AJRBF Volume 1, Issue 2 (November, 2011) ISSN: A Journal of Asian Research Consortium AJRBF:

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1 ABSTRACT A AJRBF: ASIAN JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN BANKING AND FINANCE GROWTH & POTENTIALS OF WOMEN EMPLOYMENT IN INDIAN BANKING INDUSTRY DR. R.K. UPPAL* *Director, ICCSR Sponsored Major Research Project, D.A.V. College, Malout, Punjab. Women constitute nearly half of the country s population. For healthy political and economic system and welfare of the people it is necessary that women must come forward and lay an active role in political and economic affairs of the country. Without their awareness and active participation, nation can not progress. The present paper is devoted to analyze the participation of women in the financial sector of the economy which is the key sector of progress of any nation. To examine the trends in female participation, five ratios (female employees of a bank group as %age of total employees of that bank group, female employees of a bank group as %age of total female employees of bank industry, total female officers as %age of total employment of that bank group, total female clerks as %age of total employment of that bank group, total female sub-ordinates as %age of total employment of that bank group) have been analyzed. The present study undertakes two years; 2000 & 2007 to check comparative growth in female employment. The analysis of these ratios shows that participation of female employees is more in foreign banks and other scheduled commercial banks and it is least in regional rural banks. Further, between 2000 & 2007, appointment of females at officer ranks has increased than that of clerks and sub-ordinates. Another interesting and major point which come forward is that total employment in banking industry has decreased by pc in KEYWORDS: Women employment, Growth & Potentials. INTRODUCTION Work defines the conditions of human existence in many ways. It may be bread earning activities in general and other activities of recreation in particular. Whatsoever it is, this is ultimately 12

2 human being who led the whole living world in its very existence across centuries. However, human beings themselves are more concerned with their functions and activities pertaining to the two segments i.e. male & female. This is therefore, has been the issue of debate for the ages and perhaps would be discussed even for the ages to come. Meanwhile, the matter of status of women participation has taken ground in the post independence era in India and after World War II across whole world. In the past decades, all parts of world have experienced both an increase in numbers of and change in the role of women in work place and India is not far behind. With the process of industrialization, modernization and globalization showing its deep impact on the human society all over the world, the role and responsibilities of women has attained new definition and perspective. Further, this has also led addition of responsibilities and widened the role of women who also shares the financial responsibilities. They have now taken up professional roles in order to create a meaning for themselves. The traditional role of a housewife has gradually changed. The working women and housewife some of the factors are responsible for this change. These are better education, changing socio-cultural values and need for supplementary income. Though no body can deny the fact that Indian women have stormed almost all male bastions, she is entering into new fields including administration, science and technology, medicine, journalism and the like but still they are in minority. The number of women in to positions is still low. It can be understood from available data which shows that Indian population constitutes 48.1 pc of women and 51.9 pc of men; the labour force participation rate of women is 22.7 pc, less than half of the men s rate of 51.6 pc. In rural India, agricultural and allied industrial sectors employ as much as 89.5 c of total female labour. In the present paper, an attempt is made to examine the participation of women in financial sector of the economy. OBJECTIVE To study & analyze the share of women employment in the total employment of Indian banking industry. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY RESEARCH DESIGN The study is conducted to examine the share of women in the total employment of banking sector. Research design indicates a plan of action to be carried out in connection with a proposed research work. It provides only a guideline for the researcher to enable him to keep on track of his actions and to know that he is moving in the right direction in order to achieve his goals. UNIVERSE To achieve the objective of the study, Indian Banking Industry is taken as universe of the study. Five major bank groups have been selected which are as follows: 13

3 SBI & Its Associate Nationalized (NBs) Foreign (FBs) Regional Rural (RRBs) Other Scheduled Commercial (Other SCBs), Comprises Old & New POPULATION Private Sector. Female employees working in Indian banking industry. EMPLOYMENT RATIOS To check the share of women in the total employment of Indian banking industry, following ratios have been taken into consideration: TIME UNIT 1. Female Employees of a Bank Group as %age of total Employees of that Bank Group. 2. Female Employees of a Bank Group as %age of total Female Employees of Bank Industry. 3. Change in total female Officers as %age of total Employment of that Bank Group. 4. Change in total female Clerks as %age of total Employment of that Bank Group. 5. Change in total female Subordinates as %age of total Employment of that Bank Group. To analyze the changing pattern of female employment, trends in female employment in 2000 & 2007 are taken into consideration. DATA COLLECTION METHOD Secondary data has been used in the present study and it is collected from the Basic Statistical Returns published by RBI, Mumbai. 14

4 RESULTS & DISCUSSION TRENDS IN FEMALE EMPLOYMENT IN 2000 Table 1 shows the employment pattern of scheduled commercial banks in It indicates that in 2000, Indian banking industry provided employment to as much 1006,631 thousand persons. Out of which share of women employees was only 0.14 pc. The ratio of women employees to total employment was highest in foreign banks (30.35 pc) followed by other scheduled commercial banks (17.62 pc). This ratio is least in case of regional rural banks. TABLE 1 BANK GROUP-WISE DISTRIBUTION OF BANK EMPLOYEES OF SCHEDULED COMMERCIAL BANKS ACCORDING TO CATEGORY (MARCH 2000) (THOUSANDS) Bank Group Total Employees Off Which: Females Officer s Clerks Subordinate s Total Officer s Clerks Subordinate s Total SBI & Associates 75, , , ,198 3,116 29,147 5,656 37,919 Nationalize d 157, , , ,756 10,064 60,177 11,327 81,568 Foreign Regional Rural 8,877 4,459 1,266 14,602 2,404 1, ,433 27,205 24,532 15,269 67, , ,782 Other SCBs 22,249 29,736 11,084 63,069 2,779 7, ,110 All SCBs 291, , , , , , , ,81 2 Source: Basic Statistical Returns 2000, RBI Publication, Mumbai. TRENDS IN FEMALE EMPLOYMENT IN 2007 The picture of women employment in banking sector is changed somewhat in 2007 (Table 2). About 899,407 thousand persons got employment in banking sector in Out of this employment figure, share of women employees was pc. Foreign banks were on top in 15

5 providing maximum employment to females followed by other scheduled commercial banks. The ratio of female employment to total employment is least in regional rural banks. TABLE 2 BANK GROUP-WISE DISTRIBUTION OF BANK EMPLOYEES OF SCHEDULED COMMERCIAL BANKS ACCORDING TO CATEGORY (MARCH 2007) Bank Group Total Employees Off Which: Females (THOUSANDS) Officers Clerks Subordinates Total Officers Clerks Subordinates Total SBI & Associates Nationalized Foreign Regional Rural 83, ,668 65, ,179 5,014 25,179 6,210 36, , ,577 94, ,516 12,884 43,026 9,977 65,887 16,902 1, ,109 4, ,585 27,174 22,067 14,373 63, , ,557 Other SCBs 58,776 32,751 9, ,989 11,164 10, ,292 All SCBs 347, , , ,407 34,441 81,031 17, ,724 Source: Basic Statistical Returns 2007, RBI Publication, Mumbai CHANGING PATTERN OF EMPLOYMENT IN 2007 OVER THE PERIOD 2000 Table 3 & 4 shows the changing pattern of employment of Indian banking industry in 2007 over the period It shows that overall employment including the ratio of female participation is declining in Indian banking industry. The ratio of female employment to total employment of scheduled commercial banks was declined by 0.56 pc. But it is interesting to note that the number of female officers in all bank groups has increased in The change in the ratio of female officers to total females in foreign banks is highest followed by other scheduled commercial banks. 16

6 TABLE 3 CHANGING PATTERN OF EMPLOYMENT IN MARCH 2007 OVER THE PERIOD MACH 2000 Bank Group Total Employees Off Which: Females Officers Clerks Subordinates Total Officers Clerks Subordinates Total SBI & Associates ,873-9,525-39,019 1,898-3, ,516 Nationalized ,236-23, ,240 2,820-17,151-1,350-15,681 Foreign Regional Rural , ,507 2,374-1, , , Other SCBs 36, ,622 37,920 8,385 2, ,182 All SCBs 56, ,381-36, ,224 15,508-19, ,088 Source: Basic Statistical Returns 2000 & 2007, RBI Publication, Mumbai. TABLE 4 PERCENTAGE CHANGE IN THE PATTERN OF FEMALE EMPLOYMENT TO TOTAL EMPLOYMENT Bank Group % change in Female Officers % change in Female Clerks % change in Female Sub-ordinates SBI & Associates Nationalized Foreign Regional Rural Other SCBs All SCBs Source: Derived from table 2 & 3. 17

7 From above analysis it is clear that employment in banking sector is at decreasing trend in which participation of women is also decreasing. But this downsizing employment is only the positive effect of IT. At the same time increased appointments of women at officers rank indicate that employer s have realized the potentials of women in this sector. WOMEN EMPLOYMENT POTENTIALS The ongoing analysis vividly indicates the changing pattern of employment and new dimensions of employment in all bank groups. As female employees are dominating in the new age banks, the day will come when it will become necessary for the counterparts of new age banks to appoint young female employees. IMPLICATION The main implication of the paper is that after financial sector reforms, particularly banking sector reforms the pattern and the dimensions of employment in the banking industry have changed. Female employment in the officer cadre is dominating particularly in new private sector and foreign banks. The gender difference is attracting the new and potential customers towards new private sector and foreign banks. Public sector banks also started to appoint young employees in the banking sector. CONCLUSION From above analysis we may conclude that there is marked decline in the total employment of banking industry. In which participation of women is also at declining trend in all bank groups under study except foreign and other scheduled commercial banks. But at the same time increased appointments of females at officer ranks indicates that they are on the path to success which will definitely help the nation to achieve specified goals. BIBLIOGRAPHY Anand, A (2000), Banking Sector Employment in India: Emerging Trends and Pattern, The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Vol. 43, No. 4. Bhattacharya, S.K., (1997), The Need for Optimizing the Banking Industry Structure, The Journal of the Indian Institute of Bankers, (Jan-March). Chansarker, A.R. (2004), Human Resource Management Policies: Changes in Indian Banking Sector, Indian Banking in the New Millenium, Anmol Publications Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, pp Garg, I.K. (2003), Indian Banking in Transition: Some Management Challenges, IBA Bulletin, Vol. 25, No. 3, (March), pp I.M.D. Little (1998) India s Economic Reforms:

8 Rangarajan, C (1998), Banking Sector Reforms: Rationale & Relevance, Kapila & Kapila (Eds.). Rao, G.S.B. (2003), Strategic Management: Leveraging HR for Success in Vinimaya, Vol. 24, No.3, October-November, pp Sangwan, D.S (2005), Human Resource Management in, IBA Bulletin. Vashisht, A.K. (2004), Commercial Banking in the Globalized Environment Political Economy Journal of India, Vol. 13, Issue 1 & 2 (January-June), pp