Summary
The main focus of our research is to study the changes in the socio-economic behavior, lifestyle, and mindset of the youth working in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and ITES sectors in India. We will also analyze the reasons behind these changes. However, the BPO/Call Center work culture poses several challenges such as odd working hours, intense competition and pressure from higher management, high stress from customer handling, constant target changes, and pressure to deliver high performance.
Moreover, the issue becomes even more significant when considering the socio-economic impacts these parameters have, particularly on the lifestyle of today’s Indian youth. These effects include an increased addiction to smoking and drinking, gradual changes in behavior, a sense of social alienation, acute depression syndrome, psychological disorientation, concerns about job security, frustration on the job, lack of career progression, and frequent tendencies to change jobs.
Problem Statement
The main focus of our research paper is to examine the impact of working in BPO/Call Centers on the social behavior, lifestyle, and mindset of the youth in India. The research objectives include conducting a literature review and analyzing the growth and size of the Indian BPO industry, which reached $5.7 billion in 2005 with a remarkable growth rate of 44.4%.
The BPO industry in India is thriving because of its robust security measures and commitment to establishing trust with clients. This sector’s growth is not confined to major cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai; it is also flourishing in Tier II cities like Nashik and Mangalore, as well as rural areas. BPOs provide employment prospects for undergraduates and individuals in their late twenties, serving as a significant job resource for the Indian youth.
You don’t need to have high qualifications to earn a substantial amount of money, which is higher than what most people with similar skills would make in regular jobs. In the Newsweek article titled “A new face of youth consumerism,” Rashmi Bansal mentions that this unrestricted flow of money has led to the emergence of credit cards in India’s youth market, without any limits on spending. This development is greatly welcomed by marketers, who have been pursuing this market for a long time. Nasscom reports that BPO firms employed 245,500 individuals in 2003-04.
The BPO employed youth in India, which comprises approximately 90% of the workforce and earns an average of Rs 10,000 a month, possesses an annual purchasing power of at least Rs 2,200 crore. This increase in consumer purchasing power is not the only consequence of the emergence of BPOs in India. According to “Aliens” by Rashmi Bansal and Avinash Celestine, there are other manifestations as well. This includes the development of a new generation with different mindsets, habits, and working styles as a result of the BPO effect.
According to an article in “The Viewspaper” by Upasana Mallick, the growing wealth among young people is leading to detrimental consequences. This increase in disposable income has resulted in the adoption of foreign cultures, frequenting discotheques and nightclubs, and excessive consumption of food and alcohol. The youth’s tendency to embrace hedonistic lifestyles is attributed to both the surplus of money and constant exposure to foreign influences. Additionally, the stress caused by long working hours is also held responsible for this trend.
The health impact of BPO jobs on India’s youth is a major concern for experts. Many of these jobs involve working in shifts, with a growing number requiring night shifts to accommodate transactions with companies outside of India and in the US. Research conducted by the Lokniti programme of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies has revealed that occasionally working night shifts is fine, but regularly doing so can have detrimental effects on a person’s health and lifestyle.
Furthermore, the article “International Trends in Private Higher Education and the Indian Scenario” by Asha Gupta highlights that working in night shifts not only puts women at risk of sexual harassment by cab drivers transporting them to and from work but also contributes to the creation of an unimaginative and less skilled workforce. This workforce could have been more productive if redirected into crucial fields such as engineering, medical science, economics, and other areas necessary for the country’s development instead of being focused on the BPO industry.
Research Design
The primary source of information for our research is BPO & Call-Center employees. We will be engaging with employees from different BPOs/Call-centers located in and around Electronic City, Bangalore. Electronic City, being the IT Hub of Bangalore and hosting over 100 companies in the IT/ITES/BPO sectors, is an ideal location for our research survey.
The data collection process for this research project will involve a survey using a questionnaire. It is crucial to mention that the questionnaire must be designed in such a way that participants are unaware of the specific conclusions we intend to derive from it. Nonetheless, we can still collect the required data by employing an indirect approach within the questionnaire.
This exercise will enhance our skills in questionnaire design and make participants feel more comfortable. The nature and form of the results schedule will be determined later, considering academic timetables and availability. Additionally, we need access to special resources, such as guidance from our esteemed faculties. Their suggestions and feedback will help us conduct our research more coherently and potentially unlock new dimensions for our final report.
Bibliography
- EBSCO Database – http://search. ebscohost. com
- Marketing Research – Naresh K. Malhotra, Satyabhushan Dash www. festivals-culture. blogspot. com/2008/09/bpo-culture-good-or-bad-for-indian html
- www. businessworld. in/index. php/A-new-face-of-youth-consumerism. html
- www. zorsebol. com/issues/india-call-centre-jobs-bpo-industry/
- www. theviewspaper. net/the-bpo-blast
- www. books. iupindia. org/overview. asp? bookid=IB1101380
- www. en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Business_process_outsourcing_in_India
- www. skpweb. blogspot. com/2006/06/is-bpo-industry-ruining-indian-youth. html
