Work–life balance

About: Work–life balance is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 2252 publications have been published within this topic receiving 36240 citations. The topic is also known as: Work Life balance & work-life balance.

Effect of Work Stress on Work Life Balance: Moderating Role of Work-Life Support Organizational Culture in Sri Lanka Customs Department

Abstract: This study was initiated with the primary objective of assessing the impact of work stress on work-life balance of custom officers serving for the Sri Lanka Customs Department. Further, to assess the moderating role of ‘work-life support organizational culture’ in the said context it was established as a secondary objective. The study is a basic research in which the researches attempted to answer a problem that is concerned with filling a contextual gap in the empirical knowledge. Deductive approach was predominantly applied, and the study is mainly explanatory. Hence, this was carried out as a cross-sectional, quantitative field-study among a sample of, randomly selected 200 custom officers. Primary data was collected through a standard questionnaire which has met the accepted standards of reliability and validity. It is found that work stress has a significant negative relationship (r = -0.695) with work-life balance of custom officers. The direct impact (r2 = .476) of work stress on work life balance is also statistically significant (sig = 0.000) and which is further moderated (r2 = .481) by the prevailing culture in the context. Moreover, the culture in Sri Lanka Customs is identified as a work-life support culture in which employees are empowered adequately to manage multiple roles in their lives, though the job is highly stressful. So that, it is recommended to encourage and maintain such a culture continuously in the Customs Department to help employees to manage multiple demands and expectations deriving from rest of life other than work. Further, it is suggested that the policies and initiatives put forward to facilitate employees’ work-life balance in the organization to be reviewed and appropriately modified frequently, aligning with the organizational culture to obtain the maximum outcomes from such policies and initiatives.

Contextualising work-life balance; a case of women of African origin in the UK

Abstract: Purpose: The existing gender gap in the workplace, that affects job satisfaction and career advancement of women, creates a need to understand further the causes and effects of the gender gap phenomenon. Although, there are many challenges that affect women’s job satisfaction and advancement in the workplace, this paper investigates work-life balance using multiple theoretical lenses. Design: 15 semi-structured interviews were conducted with women from Nigeria and Ghana residing in the UK, they were selected using a purposive sampling method. Findings: The findings show four main factors that explain the choices these women make in relation to work-family. These are cultural sensitivities, current phase in family and work life, personality types and other influences like policies and financial commitment. Results also show how these women make these work-family choices using networks and services. Practical Implications: The paper postulates the need for organisations to pay attention to the acculturation and enculturation of these women which would indicate observing their cultural behaviours, values, knowledge and identities in order to understand how they integrate, assimilate and to also prevent separation and marginalisation. In addition, the use of (internal and external) networks as support systems for these women can create the opportunity for informal learning. Finally, organisations should create structure that support workplace learning and should include activities like decision-making, communication, career advancement planning and flexible work patterns. Originality/Value: This study contributes to theory using multiple theories (work-family, gender inequality and theory X and Y in explaining the work family construct of women of African origin in the UK.

Impacts of Perceived Role Demands on Work-Life Balance and Moderating Effects of Work Ethics: Evidence from Public Sector Professionals in Sri Lanka

Abstract: Work, family and social life are considered to be the most important spheres for an individual’s life. The current study focuses on to determine the level of work-life balance, to analyze the impacts of perceived role demands on work-life balance and to estimate the moderating effects of work ethics between role demands and work-life balance relationship among professionals in Sri Lanka. The sample consists of 386 professionals of Chartered Engineers, Medical Officers and Accountants employed in the public sector organizations in Sri Lanka. Explanatory research design with quantitative research approach of cross sectional survey method was adapted. Primary data was collected using Questionnaire survey with stratified random sampling techniques. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling approach with Amos 21 and SPSS statistics 23. The Multi-Group Analysis in Amos also has been applied for testing the moderation effect of work ethics. This study found that professionals possess a moderate level of work-life balance and there is significant and negative causal impacts of perceived work and social demands on work-life balance while combined effects of perceived role demands have significantly and negatively impact on work - life balance. Moreover, work-life balance is skewed towards works and less in family and social role demand is an emerging issue for professionals. Further, work ethic has significant and partial moderation effect between role demands and work-life balance relationships. This study is significant and beneficial for managers, organizational leaders and researchers to address the needs of employees to develop strategies and policies to address work - life balance issues and social implications for employees, family members, societies and researchers. The limitation of the study is that all of the measures were self-reported that common method variance may raise concern. Future studies using longitudinal design would be useful in establishing the temporal causal relationship among the private sector professionals in Sri Lanka.

Tribal women’s work-life balance: an identity-based approach

Abstract: This paper aims to examine the work-life balance (WLB) experiences of tribal working women belonging to the matrilineal Khasi and Jaintia communities of Meghalaya, India, using an identity-based approach.,Semi-structured interviews conducted with 18 tribal women working in the formal sector helped generate descriptions of the subjective subliminal tensions they experienced in their efforts to balance work and home life.,Six key themes emerged: webs of role-based responsibilities; reframing family around work; revising self-identity through work; challenges and coping tactics; traditional community influences on management of work and home life; and enacting womanhood as problem-solving.,This study contributes to the literature on women and WLB in that it expands the theoretical understanding of the impact of identity work on women’s WLB.,A healthy WLB is crucial for enhanced intrinsic motivation and consequently women’s psychological empowerment and career satisfaction. This has important social and practical implications for enriching tribal women’s quality of life in India and facilitating their contribution towards the betterment of their communities and the economy at large. To this end, policymakers should launch awareness campaigns pertaining to tribal women’s WLB, to aid organizations in rolling-out contextually relevant work-life management programmes for these women.,This study extends an identity-based approach as a general theory of the self to examine matrilineal tribal women's WLB construction as a distinct form of “doing” and “being”.

Progress of Countries in Work Life Balance: A Comparative Perspective

Abstract: Yasamin is ve is disi alanlarindaki talepleri ve sorumluluklari yonetmek ve bu iki alan arasinda denge kurmak gittikce zorlasmaktadir. Bu dengeyi kurmayi zorlastiran bircok faktor vardir. Akademik literatur is yasam dengesi uzerinde etkili olan bu bireysel, organizasyonel, toplumsal faktorlerin belirlenmesine katki saglamaktadir. Is yasam dengesinin sadece bireyler ve organizasyonlar uzerindeki faydasi degil, toplumun refahi, yasam tatmini ve mutluluk seviyesi ile de iliskisinin olmasi konunun ulke duzeyinde hazirlanan politikalar ve duzenlemeler ile ele alinmasi gerektigi gercegini ortaya cikarmistir. Her ulke kendi ulusal dinamiklerini olusturan kulturel, yapisal, ekonomik faktorleri dikkate alarak is yasam dengesini destekleyici farkli politikalar gelistirmektedir. Hukumetlerin farklilik gosteren bu cabalarinin is yasam dengesi uzerindeki etkisinin de farkli olmasi beklenmektedir. Bu calisma is yasam dengesi acisindan ulkeleri karsilastirmayi amaclamaktadir. Ulkeler, potansiyel olarak is yasam dengesi ile iliskili olabilecek “kadinlarin is gucune katilimi”, “aileler icin yapilan kamu sosyal harcamalari”, “okul oncesi egitime ya da ilkokul egitimine kayit oranlari” gostergeleri acisindan karsilastirilmistir. Bu amac ile OECD (Ekonomik Isbirligi ve Kalkinma Orgutu) tarafindan sunulan raporlar ve veri tabanlari uzerinden elde edilen ikincil veri kullanilmistir.