Workers’ Perceptions about Industrial Performance -An Empirical Study

Abstract

The workers are very important for any organization. The workers involvement in decision making, workers empowerment in making decision and motivation along with appropriate incentives help improve industrial performance. The sample considered for the analysis. The workers were given a set of questions to extract the in-house scenario and their feel good about their job satisfaction. This paper uncovers the factors which are predominant in enhancing industrial performance and hence industrial productivity leading higher living standard of the individuals and people in general

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Keywords

Appropriate, decision, empowerment, extract, incentives, living standard, satisfaction.

I. INTRODUCTION

This paper reads about workers’ perceptions of working conditions, appreciation, and motivation in the organisation where they are working full time on roll. As we know that motivated workers work more and improve industrial performance leading to higher productivity and hence improve living standard of the people by enlarge. The study was carried out in the GIDC, Vitthal Udyognagar in Anand district of Gujarat, India, where large numbers of engineering units are working since 1965.This estate has generated more than 15000 jobs among 1000 odd industrial units are running and majority of units are in small scale.

II. OBECTIVES

The primary objective of this research was to take the stock of existing situations and to assess the industrial performance in the context of the changing industrial scenario. Another major focus of the study was to harvest if any means and measures were followed to keep pace with highly competitive situations for survival. To study the possibility of effective means of utilisation of resources available and especially human wants and satisfaction leading to better performance and to study ills of the estate which are due to inadequate productivity levels and to study the possibilities for technological changes, potentialities, healthy industrial performance and scope for future developments.

III. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The basic methodology that followed was the questionnaire method. To serve the purposes the researchers has designed questionnaire, the instrument was designed to gain the maximum relevant information from the lower level employees of the organisation. Summary of total usable questionnaires received are listed in Table I. Research design is the systematic arrangement of data collection and analysis in a manner that aims to combines relevance to the research purpose. It is a road map of the collection, measurement and analysis of data. For this research study both the primary and secondary sources of data were used.

Primary data obtained directly from each unit in a survey is often known as primary data. The researchers have collected the needed data directly from the respondents for this study. Primary data were collected with the help of questionnaires designed. Primary data is the first hand information and original source of data.

Secondary data obtained from external sources like, published materials or directly from computer media. The researcher has used published articles, reports, journals, library books, magazines, news papers, internets - websites, etc. as a secondary source of data, these references taken in the form of secondary data.

Through structured questionnaires for the lower level staffs of the organisations and most important part of the work organisations are workers’ as respondents to study the industrial productivity scenario and potentiality in the industrial estates was a crucial part of the analysis..

IV. THE CASE

The research was carried out at Vitthal Udyognagar in Anand district of Gujarat state. The study was targeted to the lower level employees, mainly workers. It was aimed to know the perceptions of the workers from the representative industries of the sample considered. Total 150 questionnaires were distributed among the respondents. Out of 150, 77 questionnaires were omitted due to incomplete, inconsistent and irrelevant responses. Hence sample of size 65 was considered for the study. These responses include primary data from small, medium and large scale units in operation. These responses were considered from usable questionnaires only and responses were 43.33% which were considered acceptable for this research study and analysis Table I.

The five point Likert scale: Strongly agree (05), Agree (04), Not sure (03), Disagree (02) and strongly disagree (01) was used.

Primary data was collected through structured questionnaire having closed-ended as well as a few open-ended questions/statements. In most of the cases five point Likert scale was used.

The quality of statistical results depends on the care exercised in the data-preparation phase. Paying inadequate attention to data preparation can seriously compromise statistical results, leading to biased findings and incorrect interpretation. This includes data-collection process, which begins with checking the questionnaire for completeness.

The questionnaires were checked for incomplete, inconsistent, and ambiguous responses. Questionnaires with unsatisfactory responses were returned to the respondents and asked to reconsider the same. The questionnaires were discarded with large proportion of unsatisfactory responses and this has resulted in final sample sizes as shown in Table1. The data were cleaned by identifying out-of-range and logically inconsistent.

A. Index of Reliability

The questionnaire is reliable with Cronbatch’s alpha (α) = 0.788 and it can be used for statistical analysis.

B. Mean and Standard Deviation

Analysis of Variance (ANOVA): One of the most powerful tools of statistical analysis is what is known as analysis of variance. Analysis of variance is used for examining the differences in the mean values of the dependent variable associated with the effect of the controlled independent variables. This is a statistical test for comparing the means of more than two populations or groups. It gives an overall comparison of means and investigates whether the population means are likely to be same or different.

Degree of freedom (DF): The DF is the number of independent observations available for estimating the true parameter of the population.

Table V: ANOVA shows F (40.380) and from the statistical tables we see that for 11 degrees of freedom, the critical value of F = 19.675 for α = 0.05. Because the calculated value of F = 40.380 is greater than the calculated value, we reject null hypothesis. As the associated probability is less than the significance level of 0.05, the null hypothesis for equal means is rejected.

VI. RESPONDENTS LEVEL OF AGREEMENT- QUESTION VIZ ANALYSIS

Figure 1: The chart depicts that 8.49% of respondents are strongly agree about the various aspects of assessing and improving performance of the organisation from workers’ point view.

The chart depicts that 38.69% of respondents are agree about the various aspects of assessing and improving performance of the organisation from workers’ point view.

The chart depicts that 29.85% of respondents are not sure about the various aspects of assessing and improving performance of the organisation from workers’ point view.

The chart depicts that 16.47% of respondents are disagree about the various aspects of assessing and improving performance of the organisation from workers’ point view.

The chart depicts that 6.50% of respondents are strongly disagree about the various aspects of assessing and improving performance of the organisation from workers’ point view.

VII. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The problems in data collection were many like:

Non-availability of some secondary data.

Responses with reservation caused limited co-operation from some of the respondents

The investigator was thought to be industry - agent or government authority in spite of avowal was given, so extracting information was difficult initially, too much time was consumed in convincing them for the purpose of the study.

The time factors, poor awareness of some respondents were other limitations.

The supervisors and technicians were scared about the workers’ disclosing problems they are facing at workplace

Lower education, language problem and lack of freedom to disclose the facts were major constraints to the workers.

VIII. CONCLUSION

The study mainly focused on the perceptions of workers of the organisation considering various attributes on industrial performance and hence industrial productivity. It is well known facts that motivated workers work with more efficiency and effectively. The motivated works play vital role in improving industrial performance. An attempt is made to know the workers satisfaction through perceptions of the employees from the representatives’ industrial units of the estate under study. The structured questionnaires with a set of questions were asked to the respondents and statistical analysis was carried out to know what is what! The various statistical tests were carried to uncover the factors affecting industrial performance. The results of the analysis from the perceptions study found mixed opinion and required to be concentration to get more useful output at the workplace. With little more attempt to motivate and incentives to the accelerating workers will inspire the other employees to bring acceptable outputs.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

In pursuing research work, we have received help and support from all corners. We convey sincere thanks to all of them; it may not be possible to personalize each and every one. However, we express sincere gratitude to all of them: Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar. Industry Commissioner of District Industries Centre, Anand for permitting to use all the records related literatures of industrial scenario of Anand district. Resident District Collector, Anand and staff for providing related literatures of industrial scenario and records of Gujarat state. Executives of Amul Dairy, Anand for their help to furnish details and permit visit of AMUL plants, for the study of their performance enhancement programme. Rupal Books Stall, Vallabh Vidyanagar for timely procurement of source materials, books, and references at ease and speed for my literature survey for research work. Secretariat of V. U. Industries Association and all industrialists, employees, for their all time help for information and permission to use all available data, references.