IEE Paper

IEE Paper

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IEE Paper

Certain peer-reviewed articles have been selected for this study that relates to ‘work-life balance”, a contemporary management issue. A summary of the selected readings, integrative statement, evaluative statement, and extension statement will be provided to fulfil the requirements of the assignment. The articles discuss the interrelationship between work-life balance and employees’ performance or organizational performance. Certain other features have also been considered in these articles that help to better understand the topic of discussion, including psychological wellbeing, job satisfaction, mutual relationship between coworkers, happiness at work, and organizational commitment.

Summary of Articles

The article titled as, “Moderated Mediation between Work-Life Balance and Employee Job Performance: The Role of Psychological Wellbeing and Satisfaction with Coworkers” reflects on the correlation between work-life balance and employees’ performance at job (Haider, Jabeen, & Ahmad, 2018). The article employs a mediation model to analyze the impact of work-life balance on employees’ job performance. The psychological wellbeing of employees is associated with their work-life balance. Therefore, it can be assumed that employees’ psychological wellbeing can be achieved by enhancing their satisfaction with their co-workers through creating a balance in their work and personal life. The study was conducted by collecting data from the banking sector employees, supervisors and their subordinates. The study presents empirical results to establish the above-said connections(Youssef-Morgan & Craig, 2019). It is associated with personnel management studies, and uses moderated mediation techniques and tools to complete the task. The research concludes that there is a direct correlation between employees’ work-life balance and job performance which can be improved by increasing psychological well-being that can further be improved by employees’ satisfaction with coworkers.

The research names as "Influence of Work-Life Balance Policies on Employee's Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment: A Case Study of University of Peshawar” asserts that employees’ job performance can be improved greatly by ensuring work-life balance for them. Provision of work-life balance greatly influences employees’ job satisfaction as well as organizational commitment (Takrim, Siddiq, & Amin, 2015). The University of Peshawar was selected to conduct the research. The research was designed to identify the effects of work-life balance practices on job satisfaction and commitment of the employees. The assumption made was that work-life balance can be achieved by providing certain facilities related to the work-life balance. The data collection was made by using self-developed questionnaires. The administrative staff and teachers were engaged in constructing these questionnaires. Non-probability sampling was employed to analyze the data. The questionnaires were distributed among the university employees and almost all the staff members responded to the full extent. The questionnaire used was found reliable based on Chronbach alpha check. The internal consistency measured ultimately determined the reliability of the instrument. Further, descriptive statistics were used to conduct the analysis. Pearson correlation and the regression model were employed to do the study. A positive correlation was found between the variables. It was determined through the regression analysis that changing the flexibility and practices for creating work-life balance affects employees' job satisfaction and commitment toward the organization. The study concludes that providing relevant facilities for work-life balance will create a balance in their work-life as well as family issues (Kelliher, Richardson, & Boiarintseva, 2019). The results of the study help the experts to make HR policies that will increase employees’ retention.

The article, “Work-Life Balance and Firm Performance: A Causal Approach”, says that it is essential to focus on such human resources practices that impact the organization’s performance (Kamath & Shetty, n.d.). Firms have always looked for ways to increase profitability that would enable these firms to establish in the market. Therefore, it is also crucial for firms to develop ways for retaining employees. The employees’ retention has been proved to be a definite way of increasing profitability. The study indicates the factors that ensure improvement of work-life balance. The study establishes that varying the inputs will change the outputs that are directly associated with the employees’ performance. Since millennials have entered the workforce more than ever before, the firms have to make strategies that retain the employees.

The articles, "Impact of Work-Life Balance, Happiness at Work, on Employee Performance", investigates the mutual connection between work-life balance, happiness, and the employee's performance. In Pharmaceutical industries in Jordan, a survey based on a questionnaire was used to analyze response from 289 employees. A research model has been applied to measure the influence of work-life balance as well as happiness on the employees' performance. The results indicated that work-life balance as well as happiness have great effect on employee's performance (Beauregard & Henry, 2009). The research indicates that not much study has been conducted on the subject. The research suggested ways and practices for the pharmaceutical industry of Jordan to improve work-life balance so that the employees’ increased performance could impact the overall organization’s performance.

Integrative Statement

The articles studied for review have a common subject of discussion namely work-life balance. The work-life balance has become a major contemporary concern about the employees’ welfare as well as the organizational performance (Oyewobi, Oke, Adeneye, & Jimoh, 2019). Therefore, an important part of a company’s HR responsibilities include devising ways and practices to retain employees by supporting the employees to achieve their work-life balance. It has been determined through all the above-mentioned studies that the variables involved in these studies change with varied inputs. It means that the organization's performance is contingent upon employees' performance at a job that is further dependent upon their psychological wellbeing. The studies show that employees' psychological wellbeing is associated with work-life balance. If employees have work-life balance, they will be happy at workplaces, and behave positively with their coworkers. The employees' performance will improve based on the efforts made by the companies for providing them with facilities to achieve work-life balance. Two of the articles relate the work-life balance with the employees' performance, while the other two articles analyze the impact of work-life balance on the organization’s performance, assuming the employees’ performance to be a middle variable (McMullin & Watts, 2019). The studies have been made by using different models of statistical analysis and using large groups of individuals to conduct the surveys. The conclusion of all researches have been the same almost in all studies providing that the employees’ performance is directly correlated with the work-life balance.

Evaluative Statement

The literature written on the subject is encouraging and provides ample evidence about the need of creating the work-life balance in employees’ life. The research on this subject is, however, in its earlier stages, given that the use of methodologies and instruments is relatively simpler than those used in other researches of the same kind that have been done on other topics. The organizations are becoming more resourceful and the experts are devising ways to improve the performance of the company. It is obvious from the available research that organizations have still not understood the need of doing sufficient research on the subject. This is obvious also by examining the situation in the companies that demonstrate little emphasis on the employees’ facilitation of work.

Extension Statement

The research done on the subject has laid the basis for future research. The professionals have started looking for achieving the work-life balance for employees. The study can be made by employing some other variables for research to prove the results. Currently, work-life balance has been measured against employees’ performance and firm’s performance by using the variables of employees’ psychological health and job satisfaction. In future, other variables like time management skills, work-life incentives, flexibility of work schedule, training programs’ frequency, and family support programs can be used to study how to achieve work-life balance while working in a specific company.

Works Cited

Beauregard, T. A., & Henry, L. C. (2009). Linking work-life balance practices and organizational performance. Human Resource Management Review, 19(1), 9–22.

Haider, S., Jabeen, S., & Ahmad, J. (2018). Moderated mediation between work-life balance and employee job performance: The role of psychological wellbeing and satisfaction with coworkers. Revista de Psicología Del Trabajo y de Las Organizaciones, 34(1), 29–37.

Kamath, B. G., & Shetty, A. (n.d.). WORK-LIFE BALANCE AND FIRM PERFORMANCE: A CAUSAL APPROACH.

Kelliher, C., Richardson, J., & Boiarintseva, G. (2019). All of work? All of life? Reconceptualising work‐life balance for the 21st century. Human Resource Management Journal, 29(2), 97–112.

McMullin, C., & Watts, M. (2019). Struggles and Strengths of Work-Life Balance for Millennials.

Oyewobi, L. O., Oke, A. E., Adeneye, T. D., & Jimoh, R. A. (2019). Influence of organizational commitment on work–life balance and organizational performance of female construction professionals. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management.

Takrim, K., Siddiq, A., & Amin, S. (2015). Influence of Work Life Balance Policies on Employee’s Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment: A Case Study of University of Peshawar. Putaj Humanities & Social Sciences, 22(2).

Youssef-Morgan, C. M., & Craig, L. (2019a). 18. Work–life balance, stress and well-being: Moderating effects of psychological capital. In Creating Psychologically Healthy Workplaces (p. 369). Edward Elgar Publishing.