Apr'20

The IUP Journal of Management Research

Focus

This would further sensitize us with the need to re-examine the country's economic policies in the light of frequent upheavals that are happening for various reasons. Having said that, the attention goes to the industrial policies framed in the context of colonial rule of British government that fails to identify the right space to be given to small and medium enterprises. The frequent recessionary trends in the wake of globalization further aggravated the scenario and as a result the small, medium and micro enterprises had been further victimized. The current issue focuses on the much-needed revamp that has to be given to the small, medium and micro industrial sector so as to increase their efficiency.

Having established the fact that the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) form the backbone of Indian economy wherein the interplay of entrepreneurs, workers (skilled and non-skilled), suppliers and customers is found to be a critical element of success, many studies are being done towards revamping it. It is evident that most people often overlook the importance of designing the workplace to suit the needs of employees, who eventually spend the major part of their day at the workplace. In the first paper, "Ergonomic Workplace Design for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises: A Conceptual Model", by Ibrahim P A, focuses on the most neglected area of MSMEs, workplace safety. Ensuring the fact that physical and psychological safety of human beings finds critical space in the effective performance of individuals, the paper proposes a conceptual model in the context of 'ergonomic interventions' for increasing the occupational safety of MSME workforce, which will eventually lead to more productivity. The findings of the study justify the urgent need for ergonomic workplace designing in the MSME sector.

WhatsApp mobile application has become the order of the day in terms of instant messaging among individuals and groups. One could probably say that it is one of the most powerful tools of social media influencing the socioeconomic and political scenarios. No doubt, it has become an indispensable tool of modern life having its own benefits and hazards. Viewed from the business perspective, WhatsApp has triggered business growth in mobile telephony sector. What makes the consumers to be more satisfied in terms of quality and efficiency is always a matter of concern for software developers and this becomes evident in the context of WhatsApp users as well. The second paper, "Predicting Consumer Satisfaction Towards WhatsApp Based on Quality Factors", by Pooja Yadav and Neha Singh, throws light on the much defined quality indicators of ISO 9126 model for software products and finds out their relevance in determining the satisfaction of customers of WhatsApp. The study further examines through multiple regression models various independent factors that cast light on the end-users' satisfaction. It further creates the need for similar studies sector-wise so as to make meaningful decisions on business front.

Amidst the rapid pace of transformation that is being witnessed across various sectors of the economy, there emerged a new scenario in the context of emotional wellbeing of workforce in public and private firms. This finds reflection in the work-life imbalances leading to alarming stress and burnout syndromes among the workforce. As such, the failure to mitigate this evil further causes social unrest at various levels. Finding out the root cause of this particular phenomenon in the police personnel who are found to be the most stressed segment of government machinery, is an interesting topic that has been captured in the current issue. The last paper, "Relationship Between Social Support and Work-Life Balance: An Empirical Research on Police Personnel of Himachal Pradesh", by Poonam Kaushal, identifies the impact of social support factors on work-life balance of police personnel in Himachal Pradesh. The findings show that the perceived social support enjoyed by the police personnel has resulted in undermining the stress causation leading to achievement of a healthy work-life balance.



- Radha Mohan Chebolu
Consulting Editor

Article   Price (₹)
Ergonomic Workplace Design for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises: A Conceptual Model
100
Predicting Consumer Satisfaction Towards WhatsApp Based on Quality Factors
100
Relationship Between Social Support and Work-Life Balance: An Empirical Research on Police Personnel of Himachal Pradesh
100
Contents : (Apr' 20)

Ergonomic Workplace Design for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises: A Conceptual Model
Ibrahim P A

The purpose of the present study is to develop a conceptual model of ergonomic workplace design through an extensive literature survey to enhance the workplace safety of small manufacturing entities in India. The study emphasizes the need to redesign the work environment in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) with the ergonomic approach. The small entities, including the MSMEs, are the key stakeholders of the country's economic progress in terms of their contribution to GDP, job creation and exports. However, there is a concern in the sector in the areas of productivity, energy efficiency and more often regarding occupational health and safety. Safety is a basic physical and psychological need of human beings in their daily life and work, which is often neglected in the small entities. In this context of the working environment of MSMEs in India, the study elucidates the measures taken to ensure workers' safety and health, by identifying the causes of industrial accidents and classifying them. The study also establishes the relation between ergonomic workplace design and productivity. Promoting occupational safety and health, and ergonomic workplace design is the need of the hour. Therefore, this study highlights the need for ergonomic workplace designing, and how it would be a competitive advantage in the long run.


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Article Price : Rs.100

Predicting Consumer Satisfaction Towards WhatsApp Based on Quality Factors
Pooja Yadav and Neha Singh

The purpose of this study is to identify the quality factors of mobile applications and predict their influence on the consumer satisfaction of WhatsApp users. This research extends the ISO 9126 model used for evaluating the software quality. The new research model and an instrument are used to examine the influence of various quality factors of mobile applications on consumer satisfaction. Based on the valid responses collected through a questionnaire, multiple regression technique is employed to test the relationship between the independent and dependent factors. The results of the study indicate that reliability, usability, efficiency and data integrity significantly affect the consumer satisfaction of WhatsApp mobile application, whereas the other two factors, i.e., functionality and portability, do not have considerable influence on consumer satisfaction. The mobile application developers and organizations should improve the usability, reliability, data integrity and efficiency of WhatsApp mobile app to enhance consumer satisfaction. Earlier research has mainly focused on the quality factors of application software and e-commerce websites. This study focuses on the mobile application, WhatsApp, which has established itself as the most dominating global instant messenger in the market.


© 2020 IUP. All Rights Reserved.

Article Price : Rs.100

Relationship Between Social Support and Work-Life Balance: An Empirical Research on Police Personnel of Himachal Pradesh
Poonam Kaushal

Social support is one of the most successful methods by which individuals can deal with stressful events effectively. Social support can be understood as a person's belief that he is appreciated, loved, and his wellbeing is taken care as part of the mutual obligation of a social network. Previous studies indicate that police work is very stressful and that it can lead to job burnout, health issues, particularly among those who have lower levels of social support. Thus, the purpose of the present study is to examine the impact of social support on work-life balance of police personnel in Himachal Pradesh. The study further examines the differences in work-life balance of police personnel at varied levels of social support. The social support variables considered in the present study are supervisor support, co-worker support and spousal support. A sample of 781 Non-Gazetted Police Officers (NGOs) of Grade II is selected in the study. The study finds significant correlation between social support factors and work-life balance of the selected police personnel.


© 2020 IUP. All Rights Reserved.

Article Price : Rs.100