Introduction

India has often been called a nation of shopkeepers. Presumably the reason
for this is; that,a large number of retail enterprises exist in India. In 2004, there
were 12 million such unitsof which 98% are small family businesses, utilising
only household labour. Even among retail enterprises, which employ hired
workers, a majority of them use less than threeworkers.Retailing is the
combination of activities involved in selling or renting consumer goodsand
services directly to ultimate consumers for theirpersonal or household use. In
additionto selling, retailing includes such diverse activities as, buying,
advertising, data processingand maintaining inventory.While sales people
regularly call on institutional customers, to initiate and concludetransactions,
most end users or final customers, patronise stores. This makes storelocation,
product assortment, timings, store fixtures, sales personnel, delivery and
otherfactors, very critical in drawing customers to the store.Final customers
make many unplanned purchases. In contrast those who buy for resale oruse
in manufacturing is more systematic in their purchasing. Therefore, retailers
need toplace impulse items in high traffic locations, organise, store layout ,
trains sales people insuggestion , and place related items next to each other,
to stimulate purchase.

WHAT DOES THE RETAILING INDUSTRY INCLUDE?

Department Stores
Discount Stores
Clothing S
stores
Specialty retailers
Convenience Stores
Grocery Stores
Drug Stores
Home furnishing retailers
Auto Retailers
Direct Sales Catalog and mail order companies
Some e-commerce businesses

THE IMPORTANCE OF RETAILING

Organised retailing in India was estimated at Rs.18, 000 crores in 2002-2003

and hasgrown at about 40% over the last 3 years (Source KSA Retail Outlook).
5Retailing has a tremendous impact on the economy. It involves high annual
sales andemployment. As a major source of employment retailing offers a
wide range of career opportunities including; store management,
merchandising and owning a retail business. Consumers benefit from retailing
in that, retailers perform marketing functions that makesit is possible for
customers to have access to a broad variety of products andservices.Retailing
also helps to create place, time and possession utilities. A retailer's service
alsohelps to enhance a product's image.Retailers participate in the sorting
process by collecting an assortment of goods andservices from a wide variety
of suppliers and offering them for sale. The width and depthassortment
depends upon the individual retailer's strategy.They provide information to
consumers through advertising, displays and signs and salespersonnel.
Marketing research support is given to other channels, members.They store
merchandise, mark prices on it, place items on the selling floor and
otherwise,,handle products; usually they pay suppliers for items before selling
them to finalcustomers. They complete transactions by using appropriate
locations, and timings, creditpolicies, and other services e.g. delivery.
Retailing in a way, is the final stage in marketing channels for consumer
products.Retailers provide the vital link between producers and ultimate
consumers.

RETAIL STRATEGY AND STRUCTURE

Successful retail operations depend largely on two main dimensions: margin

and turnover.How far a retail enterprise can reach in margin and turnover
depends essentially on thetype of business (product lines) and the style and
scale of the operations. In addition theturnover also depends upon the
professional competence of the enterprise.In a given business two retail
companies may choose two different margin levels, and yetboth may be
successful, provided the strategy and style of management are appropriate.

LOW MARGIN HIGH TURNOVER STORES

Such an operation assumes that low price is the most significant determinant
of customerpatronage. The stores in this category price their products below
the market level.Marketing communication focuses mainly on price. They
provide very few services; ifany, and they normally entail an extra charge
whenever they do. The merchandise in thesestores are generally pre-sold or
self sold. This means that the customers buy the product,rather than the store
selling them.These stores are typically located in isolated locations and
usually stock a wide . range offast moving goods in several merchandise lines.
The inventory consists of well knownbrands for which a consumer pull is
created by the manufacturer through nationaladvertising. Local promotion
focuses on low prices. Wal-mart in the United States is anFor example,
Pantaloon Chain or Subhiksha are Indian examples of such stores.
HIGH MARGIN LOW TURNOVER

This operation is based on the premise that distinctive merchandise, service

and salesapproaches are the most important factors for attracting customers.
Stores in this categoryprice their products higher than those in the market, but
not necessarily higher than thosein similar outlets. The focus in marketing
communication is on product quality anduniqueness. 7Merchandise is
primarily sold in stores and not pre-sold. These stores provide a large number
of services and sell select categories of products. They do not stock
nationalbrands which are nationally advertised. Typically, a store in this
category is located in adowntown area or a major shopping centre. Sales
depend largely on salesmanship andimage of the outlet.

HIGH MARGIN HIGH TURNOVER STORES

These stores generally stock a narrow line of products with turnover of

reasonably highfrequency. They could be situated in a non commercial area
but not too far from a majorthoroughfare. Their location advantage allows
them to charge a higher price. High overhead costs and low volumes also
necessitate a higher price.

LOW MARGIN-LOW TURNOVER STORES

Retail enterprises in this category are pushed to maintain low margins

because of pricewars. Compounding this problem is the low volume of sales,
which is probably a result ofpoor management, unsuitable location etc. such
businesses, normally get wiped out over a
period of time.

Regardless of the particular type of retailer (such as a supermarket or a

department store),retailers can be categorised by (a) Ownership, (b) Store
strategy mix, and (c) Non storeoperations.

Form of Ownership

A retail business like any other type of business, can be owned by a sole
proprietor,partners or a corporation. A majority of retail business in India are
sole proprietorships andpartnerships.
Independent Retailer

Generally operates one outlet and offers personalised service, a convenient

location andclose customer contact. Roughly 98% of all the retail businesses
in India, are managed andrun by independents, including barber shops, dry
cleaners, furniture stores, bookshops,LPG Gas Agencies and neighbourhood
stores. This is due to the fact that into retailing iseasy and it requires low
investment and little technical knowledge. This obviously resultsin a high
degree of competition..Most independent retailers fail because of the ease of
entry, poor management skills andinadequate resources.

Retail Chain

It involves common ownership of multiple units. In such units, the purchasing

anddecision making is centralised. Chains often rely on, specialisation,
standardisation andelaborate control- systems. Consequently chains are able
to serve a large dispersed targetmarket and maintain a well known company
name. Chain stores have been successful,mainly because they have the
opportunity to take advantage of "economies of scale" inbuying and selling
goods. They can maintain their prices, thus increasing their margins, or
They can cut prices and attract greater sales volume. Unlike smaller,
independent retailerswith lesser financial means, they can also take advantage
of such tools as computers andinformation technology. Examples of retail
chains in India are Shoppers stop; West sideand IOC, convenience stores at
select petrol filling stations.

Cooperatives

A retail cooperative is a group of independent retailers that have combined

their financialresources and their expertise in order to effectively control their
wholesaling needs. Theyshare purchases, storage, shopping facilities,
advertising planning and other functions. Theindividual retailers retain their
independence, but agree on broad common policies. Amulis a typical example
of a cooperative in India.

Store Strategy Mix

Retailers can be classified by retail store strategy mix, which is an integrated

combinationof hours, location, assortment, service, advertising, and prices
etc. The various categories
are:
(A)Convenience Store: Is generally a well situated, food oriented store with
longoperating house and a limited number of items. Consumers use a
convenience store; forfill in items such as bread, milk, eggs, chocolates and
candy etc.
(B)Super markets: Is a diversified store which sells a broad range of food and
non fooditems. A supermarket typically carries small household appliances,
some apparel items,bakery, film developing, jams, pickles, books, audio/video
CD's etc. The Govt. run SuperBazaar, and Kendriya Bhandar in Delhi are good
examples of a supermarket. Similarly in we have Apna Bazar and Sahakari
Bhandar.
(C)Department Stores: A department store usually sells a general line of
apparel for thefamily, household linens, home furnishings and appliances.
Large format appareldepartment stores include Pantaloon, Ebony and
Pyramid. Others in this category are:
Shoppers Stop and Westside.
(D)Speciality Store: Concentrates on the sale of a single line of products or
services, suchas Audio equipment, Jewellery, Beauty and Health Care, etc.
Consumers are notconfronted with racks of unrelated merchandise.
Successful speciality stores in Indiainclude, Music World for audio needs,
Tanishq for jewellery and McDonalds, Pizza Hutand Nirula's for food services.
(E)Hyper Markets: Is a special kind of combination store which integrates an
economysupermarket with a discount department store. A hyper market
generally has an ambiencewhich attracts the family as a whole. Pantaloon
Retail India Ltd. (PRIL) through itshypermarket "Big Bazar", offers products at
prices which are 28% - 30% lower than themarket price.

Non Store Retailing

In non store retailing, customers do not go to a store to buy. This type of

retailing isgrowing very fast. Among the reasons are; the ability to buy
merchandise not available in 10local stores, the increasing number of women
workers, and the presence of unskilled retailsales persons who cannot provide
information to help shoppers make buying decisionsThe major types of non
store retailing are:
(A)In Home Retailing: Where, a sales transaction takes place in a home
setting -including door-door selling. It gives the sales person an opportunity to
demonstrateproducts in a very personal manner. He/She has the prospect's
attention and there arefewer distractions as compared to a store setting.
Examples of in home retailing include,Eureka Forbes vacuum cleaners and
water filters.
(B)Telesales/Telephone Retailing: This involves contact between the
prospect and theretailer over the phone, for the purpose of making a sale or
purchase. A large number ofmobile phone service providers use this method.
Other examples are private insurancecompanies, credit companies etc.
(C)Catalog Retailing: This is a type of non store retailing in which the
retailers offers themerchandise in a catalogue, which includes ordering
instructions and customer orders bymail. The basic attraction for shoppers is
convenience. The advantages to the retailersinclude lover operating costs,
lower rents, smaller sales staff and absence of shoplifting.This trend is
catching up fast in India. Burlington's catalogue shopping was quite popular
in recent times. Some multi level marketing companies like Oriflame also
resort tocatalogue retailing.
(D)Direct Response Retailing: Here the marketers advertise these products/
services inmagazines, newspapers, radio and/or television offering an address
or telephone numberso that consumers can write or call to place an order. It is
also sometimes referred to as"Direct response advertising." The availability of
credit cards and toll free numbersstimulate direct response by telephone. The
goal is to induce the customer to make animmediate and direct response to
the advertisement to "order now." Telebrands is a classic
example of direct response retailing. Times shopping India is another example.
(E)Automatic Vending: Although in a very nascent stage in India, is the
ultimate in nonpersonal, non store retailing. Products are sold directly to
customers/buyers frommachines. These machines dispense products which
enable customers to buy after closinghours. ATMs dispensing cash at odd
hours represent this form of non store retailing.Apart from al820874100
l the multinational banks, a large number of Indian banks also provide ATM
services,countrywide.

THE WHEEL OF RETAILING

Is a hypothesis that attempts to explain the emergence of new retailing

institutions andtheir eventual decline and replacement by newer retailing
institutions? Like productsRetailing institutions also have a life cycle.
According to this theory new retailers enter the market as, low margin, low
price, lowstatus institutions. The cycle begins with retailers attracting
customers by offering lowprice and low service. Over a period of time these
retailers want to expand their marketsand begin to stock more merchandise,
provide more services, and open more convenientlocations. This trading up
process. Increases the retailers’ costs and prices, creatingopportunities for
new low price retailers to enter the market.The evolution of the department
store illustrates the "wheel of retailing" theory. In its In the entry phase, the
department store was a low cost-low service venture. With time it moved
up into the trading-up phase. It upgraded its facilities, stock selection,
advertising andservice. The same department store then moves into the
vulnerability phase, because itbecomes vulnerable to low cost/low service
formats, such as full line discount stores andcategory specialists. Figure 1.8
illustrates this theory. While the wheel hypothesis has agreat deal of intuitive
appeal and has been borne out in general by many studies of retail
development, it only reflects a pattern. It is not a sure indicator of every
change, nor was itever intended to describe the development of every
individual retailer.

RETAILING DECISIONS

There are many factors for retailers to consider while developing and
implementing theirmarketing plans. Among the major retailing decisions are
these related to (a) Targetmarkets (b) Merchandise management (c) Store
location (d) Store image (e) Storepersonnel (f) Store design (g) Promotion, and
(h) Credit and collections.

Target Markets: Although retailers normally aim at the mass market, a

growing number are engaging in marketing research and market
segmentation, because they are finding itincreasingly difficult to satisfy
everyone. Through a careful definition of target markets,retailers can use their
resources and capabilities to position themselves more effectively and
achieve differential advantage. The tremendous growth in number of speciality
stores inrecent years is largely due to their ability to define precisely the type
of customers, they wantto serve.Merchandise Management: The objective here
is to identify the merchandise thatcustomers want, and make it available at the
right price, in the right place at the righttime. Merchandise Management
includes (i) merchandise planning (ii) merchandisepurchase, and (iii)
merchandise control. Merchandise planning deals with decisionsrelating to the
breadth and depth of the mix, needed to satisfy target customers to
achieve the retailers return on investment. This involves sales forecasting,
inventoryrequirements, decisions regarding gross margins and markups etc.
Merchandisebuying involves decisions relating to centralised or decentralised
buying, merchandiseresources and negotiation with suppliers. Merchandise
Control: deals with maintainingthe proper level of inventory and protecting it
against shrinkage (theft, pilferage etc.).

Store Location: Location is critical to the success of a retail store. A store's

tradingarea is the area surrounding the store from which the outlet draws a
majority of itscustomers. The extent of this area depends upon the
merchandise sold. For examplesome people might be willing to travel a longer
distance to shop at a speciality storebecause of the unique and prestigious
merchandise offered. Having decided on thetrading area a specific site must
then be selected. Factors affecting the site include,traffic patterns,
accessibility, competitors' location, availability and cost and population shifts
within the area.
Store Image: A store image is the mental picture, or personality of the store, a
retailerlikes to project to customers. Image is affected by advertising, services;
store layout,personnel, as well as the quality, depth and breadth of
merchandise. Customers tend toshop in stores that fit their images of
themselves.

Store Personnel: Sales personnel at a retail store can help build customer
loyalty andstore image. A major complaint in many lanes of retailing, is the
poor attitude of asalesperson. There is a growing trend now, to provide
training to, these sales clerks toconvert them from order takers to effective
sales associates.

Store Design: A store's exterior and interior design affect its image and profit
potential. The exterior should be attractive and inviting and should blend with
thestore's general surroundings. The term Atmospherics" is used to refer to
the retailer's 14effort at creating the right ambience. Merchandise display is
equally important. Aneffective layout guides the customer though the various
sections in the store andfacilitates purchase.

Promotion: retail promotion includes all communication from retailers to

consumersand between salespeople and customers. The objective is to build
the stores image,promote customer traffic, and sell specific products. It
includes both, personal and nonpersonal promotion. Personal communication
is personal selling - the face to faceinteraction between the buyer and the
seller. Department stores and speciality stores,emphasise this form of
promotion. Non personal promotion is advertising. The mediaused are TV,
Radio, Newspapers, Outdoor displays and direct mail, other forms of
promotion include, displays, special sales, give always and contests etc.

Credits & Collections: Retailers are generally wary of providing credit,

because ofadditional costs-financing accounts receivables, processing forms
and bad debts etc.But many customers prefer some form of credit while
purchasing. This explains thepopularity of different types of credit cards and
debit cards.

RELIANCE COMPANY PROFILE

RELIANCE GROUP
The Reliance Group, founded by Dhirubhai H. Ambani (1932-2002), is India's
largest privatesector enterprise, with businesses in the energy and materials
value chain. Group's annualrevenues are in excess of USD 27 billion. The
flagship company, Reliance Industries Limited,is a Fortune Global 800
company and is the largest private sector company in India.
Backward vertical integration has been the cornerstone of the evolution and
growth ofReliance. Starting with textiles in the late seventies, Reliance
pursued a strategy of backwardvertical integration - in polyester, fibre
intermediates, plastics, petrochemicals, petroleumrefining and oil and gas
exploration and production - to be fully integrated along the materials
and energy value chain.
The Group's activities span exploration and production of oil and gas,
petroleum refining andmarketing, petrochemicals (polyester, fibre
intermediates, plastics and chemicals), textiles andretail.
Reliance enjoys global leadership in its businesses, The Group exports
products in excess ofUSD 18 billion to more than 100 countries in the world.
There are more than 28,000employees on the rolls of Group Companies. Major
Group Companies are Reliance IndustriesLimited (including main subsidiaries
Reliance Petroleum Limited and Reliance RetailLimited) and Reliance
Industrial Infrastructure Limited.

FOUNDER PROFILE

"Growth has no limit at Reliance. I keep revising my vision. Only when

you can dream, You can do it."

Dhirubhai H. Ambani
Founder Chairman Reliance Group
December 28, 1932 - July 6, 2002
Dhirubhai Ambani founded Reliance as a textile company and led its
evolution as a global
leader in the materials and energy value chain businesses.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF RELIANCE INDUSTRIES LIMITED
Mukesh D. Ambani Chairman &
Managing Director
Nikhil R. Meswani Executive
Director
Hital R. Meswani
Executive Director
VISION AND MISSION

Reliance Retail Vision statement

● Through sustainable measures, create value for the nation.

● Enhance the quality of life across the entire socio-economic spectrum.
● Help India to become a global leader in the domains where it operates.

Reliance Retail Mission statement

”Growth through Commitments”

We care about:-

● Quality
● Research & Development Health,
● Safety & Environment
● Human Resource Development
● Energy Conservation
● Corporate Citizenship

Reliance believes that any business conduct can be ethical only when it rests
on the nine corevalues of Honesty, Integrity, Respect, Fairness,
Purposefulness, Trust, Responsibility,Citizenship and Caring.
The essence of these commitments is that each employee conducts the
company's business with integrity, in compliance with applicable laws, and in
a manner that excludes considerations of personal advantage. We do not lose
sight of these values under any circumstances, regardless of the goals we
have to achieve. To us, the means are as important as the ends.
For Reliance…
● Growth is care for good health Reliance's occupational health centres carry
outpre-employment and periodic medical checkups as well as other routine
preventiveservices. Specialised tests like biological monitoring, health risk
assessment studies and audits for exposure to various materials are also
performed. Health education and awareness form an integral part of the health
care programme at Reliance. Growth IsCare for Safety We believe that the
safety of each employee is the responsibility of the individual as well as the
whole community of employees.
● Growth is care for the environment Reliance believes that a clean
environment andThe workplace fosters health and prosperity for the
individual, the group and the larger community to which they belong.
Environmental protection is an integral part of the planning, design,
construction, operation and maintenance of all our projects.
● Growth is conservation At Reliance, energy conservation efforts seek to
reduce the unit cost of fuels and to improve efficiencies in energy intensive
processes.
● Growth is betting on our people. Reliance builds with care a workplace that
proactively fosters professional as well as personal growth. There is freedom
to explore and learn;and there are opportunities that inspire initiative and
intrinsic motivation. We believe that people must dream to achieve, that these
dreams will drive the company's excellence in all its businesses.
● Reliance thinks, behaves, lives and thrives with a global mindset,
encouraging every employee to reach his / her full potential by availing
opportunities that arise across thegroup.

Reliance Retail Values

● Growth and success are based on the ten core values of

● Care
● Citizenship
● Fairness
● Honesty
● Integrity
● Purposefulness
● Respect
● Responsibility
● Safety
● Truth

Organisational Chart of Reliance SMART

● Zonal Manager
● Cluster Manager
● Area Manager
● Assistant Store Manager(ASM)
● Store Manager(SM)
● Store Supervisor
● Commercial Associate
● Customer Service Associate
Marketing & Operations Activity at Reliance SMART, Perambur

● The Reliance SMART Outlet followed a grid type pattern. This enables the
customer to get accustomed and familiar which helps in locating the
merchandise easily. It is also cost efficient and easy to clean and self servicing
is easier.
● All the products are displayed on a gondola, bay and some products are kept
on end cap to sell at a much faster pace
● There was a Summer jackpot sale going on and hence banners and displays
were raised outside the outlet to attract customers. Offers were given on
beverages and icecreams.
● During the weekend, Rice bag ice cream and Oil combo offers were
displayed outside the outlet to improve the sale.
● Maaza introduced a new flavour “Maaza Gold”. So, a promotional ad
campaign was going on in the outlet.
● Clearance markdowns were done to get rid of slow-moving and obsolete
products.
● Promotional markdowns were done to increase sales traffic and to promote
new products.
● These types of products are often kept on floor display or where the
customer waits near the billing counter.
● New displays and banners were raised as part of the Ramzan Promotional
Campaign.
● I learnt how SAP was used to manage the inventory at the Reliance SMART
outlet.
● Fruits & Vegetable were sourced from different nearby villages (Tiruvallur,
Acharapakkam) and distributed from the HUB.
● The HUB for Reliance Retail Limited is situated in Puzhal Camp, from there it
isdistributed to all the retail outlets.
● GRN (Goods Receipt Note) is entered in the SAP database immediately after
the arrival of the products.
● GRN is created to record the delivery of items from your suppliers.
24● Suppose if the product is sold with GRN registration it can be corrected
usingStock/Negative Correction or else it will show the negative number in the
database.
● Stocks are updated in the database and the products are sent to the outlets
when the stock reaches a minimum number.
● Some products follow DSD like ID, Kwality Wall’s.
● Direct Store Delivery, or DSD, is a distribution strategy that offers an
alternative tocentralised distribution. DSD allows retailers to reduce operating
costs by sidestepping the retailer’s distribution centre.
● Instead, goods travel directly from the supplier to the retail store, saving
time and money off of the retailer’s bottom line.
APPLICATION OF MANAGEMENT THEORY

Work Life Balance

The term Work life balance is referring to a satisfying balance between work
life and private life and the experience when and how that is achieved could of
course differ between people, but the term “Work- life balance” could be
explained as, when the two life spheres: work-life and private life is not
intruding excessively on each other. Work-life and family life have until quite
recently had clear physical borders i.e. before you were either at the office
working or at home with your family and it was basically not possible to work
from home, unless you were self-employed or in a similar work-situation
Nowadays, the possibility to work at different places for instance, from; home,
the public transportation or sometimes even on a beach anywhere in
The world has become a reality for many people. The technology such as:
smartphones, tablets,laptops etc. have changed that and a lot of different
work-places offer alternative work arrangements, which means that there are
alternatives to the traditional eight hours’ work-day,approximately between 9
a.m. to 5 a.m. at the office. Throughout history work-life has changed in
different ways. People used to work longer days before and in 1971 the
Swedish working act
Regular working hours were made, which limited the working hours to not
exceed40 hours a week. Nowadays, we have entered into a new era where
boundaries regarding working hours are more blurred and work arrangements
such as flexible and unregulated working hours are increasing. Explicitly, the
working hours might be 40 hours a week, but in reality the working hours
could be a different number and sometimes they are more and sometimes they
are less. Naturally, this phenomenon has changed the possibility of spending
time with our family moreor less. It depends on how it would be interpreted as
being with the family and working at the same time or simply working with the
family physically close to you. On the other hand, unregulated working hours
allow you to take hours off if needed throughout the day, for example, to visit
your child at school if there is for instance, a meeting with the teacher or
another important activity. Work life balance describes the relationship
between your work and the commitments in the rest of your life, and how they
impact on one another. Employers,Employees and the government want to
maximise participation in the workforce. However, in our demanding lives
many people struggle to balance work and the responsibilities of caring for
children, family members with a disability or elderly parents. For other workers
it's often difficult to find time outside work for study, volunteering, taking care
of their own health or participating in sport and recreation. There is no ideal
work life balance; everyone is different and the 'right' balance may alter over
time as families grow older and personal commitmentschange. Having options
about how work is organised makes managing work and life demands possible
by allowing employees to work in non-traditional work patterns and locations
that better fit their personal commitments. Overall quality of life improves and
businesses also benefit from employees' higher morale and commitment. The
term work life balance (WLB) can be defined as previously mentioned the
balance between work-life and private life. The term balance as a metaphoric
definition indicates the pursuit towards a satisfying balance and the avoidance
of any side weighting to heavy. When a person experiences a good WLB he or
she is able to separate between work-and family life and does not have to
worry about being interrupted by alarm telephone calls, messages or emails
while spending time with their family or in a private situation. The term has
been criticised since it is considered to be socially constructed regarding what
is really related to work and why it is not for example the domestic work, which
is still mostly carried out by women, this is the future discussed below. Hence,
this study will refer to work in the context of paid work to avoid any ambiguity.
WLB practices can be described as benefits for the employees to be able to
combine their private life with their work-life. Work-life balance practices could
be any benefit that makes life easier in one way or another for the employee
who are juggling their private life and work-life for instance: Parental leave,
flexi-time, unregulated working hours, telecommuting, and could as well be
available fitness centres, daycare centres sponsored by the workplace etc.
There is a focus on the most commonly used WLB practices in this study,
searched as: parental leave, flexitime, unregulated working hours and part-time
working. The delimitations in this study have been to focus on the actual
experiences of the informants concerning work-life balance practices. The
de-limitationsregarding the informants have been that they are officials
working in either private- or public sector and they should have children under
18 years of age and that they had used parental leave and other work-life
balance practices such as; flexi time, part time, telework or unregulated
working hours. The only requirement was that they had used the parental 4
leave and at least one more WLB practice. The basis is to investigate and
understand how the work life balance practices have worked in eight different
people’s lives, neither to make a comparative study between countries nor to
generalise it to for example all other parents in Sweden. Officials are chosen
mainly because their technical work equipment (such as laptops, smartphones
etc.) allow them to work at other place that their workplace to a greater extent
than workers who usually perform practical tasks that are only possible to be
at the workplace, for instance: painters,carpenters, care workers, bus drivers
etc. Those workers can of course also work to muchovertime etc. The study’s
aim was to assess the extent to which employers operated work-life
balance practices and whether employees felt existing practices met their
needs. The study looked at policies and practices that: Permitted some
flexibility with respect to hours of work.Allowed people to work from home.
Granted leave arrangements allowed people to either meet their non-work.
Commitments or realise their non-work goals. Provided workplace facilities
assist employees to attend work. Promoted communication and consultation
between employers and employees over relevant issues.

THE IMPORTANCE OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE

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

THE ROLE OF MANAGEMENT IN PROMOTING WORK-LIFE

BALANCE
Human resource (HR) management is a particularly versatile element of the
organisation, and its responsibilities are often much less clear than a textbook
might imply. While hiring, training employment contracts and regulatory
considerations are well within the HR framework, so too is ensuring that
employees are both healthy and satisfied at work. This requires taking stands
on behalf of the employees, and putting organisational and managerial
expectations and policies in place to ensure that employees are treated
properly. One example of what HR and/or upperManagement can override the
culture to encourage employees to take time for themselves. Upper
management must communicate to lower managers, through words and by
example, that work communication past a certain time of night (or on the
weekends) is only acceptable in highly time-sensitive situations (or never at
all). HR can suggest to employees that they turn off their work phones in the
evenings and leave their work computers in the office unless absolutely
necessary. Another useful tool for management is flexi time. This is
particularly useful for individuals in global markets, since they are often on the
phone early in the morning or late at night with clients or suppliers on the
other side of the globe. Employeesmight also work only four days a week, but
work 10 to 12 hours each of those days (from, say,6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.).
Businesses focused on quarterly results could offer long weekends at a
company-wide level at the beginning of each new quarter (when workload is
the smallest). HRprofessionals should be observant and creative, identifying
when employees are pushing themselves too hard and offering solutions.
WORK-LIFE BALANCE POLICIES & PRACTICES WORK LIFE
BALANCE
Work-life balance policies frequently include benefits such as flexible work
hours, child- and elder-care provisions, paid maternity leave, adoption
assistance, leave/ time off, education assistance, health assistance, and
housing assistance. Flexible work hours,telecommuting, andjob sharing also
may encourage work-life balance, and for some organisations may help reduce
costs for non-work-related absences. However, research clearly shows that
regardless of what the organisation promotes, direct supervisors/managers
greatly influence the work-life balance of their subordinates. Managers, who
focus on the desired work product, rather than requiring “facetime” or logging
overtime hours, can better enable their employees to balance work and life
demands. An important caveat to note: when organisations advertise a culture
of work-life balance to job applicants but then fail to implement or enforce the
policies, they may quickly lose those new hires. Also important to note, the
menu of work-life balance supports should be broad enough to meet the needs
not only of p 6 A state .
Both a person’s job and personal life are equal. WLB is the maintenance of a
balance between responsibilities at work and at home. Work life initiatives are
those strategies, policies, programs and practices initiated and maintained in
workplaces to address flexibility, quality of work life and work family conflict.
In other words, WLB is about people having a measure of control over when,
where and how they work. Strategies of WLB in organisations include policies
covering flexible work arrangements, child and dependent care and family and
parental leave. SeveralStudies have shown the benefits associated with the
provision of work life in organizations.Various research has indicated that
those workers who have some form of control over their working environment
tend to suffer less stress related ill-health, with clear implications for the
concept of work-life balance. According to Jim Bird, CEO of
Worklifebalance.com (an international work-life balance and consulting
company), ``Work-life balance is meaningful achievement and enjoyment in
everyday life”. Also he believes that to achieve better work-life balance, each
individual needs to work smarter- to get more done in less time. The primary
wayCompanies can help facilitate work-life balance for their employees
through work-life practices that are usually associated with flexible working
and reductions in working time or family-friendly policies. Even if many
companies have extensive work-life programs, most have not yet changed
their organisational cultures to support employees and managers who want to
use work-life options. Work-life balance policies can assist employees
achieving a balance between their work and personal commitments that is
right for them. The policies need to be supported by the workplace culture,
which reflects the beliefs, values and norms of the whole ofthe organisation
from the CEO to staff members. Other important factors in the success of work
life balance policies include proper communication of commitment to the
policies to existing and30 future employees, raising awareness of the
policies,education of managers about the importance of policies, and training
of managers on ‟how to’’ implement these policies
● According to the questionnaire answered by the employees it can be clearly
seen thatReliance Retail Limited have various policies regarding work life
balance of employees,the prominent one’s being Family Support / Counselling
Services, Flexible working hours is one major factor in maintaining positive
work life balance as said by majority of the employees
.

STORE LAYOUT AND TRAFFIC FLOW

It is very important that the store's layout and overall presentation work
harmoniously together to attract customers to the store and encourage them
to buy. Layout and presentation need to promote the store image and support
the store's market position in a consistent manner.
In organising store layout, the manager is responsible for:
● allocating floor space;
● planning traffic flow; and
● product placement.
Store layout is not established and then forgotten about. Layout needs to be
assessed, monitored and adjusted to ensure that the store works as efficiently
as possible. As the manager, you will need to regularly carry out layout
assessment.
Product placement also needs to be assessed regularly. This assessment
should take into account:
● commitments to manufacturers;
● sales figures for individual products;
● promotions; and
● seasonal considerations. Allocation of store space Store managers generally
expend a great deal of time, thought and money designing and implementing a
workable and effective store layout. The planning beginswith allocating floor
space based on selling area and/or the area where merchandise is
displayed.From available space, room must also be made for employees to
rest, customers to walk, sit and try on clothes and for other activities such as
storing stock. Some of the space allocations are beyond the control of the
manager e.g.the size of the storeroom or break room.As the manager, you will
need to regularly evaluate the allocation of space that you do have control
over. This is an important management planning task.

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

Types of traffic flow

There are two basic traffic-flow alternatives available to the retailer:
● the grid pattern which is characterised by its structured layout design; and
● the free flow pattern which is less formal in its appearance.

The Reliance SMART Outlet followed a grid type pattern. This enables the
customer to get accustomed and familiar which helps in locating the
merchandise easily. It is also cost efficient and easy to clean and self servicing
is easier.

The Grid Pattern

Grid Pattern​. Another traditional form of store layout​is grid pattern​, in which
the counters and fixtures are placed in long rows or runs., usually at right
angles, throughout the stores

INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE REFLECTION ON LEARNING

AND GROWTH

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

Marketing Research
Marketing research as a functional area of management is becoming
increasingly importantas compared to other fields. All decisions in modern
business organisations revolve around marketing information. Because the
success of the business does not depend upon the guesswork rather having
the correct information about the customer, what they want, how they
want,how much they are able to pay, and the substitute available in the market
etc. Thisinformation can be collected and utilised with the help of marketing
research.Marketing research is the systematic and objective identification,
collection,analysis, discrimination, and use of information for the purpose of
improving decision making related to the identification and solution of
problems in marketing.

Types of Research
1.Considered. Basically there is a little knowledge on which to build.
2. Descriptive Research: Descriptive research embraces a large proportion
ofmarketing research. The purpose is to provide an accurate snapshot of
some aspectof the market environment. In descriptive research, hypothesis
often will exist, butthem tentative and speculative.
3. Causal Research: When it is necessary to show that one variable 22
Causes or determines the values of other variables, a casual research
Approach must be used. Since data collection method is from surveys,
Hence Descriptive type of research is used for analysis of the dat

Types and collection of data used

Basically there are two types of data which are used in the marketing research
process.
1. Primary Data
A. Observation
B. Interview
C. Questionnaires
Interview: Interview is one of the chief means of collecting data in the
research process.Interview may be defined as a systematic conversation
initiated for a specific purpose andfocus on certain content areas.
Surveys: There are mainly three types of surveys, depending upon the
method of data
Gathering used: Personal surveys, telephone surveys and mail surveys.
Advantages of Surveys
1. Wider Distribution
2. Less Distribution bias
3. Thoughtful reply
The primary data under processing is collected from both direct filling the
questionnaires
and through telephone interviews also.
2. Secondary Data: The data once collected by one person become the
secondarydata if used by another person.
Sources of Secondary Data: The various sources of data are as follows:
1. Bibliography
2. Directories
3. Televisions
4. Newspapers
5. Journals
6. Websites

Attitude Measurement
Attitude is psychological constructs, a way of conceptualising the intangible.
Attitude can’really be observed or measured directly because their existence
is inferred from theirconsequences. Attitudes are mental states used by
individuals to structure the way theyperceived their environment and guided
the way to respond to it.Types of Attitude measurements Scale: There are four
types of measurement scale asfollows.
1. Nominal Scale: In a nominal scale, objects are assigned to mutually
exclusive,labelled categories but there is no necessary relationship among the
categories.
2. Ordinal Scale: An ordinal scale is obtained by arranging them in order with
regardsto some common variable. The question is simply whether each object
has more orless of this variable than some other objects.
3. Interval Scale: In an interval scale the numbers used to rank the objects
alsorepresent equal increments of the attributes being measured.
4. Ratio Scale: A ratio scale is a special kind of interval scale that has a
natural zeropoint.
The Nominal Scale is used while designing the questionnaire. Both close
ended and openended questions are put together in the questionnaire.

DATA COLLECTION:

PRIMARY DATA – Collected from consumers and suppliers, reliance fresh

employees

SECONDARY DATA – Collected from the internet, articles, and newspapers.

The information is the major part of any research proposal to attain certain
objectives werequire both secondary and primary data which is discussed
above .

ACTIVITIES GROUPS WITHIN THE STORES

1) Indenting & Purchase Orders (PO’s)

(a)Indenting – DC Delivery:-
Indenting will happen after checking stock in the store and goods in transit. Or
whenever ifrequired any changes in indenting due to season, weekends or any
festivals then the quantityis modified. For branded goods there is a automatic
indenting system which is handled by thehead office (Mumbai). Delivery of
fruit & vegetables is 48 hours after being raised.Indenting for milk and dairy
products is delivered after 36 hours.
(b) Raising PO for Bakery28
PO (purchase order) for bakery supply is raised in the store and also released
to the vendorsby the stores. PO on vendors can be raised only once each day
& it will be valid for 24 hours.

2) Receiving:-
(a) Checking of Delivery in DC
All the Dry DC delivery will be checked by a store staff in the DC staging area
beforepacking and loading. This is to minimise delivery count error and ensure
that right quantity isdelivered to the stores. Behind this all the activity owner is
the Store Manager.
(b) Receiving Goods in Store: From DC & CPCReceiving indented goods
from the DC & CPC as per the delivery schedule. At the time ofreceiving goods
from DC many things which is followed by the SM, ASM,& CSA:-
Check the seal in front of the driver.Note down the air condition temperature.
Inspect stocks for transit damages.
If any HU (Handling unit) / article is found damaged, excess, or missing noted
it onthe trip sheet for return to DC.
Do the GRN (Goods return note) for the delivery for the actual received
quantity.
Stores are not unloading transit damaged stocks. Transit damages will be returned to
DC in the same delivery truck.The main focus during goods receiving must be to
unload the crates/ cartons from thetruck as quickly and safely as possible.
(c) Receiving from Vendors
Procedure for receiving goods directly from vendors. Behind this whole
activityThe owner is the store manager/ asst. store manager. Reliance fresh
stores indenting speciallybakery, beverage and books/magazines and music.
SM/ASM Checks:-Check the deliveries for quantity, damages and freshness
and accept only goodproducts as per shelf life norms.
Do not accept any short shelf life or damage quantity from vendor and reduce
it fromthe invoice if required.
Remove all expired products from the shelf and get them replaced with fresh
productwithout any GRN for the same.
In case of books/magazines and music SM/ASM check bar-codes on the books
ormusic CDs delivered by the vendor & return the unsold items to the
vendors.Vendors and store staff check physically check DSD deliveries for
damages andfreshness and accept only fresh saleable products.

3) Replenishment of goods
(a) Replenish Shelf from Goods Receiving Area
Process of moving goods from goods receiving area to the respective
bays/freezers/chillers asper the priority fill rule.
Frozen products received must have first priority for stacking in the Freezers.
Strictly follow FIFOPlace previous stock in the front/top of the shelf.
Chilled product received must have second priority after frozen product for
stackingin the chillers

Managing Planogram
Implementation of changes of Planogram
The Planogram indicates the location for each SKU on a shelf. This process
describes how tochange Planogram. Change of Planogram is wholly managed
by headquarters. Headquartersend a new Planogram to the store by mail.
Changing of fixtures and shelf heights, atper new Planogram. The major
change of shelf is less than 8 bays. Check quality of stockreceived as per
Planogram, raise an indent of additional stock if required. Stack goods as per
Planogram and readjust SEL to align with the left hand side of the first facing
going from theleft. All the changes made on the shelf to be signed off by the
store manager. All the Planogram to beprovided in standard format.
Planograms indicate shelf heights. Planogram is send to the storeat least 2
days in advance of the change. No stock to be displayed on the shelf if it not in
the Planogram. If the F& V section looks empty in the late evening because of
stock outs, thenstore manager may change only the F&V Planogram in a
suitable manner to give appearanceof a full store.

Getting Products from Shelf to customers

(a) Promotion management (setting up the store for new promotions)30
Store check that all new promotional stock has been received from the DC and
thefree gifts under promotional offer are bundled along with the promotional
stock. If thefree gift is too large to be accommodated on the shelf – the gift
should be provided tothe customer at the till.Put up new promotional signage
above the end cap at the marketing definedlocations.ASM/SM briefs the staff at
the morning and afternoon meeting on the promotiondetails.
Staff need to be briefed on the following :
● Details of the promotion
● Period of the promotion
● Advantages to the customer
● Any special arrangements at the till
● Sales target for the promotion
● Process for dealing with left over promotion stock
If the customer brings the promotion item back for exchange / refund – the
customerhas to bring back the free offer as well. Exception can be made at the
customer’sfavour at the discretion of the store manager.

Stock Display Management

Filling up the gaps on the shelves for SKU sold during the day is defined as
spot fill.Fill F&V in a similar manner using crates stored in the bottom shelf of
the wall racks,below heapers and in the back room. Follow FEFO, FIFO rules.
In case of F&V, remove the old crates, place the new crates on the racks and
thenplace the older products on top of the newer products – FIFO
Checking the temperature of chillers and freezers is also a part of SDM.
It is the process of checking and moving stocks to ensure that the older stock
getssold before the newer ones.FEFO / FIFO to be followed for stock rotation
for non F&V SKUs.The thing which is strictly followed is removal of damaged
part of the F&V will notbe carried out at the shop floor under any
circumstances.In every store every day employees check for date code check
schedule for the day instore perform.Employees removed expired products
from the shelves and take them to the back ofthe store.Employees identify &
segregate near expiry products for mark down as permarkdown policy and
guidelines.Procedure for selling loose staple products to the customer in
desired quantity.Procedure for managing the concessionaire in our stores like
the Pickles counters,Sweet counters etc.
Home delivery: for this there is some procedure which is followed by stores.
Purchase a detailed street map of the local area e.g. Eicher
Outline on the map the catchments which fall in 2 Kmradius of the store.
Prepare a list of roads / buildings within that area.They appoint two employees
for Home delivery champions(HDC) – for order taking, picking and billing.
Home delivery associate (HDA) – billing and delivery
.
There is two type of home delivery which is given by the
RF: Convenience order – this is a situation in which the
customer has come to the store, picked items, got them
billed and then request RF store team to deliver to his
residence. The payment in this case for the goods has
already been received.

Phone Orders - This is a situation in which the customer

does not carry out the activities of physically picking,
billing etc. but places an order on phone by calling either at
the store or at the call centre. The payment in this case
would be received once the delivery CSA goes to the
customer destination and hands over the goods.
Big orders store hire auto, rickshaws & it is decided by
store manager.

Managing waste and markdowns :

(a) Segregation of damaged and expiry in store :-
(a) For F&V crates are received carefully for the item not for sale as per
reliance retailquality and are removed from the shelf.
(b) It is done by CSA / F&V champions.
EXPIRY:-
(a) Near expiry product is markdown as per the RR rule.
(b) An expired product is segregated and treated
PRODUCT TYPE
TREATMENT
DSD supply
Exchange with fresh stock from the
vendor at the time of next delivery
DC supply
Dump in store.

(b)Markdown for damages and near expiry:-

Damaged and near expiry products are markdown as per the following rules:
Markdown criteria:-
Up to Rs. 18 or 18 % of selling price (whichever is lower) & it is done by Store
manager.
Up to Rs 30 or 30% of SP(whichever is lower) & it is also done by DM / AM.
Beyond Rs 30 or 30% of SP & it is done by state fresh heads.
Dumping of damages & expiry product:- Treatment for damaged &
expired product are
done in following manner:-
Loss type
Action
(a) Type C damage
Dump in store (shown in SAP)
Dispose in store.
(b) All expiry – (DC supply & DSD
without RTV)
Dump in system (SAP)
Display in store
(c) Expiry – (DC supply with RTV)
Exchange with fresh stock, fresh
vendor at the time of next delivery

For processing of dump (damaged & expired) approval is obtained from store
manage.
After dumping, all the dump are entered into dump register in the presence of
SMwith his /her signature.
The entire dumped product is then handed over to the garbage collection
agency.
For type C damaged products some part of each product is kept as proof.
Finally the dump register is present near DM/AM for approval (signature).
(c)Dump on arrival:-
On arrival of goods (F&V stock received from DC) poor quality goods are
segregated.
It is kept in separate place in the store with the sticker “dumped on arrival –
notfor sale” along with the receiving date.
And the respective SM is informed.
In the GRN (goods received roles) for the delivery, poor quality stocks are
entered as “Damaged Quality”.
Further it is kept for inspection and the area F&V executive is informed. E-mail
issend to the F&V head / F&V category head.
Finally dumped stocks are handed over to the garbage agency.
In case the GRN is done at the back end maintain a record of the DUA and also
record the some on the invoice that is sent to the commercial team.
DATA ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION

ANALYSIS
Analysis helps in structuring the finding from different sources of data
collection.it is veryhelpful in breaking a macro problems into micro parts. Data
analysis acts like a filter when itcomes to acquiring meaningful insights out of
huge data set. Overall analysis is classifying andrearranging the raw data to
arrive at meaningful interpretation.

INTERPRETATION

Interpretation is essential because it brings the outcome of the analysis into

forefront.it is theprocess of assigning meaning to the collected information
and determining the conclusions,significance and implications of the findings.
It is through interpretation that the researcher canunderstand the abstract
principles that the work beneath his founds. Through this he can linkupthe
same abstract principle. Interpretation leads the establishment of explanatory
concepts thatcan serve as a guide for tutor research studies. Research can
appreciate only throughinterpretation which can make other to understand of
researcher finding a per project study. The
data collect are analyzed simple percentage tool as the against the tool
number of respondents.The content analysis presented in the form of tables
and charts
PERCENTAGE ANALYSIS

( Age of Respondents )

● The total No. of respondents was 30 and the Maximum number of

respondents was fromthe age group (19-26) around 20. ( 66.67%)
● The remaining 10 (33.33%) respondents were from the age group
(27-35)
● This clearly shows that the sample population taken has a healthy mix
of age groupamong them.
 (Gender of Respondents)

● This sample population has an equal share of Male and Female

Respondents ( 50%) each.
 (Marital Status of Respondents)

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

● We have an interesting mix from the respondents in this chart

where almost 53.3% agreeto the fact that they make use of the
holidays and paid time off to maintain good work life balance.
● 13.3% are unsure whether it really helps them or not
● 33.3% feel that the holidays and paid time off are either not
provided at all or are really not helpful in maintaining positive work
life balance.
 ( Work Pressure )

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

● 50% of the employees feel that there is not much exhaustion in

the work they do.
● 33.3% of the employees feel much exhaustion at EOD. Maybe it
differs from job to job
 ( Salary )

● From the chart we can clearly see that 86.6% of the employees
are clearly not satisfiedwith the salary they get and it is not enough
for them to manage their personal life
 ( Family / Friends )

● Clearly 83.3% of the employees have the problem that their

family and friends do not spend proper time with them due to
work timings and pressure.
SUGGESTIONS

Based on the findings and discussions, some recommendations could be

mentioned here.

1. Maintaining proper working hours is one of the major key factor to maintain
positive work lifebalance. The organization should make sure that the
employees come on time and leave on time.
This will help in improving the overall productivity of the employee as well as
help him in maintaining a good work life balance. Apart from working hours,
not making them to work evenholidays will ensure well being for both
employer and employee.
2. Employees should be kept constantly engaged with counselling activities
and family supportprogrammes which has proven to be a very beneficial factor
for most of the employees. I suggestcontinuing and improving the counselling
services
3. Each employee must be given enough time for discussion to keep forth their
thoughts & pointsand noted that every employee gets a chance to speak /
discuss.
4. Feedback must be collected on a regular basis from the subordinates and
employees to serve inbetter way (or) to improve the current practices.
5. Due compensation for work done should be immediately settled in due time
without anydelay. Most of the employees are sole bread-winners for the family
and they are of low levelemployees. Even a slight delay in getting
compensated might make them feel agitated and in turnaffect their work life
balance in a negative way.
6. Providing accomodation for employees who travel from far away places
should be done toavoid exhaustion and lead to severe health issues.
7. Proper salary should be paid according to industry standards and rules as
most of theemployees feel that the salary paid is very low for them to lead their
personal lives.Apart from these suggestions, few more are implementing
online registers for stores instead ofstoring all registers and verification
documents in hard copy format. Digital format will be keptsafe and hassle free
verification is possible during store audits. Digital records verification will
save lots of time in verification and thus more stores can be covered in a
single day.

Instead of following just a grid pattern in the Reliance SMART outlet, a

combination of freeflow and grid pattern is introduced in the store layout. It
will help in improving the browsing ofcustomers and also to identify the
shopping behaviour of customers. It will help in creating an
atmosphere suited to the product as the Outlet also houses luxury electronics.
CONCLUSION

Work-life balance can increase the productivity in the workplace and improve
the workenvironment in general. Work-life balance requires cooperation and
coordination at national,governmental, organizational, family, as well as the
individual level. Stress is one of the factoraffecting both the work life and
personal life of the employees. The stress due to workload andpoor working
conditions can be reduced by improving the working conditions.

Providing goodcanteen facility or cafeteria where employees can go for a

break and refresh and giving themenough leisure time and holidays can really
help. Taking the employees for a holiday outing canimprove the interpersonal
relations and reduce their stress level. To overcome this problem both
the employer and employee should contribute equally in avoiding or
minimizing the factorsraising stress in the work-place.

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

Understanding about the PF and ESIC also enlightened me about labour laws
and regulations tobe followed while being an Entrepreneur.
The Grievance redressal cell was formed at the time of the starting of
Internship, and it gave medeep insights into Employee relations and well
being. The process was entirely anonymous andany employee could talk
about their Grievances to the HR without fearing their superiors.

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

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

Web-Links
● https://relianceretail.com/index.html
● https://epfindia.gov.in/site_en/index.php
● https://www.esic.nic.in/insured-person-employer-login

Other References
1. Galinsky,E., et al “The Corporate Reference Guide to Work-Family
Programmes, Families
and Work Institute: New York, 1991.
2. Bachmann,k., “work life balance. Are employees listening? Ottawa:
Conference Board of
Canada”, 2000.
3. Glass,J.L., and Fujimoto,T., “Employer Characteristics and the provisions of
Family
Responsive Policies", Volume No.22, 1995, pp.380-411.
4. Karrir, N. and Khurana, A., “Quality of work life of managers in Indian
industry”, Journal of
the Indian Academy of Applied Psychology, Vol. 22(12), 1996 pp.1926.
5. Coproni,P.J “Work life balance: you can’t get there from here. Journal of
Applied Behavioral
Science, Volume 33(1), 1997, pp.46-56.
626. Baral, R.,”Examining Antecendents of Work-Family Enrichment and its
Effect on Individual,
Family and Organisational Outcomes”, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, IIT
Bombay, 2000.
7. Bhandari, K., & Soni, H. Impact of Gender, Age and Work Experience on
Satisfaction
towards Work Life Balance (with special reference to Bank of Baroda, Udaipur)