Study-work-life balance of international students in the context of temporal boundaries

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-79
Author(s):  
Megan O'Mahony ◽  
Debora Jeske
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Social Withdrawal ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
Boundary Management ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Time Zone ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Personal Challenges

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.

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

1970 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Mohn
Keyword(s):  
Human Resource ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
Human Resource Managers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Tertiary Institutions ◽  
Resource Managers ◽  
Hr Managers ◽  
Stable Categories

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.

scholarly journals Motivasi Kerja Pada Perempuan Bali Yang Sudah Menikah Dalam Perspektif Work-Life Balance

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 88
Author(s):  
Ni Wayan Sinthia Widiastuti ◽  
I Gusti Ngurah Putra Suryanata
Keyword(s):  
Work Motivation ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
Formal Sector ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
The Public ◽  
Culture Tradition

ABSTRACTWomen who have married initially only played a role in the domestic sector, which is focused on the nature of women biologically, namely taking care of the household. Current development through the influence of globalization and meeting the need to encourage women to play a role in the public sector. Especially in Bali, which is very thick with their culture tradition when a woman takes on the role as a breadwinner, as a housewife, and active in society, so that Balinese women play three roles. The purpose of the research is to explain the work motivation of Balinese women who work in a work-life balance perspective. This study used a qualitative method with a phenomenological approach. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling technique. Informants in this study consisted of seven people including four people working in the informal sector and three people working in the formal sector, with the criteria of women, ethnic Balinese, Hindus, married, having children, working. The technique of data collection is done by semi-structured interviews. This research shows a picture of married Balinese women in maintaining balance or often referred to as work-life balance and encouragement that makes Balinese women decide to work, even though they know many roles that are carried out.

scholarly journals Boundary Management Preferences, Boundary Control, and Work-Life Balance among Full-Time Employed Professionals in Knowledge-Intensive, Flexible Work

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christin Mellner ◽  
Gunnar Aronsson ◽  
Göran Kecklund
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Control ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Sociodemographic Factors ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
Boundary Management ◽  
Flexible Work ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Knowledge Intensive ◽  
Management Preferences

Profound changes are taking place within working life, where established boundaries between work and personal life are challenged by increased global competition, ever-faster changing markets, and rapid development of boundary transcending information and communication technologies (ICT). The aim of this study was to investigate boundary management preferences in terms of keeping work and personal life domains separated or integrated, that is, segmenting or blending of domains, the perception of being in control of one´s preferred boundaries, and work-life balance among employees at a Swedish telecom company (N = 1,238, response rate 65%, men 73%, mean age 42 years). Psychosocial work factors, individual characteristics, sociodemographic factors, and work-life balance were investigated in relation to boundary management preferences and perceived boundary control. For high boundary control among segmenters, nearly all the studied psychosocial work factors were significant. Among integrators, this was the case only for clear expectations in work. For both groups, the individual capacity for self-regulation was associated with high boundary control. Regarding sociodemographic factors, cohabiting women with children who preferred segmentation had low boundary control. Finally, there was a main effect of boundary control on work-life balance. In particular, male segmenters perceiving high boundary control had better work-life balance than all others. Conclusions of the study are that segmenters need external boundaries in work for succesful boundary management. Moreover, self-regulation seems a crucial boundary competence in knowledge- intensive, flexible work. Results are of value for health promotion in modern work organizations in supporting employees achieving successful boundary control and subsequent work-life balance.

Study-work-life balance: Challenges for international students

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-233
Author(s):  
Martin Lukas Mahler
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Host Country ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
Support Network ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Part Time

The purpose of this article is to explore to what extent international students may be affected by a lack of study/work-life balance or study-work-life balance amongst those who study (full-time) and work part-time. International students tend to face more pressures due to usually lacking a support network, at least for some time once arriving in the host country. Such pressures may be financial or social and may be due to a lack of awareness of host country norms and regulations or due to language barriers. An online survey informed by work-life balance theory was completed by 42 international students. The findings from the analysis of responses were that while most respondents were satisfied with their study-work-life balance, some although managing overall, faced pressures. A key finding was that the students managed due to the student visa condition restricting employment to a maximum of twenty hours per week. This seems to have helped respondents to focus more time on their studies, however, may add to financial pressures or put international students at a disadvantage over their domestic peers in terms of gaining work experience. Further, findings have uncovered that although working while studying provides additional pressures, it creates benefits through the ability to build a support network.

scholarly journals The impacts of work-life-balance (WLB) challenges on social sustainability

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 868-888 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rahman Mushfiqur ◽  
Chima Mordi ◽  
Emeka Smart Oruh ◽  
Uzoechi Nwagbara ◽  
Tonbara Mordi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Environment ◽  
High Stress ◽  
Social Sustainability ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
Medical Doctors ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Stress Level

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the implications of work-life-balance (WLB) challenges for Nigerian female medical doctors. This study focusses on Nigeria, which its peculiar socio-cultural, institutional and professional realities constitute WLB as well as social sustainability (SS) challenge for female medical doctors. Design/methodology/approach Relying on qualitative, interpretivist approach and informed by institutional theory, this study explores how Nigeria’s institutional environment and workplace realities engender WLB challenges, which consequently impact SS for female doctors. In total, 43 semi-structured interviews and focus group session involving eight participants were utilised for empirical analysis. Findings The study reveals that factors such as work pressure, cultural expectations, unsupportive relationships, challenging work environment, gender role challenges, lack of voice/participation, and high stress level moderate the ability of female medical doctors to manage WLB and SS. It also identifies that socio-cultural and institutional demands on women show that these challenges, while common to female physicians in other countries, are different and more intense in Nigeria because of their unique professional, socio-cultural and institutional frameworks. Research limitations/implications The implications of the WLB and SS requires scholarship to deepen as well as extend knowledge on contextual disparities in understanding these concepts from developing countries perspective, which is understudied. Originality/value This study offers fresh insights into the WLB and SS concepts from the non-western context, such as Nigeria, highlighting the previously understudied challenges of WLB and SS and their implications for female doctors.

scholarly journals Generating Profits out of Passion: A Study of New Zealand Wineries

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Juhie Navin Sugand
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Wine Industry ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Business Operations ◽  
Key Aspects ◽  
Economic Motives

<p>Lifestyle entrepreneurship is associated with entrepreneurs who operate businesses primarily for reasons associated with non-economic motives such as pursuit of passion, work-life balance, quality of life, and/or achieving other personal goals and objectives. Although non-economic motives are usually assumed to take precedence in such businesses, economic objectives are also important to lifestyle entrepreneurs, as they provide the means to sustain the business and support the lifestyle sought by the entrepreneur. This study aims to examine two key aspects of lifestyle entrepreneurship. Firstly, it investigates the challenges encountered by lifestyle entrepreneurs in their pursuit of economic and non-economic motivations simultaneously. And secondly, it looks at the strategies employed by lifestyle entrepreneurs to cope with those challenges.  Data for this study were collected qualitatively, through in-depth, semi-structured interviews. A set of open ended questions were used to explore the perceptions and experiences of entrepreneurs. All interviews were conducted face-to-face and were averaged 60 minutes in duration. The sample comprised of 14 lifestyle entrepreneurs from the wine industry of New Zealand, a sector which has been associated with lifestyle entrepreneurship in previous literature. The participants were purposefully selected from three wine regions, namely Nelson, Martinborough and Waiheke Island, to add to the generalizability of the findings depending on whether regional differences were apparent.  This study indicates that the main challenges encountered by the selected sample were issues pertaining to simultaneously growing the business, as well as their ability to achieve or maintain desired work-life balance. The strategies adopted by the respondents to cope with these challenges included maintaining their business small-scale, diversification of the business operations, addressing seasonality in business operations, personal engagement with the customers, delegating responsibility and re-prioritizing economic over non-economic objectives. More specifically, the respondents’ activities covered a range of business operations including grape growing, winemaking, domestic wine sales, international wine exports, cellar-door sales, providing accommodation on the vineyard (holiday house), and restaurant/cafe facilities. All wineries had achieved some form of growth over time, but most of them still remained small-scale. This was mainly due to reasons such as the desire to retain control and hands-on involvement. For a few wineries, the lifestyle orientation had changed over the course of time. Even though maintaining lifestyle objectives were still important to them, economic motivations now took precedence in their business. This was mainly due to factors such as having stimulated significant growth, changing market environment, increase in competition, or the need to ensure the viability of the business.</p>

scholarly journals Occupational and Individual Determinants of Work-life Balance among Office Workers with Flexible Work Arrangements

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 1418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofie Bjärntoft ◽  
David M. Hallman ◽  
Svend Erik Mathiassen ◽  
Johan Larsson ◽  
Helena Jahncke
Keyword(s):  
Job Demands ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Office Workers ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
Boundary Management ◽  
Flexible Work Arrangements ◽  
Flexible Work ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Work Arrangements ◽  
Overtime Work

Flexible work arrangements permitting workers to work anytime and anywhere are increasingly common. This flexibility can introduce both challenges and opportunities for the organisation, as well as for worker work-life balance (WLB). This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the extent to which occupational factors (organizational, leadership and psychosocial) and individual work-related behaviours (over-commitment, overtime work and boundary management) are associated with WLB, and whether these associations are modified by the perceived level of flexibility at work (i.e., control over when, where, and how to do the work). In total, 2960 full-time office workers with flexible work arrangements at the Swedish Transport Administration participated. Associations were determined using linear regression analyses with adjustment for covariates. The strongest negative associations with WLB were found for over-commitment, quantitative job demands, expectations of availability, and overtime work. Strongest positive associations were found for boundary management, information about organizing work, social support, and relation-oriented leadership. Perceived flexibility was positively associated with WLB, and interacted with several of the examined factors, buffering their negative associations with WLB. Results suggest that WLB can be promoted by organizational initiatives focusing on minimizing excessive job demands, increasing psychosocial resources, supporting boundary management, and enhancing perceived flexibility.

Finding Balance Amid Boundarylessness: An Interpretive Study of Entrepreneurial Work–Life Balance and Boundary Management

2015 ◽  
Vol 38 (11) ◽  
pp. 1546-1576 ◽  
Author(s):  
Souha R. Ezzedeen ◽  
Jelena Zikic
Keyword(s):  
Work Life ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
Boundary Theory ◽  
Boundary Management ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Interpretive Study ◽  
Subjective Perceptions ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
High Flexibility ◽  
Practical Implications

In recent years, entrepreneurship has grown as an attractive career alternative, promoting much scholarly attention. Still, little is known about the work–life interface of entrepreneurs, in particular whether entrepreneurship enhances work–life balance or exacerbates conflict between domains. We base this study on boundary theory to explore how subjective perceptions of balance and boundary management might illuminate this contradiction. Indeed, entrepreneurial roles are unique in that they entail high flexibility and permeability, facilitating role blurring, or boundarylessness. We interpretively explored three research questions pertaining to entrepreneurs’ perceptions of their work–life interface and boundaries between roles, as well as the context factors that could explain these perceptions. Findings suggest that several subjective as well as objective factors could explain how entrepreneurial work is sometimes experienced as conflicting, and at other times, perceived as conducive to balance. Theoretical and practical implications and recommendations as well as study limitations are discussed in closing.

scholarly journals Exploring the work–life challenges and dilemmas faced by managers and professionals who live alone

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 640-656 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krystal Wilkinson ◽  
Jennifer Tomlinson ◽  
Jean Gardiner
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Life Challenges ◽  
Life Issues ◽  
Working Age ◽  
Work Family ◽  
The Uk

This article aims to question the dominant understanding of work–life balance or conflict as primarily a ‘work–family’ issue. It does this by exploring the experiences of managers and professionals who live alone and do not have children – a group of employees traditionally overlooked in work–life policy and research but, significantly, a group on the rise within the working age population. Semi-structured interviews with 36 solo-living managers and professionals were carried out in the UK, spanning a range of occupations. In addition to previously identified work–life issues, four themes emerged that were pressing for and specific to solo-living managers and professionals. These are articulated here as challenges and dilemmas relating to: assumptions about work and non-work time; the legitimacy of their work–life balance; lack of support connected to financial and emotional well-being; and work-based vulnerabilities.

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