Work-life Balance: the Case of Sweden in the 1990s

2002 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 303-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gunn Johansson
Keyword(s):  
Labour Force ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Work Load ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Employment Contracts ◽  
Work Routines ◽  
Large Groups

This article presents an overview of Swedish conditions with regard to work-life balance in the 1990s. This decade was characterized by high unemployment, increasing frequency of insecure employment contracts and downsizing, but also by increasing productivity. National statistics and scientific surveys indicate that large groups of the Swedish labour force experienced increasing work-load and intensification of work routines. At the end of the decade national costs of long-term sick leave doubled in two years. Two empirical studies performed with a stress and health approach are reported. Results show that a majority of workers experienced work-nonwork im balance, rather than balance. Work tended to interfere with nonwork activities rather than impact in the opposite direction, and individuals reporting work-nonwork balance reported better health and well-being than those reporting imbalance.

scholarly journals Flexible Working Arrangements in Malaysia and the Participation of Women in the Labour Force

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Geetha Subramaniam
Keyword(s):  
Labour Force ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Occupational Status ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Married Women ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
Flexible Working

<p>The aim of this thesis is to shed light on possible reasons for the stagnation in the participation rate of women in the Malaysian workforce by focusing on the phenomenon of flexible working arrangements. This is researched in the context of the possibility of flexible working arrangements helping women achieve work-life balance and how such work affects their well-being. Using a mixed method approach, the study addresses three main questions:- are Malaysian women interested in flexible working arrangements? would flexible working arrangements be useful in bringing more women into the labour force? and what impacts do flexible working arrangements have on their well-being? The study was conducted in the Klang Valley, which has a total population of over seven million people and is the heartland of Malaysia's industry and commerce. It employed both quantitative and qualitative methods. For the quantitative approach, self-administered questionnaires were distributed to women employees working in seven organisations which have flexible working arrangements and seven organisations with fixed working arrangements. A random sample of 415 female employees from 14 selected organisations in the services sector were identified. To complement the statistical data, 30 women were interviewed. Findings from the logistic regression analysis revealed that flexible working arrangements at the workplace are preferred by women who are more educated, earning a higher income and are at the higher end of the occupational status. It further revealed that flexible working arrangements will encourage more women to work in paid labour since they have a better work-life balance and more empowerment. The information gathered from the qualitative interviews concerned women’s wellbeing in terms of work-life balance, empowerment and lifestyles. While most of the women experienced work-life balance barriers, some common threads and themes revealed that flexible working arrangements will be a good option towards achieving work-life balance and had a positive effect on women’s well-being in terms of work-life balance and household empowerment. The qualitative interviews showed that workplace flexibility can improve the working women’s work-life balance, especially among married women with young children and hence, encourage women to participate in paid labour. In adopting a combination of theoretical approaches, it is argued that there is a greater tendency for Malaysian married women to exit the labour force after having children compared to most other countries and this is primarily due to their caring responsibilities, lack of an enabling environment and the cultural and social factors particular to Malaysia. The study found that flexible working arrangements are very varied in type and cannot be treated as a single, comprehensive package which might be suitable for all women. Further, the implementation of flexible working arrangements at the workplace would not be alone sufficient to bring in more women into the labour force.</p>

scholarly journals Flexible Working Arrangements in Malaysia and the Participation of Women in the Labour Force

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Geetha Subramaniam
Keyword(s):  
Labour Force ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Occupational Status ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Married Women ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
Flexible Working

<p>The aim of this thesis is to shed light on possible reasons for the stagnation in the participation rate of women in the Malaysian workforce by focusing on the phenomenon of flexible working arrangements. This is researched in the context of the possibility of flexible working arrangements helping women achieve work-life balance and how such work affects their well-being. Using a mixed method approach, the study addresses three main questions:- are Malaysian women interested in flexible working arrangements? would flexible working arrangements be useful in bringing more women into the labour force? and what impacts do flexible working arrangements have on their well-being? The study was conducted in the Klang Valley, which has a total population of over seven million people and is the heartland of Malaysia's industry and commerce. It employed both quantitative and qualitative methods. For the quantitative approach, self-administered questionnaires were distributed to women employees working in seven organisations which have flexible working arrangements and seven organisations with fixed working arrangements. A random sample of 415 female employees from 14 selected organisations in the services sector were identified. To complement the statistical data, 30 women were interviewed. Findings from the logistic regression analysis revealed that flexible working arrangements at the workplace are preferred by women who are more educated, earning a higher income and are at the higher end of the occupational status. It further revealed that flexible working arrangements will encourage more women to work in paid labour since they have a better work-life balance and more empowerment. The information gathered from the qualitative interviews concerned women’s wellbeing in terms of work-life balance, empowerment and lifestyles. While most of the women experienced work-life balance barriers, some common threads and themes revealed that flexible working arrangements will be a good option towards achieving work-life balance and had a positive effect on women’s well-being in terms of work-life balance and household empowerment. The qualitative interviews showed that workplace flexibility can improve the working women’s work-life balance, especially among married women with young children and hence, encourage women to participate in paid labour. In adopting a combination of theoretical approaches, it is argued that there is a greater tendency for Malaysian married women to exit the labour force after having children compared to most other countries and this is primarily due to their caring responsibilities, lack of an enabling environment and the cultural and social factors particular to Malaysia. The study found that flexible working arrangements are very varied in type and cannot be treated as a single, comprehensive package which might be suitable for all women. Further, the implementation of flexible working arrangements at the workplace would not be alone sufficient to bring in more women into the labour force.</p>

Work Life Balance and Job Satisfaction - A Structural Equation Modeling

GIS Business ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 156-162
Author(s):  
Dr. D. Shoba ◽  
Dr. G. Suganthi
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Study Results

Work-Life balance has its importance from ancient days and the concept is very old, from the day the world has been created. There was a drastic change that has occurred in the market of teachers and their personal profiles. There are tremendous changes in various families which have bartered from the ‘breadwinner’ role of traditional men to single parent families and dual earning couples. This study furnishes an insight into work life balance and job satisfaction of teachers working in School of Villupuram District. The sample comprises of 75 school teachers from Government and private schools in Villupuram District. The Study results that there is increasing mediating evidence in Work-life balance as well as Job satisfaction of teachers are not affected by the type of school in which they are working. Job satisfaction or Pleasure of life will be affected as a whole by Work life balance of an individual which is the main which can be calculated by construct of subjective well being.

scholarly journals The role of life friendly policies on employees' work-life balance

2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colleen Yuile ◽  
Artemis Chang ◽  
Amanda Gudmundsson ◽  
Sukanlaya Sawang
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
Work Family Conflict ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Work Related ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractAn employee's inability to balance work and non-work related responsibilities has resulted in an increase in stress related illnesses. Historically, research into the relationship between work and non-work has primarily focused on work/family conflict, predominately investigating the impact of this conflict on parents, usually mothers. To date research has not sufficiently examined the management practices that enable all ‘individuals’ to achieve a ‘balance’ between work and life. This study explores the relationship between contemporary life friendly, HR management policies and work/life balance for individuals as well as the effect of managerial support to the policies. Self-report questionnaire data from 1241 men and women is analysed and discussed to enable organizations to consider the use of life friendly policies and thus create a convergence between the well-being of employees and the effectiveness of the organization.

British doctors’ work–life balance and home-life satisfaction: a cross-sectional study

2021 ◽  
pp. postgradmedj-2021-141338
Author(s):  
Swati Parida ◽  
Abdullah Aamir ◽  
Jahangir Alom ◽  
Tania A Rufai ◽  
Sohaib R Rufai
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Home Life

PurposeTo assess British doctors’ work–life balance, home-life satisfaction and associated barriers.Study designWe designed an online survey using Google Forms and distributed this via a closed social media group with 7031 members, exclusively run for British doctors. No identifiable data were collected and all respondents provided consent for their responses to be used anonymously. The questions covered demographic data followed by exploration of work–life balance and home-life satisfaction across a broad range of domains, including barriers thereto. Thematic analysis was performed for free-text responses.Results417 doctors completed the survey (response rate: 6%, typical for online surveys). Only 26% reported a satisfactory work–life balance; 70% of all respondents reported their work negatively affected their relationships and 87% reported their work negatively affected their hobbies. A significant proportion of respondents reported delaying major life events due to their working patterns: 52% delaying buying a home, 40% delaying marriage and 64% delaying having children. Female doctors were most likely to enter less-than-full-time working or leave their specialty. Thematic analysis revealed seven key themes from free-text responses: unsocial working, rota issues, training issues, less-than-full-time working, location, leave and childcare.ConclusionsThis study highlights the barriers to work–life balance and home-life satisfaction among British doctors, including strains on relationships and hobbies, leading to many doctors delaying certain milestones or opting to leave their training position altogether. It is imperative to address these issues to improve the well-being of British doctors and improve retention of the current workforce.

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