scholarly journals Human Resource Managers Views on Implementing Work-Life Balance

Author(s):  
Lisa Mohn

This paper focuses on the views of Human Resource (HR) managers about the implementation of work life balance (WLB) initiatives. Increasingly, WLB has become an important part of employment relations discussion and knowledge. The literature presents two key themes in terms of how this is implemented in practice. Firstly there was a corporate theme, where WLB is developed and applied from within the organisation. In the second theme WLB is developed and applied in tripartite partnership. The literature showed the New Zealand (NZ) experience is confused as to which path it is following. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore the views of HR managers in NZ government funded tertiary institutions about the implementation of WLB practices. The research involved 3 in-depth, semi-structured interviews, which were then transcribed, analysed and compared until stable categories emerged. The findings reflected the confusion found in the literature. Approaches and knowledge of WLB were standardised and essentially uniform; there was much pride and satisfaction in achievements, both individual and corporately: and despite being government funded, the organisations reflected a corporatist theme in their approach to WLB. In summary, regardless of the rhetoric of WLB as positive to workers regaining balance in their lives, the research showed in practice it was 'a wolf in sheep's clothing' -- more beneficial for the organisations in terms of increasing worker productivity, than for the workers.

2019 ◽  
pp. 266-281
Author(s):  
Susana Pasamar ◽  
Macarena López-Fernández

This chapter explores the role of human resource managers in work-life balance, analysing the evolution of women's role in society and in the labour market. The existence of different barriers that keep women far of managerial positions is pointed out, as well as the factors that could explain why this glass ceiling is still present. Human resource managers play an important role as agents responsible for the profitability and growth of the organization, but also as victims of work-family conflict of their own and as important actors in implementation of family-supportive policies designed to alleviate this conflict. Their perceptions about the positive and negative outcomes related to Work-life balance will be analised in this chapter.


Author(s):  
Susana Pasamar ◽  
Macarena López-Fernández

This chapter explores the role of human resource managers in work-life balance, analysing the evolution of women's role in society and in the labour market. The existence of different barriers that keep women far of managerial positions is pointed out, as well as the factors that could explain why this glass ceiling is still present. Human resource managers play an important role as agents responsible for the profitability and growth of the organization, but also as victims of work-family conflict of their own and as important actors in implementation of family-supportive policies designed to alleviate this conflict. Their perceptions about the positive and negative outcomes related to Work-life balance will be analised in this chapter.


2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 279-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzette Dyer ◽  
Yiran Xu ◽  
Paresha Sinha

AbstractIn this article, we examine the postmigration work–life balance or conflict experiences of 15 Chinese-born mothers living in New Zealand. Our analysis contributes theoretically to the work–life balance and migration literatures. It does so by revealing that balance and conflict is influenced by the interrelationship between the socio-cultural, work, and family domains; and that this interrelationship has both a complex and nuanced influence on postmigration balance and conflict. Thus, balance or conflict was influenced by the interrelationship between the participants’ unique experiences within the three domains, including experiencing satisfaction in all three domains and through complex processes of negative spillover, compensation, renegotiation and removal. The postmigration experiences highlight the need for a comprehensive and concerted approach by government, tertiary education institutions, and human resource managers to develop responsive policy initiatives that support migrants to settle into all aspects of their lives.


2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheeja Krishnakumar

In the present scenario, human resource managers face more challenges as many changes are happening in the present working and external environment. The entry of women into the work force has created an imbalance in the family and in the work place. When an increase in number of women joining the paid workforce, there is an increase in demand for the workplace flexibility, also demand for childcare and eldercare facility. In order to stabilize it or to reduce the imbalance many policies have been designed to balance personal and professional life for the employees. Some of the changes brought in the work place helped to increase job satisfaction, lessen absenteeism, increase productivity and help to retain the employees and found enhanced commitment towards the organization. There is a general perception that imbalance in the educational institutions for teachers are very less compared to other professions. But, studies have shown different results based on the various variables taken into consideration. This study is undertaken to explore the interference of work into the family life and the family aspects into the work for the teachers especially who teaches in the higher classes. The data is collected from women and men teachers to find out whether there is an imbalance in their life and its effect on job satisfaction. The data is collected from selected established colleges that run pre-degree courses. It is decided to collect the data from married male and female teachers with at least one kid. It is expected that this study will able to throw light on job satisfaction and work life balance among the teachers who are teaching in the higher classes. The expectations of teachers with different age, experience, income etc can be understood in detail. The findings of the study can be considered for designing future work-life balance policies and programmes for the teaching fraternity.


Author(s):  
Naseem Shahid ◽  
Gulnaz Zahid

This study aims to explore employers’ attitudes and perceptions in hiring and retaining people with physical disabilities. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with eleven human resource managers working in the private sector of Islamabad. Transcripts comprising participants verbatim were analyzed using Thematic Analysis and a descriptive approach. The reliability of the research was established by ensuring credibility, dependability, transferability, and conformability. Inter-rater reliability was found satisfactory. Findings show six major themes namely employers’ attitude, policy awareness and implementation, perceived concerns and challenges by employers, barriers to employment of people with disability (PWD), provision of reasonable accommodation and, career development and retention policy. The research findings indicate that human resource managers generally have socially desirable, favorable attitudes towards the employment of people with disabilities. However, in-depth exploration indicated either attitudinal barriers or apprehensions to hire PWD due to the lack of resources and limitations in policy implementation. Findings show that small and medium-sized organizations face greater challenges in hiring and retaining PWD. Further, a dire need for governmental and legislative support to the employers is highlighted. Implications of research findings have been discussed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-79
Author(s):  
Megan O'Mahony ◽  
Debora Jeske

The goal of this qualitative study was to examine the experience of study-work-life balance among international students who were separated from their family both geographically and temporally. Using 10 semi-structured interviews with postgraduate students and thematic analysis, several themes were identified. These included boundary management shifts due to study/work demands and time zone differences. In addition, students reported social and personal challenges (in terms of family’s expectations, relationships maintenance, socialization in host country). Temporal boundaries contributed to social withdrawal and isolation among students, many of which were heavily reliant on their own family network for support. The findings strengthen the argument that time difference impacts the boundary management and social experience of international students.


2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 18
Author(s):  
Noorlaila Hj. Yunus ◽  
Siti Musalmah Ahmad Fuad

Work-Life Balance (WLB) is an important factor that the Human Resource Management of private higher education Institution (PHEI) should concern about in order to gain high Job Performance in theinstitution. If there are WLB practices implemented by the university, the Human Resource Department (HRD) must always get feedback from the employees to continuously improve the WLB policy. This will benefit not just the employees but the most important to the PHEI by having a good productivities and high job performance employees. The result shows that most of the employees in the university have good social support from their colleagues at work place, friends and their families. This support have given them inspiration and motivation in doing their job properly and finally they might achieved high job performance. Eventhough the result were positive about the social support the employees receives, the top management including the HRD need to revise their policy of WLBespecially other factors that can influenced the employees to optimized their efforts in doing their job.


Author(s):  
Hamid Agahi ◽  
Sarist Gulthawatvichai

Human resource managers (HRMs) can use electronic-human resource management (E-HRMs) tools to improve human resources practices, including recruitment and selection of employees. Grounded in the theoretical framework of a unified theory of acceptance (UTAUT), this present qualitative case study investigated the potential barriers that influence the implementation and use of E-HRMs in Thailand's business sector. Human resource professionals from the business sector, including hotels in Thailand, were the study participants. Semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions were used as data collection instruments. Qualitative data collected was analyzed using thematic content analysis. The challenges impact the recruitment and selection process by making the employment process complex and poor selection of employees. HRMs should support E-HRMs as the advanced technologies to improve recruitment and selection of competent employees. In conclusion, E-HRMs are effective information systems that support electronic recruitment and selection of qualified employees.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (17) ◽  
pp. 4585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hsiao-Ping Chang ◽  
Chi-Ming Hsieh ◽  
Meei-Ying Lan ◽  
Han-Shen Chen

Offering services to clients by staff is a major feature of the hotel industry. Therefore, maintaining high-quality and stable services is critical for hotels to stay competitive. As for hotel human resource management, how to effectively increase employee retention is crucial because it not only enhances organizational performance but also reduces personnel cost. In this study, the researchers used structural equation modeling to explore the relationship between job embeddedness, organizational commitment, and intention to stay in tourist hotel interns. Furthermore, work–life balance was used as the moderating variable between organizational commitment and intention to stay. The study subjects were interns who had completed between half and one year of an internship at a tourist hotel and were going to graduate from the school upon completing the internship. The results indicated that job embeddedness has a significant and positive effect on organizational commitment and intention to stay whereas organizational commitment mediates the relationships between job embeddedness and intention to stay. In addition, work–life balance moderates interns’ intention to stay. This study provides the hotel industry with useful management guidelines for retaining employees and improving competitiveness.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kumar Biswas ◽  
Brendan Boyle ◽  
Sneh Bhardwaj

PurposeUsing the theoretical lens of the behavioural perspective on HRM, this study examined a mediated model to understand the extent to which organisational factors such as supportive human resource management policies and practices (SHRPP) and organisational climate (OC) can influence the affective attitudes of HR managers towards promoting women into organisational leadership roles. Survey data collected from 182 human resource managers in Bangladesh were analysed using partial least squares–based structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) and the PROCESS macro to test mediating effects. The results reveal that the adoption of SHRPP is positively associated with OC, which in turn shapes the attitudes of HR managers leading to implementing unbiased promotional practices for organisational leadership roles.Design/methodology/approachQuantitative survey data collected from 182 human resource managers in Bangladesh were analysed using PLS-SEM and PROCESS macro.FindingsThe results reveal that the adoption of SHRPP is positively associated with OC which in turn shapes the attitudes of HR managers leading to implementing unbiased promotional practices for organisational leadership roles.Research limitations/implicationsSelf-report, cross-sectional survey data may contribute to the methodological bias such as common method bias (CMB). Harman's single-factor test revealed that no single component explained a major portion of the total variance. Furthermore, partial correlational analysis using a marker variable coupled with an assessment of social desirability indicates that common method variance is unlikely to have any CMB risks to the validity of the study results.Practical implicationsFrom a practical point of view, the findings of this study suggest that supportive HR practices may create a positive organisational climate that leads to creating a healthy work environment ensuring an equal opportunity for everyone to grow and excel irrespective of their socio-cultural backgrounds and gender identity; thus, facilitating the organisation to take advantage of creativity and innovation offered by their talents, a critical factor for the organisation to survive and flourish in the dynamic market.Social implicationsThe study findings provide insights into why organisations should adopt fair and transparent HR policies to create a congenial work climate impacting on positive social attitudes towards acceptance of a gender-balanced empowered society.Originality/valueTo the best of author's knowledge, this is the first study that examined a mediated model to understand how organisational factors such as SHRPP and OC can impact on the affective attitudes of HR managers towards promoting women in the organisational leadership roles.


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