Work–life interface

About: Work–life interface is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 71 publications have been published within this topic receiving 13964 citations.

Putting the work-life interface into a temporal context: an empirical study of work-life balance by life stage and the consequences of homeworking

Abstract: Although past research suggests that life stage is an important consideration in the work-life interface, a life stage approach in the work-life literature is uncommon and mostly focused on the negative side (work-life conflict) of the interface. Accordingly, this dissertation presents a quantitative study (N=507) that integrates conflict and enrichment into work-life balance by life stage. Drawing on work-life theories (e.g., role scarcity) and life course research, it extends extant knowledge by confirming that work-life balance differs by life stage but not as expected. Employees in the early life stage (rather than those in later stages) had the most beneficial work-life balance. Understanding work-life balance differences by life stage may also help organisations to craft more targeted policies and practices for their employees. This dissertation examines further work-life issues by focusing on the effects of homeworking. It includes a qualitative study (N=40), supported by quantitative data (N=514), that explores the situation when homeworking is perceived differently by the employee and the employer. Based on Employee-Organisation Relationship (EOR) concepts (such as Perceived Organisational Support) and an extension of an inducements-contributions model, this dissertation contributes to the EOR literature by integrating employee and employer's perspectives and suggesting that differences in perceptions may produce adverse outcomes, such as employees not meeting their employer's expected contribution. This thesis also explores the role of homeworking in the organisational culture-climate alignment using a multi-model framework of organisational culture-climate. It provides a detailed contextual explanation of the potential adverse impact of homeworking on the organisation with a mixed methods approach. Findings reveal that homeworking may cause tension in the cultureclimate relationship and negatively affect organisational performance. These results contribute to the organisational culture and climate literature and the on-going debate over the consequences of homeworking, and provide a practical illustration of homeworking’s potential drawbacks.

Work-life interface and intention to stay in the midwifery profession among pre- and post-clinical placement students in Canada

Abstract: Midwifery students’ intention to stay in the profession can be influenced by how the interface of their work and personal life is affected by their clinical placement experience. The purpose of this study is to compare the intention to stay in the midwifery profession and its association with three work/personal life interface constructs among pre- and post-clinical placement midwifery students in Canada. The constructs investigated are work interference with personal life, personal life interference with work, and work/personal life enhancement. Quantitative cross-sectional data were collected through two separate online surveys completed by pre- and post-clinical placement students. In total, 456 midwifery students attending six different midwifery education programs responded to the surveys. Compared to pre-clinical placement students, post-clinical placement students had significantly lower intention to stay in the profession. For pre-clinical placement students, higher personal life interference with work was significantly associated with lower intention to stay in the profession. For post-clinical placement students, higher work interference with personal life was associated with lower intention to stay in the profession. We did not find any significant relationships between work/personal life enhancement and intention to stay in the profession in pre- or post-clinical placement students. Pre- and post-clinical placement students have different intentions to stay in the profession. For pre-clinical placement students, those who report that their personal lives highly interfere with work are less likely to want to stay in the midwifery profession. Post-clinical placement students reported that when working interfered with their personal lives they were less likely to want to stay in the profession. Our findings highlight the importance of offering students a realistic preview of the required commitment, workload, and personal involvement in the midwifery profession prior to applying or accepting a spot in a midwifery education program. Furthermore, facilitating the development of skills to better manage the expectations in midwifery work and personal lives might help with maintaining positive intentions to stay in the profession.

Examining the Relationships Among Work–Life Constructs: A Review:

Abstract: Although there has been much research conducted on the work–life interface, the absence of an integrated review of its conceptualization is mystifying to many researchers. This study addres...

Work-life interface: experiences of Indian IT women repatriates

Abstract: The growth of India’s Information Technology (IT) sector has enabled highly-skilled, aspirational Indian women to enter this demanding sector and undertake projects at international client sites. D...