PHS139 - Practical Implications of Flexible Work Arrangements – A Survey of Selected Pharmaceutical/Healthcare Organizations

Abstract

To examine the impact of Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs) on organizational outcomes and employee’s work-life balance among pharmaceutical/healthcare organizations in India. A conceptual FWA model was generated based on an earlier model by Hill et al. to assess the inter-connectivity between contextual (public context, organizational culture, management policies, and colleague’s perceptions) and personal factors. They were quantified using 5-point Likert scales via an online survey consisting of 31 questions which were divided into different sections. Various types of FWAs like work-from-home, flexible-work timings, compressed/reduced hours, and job sharing were evaluated. Reponses on worktime, workload, and role conflict were captured to assess their impact on work-life balance. Descriptive statistics were derived using IBM SPSS. 550 employees were approached during March-May 2017 and 400 of them agreed to participate in the survey. The final analysis included 290 respondents who were practicing FWAs; 50.3% utilized work-from-home provisions and 34.5% adopted to flexible work timings with fewer days but longer working hours. Family situations (34.3%) and issues of commuting to workplace (33.7%) were identified as driving factors for choosing FWAs. 47.0% employees reported improvement in their physical health and 46.0% of the respondents who adopted FWAs reported an increase in employer’s trust and confidence (mean [SD]: 3.4 [1.0]). A mean (SD) of 4.0 (0.7) indicated that flexibility increased productivity among employees. However, 52.5% employees also felt an increased pressure to meet deadlines after adopting FWAs. By improving work culture and allowing employees to balance work and personal life, organizations can improve employees’ throughput and make them more efficient and committed. Organizations should work towards achieving an optimal flexibility fit wherein the enhanced productivity of the organization is equated at par with employees’ job satisfaction. Employer engagement workshops can further empower employees to handle higher workload within a healthy FWA framework.