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.

What's in a Name? ‘Work and Family’ or ‘Work and Life’ Balance Policies in the UK since 1997 and the Implications for the Pursuit of Gender Equality

Abstract: Since 1997, Labour has developed a wide range of policies on childcare services, care leaves and flexible working hours. In 2000, the term ‘work-life balance’ was introduced and has been used by Government Departments and by the academic community with very little discussion of its meaning vis a vis the use of ‘family-friendly’ policies, or the promotion of ‘work and family balance’. We explore the introduction of the term work-life balance, the reasons for it, and its significance at the policy level, especially in terms of its implications for the pursuit of gender equality. We find that at the policy level, its use was more a matter of strategic framing than substantive change. Nevertheless, because of the UK Government's largely gender-neutral approach to the whole policy field, it is important to make explicit the tensions in the continuing use of the term work-life balance, particularly in relation to the achievement of gender equality.

The Meaning of Work/Life: A Corporate Ideology of Work/Life Balance

Abstract: Organizations wield great power over the structure of contemporary life. Using the rhetorical method of cluster analysis, we investigated the construction of work/life issues on Web sites of companies on Fortune's 2004 list of “100 Best Companies to Work for.” By identifying key terms and the terms that clustered around them, we uncovered a corporate ideology of work/life: 1) work is the most important element of life; 2) life means family; 3) individuals are responsible for balance; and 4) organizations control work/life programs. We conclude that organizational work/life programs may increase, rather than decrease, the amount of control organizations exercise over personal life. We explore the implications of this finding as well as directions for future research.

Achieving work-life balance: Current theoretical and practice issues

Abstract: Professor Steven Poelmans is a leading international expert on the frontiers of work–family research contributing to theoretical and practice advancements. He is the Academic Director of the International Centre of Work and Family (ICWF) at IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain, which has worked for more than a decade with numerous organisations in Spain, Latin-America, and various countries around the globe to create a family-responsible environment. In this conversation, Steven Poelmans responds to questions from Thomas Kalliath and Paula Brough (Guest Editors) on a range of theoretical and practice issues currently facing the field including measurement of work–life balance, work–life balance theory, engagement with industry, the role of organisational culture and strategic management in influencing work–life balance.

Work–life Balance: Is it Now a Problem for Management?

Abstract: In Western Australia (WA) there is substantial interest by public sector management in work–life balance (WLB) as a strategy to address labour supply problems. This article considers whether the positioning of WLB as a problem for management provides the opportunity for change resulting in an improved quality of working life in the public sector. We report on the implementation of WLB policies in four WA public sector agencies and conclude that managers are ‘managing’ WLB in a limited way, and largely in an individualized manner, at a level that does not disrupt the usual way of organizing work and employment. For many managers, employees' requests to access WLB policies are perceived as being in conflict with operational goals. The findings highlight the inadequacy of much of the WLB discourse that obscures the tension between, on the one hand, the imperative for managers to implement WLB more effectively and, on the other, organizational practices and the broader social, political and economic context in which management and the organization are located.

Work-Life Balance and Job Satisfaction among Doctors in Pakistan

Abstract: This paper examines the relationship of job satisfaction with the upcoming concept of Work-Life Balance (WLB), turnover intentions and burnout level of doctors. A sample of 175 MBBS qualified doctors across Pakistan, was considered for the study. A questionnaire was used to collect the data from the doctors working in different departments of the hospitals in major cities of Pakistan including Peshawar, Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The response rate was satisfactory resulting in 70% response rate. Cronbach's alpha scores were calculated for each variable to confirm the reliability. The study depicts the picture of how job satisfaction is affected by WLB practices in the developing country like Pakistan, and how it affects the burnout level of doctors, however, very little research has been done in this relationship across the globe while in Pakistan no research found in this regard, we are aware of, to examine the said relationship. The aim of this paper is to provide an empirical evidence to prove the relationship. The research provides an evidence that the doctors who are better able to manage their work and life responsibilities have low burnout level and experience more job satisfaction and ultimately result in less turnover. Data has been processed by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). To analyze the data t-test and regression were used. Results are compaired to previous researches. INTRODUCTION The debate on the issues ot job satisfaction has been in discussion for a long time but its relationship with Work- Lite Balance (WLB) gained importance in the recent past, especially in the developing countries. The issue of WLB was earlier raised by the working mothers during the 1960s and 1970s in the UK. The working mothers were confronted with the issue of handling their work at their work places and raising their children at home. During the mid 1980s, the issue was also taken into consideration by the US government, lhe 199Us confirmed the recognition of WLB as a mam human resource management issue (Bird, 2006) in other parts or the world as well, This concept has emerged as a result of the performance culture that expects more and more from the employees. In the book Willing Slaves: How the. Over Work Culture is Ruling Our Lives by Bunting (2004), it has been stated that average working hours per week in America has been increased from 43.6 h to 47.1 h from 1977 to 1997. Lack of WLB practices in organizations may be a reason for overwork and increased stress. This lacking may affect all occupations from blue collar workers to upper management. Good WLB is the need of the current era (Eikhof et ai, 2007) as WLB looks into the employee attitude to work and life. The variables that influence a manager's work motivation are public service motivation, advancement opportunities, role clarity and group culture that leads to manager's job satisfaction (Moynihan and Pandey, 2007). Job security, one of the factors of job satisfaction, was ranked highest among restaurant employees working in nonsupervisory positions. There are different aspects/facets of job satisfaction. Conpensation is relevant to both job satisfaction as well as work life balance. Compensation was found to be the least predictor of job satisfaction in a study carried out by Hancer and George (2003) . Providing WLB facility creates a cooperative atmosphere between the employer and the employee. Nowadays, the studies of job satisfaction and WLB go hand in hand. An Australian study reveals that the thing that affect life more than the working hours is job satisfaction and age (Eikhof et a?., 2007). Work might be a source of satisfaction for some workers or atleast a positive gain. WLB means that the employee feels that he/she can freely use flexible working hours to balance his/her work and other commitments like, family, hobbies, art, travelling, studies etc., instead of only focusing on work (Frame and Hartog, 2003). …