviour or decision-making can be observed in a social
setting (Allen & Ng, 1999; Lambin, 2000). Marketing begins with a
customer’s wants and finishes with his contentment. When everything
revolves around the client, consumer behaviours research becomes a
must (Blythe, 2008). Customers in modern marketing have a lot of
options, thus the marketers’ ability to persuade them has a big impact
on their purchasing decisions. Consumer behaviours must be studied
by marketers in order to influence them (Callwood, 2013). Cultural
influences, social factors, personal factors, and psychological factors
are all elements that influence consumer purchasing behaviours. The
psychological aspects were studied in this study (Connolly, 2010).
Professionals define the term “consumer behaviour” as the study
of people’s buying patterns, customs, and preferences in regard to
consumer goods, including their responses and preferences to the
advertising, packaging, and marketing of such products. Consumer
psychology is a subfield of psychology that seeks to better understand
customers by integrating ideas from several fields, including behavioral
economics, marketing, and social psychology (Kotler & Keller, 2006).
Consumer psychology topics are intended to be evaluated in terms of
their behavioral patterns. The study of people, groups, and organizations,
as well as all actions connected with the acquisition, utilization, and
disposal of goods and services, as well as how a consumer’s feelings,
attitudes, and preferences affect purchasing behaviour, is known as
consumer behaviour (Lantos, 2011).
FACTORS AFFECTING CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
The COVID-19 epidemic has radically altered our understanding
of the world. People are behaving in new ways, buying in new ways,
and thinking in new ways in numerous ways. The impact of current
crises scan be seen on brand and category preferences, buying habits,
and spendings because most people have adopted a digital lifestyle.
However, psychological, social, cultural, economic, and personal
factors might influence consumer behaviour. These variables are hard
to measure, but they are significant enough to have an impact on a
buyer’s decision. Some of these elements include:
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
46
Motivation, When a person is extremely motivated, it affects the
way they behave when making purchases. Basic needs, social needs,
security needs, esteem needs, and wants for self-actualization are only
a few. All other wants are subordinate to the desire for basic necessities
and security. Therefore, a consumer may be motivated to buy products
and services by basic needs and security concerns. Customer perception
is another important factor in predicting consumer behaviour. The
process through which a customer receives and examines data about a
product in order to create a meaningful image of that object is known
as consumer perception. Customers generate opinions about products
based on ads, promotions, user reviews, comments on social media,
and other factors. As a result, customer perception has a significant
impact on consumer purchasing decisions (Gambrel & Cianci, 2003:
Fernández & Bonillo, 2006).
Another crucial element is learning, which can either be cognitive
or contextual in nature. For instance, when a customer follows a
healthy lifestyle, his purchases will be related to healthier substitutes
for fast food. Saving money is another significant factor in determining
customer behaviour. The amount of savings a consumer wishes to make
from his or her income has a significant impact on that consumer. If
a person elected to increase his savings, his spending on purchases
would decrease. In contrast, if a consumer wants to save more money,
the majority of his income will go toward purchasing goods (Gajjar,
2013; Ramya & Ali, 2016).
Economic factors, personal income, family income, income
expectations, savings, consumer liquid assets, consumer credit, and
other economic factors like business cycles, inflation, etc. all have a
significant impact in determining consumer behaviour. On the other
hand, the buying behaviour is also influenced by aspects relating to
offers and asset quality. Easy credit options for consumers who want
to buy items encourage greater expenditure. Customers can now
easily obtain credit from sellers through the use of credit cards, easy
instalment loans, bank loans, hire buy, and numerous other credit
options. Consumers tend to buy more luxuries and comforts when
credit is more readily available. Spending on comforts and pleasures
is more common among consumers with liquid assets. Assets that can
be quickly turned into cash are known as liquid assets. Liquid assets
include cash on hand, bank deposits, and securities, for instance.
Higher liquid assets provide a buyer more confidence to purchase
luxury products (OECD, 2014c; Shahchera & Abolfathi, 2016).
Social, Psychological and Cultural Motives in Buying Behavior 47
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
An analysis of the flow theory literature found that it is viewed
as a multidimensional complex construct with links between several
unidimensional constructs that have been proposed as flow theory’s
constituent pieces by various academics (Koufaris, 2002; Bridges &
Florsheim 2008; Hoffman & Novak, 2009). The complete consumption
process and the motivations for buying are both included in the study
of consumer behaviour. Consumers are affected by factors including
feelings, motivation, finances, lifestyle, opinions, culture, and
personality during the purchasing process (Srivastava, 2013).
Seock, Park, and Nam (2014) examined the impact of social and
economic factors on the information-seeking behaviours of Chinese
female consumers in the clothes market. The findings indicate that
Chinese female consumers’ internal and external information seeking
behaviours are influenced by education level, income, and social status.
In this essay, we’ll concentrate on one specific facet of online users’
flow experiences, more particularly, how perceived control, pleasure,
and attention impact users’ information-seeking habits.
On the other hand, family, friends, roles, and status are among social
factors that influence consumer purchase. Family members including
a spouse, children, and parents can have a significant impact on a
consumer’s purchase decisions. Peer pressure is another important
component that influences a customer’s purchasing decisions. From
friends to relatives and coworkers, everyone is a part of a group. People
buy items that make them fit in rather than being left out. Certain
purchase decisions are influenced by a person’s life role, such as that
of a manager, and the status that comes with it (Jonathan, 2013).
Thinking flow, according to Leone and Burns (2000), emerges from
a balance between individual talent and task. Above all, we believe that
an online shopper’s flow experience is a potentially pleasurable feeling
that leads their immediate environment to disappear and causes their
thoughts and action to blend (Csikszentmihalyi, 2008; Alina & Caraivan,
2012a). In this frame of mind, shoppers are exclusively concerned
with the purchasing procedure. Additionally, when a person matures,
their environment has an impact on them, and family members have a
significant influence on their purchasing behaviour. Opinion leaders,
decision-makers, influencers, consumers, and users can all exhibit
influence (Arslan, 2001).
The influence of family is a crucial issue and a social factor when
it comes to consumer behaviour. The family is the smallest social unit.
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
48
Family structure, traditions, and roles vary from one nation to the
next. Every step of the purchasing process has an impact on family
members. In some families, the father takes the initiative and is an
important factor in the decision-making. While in certain cultures,
mothers and children come first (Maksudunov, 2008).
Li and Wang (2015) claim that the complexity of the web and the
variety of behaviour types prevent agreement on the measurement and
elements of flow experience. Jun and Park (2016) found that the degree
to which customers’ information-seeking behaviour predicts purchases
depends on the product category.
According to Pham et al. (2020), the Covid-19 pandemic has
prompted Vietnamese consumers to participate more actively in online
shopping, which was previously labor-intensive for online merchants
yet ineffectual. In addition, Wijaya, (2020) observed that risk avoidance,
family concerns, a conditional or influence effect from other people,
and information and knowledge were the factors that influenced panic
buying behaviour.
Indian business is suffering significantly as a result of the present
pandemic crisis (Das & Patnaik, 2020). Several major businesses
have been impacted by the Covid-19 coronavirus epidemic. Industries
that depend on production, transportation, and distribution are the
most severely impacted. This crisis will have significant psychosocial
effects as well as broad economic repercussions (Singh, 2020). The
coronavirus epidemic has had catastrophic economic effects. According
to analysts, the outbreak will have long-term effects on consumer
behaviour, forcing millions of people to stay at home and forcing retail
establishments—aside from those providing essential services—to
close (Punitalal, 2020).
Sivakumar (2004) found that when customers’ perceived risks
or level of planning are high, a longer and more intense flow state
supports browsing behaviour; when customers’ self-confidence is
strong, a longer and less intense flow experience maintains their
browsing interest. Renard (2013) discovered that word-of-mouth
and the sharing of personal information online were both positively
impacted by the flow experience. Customers’ purchasing decisions are
influenced by a variety of factors, including cultural, social, personal,
and psychological ones that marketers have little control over. However,
in order to successfully reach target consumers, several considerations
must be made (Kotleret al., 2006).
Punj and Staelin (1983) created a model of contemporary consumer
information seeking behaviour for the automotive industry. They
Social, Psychological and Cultural Motives in Buying Behavior 49
conducted a survey to test the concept, and they discovered that the
effects of product-class knowledge and specific product knowledge on
how people seek out outside information vary. The cost of a search was
adversely associated with the amount of information that was looked up
from other sources. Due to the complexity of online activity, Peterson
and Merino (2003) assert that we should investigate the moderator of
consumer information seeking behaviour and interactions among the
influencing variables.
Vijayasarathy (2003) looked into the relationship between
online shoppers’ shopping preferences, product categories, and buy
intentions. Regardless of the product category, consumers who have
a home and economical purchasing orientation are more likely to use
online shopping than those who have a local shopping orientation.
Additionally, buyers would be more likely to buy virtual rather than
physical things online. Additionally, he came to the conclusion that
income, gender, and age all affect people’s preferences for making
purchases online, with younger men who have greater household
incomes being more likely to do so.
METHODOLOGY
To accomplish the objective of present review an extensive
literature has been explored through various databases PSYCHENET,
Sociological Abstract, Google Scholar, PsycINFO, PsycTEST, PubMed,
JSTOR, Research gate, Academia, PHD Abstracts on internet. The
studies matching the topic has been selected and the studies which are
not matching the topic has been excluded. Therefore, review has been
completed. The objective of my study is to know about the influence of
psychological factors on consumer behavior. On the basis of my study,
it shows that there are influence of economic factors and social and
cultural factors on consumer behavior.
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
The necessity of a marketing concept addressed at customers
necessities knowing and interpreting consumer behavior. Consumer
behavior refers to how, where, and when people buy goods and services,
as well as whether or not they buy them at all. When a consumer is
exposed to various stimuli, he or she reacts to them based on personal
and contextual circumstances. The research findings about family,
psychological factors, social norms, cultural roles, and economic
factors are defined using these stimuli. Based on the studies it can
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
50
be concluded that the buying behavior at large depends upon these
factors and marketers should devise their plans and product by taking
these factors in consideration so that they can gain success in selling
their products and consumer can gain satisfaction of their needs to full
extent.
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Wesley, S. C., Lee, M. Y., & Kim, E. Y. (2012). The role of perceived consumer effectiveness
and motivational attitude on socially responsible purchasing behavior in South
Korea. Journal of Global Marketing, 25(1), 29-44.
Wilson, T. D. (1997). Information behavior: An interdisciplinary perspective. Information
Processing & Management, 33(4), 551–572.
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7
Impacts of Covid-19 on Consumer Attitudes
and Behaviours towards Mobility of Vehicles
Kajal Chaudhary and Surjan Singh
ABSTRACT
The corona virus has had far-reaching effects on almost every industry. But
the automobile industry has developed rapidly in COVID-19 period. People
are afraid of contracting the virus if they take public transportation. To avoid
this, people are considering buying a new car. So, the COVID-19 pandemic
has changed consumer behavior, their purchasing power and patterns. This
duration made the consumer to change his/her standard of living and usage of
mobility behavior of vehicles. It can be recognized that COVID-19 pandemic
had adverse effects on the consumer’s psychology and their behavior. In
COVID period the demand for vehicle loans increased due to health and
safety concerns. The trend in research analytics observed that around 78%
of consumers are opting to use a personal vehicle instead of the public. In
COVID-19 era, a consumer places more importance on health, safety and
more so on the requirement of having a comfortable vehicle in comparison
to a luxury one. Consumer behavior is very involute. It depends from person
to person, need to need as well as product to product. This article tries
to find out the impact of the COVID-19 crisis upon the consumer’s buying
pattern as far as the automobile industry is considered.
Keywords: Involute, Pandemic, Consumer, Contract, Automobile, Buying.
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
54
INTRODUCTION
Coronavirus had a devastating influence on the lives of individuals,
countries, and companies all across the world during the COVID-19
period. Today, we see that the pandemic crisis has shifted the
consumer’s mindset. They are buying vehicles for social isolation,
safety, and personal hygiene as a result of salary cuts or lower income,
which is anticipated to raise demand for personal mobility solutions.
Each pandemic caused enormous changes in the economy, regional
and global legislation, social behavior, and the mentalities of residents.
As a result of this discovery, many people’s lives, industries, and
enterprises have seen significant transformations. Finally, the corona
crisis has encouraged the expansion of the automobile industry
(Zwanka & Buff, 2021).
The globally integrated automobile sector is particularly vulnerable
and exposed in the aftermath of the recent pandemic, and it is expected
to have several economic ramifications in the following quarters.
Because it includes both physical and mental activity, consumer
behavior is quite involute. Visiting a store and inspecting and selecting
a product are examples of physical activities. Creating an attitude,
perceiving communication content, and learning to prefer a specific
product are examples of mental acts. As a result, predicting consumer
behavior is a difficult endeavor. Consumer behavior in regard to a
company’s product has become increasingly important in recent years.
(Boyd, 1999).
Furthermore, depending on the type of purchase, decision-making
differs. However, in COVID-19, people prioritized safety, and as a
result, they preferred to drive their own car rather than using public
transportation. However, automobiles were/are extremely expensive.
As a result, in this scenario, the consumer has a sophisticated buying
behavior, in which the buyer generates ideas and beliefs about the
things. Finally, it was vital to understand the small information that
customers use to create judgements while making purchases (Kotler,
2002).
IMPACT ON AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY
Any country’s economy relies heavily on the automobile industry.
During the Corona period, the automobile industry concentrated on
vehicle demand and rates. Several automobile manufacturers began
to produce vehicles at affordable rates, resulting in the expansion
of the automobile industry. The effects of pricing, brand, and store
Impacts of Covid-19 on Consumer Attitudes and Behaviours towards Mobility… 55
information on customers’ perceptions of product quality and value,
as well as their likelihood to buy, are critical factors to consider in the
automotive industry. Consumers’ purchase decisions are influenced
by a variety of factors, including why, when, how, and where they buy
or don’t buy a product, service, or good (Simonazzi, Sanginés & Russo,
2020).
In past there used to be a dearth of vehicles, making travel rather
challenging. However, living and travelling have gotten much more
comfortable since the introduction of the automobile. The words
“automotive” and “motivus” are both derived from the Greek word
autos, which means “self” (motion). The name was created by Elmer
Sperry (1860–1930), who first used it in 1898 to refer to automobiles.
The International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers
(IOMVM), also referred to as the Organization Internationale des
Constructeurs d’Automobiles (OICA), is a non-profit organisation that
supports various facets of the automotive industry, establishes policies,
disseminates and preserves information, and fosters innovation and
security. Automobiles are also thought to be a more lucrative and well-
known industry.
FACTORS INFLUENCING CONSUMER’S BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS VEHICLES
Consumer behaviour is influenced by a wide variety of factors. A
marketer should make an effort to understand the factors that affect
consumer behaviour. Here are some key factors that affect consumer
behaviour:
CULTURAL FACTORS: A collection of beliefs and philosophies
associated with a particular community are linked to a particular group
of individuals. The culture of the community from which a person is
descended has a significant impact on how that individual behaves.
cultural influences integrate
Culture: Cultural variables have a significant influence on
consumer purchasing behaviour. Cultural elements are the
fundamental beliefs, principles, needs, wants, preferences,
perceptions, and behaviours that consumers learn from
and model after their immediate family members and other
significant people in their lives.
Subculture: A cultural group has a variety of subcultures.
These subcultural groups share the same ideals and values.
Subcultures can be formed by people from various religions,
castes, locations, and nationalities.
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
56
SOCIAL FACTORS: Humans are social creatures, and as such, a
variety of social and environmental factors influence their decision-
making. Humans seek to ape other people in order to blend in with
society and gain acceptance from others. As a result, others around
them have an influence on their purchase decisions. We refer to these
as social factors. Some of the social elements are as follows:
Reference group: A reference group is a group of people that
a person identifies with. In general, members of the reference
group influence one another and have comparable shopping
patterns.
Family: A person’s family has a big impact on their purchasing
decisions. When a person was young, their tastes were developed
by watching their family make purchases; as an adult, they still
make the same purchases.
Rates and status: A person’s status is influenced by the role
he or she performs in society. If a person holds a prominent job,
his status has a significant impact on his purchasing decisions.
PERSONAL FACTORS: Personal factors have an impact on
consumers’ purchase decisions. Individual differences in these
personal traits lead to a wide range of views and purchasing patterns.
The following are a few of the individual considerations:
Age: Age has a big impact on consumers’ purchasing decisions.
The buying habits of young individuals are different from those
of middle-aged persons. When shopping, senior citizens behave
substantially differently from younger shoppers. Teenagers
will be more inclined to buy cosmetics and clothing in vivid
colors. Middle-aged adults worry about their family’s house,
possessions, and car.
Income: An individual’s purchasing habits may be affected by
their income. More money gives consumers more purchasing
power. A consumer has more opportunity to purchase high-end
goods when they have more discretionary spending.
Life Style: A person’s lifestyle is both an attitude and a way
of life in society, according to the life cycle. The way of life of
the consumer greatly affects their shopping preferences. For
instance, when a customer adopts a healthy lifestyle, the items
he buys will be nutritious substitutes for unhealthy foods.
Personality: Each person behaves differently from the next.
Every person’s lifestyle, as previously mentioned, reflects
their own personality. A person’s personality is characterised
by their distinctive traits. When highlighting the significance
Impacts of Covid-19 on Consumer Attitudes and Behaviours towards Mobility… 57
of personality in customer behaviour, marketing-related
psychologists typically mention the contribution of personality
traits. According to Britt, each person responds to his
environment in a very specific and individual way.
PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS: Human psychology has a significant
impact on consumer behaviour. Although these factors are hard to
measure, they have enough sway to impact a consumer’s decision to
buy. Some of the most significant psychological elements include the
following:
Motivation: A person’s purchasing behaviour is influenced by
their level of motivation. Basic needs, social needs, security
needs, esteem needs, and wants for self-actualization are only
a few. All other wants are subordinate to the desire for basic
necessities and security.
Perception: Consumer perception is a key factor in determining
consumer behaviour. The process through which a customer
receives and examines data about a product in order to create
a meaningful image of that object is known as consumer
perception.
Learning: When someone buys a product, they have access
to more knowledge about that product. Experience leads to
learning, which develops through time. The learning process for
a consumer involves both knowledge and skills. While practise
may aid in skill improvement, only experience may aid in
knowledge development.
Attitudes and beliefs: Consumer attitudes and beliefs play a
role in how they behave and make judgments about what to
buy. Based on this mindset, the consumer behaves a certain
manner toward a product. The brand image of a product is
greatly influenced by this mindset. As a result, marketers put
a lot of effort into comprehending consumer attitudes while
developing marketing strategies.
COMPLEX BUYING BEHAVIOUR WITH RESPECT TO COVID-19
Complex buying behavior arises when there are various variances
between brands and types provided on the market, and purchasers
invest a large amount of money in them. In this situation, consumers
are hesitant to choose a specific brand because they balance the price,
risk, and quality of the goods. When it comes to the vehicle industry,
customer happiness is extremely important in forming market views.
For example, when people are considering purchasing a car for the first
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
58
time, they consider demand, safety, price, risk, infrastructure, brand
reputation, GST rates, and regular technological advancements. These
are the most critical and significant aspects that can influence complex
purchasing behavior. But in the COVID-19 pandemic, the automobile
manufacturing sector created 65 million jobs because consumers
demanded and prioritized their safety, hygiene issues, personal mobility
and mental satisfaction. So, they have started to commute by personal
vehicles. In this period, vehicles demand has increased in comparison
to past years (Mehta, Saxena, & Purohit, 2020; Svajdova, 2021).
There are various factors which have great impact on buying
behavior of consumer towards two or four wheelers in COVID-19.
These points are:
Price: In pandemic period (COVID-19), the demand for vehicles
had increased. For this reason, in this pandemic situation
automobile companies have offered more discounts on the
vehicles to encourage the customers to buy new cars. For this,
consumers are being attracted with fabulous offers.
Fear of oppression in public transport: Many commuters have
avoided taking public transportation because they are having
fear of infection from deadly virus especially those who travel by
bus or metro on a daily basis. As a result, many commuters are
increasingly driving their own cars to suit their mobility needs.
The shift away from public transportation has boosted demand
for two-wheelers, especially as two-wheeler loan eligibility has
gotten easier.
Budgetary restrictions: Many people have had to reduce their
vehicle purchases due to the current economic instability. Buyers
who were planning to buy a car are now exploring two-wheelers
as a way to save money. Commuters who changed to personal
mobility as a result of COVID-19 now seek an economical vehicle
choice for office trips, such as a bike. Furthermore, for many,
the fear of contraction – as well as pay cuts/layoffs – has made
two-wheelers an ad hoc mode of transportation.
Two-wheelers are less expensive: If commuters opt for personal
mobility, they are more likely to purchase bicycles rather than
automobiles in order to avoid straining their already limited
disposable cash. Mostly because, given the current economic
climate, a two-wheeler is a more inexpensive option. Even EMI
payments for a bike loan are less difficult to manage than those
for a car loan. Two-wheelers are easy to own and perform better
on Indian roads, making them the ideal mode of transportation.
Impacts of Covid-19 on Consumer Attitudes and Behaviours towards Mobility… 59
Financing is simple: As the demand for two-wheelers grows,
lenders have begun to open their wallets to satisfy the need.
Buyers can get an online two-wheeler loan to finance a vehicle
without having to pay a large EMI. Furthermore, because of
the two-wheeler loan eligibility, interested purchasers can get a
loan quickly.
CONCLUSION
The lockdown and social distance legislation, along with the
COVID-19 epidemic, have all had an effect on consumer purchasing
and retail behaviour. Customers are becoming more flexible and
adopting new behaviours. The store comes to clients who are unable to
travel to it. New rules and procedures in the way customers shop and
make purchases of goods and services are likely to change them even
when consumers revert to their old behaviours. New habits will arise
as a result of demographic changes, technological advancements, and
creative ways consumers have learnt to deal with the blurring of the
barriers between work and play and education. The major stakeholder
in the Indian market and a substantial contributor to its GDP is the
auto sector. Automobile manufacturers could take measures to boost
their sales by cutting costs or giving their customers more incentives,
which could lead to an increase in automobile sales, in order to deal with
the pandemic’s aftereffects on the industry. New types of purchasing
behaviour can be created with the use of technology.
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Changing World, ed R. Hancock (Chicago: American Marketing Association),
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Boyd. Harper W, Stasch. S.F (1999), Marketing Research –Text and Cases, Richard D.
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Cohen, A. (2020a). Considerations for Social Distancing on Public Transportation
During the Covid-19 Recovery.
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Mehta, S., Saxena, T., & Purohit, N. (2020). The new consumer behaviour paradigm
amid COVID-19: permanent or transient? Journal of health management, 22(2),
291-301.
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
60
Schneiderbauer, T. (2020). Why Shared Mobility Is Poised to Make a Comeback After
the Crisis.
Simonazzi, A., Sanginés, J. C., & Russo, M. (2020). The Future of the Automotive
Industry: Dangerous Challenges or New Life for a Saturated Market? Institute
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Svajdova, L. (2021). Consumer behaviour during pandemic of COVID-19. Journal of
International Business Research and Marketing, 6(3), 34-37.
Zwanka, R. J., & Buff, C. (2021). COVID-19 generation: A conceptual framework of the
consumer behavioral shifts to be caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of
International Consumer Marketing, 33(1), 58-67.
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8
Decoding Prism of Employee Well-Being and
Work-Life Balance During Pandemic
Shefali Thapa
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 epidemic has caused a plethora of unfavourable and
significant changes in the demographics of modern organizations. The role of
human resource management has come with the increased responsibilities
to mitigate the negative consequences of work during this situation of
pandemic crises. The shift in daily routine at a sudden level brings drastic
change to how we feel and think. There is a sense of feeling threatened to get
infected, loneliness, working from a closed space or home, and instability that
further hamper the level of employees’ happiness. The organization leaders
or management team who adapt management practises to new settings face
significant challenges. It is also critical to ensure the well-being of personnel
in order to operate efficiently and it seems hard to maintain a state of work-
life balance. Since more people are working from home, more business
activities are happening in private spaces. Additionally, there is less separation
between places for labour and places for leisure. The growth in home work
has altered time constraints and disrupted the work-life balance, which has
a severe impact on employees’ mental health. This chapter’s broad literature
review focuses on the main areas of study concerning the state of work-
life balance and employee wellbeing. The study examines a number of work-
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
62
life balance-related difficulties as well as the most severe effects of the new
career opportunities brought about by the epidemic.
Keywords: Work life Balance, Well-Being, Covid-19, Employee, life satisfaction,
Epidemic.
INTRODUCTION
The Notion of Work-life Balance and Historical Background
In today’s digital age, it might be challenging to define work-life
balance. However, the phrase has been interpreted as examining how
employees manage their time both at and away from the office. It
concerns people’s capacity to fulfil their obligations to their families,
their jobs, and other non-work-related commitments, duties, and
activities (Delecta, 2011). The idea of work-life balance includes the
capacity to work professionally while still finding the time and energy
to pursue personal interests. It also includes an equal distribution
of time between work and personal life. Men and women struggle
with finding a work-life balance at different stages of their lives and
across a wide range of occupations (Darcy, McCarthy, Hill, & Grady,
2012). Managing multiple job roles and personal life Part of the issue
with work-life balance, over the years, a number of workplace work-
life balance programmes have been established with the purpose of
enhancing employee balance (Perrone, Wright, & Jackson, 2009).
Kirchmeyer (2000) explores the concept of work-life balance from
two angles, including inputs and outputs and individual efforts and
resources, such as time, energy, and dedication, which must be applied
as inputs to each function. Both work and home must receive an equal
amount of time, attention, engagement, or effort in order to preserve
a sense of balance. Additionally, according to studies, finding the
optimum work-life balance is highly challenging for all employees, and
families of employees as well as businesses depend on their capacity to
successfully balance work, home obligations, and leisure time (Lonska,
Mietule, & Paegle et al., 2021).
Likewise, Reiter (2007), explains that work-life balance can
be accomplished when a person is satisfied with his or her level of
functioning in all areas of life. Similarly, researchers from this domain
explains work-life balance does not equate completing obligations related
to one’s multiple roles. Everyone does not understand wellbeing in the
same manner and there are many overlapping wellbeing discourses
with organizations and among academic researchers are dynamic and
change across time and geography (Lyonette, Payne, & Wood, 2007;
Lewis, Anderson & Wood et.al., 2016a & b). Moreover, employers, in
Decoding Prism of Employee Well-Being and Work-Life Balance During Pandemic 63
particular, continue to view those who prioritize work over everything
else and have fewer non-work activities as ideal employees (Dumas &
Sanchez-Burks, 2015). As a result, critical management researchers
have described wellbeing as “an endlessly unfinished process of self-
discovery”, in which people’s modern-day identities are created by their
desire and inability to strike a balance between work and non-work
responsibilities (Bloom, 2016).
The Concept of Well-Being
Many diverse concepts are centred on the well-being of the individual.
Without defining these “items,” the term “wellbeing” refers to a person’s
subjective appraisal of how well their life is going and whether they
are receiving what they want out of it. There are two main ways to
define happiness (Ryan & Deci, 2001). The first strategy emphasizes
an individual’s emotional and cognitive evaluation of their own life
and referred to as hedonic well-being (HWB), mainly characterized
by a large number of positive feelings, (ii) a small number of negative
feelings, and (iii) a general sense of contentment with life. On the other
hand, the second approach is eudaimonic wellbeing, which is attained
through giving life meaning and purpose, and the entire paradigm is
known as subjective wellbeing (Dienier, 1984). Similarly, eudaimonia,
a Greek phrase that implies happiness, welfare, or the “good life,” was
used to describe wellbeing in positive psychology. It’s a contemplation
on what matters most in life, or what contributes the most to a happy
and fulfilling life. As a result, positive psychologists think that living
a joyful, engaged, and purposeful life is essential to experiencing “the
good life” (Seligman, Ernst & Linkins, 2009).
Some scholars relate the accounts of happiness with optimism
(the belief that one will have more happy than negative experiences
in life because optimism is linked to higher levels of contentment
and happiness, as well as lower levels of sadness and stress, a
lower risk of health problems, and a faster recovery from sickness.
Even after controlling for a variety of demographic and psychological
characteristics, several of this research suggest that optimism predicts
better health outcomes in the long run (Su, Tay, & Diener, 2014; Boehm
& Kubzansky, 2012; Boehm, Peterson, Kivimaki, & Kubzansky, 2011;
Diener, Wirtz et al., 2010; Carver & Scheier, 2003).
Pandemic and Work Life Balance of Employees
Covid-19 has made a great impact in everyone’s life globally.
Pandemic days were the most crucial point of the time for everyone,
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
64
especially it effected the life of Employees. Due to which the word Work-
Life Balance seems to be lost almost. As a result, the current study
suggests that proactive work behaviour could be another important
tool for combating the detrimental effects of pandemics. There are a
few empirical traces that point to the crucial role of proactive behaviour
in affecting and interacting work-life balance and its relationship with
various elements (Lau et al., 2018).
Moreover, the workplaces have been changing for a long time, and
global events like as the COVID-19 pandemic have accelerated these
changes. It is visible that this pandemic has disrupted traditional
official and non-official work patterns, making it harder for employees
around the world to maintain a healthy work-life balance (Ratten, 2020;
Anwer, 2020; Smithikrai & Todet, 2018). Few researchers found that
immediate supervisor facilitation, support, and acknowledgment are
crucial in improving individual behaviours and outcomes (Gordon et
al., 2019; Aydin & Tuzun, 2019; Sangakala et al., 2016). Based on these
findings, we believe that supervisor support will become increasingly
more important in addressing employee concerns, particularly in
balancing work-life issues during COVID-19. Support at work is said
to be important in the past. Due to the Pandemic, the majority of the
global workforce was forced to work from home, which appears to
have impacted the work-life balance. This made life difficult for both
teaching and non-teaching staff workers, especially in academia. As
a result, organisational scientists confront difficulties in discovering
solutions to these problems (Hutchins & Wang, 2008; Waizenegger et
al., 2020; Hall et al., 2020).
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Work-life Balance and Wellbeing of Employees during the
Pandemic
According to Anderson and Kelleher (2020) during pandemic, the
employee was able to work from home without fail, and both the company
and the employees should be receptive of such working arrangements.
Some studies carried out globally reveal that the majority of people did
not improve their work-life balance during the emergency situation,
even though they were allowed to spend more time with their families
and had to spend longer getting to work. Because they spent more time
in webinars and meetings during the COVID-19 emergency situation,
most people reported feeling more pressured. Additionally, they lacked
colleague chit-chat.” Because it overlapped so frequently, many found
it challenging to discern between family and work time.
Decoding Prism of Employee Well-Being and Work-Life Balance During Pandemic 65
Furthermore, the situation was exacerbated by the uncertainty
regarding work and the future. While women already did the majority
of unpaid family care work before the COVID-19 outbreak, new
research shows that as a result of the crisis, this burden has increased
dramatically. The negative consequences for women and families are
projected to last for many years. Without the (often undetected) labour
given by the care economy, the “economy” as we know it would not be
able to function: daily living, cooking, child rearing, and so on (Power,
2020; Ramakrishnan, 2020a & b).
It has been demonstrated that wellbeing has a positive effect on
employee well-being, a productive work environment, job engagement,
and turnover intentions (Russo, Shteigman & Carmeli, 2016;
Jaharuddin & Zainol, 2019). Additionally, research demonstrates
that flexible employment options like remote work promote striking a
balance between personal and professional life and enable wellbeing to
be maintained (Chung & Lippe, 2020). Many employees’ daily schedules
have changed significantly as a result of the rise in remote work and the
decrease in social mobility. Research has also found that maintaining
wellbeing when working remotely is one of the hardest elements. Indeed,
research reveals that employees’ wellbeing is considerably disrupted
when they operate remotely (Felstead & Henseke, 2017; Muralidhar et
al., 2020; Palumbo, 2020).
A number of studies have indicated that when employees work
from home as an alternate work arrangement, their psychological and
mental health suffers significantly. This, according to Limbers et al.,
(2020), is attributable to parenting stress and maternal social ties
for working moms who do not engage in vigorous physical activity.
Work from home was once thought to increase workers’ well-being by
allowing them the freedom to complete their tasks during productive
hours (Nure, Bazini, & Madani, 2020). However, Anwar et al.,
(2021) demonstrate that working from home deprives individuals of
opportunities for advancement and communication with co-workers,
both of which might contribute to their psychological well-being. It
was then mentioned that technostress has emerged as a new sickness
as a result of excessive workloads for persons at home, which force
them to work more conscientiously and for longer periods of time,
resulting in a direct invasion of technology into their personal lives
(Molino et. al., 2020). Work from home also promotes sleep deprivation
and disturbs sleep schedules due to screen exposure. This piece of
literature demonstrates how a person’s well-being can be impacted if
he or she struggles to balance job and personal life (Prochazka, Scheel,
Pirozek, & Maran et. al., 2020).
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
66
METHODOLOGY
The present chapter is based on secondary data retrieved from
various databases to conduct a thorough evaluation of the literature
viz. PSYCHENET, Google Scholar, Research Gate, Academia, PHD
Abstracts on Internet. The studies that match the topic have been
chosen, while the studies that do not match the topic have been
excluded. As a result, the review has been finished. My research goal
is to learn more about the state of work life balance and well-being of
employees during the covid-19 pandemic. Which does indicate that
there both Positive and Negative impact of Covid-19 in both Work-Life
Balance and Well-being of Employees.
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
As a result of COVID-19, an infectious disease brought on by severe
acute respiratory syndrome, the globe has moved toward remote work
and working from home whenever possible, according to a thorough
study of the literature. Research conducted through various studies
has discovered a number of factors that affect work and family
balance. The following are the findings of a study on work-life balance
and employee well-being during the COVID-19 lockdown, including the
impact of long working hours, family and work time overlap, fear of
employment stability, job flexibility, social isolation, sleep deprivation,
and the support offered by the organization. A significant rise in the
number of persons searching for boredom, unhappiness, loneliness,
and worry after the lockdown on social media implies that the first few
weeks of the lockdown had a negative impact on people’s mental health
(Brodeur, Clark, Fleche, & Powdthavee, 2021).
The analysis of literature suggests that proactive workplace behaviour
may be a key weapon in the fight against pandemics’ negative impacts.
Work-life initiatives have the power to significantly increase employee
morale, reduce absenteeism, and maintain organizational expertise—
particularly during trying economic times. It is the responsibility of
the human resource professional to understand the value of work-life
balance and support work-life initiatives in today’s global marketplace,
where firms are striving to cut costs. Work-life balance and well-
being initiatives are advantageous to both businesses and employees,
whether they be for employees whose friends or relatives are deployed,
single mothers trying to raise children while working, or Generation
X and Y employees who value their personal lives. Support should be
provided and new ways to expand repertoire of inclusive behaviors by
Decoding Prism of Employee Well-Being and Work-Life Balance During Pandemic 67
incorporating some new practices should be searched to help those
employees struggling with lockdown. Therefore, the attention should be
drawn towards providing the counselling and intervention techniques
to reduce the negative influences of pandemic and restore the sense of
balance in life as well as in work domain at broader level.
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Anwer, M. (2020). Academic labor and the global pandemic: Revisiting life-work
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psychological well-being and cardiovascular health. Psychological bulletin, 138(4), 655.
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9
Socio-Psychological Factors Hampering
Work Life Balance
Deepika Negi
ABSTRACT
We work to live not live to work. The main purpose of life is to attain all
comfort and entities to make life happy and get life satisfaction for which an
individual spends eight hours a day at work place and with family and friends.
In today’s highly competitive environment people are spending more and
more time at their office and exploring innovative technologies, adapting new
challenges. Spending quality time with family, friends, relatives can reduce high
work pressure, give relaxation and help to refocus and better performance
in their job, for this it becomes necessary to balance work life. Work life
balance is prioritizing the things as per importance of demands at work and
life preferences. Work life balance has great impact on one’s life perspectives.
But on the other hand, there are few factors which influence work and
work life balance of an employee. This chapter is intended to sensitize one
and all towards socio-psychological factors hampering work life balance.
This chapter has endeavoured to highlight that family implications, poor
resiliency, poor adjustment with working organization, poor organizational
management; all have a pivotal role to play in distorting the work life
balance. Simultaneously, psychological aspects of individual such as personal
implications associated with low achievement orientation, poor coping
skills and required competences, low self-esteem poor decision making are
Socio-Psychological Factors Hampering Work Life Balance 71
negatively affecting work life balance. This chapter also deals with the role of
Emotional Intelligence and personality traits that affect the work life balance
on a macro level.
Keywords: Work life Balance, Social factor, Psychological Factor, Employee
performance, life satisfaction.
INTRODUCTION
It is imperative that one should have life satisfaction. Getting
satisfaction is actual aim of life, but the question is “did we
achieve our aim of life”? In today’s world, everyone is engrossed in
hectic business activities. All of them are teeming with competing
responsibilities and obligations. In today’s fast-paced world,
maintaining a balanced life is becoming increasingly crucial for
the subjective, emotional, career, social, and spiritual well-being of an
individual. Every individual strives hard to achieve all these aspects of
well-being into his/her organizational and business setting. We work
to get money, to become a part of our communities and contribute to
them, we work to learn new things in order to become more skillful
and so on. There are various personal and social drives at work which
force us to be working in the manner in which we work. We work
in different organizations and amidst different preferences. It is often
seen that mostly an employee spends a major part of his day at his
working place. Contrarily if seen from a micro plane the personal life
of the individual is equally important. It can therefore be said that
maintaining a work life balance is important when it comes to the
overall being of an individual.
The term “work/life balance” was coined in 1986, but its use in
ordinary English was intermittent for a couple of years. Further,
the Work/life balance programmes have been around since the 1930s
and the W.K. Kellogg Company introduced four six-hour shifts to
replace the conventional three daily eight-hour hours before World War
II, and the new shifts enhanced staff morale and efficiency. People were
overworked in the late stages of the Industrial Revolution. The average
worker in the United Kingdom worked 14-16 hours each day, six days
per week. These long hours had social and health costs, especially for
young people who were also working. It was the Labour reforms which
drew the administrations attention to this menace; as a result, the
United Kingdom agreed to cut down the working hours of women as
well as children. In American society, it is harmless to say that almost
everyone is seeking work/life balance. Among men and women alike,
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
72
the exasperating search for work/life balance is a frequent topic of
conversation as well as debate. Balancing work and life in an orderly
manner is what narrows down to the idea of work life balance. Work
life balance today is an imperative call especially when it comes to
deconstructing our existing organizational scenario (Lockwood, 2003).
Furthermore, work-life balance is a state of equilibrium in which
a person’s professional and personal demands are equal. Employees
of a company practice work-life balance to assist them balance
their personal and professional lives. It assists in reducing stress by
completing work based on priorities and maintaining a balance by
devoting time to self, family, and special occasions, as well as building
a professional preference. There are no autonomous components of
life; everything is circumscribed by a plethora of experiences and
variables. These variables and experiences have both positive and bad
consequences in various facets of life.
Likewise, there are some socio-psychological factors that have
positive and negative effects on the work performance and work life
balance both. A strong social network can help people feel more involved
on various aspects of life. Employees in an organization with supportive
managers, timing flexibility, accommodative policies, healthy resiliency;
all have a tendency towards healthy work life balance. Further, it has
been found as per studies that if a person is having healthy lifestyle
and psychological wellbeing, they are high in self-confidence and more
determined in their outlook. Also, they are more likely to have a good
and sustained work life balance. But on the contrary, if a person is
lacking as far as these positive factors are concerned, it is observed
that such people will incontestably tend to have poor work life balance.
In this chapter pioneer has been made attempt to get sensitization
towards the socio-psychological factors that has negative impact on
work performance of an employee and creating profound barrier to
establish better work life balance.
WORK LIFE BALANCE, WORK ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is essential for a successful
organization. Finding a balance between work and personal obligations
is referred to as work-life balance. It comprises creating a flexible work/
life balance that supports mental health, including applying cognitive
skills to manage family-organizational stress, flexible working hours,
working from home, leave arrangements, handling family requirements,
resolving disagreements, elder and child care, etc. In their widely
Socio-Psychological Factors Hampering Work Life Balance 73
acclaimed book, Work and Family—Allies or Enemies, Friedman and
Greenhaus (2000) asserted that two pioneers in work-life balance give
new information to help us comprehend the decisions we make as
individuals and employers around work and family.
The bar has been raised significantly by the quick pace of life and
the paradoxical roles that each person plays. Even a healthy person
cannot succeed in all areas, and the majority of people are suffering
from the effects of a work-life imbalance. This mismatch results in
a lack of happiness with life and work, higher stress levels, and bad
health. According to True Careers survey (2002) on work-life balance,
70% of more than 1,500 respondents claimed they didn’t have a good
balance between their personal and professional lives. Keeping a
healthy work-life balance lowers workplace stress. Work-life balance
is influenced by a number of things, both positively and adversely.
Descriptions are as follows:
SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS AFFECTING WORK LIFE BALANCE
There are many facets which tend to influence work balance.
Employee’s individuality, family aspects, work with organization,
social environment determines work balance. In the process of
working in an organization, employees deal with diverse activities
and learn and explore advanced technologies. It is a general fact that
socio-psychological factors have frolicked a vital role in the work
performance of employees and organizational production. In fact,
the social development of an individual drives with the cognitive
development. Simultaneously, social development and cognitive
development influence each other. Social interaction, relationship
with family, interaction with co-workers that necessarily occurs in
the workplace leads to productivity.
Vygotsky (1978), primarily explains that socialization affects the
learning process in an individual. He believes community plays a
central role in the process of “making meaning.” He believed that social
interaction has vital role in cognitive development. Social interaction can
lead to adaption of methods that may result in gaining more knowledge
and proliferate the skills of employees. It can also reduce work stress
and help to overcome difficulties of any magnitude. Moreover, healthy
relationship with the social environment can enhance the psychological
wellbeing of a person in toto and it may further result in enhancing
one’s self-esteem, develop one’s coping skills and all in all lead to the
formation of a cultured personality. On the other hand, it has been
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
74
observed that a person who does not possess a strong bond with the
social environment and have interpersonal conflicts at home or at
workplace are less capable in carrying forth and possessing social and
psychological abilities and skills. They get negatively affected by the
social milieu. Cornelissen (2016), found that low skilled occupations
can largely affect the peer productivity.
Furthermore, in today’s fast-paced world, time management has
become critical. It is quite evident that high demands in the personal
space vis a vis the professional space cause work-family conflicts when
employees are unable to strike a balance. In such circumstances, one
may experience psychological anguish which may further prove to be
a deteriorating element as far as one’s work performance is concerned.
As a result, demands which one experiences in family life and which
also impacts the life balance can be presented as demands related to
workload and time, role expectations in the family, and assistance to be
given to the spouse etc. According to Delecta (2011) many researches
point to the notion that marriage, childbirth, and caring for the elderly
at home, all have an impact on work-life balance.
Fig. 1: Segmentation of socio-psychological factors influencing work-life balance
BACKGROUND
According to some studies, organizational factors that interfere
with work-life balance include strict rules, an excessive workload, a
hostile work environment, time constraints, and a lack of job security.
Similar findings were made by Kumaraswamy, Mokana Muthu Kumar,
and Mohd Faizal et al. (2015), found that organizational support had a
Socio-Psychological Factors Hampering Work Life Balance 75
positive and substantial effect on work-life balance in their research. A
stressful job has a bigger influence on work-life balance than a pleasant
one. Employees need a flexible work environment, options for work from
home, senior and child care assistance programmes, suitable health-
related policies, job security, and an enterprise that is committed to
improving work-life balance. Employees indicated increased levels of
management and supervisor support to encourage more initiatives
promoting work-life balance. Work-to-family conflict, family-to-work
conflict, and commitment to the organization were related to intention
to turnover (Smith, 2007).
On the other hand, an employee’s personal life has an impact on
their ability to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Employees that
score higher on the achievement orientation competence, for instance,
are exposed to a standard of excellence and value performance
measurements and feedback. Employees look into ways to improve
their work. they established difficult objectives and took measured
risks. They can also strike a balance between their own ambition and
the demands and objectives of the organization. To assess work-life
balance, it is vital to consider a person’s achievement orientation.
It aids people in achieving their objectives. Some people possess
intellectual talent, and if they can put it to good use toward a specific
objective and are highly motivated and driven, they may succeed to
great success. American Psychologist Henry Murray, (1988) stated
that our personality is a mirror of our behavior and is regulated by
our needs. According to him, everyone has these needs, but each
person has a different level of each need (Mellor, 2017). Therefore,
some people struggle to strike a work-life balance because they are
driven by achievement and have little time for other things. They are
unable to manage with others due to lack of emotional intelligence,
and they do not comprehend the need for a team to operate together.
They lack empathy, belongingness, inspiration, and teamwork, among
other emotional intelligence competencies that balance a strong desire
to succeed.
Emotional intelligence skills are therefore widely valued in
organizations. There are two methods for an organization to gain profit
from emotionally intelligent workers. Managers will have a team that is
eager to work with enthusiasm, and employees will have managers who
are attentive and sensitive to their needs (Johnson & Indvik, 1999).
Emotional intelligence is a crucial concept to research in relation
to performance because organizations need their employees to be
emotionally intelligent in order to provide better customer service, foster
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
76
and maintain a lively workplace, and lower employees’ occupational
stress by improving their emotional intelligence. Life in general,
family life, language learning, and academic life all require emotional
intelligence (Ciarochi & Scott, 2006; Brackett, Warner & Bosco, 2005;
Fitness, 2006). (Aki, 2006). Only a few research discovered a manager’s
emotional intelligence was favorably connected with the nature of the
workplace and morale (Brackett, Mayer & Warner, 2004; Farooq, 2004;
Jaeger, 2003; Liff, 2003; Dulewicz, Higgs & Slaski, 2003).
Another remedy is combining achievement orientation with two
other competencies, viz. emotional self-control and stress coping
skills. Connie Zheng, Kia Kashi, Di Fan, (2015) reported significant
correlation between coping strategies and organizational work life
balance. Over the past decade, it has been found that emotional
culture influences employee satisfaction, burnout, teamwork, and
even hard measures such as financial performance and absenteeism.
Numerous empirical research suggests that emotions have a big
impact on how people perform tasks, are creative, are devoted to their
organizations, and make judgments. Positive emotions are linked to
improved performance, quality, and customer service across a variety
of occupations and industries, as well as at various organizational
levels. Bad emotions, such as collective rage, grief, fear, and the like,
on the other hand, frequently result in negative outcomes, such as
poor performance and high turnover, resulting in an unbalanced
work-life. As a result, one of the most serious issues that employees
encounter is stress.
It’s also becoming a growing source of concern for companies. In
the Western world, stress is on the rise. According to recent surveys
conducted by the American Psychological Association in the United
States, about 43% of adults suffer negative health effects as a result of
stress, and 70% of managers believe work-related stress has a negative
impact on their personal lives, affecting their work–life balance.
Furthermore, if we consider the psychological characteristics of the
employer, personality is the most important factor in determining work-
life balance. Rosenman and Friedman, two American cardiologists,
identified two categories of personality based on cardiac problems and
individual behaviours: type A and type B. Type A people are more active,
work-oriented, passionate, and competitive, whereas Type B people
are calm, patient, balanced, and right-minded. It may be claimed that
because type A is more work-oriented, it will have a detrimental impact
on work-life balance (Delecta, 2011).
Socio-Psychological Factors Hampering Work Life Balance 77
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
If one has achieved work life balance by allocating the necessary time
for each component of one’s life and without repeating difficulties in
one area of one’s life in another, one has achieved work-family balance.
Along with employment, life as a whole has a lot of other parts. Those
who have found a balance in these areas are more likely to achieve
life balance. It’s difficult to have a large role at home and at work, and
balancing these two parts might be difficult, but it’s surely doable if
you schedule your office work to stop just in the workplace. Moreover,
each family member may help create moments of unity in the home
and in life; nevertheless, one must look for oneself and remember the
value of the order of things. He should consider what matters most in
life and schedule his time accordingly. On the other hand, one should
be able to enjoy both work and life since a peaceful and healthy mind
is beneficial in that it allows work to be a resource for improving family
life and vice versa.
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10
Ethnographic Factors Influencing Consumer
Market Relations
Ritu Verma and Shanta Kumari
ABSTRACT
Ethnography is a qualitative methodology which initially originated from
sociology and anthropology. The data collected over a period of time was
observed and interpreted accordingly. Basically, it is based on the behavior,
belief and interaction of people. It can improve the market strategies through
product targeting, services and brand management. Ethnography is used in
market research to maximize profit because it studies the broader behavior
of human beings. Now a days ethnography is incomplete without internet,
online communication and information technology. The technology is used in
every field for the better result and through it researchers can communicate
with different consumers at different platforms and places at the same time
and are also able to observe their belief, phenomenon and behavior. To know
the behavior of the customers is not an easy task. In today`s technological
era, customers have a lot of alternatives and choices about any product and
service and so with so many alternatives at hand it becomes difficult to make
the right choices while buying a product. Through consumer behavior, the
traders try to know where the customers spend their money. The goods
and services can be produced according to specific preferences, tastes, needs
and wants. If the products and services are not according to the need of the
customers, then it is evident that the buyer refrains to invest on the object.
Buyers invest their money at a certain time and at certain prices where in
Understanding Interdisciplinary Organizational Flows
80
return they are bound to get both maximum benefit and utmost satisfaction.
The consumer behavior is driven forward by the factors like personal,
psychological, socio-cultural, Socio-economic, ethnographic and so on. This
paper attempts to decode the ethnographic factors which play a seminal role
in the consumer behavior.
Keywords: Ethnography, Consumer, Behaviour, Technology, Satisfaction
INTRODUCTION
The term ethnography was first time used in the field of nursing and
medicine in 1960. Later in 1990, it was recognized as an interpretive
paradigm between anthropology and sociology. It is not affected by
political influence and has no role in critical ethnography which touches
the inner surface of events in which consciousness is investigated
by knowing the experience culture of o