Impact of Police Personnel’s Ranks on Quality of Work Life with Especial Reference to Police Telecom Branch of Madhya Pradesh Police

The current study aims to deeply analyze the influence of various hierarchies within the police department on the Quality of Work Life. The specific focus is on the Police Telecom Branch of the Madhya Pradesh Police. The primary goal of this research is to delve into how police personnel of different ranks perceive their quality of work life. It seeks to pinpoint the dimensions where their perceptions significantly vary. By doing so, the study aims to understand how these dimensions impact their performance and provide suggestions for enhancement. To gather data, a questionnaire comprising 50 questions was employed. After data collection, a Chi-square test was used to analyze the information to identify those dimensions that exhibit a significant association between ranks and perceptions about QWL. The findings conclusively established that there was a noticeable disparity in how police personnel of various ranks viewed the autonomy of work, compensation & rewards, and job satisfaction. This disparity was directly linked to differences in roles and responsibilities.


INTRODUCTION
Each individual engages in various endeavors to support their livelihood through business ventures or employment.When considering employment, a substantial portion of a day, almost one-third, is dedicated to it.In the case of the police profession, which operates around the clock, it occupies as much as two-thirds of the day.Consequently, the quality of work life holds tremendous significance in the lives of police personnel, impacting not only their work experience but also their overall well-being.Its influence extends to our general contentment and happiness.Thus, it becomes imperative that their work not only fulfills their duties but also provides them with a sense of fulfillment and tranquility.
The term "Quality of Work Life" (QWL) is studied to understand the nature of the relationship between an employee and his workplace.This concept is also considered as a subtype of the broader concept of "quality of life," which defines an individual's complete well-being.QWL is measured as an indicator of the overall human experience and perception about the workplace and it can be influenced by many factors likeorganizational culture, environment, behavior etc.It is also affected by the non-work and family aspects of life.It plays a very significant role in deciding the productivity of human resources of any organization.The better the employees perceive quality of work life the better the overall growth of the organization.In this study, the impact of police ranks on the Quality of Work Life of police personnel was examined to understand their perception towards QWL.The study found that police officers often sacrifice their social life, making attending social obligations, programs, family events, and personal responsibilities difficult.It is imperative that the police personnel have to do their duties during emergencies, and festivals regardless of their extensive work hours and limited time with family due to an overwhelming workload and inadequate leave.Hence, it is a must to acknowledge that these factors can significantly impact job satisfaction levels.The Telecom department of the Madhya Pradesh Police holds the responsibility of providing essential communication services, emergency response through Dial100, and city surveillance via CCTV support, which are critical duties that aid field police.They play a vital role as the voice, ears, and eyes of the police force, enabling efficient fieldwork.Police Telecom performs their duty to the best of their ability to provide support to the field police, for which they work even in the scorching heat of summer, rain days, and freezing winter.Whenever natural calamities like fires, floods or earthquakes take place, they play an active role in helping the field police in establishing communication support.This research study attempted to find out the factors that have an impact and significant influence on quality of work life of employees.Involving members in decisions about the environment, methods, and outcomes is crucial for organizations to enhance their work life.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE
An extensive literature review has been done on the concept of Quality of work life and similar theories about factors affecting QWL like work-life balance, Job Satisfaction, training provided, stress among police personnel etc, covering the frameworks for examining factors affecting QWL, Job Satisfaction, work-life balance, work culture, stress management in police work life.Based on several reports in the various studies on QWL it was observed & found that quality of life is not a stand-alone concept but several interrelated factors influence it in general as well as with reference to the police personnel.Also, Secondary data from various National and international journals, magazines, articles & internet websites e.g.www.resesarchgate.comhave been reviewed and studied in detail to get insight into the topic of the study.Research papers published in renowned journals and conferences, Articles-published in newspapers on related topics of the study such as Job Satisfaction Among Police Personnel, Quality of Work Life of Police Constables with Special Reference to Wellness, work life balance of police employees, Police stress and its effects on family life were also reviewed & studied in-depth.

Evolution and Definitions of Quality of Work Life
This concept of QWL was studied later in the nineteenth century and is a relatively new concept in Human Resource management.Frederick Winslow Taylor (1856 -1917) introduced the concept that for workers primary motivation is their salary.His theory proposed that employees don't find work enjoyable inherently, there must be strict supervision and control over them to make them work.He also suggested that for effective productivity long production processes should be divided into smaller tasks and then the workers should be given proper training and tools to perform those small tasks efficiently.They would be paid according to the quantity of work or tasks completed within a designated timeframe.
This system motivated the workers to put in more effort and eventually resulted in an increase in their productivity.However, Taylor's approach was soon disliked by many workers as they were only given repetitive tasks to carry out which made their work-life routine & boring.This made them feel as if they were being treated like machines.The increase in overall production also resulted in overproduction of products which compelled many Firms to lay off workers.Which in turn resulted in an increase in strikes and other forms of industrial action by dissatisfied workers.Elton Mayo (1880 -1949) came up with a new theory that the workers cannot be motivated only by the salary they are paid but they could be better motivated by having their social needs met whilst at work which was missing and ignored by F W Taylor. Mayo introduced the Human Relation School of thought, which focused on managers treating their subordinates as people who have worthwhile opinions and realizing that workers enjoy interacting together also.Abraham Maslow (1908 -1970) along with Frederick Herzberg (1968) introduced the Neo-Human Relations School in the 1950s, focusing more on the psychological needs of employees.In 1954 Maslow came up with a theory based on the concept of human needs and their satisfaction.He identified five sets of human needs (on a priority basis) and their satisfaction in motivating employees.These five needs include safety, esteem, love, physiological needs, and growth needs.Workers who lack basic needs tend to focus on making ends meet.On the other hand, workers whose basic needs are already satisfied concentrate on meeting growth needs.Maslow put forward a theory that these five levels of employees need to be fulfilled at work.All the needs are structured into a hierarchy and only once a lower level of need has been fully met, will a worker be motivated by the opportunity of having the next need up in the hierarchy satisfied.Frederick Herzberg had close links with Maslow and believed in a two-factor theory of motivation.He proposed that there were certain factors that an organization could introduce that would directly motivate employees to work harder (Motivators).However, there were also factors that the absence of which would de-motivate an employee.However, the presence of such factors would not contribute to motivating the employees to work harder (Hygiene factors).Herzberg"s theory in 1996 is based on the use of motivators which include -achievement, recognition, and opportunity for growth.He refers to hygiene factors and motivating factors in his theory.Hygiene factors are dissatisfiers while motivating factors motivate subordinates.A hierarchical arrangement of needs is not given.Motivational factors aim at harnessing personal growth, job satisfaction at the workplace and include aspects such as job challenges.To nurture a suitable working environment, the presence of hygiene factors must be guaranteed at the workplace before motivational factors can be introduced to stimulate workers.
McGregor"s work culminates theories, X and Y that focus on perceptions of organizational life and work.Theory X proposed that people intrinsically dislike working.Hence, managers must direct or control them to achieve workplace objectives.In Theory X-driven organizations, people prefer commands, avoid responsibility, and have no ambition.Hence, Theory-X-driven organizations focus on controlling and forcing employees to connect effectiveness and efficiency.Theory-Y proposed that just as rest and play, work is natural.Hence, people self-direct themselves towards achieving organizational objectives and seek and accept responsibility.Hence, theory-Y-driven organizations focus on developing and releasing employees" potential towards common operation management goals.Using force does not create a motivating environment as it makes employees aggressive or resistant, tapping on intrinsic motivation, passion does (Byrnes, 2008).
Quality is defined by several authors Dedhia Navin, S. (1998)20 stated that "quality is about behaving in a way that reflects on individuals and organization understanding of the fundamental inter-connectedness of structure, process and outcome."The work of Walton (1973) on QWL has been instrumental in advancing our comprehension of productivity and human resources.He devised an eight point criteria to measure the "Quality of Working Life".The categories are: (i) adequate and fair compensation, (ii) safe and healthy working environment, (iii) opportunity to develop human capabilities, (iv) growth and security, (v) Social integration, (vi) constitutionalism, (vii) total life space and (viii) social relevance.Lippitt, G.L. (1978) 22 the term QWL broadly referring to the degree to which work provides an opportunity for an individual to satisfy a wide variety of personal needs to survive with some security, to interact with others, to have a sense of personal usefulness, to be recognized for achievement and to have an opportunity to improve one"s skills and knowledge. .The article presented a questionnaire consisting of 50 questions that were developed and validated by considering the significant dimensions of quality of work life.After reviewing the questionnaire, I found it to be a useful tool for my study and sought permission from Mr. T.S. Nanjundeswaraswamy to use it.Thankfully, the permission was granted, and I was able to utilize the questionnaire in my research.The questionnaire identified nine significant dimensions of quality of work life based on factor analysis, including work environment, organizational culture and climate, relation and cooperation, training and development, compensation and rewards, facilities, job satisfaction and job security, autonomy of work, and adequacy of resources.These nine dimensions together explained 82.24% of the total variance.Thus, I confidently used the validated questionnaire for conducting the present study.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The researcher uses a descriptive research design in an effort to investigate and comprehend the quality of work life for police officers in Madhya Pradesh's telecom section of the police department.The study's main emphasis is on primary and secondary data as well as the quantitative data that was gathered from respondents using a structured questionnaire, which was analyzed using statistical tests to provide recommendations and suggestions.

Description of sample
A wide cross-section of respondents (Approx 25% of the universe) was covered to ensure sufficient variety in respondents' perceptions, and a large sample size of respondents (about 25% of the population) was used.The data collection method used was stratified random sampling.All ranks from constable to DySP (non-IPS) of radio cadre are fairly represented in the sample.The sample is divided into three categories based on ranks; each rank has a distinct perspective of the quality of the working environment due to the diverse functions and responsibilities it entails.According to the table below, 284 respondents, or 56.8%, are constables and head constables.186 respondents, or 37.2%, are assistant sub-inspectors and sub-inspectors.30% (6%) of the respondents had the rank of Inspector & DySP.There are more constables and head constables than assistant sub-inspectors since police constables are more numerous than assistant sub-inspector sample officers and that DSP and Inspector's rank officers are fewer in number than assistant sub-inspector and inspectors.This is because the department needs more staff in front-line operations than for the supervisory level.Respondents' assessments on the quality of their work lives.A five-point Likert scale was used to capture respondents' perceptions in the second phase of the survey, with "1" denoting "strongly disagree" and "5" denoting "strongly agree."50 closed-ended questions covering nine key QWL aspects make up the questionnaire.Questions 3, 11, 16, and 45 were negatively worded to lessen response bias.

Analysis and Findings -Impact of Ranks on Perception towards QWL
The goal of this study is to investigate the relationship between ranks and the perception of various QWL variables, specifically whether respondents from different rank groups behave differently when it comes to their perception of the QWL, i.e., do respondents of different ranks perceive the QWL differently on various attributes.The chi-square test was employed by the researcher to confirm the relationship between Ranks and perception.
The sample null hypothesis in this case would be: Ho(Ranks) = There is no association between type of ranks and Perception towards QWL on the variable of " I feel that I am given an adequate and fair compensation for the work I do." The alternate hypothesis would be H1(Rank) = There is significant association between ranks and Perception towards QWL on the variable of " I feel that I am given an adequate and fair compensation for the work I do." Chi Square analysis of Association between ranks and Perception of Variables chi critical 15.507

Autonomy of work
My department allows a flexi-time option.

Significant association between Ranks and perception 44
Autonomy of work A part of my job is allowed to be done at home.19.499

Significant association between Ranks and perception
After performing a chi-square test, it was discovered that six of the 50 variables had static chi-square values that were much higher than the threshold value.Out of the six factors, three are associated with "compensation and reward," two with "job satisfaction and security," and one with "autonomy of work."This shows that these people's significance of quality is reliant on their rank, rejecting the null hypothesis that there is no association between any of these variables and any of these variables.Different respondents' perceptions of these characteristics can be found across all ranks.Crosstab 24.I feel that I am given an adequate and fair compensation for the work I do.Observing the table leads us to the perception variable of "I feel that I am given an adequate and fair compensation for the work I do." for which the chi-square value (28.989) is greater than the critical value (15.507).This indicates the existence of a significant association (at the 0.05 level) between ranks and perception variable towards QWL i.e.Perception about this variable is not independent of the type of ranks.This means that there is no evidence to support the Null Hypothesis of no association rank and it is therefore rejected.From the above table when we check the % counts we find that the 41.2% respondents of const.&head constable rank, 57.5% respondents of rank ASI & SI and 73.3% respondents of the rank DySP perceive the variable positively ( Agreeing %) on the variable of " I feel that I am given an adequate and fair compensation for the work I do."The least % of respondents of const.& head constable rank perceive this variable favorably as compared to other ranks.This might be since the salary at lower rank is lower than the salary at higher ranks.
2.The next variable for which the null hypothesis is rejected is "My Organization pay a fair amount of technical allowance by considering technical responsibilities at work." for which the chi-square value (21.006) is greater than the critical value (15.507).When we check the % counts we find that the only 40.1% respondents of Constable to Head Constable rank , 34.4% respondents of rank ASI & SI and 13.3% respondents of the Inspector & DySP rank perceive the variable positively (Agreeing %) on the variable .The % of respondents of inspector to DySP rank perceives the this variable least favorably as compared to other ranks.This indicated that the higher rank respondents are not satisfied with the technical allowances provided to them as comparted to the lower ranks respondents this might be due to the reason that in comparison with the responsibility at higher ranks and the allowances given to them is less.
3.The subsequent variable for which the chi-square value (19.299) is greater than the critical value (15.507) is "My Department link rewards according to job performance.".We find that the 65.5% respondents of const to head constable rank, 65.6% respondents of rank ASI & SI and 43.4% respondents of the rank DySP perceive the variable positively (Agreeing %) on the variable.The least % of respondents of inspector to DySP rank perceives this variable favorably as compared to other ranks.This might be due to the fact that in police organization cash reward can be given to lower rank respondents (constable to inspector) and the number of officers is more who can give reward to lower rank respondents.
4.The next variable for which the chi-square value (19.018) is greater than the critical value (15.507) is "My earnings are fair when compared to the forces doing the same type of work in other organization".Further scrutinize the % counts closely we find that the 32.8% respondents of const to head constable rank ,40.8% respondents of rank ASI & SI and only 20% respondents of the rank DySP perceive the variable positively (Agreeing %) on the variable.The least % of respondents of inspector to DySP rank perceives this variable favorably as compared to other ranks.This might be due to the reason that the qualification at higher and people with that high qualification geberally paid fairly in other organization .while at the lower rank of constable where the qualification is 10 th pass feels that they are paid fair enough as compared to the other organisations.
5. The next variable for which the chi-square value (21.027) is greater than the critical value (15.507) is "43.My department allows a flexi-time option.".Moreover when we scrutinize the % counts closely we find that the 34.8 % respondents of const to head constable rank , 26.3% respondents of rank ASI & SI and only 23% respondents of the rank DySP perceive the variable positively ( Agreeing %) on the variable of " 43.My department allows a flexi-time option."Theleast % of respondents of inspector to DySP rank perceives the this variable favorably as compared to other ranks.This may be due to the reason that more responsibilities are given to employees at higher ranks as compared to the lower rank ,also the number of higher rank officers are less as compared to the lower ranks.Hence they cannot be allowed to work with time flexibility .6.The next variable for which the chi-square value (19.499) is greater than the critical value (15.507) is "44.A part of my job is allowed to be done at home.".Moreover when we scrutinize the % counts closely we find that the only 24.7 % respondents of const to head constable rank , 31.8% respondents of rank ASI & SI and 66.6% respondents of the rank DySP perceive the variable positively ( Agreeing %) on the variable of " A part of my job is allowed to be done at home.The least % of respondents of lower rank i.e. constable & head constable rank perceives the this variable favorably as compared to other ranks.The work at lower ranks is operational ,need to be performed in office only and at higher level the nature of work is related to supervision and management which requires decision making and hence can be done from home also.
QWL has been defined by Nadler and Lawler (1983) as an individual's perception and attitude towards work and the working environment.It has also been expressed by Beukema et al. (1987) that QWL is the ability of employees to actively shape their jobs according to their interests, options, and needs.According to Havlovic, S.J. and Scobel, D.N. (1991), Quality of Work Life (QWL) cannot be achieved without job security, improved reward systems, higher pay, growth opportunities, and participative groups.It is imperative that these factors be implemented in order to ensure a satisfactory work environment.It has been argued by Knox and Irving (1997) that an organization's environment is influenced by its quality of work life (QWL) practices and policies, which are operationalized through interventions and development.Research in this area has also emphasized the importance of employees' perceptions of the work environment and their preferences.Hagerty et al. (2001) assert that Quality of Work Life (QWL) encompasses an employee's overall well-being, including physical, psychological, social, and economic factors.Sutela (2006) categorizes QWL evaluation into four areas: physical work environment, social and psychological factors, health and stress symptoms, and labor market position and family background variables.Elisaveta (2006) highlights the correlation between QWL and job satisfaction in terms of job content and work environment.QWL is a critical determinant of organizational efficiency and productivity, and it is instrumental in the success of any organization.During the literature review, I came across an article titled "Quality of Work Life: Scale Development and Validation" by T.S. Nanjundeswaraswamy, Assistant Professor at the Department of Industrial Engineering & Management at JSS Academy of Technical Education in Bangalore, India (2015)


To identify the perception about the Quality of work life of various Ranks of police personnel in the Telecom branch of Madhya Pradesh police. To analyze the impact of Ranks on perception of Quality of work life (QWL). To recommend a model for improvement of Quality of work life (QWL).

Figure :
Figure : Rank Wise Distribution of Respondents My earnings are fair when compared to the forces doing the same type of work in 4 organization.